Building a computer for the first time :)

[grasshoppa]

This forum was recommended to me from a friend on another forum. I've been seeking multiple opinions on various builds and this seems like a good place to do it.

I'm trying to get the best value for my money without going over $1300

Here's what I got:

Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

Antec TPQ-850 850W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler

A lot of this was recommended to me, as I was at the time not very knowledgeable at all on this. I've gained a lot of knowledge but I'd like a second opinion. This is supposed to be a gaming rig, and I have intentions of utilizing cross fire. I also plan on eventually getting another 4gb of ram. Tell me what you think, and where I can improve my build. The Core2 Quads are apparently great processors, great for overclocking if I ever wanted to, but I hear the heat sink was horrible for it so I decided to spend a bit of extra cash and get a good heat sink. I got paste for it too, i just didn't bother linking it.

I'm counting on you all!

 

[Prunecandy]

nice build
but i think you should move to dd3 memory and a dd3 mobo to add upgradability to your pc
also amd?

 

[grasshoppa]

I was told by the person who basically gave me this build that DDR3 is currently not superior enough to DDR3 to warrant spending extra money on a system that would support DDR3. However you raise a good point about upgradibility, as I'm sure in a year or two DDR3 will be far superior to DDR2.

Why do you prefer AMD over Intel?

 

[JonSimonzi]

4gb G.Skill Ripjaw DDR3
Gigabyte P55 Motherboard
i5 750

With that much of a budget, don't build a LGA775 C2Q build if building from scratch. It's a dead socket. Still good, but dead non the less. The build above uses the current gen 1156 socket, an i5 processor, and DDR3. All while being cheaper than the C2Q build you put together.

 

[grasshoppa]

Nice picks, jon.

What would you recommend for a GPU?

 

[darkknight187]

4gb G.Skill Ripjaw DDR3
Gigabyte P55 Motherboard
i5 750

With that much of a budget, don't build a LGA775 C2Q build if building from scratch. It's a dead socket. Still good, but dead non the less. The build above uses the current gen 1156 socket, an i5 processor, and DDR3. All while being cheaper than the C2Q build you put together.

Agreed, also if it's for gaming you might want to wait a few weeks, it's doubted but plausible that the 5850 and 5870 could come closer to original msrp after fermi hits shelves. That might however put you over budget i would look at the numbers but i need to get to sleep soon. Anyways it's normally recommended that if possible get a single faster card over a multi-gpu as it's less heat, less power, less chance of problems, and if you so choose when the card gets down to the real cheap prices you could rethink x-fire.

Also you could probably gain a few dollars headroom by going with CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W

Tried and true single 12v rail. i believe it's a rebranded seasonic and very good for the price. i don't see the extra 100w being worth the 20$ myself however maybe 850 is better futureproofing at this point.

Also do note that if you start getting a hefty collection of games you will really chew into the space left for storage on the hdd. my steam games folder is over 100gb on it's own. not counting wow, warhammer, and a few others.

*EDIT* you are looking a newegg canada, assuming you are from canada make sure to compare prices to ncix as they might have some stuff priced a bit better.

 

[grasshoppa]

I think the way to go is definitely the i5-750. Been reading some reviews and it seems comparable to the i7 960 which according to the bench marks is one of the best out there.

http://www.techspot.com/review/193-intel-core-i5-750/page5.html


You guys is good.

 

[KonaKona]

I haven't checked, but unless that motherboard has holes for LGA775 coolers then you need to find a new heatsink. I'll also add that with heavier overclocking the AC7 kinda runs out of steam. My Q6600 @ 1.55v gets awfully hot even with this delta on it.

 

[grasshoppa]

says fan size: Intel CPU LGA 1366 / LGA 1156 / LGA 775

I guess that means it can do all 3?

 

[killem2]

This was a very informative short video from new egg about this sorta thing.

 

[grasshoppa]

Do you specifically need an i7/i5 compatible power supply?

I decided to upgrade to the i5 processor above with the mobo and ram. Everything else is close to the same, just not suer about the power supply

 

[ScottinIndy]

In regard to the power supply, The question is going to come down to X-fire or not. What size monitor will you be using and at what resolution do you plan on gaming? If going with a single card solution you could easily run your rig wth a quality500/ 550 watt PSU. A couple of 5770's could be handled with a quality 650/700 watt unit. As far as having an I5-I7 certified PSU, As long as you get a well built unit with the proper connectors it doesn't need to have the "certified" label attached, Marketing at it's best.
I also agree that you should upgrade your CPU cooler, I have the AC Pro and it works well for my AMD dual core, If planning on O.C.ing your rig you will really want more horsepower in the cooling dept though. The AC Pro is a solid mid level cooler, You will really want a high calibre cooler. I will leave it to the Intel guys to give you suggestions on what works best on their rigs.

 

[JonSimonzi]

The ATI 5770 is a great card for the price, and one of the most recommended ones for that price range. I'd stick with that unless you find about another $150 under a rock and upgrade to a 5850. Some people think ATI's cards will drop when nVidia's new cards hit shelves soon, personally I don't see it happening though. They're already priced aggressively enough against nVidia to not warrant a price drop (just my opinion, not hard facts).

Power supplies. The one you picked is fine, but a bit of an overkill. Corsair 650TX for $50 cheap would be fine, even if you decided to go with a 5850 or wanted to add a second 5770 into your system. Most people have highly inflated thoughts of what they need for a PSU.

The cooler you picked, as Scott said is a decent mid range cooler, but you can get much better for the price. Xigmatek HDT-S1283 and the 1156 mounting bracket would perform much better, while being a few bucks cheaper.

Someone mentioned the hard drive, that's your own decision. 500gb will suffice depending on how many games you have. I have a 1tb drive, that has probably about 10 games, 5000 mp3s, and 100 movies on it, and it's about halfway full. Some people have 3x that much and fill up multiple drives. Depends on your own personal use.

 

[grasshoppa]

Well, I want to be able to have options in the future for upgrading. Eventually I'm going to get another 4GB of ram, and probably another GFX card too. So 650W is good enough for 2 GPU's, assuming I go with the 5770? I'll prob get one at first and upgrade later.

Also, some of these GPU's are insanely large. How do I know if they will even fit in my case?

I have the same concern for that heatsink as well. Will I have to upgrade to a full tower instead of mid?

Also, I could use some help choosing a case. I always read the bad reviews on newegg making me much more indecisive.

I saw this one, 10 bucks cheaper, free shipping and he has a top fan, side fan, and a side window

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147145

 

[ScottinIndy]

Well, I want to be able to have options in the future for upgrading. Eventually I'm going to get another 4GB of ram, and probably another GFX card too. So 650W is good enough for 2 GPU's?

Also, some of these GPU's are insanely large. How do I know if they will even fit in my case?

I have the same concern for that heatsink as well. Will I have to upgrade to a full tower instead of mid?

The X-fire question again boils down to what cards you get, As we have said 2 5770's will run fine with a quality 650 watt PSU. The added memory is not going to make any real difference. I would again ask what size monitor and what resolution you plan on gaming at, A single 5850 may be a better option than X-firing two 5770's depending on monitor size and resolution choice.
The case is indeed an important choice, Do you already have it, If so do you know the brand and model? Your right making sure the components fit is rather important.. Also good airflow for cooling is vital.

 

[Icebl@ster]

I think the way to go is definitely the i5-750. Been reading some reviews and it seems comparable to the i7 960 which according to the bench marks is one of the best out there.

http://www.techspot.com/review/193-intel-core-i5-750/page5.html


You guys is good.

Just to clarify, in that review the i5-750 that is comparable to the i7-960 is overclocked to 4.13GHz from the stock 2.66GHz. None the less the i5-750(stock) still is a great chip and comes in between an AMD Phenom II X4 965 and i7-920 in terms of benchmarks.

 

[grasshoppa]

Thanks for the info Icebl@aster.

The X-fire question again boils down to what cards you get, As we have said 2 5770's will run fine with a quality 650 watt PSU. The added memory is not going to make any real difference. I would again ask what size monitor and what resolution you plan on gaming at, A single 5850 may be a better option than X-firing two 5770's depending on monitor size and resolution choice. The case is indeed an important choice, Do you already have it, If so do you know the brand and model? Your right making sure the components fit is rather important.. Also good airflow for cooling is vital.

I do not have the case yet. I was just referring to the case I currently have in my shopping cart.

I have a fairly large monitor, wide screen. Flatron W2252TQ 22in. So I'm guessing the best resolution would be 1680 x 1050

 

[ScottinIndy]

Sorry, Didn't notice the case in your list. Nice case, You shouldn't have any problems with most coolers or your video card. So no worries there.
So really it boils down to what you really see as your future for the next 2-3 years, One 5770 for now and another down the road still makes me think something like a Corsair 650 watt PSU. Even crossfired I don't think your system will draw much over 450/500 watts. That leaves you ample headroom. There is nothing at all wrong with the PSU you picked out. That much wattage just really isn't needed and any money you save there could go towards a better heatsink/fan for your CPU. Really it's your call though, Go with what you feel comfortable with, We are just making suggestions, In the end go with what gives you peace of mind.

 

[grasshoppa]

Well in that case I'm going to go with the one recommended eariler. It's not that I don't believe I'll have enough wattage, but I get free shipping with this

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...10&SID=skim1132X509988&nm_mc=AFC-C8junctionCA

it still costs 15 bucks more but that's fine considering I'll be getting more wattage (even though I may not even use it lol)

I'm also going to be getting that heatsink you recommended. Seems very large tho lol

 

[grasshoppa]

Also, was looking at other mobos and I'm not sure what to make of the PCI slots.

I know they are for gfx cards, some have 1,2, even 3. But It says

PCI Express 2.0 x16: 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode) 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (at x4 mode, 2.5GT/s)

Where as this Mobo just says it has 2 PCIe slots...Does that mean it runs both at 2.0 x16?

So if you have two they would both be running at half of what you run a single one for. I don't understand how that improves performance.