Newbie Systems Help!!

[Wyldstyle]

Alright Overclockers and Upgraders,

I have $800 dollars allotted for this month to spend on computer parts. Attached is a list of the parts I already have purchased.

I need a video card, Motherboard, CPU, Memory, and Hard Drive to round out the purchases for this month. This system goal is be be flexible for future upgrades and mild stable overclocking ability.

As for Motherboards, I have read a lot of good reviews and not so good about the EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI. I have been a long time ASUS user so this MB maker is unfamiliar. I am also leaning toward the ASUS Striker MB. Any thought on either board and or another boards I should be looking at?

Video Card I want to purchase the EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB. Any suggest here would be greatly appreciated as well.

CPU I was considering a C2D E6600, however, switching to a E6400 and waiting for Quad Cores to drop in price would be a better solution. Correct?

Memory I need some guidance in this area. I want 4GB, but 2GB will do just fine under XP Pro for right now. As to what type of Memory is another issue. DDR2800 vs. DDR2 1000 and the like are confusing to me. I need suggestions. Please help!

Hard Drive I am leaning toward having two Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB, because of cost. However, I read online these drives are loud. All I really need are loud, hot drives to ruin game play or working in MS office. Is their any truth to this claim Seagate drives are loud?

Thank You all whom reply with help with this project!



Already Bought List:

Case: Lian Li PC-7Bplus
Sound: Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS
DVD #1: Plextor PX755SA
DVD #2:Samsung SATA SH-S183L/BSBN
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural 4000
Speakers: Klipsch 4.1 (from older system)
PSU: PC Power Silencer 750 Quad SLI

 

[cmdrdredd]

You have only $800 but you're going to spend half of that on your video card, your mobo will be over $200 likely if you're looking at 680i and if you want the striker it's over $300, you'll have no money left.

I suggest getting a lower end video card if you are not moving to vista right away for DX10. Something like a x1950xt for about $230, get some G.Skill 2GB HZ for $125 no rebates, and look at a Asus P5B Deluxe for just under $200 or a MSI P6N Sli-Platinum for $157 and then you have about $250 for a couple HDDs.

Seagate drives aren't loud...not loud enough for you to even really notice.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Almost every seagate drive we've bought in the past year has turned loud and that includes 7200.8 - 7200.10 models. Some shake our towers and the others make a high pitched siren like sound while they run. I'm in the process of moving my stuff to the new hitachi sata2 drives. I expected better than this from seagate. Hell even my seagate 300gb external is noisy after a year and we don't use it that often.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Puffnstuff
Almost every seagate drive we've bought in the past year has turned loud and that includes 7200.8 - 7200.10 models. Some shake our towers and the others make a high pitched siren like sound while they run. I'm in the process of moving my stuff to the new hitachi sata2 drives. I expected better than this from seagate. Hell even my seagate 300gb external is noisy after a year and we don't use it that often.

none of the seagate drives I've ever used are bad in any way. They're not any better or worse than another brand.

 

[Wyldstyle]

Thank You all for the help!! After reading reviews and everyone's advice, I ordered the following. Tell me what you think?

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wi...2&WishListTitle=Gaming+System+2007%2E5

 

[jkresh]

solid build but a bit over your listed budget? and if you are planning on going quad core after the next price drop (mid july last I heard), you could have gone for less then the 6420 while you waited (I admit I have a 6600 and will probably get a q6600 this summer but I got my e6600 last summer so ...)

 

[Wyldstyle]

Well truth be told the budget was not $800. It is the amount I had to spend for parts this month. I have been piecing a system together for months. Find a part on sale, case here, sound card there. As a college student working 2 jobs, one for bills and the other for this system. I have not had a major update in the last 6 years or so. my current system is pretty dated. You could understand how my new gaming rig will compare to what I am using now. Cry if you want to...I know I am, but trying any gaming using the following:

Current Rig
-----------

Current System Spec:
Processor: Intel Pentium 3 - 1Ghz
Motherboard: ASUS CUSL2
Memory: 512 PC133 7ns (Mushkin/Crucial)
Hard Drive: 80GB WD Special Editon 8mb Dirve 7200RPM
Hard Drive #2: 120 GB WD Special Edition
Video: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX4000
Sound: SoundBlaster Live Platinum w/Live Drive
PSU: PC Power Cooling Turbo-Cool 300
HSF: Thermaltake Golden Orb
SCSI: Adaptec (AHA) 2940uw
CDrom: Plextor UltraPLEX 32 (scsi)
CDR: Plextor PLEXWriter 4/32(scsi)
DVD: Pioneer 106s (Slot load)
Removable storage: Syquest Syjet 1.5GB
NIC: 3com Etherlink 10/100 (3c905c)
Keyboard: Microsoft Internet Natural
Mouse: Microsoft Intellimouse 3.0 USB
Monitor: Viewsonic P815 21'
Speakers: Klipsch 4.1
Case: Full ATX Tower