Need Help with a PC build - newbie

[rp001]

Hello friends,
As you will make out from the grade of my questions, I am a first timer in building a PC.
I really need your help on a system I am attempting to build. THis is going to be my primary machine + I want to run it as a HTPC with a front projector via DVI/HDMI.
I am not into gaming at all and dont think would do any overclocking.
On the motherboard, I was considering 2 options, either get a nVidia based motherboard (like the GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H)
or get a p45 motherboard (GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3LR) and add a Graphics card (XFX PVT95GYALG).
Had a tough time deciding between the two.
Let me know what you think.

Other than that, here are the rest of the components I picked out.
Please let me know if they go together well.
-----
Rosewill R218-P-BK Black 0.5mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

XFX PVT95GYALG GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Retail

CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3LR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7400 - Retail
----

What is the max PSU wattage that I need for this kind of a system?
How many fans?
Also, this set up is really pushing my budget. I started off with <$400 but this ones taking me close to $500.
Any suggestions on getting it down..

Really appreciate your help.

- RP

 

[Imager]

ditch the case and PSU, but are not that great at all.

PSU replacement - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139004

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W

Case replacement - still isn't the greatest, but will probably stay closer to your budget and is better then the Rosewill: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ster%20Centurion%20590

COOLER MASTER Centurion 590

 

[rp001]

Thanks for your input.
But do I really need 550W for this config?
Also, the suggested PSU has only 1 +12V line. Is there any advantage of having 2 of these? does it really matter that much for my config here?

Whats your take on going with P45 mobo + graphics card v/s the GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H (with onboard video)?

I was also thinking of a downgrade to GA-EG41M-S2H (from price perspective). HOw much of a performance impact do you see with this downgrade.
Is the onboard video provide hardware decode acceleration or does it overload the CPU with that job?

Trying to really understand what is adequate for my needs, really.

Thanks.
- RP

 

[s44]

For a P45 build, go with ATI video: a cheap/quiet 4550 or 4650. This will let you run good de-interlacing filters for 1080i video in realtime and do some postprocessing. The 9400 on that Gigabyte mobo will do fine for playback, but leave you with fewer postprocessing options. Either is a good pick, depending on your price constraints.

The 9400 does have one advantage: it will properly output 1080p24 video, which no ATI GPU will. Both the 9400 and ATI cards will output up to 7.1 PCM for lossless surround playback (the 9600GT won't).

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: rp001
Thanks for your input.
But do I really need 550W for this config?
Also, the suggested PSU has only 1 +12V line. Is there any advantage of having 2 of these? does it really matter that much for my config here?

Whats your take on going with P45 mobo + graphics card v/s the GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H (with onboard video)?

I was also thinking of a downgrade to GA-EG41M-S2H (from price perspective). HOw much of a performance impact do you see with this downgrade.
Is the onboard video provide hardware decode acceleration or does it overload the CPU with that job?

Trying to really understand what is adequate for my needs, really.

Thanks.
- RP

Not really, a 400 or even good 300 watt PSU should be able to handle it, I'd recommend the Antec Earthwatts line, there's a 380 watt for $50 which is a moderately good price.

You need multiple 12v lines if you plan on using more than 1 video card (or 1 with a ton of amperage), so no, no real advantage for this build.

I'd say the P45 + E7400 + vid card is a good choice, however if you were alright with going with an AMD approach, the 790GX is a great integrated chip, coupled with a Phenom II triple core and you're pretty much set.

Some integrated gpu's do offload to the CPU, however most modern ones are more than capable of hardware acceleration for high def output and such. If you're not gaming, they're more than enough.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
I'd say the P45 + E7400 + vid card is a good choice, however if you were alright with going with an AMD approach, the 790GX is a great integrated chip, coupled with a Phenom II triple core and you're pretty much set.

Sure, unless you want to do 24p video or lossless surround sound.

AMD integrated mobos are a generation behind, feature-wise. Don't use 'em. Nvidia 8200 is a better choice.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
I'd say the P45 + E7400 + vid card is a good choice, however if you were alright with going with an AMD approach, the 790GX is a great integrated chip, coupled with a Phenom II triple core and you're pretty much set.

Sure, unless you want to do 24p video or lossless surround sound.

AMD integrated mobos are a generation behind, feature-wise. Don't use 'em. Nvidia 8200 is a better choice.

Not what I read from the last AT article on the integrated chips, and are you saying the GF9 integrated series is behind the GF8 integrated? Cuz the GF9 has been around for a whike, 790GX came out around the same time and was shown to be consistently better than GF8. Iirc it outperformed the GF9 boards as well.

 

[fourdegrees11]

1. AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma
2. SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB
combo for $140

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.183553

ASUS M3A78-CM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780V Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $75

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131330

BFG Tech GS-550 550W $55

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817702010

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $45

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231226

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB $70

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136218

Thats $385 before the case (everything has free shipping)

COOLER MASTER Elite RC-331 $50 (free shipping)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119188

total $435 shipped

 

[rp001]

[krnmastersgt]
Thanks. That clarified quite a lot.
On the video topic, I read at multiple places that nVidia is generally superior than ATI in lot of aspects, thats why I went with the GeForce 9500 GT video card.

[s44]
If i understand correctly, if we look at video playback alone this would be order of preference?
#1 - GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H (onboard video)
#2 - XFX PVT95GYALG GeForce 9500 GT (video card) with P45

[fourdegrees11]
I generally tend to favor Intel over AMD so gonna stick to intel, dont have a logical reason for that.. i guess bad habits are hard to give up..

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
I'd say the P45 + E7400 + vid card is a good choice, however if you were alright with going with an AMD approach, the 790GX is a great integrated chip, coupled with a Phenom II triple core and you're pretty much set.

Sure, unless you want to do 24p video or lossless surround sound.

AMD integrated mobos are a generation behind, feature-wise. Don't use 'em. Nvidia 8200 is a better choice.

Not what I read from the last AT article on the integrated chips, and are you saying the GF9 integrated series is behind the GF8 integrated? Cuz the GF9 has been around for a whike, 790GX came out around the same time and was shown to be consistently better than GF8. Iirc it outperformed the GF9 boards as well.

790gx is faster but lacks crucial HTPC features. GF8/GF9 are still fast enough to offload HD decoding, and have HDMI lossless surround audio and 24p playback.

Originally posted by: rp001
[krnmastersgt]
Thanks. That clarified quite a lot.
On the video topic, I read at multiple places that nVidia is generally superior than ATI in lot of aspects, thats why I went with the GeForce 9500 GT video card.

Again, it depends on the specific application. Getting proper audio over HDMI is impossible on any Geforce card. Somehow only the Geforce motherboards can do it.

If you're never going to use surround sound, I guess it doesn't matter.

[s44]
If i understand correctly, if we look at video playback alone this would be order of preference?
#1 - GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H (onboard video)
#2 - XFX PVT95GYALG GeForce 9500 GT (video card) with P45

No, the opposite way. Any reasonable video card will let you do more postprocessing. I believe Nvidia separate cards can do 24p as well.

However, the 9500GT will give you inferior audio to the 9400, because only Nvidia motherboards -- not separate Nvidia cards -- can do lossless surround sound. ATI cards can, but not ATI motherboards. Ridiculous, huh.

The question is, what kind of video will you watch (how tough to process -- note that 1080i is more resource-intensive than 1080p), is your projector 24p capable, and are you ever going to have a good sound system attached?

9400 alone will give you 24p and full HDMI audio but no postprocessing power (unless you throw in a big CPU). Any mobo + ATI card will give you full HDMI audio and postprocessing but not 24p. Any mobo + 9500GT will give you postprocessing and 24p (probably! you should check before buying) but only limited HDMI audio.

 

[rp001]

What I am planning to do is to run the hdmi through the onkyo 5.1 receiver for audio and then to the 42inch sammy plasma which is 1080i.
Ultimately the plasma will be replaced by a front projector at a later time (hopefully 1080p, if the economy permits ).
So, for now, we can safely assume most of the viewing will be 1080i.

With this setup, will the "limited HDMI audio" for 9500GT video card be much of an issue?

 

[rp001]

What do you think about this case/psu combo?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811156098

When I am looking for one, what are the different connectors i will need considering this is what the box will hold:
- 1 harddrives (possbily 1 more)
- 1 dvd-rw drive (possibly 1 blue-ray drive)
- 1 graphics card (if i decide to go with P45 + 9500GT video card)

BTW, the 9500GT says this for system requirements:
Minimum 350W or greater system power supply (with a minimum 12V current rating of 18A)

 

[s44]

Which Onkyo receiver? If it accepts HDMI audio (5.1/7.1 PCM), then yes, your sound will be compromised by a Nvidia card. I don't know why you're so stubborn about this.

 

[rp001]

Sorry to be persistent on this issue, just trying to understand things better. I guess its not the most important factor in building this pc.
Appreciate your help and patience.

 

[krnmastersgt]

On the case issue: Any case will do fine really, an HTPC isn't meant to generate a lot of heat so just a fan or two is more than enough airflow for most HTPCs, however you do NOT want to skimp on the PSU as a faulty PSU can very easily kill the entire system that it's powering, getting whatever the cheapest case is isn't a bad idea, but on the PSUs you should aim for the quality names such as Antec, PCP&C, Seasonic, Corsair, etc.

 

[rp001]

Anybody have any experience with a smilodon case/psu?
Whats the take on this combo?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811156098

 

[rp001]

Guys,
Have a question..
I am now planning to go for the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P (since it has 2 pci-e slots).
Wanted to find out if the XFX PVT95GYALG graphics card will work with it?
I am a little confused.. the mobo says it has crossfireX support, but the graphics card I picked out is SLI supported!

Will these 2 work together? Does this mean I cannot put a graphics card with the nVidia chipset on a Intel chipset mobo? Does the graphics card have to be an ATI Radeon??

Please advice..

 

[betasub]

The single graphics card will work fine with that motherboard. Crossfirex and SLI refer to compatilibity in multi-GPU set-ups. For your single GPU set-up this is not an issue.

 

[rp001]

Guys,
I am almost decided on what I am going to order (today):

Hard Disk Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB - WD5000AAKS
http://www.amazon.com/Western-...&qid=1240342716&sr=8-1

Video Card GIGABYTE GV-R467D3-512I Radeon HD 4670 512MB
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...9499&prodlist=celebros

Memory OCZ OCZ2RPR800C44GK 4GB PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) DDR2 Memory Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...7331&prodlist=celebros

MotherBoard GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P Intel P45 Core 2
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...9458&prodlist=celebros

CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7400 - Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...9958&prodlist=celebros

I got a PSU ENERMAX 650W from a friend that saved me a few bucks. Just need a case now.
I was trying to be under 300 but its touching $400 already with the above config.

Any advices? thoughts? reccommedations where I can cut corners?
Please let me know if I am making any newbie mistakes here

Thanx.

 

[Blain]

HD = Get the 640GB WD "Black".
PS = Go with the Corsair 650W @ $80 after rebate. Don't buy a crappy RaidMax PS.
Don't buy a used PS. Why put your new components at risk to save a couple of bucks... It's "False Economy"
RAM = Drop the way overvolted OCZ and get a 4GB 1.8-1.9v kit.
CPU = "HTPC"... A $70 E5200 is plenty.

 

[rp001]

Thanks for your inputs.
The PSU i got is brand new, so i guess i will stay with that.
On the cpu.. E5200 is dual core v/s E7400 which is core 2 duo.
how much of a diff does that make? performance wise?
I mean to use this pc for htpc as well as my primary pc.. for some software development applications like Visual studio, sql server, etc.
So, I am not sure if I am overspending on the cpu..

RAM.. i will look for the lower voltage one as you suggested.

On the HD, there is one GP version of the WD hard disk which has variable speed 5400 - 7200. Is that any good? i saw some reviews where they say its quiter but it slows down when switching the speed? whats your take on it?

 

[Blain]

New PS = Fine

HTPC is not = server, workstation, video editing, virtual machine
If you're going to to everything with this PC, you should opt for a strong Core 2 Quad processor.

Forget GP WD... Buy a WD "Black"

 

[JTP709]

Definitely don't cut corners with the power supply. It's the one component that can (and will) destroy every component in your system. Saving a few $ isn't worth the whole $400 IMO. I made this mistake with my first build, needless to say it doesn't work anymore. I've been through two motherboards before I figured out I had a crap PSU. That was 5 years ago though, and I'm looking to build a new rig next month and the first thing I put in my wish list were several quality PSUs to choose from.

 

[JTP709]

Edit: sorry double post

 

[rp001]

thanks JTP709, point taken.