mormreed 0 Posted April 9, 2009 (edited) So I've been scouting stuff out on Newegg for a while now and I'm almost ready, I just want to have a few people look over it and make sure that 1) Its all compatible and 2) It's the most I can get for this price, so here are the parts: Windows XP SP3 - OEM I know most of you think I should go with Vista or wait for Windows 7 but this I can't wait for this upgrade and I don't want Vista Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664AA800 - Retail The reviews look good on this and 4GB is all I want for now XCLIO A380BK Fully Black SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail I just like this case plus it has some good fans in it ASUS P5QL PRO LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail It does what I need and fits the components I need, I'm pretty sure at least XFX PVT98WYDFH GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Quality card without going 200+ CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail Has what I need plus a bit Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail I want quad core, not budging on this one Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM I'll be getting a 1TB drive for more space, I trust WD I have an external drive from them and it works perfectly Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Wired Standard Media Keyboard - OEM Cheap and from Logitech Acer X203Wbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail The reviews on it looked pretty good and Acer is a pretty big brand name, that doesn't mean quality but I trust reviews ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler - Retail Recommended from a friend and I want to make sure the quad core doesn't get too hot, plus great reviews LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM Good reviews, cheap, and burns CDs + DVDs EDIT: forgot the wireless card Rosewill RNX-G300LX IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, 802.1x, WPA, WPA2, AES, TKIP with 2 dBi Antenna - Retail I don't need a great card, it's cheap has WEP support (as all of them do) and has good reviews and finally total price is: $1,180.86 USD Edited April 9, 2009 by mormreed Share this post Link to post
Doctor Destiny 40 Posted April 9, 2009 Get a solid state drive for your boot drive... otherwise, looks pretty good really. Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 9, 2009 (edited) Alright so I'll go with 2 of these for boot and storage, tons of space , or maybe a raid card and put it in Raid 0 (or whichever one is mirrored drives) Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM and that brings the total to $1,330.85 USD (with two drives) Edited April 9, 2009 by mormreed Share this post Link to post
Doctor Destiny 40 Posted April 9, 2009 I said solid state for boot. And then a pair of 500GB to 750GB drives for storage and installs. As for RAID arrays... they're a mixed bag. If you're careful and back up pertinent, really necessary data, to DVDs, you'll be fine. Share this post Link to post
Doctor Destiny 40 Posted April 9, 2009 SOLID STATE DRIVE. LOOK AT ****ING NEWEGG. Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 10, 2009 Those are pretty damn expensive, kinda like big flash drives, I'm gonna stick with the stable WD drive, the other Caviar had RPM from 5400-7200, these ones are stable, the per GB cost for the SSDs is crazy, I'm looking for storage and reliability, I'm ok if I don't have the fastest drives out there Share this post Link to post
Doctor Destiny 40 Posted April 10, 2009 SSDs run forever. They're just for boot and they're insane so grab like a 30GB and be happy. Share this post Link to post
Luk3us 63 Posted April 10, 2009 Solid state drives are indeed the future, and are ****ing awesome! But I don't know if you actually need one just yet. Onboard sound with motherboards are fine nowadays. Also get a bigger monitor, else you'll probably go and get something bigger later anyway. Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Hmmm I think I may get a card that supports MIDI at least, just a cheap one Also thinking about going with this processor instead: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail it's quite a bit faster and it's only about $75 more, I want this build to last as long as possible and an extra $75 doesn't seem too bad IMO so that brings the total to $1,396.85 (plus $20 for the sound card I'm going to choose eventually) Edited April 10, 2009 by mormreed Share this post Link to post
Malevolence 6 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Hmmm I think I may get a card that supports MIDI at least, just a cheap one Also thinking about going with this processor instead: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail it's quite a bit faster and it's only about $75 more, I want this build to last as long as possible and an extra $75 doesn't seem too bad IMO so that brings the total to $1,396.85 (plus $20 for the sound card I'm going to choose eventually) Gods damnit, CHOOSE THAT CORE i7 IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT TO BEGIN WITH!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Windows XP SP3 - OEM I know most of you think I should go with Vista or wait for Windows 7 but this I can't wait for this upgrade and I don't want Vista It's up to you! 32 bit or 64 bit? Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664AA800 - Retail The reviews look good on this and 4GB is all I want for now When you choose Core i7, DDR2 rams you chose earlier will be useless. By choosing Core i7, you have to use triple channel DDR3 rams. If your XP is 32 bit just stick to 3GB and if your XP is 64 bit by all means choose 6GB. XCLIO A380BK Fully Black SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail I just like this case plus it has some good fans in it Never heard of this case before. If you want a good decent full tower casing with excellent airflow, choose Cooler Master HAF 932. More reviews such as . XFX PVT98WYDFH GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Quality card without going 200+ If you want to get 9800GTX, please get the rebranded Geforce GTS 250, it's basically the same, just some minor updates to the cooler fan and shorter than the predecessor, and this time round GTS 250 features 1 6 pin connector instead of 2 in 9800GTX. CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail Has what I need plus a bit Anything will be fine as long as it has the 80 PLUS thingy. I'm curious, since you want a low budget graphics card and I don't see your need to SLI or whatever, maybe you may wanna downgrade with 650W? Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM I'll be getting a 1TB drive for more space, I trust WD I have an external drive from them and it works perfectly 2 Hard disks, first one can either be those new expensive SSDs or Western Digitial Velociraptor, second hard disk (storage) you can choose this 750GB you planned. Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Wired Standard Media Keyboard - OEM Cheap and from Logitech It's up to your preference. Acer X203Wbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail The reviews on it looked pretty good and Acer is a pretty big brand name, that doesn't mean quality but I trust reviews LG, Samsung or Philips. Choose among the 3. ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler - Retail Recommended from a friend and I want to make sure the quad core doesn't get too hot, plus great reviews If you want Zalman, take this. Here's a . Or Cooler Master V8, do note its size though. Here's a . LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM Good reviews, cheap, and burns CDs + DVDs That or this. Same pricing. Edited April 10, 2009 by Malevolence Share this post Link to post
BioBen 3 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Personally I'm a fan of M-audio, there products have never let me down. I suggest this: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile2496.html Not horribly expensive, and has 4 in/outs and midi in and out. Comes with ableton live lite as well. I'm not sure if you have firewire or not, if you do I would personally get a nice firewire external audio interface with plenty of analogue in and outs + midi Edited April 10, 2009 by BioBen Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Gods damnit, CHOOSE THAT CORE i7 IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT TO BEGIN WITH!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: some of this stuff is from a while ago, it's evolved over time and I just saw this XD It's up to you! 32 bit or 64 bit? gonna stick with 32 for now maybe 64 when windows 7 comes out When you choose Core i7, DDR2 rams you chose earlier will be useless. By choosing Core i7, you have to use triple channel DDR3 rams. If your XP is 32 bit just stick to 3GB and if your XP is 64 bit by all means choose 6GB. good to know, but I 'm still gonna go with like a 2x2GB ram, now just have to make sure the mobo supports it and the mobo doesn't support DDR3, I'll see if I can find one that does that's around the same price, if I can't it's back to the 2.4GHz quad core, and just checked it and the cheapest i7 mobo is almost $200, that's not gonna happen oh well, so I'm gonna go with a 2.66GHz that runs about the same price: Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail Never heard of this case before. If you want a good decent full tower casing with excellent airflow, choose Cooler Master HAF 932. More reviews such as . That case is 1) more expensive and 2) probably overkill for what I'm getting, correct me if I'm wrong, I need decent to good airflow, not amazing this rig isn't going to be running inside of a box or anything If you want to get 9800GTX, please get the rebranded Geforce GTS 250, it's basically the same, just some minor updates to the cooler fan and shorter than the predecessor, and this time round GTS 250 features 1 6 pin connector instead of 2 in 9800GTX. Will check it out later EDIT: Checked it out, so you mean something like this one: EVGA 512-P3-1150-TR GeForce GTS 250 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail ? Anything will be fine as long as it has the 80 PLUS thingy. I'm curious, since you want a low budget graphics card and I don't see your need to SLI or whatever, maybe you may wanna downgrade with 650W? I want the option to be there to SLI in the future, just in case 2 Hard disks, first one can either be those new expensive SSDs or Western Digitial Velociraptor, second hard disk (storage) you can choose this 750GB you planned. I was considering the 150GB raptor for a boot drive EDIT: decided on the 74GB for the boot drive and 1 Caviar 1TB drive for storage LG, Samsung or Philips. Choose among the 3. Acer is a pretty big brand too and this one had good reviews for a cheap monitor I'm not gonna go bigger right now Luk3us because it would be more expensive, this rig is pushing my limits right now EDIT: or not.. just found a 22" for only $10 more, basically the same monitor, still from acer Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2500:1 - Retail If you want Zalman, take this. Here's a . Or Cooler Master V8, do note its size though. Here's a . will check those out Decided on the first one, nervous about size issues w/ the V8 plus it's an extra $10, decided on the middle ground That or this. Same pricing. They're basically the same thing so it's up to the dice on this one XD I'll take a closer look at the speeds though @BioBen: When I said cheap I was thinking like a $20 card XD that's why I didn't get a raid card too, the only ones that supported the HDs I'm considering were like $100+ I just want the option to be able to hook up a nice mic for some music recording nothing more, and after taking another look I think I'm gonna hold off on a sound card already have a mouse + headset so I think it's all good to go Including all the edits it's looking like around $1,340.04 + shipping Edited April 10, 2009 by mormreed Share this post Link to post
Malevolence 6 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Processor: If you think Intel Core i7 is too expensive for the budget (due to expensive processor + not-so-cheap DDR3 rams atm.), you can join the waiting club for the upcoming cheaper alternative a.k.a. Intel Core i5 (probably 3 months wait). If you want to get Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 (2.66GHz), personally, I recommend at least a Q9550 (2.83Ghz) or the highest Q9650 (3.0Ghz) since you don't mind forking out a little more and the best deal to it is the cheaper DDR2 rams. If you insist on budget, maybe you should try AMD's Phenom II X4. Motherboard: Discuss later once you made up your mind what processor you need to use. Graphics Card: Yes, that is a good one. EVGA is also one of the premium brands. There's lifetime warranty and you can actually top-up with extra cash to trade-in for a higher end graphics card, and this is only applicable to America, I think. If you intend to use GTS 250 for serious gaming I think you should look back and reconsider 55nm 216 GTX 260 instead, besides, with the new release of GTX 275, the prices of 55nm 216 GTX 260 is falling. Besides since you mentioned the need to SLI in future, why bother SLI 2 GTS 250 when you could SLI GTX 260 for better performance. In fact, by then you wouldn't want to SLI GTS 250s, you'll probably dump it aside for a newer graphics card or reusing GTS 250 as a PhysX card. Heatsink Fan: I guessed the best choice for you is to choose Zalman CNPS9900LED. Take note though, if you do not intend to overclock your systems its pointless to get a 3rd party heatsink fan. Edited April 10, 2009 by Malevolence Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) ok so this is what the build has become: XFX GS250XYDFC GeForce GTS 250 512MB Core Edition 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail To save some money went with GTS 512MB SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F Better read time than the LG drive, same exact write times Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9400 - Retail Pretty good quad core, I don't need the best, I don't plan on doing anything that's like crazy CPU reliant XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 750W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail Same thing as the original one pretty much but, cheaper Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 for System Builders I would wait until October or whatever but I can't wait for this build, and I'm not gonna put up with linux for a few months, I am not a fan of linux, I admire anyone who knows how to use linux, I know it's easier now but anyone who can actually "use" linux Rosewill 20" Serial ATA II cable with metal latch, Model RCW-204, Red because the Raptor doesn't come with cables - noted in reviews Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Wired Standard Media Keyboard again cheap + logitech Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664AA800 Standard Crucial ram, Crucial has been reliable in the laptop I have now so I trust it ZALMAN CNPS9900LED 120mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler To keep the CPU cool when playing with overclocking ASUS P5QL PRO LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard good reviews plus it fits what I need Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 22" and $10 more than "20, this is a no-brainer Rosewill RNX-G300LX IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, 802.1x, WPA, WPA2, AES, TKIP with 2 dBi Antenna Has what I need and cheap Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive Fast boot drive, decent storage XCLIO Windtunnel Fully Black Finish 1.0 mm SECC Chassis ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail Good airflow, maybe not the best but suitable for my use - and looks cooler than the other one I picked Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Big drive for lots of files total is now: $1,315.04 Sounds like a pretty good rig, due to last a few years minimum, I hope at least with so much $ going into this EDIT: Updated some parts and trimmed about $100 off the price without losing too much performance Edited April 10, 2009 by mormreed Share this post Link to post
BioBen 3 Posted April 11, 2009 lol Yeah if you look around, it becomes a waste of time trying to buy a sound card under $100 which has any better features than the one in your mobo Share this post Link to post
Malevolence 6 Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) Processor: - Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9400 2.66GHz @ $219.99 - AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0GHz Quad-Core Black Edition Processor @ $214.99 - AMD Phenom II X4 920 2.8GHz Quad-Core Processor @ $169 If you insist a Quad Core (excluding the expensive Core i7 series), I really recommend a cheaper AMD Phenom II X4. According to some enthusiasts, they feel that Phenom II X4 performs better than Intel Q9xxx. Think about it, I highly recommend the second choice. Motherboard: For Intel processor, please use at least a P45 board. For brands, DFI for OC fun, or else ASUS or Gigabyte. Avoid wasting money on silly soundcards (unless you are talking about very high end soundcards) where you can use those built-in on the mobo. PSU: I honestly think you should use other brands. I personally do not like the 1 year warranty on a PSU with a brand I'm no familiar with. I rather pay a little more for a 80+ certified modular PSU. For example, this. HSF: Ok. RAM: Whatever as long as it can be overclocked well. Graphics Card: I compared both your prefered XFX card with this EVGA card. Each of them cost the same $129. One difference, EVGA's Core Clock @ 756MHz, while XFX's Core Clock @ 738MHz. What do you think? Hard Disk: Ok. DVDRW Drive: Samsung 22X DVDRW SATA! Join the club! Excellent choice! Casing: It's your choice. Others: As for the monitor, its your preference. As for keyboard, if you buy it because its dirt cheap, maybe you should try to see if it suits you well. If it doesn't, you should get a better keyboard. Because keyboard is pretty important to me, espcially reponsiveness and the arrangement of the keys and most importantly, comfort. A note to remember, "You Get What You Pay For". Trying to cut cost on cheaper alternatives may result in ruining overall quality and performance. Edited April 11, 2009 by Malevolence Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 11, 2009 I'm just trying to keep it under the $1400 mark, I'll take a look at this stuff over today and see how much it's gonna add on. Share this post Link to post
Malevolence 6 Posted April 11, 2009 I guess the rest of the components are ok and the only things that may require to change are: Processor, Motherboard, PSU, RAM and Graphics Card. Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 11, 2009 OK I changed the GFX card but I'm keeping the CPU, mobo and ram, I did change the PSU to CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail which is the same one I started with Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 12, 2009 The CPU mobo and ram were just too cost prohibitive, I don't have the kind of money I need for an i7 Share this post Link to post
Malevolence 6 Posted April 12, 2009 I wasn't talking about i7 for you right now, I was referring and recommending you that cheaper Phenom II X4 alternative. Share this post Link to post
mormreed 0 Posted April 12, 2009 Oh... Dunno, never really thought about and, but none of it matters now as I just found out I can buy a car now (it's probably to get my mind off this but it sure as he'll worked) so I'll be scouting craigslist/eBay cars instead of newegg but thanks ton for all the suggestions Share this post Link to post
