A Possible Build (HELP the newbie)

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trunksbomb

New Member
Hey all. I- like many others- have dealt with stock computers for most of my life.. well, all of my life. I've never actually built my own computer, and I thought it would be a good time to do so.. after I get a job (again) of course. I'm at college so it's a little limited. Buuut...

*Ahem*

I've thrown together some pieces that I *think* should all work together. It's taken me about 2 hours of light research and searching on newegg, but this is a rough list I've gotten. I didn't go into all the details and nuances, but I think I've gotten the general idea. Here's what it looks like.

PC CASE: $109 Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

MOBO: $119 GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

VIDEO CARD: $114 MSI N9800GT 512M OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

PSU: $99 Antec EA650 650W ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

CPU: $299 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

RAM: $59.99 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

HDD: $54.99 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

DVD RW: $20.99 LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20 - OEM

TOTAL PRICE: $860.91

(It seems really cheap to me.. did I do something wrong?)
~~~~~~~~

As for details, I know that the case, RAM, GPU, and CPU are compatible with the mobo.. well 99% sure. I'm hoping that the GPU will fit into the tower.. it should though.

However, should I swap the 9800GT for an HD card? What benefits are there? Is it worth it? Can you recommend one?

And what about the CPU.. there's so many to choose from. I think I read that the new i7 intels are only compatible with DDR3.. so no to those, right?

So basically are the parts I've chosen good for the prices and for performance? I'm hoping to do a wide range of gaming, from Starcraft- which I'm not worried about- to (hopefully) Fallout 3, UT3, and other graphically similar games.
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
@scooter: The CPU I chose comes with a fan and heatsink, if that's what you mean.

@Scubie: I swapped PSUs for the one you mentioned. A single 60A 12V rail should be good for what I described, correct?

@neogamer: That was 2 pairs of 2x1gig, for 4gig total (3 and some change with 32 bit Vista). I'm assuming Vista 32 Bit.

@autoboot and elimin8or: I'm not going for cheap, but that does sound really cheap! Is what I have good enough to run some newer games coming out? Not necessarily on full detail in super high resolution..

@daisy: Thanks for the RAM suggestion. Also, what is the difference/benefit of SATA over IDE?
 
just a noob

just a noob

Well-Known Member
they pretty much have the same transfer rates if i remember, but, you don't have huge air blocking ribbon cables in your case, you just have a slim little red cable going from drives to motherboard
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
Fair enough. :)

Also another question about my current (stock) Compaq SR1936x computer..

..I took the heatsink and fan off the GPU and blew all the dust out, because I thought that may have been my problem of why my fans started flaring up every few seconds in a game.. but it still does it. However, I looked at the thermal paste (I assume it's paste?) and it looked kind of dried up, like the sticky stuff a sticker leaves when you peel it off. Should I replace that and do you think that is the/a major cause of my fans spinning up? The heat shoots up as well and runs about 72C.
 
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Scubie67

Active Member
Yes , a lot of people use that PS for Hd 4870 x2's as well as crossfire/sli setups and dont have a problem.I know its more expensive than the one you picked out before but it is considered one of the best 750's you can get ,plus it has a 5 year warranty compared to the 3 year for Antec.It should last you a good while and a couple graphics upgrades
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
Ok thanks. I'm not planning on doing Crossfire/SLI, but a better to have a decent power supply than have one fry out and mess up the other parts.
 
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Scubie67

Active Member
trunksbomb said:
Ok thanks. I'm not planning on doing Crossfire/SLI, but a better to have a decent power supply than have one fry out and mess up the other parts.
Click to expand...

Yes its nice to know you have the option if you need it instead of having to upgrade your PSu down the road.I dont think it will run a (2) Hd 4870 X2 's in quad crossfire though, probably need a 1,000 watter or something like that for those. :)
 
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Scubie67

Active Member
trunksbomb said:
So should I go with the 9800GT or an HD card? I mostly plan on gaming and watching a few movies every now and then.
Click to expand...

Probably depends on what games you want to play.If you like the more graphics demanding games like Crysis and Far cry 2 and want a good cost/performance at least a Hd 4850,260,260-216 or a Hd 4870 1gb.This 260-216 is a good deal right now at $240 and supposedly they Oc almost as high as the Gtx 280's.There is suppose to be some 180.## driver update that is also supposed to increase performance but I have heard conflicting info on whether it really does.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130398
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
I think the 4870 you picked is a bit hefty for what I need.

This 4850 seems decent. My only concern is that the reviews said that it was long.. and I see this on other cards as well.. that it takes up 2 slots. Well, the mobo I picked has one PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot.. when they say it takes up 2, do they mean it's just that big that it covers the next slot?

Also for a current issue: Is it worth it to just get some radioshack brand thermal paste for my CPU on my desktop? It would be cheaper and quicker than ordering offline.
 
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Scubie67

Active Member
trunksbomb said:
I think the 4870 you picked is a bit hefty for what I need.

This 4850 seems decent. My only concern is that the reviews said that it was long.. and I see this on other cards as well.. that it takes up 2 slots. Well, the mobo I picked has one PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot.. when they say it takes up 2, do they mean it's just that big that it covers the next slot?

Also for a current issue: Is it worth it to just get some radioshack brand thermal paste for my integrated graphics on my desktop? It would be cheaper and quicker than ordering offline.
Click to expand...

But the link I gave you was for a 260-216 card :p That 4850 should do you pretty good .Pretty much all of todays higher performing cards are big.I think it depends on the Mb setup,they probably meant you lose the adjacent pci slot.

I am not familiar with Radio Shack thermal paste ,I have never heard of anyone say they used it,I would be afraid to say it would be ok .Most people think MX-2 being the best TP you can get

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
Yea that's what I meant.. I've just been reading so many 4850/70/260/9800 blah.. blah.. :)

The thermal paste when I pulled off the heat sink was dried up.. time to replace it?
 
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Scubie67

Active Member
trunksbomb said:
Yea that's what I meant.. I've just been reading so many 4850/70/260/9800 blah.. blah.. :)

The thermal paste when I pulled off the heat sink was dried up.. time to replace it?
Click to expand...

Yes its too much info and hard to keep up with when making a build due to advancement of technology

Yes also to replacing paste.Most people dont use the stock paste anyways since the aftermarket tends to be better and not overly expensive(shipping may cost as much as the TP,LOL) as putting a HS back on old paste may not form a proper seal to pull heat away from the processor
 
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trunksbomb

New Member
Ok, I think I'll look into newegg to see. Hm.. however, I'm not sure if that would be my main problem.. but that is getting off topic. :D Thanks for the help on that issue though!

What about cooling systems? Should I spend the money on aftermarket cooling or will stock fans work? The case itself comes with 3 120mm fans (2 for HDDs, which I think is excessive for my single HDD; the other is a rear 120mm 3 speed fan). The CPU has it's own fan, and so does the GPU. Will I have hookups for all these fans? I saw someone mention "fan only" hookups.. so I'm assuming the fans have some special sized plug.
 
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