for a gamer/school enthusiast


what would you recommend for performance and compatability as far as


MOBO, processors, memory, hard drives, cases, and graphic cards go.... and anything else you deem important.


Im a beginner, and would much appreciate your help.


Here are the things ive considered getting so far.... your help would be appreciated


case


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1389582


MOBO

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2563503&Sku=I69-2145


Processor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003

10/17/2007 5:58:40 PM

ugly case

10/17/2007 6:11:10 PM

GG on proc, not so much on everything else...

First thing, don't buy from TD. Overpriced crap is all you'll get from there.
Newegg ftw.

Second thing to consider is a different case. don't go with the ricer case with all the lights and cool looking clear panels because they are absolute shit for cooling and noise. Especially noise. Look into a decent Antec (I use a P-80 and am absolutely amazed) if you want a decent case without spending a fortune. I tried the cheap case and after a month the noise and heat drove me nuts. It's better to just drop some money on a good case and PSU and save your components and your sanity later.

Personally, I'm a fan of MSI mobo's as well, and nVidia chipsets.

Check Newegg and slickdeals and you'll save a bit of money and headache. When I get more time, I'll post some specific things to look at for you, but in the meantime, have a look at some different cases and mobo's on Newegg.

10/17/2007 6:13:55 PM

buy 2 slicks of 1gb ram each pc6500+

10/17/2007 6:16:35 PM

dude, a E6750 is faster and much cheaper

Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029

Memory:
Any of the following: (G.Skill, Kingston, Crucial, OCZ, Corsair are best performance & compatibility)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=ddr2%202gb&bop=And&Order=RATING
Be sure it's lifetime warranty.

Motherboard:
MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130081

Case:
Doesn't really matter, I prefer most any Antec case

Powersupply:
Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply (solid cheap PSU, no PCI-e connector for high-end graphics card)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023
ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W Power Supply (best of the best, dual rail, enough power for high-end graphics card, high eff.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194003

Hard Drive:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140

Graphics Card:
(Low-end) MSI GeForce 8400GS (256MB onboard) 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127296
(Mid) PNY GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133186
XFX GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card (for DX10)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229
(High-end) EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready Video Card (EVGA best brand by far)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082

See also: http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=472002


[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 7:07 PM. Reason : .]

10/17/2007 6:52:42 PM

i was thinking a quad would be better type of processors, since newer games are build for quad and up processors

[Edited on October 17, 2007 at 11:28 PM. Reason : x]

10/17/2007 11:24:26 PM

"and up?"

But no, regardless.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/08/parallel_processing/page8.html

10/18/2007 12:33:44 AM

Quote :

"since newer games are build for quad and up processors "

oh lawd.

10/18/2007 8:15:27 AM

No new gaming computer should be built without one of these.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136012

10/18/2007 1:24:49 PM

i agree, i love my raptor too, but for 90% of the population it's far from the best deal since it's about 400% more expensive per GB than a regular drive

[Edited on October 18, 2007 at 1:47 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2007 1:46:19 PM

http://shop4.outpost.com/product/5008065

EVGA E-GEFORCE 7600GT PCI EXPRESS 256MB DD3, DVI, VGA,HDTV
$50.00 Rebate

EVGA (video card):
FRYS.com #: 5008065
Experience earth shattering graphics with a nvidia 7600GT chip with 256MB of embedded video memory to play the latest pc games. This card is Vista Ready and supports DirectX 9, which will be needed to run the new interface for Vista.

10/19/2007 10:57:28 AM

^lol wow "will be needed to run the new interface". That's a 7*** series. No one should even be thinking about anything that doesn't start with an 8. There's so many good deals on 8500's, 8600's, and the low end 8800's that the older DX9 cards are out of the question.

10/19/2007 11:37:31 AM

Heres what its looking like so far



MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P6N SLI PLATINUM
Item #: N82E16813130081

ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: ELT500AWT
Item #: N82E16817194003


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017

Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500AHFD
Item #: N82E16822136011


EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 320-P2-N815-AR
Item #: N82E16814130038


I was thinking about getting a data drive, dont know yet....


and im still wandering if i would need a better MOBO....

and im also trying to watch tv from my comp... I know they have hardware you can buy to make that happen but i was wondering if there were any MOBO's with that stuff already in it. ( coaxial hook up for tv watching )



and please correct me if im wrong

10/22/2007 10:54:45 PM

The Thermaltake Silver Kandalf case is a waste of money.

Get
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068

It's cheap, aluminum, solid build and functional (screwless HDD braces). Use the extra money on something like a 500 GB HDD.

From your spec, I doubt u need a case with 10 5.25" drive bays. It's just extra weight and space needed for the PC.

[Edited on October 22, 2007 at 11:01 PM. Reason : .]

10/22/2007 11:01:19 PM

I recently built a computer with a new Q6600 on an MSI P6N SLI Platinum running an XFX 8800GTS

i love it, the quad core is blazing

10/22/2007 11:05:29 PM

looks good to me

Quote :

"I recently built a computer with a new Q6600 on an MSI P6N SLI Platinum running an XFX 8800GTS"

ditto, except an E6600 w/ evga 8800gts

here are two excellent alternatives:
GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128048

MSI P35 Platinum LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130097

[Edited on October 22, 2007 at 11:19 PM. Reason : .]

10/22/2007 11:15:49 PM

theres a combo deal


for this

Rosewill RX850-D-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: RX850-D-B
Item #: N82E16817182070

and the quad proc.

still more expensive than the proc + the original PSU i thought about.... but im worried the original one wont be enough to power the drive/proc/graphics car/and MOBO im putting in





****** Also, im trying to hook up cable to the computer so I can watch tv from the monitor.. instead of having a T.V....


Can someone help me out with this, im not sure if there are MOBO with this built in or not, or if I have to buy it seperately

**** Also, im stuck on which case to get. Ive read about a case being all the difference in performance, but im not a hardcore gamer. I like playing games, but Id also like for this computer to be my school computer.

[Edited on October 22, 2007 at 11:30 PM. Reason : x]

10/22/2007 11:26:29 PM

Just an FYI.

I have the Enermax Liberty 500W

I am running E6600, 2GB DDR2-1066 Memory, WD Raptor 74GB, Seagate 320GB, Maxtor 80GB, DVD+RW, EVGA 8800GTS 320MB, 8 USB devices, and guess what?

Under full load my computer still only runs at 250W. I know because I'm monitoring my power and temps with a Zalman MFC2 Controller.

The Enermax is 80% eff., active PFC, and SLI Certified. You should be fine w/ only 500W w/ a high-end PSU.

If you still aren't sure, swing for the 620W:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194004&Tpk=enermax%2b620w

It's still better than the Rosewill because it's name-brand and the cables are MODULAR, meaning you only have to use the cables you NEED! It's a must. Not to mention the 1x120mm fan will be much quieter than the Rosewill

To watch Cable TV on your computer you will need a seperate TV Tuner card, they are not built-in to motherboards.

This was in my old mediaPC:
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 150 MCE FM 1042 PCI Interface - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116620

and this is in my new mediaPC:
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1800 MCE Kit 1128 NTSC/ATSC/QAM/FM TV Tuner Card w/MCE Remote
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116015

I'd recommend both. Although the 150 is last gen. and PCI, and the 1800 is PCI-Express x1

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 1:36 AM. Reason : .]

10/23/2007 1:30:27 AM

or you can just buy something like this:
http://slickdeals.net/?permadeal=10525#direct_deal_10525

Quote :

" * Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) * Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q6600 (2.4GHz) * 1GB DDR2-667MHz dual channel SDRAM (2x512) * 64MB NVIDIA GeForce 7500LE, DVI-I, TV-out, VGA adapter * 250GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive * LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive * 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, video * ATSC-NTSC TV tuner with PVR, FM tuner, remote * Integrated 7.1 channel sound w/front audio ports * Norton Internet Security 2007 - 15 Months * HP keyboard and HP scroller mouse * No Monitor (unless additionally selected) "

for $600

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 1:38 AM. Reason : .]

10/23/2007 1:37:43 AM

yea i saw that lastnight, pretty much right up his ally

10/23/2007 7:30:04 AM

Im thinking about waiting till black friday to buy parts.... in hopes that it'll be cheaper.


how is newegg on blackfirday ? .... do they have a lot of specials/savings on black friday ?

10/23/2007 12:18:28 PM

sorta

Quote :

"* 64MB NVIDIA GeForce 7500LE, DVI-I, TV-out, VGA adapter"

is why it's cheap, i assume it has a pcie-16x slot... then dump that pos card and get a 8 series

10/23/2007 12:33:07 PM

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: Nine Hundred
Item #: N82E16811129021

MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P6N SLI PLATINUM
Item #: N82E16813130081

EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 320-P2-N815-AR
Item #: N82E16814130038

Antec NeoPower 650 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: NEOPOWER 650
Item #: N82E16817371011

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017


G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail
Model #: F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
Item #: N82E16820231098


Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500AHFD
Item #: N82E16822136011

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Model #: 66I-00715
Item #: N82E16832116202



ok... this looks like its going to be it..... Putting off the cable hook up, until i get some more money.

now the wait game.... this system is around 1200-1250 after rebates and such.... hoping black friday has some good deals so it goes to 1k.... hopefully.

10/23/2007 3:04:26 PM

also, dvd and cd drives... will also go in, but not till i get some more cash too.

10/23/2007 4:04:28 PM

how do you intend on installing windows/using that computer without internet or an optical disc drive?

10/23/2007 5:02:44 PM

Quote :

"how do you intend on installing windows/using that computer without internet or an optical disc drive?"

Mobo already has gigabit LAN

10/23/2007 5:56:21 PM

i'd save the $100 and get a E6750 instead, it'll be faster for 95% of your applications, everything else looks good.

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 6:44 PM. Reason : .]

10/23/2007 6:44:08 PM

I'd say it's definitely worth future-proofing your PC with an octo-core or deca-core.

10/23/2007 7:56:19 PM

^ yea

what would you suggest

10/23/2007 8:14:39 PM

i suggest you get higher self esteem

10/23/2007 8:19:39 PM

whys that

10/23/2007 8:50:20 PM

idk i was just trying to immitate u

10/23/2007 8:52:15 PM

why would you want to imitate me

10/23/2007 9:09:19 PM

idk u tell me

10/23/2007 9:10:59 PM

i only psychoanalyze bitches who deserve to be put in their place.

No need for me to tell you when you already know the answer.

10/23/2007 9:35:31 PM

n/m

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 11:05 PM. Reason : .]

10/23/2007 11:04:55 PM

Quote :

" EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Model #: 320-P2-N815-AR Item #: N82E16814130038"

Does the EVGA have lifetime warranty?

I went with the XFX 8800 GTS XXX Edition (fastest factory OCed GTS on the market at the time). XFX and Gigabyte both offers Lifetime warranty on their cards. The most likely component to fail on the cards are the fans. So warranty does matter.

10/24/2007 12:58:35 AM

Quote :

"I went with the XFX 8800 GTS XXX Edition (fastest factory OCed GTS on the market at the time). XFX and Gigabyte both offers Lifetime warranty on their cards. The most likely component to fail on the cards are the fans. So warranty does matter."

thats why i went with the XFX too. Warranty is even transferable

10/24/2007 1:01:09 AM

Quote :

"Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Model #: Nine Hundred Item #: N82E16811129021 "

The biggest mistake I made in my last gaming PC was picking out a steel case. Aluminum is lighter than steel.

10/24/2007 1:07:34 AM

Quote :

"Does the EVGA have lifetime warranty?"

yes, EVGA does have lifetime warranty, they even have a 90-day trade up program, i've owned XFX as well, both are my top two video card manufacturer's (i've owned 2 of each)

xfx 6200 / 6600gt
evga 6800gs / 8800gts

I went with EVGA because of lifetime warranty and it was $50-60 less than the XFX 8800GTS and I didn't think the extra OC was worth it. FWIW, I've OC'd my stock 8800gts EVGA to higher than the XXX's frequencies.

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 1:31 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2007 1:25:11 AM

is building a computer still cost effective, or can you now pretty much always buy one cheaper than you can build one of equivalent quality and performance?

10/24/2007 2:32:40 AM

Depends on what you build it for.

For your average user, yeah, the computer-in-a-box deals are better.

If you're picky as crap and know exactly what you want in a computer, it's going to cost more to get those little finnicky high-performance items from an OEM computer company than it will to hit up the bensbargains deals and get what you really want.

Myself? I upgrade my computer a piece or two at a time. Monitor... Maybe a couple hard drives next... Swap out the video card... Then there's the big update where I'll swap the motherboard, CPU, and memory again (that's coming next, probably in February).

And that's my sleep-deprivation rant.

10/24/2007 3:29:39 AM

the computer in the box usually carry a crappy case with a crappy graphics card.


Since i plan on using my comp for my t.v as wel, all the components need to be above par than what the normal computer offers.

10/24/2007 11:49:56 AM

Somehow these boutique gaming companies like Alienware have convinced gamers that if you don't have a Raptor that your PC is worthless. For anyone not running a big RAID array, the performance increase is small, especially considering how much more you pay / GB. Just get one of the 7200.10 Seagate models and you'll fine.

If you have money to burn on disks, then buy 3 and a mobo that supports RAID 5. I guarantee you'll get at least as good of read performance as a Raptor and you'll be protected against a single disk failure too.

1 x 150GB Raptor (16MB cache) = $175
3 x 250GB 7200.10 Barracuda (16MB cache) = $210

For $35 more, you get over 3x the storage plus 3x the throughput plus protection against disk failure.

10/24/2007 2:24:09 PM

my raptor was $130 for 74gb

in the last year, i've ran 2x160gb RAID 0, alongside my 74gb raptor, alongside my 320gb sataII seagate barracuda.

guess which one was the fastest? (for gaming)... my raptor. random access time is at 7.8ms, only the NEW barracuda ES can come close and that's $100 for 320gb. the only area my RAID 0 was faster was in throughput (transferring files) and such but didn't improve load times that drastically.

CPU utilization is a LOT lower w/ a single drive as well, not to mention that there are a LOT more conventional methods of backing stuff up than RAID 1

it's not something some boutique computer manufacturer dreamed up. bang for buck? not so much. but it IS NOTICEABLY FASTER.

to each their own, but you can't deny the performance increase that comes from a raptor drive

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 2:58 PM. Reason : .]

10/24/2007 2:50:28 PM

^ Oh yeah it is. My raptor makes a noticeable difference in boot up time, game fps and playing large video files. The harddrive is one of the biggest bottlenecks in a computer today, and going from 7200 to 10k really makes a difference. Now solid state harddrives just need to get cheaper and move to 3.5 and we can finally get rid of these ancient rotating disks we use.

10/24/2007 2:57:54 PM

i was thinking about getting 2 320gb seagates instead of the raptor.


dont know yet. again, im not a hardcore gamer, but id like to watch tv from this comp too. Ive read conflicting reviews on performance for the both. some say two will work as good as the one raptor.. others say no.


I really dont know, if i had the money, i would get one of each.

10/24/2007 3:40:34 PM

Quote :

"^ yea what would you suggest"

probably a deca-core QX10-GT9000-R. 10 cores beat 4 or 2 any day.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16302


Make sure you get at least a 3000 watt PSU to power it, though.

10/24/2007 4:42:16 PM

that link doesnt go to anything

10/24/2007 5:24:07 PM

^ I think this is what he meant:

http://www.qx10.com/

10/24/2007 8:29:24 PM