Need some "new guy" help...

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 06:23 PM

Hiyas,

I was recommended to this tech forum by a friend of mine and she said I could probably get some good pointers on how to build a new computer. I'm in the market, as it were, for a new gaming computer with a total price tag up to 1500 dollars. I've got a few ideas on where I want to go with it, as well as what I've found so far. But I need everything, and any help anyone could provide would be awesome. I don't speak a heck of a lot of "computer speak" so plain terms are going to benefit me the most. To give you a ballpark of the kind of things I want to push, I play things like World of Warcraft, Crysis, Gears of War, Dawn of War 2, etc. Here's what I've got so far. Recommendations or help would be very much appreciated.

Processor - $279.99 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
Processor Cooling: NEED ADVICE
Motherboard - $187.00 ECS X58B-A (1.0) Core i7/ Intel X58 / DDR3/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
RAM - $82.99 OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Video Cards - $269.99x2 BFG GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - OC Edition, 1GB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0 x16, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, VGA Support
Sound Card: On Board
Fans: $2.99x2 GlacialTech 120mm Case Fan
Case: - $39.99 Power Up Black Gamer ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Audio Ports and 450-Watt ATX Power Supply (Swap out for 600W power supply?)
Power Supply - $28.99 New V2 Viotek 600W 20/24 Pin High Quality Power Supply with PCI Express & SATA - New Revision for Advanced Cooling
Monitor: - $149.00 Acer V223WBD 22inch Black Widescreen LCD Monitor #16780
Keyboard - $28.99 Logisys KB608BK Black Multimedia Pro Backlit Illuminated Keyboard
OS - $95.00 Vista 64bit

Final Price: $1437.91 (Before shipping)

I'm big on price-saving (who isn't?) and advice, so if you've got a comparable killer rig, please let me know. I'm not quite to the "ordering parts" phase, so advice right now could make or break this thing. Thanks a ton in advance!

Jimmy

**simpswr** · 05-28-2009, 06:37 PM

and welcome to the Forum

I suggest you look at this for some ideas to get started

. . and this for Power Supply Selection Power Supply Information and Selection

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 06:49 PM

So I'm looking at those builds and I'm seeing a lot of not-cutting-edge type stuff. This is where my "computer smarts" really phone it in. Based on what I posted for typical gaming habits (i.e. World of Warcraft, Dawn of War 2, etc) would that 1200 dollar system be more than adequate?

I'd looked at things like the HP Firebird gaming system and they seem to be very different in terms of hardware. Is a single vid card and dual core really going to run the top of the line games these days? Or should I look into replacing parts?

Jimmy

**grimx133** · 05-28-2009, 06:55 PM

Well, cost saving can be a good and bad thing. Sometimes you really want quality, and have to pay accordingly.

Good example is the case/psu combo. Bad idea. Almost all power supplies that come with cases are terrible, and powerup is substandard at the best of times. In any case, 450 watts is not enough to power a GTX280, and a 600 isn't either. You need a minimum of a 750 watt quality psu. Bang for the buck there is the Corsair 750TX, though the 850 would be better. I run the 850TX with my GTX285, which uses less power than the 280.
750TX - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9006&Tpk=750tx

The case itself is unlikely to be very good, 40 bucks in combo with a psu sure does send me a clear message. Think about something like the Antec 300, fine case that's relatively inexpensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042

You've chosen a 4GB kit for ram. It may or may not be compatible, a link might help in that regard, but OCZ doesn't list the motherboard in their configurator. Ram for the i7 is usually a 3 module kit for triple channel. Something along the lines of this corsair. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236

That's two corsair products in a row, accidental since I don't use their ram, but it is very good too.

Fans - may not need to purchase any of those, cases come with varying amounts and sizes of fans installed.

The motherboard is also one of those things that may or may not be fine. Personally, I prefer Asus boards. And if I don't use that, then it's Gigabyte.

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 07:06 PM

Thanks a ton for the advice! I realized that my initial post would likely be met with a ton of constructive criticism. I just didn't realize (like I said) what was good and bad.

Thanks again for your input.

I'm looking at those "build suggestions" that simswr posted previously. The 1200 dollar version sounds pretty nice, and from what I'm reading, most people are still happy with only one vid card, which surprised me. I got the impression that two vid cards was par for the course for gaming computers these days.

Only problem I came up with, is the Asus Black DVD Burner that is posted is titled "deactivated item" on NewEgg. Any suggestions for a replacement?

Jimmy

**simpswr** · 05-28-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majingbu

Thanks a ton for the advice! I realized that my initial post would likely be met with a ton of constructive criticism. I just didn't realize (like I said) what was good and bad.

Thanks again for your input.

I'm looking at those "build suggestions" that simswr posted previously. The 1200 dollar version sounds pretty nice, and from what I'm reading, most people are still happy with only one vid card, which surprised me. I got the impression that two vid cards was par for the course for gaming computers these days.

Not with the advances in video cards since the introduction of the dual cards

Only problem I came up with, is the Asus Black DVD Burner that is posted is titled "deactivated item" on NewEgg. Any suggestions for a replacement?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151175

Jimmy

Tumbleweed36 · 05-28-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majingbu

Hiyas,

I was recommended to this tech forum by a friend of mine and she said I could probably get some good pointers on how to build a new computer. I'm in the market, as it were, for a new gaming computer with a total price tag up to 1500 dollars. I've got a few ideas on where I want to go with it, as well as what I've found so far. But I need everything, and any help anyone could provide would be awesome. I don't speak a heck of a lot of "computer speak" so plain terms are going to benefit me the most. To give you a ballpark of the kind of things I want to push, I play things like World of Warcraft, Crysis, Gears of War, Dawn of War 2, etc. Here's what I've got so far. Recommendations or help would be very much appreciated.

Some General comments:

Processor - $279.99 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8
MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

Fine processor

Processor Cooling: NEED ADVICE

I would start out with the standard Heatsink/Fan on this CPU if this were my build. However, if you are in to overclocking, then you might want to consider an aftermarket unit.

Motherboard - $187.00 ECS X58B-A (1.0) Core i7/ Intel X58 / DDR3/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard

ECS boards are cheaper, but you get what you pay for IMHO. I would opt for one of the following boards that are slightly more in cash, but much more board IMHO.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128386

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131359

RAM - $82.99 OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Might depend upon which board you choose after reviewing things, so difficult to say. See Grimx133's suggestions on memory, that is important.

Video Cards - $269.99x2 BFG GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - OC Edition, 1GB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0 x16, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, VGA Support

I happen to like that card, so think it would be fine. You mentioned $269.99X2, but with this card, it is really not necessary to sli dual cards if that is what you meant. You might want to clarify on that issue.

Sound Card: On Board

Onboard sound has improved so much that most are high quality, so you would be fine in most applications.

Fans: $2.99x2 GlacialTech 120mm Case Fan

IF NEEDED - You might want to spend a few more bucks and get the Antec Quietcool 3 speed fans. They push a lot of air, are very quiet, and you can set the speed you need with a little switch. If you have an open case, you can get them in colors also, but they set you back about $10 for the ones that don't have the led in them or about $15 or so bucks each with the LED in there. Those blue ones are awesome.

Case: - $39.99 Power Up Black Gamer ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Audio Ports and 450-Watt ATX Power Supply (Swap out for 600W power supply?)

Take the suggestion of grimx133, the cases for that price are simply junk in most instances. He has pointed out an excellent suggestion for a case.

Power Supply - $28.99 New V2 Viotek 600W 20/24 Pin High Quality Power Supply with PCI Express & SATA - New Revision for Advanced Cooling

The power supply you have listed is just plain junk! You will need to spend enough money here to do the job and you can't buy a good power supply for that kind of change. If you are planning (see earlier question) on using a single card, you will need a bare minimum of a Corsair 750 or for dual cards more than that. If this were my build, I would want a Corsair 850 for even a single card. That card eats a lot of power.

Monitor: - $149.00 Acer V223WBD 22inch Black Widescreen LCD Monitor #16780

Not a bad monitor, should work well.

Keyboard - $28.99 Logisys KB608BK Black Multimedia Pro Backlit Illuminated Keyboard

Should be fine with this keyboard.

OS - $95.00 Vista 64bit

Final Price: $1437.91 (Before shipping)

I'm big on price-saving (who isn't?) and advice, so if you've got a comparable killer rig, please let me know. I'm not quite to the "ordering parts" phase, so advice right now could make or break this thing. Thanks a ton in advance!

Jimmy

PS: I type slower than my team mates!

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 07:22 PM

Okay, so with the 1200 dollar build I was looking at, with the DVD replacement, current price tag sits (at the time of this post) at 1032.41.

Not bad at all. You guys are my new best friends for computer advice. :D

Now, the other things I want to wrap my grubby little gaming mitts around is a nice gaming monitor and keyboard. With a 450 dollar (appx) budget, got any suggestions?

For the monitor, I'd like to go no less than 22 inches. The keyboard...hmm...backlit would be cool, but I don't need all kinds of extra crap to pay attention to (LCD's are Logitech's zone). They're okay, but it kinda distracts me from the screen, which is the more important thing, right? :P

I'm a fan of Samsung, people tell me Acer is pretty sweet. But what do YOU guys think would be a smart way to go?

**grimx133** · 05-28-2009, 07:45 PM

I picked up a 24" Asus monitor, and it's looking excellent. Also use a 22" Samsung 2253BW, it's very nice too, but I like the higher resolution of the Asus. Sharp picture with the 1920x1200 resolution, they also have monitors in 1920x1080 too. 22 inchers generally have a 1680x1050 resolution, which is fine, but not as nice as the higher res. Of course, my laptop has 1920x1200 in a 17" screen, now the high res/smaller screen combo makes for quite the picture.
A good way to select a monitor is to go to a local "brick and mortar" store and look at the displays. Gives you a basis for comparison. I did that before I ordered the asus, had I of purchased one there, it would of been between and acer and a samsung, both 24 inch. Was leaning towards the samsung T240, but ended up going with the asus from newegg. So far I'm glad I did.
Asus MK241H - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033

I just use a Logitech internet 350 basic keyboard, solid and works very well. There's so many gaming keyboards there, lot of people speak highly of razer and saitek, but I've never used them.

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 08:16 PM

Okay...at the risk of opening another can of worms, I've compiled what I dig from all the posts so far. What do you think?

THIRD BUILD

Case: $58.95 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042
Motherboard: $209.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128386
Processor: $279.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tel-_-19115202
RAM: $104.00 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236
Power Supply: $134.49 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20CMPSU-850TX
Video Card: $269.99 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...tCjCVqHCjCdwwp
Hard Drive: $69.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320
DVD Burner: $22.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151175
Operating System: $99.99 - Vista Home Premium 64
Monitor: $279.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033
Keyboard - $15.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126018
CPU Cooler: Do I need one? Or should I get more tower fans?
Total Price Thus Far: $1546.36

Am I missing anything?
Is the build solid?

Jimmy

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 08:32 PM

Oh, and to answer a question from earlier...

No, I don't plan on overclocking >.<

**grimx133** · 05-28-2009, 08:40 PM

Solid build indeed.

Don't know how much hdd space you need, but the 640GB WD Caviar Black is the same price as the 500GB.

If you're planning on doing any overclocking, then you'll want an aftermarket heatsink. They run cooler, and another consideration is that they are a lot quieter as well. Speaking of quiet, Noctua makes very quiet fans, and this cooler is very highly rated. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835608007

The Antec 300 comes with the top and rear exhaust fans, but no intakes. There are mounts for two 120x25mm. fans in the front and one 120x25 on the side door. The door one could have clearance issues with the cpu heatsink, big heatsinks have a way of doing that. The rear exhaust is an Antec TriCool with the 3 speed switch. I use a fair amount of those, like to run fans on low for less noise, then crank them up when needed. Here's the non-led version. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835209005

Tumbleweed36 · 05-28-2009, 08:41 PM

For my opinion, that should be a killer rig. If you aren't overclocking, I would use the stock and save the few bucks. However, don't use the thermal pad on the CPU/Heatsink, use Artic Silver for thermal paste. Some of my mates may have other thoughts about the need for an aftermarket cooler.

Might want to see what some of my team mates say about your build though, the more ideas you have, the better your build will be. Opening a can of worms now will save you some headaches later. Enjoy your rig and post the final specs when you have heard from everyone.

Majingbu · 05-28-2009, 08:58 PM

I posted my last just a tad late for your replies, for that I apologize.

I'm not going to do any overclocking, so I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong) that I'll need a huge heatsink, but I will probably take a page from grim's suggestion and fill those extra three fan ports with 3-speed fans. Cooling has always been something I've hated (since I've done store bought comps for the most part and they never have enough).

Since that other HDD is the same price I'll likely go with that one. Can't have too much space when you're a gamer. :P

Arctic Silver thermal paste I've used before I think. The thermal pad you're referring to is the one that comes already on the heatsink itself, right? Do I just scrape that off and apply generous A.S? I've never been really savvy on thermal paste application. Some people tell me JUST put it on the processing core, others tell me to smear it all over the processor, just don't let it ooze all over the MoBo. Pointers on how to apply heat paste would be awesome. With a rig like this, I want it to be done right.

Thanks a ton, you guys, on getting me started. I've been a gamer for years, and you guys are the first people, by far, who spoke a language I could understand, and got me pointed in the right direction to build a computer that would work for me. I'll post the final specs once I place all my orders!

My hats off to you. I'll be a returning user to this forum!

Jimmy

**grimx133** · 05-28-2009, 09:28 PM

Here's Arctic Silver's instructions.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_s...structions.htm

There's also the "dab the size of a grain of cooked rice" in the center of the cpu method. Both that and the arctic silver have the paste spread itself once it heats up. They both do work, personally I spread the paste. I put a small glob on the top of the cpu, then turn a plastic sandwich bag inside out over my hand and use a finger inside that to spread the paste in a layer as even as possible and as thin as I can get it, while still providing full coverage. Too much paste can become an insulator itself, that's not good.
The stock heatsink is fine, if and when you decide to give overclocking a go, it's no biggie to pick up a decent cooler.

Don't scrape the thermal pad off, what paste and pad do is fill scratches and imperfections in the surfaces to eliminate air gaps. Air is an insulator, and that's the main cause of cpu overheating. That and poor airflow.
Clean the old pad off with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol. Works quite well and is available in many places, such as drug and department stores. The lower percentage alcohols have too many impurities and shouldn't be used.
AS5 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007
Arctic silver also has a two stage kit for cleaning old paste/pad. I use it, as well as many others do. Everyone weighed in on what we use, and ArctiClean was the winner there.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100010

**simpswr** · 05-29-2009, 07:43 AM

I bought three of these last weeki . . great monitors at a great price

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...s&sku=320-7438

Majingbu · 06-19-2009, 03:32 PM

Okay so this thread has been quiet for a bit, but I should be able to purchase my parts here fairly soon. So I wanted to re-hash my build and get a few more opinions to make sure nothing has changed. A part or two have been discontinued, so I'm going to need some help finding replacements, so any pointers/advice you can offer would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042

MoBo (DISCONTINUED, need a replacement) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128386

Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tel-_-19115202

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236

Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20CMPSU-850TX

Vid Card - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...jjW72PUGZCYAog

DVD R - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151175

Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033

Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126018

Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20Black%20640

Case Fans (x3) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835209005

Thermal Paste Remover/Purifier - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100010

Thermal Paste - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

Total Cost (minus MoBo): $1030.79

For some reason this build (minus MoBo and OS of course) still comes out cheaper than it used to be, though most of the prices seem higher. I dunno. I might have forgotten something and just not realized it.

Again, the thing I need to replace is the motherboard, based on the other tech that I'm planning on installing. Suggestions, recommendations, or just a link to the best option for price, please don't hesitate to let me know.

The only thing I don't need to replace is my mouse. Other than that, if there's something I missed, please let me know!

Thanks again you guys!

Jimmy

**simpswr** · 06-19-2009, 04:24 PM

I can't get your links to work . .

Majingbu · 06-19-2009, 05:37 PM

Hmm, I don't understand why they won't work...

The links all still work for me but that could be the "I posted it" complex shining through.

Did I post them wrong or something? I mean all I did was go to the link on Firefox, copy from the address line and paste it into the text box here.

Did I break it?

Jimmy

Majingbu · 06-19-2009, 05:43 PM

Here let's see if these work...

Tower

Motherboard (DISCONTINUED)

Processor

RAM

Power Supply

Video Card

DVD R

Monitor

Keyboard

Hard Drive

Case Fans

Thermal Cleaner

Thermal Paste

How'd those work? Hope I did them right...

05-28-2009, 06:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Need some "new guy" help... Hiyas, I was recommended to this tech forum by a friend of mine and she said I could probably get some good pointers on how to build a new computer. I'm in the market, as it were, for a new gaming computer with a total price tag up to 1500 dollars. I've got a few ideas on where I want to go with it, as well as what I've found so far. But I need everything, and any help anyone could provide would be awesome. I don't speak a heck of a lot of "computer speak" so plain terms are going to benefit me the most. To give you a ballpark of the kind of things I want to push, I play things like World of Warcraft, Crysis, Gears of War, Dawn of War 2, etc. Here's what I've got so far. Recommendations or help would be very much appreciated. Processor - $279.99 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail Processor Cooling: NEED ADVICE Motherboard - $187.00 ECS X58B-A (1.0) Core i7/ Intel X58 / DDR3/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard RAM - $82.99 OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail Video Cards - $269.99x2 BFG GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - OC Edition, 1GB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0 x16, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, VGA Support Sound Card: On Board Fans: $2.99x2 GlacialTech 120mm Case Fan Case: - $39.99 Power Up Black Gamer ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Audio Ports and 450-Watt ATX Power Supply (Swap out for 600W power supply?) Power Supply - $28.99 New V2 Viotek 600W 20/24 Pin High Quality Power Supply with PCI Express & SATA - New Revision for Advanced Cooling Monitor: - $149.00 Acer V223WBD 22inch Black Widescreen LCD Monitor #16780 Keyboard - $28.99 Logisys KB608BK Black Multimedia Pro Backlit Illuminated Keyboard OS - $95.00 Vista 64bit Final Price: $1437.91 (Before shipping) I'm big on price-saving (who isn't?) and advice, so if you've got a comparable killer rig, please let me know. I'm not quite to the "ordering parts" phase, so advice right now could make or break this thing. Thanks a ton in advance! Jimmy

05-28-2009, 06:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 11,936 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: Need some "new guy" help... and welcome to the Forum I suggest you look at this for some ideas to get started . . and this for Power Supply Selection Power Supply Information and Selection __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

05-28-2009, 06:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... So I'm looking at those builds and I'm seeing a lot of not-cutting-edge type stuff. This is where my "computer smarts" really phone it in. Based on what I posted for typical gaming habits (i.e. World of Warcraft, Dawn of War 2, etc) would that 1200 dollar system be more than adequate? I'd looked at things like the HP Firebird gaming system and they seem to be very different in terms of hardware. Is a single vid card and dual core really going to run the top of the line games these days? Or should I look into replacing parts? Jimmy

05-28-2009, 06:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,044 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Well, cost saving can be a good and bad thing. Sometimes you really want quality, and have to pay accordingly. Good example is the case/psu combo. Bad idea. Almost all power supplies that come with cases are terrible, and powerup is substandard at the best of times. In any case, 450 watts is not enough to power a GTX280, and a 600 isn't either. You need a minimum of a 750 watt quality psu. Bang for the buck there is the Corsair 750TX, though the 850 would be better. I run the 850TX with my GTX285, which uses less power than the 280. 750TX - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9006&Tpk=750tx The case itself is unlikely to be very good, 40 bucks in combo with a psu sure does send me a clear message. Think about something like the Antec 300, fine case that's relatively inexpensive. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 You've chosen a 4GB kit for ram. It may or may not be compatible, a link might help in that regard, but OCZ doesn't list the motherboard in their configurator. Ram for the i7 is usually a 3 module kit for triple channel. Something along the lines of this corsair. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236 That's two corsair products in a row, accidental since I don't use their ram, but it is very good too. Fans - may not need to purchase any of those, cases come with varying amounts and sizes of fans installed. The motherboard is also one of those things that may or may not be fine. Personally, I prefer Asus boards. And if I don't use that, then it's Gigabyte. __________________

05-28-2009, 07:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Thanks a ton for the advice! I realized that my initial post would likely be met with a ton of constructive criticism. I just didn't realize (like I said) what was good and bad. Thanks again for your input. I'm looking at those "build suggestions" that simswr posted previously. The 1200 dollar version sounds pretty nice, and from what I'm reading, most people are still happy with only one vid card, which surprised me. I got the impression that two vid cards was par for the course for gaming computers these days. Only problem I came up with, is the Asus Black DVD Burner that is posted is titled "deactivated item" on NewEgg. Any suggestions for a replacement? Jimmy

05-28-2009, 07:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Okay, so with the 1200 dollar build I was looking at, with the DVD replacement, current price tag sits (at the time of this post) at 1032.41. Not bad at all. You guys are my new best friends for computer advice. :D Now, the other things I want to wrap my grubby little gaming mitts around is a nice gaming monitor and keyboard. With a 450 dollar (appx) budget, got any suggestions? For the monitor, I'd like to go no less than 22 inches. The keyboard...hmm...backlit would be cool, but I don't need all kinds of extra crap to pay attention to (LCD's are Logitech's zone). They're okay, but it kinda distracts me from the screen, which is the more important thing, right? :P I'm a fan of Samsung, people tell me Acer is pretty sweet. But what do YOU guys think would be a smart way to go? Last edited by Majingbu; 05-28-2009 at 07:27 PM.

05-28-2009, 07:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,044 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Need some "new guy" help... I picked up a 24" Asus monitor, and it's looking excellent. Also use a 22" Samsung 2253BW, it's very nice too, but I like the higher resolution of the Asus. Sharp picture with the 1920x1200 resolution, they also have monitors in 1920x1080 too. 22 inchers generally have a 1680x1050 resolution, which is fine, but not as nice as the higher res. Of course, my laptop has 1920x1200 in a 17" screen, now the high res/smaller screen combo makes for quite the picture. A good way to select a monitor is to go to a local "brick and mortar" store and look at the displays. Gives you a basis for comparison. I did that before I ordered the asus, had I of purchased one there, it would of been between and acer and a samsung, both 24 inch. Was leaning towards the samsung T240, but ended up going with the asus from newegg. So far I'm glad I did. Asus MK241H - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033 I just use a Logitech internet 350 basic keyboard, solid and works very well. There's so many gaming keyboards there, lot of people speak highly of razer and saitek, but I've never used them. __________________ Last edited by grimx133; 05-28-2009 at 07:46 PM. Reason: incorrect model number

05-28-2009, 08:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Okay...at the risk of opening another can of worms, I've compiled what I dig from all the posts so far. What do you think? THIRD BUILD Case: $58.95 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 Motherboard: $209.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128386 Processor: $279.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tel-_-19115202 RAM: $104.00 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236 Power Supply: $134.49 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20CMPSU-850TX Video Card: $269.99 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...tCjCVqHCjCdwwp Hard Drive: $69.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320 DVD Burner: $22.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151175 Operating System: $99.99 - Vista Home Premium 64 Monitor: $279.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033 Keyboard - $15.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126018 CPU Cooler: Do I need one? Or should I get more tower fans? Total Price Thus Far: $1546.36 Am I missing anything? Is the build solid? Jimmy

05-28-2009, 08:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Oh, and to answer a question from earlier... No, I don't plan on overclocking >.<

05-28-2009, 08:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,044 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Solid build indeed. Don't know how much hdd space you need, but the 640GB WD Caviar Black is the same price as the 500GB. If you're planning on doing any overclocking, then you'll want an aftermarket heatsink. They run cooler, and another consideration is that they are a lot quieter as well. Speaking of quiet, Noctua makes very quiet fans, and this cooler is very highly rated. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835608007 The Antec 300 comes with the top and rear exhaust fans, but no intakes. There are mounts for two 120x25mm. fans in the front and one 120x25 on the side door. The door one could have clearance issues with the cpu heatsink, big heatsinks have a way of doing that. The rear exhaust is an Antec TriCool with the 3 speed switch. I use a fair amount of those, like to run fans on low for less noise, then crank them up when needed. Here's the non-led version. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835209005 __________________

05-28-2009, 08:41 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,489 OS: XP Professional	Re: Need some "new guy" help... For my opinion, that should be a killer rig. If you aren't overclocking, I would use the stock and save the few bucks. However, don't use the thermal pad on the CPU/Heatsink, use Artic Silver for thermal paste. Some of my mates may have other thoughts about the need for an aftermarket cooler. Might want to see what some of my team mates say about your build though, the more ideas you have, the better your build will be. Opening a can of worms now will save you some headaches later. Enjoy your rig and post the final specs when you have heard from everyone. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

05-28-2009, 08:58 PM	#14 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... I posted my last just a tad late for your replies, for that I apologize. I'm not going to do any overclocking, so I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong) that I'll need a huge heatsink, but I will probably take a page from grim's suggestion and fill those extra three fan ports with 3-speed fans. Cooling has always been something I've hated (since I've done store bought comps for the most part and they never have enough). Since that other HDD is the same price I'll likely go with that one. Can't have too much space when you're a gamer. :P Arctic Silver thermal paste I've used before I think. The thermal pad you're referring to is the one that comes already on the heatsink itself, right? Do I just scrape that off and apply generous A.S? I've never been really savvy on thermal paste application. Some people tell me JUST put it on the processing core, others tell me to smear it all over the processor, just don't let it ooze all over the MoBo. Pointers on how to apply heat paste would be awesome. With a rig like this, I want it to be done right. Thanks a ton, you guys, on getting me started. I've been a gamer for years, and you guys are the first people, by far, who spoke a language I could understand, and got me pointed in the right direction to build a computer that would work for me. I'll post the final specs once I place all my orders! My hats off to you. I'll be a returning user to this forum! Jimmy

05-28-2009, 09:28 PM	#15 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,044 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Here's Arctic Silver's instructions. http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_s...structions.htm There's also the "dab the size of a grain of cooked rice" in the center of the cpu method. Both that and the arctic silver have the paste spread itself once it heats up. They both do work, personally I spread the paste. I put a small glob on the top of the cpu, then turn a plastic sandwich bag inside out over my hand and use a finger inside that to spread the paste in a layer as even as possible and as thin as I can get it, while still providing full coverage. Too much paste can become an insulator itself, that's not good. The stock heatsink is fine, if and when you decide to give overclocking a go, it's no biggie to pick up a decent cooler. Don't scrape the thermal pad off, what paste and pad do is fill scratches and imperfections in the surfaces to eliminate air gaps. Air is an insulator, and that's the main cause of cpu overheating. That and poor airflow. Clean the old pad off with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol. Works quite well and is available in many places, such as drug and department stores. The lower percentage alcohols have too many impurities and shouldn't be used. AS5 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007 Arctic silver also has a two stage kit for cleaning old paste/pad. I use it, as well as many others do. Everyone weighed in on what we use, and ArctiClean was the winner there. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100010 __________________

05-29-2009, 07:43 AM	#16 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 11,936 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: Need some "new guy" help... I bought three of these last weeki . . great monitors at a great price http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...s&sku=320-7438 __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

06-19-2009, 03:32 PM	#17 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Okay so this thread has been quiet for a bit, but I should be able to purchase my parts here fairly soon. So I wanted to re-hash my build and get a few more opinions to make sure nothing has changed. A part or two have been discontinued, so I'm going to need some help finding replacements, so any pointers/advice you can offer would be awesome. Thanks in advance! Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 MoBo (DISCONTINUED, need a replacement) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128386 Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tel-_-19115202 RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236 Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20CMPSU-850TX Vid Card - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...jjW72PUGZCYAog DVD R - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151175 Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236033 Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126018 Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20Black%20640 Case Fans (x3) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835209005 Thermal Paste Remover/Purifier - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100010 Thermal Paste - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007 Total Cost (minus MoBo): $1030.79 For some reason this build (minus MoBo and OS of course) still comes out cheaper than it used to be, though most of the prices seem higher. I dunno. I might have forgotten something and just not realized it. Again, the thing I need to replace is the motherboard, based on the other tech that I'm planning on installing. Suggestions, recommendations, or just a link to the best option for price, please don't hesitate to let me know. The only thing I don't need to replace is my mouse. Other than that, if there's something I missed, please let me know! Thanks again you guys! Jimmy

06-19-2009, 04:24 PM	#18 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 11,936 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: Need some "new guy" help... I can't get your links to work . . __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

06-19-2009, 05:37 PM	#19 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Hmm, I don't understand why they won't work... The links all still work for me but that could be the "I posted it" complex shining through. Did I post them wrong or something? I mean all I did was go to the link on Firefox, copy from the address line and paste it into the text box here. Did I break it? Jimmy

06-19-2009, 05:43 PM	#20 (permalink)
Majingbu Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 24 OS: Vista	Re: Need some "new guy" help... Here let's see if these work... Tower Motherboard (DISCONTINUED) Processor RAM Power Supply Video Card DVD R Monitor Keyboard Hard Drive Case Fans Thermal Cleaner Thermal Paste How'd those work? Hope I did them right...