First time building a gaming computer (and no clue what's needed)

SirRob · 09-24-2008, 08:43 PM

I've done quiet a bit of work with computers, but mostly on the programming side. Hardware was never really an issue to me. When I realized that my computer couldn't even play Portal on low settings. SO I decided that this wasn't right and got my money together and sold a new Dell I just got (Dell's suck for anything more advanced then Office). My budget was $1100USD and I set out looking for parts. Alas only so much can be done with limited knowledge and no hardware experience. Thus I would greatly appreciate anyone who could help me pick out some parts and inform me of anything that won't work with the parts I got together thus far.

Parts Obtained:
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad processor Q6600 (2.4GHz)
Genuine Windows Vista 64 Bit
20' inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive

Parts Needed or Unsure of:
+Motherboard (It needs to support DDR2 800 ram and if possible SLI and Crossfire)
+Graphics Card: Stuck between Radeon 4870HD 512MB and BFG 8800GT 512MB
+PSU: At least 600wt
+Case: Needs to have GREAT cooling. Fans only, I don't trust liquid at all.

I really appreciate anything you can help me with and anything you can teach me.

**wrench97** · 09-25-2008, 03:15 PM

You won't find a board the supports both SLI and Crossfire one or the other,
Asus P5Q Deluxe For a P45 chip set or a P5E deluxe for a X48 chipset
Right now the HD4850 are the best bang for the buck dual card set up but if your playing on a 22" monitor a single card will out perform a dual card set up 90% of the time
For a HD4870 you'll need at least a Quality 750w PSU to crossfire 2 of them above 850w they are power hungry and hot.
Instead of the 8800gt look at a 9800GTX+ card
For the 8800GT you'll need at least a 650w Quality PSU and the 9800GTX+ a 750w

For a case look at the Antec 900

Carey7090 · 09-25-2008, 05:06 PM

As far as power supplies go, look for one that's at least 650W or 850W (SLI/Crossfire). And make sure it has 60A on the +12v rail. Those cards need at least 26A on the 12v rail but if you plan on playing on the highest settings for hours on end, get something with 60A on the 12v rail. Some PSUs have dual rails, which means multiple rails work together kind of like how dual cores work together on a CPU. With dual rail, get something that has 60A on the combined rails. If you have less than 26A than your games will be a little slow or choppy. Plus it will strain your PSU which will decrease it's life more so than normal operation.

Carey7090 · 09-25-2008, 05:10 PM

PSU brands to look for are:
Corsair (any series)
Thermaltake (Toughpower series only)
PC power and cooling (any series)
Those are the only I can remember off the top of my head.

When choosing components, read LOTS of reviews. Make sure the reviews deal strictly with gaming and nothing else. Since that's what you'll be using the computer for.

**wrench97** · 09-25-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carey7090

As far as power supplies go, look for one that's at least 650W or 850W (SLI/Crossfire). And make sure it has 60A on the +12v rail. Those cards need at least 26A on the 12v rail but if you plan on playing on the highest settings for hours on end, get something with 60A on the 12v rail. Some PSUs have dual rails, which means multiple rails work together kind of like how dual cores work together on a CPU. With dual rail, get something that has 60A on the combined rails. If you have less than 26A than your games will be a little slow or choppy. Plus it will strain your PSU which will decrease it's life more so than normal operation.

Newer ATI cards like the 4870's are looking for 32 amps not 26 any longer

Carey7090 · 09-26-2008, 01:01 AM

Ah ok. I'm more of a Geforce myself, thanks for the update. But I did recommend him use a 60A on the 12. As it seems most gamers push their machines beyond 26A-32A. And again, thanks for the update.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrench97

Newer ATI cards like the 4870's are looking for 32 amps not 26 any longer

09-24-2008, 08:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
SirRob Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1 OS: Windows XP SP2	First time building a gaming computer (and no clue what's needed) I've done quiet a bit of work with computers, but mostly on the programming side. Hardware was never really an issue to me. When I realized that my computer couldn't even play Portal on low settings. SO I decided that this wasn't right and got my money together and sold a new Dell I just got (Dell's suck for anything more advanced then Office). My budget was $1100USD and I set out looking for parts. Alas only so much can be done with limited knowledge and no hardware experience. Thus I would greatly appreciate anyone who could help me pick out some parts and inform me of anything that won't work with the parts I got together thus far. Parts Obtained: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad processor Q6600 (2.4GHz) Genuine Windows Vista 64 Bit 20' inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive Parts Needed or Unsure of: +Motherboard (It needs to support DDR2 800 ram and if possible SLI and Crossfire) +Graphics Card: Stuck between Radeon 4870HD 512MB and BFG 8800GT 512MB +PSU: At least 600wt +Case: Needs to have GREAT cooling. Fans only, I don't trust liquid at all. I really appreciate anything you can help me with and anything you can teach me.

09-25-2008, 03:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,681 OS: Win7	Re: First time building a gaming computer (and no clue what's needed) You won't find a board the supports both SLI and Crossfire one or the other, Asus P5Q Deluxe For a P45 chip set or a P5E deluxe for a X48 chipset Right now the HD4850 are the best bang for the buck dual card set up but if your playing on a 22" monitor a single card will out perform a dual card set up 90% of the time For a HD4870 you'll need at least a Quality 750w PSU to crossfire 2 of them above 850w they are power hungry and hot. Instead of the 8800gt look at a 9800GTX+ card For the 8800GT you'll need at least a 650w Quality PSU and the 9800GTX+ a 750w For a case look at the Antec 900 __________________ Power Supply and Selection

09-25-2008, 05:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Carey7090 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: St. Louis, MO USA Posts: 213 OS: XP Pro.	Re: First time building a gaming computer (and no clue what's needed) As far as power supplies go, look for one that's at least 650W or 850W (SLI/Crossfire). And make sure it has 60A on the +12v rail. Those cards need at least 26A on the 12v rail but if you plan on playing on the highest settings for hours on end, get something with 60A on the 12v rail. Some PSUs have dual rails, which means multiple rails work together kind of like how dual cores work together on a CPU. With dual rail, get something that has 60A on the combined rails. If you have less than 26A than your games will be a little slow or choppy. Plus it will strain your PSU which will decrease it's life more so than normal operation.

09-25-2008, 05:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Carey7090 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: St. Louis, MO USA Posts: 213 OS: XP Pro.	Re: First time building a gaming computer (and no clue what's needed) PSU brands to look for are: Corsair (any series) Thermaltake (Toughpower series only) PC power and cooling (any series) Those are the only I can remember off the top of my head. When choosing components, read LOTS of reviews. Make sure the reviews deal strictly with gaming and nothing else. Since that's what you'll be using the computer for.