Help with new Gaming Rig

[Bubba Grizz]

Hi Folks. I tried to resist but found that I really couldn't. I must have a new machine. I can't wait until next year. So now I need help. I have the skills to put it together but not to know what is worth buying, if they are compatible, or something better is right around the corner. Here are the criteria:

• All parts must be purchased from NewEgg as I have a card and I can postpone payments for 6 months.
  I have $2000 to work with.
  I don't need a monitor as I recently purchased twin 22" wides.
  I really hate noise so as quiet as possible but I go performance over sound levels if needed.
  I plan on using Vista on this machine to take advantage of the new tech like the 64 bit and dx10.
  I will need a DVD Burner but not a Blu Ray anything. (I'm a pretty simple person)
  I don't plan on going SLI unless someone can convince me I can't live without it. (I'd rather have multiple monitors.)
  Audio is not a big concern as I have a wife and kids and I can never listen to the sound all that loud anyhow.
  Storage isn't all that much of a big deal. I'd rather have speed over HD space. I can always buy an external to cover that and I have a file server already.

I'm sure there are other things that I need but haven't thought of. That's why I am here. Thanks much.

[Bubba Grizz]

Also, I have no ambition to overclock anything.

[Winnow]

For god's sake, someone help out Bubba! I told him he'd get some help here!

I'm going to suggest some things but I'm not up to speed on the latest motherboards, etc since I haven't built a PC recently and am a few months off from researching them again.

[Boogahz]

I'm very happy with what I ended up building, and there was a lot of good info in the thread I started a few months back.

http://www.veeshanvault.org/forums/view ... 25&t=22271

I ended up with:

- AMD Phenom 9500 Agena 2.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 95W Quad-Core Processor
- MSI K9A2 Platinum AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
- Crucial 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
- DIAMOND Viper 3870PE4512SB Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
- RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WB Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Vista Home Premium...didn't feel the need for Ultimate like I have on the other comp

Moved a couple other things from an older comp

While the case makes things simple as hell to install, I wouldn't recommend it if you are focused on running silent. The fans can get a bit loud.

[Bubba Grizz]

Thanks! It is a start. I'll start researching.

[Bubba Grizz]

Ok I have been toying around with stuff from NewEgg and I even checked out premades from Dell and ThinkMate. Now I am at work so I haven't been able to focus on just this. Can someone review this and see if what I have is compatible with each other or if you see any glaring problems or omissions. I have been reading a lot of reviews on these items. I will probably add another faster HD for the OS and such but not overly sure yet.

• Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
  ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
  BFG Tech BFGE98512GTXOC2E GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card OC2 overclocked to 715MHz/2250MHz & includes HDMI adapter
  RAIDMAX QUANTUM RX-700 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Power Supply
  Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor
  G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
  Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
  ASUS Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X
  ASUS V-60 92mm Vapo Bearing CPU Cooler
  Subtotal: $1,325.91

[Canelek]

Here is what I built, although it is a bit over the 2K mark, since much of it is relatively new tech:

Motherboard

EVGA 132-CK-NF79-A1 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Processor

ZALMAN 9500A 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - will not fit mobo

GPU

EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512-P3-N871-AR Video Card

Case

COOLER MASTER Stacker 830 Evolution RC-830-KKN3-GP Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window

PSU

Thermaltake W0131RU 850W Power Supply

Memory

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

OS

Microso ft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English 1pk DSP OEI DVD


Other:

LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GGC-H20L

Western Digital Raptor 150GB 3.5" SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive X 2

[Winnow]

Both Ati and nVidia are coming out with new cards this month. nVidia's cards will actually be released while ATi will be the usual paper release.

Don't forget to read the [H]ard Forums for PC researching:

http://www.hardforum.com/index.php?

The more time you spend reading threads there, the more informed and better your system will be.

[valryte]

I just bought an E8400 3.0 myself today. Going to replace my Quad 2.4. These new Duals run faster, cooler and are supposed to OC a lot easier than the Quads. DDR3 memory is still a bit too pricey.

[Kluden]

I like your build. It is very good, and a nice balance between budget and uber performance.

P45 motherboards will be out in a few weeks. ATI cards will be hard launched in two weeks. Nvidia cards will be hard launched in a few weeks. No paper launches...but that doesn't mean there will be more than 250,000 cards from each chip maker...and they go really fast at release for some reason.

The Nvidia cards will cost too much. Plain and simple. But you have BFG as your goto company in your list, and I believe they now have a stepup program like EVGA, so there's that option if you feel like upgrading to the new uber hotness from Nvidia that will cost $600.

In all honesty, my suggestion is to wait a few weeks. 9800GTX prices should go down as soon as ATI releases their new cards (they will be slightly faster, and about the same price, so Nvidia will probably drop prices on their current line up). I would also wait for the new P45 chipset motherboards to launch, because the P35 boards will drop down as well another $20 or so.

I've never had a memory incompatibility problem. Never. But I always buy OCZ, Corsair, or GSkill, and that is probably why. So those G Skills should be fine. If you have stability problems with them, just drop the speed down to 800 instead of 1066, and I'll bet that would fix it right up, IF you have a problem.

I'm not going to argue with your CPU choice, because that thing is a beast, BUT, if you are not in to OC'ing, then you should probably just buy a faster dual core.


In closing, wait until June 20th to buy.

[valryte]

I'll post my build if it helps you out any. I'll give some comments about each part as well.

Case - Antec P182
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=81820
$139.99

First, one of the great things about this case is how you can manage the cables. You can basically run cables through openings at the bottom, middle, sides which allow you to keep the cables away from cluttering the system. The underside of where the motherboard mounts to was created with enough room that you can run the cables and keep them out of the way. So basically I have the PS cables run through an opening in the bottom, along the underside of where the MB is mounted and then they pop out of some holes on the side wherever I need them. I use tie wraps and it keeps everything nice and neat. The panels have like this seam and the case uses large fans to keep the noise down. It's extremely quiet. Also, the PS is stored on the bottom, almost like in it's own compartment and it has a large fan in front of it. I store my main OS drives in the middle carriage (holds 2), then I have some 2x drives in 5.25 Antec HD coolers, plus I have 2 drives in the bottom carriage. It can hold a total of 8-10 drives. I also have my DVD burner. Take a look at the pics on the Antec side, and you'll see what I mean. Long comment about the case, but I believe the case is one of the most important parts. It's not like a CPU or HD that you can swap out any time.

PSU - Thermaltake W0131RU ATX12V / EPS12V 850W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817153043
This line of PSU's are really great. I like how the cables are modular and easier to manage.
$259.99

CPU - Currently I have a Q6600 2.4ghz Quad Core (65nm). I actually have an E8400 3.0ghz Dual Core (45nm) on it's way. I'm moving to the Dual Core because it runs cooler, overclocks much better, and even if you don't OC it, it runs faster out of the box. Performance wise, you'll get a lot more out of a dual core TODAY than you will from a Quad unless you do some major shit.
$194.99

CPU Cooler - After researching the OC boards, I went with an Arctic Freezer 7 PRO. Its like less than $25 bucks, but very good. I tried some of the more expensive air coolers like the Turiq Tower, and let me tell you. It's too fkn big. It literally bends the MB and you have to put some non-conductive material on the flat metal area under the MB because it WILL make contact and cause a short. Regardless, just with the bending of the MB it was enough not to use it. I threw that bitch in the trash (forgot to RMA it hehe)
$26.99

Memory - I originally had 4gigs using 2x Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400). With my new CPU I also upgraded the memory and when with Mushkin Redline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) after researching the OC boards (They are $99 after rebate, so $25 a gig) DDR3 is still to expensive.
$97.99 (after rebate)

Motherboard - I went with a GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 Rev. 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard - Retail. I can't remember exactly why. After researching, I know there was a specific reason I went with this one. If I were to get a new one today, I would have to check the forums and catch up to see what people are saying. I do recall that I like the combination of chipset, connections, slots etc and price . I'd check these http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... +X38%2fX48 and see what people are saying on the OC forums. I do recommend you get something that is flexible on the CPUs and that it supports DDR2 so you don't get stuck having the shell out a lot on memory (DDR3 is like 4x or more). BTW, let me know if you want any of the links from the sites I use. Don't worry about OCing, they are good places to check even if you don't want to OC. You get a lot of info on what's out there and recommended. EVGA also makes some really nice MBs. ASUS as well.
$280 (figure on spending around this much)

Hard Drives - well, I kind of went to the extreme and bought 2x WD Raptors, they are only 150GB but they are pretty much the fastest drives out there. I work from home as a programmer, so I don't mind going to the extreme somewhat. If you don't get Raptors, at least get 2 fast drives and run them in Raid 1 for the OS. It's a huge difference than running a single drives, plus it gives you redundancy on drive failure. I couldn't afford to have my OS drive die out on me, so I have to have raid 1. I even do weekly images of all my computers as well hehe.
$174.99

For storage drives, if you don't mind spending a little extra, the WD RE2 versions of their drives are excellent choices. They are manufactured to handle heavy use.
$179.99 for 750GB drives

Antec HD Coolers - http://www.amazon.com/Antec-HD-COOLER-C ... 592&sr=8-9
I love em to put my HDs in the 5.25 bays. They just hold and cool the drives, none of that hot swap crap. Those fkn hot swap trays always seem to die out. Plus on the Antec case, getting the drives out is very easy. Pretty much all the bays are screwless except the bottom carriage.
$13.12

Video Card - check around. I don't really play many games on my computer, and those that I do, run fine on my 8600GT. All I can say is fuck SLI, and don't spend an arm and a leg. No reason to pay more than 250-300 for a good video card.
$300 (I recommend staying below this price range)

Sound Card - fk, I still use the onboard crap hehe. I really despise Creative Labs.

DVD Burner - Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DVR-115DBK - OEM Been using Pioneer for years, they just kick ass.
$29.99

Monitors - Dell Ultra Sharps kick ass if you don't mind the high price. Otherwise, the Samsung monitors aren't too bad. I have 2x 245BW 24" Samsungs. They are pretty nice, but I do miss my Dells. They do have newer ones now that are around 500-600 now. If I were to pick just a single monitor and it didn't have to be a 24", I'd probably go with a Dell Ultrasharp 20" Widescreen monitor. BTW, I do recommend, if you are even thinking of dual monitors, get both at the same time. Don't do like me with my last set where I bought the dual 20s 1 year apart. It really sucked having one brighter than the other hehe.
$249.00 (Dell 20" Ultrasharp)
$579.00 (Dell 24" Ultrasharp) - this is a great deal, $100 off, and like $300 less than it was like 4-6 months ago
$439.99 (Samsung 24")


Good luck,

[valryte]

Also, like Kluden said, if there is a schedule release for new video cards, wait for them so you don't miss out on the price drops.

[Aslanna]

Save your money and skip the CPU cooler. The stock Intel fan is more than good enough especially if you're not overclocking. I am and the stock fan is still more than sufficient.

[valryte]

yeah, what Aslanna said. I got my stuff to OC it (not a lot, but a bit). Stock is fine if you aren't going to touch it.

[Psyloche]

I find the stock cooler on my Q6600 is a little loud, or maybe it's the stock cooler on the 8800 GT, I really didn't bother checking which it is. For reference, I run:

EVGA 8800 GT
Q6600
EVGA 680i SLI board (I didn't plan on going SLI, but I didn't like the features the non-SLI EVGA board had, in retrospec, I really could have and should have gone with an Intel chipset as mentioned by a few people)
1 Northbridge add-on fan that comes with the motherboard, I'm not sure it's size. The manual said it wasn't required, but I deal with the noise simply because I'd rather not have heat mess up any of my hardware.
1 120MM exhaust (This fan makes hardly any noise)
1 80MM intake (This fan makes a little more noise than the 120MM, but not that much imo)
OCz 700W PSU (This isn't that noisy by itself either)


My computer is noisier than I'd prefer and you mentioned you dislike noise, just thought I'd mention that between all of those, the noise can annoy me if the TV isn't on or I don't have earphones on.

[Kluden]

If you don't like noise from case fans, Silverstone sells a 120mm model that comes with a fan speed control. Just crank it down for windows stuff, and crank it back up for games. With game sound effects, you won't notice the increase in volume.

I use one just for the rear exhaust fan, and crank it up to like 45% when gaming, 15% when windowzing.

[Bubba Grizz]

Well I made a few adjustments but pretty much got what was listed. I wanted a second drive so I could raid0 the beast. I had to make the move faster than anticipated due to potential "Wife Aggro" so I couldn't wait for the prices to drop. I'm not overly worried about that as I have a preferred account with newegg and was able to get the 12 months no payments or interest. All the parts are on the road and I hope to get them before the weekend so I can then start pulling my hair out in frustration with Vista. I'm confident it will all work out though. All told it was only $1600 where if I were to buy a premade machine from Dell or ThinkMate it would be $2-2.5k.

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions!

[Kluden]

Dude, Vista is not that bad. I have had one problem with it and all the games I play on it. Bioshock had sound issues, but that has since been proven to be a Bioshock vs. Vista issue, and something Microsoft would not be able to fix...but something the Bioshock programmers need to fix. They apparently are never going to, although I have not checked in a while. Either way, all I had to do was click that "run as windows xp" or whatever its called under its program icon/folder, and everything worked fine.

This is with Vista x64.

[Truant]

I hear that Vista causes ED.

[Bubba Grizz]

I hear that Vista causes ED.

that will be a problem considering some of the things I have on my computer.

All items are still in transit. I hope they deliver on Saturdays.

[Bubba Grizz]

Ok that fucking video card is huge. It covers 4 of my 6 sata ports on the motherboard. I'm short one sata cord for my dvd burner and I'm going to to have to run that through the back to use one of those ports. I haven't turned it on yet. I'll do that tomorrow. I must admit I am really sucky at cable management. So long as they aren't getting clipped by a fan I think I'm ok. I really hope I have the power and everything hooked up correctly.

[Bubba Grizz]

Ok, I got it all together and when I first went to power it up...nothing happened. Then I realized that I didn't turn on the power supply. Then I tried again and...nothing happened. Luckily I left the side off the machine and was able to spot the problem right away. Asus gives you these easy connector pieces for your led's and power and such. That came loose. I pushed that back on and then when I turned it on...it worked. Though I wasn't sure at first because it was so damn quiet.

I fiddled with the bios a bit looking for this and that. I'm not sure if I am working with 1066 or 800 on my ram right now. I'll have to look into that a bit deeper. I must say though the cableing in my box sucks. Normally I like things nice and neat but I found that I really can't do that with this due to the placement of some of the parts. This is my first machine that has the power supply on the bottom instead of the top. The top in this case has a nice 200mm fan.

I installed the Vista 64 bit with no problems. Everything came up great. I got all the updates and it automatically installed drivers for some of my hardware. I then installed as my first software Age of Conan. Before I was lucky to get over 20 FPS. Now I am seeing 120 FPS on low settings and 75 FPS on high. Quite the dramatic switch. I then had to install WoW from scratch as it didn't like the folder I moved over from my other machine. Not a problem. The only thing now is that it seems WoW is too fast for me. After being used to moving so slow before.

I am very happy with my purchase and hope to do some more tinkering tonight to verify that I have all the drivers and such installed an up to date. Then comes the registration for all the products and the mail in rebates. Thanks for all the help guys.

[Kluden]

Sounds great! I told you H.I.Vista is fine...all those naysayers and their Mac ads!

[Aslanna]

Sounds great! I told you H.I.Vista is fine...all those naysayers and their Mac ads!

As is XP. Go with whatever works!

Although it's funny I recently received a TechNet email titled 'Why should you upgrade to Windows Vista?' with a few interesting points:

• Windows Vista now supports more than 77,000 printers, cameras, speakers and other devices.
• More than 2,700 software programs are “Certified for” or “Works with” Windows Vista-logoed; 97 of the top 100 consumer applications are compatible.
• 62% of small businesses said Windows Vista saves them time, and 70% said it makes them more productive, according to an independent survey.
• More than 140 million copies of Windows Vista have been sold, making it the fastest selling operating system in Microsoft history. Even Macs run it.
• 71 percent of Windows Vista customers like it better than their last operating system.
• People familiar with Windows Vista are two to three times more likely to have a favorable impression of it.
• Every 10 PCs that switch to Windows Vista is the equivalent of taking an automobile off the road, in terms of greenhouse gases.


So... You can fight fake global warming (er.. excuse me.. climate change) by running Vista!


(Having siad all that.. Vista sucks!)

[Canelek]

I have no issues so far running 64-bit Vista. However, as with Microsoft tradition, they have gayed up some of the interfaces, and made admin tasks a bit more cryptic!

[valryte]

I must admit I am really sucky at cable management.

That's why I got the Antec P180 case. It makes cable management very easy to deal with.