New build ~1500 budget

[harobikes333]

1. Burning DVD's
web browsing
possibly will buy a digital video camera and will edit video ( not a high priority)
Store digital photos
will be gaming

2. My budget is proximately 1500. I'm willing to go over a little.

3. I live in the USA.

4. I have no real brand preferences. Warranty is important to me.

5. This is being built from scratch ( will need monitor, case, PSU, etc. )

6. I built a 1300 computer for my parents about a year ago. Last time I talked with them it is still running ^ ^.

7. I do not plan on OCing.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? I plan on building the computer in about a month or as soon as I can get a parts list together.

I saw AMD is coming out with a new CPU sometime in Q1 of 2009... ( should I wait?)

 

[DSF]

Have you read through this thread yet?
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2194271&enterthread=y

I would start there.

How big of a monitor are you looking to buy? That will influence your graphics card choice as well as how much money you have left for other components.

 

[sonnygdude]

One general guideline (which many on here will debate) that might help you structure your build: if for you gaming > video editing go with a fast dual core, if the other way around go with a quad core. Think about Intel - they are owning the CPU market right now for a reason

 

[Roguestar]

Whether or not we should give you our current advice depends a lot on what time you're going to buy. If you bite now and ignore the price gouging of both new platforms you'll be able to get a high-performing DDR2 setup for much less than a 5% more powerful DDR3 based setup from both companies. If you're gaming I'd especially stick to a highly overclockable or at least high clockspeed Core 2.

 

[harobikes333]

I'm planning on going with a Quad core. I do like to game but I don't do it all the time to want to get a dual core. I'd rather future proof so to speak / I LOVE to multi task. ... Even if I don't get much done when I do ^ ^

rogue star, I plan on building the computer very soon if possible. I haven't seen that the new CPU that AMD will come out with will be wayy better than the current CPU's on the market. ( correct me if I'm wrong plz)

If you bite now and ignore the price gouging of both new platforms you'll be able to get a high-performing DDR2 setup for much less than a 5% more powerful DDR3 based setup from both companies. ( i've reread this about seven times and I still can't tell if you're saying I should or should not buy now....>_< )

 

[TidusZ]

Honestly the term future proof should never be applied to computer hardware, it rarely if ever exists and in terms of currently going quadcore over dualcore most games and apps aren't going to give you any improvement with 4 cores right now or in the next 2 years. Basically two years down the line you aren't going to be slapping your thigh in joy because you got a 2 year old quadcore which can run a handful of apps/games faster, but right now your going to be giddy about the many hundreds of megahertz more you will get going dualcore. Quad cores are a good choice for people who use multi threaded apps to a great extent and from what you indicated you aren't going to be doing that.

Roguestar's comment is telling you that you should buy now, because the upcoming hardware doesn't look that impressive and is going to cost a lot. Prices on the current good stuff is pretty low, ie: an e8400 for ~175 or e7200 for ~90 if you find an amazing sale. The above poster who advised to choose the monitor first had great advice, you'll want to aim for at least a 22" ($180 and up) or 24" (fair bit more but worth it). that would put you at a gaming resolution of 1680x1050 or 1920x1200. The latter would require a better videocard (HD 4870?) while the former you could get by on something lesser (HD 4850?). Finally I'd recommend that you look into overclocking if you haven't already - you say you don't want to do it, but with today's processors they pretty much beg to be overclocked, I'm pretty sure some of the boxes have a sticker that says now clocked 50% less than maximum or your money back. It takes 10 minutes to learn how to do it, maybe an hour to do a good job or less to do a quick smaller overclock, and it will future proof your rig a lot more than sacraficing mhz and going quadcore.

 

[DSF]

Define "multitasking."

If you're talking about having 20 Firefox tabs open alongside two messaging programs, a p2p program and a music player, quad core isn't going to help you. That's a question of RAM and HDD I/O. On the other hand, if you expect to run folding@home while encoding a video and browsing the internet, then quad core will help with your overclocking.

The whole "multitasking" selling point for quad cores is 95% marketing buzz, 5% real-world benefit.

And Roguestar was saying to stick to DDR2.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: harobikes333
I'd rather future proof so to speak / I LOVE to multi task.

Originally posted by: DSF
Define "multitasking."

The whole "multitasking" selling point for quad cores is 95% marketing buzz, 5% real-world benefit.

"Future proof" isn't even marketing buzz. It's some idea that doesn't pan out in real life.
Think of "furture proofing" as alchemy in the post dark-ages world.

I wish people would get the message that future proofing doesn't exist. The term is so archaic, you'd think it would have faded away by now.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: DSF
Define "multitasking."

If you're talking about having 20 Firefox tabs open alongside two messaging programs, a p2p program and a music player, quad core isn't going to help you. That's a question of RAM and HDD I/O. On the other hand, if you expect to run folding@home while encoding a video and browsing the internet, then quad core will help with your overclocking.

The whole "multitasking" selling point for quad cores is 95% marketing buzz, 5% real-world benefit.

And Roguestar was saying to stick to DDR2.

:thumbsup:

More RAM (and faster disk I/O) is the key to better multitasking. Consider a 64-bit OS and minimum 4Gb of rams.

Acer P244Wbii Black 24" 2ms HDMI 16:9 Widescreen LCD Monitor: $340

Radeon HD 4850: $200 (catch a nice rebate here - actual cost <$160)

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply: $130 ($110 AR)

ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX: $200

4Gb DDr2 1066 (2x2Gb) on the Asus QVL list: $120

As tempting as the Phenom 9950 Black Edition may be I think I'd go with the 89w Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3.1GHz for $92 and wait 2 months for the 45nm Deneb Phenom.

That leaves you around $500 for your case, hard drive(s), OS, DVD & fans. If I were flush with cash I'd jump on a Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA for $260 AR.

It may not be 'future-proof' but you have an excellent upgrade path to Deneb, a CrossFire of the Radeon HD4850 and expansion to 8Gb+ of ram. I won't even tempt you with 3 x HD 4850s - LOL

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
As tempting as the Phenom 9950 Black Edition may be

Tempting for you, or tempting for the average user who wants the best performance for their money? Your constant and unassailable recommendation of AMD over Intel regardless of budget, situation or needs fly in the face of both performance comparisons and conventional logic and hasn't gone unnoted.

The OP not only doesn't need a quad core, but selling him down the river to a platform that has unfortunately done nothing but disappoint for the last two years is hard to agree with before we even see the new AMD CPUs. Recommending AMD now so you can use Deneb later on makes less sense than recommending a better Core 2 and a board with DDR3 support now so you can use your expensive RAM later on when Nehalem comes out (which itself is a silly suggestions seeing as how Nehalem and quad-core are largely surplus to requirements when it comes to gaming).


OP: Your best bet right now is pretty much to just plump for what's laid out in the System Builders sticky thread. Unoriginal, yes. All-round price/performance smart buy, yes.


Edit: i spel gud

 

[TidusZ]

Roguestar's tellin it like it is. If you wanna buy AMD go back in time and buy a tbird 1.4 and get some awesome cooling on it cus it runs hot and dominates. Since its 2008 though, intel is the right choice for you bud.

 

[heyheybooboo]

It sure is easy for you guys to criticize recommendations without submitting any of your own for comparison. AT is getting as bad as Tom's for Intel hucksterism - having fans "back you up" doesn't add validity to your opinion, just makes the bandwagon more crowded.

Gaming at 19x12 on a 24-inch Acer monitor? Not much to gained from from the almighty Intel over AMD regardless of your opinion and self-serving home-boy stickies of Intel 'system recommendations' that don't bother to list prices or overall specifications.

And speaking of platforms (that, of course, is not included in the 'Anandtel System Builder' recommendations stickie) ...

The Asus M3A79-T AMD 790fx offers 2 x PCIe Gen2 at x16x16, eSATA, Firewire, 8-channel audio with optical out, sb750, and all the onboard headers and rear panel ports you will most likely ever need.

The giant sucking sound you hear is your credibility, and that of Anand's, going down the drain. When Tom's is more objective you know you have hit bottom.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo

some fanboy rant

:roll:

"It sure is easy for you guys to criticize recommendations without submitting any of your own for comparison"
I had already contributed to this thread before you had even posted in it. You may also notice, in my first post in this thread that I didn't even mention any specific CPU-platform companies at all, and had still left the choice open. I had requested more input so that we could narrow it down to produce some decent suggestions. If someone comes along and requests feedback from a number of members on what they should buy so that they get the best for their money, how can I in good conscience recommend product B that underperforms product A at a given price? Leaving your brand loyalties aside, does that make sense?

I don't feel tied to any given brand; my last CPU was an AMD CPU and so were two of them before that. I've used both brands and I'll purchase (and recommend to others) what is the best value for money and the best performing at any given time.

Your comments about Tom's Hardware and AnandTech are cute, given the industry-wide consensus that AMD's latest offerings have been insufficient to bring them back into step, something clearly supported by benchmarking. While Tom's Hardware has been going down the pan lately, it doesn't mean posters here are wrong about what could be best for the OP.

You may notice that the advice given in the Attention System Builders sticky does not feature AMD because it is geared towards mid/high end gaming/multifunction systems, for which a faster CPU (ie: Core 2) still rules the roost. One could not recommend a lesser product in good conscience. Nonetheless this doesn't stop people posting threads specifically asking for AMD-related advice and noting that they're definitely going to buy AMD and need help on their choices (I notice you're always on the ball in these threads, for example).

Each thread we post in we'll read and determine what we feel is the best thing to recommend; in other threads I have quoted and agreed with posters (possibly yourself) recommending AMD boards with the likes of the 790G chipset for lower-end, budget or non-gaming builds. There is no point in me recommending a great graphics card and a slightly inferior CPU (of which three cores will go to waste) instead of a great graphics card and a good CPU. If the OP wants our opinion on what is the best, it is up to him to take it, along with the recommendations of others and reviews sites across the internet and not just at AnandTech.

It's not myself or other posters that are inflexible and closed-minded; we're waiting to see if AMD releases anything worth of the Athlon days to redeem itself and until then we'll recommend Intel or AMD builds based on budget and needs without bias or brand loyalty. Personally I'm driven by value for money in performance when recommending parts and I'm sure most of the other posters here are too.

 

[harobikes333]

Ok... so most of you say to go with intel ( what I was planning on doing)

I just thought since i burn dvd's and stuff that quad core would be better. I now see that I was mistaken.

A 22 or 24 inch is plenty big. I have a 20" Acer widescreen right now and it's pretty nice.

I've looked at the builder sticky, i was just wondering if any of you had any suggestions on the MOBO, etc. since I'd like one that doesn't have a ton of glitches, etc.

EDIT: Roguestar I just saw your reply, thanks again for your advice.

Oh and I knew i'd get jumped on for using the term "futureproofing" I just know that more and more programs will utilize more cores ( probably not completely true)
I'll just go with a dual core since it looks like I won't need a quad core....?

Also tidusZ, I know OCing is good but I don't want to void my warranties...?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
It sure is easy for you guys to criticize recommendations without submitting any of your own for comparison. AT is getting as bad as Tom's for Intel hucksterism - having fans "back you up" doesn't add validity to your opinion, just makes the bandwagon more crowded.

The giant sucking sound you hear is your credibility, and that of Anand's, going down the drain. When Tom's is more objective you know you have hit bottom.

Adiós :laugh:

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: harobikes333
Ok... so most of you say to go with intel ( what I was planning on doing)

I just thought since i burn dvd's and stuff that quad core would be better. I now see that I was mistaken.

A 22 or 24 inch is plenty big. I have a 20" Acer widescreen right now and it's pretty nice.

I've looked at the builder sticky, i was just wondering if any of you had any suggestions on the MOBO, etc. since I'd like one that doesn't have a ton of glitches, etc.

EDIT: Roguestar I just saw your reply, thanks again for your advice.

Oh and I knew i'd get jumped on for using the term "futureproofing" I just know that more and more programs will utilize more cores ( probably not completely true)
I'll just go with a dual core since it looks like I won't need a quad core....?

Also tidusZ, I know OCing is good but I don't want to void my warranties...?

They won't know if you've overclocked, so your warranties are fine . I can't recall the warranty expressly forbidding changing the settings (and besides FSB is something set in the motherboard's BIOS anyway), at all.

As for a motherboard, if you're going with an Intel dual-core, check out the Gigabyte EP45-DS3L, it's cheap and very good.

As for more programs using quad core; what programs do you use right now or may start to use, that would benefit from this? Many games designers are still stuck in the single-thread rut and DVD burning is mostly IO limited .

If you want it to be upgradeable, you can get a cheap quad core 45nm Core 2 once the i7 are out next year and that's quad core sorted out for you .

 

[harobikes333]

For warranties you just can't change voltages right? Or something like that...? PM if any of you would about it.

The list:

Case:

PSU:.. A little lost.... any suggestions? I have a 520W corsair in my parents computer I built them.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

(I would Like to get another HDD for the OS and programs) Would the 640G WD work?

Mobo: Gigabyte EP45-DS3L ( Newegg, mwave, and zzf all have it. any suggestion? They do differ in price) Are there any other mobos that are better / and what would be the reason to get them...?

CPU: Seeing as I'm going dual core since you all have convinced me to do so. Which one would be the most for my money ( I plan on keeping the computer for quite a while so if I do OC, it won't be anything extreme. Aka, should I get aftermarket cooling or anything...?)

Heatsink/fan for the CPU and or HDD:.... ? Needed?

GPU: From the reviews, ATI is on top right now as far as GPU's go... is this true...? The 1GB version ...?

RAM: I would like to be able to run a lot of stuff at the same time...

DVD Burner... any suggestions...?

Monitor: I'm lost in this area....



Mouse: .. would like to not cheap out on the mouse. I feel like I'm getting carpal tunnel. No joke...
Keyboard: Eh w/e works...?

OS: Vista Home Premium 64-bit ...?

UPS: Should I get one....? ......? I have a 12 plugin surge protector right now.

 

[disports]

HDD: 640 GB works fine.
MOBO: Good
CPU: E8400

No heatsink for the HDD
If you're doing no overclocking to mild overclocking, you could stick with the stock HSF.
GPU: 1 GB version of what? 4870?
DVD Burner: anyone will work fine, LG, Samsung 22X
RAM: G.Skill 4 GB DDR2-800
Monitor: read the LCD sticky in the video card and graphics forum
PSU: LOL you're not gonna take out the PSU from your parent's computer and leave them w/o one are you? :X 520HX, 550VX, 620HX, 650TX
Case: Whatever you like

 

[harobikes333]

HDD: RIghto, thanks for the info.

Mobo: so no advantages to a different mobo? Just wondering?

Case: I'll have a few suggestions in a bit.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: harobikes333
For warranties you just can't change voltages right? Or something like that...? PM if any of you would about it.

The list:

Case:

PSU:.. A little lost.... any suggestions? I have a 520W corsair in my parents computer I built them.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

(I would Like to get another HDD for the OS and programs) Would the 640G WD work?

Mobo: Gigabyte EP45-DS3L ( Newegg, mwave, and zzf all have it. any suggestion? They do differ in price) Are there any other mobos that are better / and what would be the reason to get them...?

CPU: Seeing as I'm going dual core since you all have convinced me to do so. Which one would be the most for my money ( I plan on keeping the computer for quite a while so if I do OC, it won't be anything extreme. Aka, should I get aftermarket cooling or anything...?)

Heatsink/fan for the CPU and or HDD:.... ? Needed?

GPU: From the reviews, ATI is on top right now as far as GPU's go... is this true...? The 1GB version ...?

RAM: I would like to be able to run a lot of stuff at the same time...

DVD Burner... any suggestions...?

Monitor: I'm lost in this area....



Mouse: .. would like to not cheap out on the mouse. I feel like I'm getting carpal tunnel. No joke...
Keyboard: Eh w/e works...?

OS: Vista Home Premium 64-bit ...?

UPS: Should I get one....? ......? I have a 12 plugin surge protector right now.

Case: Antec P182 is very nice
PSU: Corsair 550VX should do you well, or anything in the 500-600W range by Corsair, Seasonic, OCZ or PCP&P that's on special offer.
HD: The 1TB Black is a good choice, and the 640GB Caviar would be a good secondary drive too.
Motherboard: Good.
CPU: E8400
Heatsink: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro is a nice aftermarket heatsink that isn't too huge or expensive, will be good for a medium overclock.
GPU: ATi Radeon HD4870 1GB assuming you're gaming at around 1680*1050 or higher.
RAM: 4GB G.Skill DDR2-800 is like $70 on newegg IIRC.
DVD burner: Most are all the same inside, no particular brand stands out as superior. Just get a nice cheap one .
Monitor: There's a thread in the Video Cards & Graphics subforum recommending monitors, take a look at it.
Mouse: I personally buy Logitec or MS mice, nothing too fancy xtreme gamerz omgwtf, nothing far too basic.
Keyboard: I love the slim Logitec Ultra-X Flat for its style and slim keys but maybe others have suggestions.
OS: Vista HP x64 should be grand.
UPS: I don't bother with them but I do have a simple surge-protected extension plug thingy.

 

[disports]

that 4 GB G.Skill Ram DDR2-800 is $59.99 on newegg!

 

[Syran]

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Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

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Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

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SAMSUNG HD103UI 1TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

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CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

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

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Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

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ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
ASUS Gift - World of Warcraft PC Game BLIZZARD - Trial Edition

*

ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
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Subtotal: $1,106.91

I love the Thermaltake Armor case series. It's VERY BIG, but roomy, and great for working in. I have 3 personally, and built computers in another 4. The Armor+ is a bit nicer, but is almost $80 more at the moment, so I decided to save some cash, since we hadn't put a monitor on this build yet.

I love Corsair PSUs at the moment, have 4, all working great. I like Modular PSUs when possible, so I allocated a little more for the 520 modular over the 650 non-modular.

I put in the 640GB for the OS/App drive. I changed the 1TB drive down to a 5400RPM. If you are mostly using it as storage, you really don't need speed. And it saves money for other things.

For the monitor, I might get shot for this, but check out the SVA 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor, SK2400W-BD from either Walmart or TigerDirect/CompUSA. It uses a MVA panel (not a TN), looks great; and can be found for around $300. There is a thread at fatwallet discussing this monitor, you might want to check out.

 

[harobikes333]

wow thanks syran. Not sure what all of that stuff you copied ad pasted is from but yeah

thanks though. Oh and i'd like to kinda keep the 1TB HDD spining a little faster if I do need to use it as a main one sometime if a drive fails.

 

[harobikes333]

Oh and I looked up the Ram...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...me=4GB%20(2%20x%202GB)

Thats a lot of different choices... >_< ?

 

[disports]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231122
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail - $59.99