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New build- can someone check it please?

D

DyslexicHobo

Senior member
So it's been quite a while since I've last built a PC; almost 3 years. I've finally decided that it's time for an upgrade (mostly because I'm tired of nearly punching my computer for not recognizing SATA drives). I'm not quite as sharp on current hardware, so I'd like someone more knowledgeable to check my stuff out for me and make sure I'm not doing anything stupid. 🙂 I'd like to overclock if possible, but it seems like all the CPUs that overclock well are pricey (Core 2 duos?), using default clock speeds are fine. I never really understood how to tweak RAM to perform well with the CPU, anyway 😛.

Since this is only an upgrade, I don't need a case / HDD / optical drives / case. Right now I have an Antec TruePower 380watt. I'm guessing that's not good enough, is it? 🙁

Motherboard: DFI LANPARTY DK 790-FX-M2RS
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (Brisbane core)
Video card: PALiT NE/9600T
RAM: Mushkin 4GB (2x 2GB) 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM PC6400

I'm just kinda worried I'm buying parts that won't work together, or not getting something that can get the job done equally well for less money. I've read some reviews on the motherboard and it seems like it's really solid, and from experience I feel that having a good motherboard is always worth it.



Any suggestions on components I should change? Thanks for input. 🙂
 
All the parts you've listed should work together ok - no incompatibilities jump right out at me.

As for if it's the best option possible, that's hard to say. You didn't answer the sticky questions (see the top of the forum) so it's hard to tell if this setup you've put together would be the best solution to fit your needs.

Most people are recommending Intel systems these days for anything moderately strenuous and upwards but that system may be all you need for your uses. Are you into gaming? At what resolution and types of games? Distributed computing? Photoshop? Video editing? Coding/development work? What's your budget and time frame for the build?

Give us something to work with. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Urtho
All the parts you've listed should work together ok - no incompatibilities jump right out at me.

As for if it's the best option possible, that's hard to say. You didn't answer the sticky questions (see the top of the forum) so it's hard to tell if this setup you've put together would be the best solution to fit your needs.

Most people are recommending Intel systems these days for anything moderately strenuous and upwards but that system may be all you need for your uses. Are you into gaming? At what resolution and types of games? Distributed computing? Photoshop? Video editing? Coding/development work? What's your budget and time frame for the build?

Give us something to work with. 🙂
Click to expand...

Ah, sorry. I always forget to read stickies before I post, bad habit. >_<

I'll be using my PC for gaming. As of now, nothing more than Counter-strike: Source, but I'd like to keep my options open for upcoming games (STARCRAFT II! 😀).

My budget is 400-500. However, if someone tells me I can get much better performance for just a little bit more money, I'd gladly put another paycheck or so out there. But really...t he lower the better. 🙂

I'll be buying from the US, with no brand preferences

I'd like to build ASAP, but my only real deadline is June 28 (going to Nor'easter LAN party. WOOT!)



And about buying a core2duo... I just can't decide if it's worth paying twice as much for a CPU of nearly the same clock speed. Is there a big difference?
 
Ok, here's a basic build for a gaming system based on those components you need I priced out on Newegg for you.

Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L - $90

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz - $200

Video Card - ECS GeForce 8800GTS - $170 AR

RAM - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 - $75

Total = $535

That PSU you mentioned is borderline. It might work out fine, but then again it might not. Personally I'd get a modern PSU and save yourself from worrying about it but it's up to you if money is tight. If you decide to go that way, this Corsair PSU is a very good option for $70 AR.

If money is really an issue, there are tweaks that can be made. Both the CPU and the Video Card can be brought down another level by $50 or so each for components that would be fine for slightly less strenuous gaming tasks. Just keep in mind that while CS:S isn't all that stressful there's always the potential for a game to catch your eye that you'd like to try out and having a weak gpu at that time can be really annoying.

You didn't list your monitor and resolution so I'll give you a general guideline - at 22"/1680x1050 and up you really need to start to pay attention to the relative power levels for your video card choices. A 9600GT would be fine for moderate gaming in the titles you've listed at that size. If you want to play Crysis on a 24" @ 1900x1200, on the other hand, that same card will struggle mightily compared to some other options that can be had for not much more money. I don't know how hard Starcraft 2 will hit the gpu, but the safe choice is the card I've given you.

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo

And about buying a core2duo... I just can't decide if it's worth paying twice as much for a CPU of nearly the same clock speed. Is there a big difference?
Click to expand...

Intel Pentium E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz - $72

$15 more than the AMD chip, with some good cooling it should overclock to ~ 3GHz easily. It's on another level compared to that AMD chip, easily worth it if you can't swing it's bigger brother, that E8400 chip I recommended.
 
Hmm... how hard is it to overclock a C2D? Pretty much all I understand how to do is change the FSB and multiplier. I don't really understand how to tweak RAM settings; will I need to learn this if I want to overclock my C2D? If I can overclock fairly easily, then I'm definitely going with the E2180. The E8400 is just a bit too expensive and probably overkill for most of the things I'll be using it for.

Is there any reason you suggest the 8800GTS over the 9600 I was looking at? The card I found seems to be both cheaper and faster. Is the 8800GTS a better card? I haven't really heard of PALiT before, should I be worried about their quality?

And hah, before I read your post I was looking at some motherboards to use for a C2D, and I picked out the same exact board you did (well, mine was the 1st gen of the board without the energy save feature). So I guess that board is my destiny. 😛

So right now I'm probably going with:

E2180 2.0GHz - $72
PALiT 9600 - $130
G.SKILL 4GB DDR2 - $75
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L - $90

That's a total of $367. With a decent PSU added in I'll be sitting right in the middle of my proposed budget. Awesome!

Any other suggestions before I go ahead and shell out the cash?
 
The 8800GTS is faster than the 9600GT. For playing CS:S it's not going to matter either way. Both are plenty fast enough considering that CS:S is a fairly old game at this point. As far as overclocking goes, it's fairly straightforward. Since you bought RAM that can run well above your CPU's FSB you shouldn't need to adjust RAM settings at all unless you want to. All you'll need to do is adjust the FSB, stress test, and you're good to go. (Although it would be a good idea to find your lowest stable voltage once you've got your overclock set.)

Graysky has written an excellent and user-friendly guide to overclocking Core2Duos that's stickied in the CPU forum. I would check it out. If you want to compromise, the E7200 is based on the same technology as the E8400, should have plenty of power even if you don't overclock, and has plenty of headroom if you do. It goes for around $135.

I don't know much about Palit. The most respected names in Nvidia graphics cards are generally EVGA and XFX at the top, along with BFG and PNY. Honestly though, all of the cards are manufactured to essentially the same reference specs, the major differences between brands are the specifics of the warranty and the level of customer service. EVGA and XFX both have lifetime warranties, and BFG and PNY may recently have adopted that policy, I can't remember.

On the other hand, some of the less well-established names like MSI, ECS and Sparkle have tried to stake their claim on tweaked cards, such as those with nonstandard cooling. It all boils down to what you're looking for in a card.
 
I just noticed that the 8800GTS is PCI-Express 2.0. The motherboard I was looking at (link) doesn't specify its PCI-Express slots as 2.0. Is this a problem? I'm not really familiar with the newer technology. Thanks. 🙂
 
PCI-Express is backwards compatible. It's not an issue at all, I'm running a PCI-e 2.0 card on a PCI-e 1.0 motherboard.
 
I found a deal for an 8800GS for $75, and that was just too good to pass up. I went ahead and got that instead of a higher end card. Maybe this means that I'll be able to get a better CPU now. 🙂
 
Can someone recommend a CPU heatsink to buy? Or is the one that comes with a retail dual core E2180 sufficient for overclocking? Looking to try and get it to at least ~2.6GHz.
 
The retail HSF should let you hit around 2.6GHz. It MIGHT run a bit hot depending on the environmental temperature, airflow within the case, etc.
If the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is under $25, I consider it a pretty good deal. It should drop at least 4-5C on idle and load compared to the retail HSF. If not, go with the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 at around $37 from Newegg, one of the best on the market right now.
 
Made about the same build for my cousin- but you neglected to mention something- the case. With the 2180 in the build I mentioned, it could do 3.2ghz stable on stock hsf. I think many people are having few problems doing 3.2-3.4 on aftermarket. If you need a cheap case- check out this...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119047

the one consideration you might want to make is going with the E8400, and keeping the 380 watt antec.
Going with the 45nm part, at stock, will give you the clock speeds you'd get from overclocking the 2180. You wouldn't have to get a hsf in that case, because you wouldn't need to overclock. Plus, the L2 cache will be more beneficial in the long run- a 2180@3ghz != E8400
With the e8400, esp @ stock, you wouldn't need a new power supply- it sips electricity, even under load. With a 9xxx series gpu, and a 45nm cpu, you'd be pressed to draw over 200 watts from a power supply. And the thing is- keeping the earthwatts, or 80+ certified psu will save money in the long run, is quieter, and better for the environment.
In my cousin's build, I used the 380, and never had power problems, although I had ddr2-1066 ram and the 2180 overclocked.

A good mixture of the traits of the 8400 and the 2180 can be found in the e7200- $134 on newegg... it is clocked ~ 2.5, so going to 3ghz would need no voltage increase most likely- just turning up the FSB.

another suggestion I have deals with the gfx end of things. When looking, and comparing gfx cards, the number of stream processors is only comparable within architectures. For instance, the 9600gt is fairly comparable to the 8800gt, although it has considerably less stream processors. This is due to increased efficiency in the latest models.
You might want to continue using whatever gfx card you have, until your late-june deadline rolls around. You may be able to get a nice 9600gt for a bit less than you can now, especially after the release of new parts occurs.

You might want to also note you future goals for the system. If you're looking for it to revolve around the platform, and the ability to upgrade it in the future- well it's a mixed bag. Once intel switches to a new cpu architecture, socket 775 will die (granted there is a huge quantity of chips out there, and getting a better processor shouldn't be too hard). On the other hand, while amd's am2+ will last longer, it might not be worth it, as their newest chips aren't really meant for the broad consumer.

If you're going budget:
I think you'd be fine with a brisbane, or general black edition, 2 gigs of ram, the same psu, and a 790 board (you could save by using the hybrid sli too)

good luck
 
Originally posted by: chinaman1472
The retail HSF should let you hit around 2.6GHz. It MIGHT run a bit hot depending on the environmental temperature, airflow within the case, etc.
If the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is under $25, I consider it a pretty good deal. It should drop at least 4-5C on idle and load compared to the retail HSF. If not, go with the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 at around $37 from Newegg, one of the best on the market right now.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Seeing you're an owner of an E2180, I'll take your word that the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is a good HSF and pick one up with my order. 🙂 I really wanted to get the Zalman CNPS9700, but it was pretty expensive.
 
It performed the best out of many heatsinks on some of the comparisons I saw. I don't think the 1-2C difference will be worth the extra $40 though. 😛

I'll be ordering my parts as soon as my video card comes off backorder (May 23)!! I can't wait. 😉
 

Most review sites don't benchmark heatsinks actually inside a closed case.
Most also don't bother to relay any thermal information about how MB components are effected by the different HS.

Zalman or not, I really like the functionality of Down Blowing type HS vs the Cross Blowing type which are all the rage these days.
The "Down Blowing" types cool MB components very effectively, due to their design which washes the surrounding area with air flow.

Zalman, Thermaright and some others have down blowing models.

That's my .02 cents on CPU cooling. 😉
 
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