The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

My MSI motherboard was dead out of box so now I have to return that and I pick a different one... I will post here later with the exact one I got when I get the computer running...
 
[quote name='jkam']Wow! I really like this build...looks good...and this is definitely more along the lines of what I was originally thinking. How does the AMD processor compare to the Intel stuff? Is there a good chart somewhere? Is there a good chart somewhere for Video Cards as well?



I guess it doesn't really matter all that much...just don't want it to sound like a jet engine.[/QUOTE]

right now, the top intel are slightly better than the top AMD, but for what you want to do the difference is negligible. the build linked is a good one, not sure what your overall budget is but you could probably cut a little more with a different PSU, like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339012 .

and maybe a little bit more from the GPU (the one on the build would BLOW your laptop away). maybe with something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161319

side by side comparison of the 5770 and 5670 (not the exact cards, but would give a good idea of the performance difference).

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...compare,2392.html?prod[4346]=on&prod[4356]=on
 
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[quote name='RAMSTORIA']right now, the top intel are slightly better than the top AMD, but for what you want to do the difference is negligible. the build linked is a good one, not sure what your overall budget is but you could probably cut a little more with a different PSU, like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339012 .

and maybe a little bit more from the GPU (the one on the build would BLOW your laptop away). maybe with something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161319

side by side comparison of the 5770 and 5670 (not the exact cards, but would give a good idea of the performance difference).

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...compare,2392.html?prod[4346]=on&prod[4356]=on[/QUOTE]

Cool...all good info...thank you! Now one last thing I definitely like the case..but I'm now curious are there any size cases that would house this build that are between this and an antec 300 in size? Like maybe a mini tower? I'd prefer to go pretty much stock (adding fans would be fine) but I can't do water cooling or anything intensive just yet. I'm just thinking a tower might be easier for my first build (as I'm more familiar with the layout) and I don't need the 6 or so drive bays of something like the 300.

Thanks a lot everyone...I really do appreciate the help.
 
[quote name='jkam']Someone in the reviews said they fit a 5870 in this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...eedbackTab=true&Keywords=video#scrollFullInfo

I'm guessing a 5770 would fit ok then? It seems as though the one you posted Mid Boss would have more spots for fans?[/QUOTE]

this is a slightly smaller case than what i have. im very happy with my case, so id imagine id like this one as well. with no HDD case you should have plenty of room for any video card. looks like you could fit 3 HDDs in there (2 3.5 bays and 1 5.25 bay with an adapter).
 
Moved this to where it belongs. Original text is below.

I'm not a novice around a computer, but I've never built a computer in my 30 years on this planet. My goal is to make a decent computer with some potential for upgrade in the future. With any luck I'd like to make this for $500-$600.

I'm going to start with a motherboard (obviously) and I'm looking for one with the following

Intel chipset (unless I can be persuaded into AMD)
DDR3
SATA
and the one thing I'm having a hard time finding is firewire

Is there a reason that firewire ports are uncommon on motherboards? I've looked for a number of them and I've seen a couple of nice ones (Intel DH55HC) and it has just about everything but the firewire. I might just have to do without it.

This PC is going to be used as a general purpose PC and will likely be streaming my media to my 360 via TVersity.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128425 - This looks like a good place to start but doesn't have firewire, but I think I'm putting an unneeded emphasis on it.

*edit* Another question, would you go with DDR3 for "future proofing" or stick with DDR2 for price?
 
[quote name='ZForce915']Moved this to where it belongs. Original text is below.

I'm not a novice around a computer, but I've never built a computer in my 30 years on this planet. My goal is to make a decent computer with some potential for upgrade in the future. With any luck I'd like to make this for $500-$600.

I'm going to start with a motherboard (obviously) and I'm looking for one with the following

Intel chipset (unless I can be persuaded into AMD)
DDR3
SATA
and the one thing I'm having a hard time finding is firewire

Is there a reason that firewire ports are uncommon on motherboards? I've looked for a number of them and I've seen a couple of nice ones (Intel DH55HC) and it has just about everything but the firewire. I might just have to do without it.

This PC is going to be used as a general purpose PC and will likely be streaming my media to my 360 via TVersity.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128425 - This looks like a good place to start but doesn't have firewire, but I think I'm putting an unneeded emphasis on it.

*edit* Another question, would you go with DDR3 for "future proofing" or stick with DDR2 for price?[/QUOTE]


Your link isnt working for me.

AMD is cheaper than intel and if your just going to be using it general pc usage then I suggest going with AMD.

as for firewire you can always go with this : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...034&cm_re=pci_firewire-_-15-124-034-_-Product

and with the money saved by buying AMD I would go ahead and get the DDR3 if the price difference is decent.
 
[quote name='iKilledChewbacca']Your link isnt working for me.

AMD is cheaper than intel and if your just going to be using it general pc usage then I suggest going with AMD.

as for firewire you can always go with this : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...034&cm_re=pci_firewire-_-15-124-034-_-Product

and with the money saved by buying AMD I would go ahead and get the DDR3 if the price difference is decent.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, this is the link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128425

This can take the intel i7 (although I probably won't start there, it's nice to know i can upgrade)

This has DDR3 and USB 3.0

Are you thinking and AMD board like this is a better option? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435
 
[quote name='ZForce915']Sorry, this is the link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128425

This can take the intel i7 (although I probably won't start there, it's nice to know i can upgrade)

This has DDR3 and USB 3.0

Are you thinking and AMD board like this is a better option? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435[/QUOTE]

I really dont know, I wish I could be more help to you but I honestly dont know what the best choice would be. But seeing how you could upgrade with the intel mobo is definitely a plus.
 
I'm just picking brains right now, I don't plan to build this for at least a month or so. I figure I'll read up on what I want, maybe pick up on some stuff while I'm going back to school and then take my time to shop for some deals.

Hmm, I wonder if I should run this new rig on XP or Win 7? Damn there are a lot of decisions to make!
 
[quote name='ZForce915']Hmm, I wonder if I should run this new rig on XP or Win 7? Damn there are a lot of decisions to make![/QUOTE]

Windows 7 of course. XP is very outdated...

-----

Can anyone suggest any changes to this build before I order the parts? http://www.hardware-revolution.com/500-gaming-computer-2/

Also I need recommendations on a monitor $120 and under (must be at least 1600x900 res, 5ms response), keyboard for under $40, and speakers for under $40?


Please no jerk replies. If you can't help, please don't respond to this post.


Thank you.
 
[quote name='Alex2290']Windows 7 of course. XP is very outdated...

-----

Can anyone suggest any changes to this build before I order the parts? http://www.hardware-revolution.com/500-gaming-computer-2/

Also I need recommendations on a monitor $120 and under (must be at least 1600x900 res, 5ms response), keyboard for under $40, and speakers for under $40?


Please no jerk replies. If you can't help, please don't respond to this post.


Thank you.[/QUOTE]

Just a start, I'm still looking through, but you should just jump for the 5770 instead of the 5750. Only $5 more and ends up being cheaper after the rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873

Edit:
If you want a comparison: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446-2.html

EDIT 2:
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1282714998&sr=1-1

$1-2 less and 2000+ reviews + 4/5 on newegg
 
[quote name='Alex2290']Also I need recommendations on a monitor $120 and under (must be at least 1600x900 res, 5ms response), keyboard for under $40, and speakers for under $40?


Please no jerk replies. If you can't help, please don't respond to this post.


Thank you.[/QUOTE]

LOL GL with finding that mystical monitor.

But seriously, you need a larger budget for the monitor if you're looking for something that size that's a reliable brand.
 
[quote name='iRent']Just a start, I'm still looking through, but you should just jump for the 5770 instead of the 5750. Only $5 more and ends up being cheaper after the rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873

Edit:
If you want a comparison: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446-2.html

EDIT 2:
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1282714998&sr=1-1

$1-2 less and 2000+ reviews + 4/5 on newegg
[/QUOTE]
Sweet thanks... :) But how does a rebate work?
"Receive a $15 prepaid card by mail from Sapphire! Expires on 9/3/10"
By the time I get it, the rebate would be expired. =/


And CRAP... The power supply I was going to get just went out of stock tonight!!! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10440897&PID=3067296&SID=

Do you know where else I can get this? Or any similar brands/models?
 
[quote name='Alex2290']Sweet thanks... :) But how does a rebate work?
"Receive a $15 prepaid card by mail from Sapphire! Expires on 9/3/10"
By the time I get it, the rebate would be expired. =/


And CRAP... The power supply I was going to get just went out of stock tonight!!! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10440897&PID=3067296&SID=

Do you know where else I can get this? Or any similar brands/models?[/QUOTE]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

Seems reliable enough. 415 reviews + 4/5 on newegg.

EDIT:
Same price on amazon

as for the rebate

http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Sapphire19MIRsJul16Sep310ll97.pdf
 
[quote name='iRent']http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

Seems reliable enough. 415 reviews + 4/5 on newegg.

EDIT:
Same price on amazon

as for the rebate

http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Sapphire19MIRsJul16Sep310ll97.pdf[/QUOTE]

Oh sweet thanks again. So if I receive the actual product AFTER the rebate period I just need to include a packing list and and postmark it within 30 days? If that's right then I'll get the power supply with the rebate. I just noticed the original one I was going to buy is also on amazon for the same price. So if the other one is not under rebate then I'll just order it from amazon.com

[quote name='iRent']Not too unrealistic, just head over to newegg and pick one that you like with the specs.

EDIT:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009218 $119.99 + 8.99 S/H + (tax?)[/QUOTE]
Ty, bookmarked
 
[quote name='Alex2290']Oh sweet thanks again. So if I receive the actual product AFTER the rebate period I just need to include a packing list and and postmark it within 30 days? If that's right then I'll get the power supply with the rebate. I just noticed the original one I was going to buy is also on amazon for the same price. So if the other one is not under rebate then I'll just order it from amazon.com


Ty, bookmarked[/QUOTE]

Pretty much. They usually give you a couple weeks to a month depending on the company to postmark/mail the rebate. You just have to order/buy the product before the deadline (which for the video card I showed you seems to be the 9/3/2010)

I would send them a copy of the invoice which would have you name, address, and product (+ price?). Some companies also require the original upc barcode (off the box). Just read the instructions and if you follow it to a T you'll usually recieve the rebate. I hear/read horror stories where people don't get theirs until months and months later (or ever) but I've personally never had any problems with my rebates as long as I follow the directions exactly.

As for the way your rebate will arrive: most come as prepaid debit cards. You might/might not be able to use an atm to withdraw the money. I prefer checks because of this.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']right now, the top intel are slightly better than the top AMD, but for what you want to do the difference is negligible. the build linked is a good one, not sure what your overall budget is but you could probably cut a little more with a different PSU, like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339012 .

and maybe a little bit more from the GPU (the one on the build would BLOW your laptop away). maybe with something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161319

side by side comparison of the 5770 and 5670 (not the exact cards, but would give a good idea of the performance difference).

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...compare,2392.html?prod[4346]=on&prod[4356]=on[/QUOTE]

Hmmm....looking at those cuts...they seem like pretty viable cuts...I think the 5670 would get me through most everything I would want to play...at least from reading some of the reviews.

I noticed that card is an express 2.1 which I don't think that motherboard supports...I found this one though that was even a little cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

Going back to the build...http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577126 would I be able to cut the RAM to 2GB or would I be shooting myself in the foot with that processor?
 
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[quote name='jkam']Hmmm....looking at those cuts...they seem like pretty viable cuts...I think the 5670 would get me through most everything I would want to play...at least from reading some of the reviews.

I noticed that card is an express 2.1 which I don't think that motherboard supports...I found this one though that was even a little cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

Going back to the build...http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577126 would I be able to cut the RAM to 2GB or would I be shooting myself in the foot with that processor?[/QUOTE]

You'll wanna get at least 4GB of ram IMO. 4GB is pretty standard with new PCs.
 
[quote name='ZForce915']Moved this to where it belongs. Original text is below.

I'm not a novice around a computer, but I've never built a computer in my 30 years on this planet. My goal is to make a decent computer with some potential for upgrade in the future. With any luck I'd like to make this for $500-$600.

I'm going to start with a motherboard (obviously) and I'm looking for one with the following

Intel chipset (unless I can be persuaded into AMD)
DDR3
SATA
and the one thing I'm having a hard time finding is firewire

Is there a reason that firewire ports are uncommon on motherboards? I've looked for a number of them and I've seen a couple of nice ones (Intel DH55HC) and it has just about everything but the firewire. I might just have to do without it.

This PC is going to be used as a general purpose PC and will likely be streaming my media to my 360 via TVersity.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128425 - This looks like a good place to start but doesn't have firewire, but I think I'm putting an unneeded emphasis on it.

*edit* Another question, would you go with DDR3 for "future proofing" or stick with DDR2 for price?[/QUOTE]

i would not worry about firewire at all, especially with a mobo that supports USB3.0. its just not used that much, unless you already have firewire hardware that you want to use theres almost no point.

go with DDR3, DDR2 isnt that much cheaper, certainly not enough cheaper to justify the downgrade.


[quote name='jkam']Hmmm....looking at those cuts...they seem like pretty viable cuts...I think the 5670 would get me through most everything I would want to play...at least from reading some of the reviews.

I noticed that card is an express 2.1 which I don't think that motherboard supports...I found this one though that was even a little cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

Going back to the build...http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577126 would I be able to cut the RAM to 2GB or would I be shooting myself in the foot with that processor?[/QUOTE]

dont worry about 2.1 vs 2.0. as for the ram, i would stick with 4gb, especially if youre going to install windows 7.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']
dont worry about 2.1 vs 2.0. as for the ram, i would stick with 4gb, especially if youre going to install windows 7.[/QUOTE]

Yeah it will be 7...4GB it is. I actually already ordered the case...went with the cooler master that Mid Boss suggested...got it at Amazon for $40 shipped...I had some credit there. I'm thinking I'll get it up and running with the basics first and then decide on the 5670 or 5770 later.

Should I put four fans in the case? It comes with one 120mm rear fan and then has:

One 120mm front fan (optional)
Two 120mm side fan (optional)

Does fan brand matter? Which should I get? I also see a lot of people buying Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound...should I get that as well? Should I get extra SATA cables or 90 degree ones for the hard drive and DVD burner?

I just want to cover all my bases...such a noob with this.
 
[quote name='jkam']Hmmm....looking at those cuts...they seem like pretty viable cuts...I think the 5670 would get me through most everything I would want to play...at least from reading some of the reviews.

I noticed that card is an express 2.1 which I don't think that motherboard supports...I found this one though that was even a little cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

Going back to the build...http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577126 would I be able to cut the RAM to 2GB or would I be shooting myself in the foot with that processor?[/QUOTE]

Stick with 4GB. Its one thing that you will definitely notice the difference in performance with. If you really want to cut some more, you could go down to a triple-core processor like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843
Or even go with a dual-core: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103687
 
[quote name='jkam']Yeah it will be 7...4GB it is. I actually already ordered the case...went with the cooler master that Mid Boss suggested...got it at Amazon for $40 shipped...I had some credit there. I'm thinking I'll get it up and running with the basics first and then decide on the 5670 or 5770 later.

Should I put four fans in the case? It comes with one 120mm rear fan and then has:

One 120mm front fan (optional)
Two 120mm side fan (optional)

Does fan brand matter? Which should I get? I also see a lot of people buying Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound...should I get that as well? Should I get extra SATA cables or 90 degree ones for the hard drive and DVD burner?

I just want to cover all my bases...such a noob with this.[/QUOTE]

unless you plan on overclocking right out of the box dont worry about the thermal compound.

as for the fans, you said you want to reduce noise, so four fans probably isnt a good idea. maybe an extra fan for ventilation could help, but the stock fans probably would be enough. if you do want to add fans then brand does matter, especially when it comes to noise. trust the reviews on newegg.

something like this, 5eggs with hundreds of reviews, low noise rating, $15 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185004

this one is 4eggs, a little more quiet, but less air flow as well, $9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185056

this one is a little louder than both but has a lot more air flow, $17
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835191013

all three are under 15dBA
 
[quote name='jkam']Yeah it will be 7...4GB it is. I actually already ordered the case...went with the cooler master that Mid Boss suggested...got it at Amazon for $40 shipped...I had some credit there. I'm thinking I'll get it up and running with the basics first and then decide on the 5670 or 5770 later.

Should I put four fans in the case? It comes with one 120mm rear fan and then has:

One 120mm front fan (optional)
Two 120mm side fan (optional)

Does fan brand matter? Which should I get? I also see a lot of people buying Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound...should I get that as well? Should I get extra SATA cables or 90 degree ones for the hard drive and DVD burner?

I just want to cover all my bases...such a noob with this.[/QUOTE]

More fans wouldn't hurt anyway, but if you're not overclocking or running a real heavy duty graphics card you probably aren't going to need the extra cooling. If you still want the extra cooling though the main things to look at with fans are noise level and air flow.

There's no need to buy thermal paste unless you're putting on an aftermarket CPU cooler. Your CPU will come with a heatsink with the thermal paste preapplied so all you have to do is place it on the processor and secure it down.

And don't bother with the SATA cables just yet. Once you start building you'll see if you really need/want them or not. Also, your motherboard may even include a couple so it might not be necessary to buy any.
 
If anyone can answer my question, I was wondering if a loud power supply can also generate alot of heat although working. I have a Ultra Lifetime Series Pro 750W and it basically had problems with noise and heat since I have look at the CPU Fan and Case Fans plus the Graphics card (old ATI HD 4870). I was wondering if a Power supply generate heat and noise?
 
[quote name='aosora13'] I was wondering if a Power supply generate heat and noise?[/QUOTE]

Bad ones do, yes. But maybe it's not an issue with quality or brand, because they can can dusty. Maybe clean out your PSU and whole computer and the noise level and heat might improve.
 
[quote name='aosora13']If anyone can answer my question, I was wondering if a loud power supply can also generate alot of heat although working. I have a Ultra Lifetime Series Pro 750W and it basically had problems with noise and heat since I have look at the CPU Fan and Case Fans plus the Graphics card (old ATI HD 4870). I was wondering if a Power supply generate heat and noise?[/QUOTE]

yes, if its loud you could have a problem with the fan(s) in the PSU. naturally, a problem with fans and ventilation are going to increase the heat output from the PSU. it could be just a minor inconvenience, but if it gets too hot it can affect everything in your computer. if its becoming a problem you can try cleaning the PSU, you may need to replace the fans or replace the unit all together.
 
Thanks for the advice. Actually in the beginning, this was happening and the problem with the PSU was that it was not a good one (Ultra) I decided to switch to a Antec PSU which is good and quiet so I am hoping this ends the problem of a loud (but not really loud power supply) and also have low heat coming from the PSU.
 
I think I might go with this triple core processor afterall...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843

It's $25 cheaper and has the potential for a 4th core to be unlocked. I know it's a gamble on the 4th core but the motherboard has an easy unlock feature and it's worth a shot. Not to mention the triple core will already be plenty faster than what I have now. I'm starting to see why building your own rig is so much fun...not to mention a lot cheaper then buying a pre-built system.
 
[quote name='jkam']I think I might go with this triple core processor afterall...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843

It's $25 cheaper and has the potential for a 4th core to be unlocked. I know it's a gamble on the 4th core but the motherboard has an easy unlock feature and it's worth a shot. Not to mention the triple core will already be plenty faster than what I have now. I'm starting to see why building your own rig is so much fun...not to mention a lot cheaper then buying a pre-built system.[/QUOTE]

should be good to go with that one, even with just 3 cores. considering you want gaming on the same level as your m11x.
 
i dont know much about unlocking cores, but you might be asking for more trouble than its worth even though youd be saving money.

This is of course all incorrect, and it is indeed not a safe guarantee when you unlock the disabled cores. The reason for this is that the disabled cores are turned off for a reason: they failed factory tests. Cores can fail for any number of reasons, including defects in the silicon, problems running at full frequency, or a bug introduced during manufacturing.

Both AMD and Intel disable CPU cores for this very reason.

When you unlock the disabled cores, they will run at full processor frequency, since you cannot run each core at different speeds. While you may see initial gains and benefits from turning a dual-core CPU into a quad-core CPU, you may introduce instability into your system. Things may corrupt, calculate incorrectly or even crash.

Despite what we were told, we still recommend that if you're going to unlock disabled cores, do so with caution in mind--there is always a risk that something will go wrong.
Click to expand...

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-phenom-athlon-cpu,8012.html
 
I bought the same stick of RAM I purchased 2-3 years ago to add to my 2 GB (on XP). It won't boot past bios/won't boot the OS though. What could be the problem?
 
[quote name='Hostile']I bought the same stick of RAM I purchased 2-3 years ago to add to my 2 GB (on XP). It won't boot past bios/won't boot the OS though. What could be the problem?[/QUOTE]

could be bad ram, could be static discharge, could be any number of reasons, it's hard to say. Your mobo says it can support up to 4 gigs of DDR2 800... hm...

I had a similiar issue with installing memory a long time when I installed more memory on a board. all the channels seemed to work, all the ram seemed to work, but would break when all were used. Never figured it out =/
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']i dont know much about unlocking cores, but you might be asking for more trouble than its worth even though youd be saving money.



http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-phenom-athlon-cpu,8012.html[/QUOTE]

Yeah I'm already kind of leaning back towards getting the original quad core. I ordered the seasonic power supply 520w from Amazon as a trade-in I did just came through. I thought about going with a cheaper one but I thought it might be good to go a little decent so I can carry it over to the next build (whenever that is).
 
[quote name='jkam']Yeah I'm already kind of leaning back towards getting the original quad core. I ordered the seasonic power supply 520w from Amazon as a trade-in I did just came through. I thought about going with a cheaper one but I thought it might be good to go a little decent so I can carry it over to the next build (whenever that is).[/QUOTE]

If you wanted to go decent, you should definitely look at Antec or Corsair as really the only two options.
 
[quote name='kilm']If you wanted to go decent, you should definitely look at Antec or Corsair as really the only two options.[/QUOTE]

Antec and Corsair are very good, but there are more quality manufacturers out there. Seasonic has a very good reputation and many of Antec and Corsair's PSUs are actually rebranded Seasonic units.
 
[quote name='Mid Boss']Antec and Corsair are very good, but there are more quality manufacturers out there. Seasonic has a very good reputation and many of Antec and Corsair's PSUs are actually rebranded Seasonic units.[/QUOTE]

the_more_you_know2.jpg

Never had any experience with Seasonics so I know nothing of their quality or CS.
 
I have a quick video card question. I have been thinking about completely upgrading my comp, I built it about 3 years ago, with mid-high level components. It works well, but I am trying to decide if I can get a cost effective performance boost.

I have an nvidia 8800 GTX. How does that compare to current video cards? I can generally get High or mid-high levels in my games, but with some frame dips here and there.

Or, does someone know a site where I can find such information? Thanks
 
[quote name='Gamehead']I have a quick video card question. I have been thinking about completely upgrading my comp, I built it about 3 years ago, with mid-high level components. It works well, but I am trying to decide if I can get a cost effective performance boost.

I have an nvidia 8800 GTX. How does that compare to current video cards? I can generally get High or mid-high levels in my games, but with some frame dips here and there.

Or, does someone know a site where I can find such information? Thanks[/QUOTE]
Tom's Hardware has a quick and dirty hierarchy chart that will help you out with some of that. It's part of their monthly "Best Graphics Cards For The Money" article that they put out.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-460-radeon-hd-5570-gaming,2697-7.html
 
when i built my pc early this year i remember running the psu calculator and having plenty of room for upgrades. i went through it again because im looking into adding a physx card and i hardly have any room power-wise. i have a 700w psu.
 
[quote name='paz9x']when i built my pc early this year i remember running the psu calculator and having plenty of room for upgrades. i went through it again because im looking into adding a physx card and i hardly have any room power-wise. i have a 700w psu.[/QUOTE]

Which calculator are you using? Some grossly overestimates.
 
used the antec calc during the build. checked neweggs and antec again. newegg is higher than antec.
in looking at psu's id like to be able to use the corsair 950w since its $100-150 less than the psus over 1000w im seeing.

depending on the deal ill be adding a 9800, 240, or 250 for physx, and another 5870 at some point.
 
[quote name='ZForce915']What does everyone think of this case? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216

As mentioned previously I was thinking of getting started building my own PC, although the project is still probably 2 months away. This case seems pricey, but does come with 3 fans so that is nice.

Is it wise to purchase parts separately or should you figure out what you want and order it all at once?[/QUOTE]

Not bad. I've seen it before, I like it.

Usually, you just buy everything all at once, but if you can afford (the time and money) to buy each part bit by bit if you see a really good deal, you can do that, too. Memory doesn't really get that much cheaper as of recently, so if you see a good deal now, you might as well buy it. Other things like HDs might drop significantly, so you can wait on that if you want.
 
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