My PC layout

[Wolfstan]

I am planning the PC that my [knowledgable] brother is going to build for me, and I want to learn as much as I can about building a PC so I can tweak it myself later on. I am a newbie to custom system building, and I need advice on compatability and performance. I think it is worth noting that I do not wish to overclock what-so-ever.

I am a PC gamer at heart, and though I don't have games like HL2 or BF2 >yet<, I do have other games that I cannot play because my old GFX card malfunctioned. This new PC is designed for gaming, schoolwork, and possibly future music production. I want this system to last, as I plan to build upon it as I need after initial purchase.

Well, here's the layout so far:

Case: Pending... Need ATX Mid-Tower suggestions.

PSU: Pending... What type of PSU do you reccomend, considering all my components?

Mother/Mainboard: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131530"]ASUS A8N-E Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD[/URL] I'm certain this is the mobo I want, but suggestions are still welcome.

CPU:http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103539"]AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 1GHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor[/URL]


HDD(2): I have a Western Digital 120-GB 7200RPM in my old PC, which I plan to carry over.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148065"]Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive[/URL] This HDD will serve as the storage for data and media files, of which I have plenty.

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145480"]CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory[/URL] I'm getting two sets for 4x512.

Pri Optical: HLDS 40X/12X/48X IDE CD-RW Drive

Sec Optical: MATSH1TA DVD-RAM LF-D311

Both are in my old PC and continue to serve me well for all burning and stuff. My only question here is whther I will need drivers for them or not, because it doesn't appear that Gateway included any for them.

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Pro with Advanced EAX
Also continues to serve well, don't see any reason to change cards now.

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130237"] eVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO PCI Express 256MB DDR3 Video Card w/HDTV-Out & VIVO Retail[/URL] Meh. I gave into the reviews. I'm going to full nine-yards with this system. Why not?

FDD: Standard Internal Floppy Drive from my old PC, don't know the model name or manufacturer, but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine with this.

Keyboard: Gateway Multi-function PS/2 Keyboard
Works fine.

Mouse: Microsoft wheel optical wired mouse

Modem: Fairly sure I won't need one.

Lan: Mobo above has onboard 10/100/1000Mbps. Unless this is somehow inadequate, it's safe to assume I will need no other card for it.

Monitor: On third thought... Meh. I can't decide.


Speakers/Sound system: RCA '95 Stereo speakers (can you believe I've had these for 10 years?) with Altec Lansing Dual-SubWind woofer

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102153"]Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2[/URL]
I decided that I'll reformat my Western Dig 120GB after backing everything I need on my bro's external HDD for a clean WinXP install. I assume this is the best way to ensure compatability. Yes, I want XPPro, because Home isn't very network-friendly. (I've got a network of 4 comps in my house.)

I also might want to throw in an arbitrary case mod just to make it look cool. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'll have the funds for the whole system probably somewhere around February or March 06. Maybe even sooner, depending on how much the final components cost.

 

[Cobalt]

If possible, go for 2x1GB sticks of RAM, games like BF2 benefit greatly by it.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Fix links please >.<

Anyways, that looks pretty good. For a case, I recommend the Antec P180. It looks awesome, it's quiet, and it cools very well. A really strong PSU would be the Sparkle 550W with 36A on a single +12V rail. That thing is a monster that will be able to power anything you throw at hit. However, it is a bit loud and hot, so if you want something that's more efficient, get a nice Seasonic S12 series. For the RAM, get 2x1GB instead. If you run 4 sticks of RAM, they'll operate at a 2T command rate instead of 1T. That will give you a bit of a performance decrease. Also, having 2 sticks will leave 2 extra slot free in case you need any more in the future. You might want to consider getting an LCD monitor. They take up less space, weight a LOT less, and they're getting pretty cheap now. However, if you do get an LCD, try to get one that supports higher resolutions, like maybe a Dell 20.1 widescreen. The power of your 7800GTX will be wasted if you get a simple 17"/19" LCD with 1280x1024 resolution.

 

[theMan]

if you wont have the money untill march '06 there isnt much point in building it now. by then, socket M2 should be out, or will be very soon, and S939 will be phased out. i think you should wait untill then.

 

[Wolfstan]

... Holy smokes man, you just deflated me.

Kidding.

But seriously, the question is will all the new technology be worth the price? I want a system that isn't going to cost 3 sacrifical lambs and a pint of virgin blood.

 

[theMan]

when the new platform comes out, there will be plenty of budget solutions, just like there are now. you just dont want to end up with a rig thats obselete when you buy it. thats depressing.

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

Originally posted by: Wolfstan
I am planning the PC that my [knowledgable] brother is going to build for me, and I want to learn as much as I can about building a PC so I can tweak it myself later on. I am a newbie to custom system building, and I need advice on compatability and performance. I think it is worth noting that I do not wish to overclock what-so-ever.

I am a PC gamer at heart, and though I don't have games like HL2 or BF2 >yet<, I do have other games that I cannot play because my old GFX card malfunctioned. This new PC is designed for gaming, schoolwork, and possibly future music production. I want this system to last, as I plan to build upon it as I need after initial purchase.

Well, here's the layout so far:

Case: Pending... Need ATX Mid-Tower suggestions >>Antec P180, Thermaltake Armor Silver (yeah full tower but awesome) or if you're nuts, the Thermaltake Tai-Chi which is an absolutely KA case . . .

PSU: Pending... What type of PSU do you reccomend, considering all my components? Something from Seasonic or OCZ, Seasonic 510W is good so is OCZ Powerstream 600W

Mother/Mainboard: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131530"]ASUS A8N-E Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD[/URL] I'm certain this is the mobo I want, but suggestions are still welcome. >>Consider a DFI Lanparty UT Ultra-D

CPU:http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103539"]AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 1GHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor[/URL] Good proc. choice. Also consider the Opteron 144 when it comes out for socket 939 . . . that way you can save $100 to get some quality ram.


HDD(2): I have a Western Digital 120-GB 7200RPM in my old PC, which I plan to carry over.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148065"]Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive[/URL] This HDD will serve as the storage for data and media files, of which I have plenty.

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145480"]CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory[/URL] I'm getting two sets for 4x512. Yeah don't go with 4x512 . . . get a pair of 1GB Corsair XMS 3200c2 or OCZ Gold, if that's too much, at least get two sticks of 1GB RAM . . .

Pri Optical: HLDS 40X/12X/48X IDE CD-RW Drive

Sec Optical: MATSH1TA DVD-RAM LF-D311

Both are in my old PC and continue to serve me well for all burning and stuff. My only question here is whther I will need drivers for them or not, because it doesn't appear that Gateway included any for them.

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Pro with Advanced EAX
Also continues to serve well, don't see any reason to change cards now.

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130237"] eVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO PCI Express 256MB DDR3 Video Card w/HDTV-Out & VIVO Retail[/URL] Meh. I gave into the reviews. I'm going to full nine-yards with this system. Why not? >>Consider the ASUS TOP Edition also; it clocks just as well and has a better cooler

FDD: Standard Internal Floppy Drive from my old PC, don't know the model name or manufacturer, but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine with this.

Keyboard: Gateway Multi-function PS/2 Keyboard
Works fine.

Mouse: Microsoft wheel optical wired mouse

Modem: Fairly sure I won't need one.

Lan: Mobo above has onboard 10/100/1000Mbps. Unless this is somehow inadequate, it's safe to assume I will need no other card for it.

Monitor: On third thought... Meh. I can't decide. >>If you are going with the GTX, either go with a high-res CRT or a high-end LCD. Else you are wasting your $xxx. A 20" LCD is probably a good idea. Check out the Dell ones, they are cheap.

Speakers/Sound system: RCA '95 Stereo speakers (can you believe I've had these for 10 years?) with Altec Lansing Dual-SubWind woofer

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102153"]Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2[/URL]
I decided that I'll reformat my Western Dig 120GB after backing everything I need on my bro's external HDD for a clean WinXP install. I assume this is the best way to ensure compatability. Yes, I want XPPro, because Home isn't very network-friendly. (I've got a network of 4 comps in my house.)

I also might want to throw in an arbitrary case mod just to make it look cool. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Cold cathodes are probably the way to go since they will light your case really nicely. There are also cold cathode case fans available as well as the standard UV reactive connectors w/ UV light etc . . . or you could get adventurous and check out some UV Paint . . .

I'll have the funds for the whole system probably somewhere around February or March 06. Maybe even sooner, depending on how much the final components cost.

Whoa that late? Then forget about what I just said . . . wait for the R580 and the next nvidia card . . . GTX will be old by then . . .

BTW, this forum doesn't use the tags, instead it uses the [L]http://[/L] tags . . .

 

[Wolfstan]

What if I have the money sooner?

 

[theMan]

what is your current setup? it depends on how badly you need to upgrade.

 

[Wolfstan]

Cables
17-inch IDE Cable for Ultra/66 Ultra/100 R0 [Part #8004683]
CBL FDD R0 [Part #8004685]
CD-ROM Cable R0 [Part #8004682]
Cases and Case Hardware
IEEE 1394 Assembly [Part #8006045]
Pinta Desktop Mid-Tower Case [Part #3501313]
CD-ROM, CD-RW or CR-RW Drives - Find Upgrades
HLDS 40X/12X/48X IDE CD-RW Drive [Part #5502328]
Panasonic DVD-RAM/R Drive Revision 1 [Part #5502182]
Floppy Drives
NEC 1.44-MB Floppy Disk Drive Revision 0 [Part #5502184]

Hard Drive
Western Digital 120-GB 7200RPM Hard Drive R1 [Part #5502353]
Keyboard
Multi-function PS/2 Keyboard R0 [Part #7003989]
Memory - Find Upgrades
MEM DDR 512MB PC266B 32X8 R0 [Part #5000584]
Mice
Logitech USB Optical Mouse Revision 5 [Part #7003991] <~~~ Stopped working, now have Microsoft optical
Microsoft Software
Microsoft Windows XP Professional [Part #7509595]

Modems
Gateway V.92 PCI Soft Modem R2 (Palmer) [Part #6002176]
Monitors
FPD 1530 - Analog Input LCD Monitor with 15-inch Viewable Area [Part #7004017] Support Docs
Motherboards
Intel (Essex) Pentium 4 - 2.4-GHz (533-MHz) [Part #2517182]
Power Supplies
160-Watt Power Supply [Part #6500582]

Sound Cards
Sound Blaster Audigy Audio with IEEE 1394 Sound Card [Part #6002172]
Speakers
'95 Stereo RCAs with Dual SubWind Altec woofer
Video Cards
128MB NVIDIA GeForce4 MX440 [Part #6002191] <~~ Malfunctioned, I know have an ATI RAGE 120 Pro Ultra AGP, which is worse. At least the MX440 could handle HL mods, ffs. X_x

Thinking about it now, maybe the only thing I need to change is the GFX card? This computer has served me very well, and I was suprised at how my old MX440 performed.