Opinions/suggestions on new build please?

[bigroy1231]

Hello everyone. I was hoping to get some opinions and suggestions for this new build i'm planning. It's mainly for gaming. Please see my newegg wishlist for the components:

Click here for Newegg.com wishlist

Anyone know how i can make this setup cheaper without sacrificing anything critical? I would like to overclock this to at least 3ghz as well.

Thanks!

Big Roy

 

[crimson117]

Starting total: $1,239.52

1. Drop sound card, use mobo sound: $1,194.07
2. Drop the ram heat spreaders: $1,179.04
3. drop the SATA cable, saves about $5.
4. Switch the video card to the Sapphire 256mb: $1,108.66
5. Change to the cheaper (after rebate) ram: $1,110.08 - $40 rebate

New Total: $1070.08
Total savings: $169.44

Details:

Save and get a better OC with this ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145590

Save $70 (25%) by dropping from 512mb to 256mb video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102061

Save by not buying those fancy ram heat spreaders. (also save on $hipping)

Save by not buying that extra SATA cable - the DS3 comes with cables. (also save on $hipping)

Save by using the integrated sound on the mobo.

Also, check for small savings on chiefvalue.com vs. newegg. That'd save a few buck on the motherboard, for example. Those little savings can add up.

 

[crimson117]

edited to show exact $$$ savings as per newegg's cart

 

[Boyo]

If you are going to spend $1200.00 on a brand new rig, why nickel and dime it? I mean, it's your rig, customize so that you have no regrets.....my two cents anyway.

I like your set up, except that I would drop the RAM HS, and change your RAM from the Crucial to this Cosrair RAM.. It has better latencies, but on the other hand it it more money, so it's your call.

Keep the SATA cables. I use them and you won't regret having them. Not only do they keep you case clean, the fit better and lock on so they will never come lose if you move the case around.

Like your case, but did you check out any of the Lian Li's? Lian Li PC7 Plus II runs only about $89.00 and it's a much better case. Just a thought.

Also, keep the sound card. Believe me on this one.

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: crimson117
Starting total: $1,239.52

1. Drop sound card, use mobo sound: $1,194.07
2. Drop the ram heat spreaders: $1,179.04
3. drop the SATA cable, saves about $5.
4. Switch the video card to the Sapphire 256mb: $1,108.66
5. Change to the cheaper (after rebate) ram: $1,110.08 - $40 rebate

New Total: $1070.08
Total savings: $169.44

Details:

Save and get a better OC with this ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145590

Save $70 (25%) by dropping from 512mb to 256mb video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102061

Save by not buying those fancy ram heat spreaders. (also save on $hipping)

Save by not buying that extra SATA cable - the DS3 comes with cables. (also save on $hipping)

Save by using the integrated sound on the mobo.

Also, check for small savings on chiefvalue.com vs. newegg. That'd save a few buck on the motherboard, for example. Those little savings can add up.

Thanks! That is very helpful.

Unfortunately, i've already got the RAM on order from another stoare...but only because someone is buying it for me. So I'm saving a lot of money there. I know that Crucial will overclock a little and i should still be able to reach the 3ghz with it. Not a big deal.

Also, i already own the Audigy 4 soundcard i listed on there so that's not going to be in my costs. I just added it to show others the build.

Are you sure i wouldn't need the heat spreaders even with the RAM I ordered? It doesn't come stock with them.

Thanks for the tip on the SATA cable. I wasnt aware that the mobo came with one. Are you sure it's SATA II and supports 3GB speeds of the drive i have picked?

The reason i chose that video card is because of the 512MB of RAM. I definitely want the 512 and i'm willing to pay extra for it.

Any thoughts on the case? Do you think i should by fans for the side panel and ones to replace the stock ones? I probably don't need that much cooling on the case since i have invested in the CPU and chipset coolers though eh?

Again, thanks so much for the tips!

Big Roy

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: Boyo
If you are going to spend $1200.00 on a brand new rig, why nickel and dime it? I mean, it's your rig, customize so that you have no regrets.....my two cents anyway.

I like your set up, except that I would drop the RAM HS, and change your RAM from the Crucial to this Cosrair RAM.. It has better latencies, but on the other hand it it more money, so it's your call.

Keep the SATA cables. I use them and you won't regret having them. Not only do they keep you case clean, the fit better and lock on so they will never come lose if you move the case around.

Like your case, but did you check out any of the Lian Li's? Lian Li PC7 Plus II runs only about $89.00 and it's a much better case. Just a thought.

Also, keep the sound card. Believe me on this one.

Thanks Boyo! As i said in the previous post though, i already have this RAM on order. Should i still get the Heatsinks for them since they don't have them stock?

That case does look nice, but i'm dead set on a black case...maybe this one? black lian li. Then again, this is almost twice the cost of the CM case i picked. Is it worth paying double? Also, it has no side vents? Would i need to modify it to put fans there or do you think the cooling i would have is sufficient?

Yeah, if i didn't already have an Audigy 4 i would definitely be buying a card. I know onboard sound blows...been there done that.

Thanks again,
Big Roy

 

[Boyo]

That Lian Li PC7B Plus II is the same case as the PC7 Plus II, only different colors. What it does come with is 2x120mm rear exhaust and front intake and 1x80mm top blowhole. So to begin with, you are getting a case with great airflow. You need to buy an 80mm fan for the top blowhole since it doesn't come with one. But it is a very solid case, and it has great airflow. It's worth having. If you know how to mod a case though, then yeah, go ahead and put in a side intake.

I bought my case from Perfromance PCs and they did all of my modding. I had them put in a 120mm top blow hole too with a Radz grill and 120mm side intake. If you buy from them, you will get a case you won't regret. You can also buy the case from Newegg and then send in the window to have them put in a side intake, which wouldn't cost you all that much. But buying from them is easier.

Since you seem iffy on the RAM HS, go ahead and get them. Like I said, don't nickel and dime this so you will be looking at your case and think, I should have bought this...So buy the RAM HS, it definitly won't hurt to have them.

 

[rb56]

I would certainly consider the Lian Li case, I just built my new rig in one and it I can tell you it is the nicest case I have ever had. It does have a side vent (5th pic) in it and also a top vent by the way. My system idles at about 36 and tops out at about 52 with both cpu's @ 100%. Do yourself a favor and get a good case!

rb56

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: bigroy1231

Originally posted by: crimson117
Starting total: $1,239.52

1. Drop sound card, use mobo sound: $1,194.07
2. Drop the ram heat spreaders: $1,179.04
3. drop the SATA cable, saves about $5.
4. Switch the video card to the Sapphire 256mb: $1,108.66
5. Change to the cheaper (after rebate) ram: $1,110.08 - $40 rebate

New Total: $1070.08
Total savings: $169.44

Thanks! That is very helpful.

Unfortunately, i've already got the RAM on order from another stoare...but only because someone is buying it for me. So I'm saving a lot of money there. I know that Crucial will overclock a little and i should still be able to reach the 3ghz with it. Not a big deal.

Are you sure i wouldn't need the heat spreaders even with the RAM I ordered? It doesn't come stock with them.

Tell the person to cancel the order, and order this ram instead If you're set on the ram, chances are it'll run cool enough anyway, assuming you have proper airflow.

Thanks for the tip on the SATA cable. I wasnt aware that the mobo came with one. Are you sure it's SATA II and supports 3GB speeds of the drive i have picked?

Check with gigabyte - but if the mobo supports it, I can't imagine the cables wouldn't support it.

The reason i chose that video card is because of the 512MB of RAM. I definitely want the 512 and i'm willing to pay extra for it.

As for video card, I'm not really up on the latest ones (stuck on AGP myself), but are you sure the jump from 256MB to 512MB is worth $70 extra? A 33% increase in price, for what increase in performance? Hell, for less than $70 you could upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6400, which would be easier to OC to 3 gHz, especially considering you don't exactly have the fastest ram. I just want to make sure you're not being tricked into spending 33% more for a bigger number that doesn't really affect performance - so be sure you check benchmarks to know just what performance that $70 is buying you. Did you compare it to other $270 video cards? What if you jump to $300, does that give you a ton more for your money?

Any thoughts on the case? Do you think i should by fans for the side panel and ones to replace the stock ones? I probably don't need that much cooling on the case since i have invested in the CPU and chipset coolers though eh?

I don't know much about that case, sorry. I use a P180 myself. Perhaps try it with the stock fans and only change stuff if you encounter heat or noise issues.

Again, thanks so much for the tips!

Big Roy

Anytime!

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: Boyo
That Lian Li PC7B Plus II is the same case as the PC7 Plus II, only different colors. What it does come with is 2x120mm rear exhaust and front intake and 1x80mm top blowhole. So to begin with, you are getting a case with great airflow. You need to buy an 80mm fan for the top blowhole since it doesn't come with one. But it is a very solid case, and it has great airflow. It's worth having. If you know how to mod a case though, then yeah, go ahead and put in a side intake.

I bought my case from Perfromance PCs and they did all of my modding. I had them put in a 120mm top blow hole too with a Radz grill and 120mm side intake. If you buy from them, you will get a case you won't regret. You can also buy the case from Newegg and then send in the window to have them put in a side intake, which wouldn't cost you all that much. But buying from them is easier.

Since you seem iffy on the RAM HS, go ahead and get them. Like I said, don't nickel and dime this so you will be looking at your case and think, I should have bought this...So buy the RAM HS, it definitly won't hurt to have them.

I don't know much about modding a case and i don't have the money to pay someone to do it either. If i was to put a fan (80mm i'm guessing?) is there already pre-drilled screw holes? Same goes for the side vent. That would be a blower for the PCI card right? How do i attach a 120mm fan to that? Super glue? LOL, sorry i'm new at this and i'm more of a do it yourself guy so i'll rig it up one way or another but i'd rather do it right.

 

[crimson117]

Hell, for less than $70 you could upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6400, which would be easier to OC to 3 gHz, especially considering you don't exactly have the fastest ram.

Explained:

E6300 - 7x multi. To reach 3.0 gHz, you need to get your ram to 3000/7 = 428mHz.
E6400 - 8x multi. To reach 3.0 gHz, you need to get your ram to 3000/8 = 375mHz.

 

[Boyo]

Well the case comes with great airflow, so down the road you might have the money to have it moddded. Look at it that way.

The Lian Li PC7B come with everything ready to install an 80mm fan. You just have to buy one and install it which would take you all of 3 minutes. Use it an an exhaust fan, so install the fan backwards facing up. That will help with airflow and keeping your case cool.

The vent is for a blower for a PCI card. You can buy those at Newegg and they screw into place on your case. That also would help keep your components cool.

Remember, this is your rig so buy the case that is right for you. I'm just suggesting a different case for your needs, but I think you will love the Lian Li better than the Stacker.

 

[bigroy1231]

Tell the person to cancel the order, and order this ram instead If you're set on the ram, chances are it'll run cool enough anyway, assuming you have proper airflow.

No can do. The supplier doesn't have a lot of choices and they've already shipped the order. Since it's not costing me anything i will take what i get with the ram. I should be able to cool it enough. And i've read of others OCing with these pretty decently.

As for video card, I'm not really up on the latest ones (stuck on AGP myself), but are you sure the jump from 256MB to 512MB is worth $70 extra? A 33% increase in price, for what increase in performance? Hell, for less than $70 you could upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6400, which would be easier to OC to 3 gHz, especially considering you don't exactly have the fastest ram. I just want to make sure you're not being tricked into spending 33% more for a bigger number that doesn't really affect performance - so be sure you check benchmarks to know just what performance that $70 is buying you. Did you compare it to other $270 video cards? What if you jump to $300, does that give you a ton more for your money?

The reason i want 512 is so that i can max textures on all of my current games along with cranking up AA/AF/HDR, etc. It's also future proofing for the upcoming games. Textures are getting bigger and if they fill up the 256 then it spills over into your system VRAM. That causes texture thrashing and chopiness in the game. Try BF2 with max textures and you'll see what i mean. Also, Crysis is coming next year and i think the 512 is going to be necessary for cranking up the graphics to high.

Big Roy

 

[Boyo]

Keep the card, especially if you are a gamer..........

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: crimson117

Hell, for less than $70 you could upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6400, which would be easier to OC to 3 gHz, especially considering you don't exactly have the fastest ram.

Explained:

E6300 - 7x multi. To reach 3.0 gHz, you need to get your ram to 3000/7 = 428mHz.
E6400 - 8x multi. To reach 3.0 gHz, you need to get your ram to 3000/8 = 375mHz.

Thanks, i think i understand. Maybe i don't even need to get to 3.0ghz. I have a P4 3.0ghz now but a core2duo is a whole different animal....right?

Or i could just spend a bit more and get the e6400 instead. But i probably would never know the difference eh?

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: Boyo
Well the case comes with great airflow, so down the road you might have the money to have it moddded. Look at it that way.

The Lian Li PC7B come with everything ready to install an 80mm fan. You just have to buy one and install it which would take you all of 3 minutes. Use it an an exhaust fan, so install the fan backwards facing up. That will help with airflow and keeping your case cool.

The vent is for a blower for a PCI card. You can buy those at Newegg and they screw into place on your case. That also would help keep your components cool.

Remember, this is your rig so buy the case that is right for you. I'm just suggesting a different case for your needs, but I think you will love the Lian Li better than the Stacker.

So the top vent already has screw holes for an 80mm fan, right? That's cool.

But the side vent i don't think does...how would i attach a 120mm fan to that? Would i have to drill holes in the case? not sure i want to do all that.

 

[Boyo]

Unless you are really going to OC, get the e6400, other wise stick with what you have and OC that. You won't notice a huge difference.

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: bigroy1231
The reason i want 512 is so that i can max textures on all of my current games along with cranking up AA/AF/HDR, etc. It's also future proofing for the upcoming games. Textures are getting bigger and if they fill up the 256 then it spills over into your system VRAM. That causes texture thrashing and chopiness in the game. Try BF2 with max textures and you'll see what i mean. Also, Crysis is coming next year and i think the 512 is going to be necessary for cranking up the graphics to high.

Big Roy

Yeah, textures are getting bigger indeed Actually, reading reviews and benchmarks of the x1950 pro 512mb, it's a really good card/deal, so I'm sure it'll be worth the money.

But I just wanted you to be sure. Something I sometimes catch myself doing is shopping around and researching at once price point, and finding the best one - but then taking that one and upgrading it for some more money, without doing new research at the new price point. Like, if you are buying a car for $18,000, and you look all those in that price range for weeks until you finally settle on a Honda Civic, and decide it's the best for $18k. But then you add all the features and upgrades, and now it's $22k, and you could have afforded an Accord or an Altima instead and maybe you'd like one of those better than a buffed up Civic - but you don't know, cause all your research was at the lower price point.

 

[Boyo]

Originally posted by: bigroy1231

Originally posted by: Boyo
Well the case comes with great airflow, so down the road you might have the money to have it moddded. Look at it that way.

The Lian Li PC7B come with everything ready to install an 80mm fan. You just have to buy one and install it which would take you all of 3 minutes. Use it an an exhaust fan, so install the fan backwards facing up. That will help with airflow and keeping your case cool.

The vent is for a blower for a PCI card. You can buy those at Newegg and they screw into place on your case. That also would help keep your components cool.

Remember, this is your rig so buy the case that is right for you. I'm just suggesting a different case for your needs, but I think you will love the Lian Li better than the Stacker.

So the top vent already has screw holes for an 80mm fan, right? That's cool.

But the side vent i don't think does...how would i attach a 120mm fan to that? Would i have to drill holes in the case? not sure i want to do all that.

You don't need to worry about the 120mm side intake. If you buy one of these for your video card, you will be fine. It dropped my GPU temps from 54C to 42C......

 

[bigroy1231]

Originally posted by: Boyo

Originally posted by: bigroy1231

Originally posted by: Boyo
Well the case comes with great airflow, so down the road you might have the money to have it moddded. Look at it that way.

The Lian Li PC7B come with everything ready to install an 80mm fan. You just have to buy one and install it which would take you all of 3 minutes. Use it an an exhaust fan, so install the fan backwards facing up. That will help with airflow and keeping your case cool.

The vent is for a blower for a PCI card. You can buy those at Newegg and they screw into place on your case. That also would help keep your components cool.

Remember, this is your rig so buy the case that is right for you. I'm just suggesting a different case for your needs, but I think you will love the Lian Li better than the Stacker.

So the top vent already has screw holes for an 80mm fan, right? That's cool.

But the side vent i don't think does...how would i attach a 120mm fan to that? Would i have to drill holes in the case? not sure i want to do all that.

You don't need to worry about the 120mm side intake. If you buy one of these for your video card, you will be fine. It dropped my GPU temps from 54C to 42C......

Is the stock cooler on the card i chose that bad? Couldn't i get by with just that? Then again, i did have to buy an nvSilencer for my current card (6800GT).

I don't think i'll be overclocking my video card unless i have to. I don't need to do that if i'm OCing my CPU/RAM do i?

I think i'll try it with the stock cooler on there for a bit and see how she does. If it gets too hot then i'll spring for aftermarket cooling. I gotta stop adding stuff to my newegg wishlist because i'm way over budget already.