I need to build a new system immediately (mobo on old one just died on me), and so I'd like to order everything by the end of the day, today, if at all possible. I've been out of the loop for a while (upgrading from an AMD 3500) and so hopefully you guys can help me out. My main goal is to have my rig as quiet as possible (silent not necessary). I don't really have a budget, I'm just looking for the best parts that fit my need.
What I have so far:
OEM Q9450 from Microcenter
(I can see that the E8400 and Q6600's are popular choices around here, but I plan to leave this rig alone for 3+ years and $300 seemed like a good price point)
Rocketfish case from Best Buy
74 gig raptor from old rig (figured I'd use it since I have it)
300 gig WD sata drive (again, figured I'd use it since I have it)
Dell 2405 24" screen from old rig
BFG 6800gt from old rig
(I do game but I don't plan on gaming for the next 3 or 4 months. Since I have a perfectly good video card I figured I'd just stick it in this new rig for the time being and then buy a newer card when I need it. No need to purchase a card today I can get 4 months later for less. Would I run into any problems if I did this?)
What I need:
Vista 64 bit: Seems to be $100 at newegg. Has anyone found it for cheaper elsewhere?
Mobo: Still reading about the various options here. I will not be running SLI or crossfire, so that's out. As of now the Abit IP35 pro looks appealing and I noticed there's a $30 rebate from newegg if you buy it by today. Too bad I missed out on the deal last week when it was $100 AR. I like that it has the dual lan ports, external sata, plenty of usb ports, and firewire. I don't really have a brand preference but I will not buy anything other than Asus/Abit/DFI/MSI/Gibabyte. I have no problem spending $100-$200 for a quality board.
Fan/Heatsink for the CPU: I'm absolutely clueless here and I haven't had a chance to read too much about them yet. I don't plan to overclock though I'm not against it. Again, keeping everything relatively quiet (and cool) is my main concern. What's my best option in the $25-$45 range?
Ram: I'll go with 2 sticks of 2gb but again, I don't know which would be best for me (especially since I will only moderately play with overclocking... if at all). I guess step one would be figuring out the mobo and then choosing the ram. Suggestions?
PSU: I've had some problems with Antec and their Neopowers in the past, so I'm a little hesitent to buy from them this time around. 500 watts seems to be adequate but I still need to check who out there is reliable and quiet. I'm sure there are plenty of worthy PSU's in the $50-$150 range. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Hardrive: It looks like everyone seems to like the 640GB WD6400AAKS with the large platters so I think I'll go with that. Does buying this effectively make my old raptor useless, or would you still run your OS off the raptor?
DVD Burner: Looks like they're all in the $20-$40 range. What's the popular choice these days?
I think that's it. Thanks in advance for taking the time to look at yet another "help me build my new rig" post. I appreciate it.
What I have so far:
OEM Q9450 from Microcenter
(I can see that the E8400 and Q6600's are popular choices around here, but I plan to leave this rig alone for 3+ years and $300 seemed like a good price point)
Rocketfish case from Best Buy
74 gig raptor from old rig (figured I'd use it since I have it)
300 gig WD sata drive (again, figured I'd use it since I have it)
Dell 2405 24" screen from old rig
BFG 6800gt from old rig
(I do game but I don't plan on gaming for the next 3 or 4 months. Since I have a perfectly good video card I figured I'd just stick it in this new rig for the time being and then buy a newer card when I need it. No need to purchase a card today I can get 4 months later for less. Would I run into any problems if I did this?)
What I need:
Vista 64 bit: Seems to be $100 at newegg. Has anyone found it for cheaper elsewhere?
Mobo: Still reading about the various options here. I will not be running SLI or crossfire, so that's out. As of now the Abit IP35 pro looks appealing and I noticed there's a $30 rebate from newegg if you buy it by today. Too bad I missed out on the deal last week when it was $100 AR. I like that it has the dual lan ports, external sata, plenty of usb ports, and firewire. I don't really have a brand preference but I will not buy anything other than Asus/Abit/DFI/MSI/Gibabyte. I have no problem spending $100-$200 for a quality board.
Fan/Heatsink for the CPU: I'm absolutely clueless here and I haven't had a chance to read too much about them yet. I don't plan to overclock though I'm not against it. Again, keeping everything relatively quiet (and cool) is my main concern. What's my best option in the $25-$45 range?
Ram: I'll go with 2 sticks of 2gb but again, I don't know which would be best for me (especially since I will only moderately play with overclocking... if at all). I guess step one would be figuring out the mobo and then choosing the ram. Suggestions?
PSU: I've had some problems with Antec and their Neopowers in the past, so I'm a little hesitent to buy from them this time around. 500 watts seems to be adequate but I still need to check who out there is reliable and quiet. I'm sure there are plenty of worthy PSU's in the $50-$150 range. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Hardrive: It looks like everyone seems to like the 640GB WD6400AAKS with the large platters so I think I'll go with that. Does buying this effectively make my old raptor useless, or would you still run your OS off the raptor?
DVD Burner: Looks like they're all in the $20-$40 range. What's the popular choice these days?
I think that's it. Thanks in advance for taking the time to look at yet another "help me build my new rig" post. I appreciate it.
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