Buliding My First Computer - Component Check

V

vcash13

Geek Trainee
Hey Everyone - So the Celeron upgrade is just not working out - I am dumping that and a few unused accessories on Ebay and starting afresh. I have never built a PC and this is my first attempt ever. I am quite tech savy but building a new machine from the ground up may be a little overwhelming even for me. Therefore I have decided to go with a Barebones kit and add on the essentials.

I assume that in a Barebones kit everything comes assembled and I just need to install the extra parts that I ordered.

Okay my Budget is between $550 and $600 without monitor and this something I have come up with as a starting point -

1. Intel D945PVSLKR Socket 775 Barebone Kit from Tiger Direct

Intel D945PVSLKR Socket 775 Barebone Kit Intel Pentium D 840 OEM 1GB DDR2 PC4200 CPU Fan ATX Mid-Tower Case 600 Watt Power Supply at TigerDirect.com

a) Intel D945PVSLKR Intel Socket 775 ATX Motherboard
b) Intel Pentium D 840 3.20GHz Dual-Core OEM Processor
c) Pentium 4 Socket 775 Cooling Fan
d) Ultra 1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz Memory
e) Ultra V-Series 600-Watt ATX Power Supply
f) Ultra Wizard MS-Blue ATX Mid-Tower Case

This comes out to $499.99 - $130 Rebate) = $370

The rest of the stuff will be bought from Newegg

2. 250GB Seagate SATA 3.0/S Harddrive - $80.00

Seagate SV35 Series 250GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM at Newegg.com

3. Saphire Radeon X1900 XT PCI Express x16 - $199

SAPPHIRE Radeon X1900GT 100189L (RoHS) CrossFire Video Card - Retail at Newegg.com

OR

3. XFX 7900 GT PCI Express - $239

XFX Geforce 7900GT PV-T71G-UDF7 Video Card - Retail at Newegg.com

5. Lite on DVD Burner 16X DL-/+ $30

4. Microsoft Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - $40.00

Are these All the components I need? I already have a monitor. Because of the Graphics card - my build cost is coming out to about $700. Is that good for a system of this caliber? Can I lower this or are there any other alternatives for this price (Maybe C2D or an AMD processor?)

The other thing I was wondering was do I need such an expensive graphics card? I am only going to use it for games such as Far Cry, COD, COD2, HL2, CS:S, TW 2007 and NFS: MW and maybe BF2 / FEAR? Would I get better value/ performance out of an X1600PRO?

Also - Would the assembly of this kit be as simple as installing the HD and the videocard, DVD Drive, installing the OS and thats it? Thanks for your responses in advance.

vcash
 
You might want to look into adding some fans, I saw the Ultra Wizard case has 80mm fan and 120mm fan ports. But there's no mentioning of fans actually being included, you need those to vent the hot air out of the case.

The game COD2 is a more demanding game than FEAR you know, COD2 is best experienced with an SLI system, all the other games will be no problem with those videocards you're looking for. I wouldn't go for a Radeon X1600 series card since they got less pipelines than the Geforce 7900 / ATI X1900, Big B (HWF Staff) mentioned the following about pipelines once;

It's like the number of lanes on a highway: the more you have, the more traffic can go through. Even if a 2-lane highway has a speed limit of 80mph, an 8 lane highway can have a limit of 50mph and still allow for much more traffic than the 2 lane.
Click to expand...

That $700 price is pretty nice for a system like that, I wouldn't change it personally.

Building a computer isn't that hard, make sure you take anti static measures when building either with a wrist-strap or to (possibly) discharge yourself by touching the case first before you hold the components themselves. You want to avoid static electricity.

Good luck,

Marcus
 
Eek! Those Ultra V-Series are based off the X-Connects, and those are pretty crummy PSU's. Secondly, the Pentium D's were whomped on by AMD. The Core 2's are great, but the previous stuff wasn't that impressive.

Here's something that will do a helluva lot:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI $79.99
CPU: Athlon64 3200+ $72.99
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM PC3200 1GB (2x512MB) $107.99
Video Card: eVGA GeForce 7600GT 256MB PCIe
Hard Drive: Western Digital 160GB SATAII $54.99
Optical Drive: Pioneer 16x DVDRW $31.82
Power Supply: FSP Group AX450-PN $48.99
Case: CoolerMaster Centurion 5 $44.99

Total: $571.75 + Shipping (+Tax in CA, NJ)

On one hand, yeah, this won't get you a 7900 or X1900 card, but this will be a stable, no-nonsense setup, not to mention an SLI option down the road.
 
Hey Big_B,

So Tiger Direct ships the barebones kits all seperate so obviouslly it has no added advantage of coming semi assembled. So now thats out the window! I think I'm just going to go the New Egg Route and order everything seperatlry and then attempt to build my own PC from scratch. I would like to go with a Core 2 Duo system or an Athlon X2. I know its going to be a little more money but I think I might as well build it right the first time. Can you provide a link to a step by step FAQ to build a C2D machine or an Athlon X2 system. Will I need to get thermal paste / grease and more stuff like that to make this work or will it essentially be a step by step screw in and power up? Anyway, can you please verify if all these components will work together or if I need to change something or can get something better.

1. Intel Socket T (LGA 775) Intel G965 Express ATX Intel MoBo - $116.99
Intel BOXDG965RYCK ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail at Newegg.com

2. Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz - $223
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor - Retail at Newegg.com

3. G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - $129
G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM System Memory - Retail at Newegg.com

4. Thermaltake SOPRANO VB1000BWS Black Steel - $80
Thermaltake SOPRANO VB1000BWS Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window - Retail at Newegg.com

5.Rosewill RE501-SLV ATX1.3 500W Aluminum Power Supply -$39.99
Rosewill RE501-SLV 500W Aluminum Power Supply - Retail at Newegg.com

6. Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb - $54.99
Western Digital Caviar SE 160GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM at Newegg.com

7. XFX PVT73GUGD3 Geforce 7600GT 256MB - $146.99
XFX Geforce 7600GT PVT73GUGD3 Video Card - Retail at Newegg.com

8. Microsoft Wireless Mouse / Keyboard - $45
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 3000 Grey RF Wireless Keyboard & Mouse - Retail at Newegg.com

9. SONY Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL - $28
SONY 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DWQ120AB2 - OEM at Newegg.com


And I think thats it. Do I need to buy heat sinks /fans / extra cables / screws / etc.?

Total comes out to about $850 + Shipping. Thats not bad for so much horse power but I think I can save some money on the power supply unit and case. Can you recommend something better or more value for money?

Or do you think I should go with an X2 setup? Could you recommend one that will help me save $100 - $200?

I will also pick up a Belkin Anti Static Wrist Guard - $6
BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail at Newegg.com
 
I would not skimp on the PSU. That's the last place you want to be cutting corners. Go with a slower CPU, a less fancy case, even slower RAM. Just don't, for the love of it all, skimp on the PSU. That will affect the stability and data integrity from the get go. A bad PSU may not provide the power required. Wattage does not mean a damn thing. A bad PSU may say it's 600W, but that could be when the unit runs 25*C or less, while a quality unit. They may use fewer parts than a quality PSU.

With very few exceptions, spend the money on a 480W (or better) unit from any of the following companies:

Antec
Enermax
OCZ
Tagan
Fortron/FSP Group
Sparkle
Seasonic
Silverstone
PC Power & Cooling (if you're going for the Rolls Royce of PSU's)

Everything else looks fine, and if you need to, you could go with the E6300
 
Big_B - Thanks for the new updated specs - Any possibility of switiching from AMD to C2D and dropping the 7900GS to a 7600GT? I think the price would stay around the same or go up or down +/- $50. Can you make a second set of configs based of C2D. Thanks So much!

P.S. I am ery grateful for all the time and interest that you are taking in this project of mine.

vcash

P.S> I also can skimp on a SLI enable MoBo if it keeps costs down (I am never going to go SLi and would much rather just get a higher card when prices fall or something new comes out) plus I am really interested in a Seagate Sata 3 Pependicular recording HD. And Would I need AS5 or themal grease?
 
I'll have to see what's some of the cheapest on Seagate's 7200.10 series SATA II (3.0Gbps) drives.

I've been avoiding Core 2 mostly due to the higher prices. I've gotta go to work, so I'm not able to play around with the configuration right now. I think if we go with an E6300 C2D, we might be able to make this go. Just about any multi-GPU tech would have to go with a C2D setup since it's so new, which commands a higher price than previous generations.

Any retail box CPU comes with a heatsink that has a thermal pad on there, so you don't need any thermal paste or additional hardware to mount the unit.
 
Thanks Big_B - Take your time with the config - I know its tough trying to get the C2D price down but that would be my first choice. I just need to figure out a good value MoBo and good PSU - The rest of the components look pretty much in line. Thx.

Also take a look athis build? Its $949.92 - $20 rebate = $929.92 so about $150 more than my budget - any thoughts on how to lower this?

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/TemporaryWishList.asp?BundleExist=N
 
I haven't logged on to Newegg, but the link you give me just gives me what I've been toying with using the wishlist feature. You may need to make it viewable to the public.

Motherboard: MSI P965 Neo-F $92.99
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 $180.00
RAM: OCZ Gold 1GB PC2-5400 (2x512MB) $114.99
Video Card: XFX GeForce 7900GS 256MB $199.99
Hard Drive: Seagate 160GB SATAII Perpendicular Recording $56.99
Optical Drive: Pioneer 16x DVDRW $31.82
Power Supply: Enermax EG-565P-VE $84.99
Case: CoolerMaster Centurion 5 $44.99

Total: $806.76 + Shipping (tax for CA, NJ)

If you swap out the 7900GS for this eVGA 7600GT at $129.99, the total drops to $736.76 (+shipping).
 
Well, the two biggest cuts that could be made would be going with the E6300 and then a 7600GT over the 7900GS. However, I'd rather trim the prices back elsewhere instead. If anything, there's a few 7900GS's that are about $10 cheaper, so that would be a real easy way to cut back on the price without the performance.

The motherboard: going with the MSI would make things cheaper. It's about $25 cheaper and features the same chipset as the Intel one.

The last thing that would make a significant price drop would be going with a smaller hard drive. The 160GB I linked does have the perpendicular recording technology. Seagate must have filtered this process down to the 7200.9 series as well.

Everything else that you picked out actually looks a little better. If your current keyboard works, I just as soon keep that and just get an optical mouse if you don't have one already.
 
Hey Big_B - Thanks - I think I am going to spend the extra and go with the 7900GS and drop the HD to 160gigs. I also put my old computer on ebay along with a Tivo DVR. Hopefully, I can get enough from this too help offset the component costs. The auction ends in 5 days so maybe some prices on NewEgg will drop by the time!! Till then I would like to read a guide or an article on assembling computers. Can you recommend something?
 
This is a good one. The only thing that's going to be a little different is the CPU and heatsink installation. You'll need to be careful not to touch the contact pads on your Core 2 Duo chip. While I haven't worked with an LGA775 (Socket T) heatsink before, the stock cooler that comes with the retail CPU (which you have coming) will screw into the 4 holes around the socket. Things are designed to go in one way only, so keep that in mind.

Of course, before you start throwing things together, read the manual first. Before you start fiddling with the parts, find the manuals and read them, especially since this isn't something you do on a regular basis like freaks like myself do. ;)
 
Hey Big_B and rest of the crew - Ebay sale is going rather well so far - I might be able to hit my $300 limit so funding this new computer should get easier. As of now I had settled on an XFX 7900GS for $189.00 after rebates. But this morning I came across somethinf that looks like quite a deal. It is an ATI Radeon X1900 GT (ATI Radeon X1900 GT Video Card (256MB, PCI Express x16, Dual DVI) published by ATI Technologies) for $ $239.95 - 10% Discount - $70 Rebate + $5.95 Shipping = $157.90 Shipped

This sounds like a really good deal - should I stick to the XFX 7900GS or go with this instead? Thanks.

P.S. Anyone know where I can get desktop specific shipping boxes?
 
Looks like a winner, although I'd check out the company on ResellerRatings. I've never heard of the company before, but that doesn't say if they're bad or not.
 
Hey Big_B - I'm going to order all the stuff tonight including the X1900 GT card - I was just wondering what other case options I would have instead of the Coolermaster you had selected. Though the cooler master looks great - I would like something a little smaller and sleeker but at the same time not sacrificing performance and airflow - I don't mind buying an extra fan for better circulation - Also I really dont care about having see through panels and such infact - if it was up to me a nice piano blac finish or the G5 Cheese grater looks nice - I wouldnt mind spending an extra 40 to 50 bucks over the cooler master.
What about these? Or should I stick to the cooler master if its performance / size are optimum?

SILVERSTONE SST-TJ01 Black Computer Case - Retail at Newegg.com

or

Antec PERFORMANCE TX TX1050B Black Computer Case - Retail at Newegg.com

The Antec is a lot more expensive but it comes with a 500Watt PSU built in?

Or

Lian Li PC-7B plus II Black Computer Case - Retail at Newegg.com

Any of these better than the coolermaster or shoul I stick with your recommendation?
 
The Antec is probably the best choice because of the ventilation, followed up with the Lian Li unit. As a general rule, you don't want to use a power supply bundled with a case. The unit in the Antec is of their SmartPower units, which are less robust than their TruePower line. These aren't terrible units, but you can end up with a lot better PSU for a little more money.

The CoolerMaster case isn't as big as you think. It's pretty decent for a mid-tower, and I usually throw it in as a suggested unit. However, it's your box, and as long as you stay with an ATX case get what you want.

Having said that, Lian Li cases are nice.

I don't use any of the aforementioned cases, but I can say this one has worked well for me. Antec had a rebadged version of it several years back as the SX1040B.

Again, this is your box. Stick to the ATX-based units and you'll be fine.
 
Hey Big_B and everyone else - Hope it was a good weekend for all. So I finally went and ordered all my stuff and it should be coming in the next few days or so. I am pretty excited about building my first computer - Any last minute tips and suggestions would be great. And I just wanted to share with you what I ended up purchasing - Just to make sure everything is compatible so incase I need to RMA; I can do it without opening the box or anything.

1. Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor - Retail at Newegg.com - $220
2. ASUS P5B ATX Socket T (LGA 775) Intel Motherboard - Retail at Newegg.com - $139.99
3. ENERMAX Whisper II EG565P-VE FMA(24P) 535W Power Supply - Retail at Newegg.com - $84.99
4. Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 200GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM at Newegg.com - $77.99
5. Lian Li PC-7B plus II Black Computer Case - Retail at Newegg.com -$79.99
6. Pioneer 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Read Black ATAPI Model DVR-111D - OEM at Newegg.com - $31.82
7. CORSAIR XMS2 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Desktop Memory - Retail at Newegg.com - $162
8. BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail at Newegg.com - $5.49
9. Logitech Cordless DesktopS 510 2-Tone RF Wireless Keyboard - Retail at Newegg.com -$57.99
10. ATI X1900 GT Video Card - $184

Grand Total after shipping = $1088!!! So I overshot my budget by about $488 but I figure if I get better quality component; this baby should last me for at least 4 years. Anyway - check out the specs and let me know what you think.
 
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