My New PC

RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
edited March 2005 in Hardware
This is my first post here, I want to get some recommendations on this PC that I'm going to build.

And does anyone know where I could get these prices cheaper?

Please give me recommendations...
Toshiba 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Model SDM1912-TA, OEM Drive Only
$21.50

Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD800JD, OEM Drive Only (x2)
$116.00 (Together)

Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200 - OEM
$96.00


ASUS "A8N-SLI" nForce4 SLI Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
$175.00

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail
$146.00

MSI nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB DDR3, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, PCI-Express, Model "NX6600GT-TD128E" -RETAIL
$183.00

Product total: $737.50
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Comments

  • aspire-comptechaspire-comptech New
    edited March 2005
    not too bad did you take into consideration of buying a new cpu heatsink, a new psu, a case, and upgraded cooling i.e. more fans.

    my system is
    1.8ghz p-4 @ 2.01ghz
    abit is7-e2 mobo
    e-geforce fx 5600 ultra
    80 gig maxtor hdd
    aspire x-infinity case with 5 80mm fans, and dual cold cathodes
    dual optical drives
    old monitor
    total cost of system $500
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    THe CPU comes with a heatsink.

    Is the price ok for everything?
  • SSR_06SSR_06 Iowa
    edited March 2005
    im guessing no overclocking? if so then you should be fine.
  • verselloversello New
    edited March 2005
    Looks like a solid build to me. No combo burner though? You could prolly pick a DVD/CD-RW burner for $15 more.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    160GB of storage is peanuts... and you're going to need a good power supply and decent cooling as well...
  • verselloversello New
    edited March 2005
    Geeky1 wrote:
    160GB of storage is peanuts... and you're going to need a good power supply and decent cooling as well...

    You have to realize this guy is on the budget from the looks of it.
  • rapturerapture
    edited March 2005
    I'm wondering why you've picked an SLI board...
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    I'm going to be play Age of Empires: III on this machine. So when it comes out I'll buy a second graphic card and make them go SLI.

    I have a CD/DVD combo drive in my current PC right now, I'm going to move it over.

    I don't need more than 160 GB.

    My current PC has 60GB and I'm doing fine. I just keep all my music on my iPod.

    Can anyone recommend me to a case?

    extremepcgear183719634819rg.gif

    That is what I'm currenly thinking of getting.

    http://www.xpcgear.com/cdgn6097sil.html
    That is the link.
  • rapturerapture
    edited March 2005
    SLI is not that special. If you have 2 Geforce 6800 Ultra Extremes then yeah go for it. If you plan on putting in 2 6600s then its a waste of time.

    For similar money you could probably pick up a 6800 GT which would spank the shit out of a 6600 even running in SLI. You save money on the motherboard, only have to buy one video card and get better performance.

    As for the case, I've just picked up an Akasa Eclipse 62 and I really really like it. Its a bit big though, but its the nicest case I've ever owned.
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    Actually, two 6600's outperform a single 6800 by 15%.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    versello wrote:
    You have to realize this guy is on the budget from the looks of it.

    It really doesn't matter. Give up other things if necessary... a decent power supply and decent cooling are a requirement. There are no exceptions to that anymore, unless you're running an EPIA system.
  • rapturerapture
    edited March 2005
    Actually, two 6600's outperform a single 6800 by 15%.
    I doubt it, and they wouldnt beat a 6800 GT.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited March 2005
    i swear this SLI craz will die soon
  • ZuntarZuntar North Carolina Icrontian
    edited March 2005
    yea, my gut says the same thing Gnome.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited March 2005
    I've seen studies showing that sometimes one is better, sometimes the other, I just know from what I have read that you don't get 200% power off of 2 cards, it all depends... if you are buying one now and one in a year it would be worth it, if you were buying two now though, i would be against it.

    On top of all this my FX5600 (NON ultra) plays UT2K4 and Doom 3 on high res high settings just fine, the games only lag due to overcrowded games and internet lag... rarely
  • MackanzMackanz
    edited March 2005
    Well, i happen to use 2X6600GT in SLI. They actually beat a single 6800 GT or Ultra in the games that are supported by sli, which number is increasing very fast. Personally, i do fine with just one 6600GT as i can run any game i want with good looks. I can use the other card in another rig, i can use SLI and i can also use 4 monitors which may be very useful for some people. You get 2 cheap 6600GT's for about $300-$320. There's not many single cards that beats that in both performance and price. 2X6600 doesn't draw much power either which the 6800 do.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited March 2005
    but together don't they draw more?
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    2X6600 doesn't draw much power either which the 6800 do.

    Can you read?
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    What's your budget for this system?
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    I'd say no more than $800...
    The current price is $691
    I decided I didn't need the extra DVD drive.
    And I found a GigaByte motherboard that has the same specs as this one for a cheaper price on www.newegg.com

    I would also like some type of surrond sound... (5.1, 6.1 or 7.1) I'm willing to spend up to $65 on speakers
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited March 2005
    RA_WILL_KILL wrote:
    2X6600 doesn't draw much power either which the 6800 do.

    Can you read?

    ...it's a little hard with that grammer, but yes, I just didn't know forsure and I kind of assumed 2 cards of near 6800 power would draw a lot more than just one 6800. I haven't studied this, however.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    Gigabyte boards should be avoided like the plague... and you won't get decent 5.1+ speakers for $65 :-/ I don't like that case at all. It has no provision that I can see in the description or the pictures for cooling the hard drives... that's a problem. 7200rpm hard drives produce a considerable amount of heat, and not having a fan blowing across them is just asking for trouble.

    This is a bit over $800, but the case is better (far, far better), it includes the case fans, speakers, and a new mouse... and unless you already have a Logitech MX510, 700 or 1000, you're going to want a new mouse. Just take my word for it on this... once you use the MX510/700/1000, you'll understand.

    Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
    ANTEC Black Solution Series ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700-BQE" - Retail
    Item# N82E16811129140
    $85.49

    Case Fans:
    Thermaltake 120mm Ball Bearing DC Cooling Fan, Model "A1280" -RETAIL
    Item# N82E16811999113
    $8.49 x2 = $16.98

    Hard Drives
    2x Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD800JD, OEM Drive Only
    Item# N82E16822135106
    $52.00 x2 =$104.00

    Memory (System Memory)
    2x Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
    Item# N82E16820146219
    $46.00 x2 =$92.00

    Motherboards - AMD
    ASUS "A8N-SLI" nForce4 SLI Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
    Item# N82E16813131524
    $169.00

    Mouse
    Logitech Blue Performance Optical Mouse PS2/ USB, Model "MX510" -RETAIL
    Item# N82E16826104151
    $39.00

    Processors
    AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail
    Item# N82E16819103501
    $146.00

    Speakers
    Logitech X-530 5.1 Black Speaker System -RETAIL
    Item# N82E16836121118
    $57.00

    Video Cards
    Rosewill nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB GDDR3, 128-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, PCI-Express, Model "R66GT-128PX2" -RETAIL
    Item# N82E16814164038
    $179.99

    Total (Before tax): $ 889.46
  • SSR_06SSR_06 Iowa
    edited March 2005
    i would stand behind Geeky1 on this one. if i was building a low budget system i would choose most of the same parts. it will be a solid perfromer IMO. my only complaint would be the weak power supply. 350w is kinda iffy for 2 HD"s and a 6600gt on a A64 system. i personally would get this http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-105-113&depa=1

    i have used the PSU that comes with this case(got if from a friend of mine) and it perfroms very good IMO. he had it in his AXP system with 3 HD"s a 9800xt and had it OCed to 2.7GHz with no problems.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    The PS that comes with that case isn't a 450w PS. The Antec 350w will power 2 6600GTs and 2 HDDs quite happily- I've got one that's been modded with low flow fans (resulting in higher operating temps and less available power than it would have with the stock fans) and it runs a 2.7GHz Athlon XP, a 6800GT @ 450/1125, 2 HDDs, 2 optical drives, 4 120mm fans and 2 80mm fans just fine.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again... in many cases, the wattage rating of the PS is worthless.
  • RA_WILL_KILLRA_WILL_KILL New
    edited March 2005
    Why should I not get a GIGABYTE board?
  • idiotjerkidiotjerk
    edited March 2005
    wher dual chipz gamer? yep it di fur sur
  • SSR_06SSR_06 Iowa
    edited March 2005
    i'm quite aware that wattage isnt' everything. Antec does make good PSU's they sure are not fullproof from overload and killing the mobo. i know from exp. An antec truepower 550watt took out my friends mobo just from regular use. so he got a new mobo and while he was waiting for his PSU to get back, we put in the PSU form the xblade and it ran it perfcetly fine untill his PSU got back. while the xblade PSU was in there i OCed it to 2.4GHz for him and it was just as good as that antec. his system was a A64 3000+ with a 6800gt, 2 HD's, 1 DVD burner, 4 Smartfans, and 1 92mm fan (tornado).

    you would probly say that my current PS is a POS and that it couldn't handle what its doing right now... but guess what IT IS. its an orion PSU that is rated for 420watts. it keeps solid raids and powers everything in my case. in my case i have my AXP OCed to 2.44GHz(locked desktop), a 9600se, 2 dvd burners, 4 80mm smartfan 2's, a vantec tornado, 3 HD's, and 1 120mm fan. this PSU also powered the A64 system before i bought it from my friend. he temporarily used the orion PSU while he was wating for his antec to arrive when i first bought his computer. i just hate to see money wasted... thats the only reason why im even suggesting him getting a different PS.

    i'm not saying that the antec can't handle it, its just that this PSU can handle it just as easy as the antec can. say what you will. it won't change that this PS is actually decent. just becuase that 350watt has an antec sticker on it dosn't make it better than this PS becuase it dosn't.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited March 2005
    http://www.icronticforums.com/showpost.php?p=49299&postcount=25
    3rd and 4th paragraphs.

    I really couldn't care less if it powers your system just fine. You have a single CPU system, as does your friend. A loaded single CPU system with a single 6800 Ultra (or 2 SLI 6600GTs or slower) and 2-3 hard drives isn't going to draw more than 300-350w under full load- that's with all of the hard drives going, the video card @ 100% load, the CPU @ 100% load, the RAM @ 100%, etc.

    So the fact that your "450w" PS can handle a 300w load (more like 250w in your case) is really irrelevant. Unless you have a dual Xeon, Opteron, or Athlon system with a high end video card (read: a card that's at least as power hungry as the 9700 Pro) the fact that it runs your system says, effectively, nothing about the quality of the PS.

    And no, the fact that the 350w has an Antec sticker on it does not make it better; what comes with that sticker does. Like I said... your system doesn't draw anything like a noteworthy amount of power. The fact that a PS runs your system is, as I've said multiple times, irrelevant. I don't care. And making a judgement of the quality of a psu rated at 450w (note that that's its maximum rating, not its continuous rating...) on a system drawing maybe 250-300 is just stupid.
  • SSR_06SSR_06 Iowa
    edited March 2005
    from my point of view it dosn't look he he's going to be running a dual opeteron, dual xeon, or dual athlon system. so why should he waste $25? and as i've said before I KNOW WATTAGE ISN'T EVERYTHING ON A PS i'm still wondering why he should spend the extra money? it's called a budget, not lets buy the most expensive/best thing possible. you can't always get the absolute best of everything on a budget. not everyone has the money to throw around. save money, don't waste it. the budget was $800 he said, and you didn't even look twice at recomending something that was almost $100 more! idn about you but to me thats quite a bit of work.
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited March 2005
    I know power supplies should be looked at as a something to be high power/high quality, and I do agree mostly. I will always buy semi-good/good quality psus, I've never had problems with any, even poor ones, but I have seen at for example, school, where psus are always swapped out it seems. I only am running good psus now, but for over a couple years I had a compaq 250w (said 143w actual rating) and it originally ran a duron 750mhz, mobo, 1 stick pc100 memory, 1 7200rpm HD, 8mb video card, ethernet card, modem card, cd drive, and a cd-rw drive, oh and the keyboard/mouse/speakers. Well since then I upgraded the cpu to a 1.3ghz (max I could with that mobo I believe), added a second 7200rpm HD, added a tv tuner card, put in a 64mb ati graphics card, added 3 sticks of pc133 memory (768), and added 1 case fan and it all ran under the original psu for as long as I wanted. I wouldn't reccommend this, I was livin' on the edge, sort of like a gas tank below E.

    ...don't know if anyone cares
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