Oh man, you can't just build a really nice new gaming rig and mate it to a 17" monitor! You do that, and within a year you'll be looking for a 19 to 21" monitor. Look around for sales. Larger monitors can had for surprisingly reasonable prices these days.
Ouch! I just noticed this: Oh man, you can't just build a really nice new gaming rig and mate it to a 17" monitor! You do that, and within a year you'll be looking for a 19 to 21" monitor. Look around for sales. Larger monitors can had for surprisingly reasonable prices these days.
This time Leo said what I hesitated to express clearly. Neo, please do justice to your computer and buy a good monitor
i kinda like the sceptre design. its sleek, while at the same time, bold. :P
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
edited January 2007
I really wish I could comment on the quality of Sceptre. There just isn't much review information on them. The Newegg reviews are mostly positive, but keep in mind that most Newegg reviews are written when the customer has only owned the product for a few days. Were it me, I'd look for a Dell, ViewSonic, or Samsung - something with a long term reputation. They are higher priced but are known for long term reliability and generally consistent quality. I know that we seem to keep make recommendations that boost your outlay a little higher. We just want you to be happy with your new computer a year or two down the road, not just for the first few weeks.
thats ok, i really do appreciate all of the input you guys are giving me through this. if it wernt for this forum, id be completely lost in the dark on what to do, and like i said, i take all things into consideration.
for now, its around 1:30am and i have to be to work at 9am, so im gonna go to bed. ill continue my search tomorrow. and btw, that case i picked out, i just found out that it has a $40 rebate, making it $49.99 and a great deal, even with the extra fans. although, if you guys seriously think i should consider a new case, ill look for something a bit more suitable.
Just a heads up on the Zboard. I picked up one of those about 18 mths ago. It's great for certain games (CS, BFseries, & others). However I could never ever get used to the thinkness/height of the base (~1.5 inchs), or the keys themselves when it came to regular usage. I just ended up using two keyboards, a regular MS Media keyboard (that I already had), and then the Zboard for gaming. The regular keyboard I would keep handy while gaming, as it was much much easier to type commands/messages on that, then screwing around with the re-configured gaming layout.
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Mt_GoatHead Cheezy KnobPflugerville (north of Austin)Icrontian
edited January 2007
I think much more consideration needs to be put on funtionality and reliability than just looks!
Get a 20" widescreen samsung or viewsonic, they will not disapoint.
I personally think the case is hideous, but whatever floats your boat. I would like to echo the old goats opinion. That PSU will work just fine for you.
its about $30 more, but all but one of its reviews are glowing. the one bad one sites horrible customer service, but then again, the reviewer seemed like a real jerk the way he wrote the review.
its about $30 more, but all but one of its reviews are glowing. the one bad one sites horrible customer service, but then again, the reviewer seemed like a real jerk the way he wrote the review.
get it. Everything is transitioning to widescreen. 4:3 is going the way of the dodo. The extra $30 will keep you from making a bad investment in the long run.
i did check out that site you mentioned rxranger, and to be honest, it reminds me alot of the alienware website. dont get me wrong, im sure you can find some good deals out there, but i want the experience of actually finding, buying, and building my own pc from my own research, not just saying "i want it to do this, this and this" and having another person build it for me.
that said, im posting an updated list of what im most likely going to buy. im still waiting on your guys' opinion on the monitor i chose up there, so for now, ill include the old monitor in this list so you have an easy to access link to compare this new one with the old one in the list.
so, can anyone find anything that can/should be changed, improved, or that can be made cheaper without reducing quality, or do you guys think this is about as good as it will get?
opinions, suggestions, comments, and anything else are welcomed and encouraged.
I would consider what airborn suggested, and buy the 20" wide monitor. The difference is worth much more than $30. Other than that you are set, IMHO.
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
edited January 2007
Well NEO good luck for the list and site I suggested is in my opinion Crazy deal and you could reap the benefits so much more.
If, IF you just want to hand over money and pull a computer out of a box. There is a ton you learn from building computers that you can't get from merely opening a box.
Personally, I wouldn't by a DX9 video card right now, when everything is going to be DX10 in the future, especially since you said that you are building this primarily to game. I mean, you can wait until the 8600 comes out, and maybe that would be more economical for you since you don't want to go balls to the wall on this.
If, IF you just want to hand over money and pull a computer out of a box. There is a ton you learn from building computers that you can't get from merely opening a box.
I couldn't agree more. I just put together my first complete system from start to finish, and I picked up a lot. Mostly little things that I didn't really think about when I was either just replacing parts (CPU, Video card, etc). That system took about 3 hrs to put together.
The 2nd system I put together (a week or so later), went together in about 45 minutes. I've already found minor things I want to change or upgrade, and several things that I'll keep in mind for the next system I put together, or when I start doing my upgrades.
And after doing it yourself once, you will never want to just buy a box that's already put together.
Just my $.02, but I would not buy that case. With the 5 fans in that thing it is going to sound more like a blow drier than a computer. If you want to deal with that then thats fine, but most people can't/don't want to. So if it were me I would pick one from this list. They are aluminum cases with 2 - 120mm fans. The aluminum is lighter than steel, which will be appreciated when you want to move the computer. Take it or leave it.
Just my $.02, but I would not buy that case. With the 5 fans in that thing it is going to sound more like a blow drier than a computer. If you want to deal with that then thats fine, but most people can't/don't want to. So if it were me I would pick one from this list. They are aluminum cases with 2 - 120mm fans. The aluminum is lighter than steel, which will be appreciated when you want to move the computer. Take it or leave it.
Just trying to save you a headache, literally.
well, i did conside a wide array of cases when i went through the list a second time trying to revise part and i stuck with the case i chose for 4 main reasons.
1. it looks freakin' awesome
2. im pretty certain that i can unplug certain fans if i dont want them to run at all and not only that, but the case has fan speed adjuster knobs so i can fully control the balance between air flow and noise.
3. it has a $40.00 mail in rebate making it cheaper than any of the cases in that list.
and 4. i dont plan on moving the computer more than once in the near(next 2 years) future, so the weight doesnt have me that worried.
thanks for the suggestions, though. i do appreciate the effort. also, according to the specs, the case is made of aluminum as well. that may be a typo, but even still, this case fits in well with my system, IMO.
EDIT: about your post further up concerning DX9 vs. DX10, i picked this card solely because it offers what i want right now at a decent cost later, when the newer DX10 cards have reduced in price, ill consider upgrading, but until then, this should work fine for me. again, though, thanks for the input
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Mt_GoatHead Cheezy KnobPflugerville (north of Austin)Icrontian
i have my copy of windows xp that i got with my laptop. after i get the desktop up and running, i dont plan on needing my laptop anymore, so ill just wipe it and install windows xp on the desktop.
im pretty sure thats legal... <_< >_>
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Mt_GoatHead Cheezy KnobPflugerville (north of Austin)Icrontian
i have my copy of windows xp that i got with my laptop. after i get the desktop up and running, i dont plan on needing my laptop anymore, so ill just wipe it and install windows xp on the desktop.
im pretty sure thats legal... <_< >_>
There is a very good chance the license will not carry over when you try to register.
hmm... ill email microsoft and see what they say. if i do have to get a new copy of windows, ill figure in that cost as well.
EDIT: i just noticed something thats bothering me. check out the links for the MOBO and the memory cards. are they compatible? the MOBO has a special side note in its specifications: "Notice: Only DDR2-800 memory supporting JEDEC approved 1.8V operation with timings of 5-5-5 or 6-6-6 is supported on Intel Desktop Boards based on Intel 965 Express Chipsets." however, the memory that ive been advised to choose runs at 1.9-2.1V and has a timing 4-4-4-15. does this mean that my memory cards are incompatible with the MOBO? i looked at some other memory cards that met the specifications and i didnt see anything below the $200 mark. i really didnt wanna spend an extra $75...
DOUBLE EDIT: i reviewed some of the suggested items from previous pages and found one that seems perfectly suited to the MOBO. it actually ends up being the same price after the mail in rebate, to. its a win-win!
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Mt_GoatHead Cheezy KnobPflugerville (north of Austin)Icrontian
edited January 2007
hmm... ill email microsoft and see what they say. if i do have to get a new copy of windows, ill figure in that cost as well.
Check before you order the hardware as you can buy an OEM copy much cheaper than a retail copy when you order everything else. The catch is that you need to purchase qualifying hardware at the time of purchaseing an OEM OS.
The memory will be fine as it is just better than what the minimum requirement is for the board. It will help a lot if you wish to overclock!
Comments
This time Leo said what I hesitated to express clearly. Neo, please do justice to your computer and buy a good monitor
i kinda like the sceptre design. its sleek, while at the same time, bold. :P
for now, its around 1:30am and i have to be to work at 9am, so im gonna go to bed. ill continue my search tomorrow. and btw, that case i picked out, i just found out that it has a $40 rebate, making it $49.99 and a great deal, even with the extra fans. although, if you guys seriously think i should consider a new case, ill look for something a bit more suitable.
I'm outa here.
I personally think the case is hideous, but whatever floats your boat. I would like to echo the old goats opinion. That PSU will work just fine for you.
its about $30 more, but all but one of its reviews are glowing. the one bad one sites horrible customer service, but then again, the reviewer seemed like a real jerk the way he wrote the review.
get it. Everything is transitioning to widescreen. 4:3 is going the way of the dodo. The extra $30 will keep you from making a bad investment in the long run.
that said, im posting an updated list of what im most likely going to buy. im still waiting on your guys' opinion on the monitor i chose up there, so for now, ill include the old monitor in this list so you have an easy to access link to compare this new one with the old one in the list.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail - $316.00
MOBO: ASUS P5B LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $126.99
VIDEO CARD: eVGA 256-P2-N624-AR GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 KO Video Card - Retail - $175.99
PSU: KINGWIN ABT-600MM ATX 12V Ver2.2 600W Power Supply 115/230 V - Retail - $76.99
HARD DRIVE: SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD321KJ 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $89.99
MEMORY: OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail - $245.99
CD DRIVE: SAMSUNG Black (...) 2M Cache IDE DVD Burner With LightScribe Technology - OEM - $31.99
CASE: Thermaltake Damier V5000C Blue 1.0 mm SECC Chassis Aluminum made Front Door Modern Tower Xaser V Damier Computer Case - Retail - $89.99
MONITOR: SCEPTRE X9g-Naga V Black 19" 8ms DVI LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 800:1 - Retail - $179.99
KEYBOARD: Ideazon Zboard Gaming Wired Keyboard - Retail - $49.99
SPEAKERS: Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System - OEM - $38.99
total thus far: $1,422.90
add shipping and handling, along with any applicable sales tax(taken from shopping cart feature of newegg.com) : $1,485.62
now figure in all mail in rebates for a total savings of:
$32.00
+$20.00
+$40.00
$92.00
grand total: $1,393.62
HOWEVER
if i go with the newer monitor i picked out, the Acer AL2016W Silver & Black 20" 8ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 600:1 - Retail, which costs $219.99 then the grand total changes to: $1,433.20 after all rebates.
so, can anyone find anything that can/should be changed, improved, or that can be made cheaper without reducing quality, or do you guys think this is about as good as it will get?
opinions, suggestions, comments, and anything else are welcomed and encouraged.
I couldn't agree more. I just put together my first complete system from start to finish, and I picked up a lot. Mostly little things that I didn't really think about when I was either just replacing parts (CPU, Video card, etc). That system took about 3 hrs to put together.
The 2nd system I put together (a week or so later), went together in about 45 minutes. I've already found minor things I want to change or upgrade, and several things that I'll keep in mind for the next system I put together, or when I start doing my upgrades.
And after doing it yourself once, you will never want to just buy a box that's already put together.
Just trying to save you a headache, literally.
1. it looks freakin' awesome
2. im pretty certain that i can unplug certain fans if i dont want them to run at all and not only that, but the case has fan speed adjuster knobs so i can fully control the balance between air flow and noise.
3. it has a $40.00 mail in rebate making it cheaper than any of the cases in that list.
and 4. i dont plan on moving the computer more than once in the near(next 2 years) future, so the weight doesnt have me that worried.
thanks for the suggestions, though. i do appreciate the effort. also, according to the specs, the case is made of aluminum as well. that may be a typo, but even still, this case fits in well with my system, IMO.
EDIT: about your post further up concerning DX9 vs. DX10, i picked this card solely because it offers what i want right now at a decent cost later, when the newer DX10 cards have reduced in price, ill consider upgrading, but until then, this should work fine for me. again, though, thanks for the input
im pretty sure thats legal... <_< >_>
EDIT: i just noticed something thats bothering me. check out the links for the MOBO and the memory cards. are they compatible? the MOBO has a special side note in its specifications: "Notice: Only DDR2-800 memory supporting JEDEC approved 1.8V operation with timings of 5-5-5 or 6-6-6 is supported on Intel Desktop Boards based on Intel 965 Express Chipsets." however, the memory that ive been advised to choose runs at 1.9-2.1V and has a timing 4-4-4-15. does this mean that my memory cards are incompatible with the MOBO? i looked at some other memory cards that met the specifications and i didnt see anything below the $200 mark. i really didnt wanna spend an extra $75...
DOUBLE EDIT: i reviewed some of the suggested items from previous pages and found one that seems perfectly suited to the MOBO. it actually ends up being the same price after the mail in rebate, to. its a win-win!
The memory will be fine as it is just better than what the minimum requirement is for the board. It will help a lot if you wish to overclock!