Please help with my build

imprezmo · 06-23-2009, 03:35 AM

I have never built a computer before and wanted to know if someone could look over my proposed build and tell me if its ok (compatability etc.)

Motherboard:
EVGA nForce 790i Ultra (LGA775 w/ SLI Support) 132-CK-NF79

CPU:
Intel BX80570E8400 CORE 2 DUO E8400/ 3.00GHz/ 6MB/ 1333FSB/ LGA775

RAM:
Kingston KHX14400AD3K2/4G 4GB 1800MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL8 (8-8-8-24) DIMM (K2)

HDD:
Samsung 1.5TB F2 HD154UI/ Y HDD EcoGreen F2, 32MB Cache, SATA, 5, 400rpm, 3.0Gbps, 8.9ms

DVD/CD:
LG GGW-H20L BLACK BluRay Burner, 6xBD-R, 2xBD-RE, 3xHD-DVD, OEM, 16xDVD+-R, 5xDVDRAM (x2)

Case:
COOLER MASTER NV-690 BLK TOP I/ O SPANEL NV-690C-KWN2

PSU:
COOLER MASTER REALPOWER M620W SLI

Graphics Card:
EVGA GeForce 9600GT SUPERCLOCKED PCI-E 2.0 512MB 256-bit DDR3, 675/ 1800MHz, DirectX 10

I will probably also buy a non standard CPU fan as well.. no idea where to start with that one.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated, please post your advice

dai · 06-23-2009, 06:28 AM

the nforce boards are not recommended

prefer corsair ram personally

Phædrus2401 · 06-23-2009, 07:07 AM

Avoid nForce stuff. Also EVGA doesn't make the best motherboards. Look for Asus or Gigabyte boards. I recommend the Asus P5Q line of boards. I have a P5Q Pro and it's very nice.

That coolermaster case costs way too much for what you get... Go with an Antec 300, Antec 900 (I have one and it's very nice), or Smilodon case.

Corsair makes some of the best PSUs for the price. I'd personally get a Corsair CMPSU-650tx.

The E8400 is a very nice CPU, and it's a good choice. I'm getting an E8500 (the "middle child" of the E8x00 line) myself.

Kingston RAM is alright but the best brands are G.Skill, Corsair, and OCZ, I think. Mushkin RAM is good too, they usually have really nice specials.

I dunno about that Samsung 1.5TB drive. First off, do you *need* 1500GB? Unless you're storing hundreds of movies and songs I don't see how you'd use all of it. In any case, the best brands for HDDs are Western Digital and Seagate, and Seagate has been having quality control issues lately, so go for a Western Digital Caviar 500GB/1TB drive.

If you're going to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler the best-known brand is Zalman, and you'd want either the 9500A or the 9700. Personally, I think they charge a little too much compared to their competition. I'm using a Thermaltake V1 which is $10 cheaper than the 9500A and my CPU, which is overclocked by .9GHz, runs at room temperature (with Arctic Silver 5 and an Antec 900 case with side fan).

Anyway, what you posted will work, but it isn't all the best parts for the money. I hope I've helped point out better parts and brands.

imprezmo · 06-23-2009, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dai

the nforce boards are not recommended

prefer corsair ram personally

What tpye of mobo would you recommend? I liked some of the features of the nforce.. People have told me to steer clear of Gigabyte so I don't know!

Phædrus2401 · 06-23-2009, 07:10 AM

ASUS P5Q line: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...US+P5Q&x=0&y=0

**Tyree** · 06-23-2009, 07:23 AM

The RC 690 is the same as the NV690 less the window and light and is cheaper.
EVGA Mobo's are known for issues. Go Asus or Gigabyte and avoid the DDR3RAM.
Corsair-G.Skill RAM are better choices than the Kingston.
Go with a WD Hdd. The Black series have a 5 yr. warranty.
The stock heatsink/fan will be fine.

imprezmo · 06-23-2009, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

ASUS P5Q line: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...US+P5Q&x=0&y=0

is it worth me going for a ddr3 board like this?

http://www.i-tech.com.au/products/28558_Asus_P5Q3_DELUXE_WIFI_ExGATE_16PP.aspx

Why does it say:
"4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR2 1200/1066/800/667 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
Please refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL.
When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows 32-bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is recommended.:

Phædrus2401 · 06-23-2009, 07:50 AM

DDR3 isn't worth it unless you have an i7 build, in my opinion. Just get a board with DDR2 1066/1200 standard, that'll be fine.

The thing about only recognizing 3GB of memory is a standard thing for 32-bit operating systems. *Any* 32-bit OS, Windows XP x32, Vista x32, Mac OSX x32, Linux x32, whatever, will only recognize about 3.25GB of RAM. It's a mathematical limit on 32-bit OSs. If you have a 64-bit OS (the new standard) you won't have to worry, you can theoretically handle dozens of gigabytes of RAM. Any motherboard/RAM will have that disclaimer. I'd still get 4GB either way, RAM is cheap.

**Tyree** · 06-23-2009, 08:05 AM

DDR3 still has some issues. The Asus Mobo you linked to does use DDR3RAM but it is WAY more board than you need.. I don't know why the site you linked to says DDR2.
Stay with a DDR2RAM Mobo.

imprezmo · 06-23-2009, 08:39 PM

Thanks guys,

after listening to your advice (and that of others) I have redesigned the build as follows, but still have some questions (I know a bit about computers as far as software goes, but little about the hardware side of things).

- Will the power supply be enough at 650W?
- Is it worth waiting for the i5 processor?
- Is the ram I have chosen suitable?
- Please help with my graphics card choise, I know very little about this and need advice as to which card is the best for me (it has ddr3? does that matter?)
- Will I be able to assemble the machine myself? I think I have enough knowledge to do it, is there anything I will need to know?

Notes:
>Need 1TB capacity for my movies, tv shows and music, will most likely end up putting 2 x 1TB drives eventually
>Machine will be used for gaming, media encoding and burning, multi-tasking with applications and digital image editing. (and other general web/gaming use)

Build as it stands at the moment (still very subject to change)

Motherboard:
Asus P5Q PREMIUM P45 4*DDR2-1200 4*PCI-E16 4*GBL RAID ExpGate 16-Phase

CPU:
Intel BX80570E8500 CORE 2 DUO E8500/ 3.16GHz/ 6MB/ 1333FSB/ LGA775

RAM:
Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF 4GB (2x XMS2 2GB) PC-8500 (1066MHz) DDR2 RAM, 2x240-pin DIMMs x 2

HDD:
Western Digital WD1001FALS CAVIAR BLACK/ 1000GB/ 7200RPM/ SATAII/ 3.5"

DVD/CD:
LG GGW-H20L BLACK BluRay Burner, 6xBD-R, 2xBD-RE, 3xHD-DVD, OEM, 16xDVD+-R, 5xDVDRAM x 2

Case:
COOLER MASTER NV-690 BLK TOP I/ O SPANEL NV-690C-KWN2

PSU:
Corsair TX-650 650W ATX Power Supply, 120mm fan, Dual PCIE Graphics Card Connector

Graphics Card:
EVGA GeForce 9600GT SUPERCLOCKED PCI-E 2.0 512MB 256-bit DDR3, 675/ 1800MHz, DirectX 10

Wireless Network Card:
D-link DWA-547 RangeBooster N 650 W'less LAN PCI Adapter 802.11n(draft)

Monitor:
SAMSUNG 2033SW+ 20"W GLOSS-BLACK/ 5MS/DVI VGA/DVI-D, 1600x900 (16:9), 5MS, 50000:1

OS:
Vista Ultimate 64bit

Please tell me what you think. I want a really great computer and have not got a budget as such, I am more concearned about getting a high quality system that is upgradable and will last me a good period of time.

Thanks again for everyones help to date

Phædrus2401 · 06-23-2009, 09:56 PM

Looks solid. Only thing I might recommend, if you're really into gaming get the 9800GTX+ or Radeon 4850 instead of the 9600, but if you're only going to be doing light gaming the 9600GT should be fine.

imprezmo · 06-24-2009, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

Looks solid. Only thing I might recommend, if you're really into gaming get the 9800GTX+ or Radeon 4850 instead of the 9600, but if you're only going to be doing light gaming the 9600GT should be fine.

Do you think the PSU is high enough wattage?
Thanks for the advice on the gaming card, I think I might go for the model you suggested....
In regards to assembly, will i be able to do this myself?
Thanks in advance

dai · 06-24-2009, 12:18 AM

yes it will run the 9800 and the 4850
the 750w is $20 dearer for the sake of that amount it would be the better option
as far as assembling as long as you take your time you should not have a problem
we are always here to help if you do

Phædrus2401 · 06-24-2009, 05:52 AM

Looks like a solid build, and I think you'll be very happy with it. If you were getting the 9800GTX+ or HD4850 I might up it to 750 watts, especially if it's just $20, but the 650 has plenty of juice for what you need. If you were willing to spend more money you could get *really* nice graphics cards, but the 9800 and 4850 are fine. I have a Radeon HD4870 and I'm very pleased with it, and I assume the same of the 4850. If you're getting a Radeon card, Sapphire is a good brand.

Anyway, good luck to ya'.

**Tyree** · 06-24-2009, 09:50 AM

PC6400RAM will be fine. The 8500 is overkill.

imprezmo · 06-25-2009, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyree

PC6400RAM will be fine. The 8500 is overkill.

is there really such a thing when it comes to RAM?

**wrench97** · 06-25-2009, 01:18 PM

Yes there is no sense in haveing ram faster the the FSB can pass it to the CPU.

06-23-2009, 03:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
imprezmo Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista 64bit	Please help with my build I have never built a computer before and wanted to know if someone could look over my proposed build and tell me if its ok (compatability etc.) Motherboard: EVGA nForce 790i Ultra (LGA775 w/ SLI Support) 132-CK-NF79 CPU: Intel BX80570E8400 CORE 2 DUO E8400/ 3.00GHz/ 6MB/ 1333FSB/ LGA775 RAM: Kingston KHX14400AD3K2/4G 4GB 1800MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL8 (8-8-8-24) DIMM (K2) HDD: Samsung 1.5TB F2 HD154UI/ Y HDD EcoGreen F2, 32MB Cache, SATA, 5, 400rpm, 3.0Gbps, 8.9ms DVD/CD: LG GGW-H20L BLACK BluRay Burner, 6xBD-R, 2xBD-RE, 3xHD-DVD, OEM, 16xDVD+-R, 5xDVDRAM (x2) Case: COOLER MASTER NV-690 BLK TOP I/ O SPANEL NV-690C-KWN2 PSU: COOLER MASTER REALPOWER M620W SLI Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 9600GT SUPERCLOCKED PCI-E 2.0 512MB 256-bit DDR3, 675/ 1800MHz, DirectX 10 I will probably also buy a non standard CPU fan as well.. no idea where to start with that one. All suggestions are greatly appreciated, please post your advice

06-23-2009, 06:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,670 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Please help with my build the nforce boards are not recommended prefer corsair ram personally __________________

06-23-2009, 07:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,832 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Please help with my build Avoid nForce stuff. Also EVGA doesn't make the best motherboards. Look for Asus or Gigabyte boards. I recommend the Asus P5Q line of boards. I have a P5Q Pro and it's very nice. That coolermaster case costs way too much for what you get... Go with an Antec 300, Antec 900 (I have one and it's very nice), or Smilodon case. Corsair makes some of the best PSUs for the price. I'd personally get a Corsair CMPSU-650tx. The E8400 is a very nice CPU, and it's a good choice. I'm getting an E8500 (the "middle child" of the E8x00 line) myself. Kingston RAM is alright but the best brands are G.Skill, Corsair, and OCZ, I think. Mushkin RAM is good too, they usually have really nice specials. I dunno about that Samsung 1.5TB drive. First off, do you need 1500GB? Unless you're storing hundreds of movies and songs I don't see how you'd use all of it. In any case, the best brands for HDDs are Western Digital and Seagate, and Seagate has been having quality control issues lately, so go for a Western Digital Caviar 500GB/1TB drive. If you're going to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler the best-known brand is Zalman, and you'd want either the 9500A or the 9700. Personally, I think they charge a little too much compared to their competition. I'm using a Thermaltake V1 which is $10 cheaper than the 9500A and my CPU, which is overclocked by .9GHz, runs at room temperature (with Arctic Silver 5 and an Antec 900 case with side fan). Anyway, what you posted will work, but it isn't all the best parts for the money. I hope I've helped point out better parts and brands. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

06-23-2009, 07:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,832 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Please help with my build ASUS P5Q line: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...US+P5Q&x=0&y=0 __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

06-23-2009, 07:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,686 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Please help with my build The RC 690 is the same as the NV690 less the window and light and is cheaper. EVGA Mobo's are known for issues. Go Asus or Gigabyte and avoid the DDR3RAM. Corsair-G.Skill RAM are better choices than the Kingston. Go with a WD Hdd. The Black series have a 5 yr. warranty. The stock heatsink/fan will be fine. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

06-23-2009, 07:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,832 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Please help with my build DDR3 isn't worth it unless you have an i7 build, in my opinion. Just get a board with DDR2 1066/1200 standard, that'll be fine. The thing about only recognizing 3GB of memory is a standard thing for 32-bit operating systems. Any 32-bit OS, Windows XP x32, Vista x32, Mac OSX x32, Linux x32, whatever, will only recognize about 3.25GB of RAM. It's a mathematical limit on 32-bit OSs. If you have a 64-bit OS (the new standard) you won't have to worry, you can theoretically handle dozens of gigabytes of RAM. Any motherboard/RAM will have that disclaimer. I'd still get 4GB either way, RAM is cheap. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for. Last edited by Phædrus2401; 06-23-2009 at 07:53 AM.

06-23-2009, 08:05 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,686 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Please help with my build DDR3 still has some issues. The Asus Mobo you linked to does use DDR3RAM but it is WAY more board than you need.. I don't know why the site you linked to says DDR2. Stay with a DDR2RAM Mobo. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

06-23-2009, 08:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
imprezmo Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6 OS: Vista 64bit	Re: Please help with my build Thanks guys, after listening to your advice (and that of others) I have redesigned the build as follows, but still have some questions (I know a bit about computers as far as software goes, but little about the hardware side of things). - Will the power supply be enough at 650W? - Is it worth waiting for the i5 processor? - Is the ram I have chosen suitable? - Please help with my graphics card choise, I know very little about this and need advice as to which card is the best for me (it has ddr3? does that matter?) - Will I be able to assemble the machine myself? I think I have enough knowledge to do it, is there anything I will need to know? Notes: >Need 1TB capacity for my movies, tv shows and music, will most likely end up putting 2 x 1TB drives eventually >Machine will be used for gaming, media encoding and burning, multi-tasking with applications and digital image editing. (and other general web/gaming use) Build as it stands at the moment (still very subject to change) Motherboard: Asus P5Q PREMIUM P45 4DDR2-1200 4PCI-E16 4*GBL RAID ExpGate 16-Phase CPU: Intel BX80570E8500 CORE 2 DUO E8500/ 3.16GHz/ 6MB/ 1333FSB/ LGA775 RAM: Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF 4GB (2x XMS2 2GB) PC-8500 (1066MHz) DDR2 RAM, 2x240-pin DIMMs x 2 HDD: Western Digital WD1001FALS CAVIAR BLACK/ 1000GB/ 7200RPM/ SATAII/ 3.5" DVD/CD: LG GGW-H20L BLACK BluRay Burner, 6xBD-R, 2xBD-RE, 3xHD-DVD, OEM, 16xDVD+-R, 5xDVDRAM x 2 Case: COOLER MASTER NV-690 BLK TOP I/ O SPANEL NV-690C-KWN2 PSU: Corsair TX-650 650W ATX Power Supply, 120mm fan, Dual PCIE Graphics Card Connector Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 9600GT SUPERCLOCKED PCI-E 2.0 512MB 256-bit DDR3, 675/ 1800MHz, DirectX 10 Wireless Network Card: D-link DWA-547 RangeBooster N 650 W'less LAN PCI Adapter 802.11n(draft) Monitor: SAMSUNG 2033SW+ 20"W GLOSS-BLACK/ 5MS/DVI VGA/DVI-D, 1600x900 (16:9), 5MS, 50000:1 OS: Vista Ultimate 64bit Please tell me what you think. I want a really great computer and have not got a budget as such, I am more concearned about getting a high quality system that is upgradable and will last me a good period of time. Thanks again for everyones help to date

06-23-2009, 09:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,832 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Please help with my build Looks solid. Only thing I might recommend, if you're really into gaming get the 9800GTX+ or Radeon 4850 instead of the 9600, but if you're only going to be doing light gaming the 9600GT should be fine. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

06-24-2009, 12:18 AM	#13 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,670 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Please help with my build yes it will run the 9800 and the 4850 the 750w is $20 dearer for the sake of that amount it would be the better option as far as assembling as long as you take your time you should not have a problem we are always here to help if you do __________________ Last edited by dai; 06-24-2009 at 12:20 AM.

06-24-2009, 05:52 AM	#14 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,832 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Please help with my build Looks like a solid build, and I think you'll be very happy with it. If you were getting the 9800GTX+ or HD4850 I might up it to 750 watts, especially if it's just $20, but the 650 has plenty of juice for what you need. If you were willing to spend more money you could get really nice graphics cards, but the 9800 and 4850 are fine. I have a Radeon HD4870 and I'm very pleased with it, and I assume the same of the 4850. If you're getting a Radeon card, Sapphire is a good brand. Anyway, good luck to ya'. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

06-24-2009, 09:50 AM	#15 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,686 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Please help with my build PC6400RAM will be fine. The 8500 is overkill. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

06-25-2009, 01:18 PM	#17 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,649 OS: Win7	Re: Please help with my build Yes there is no sense in haveing ram faster the the FSB can pass it to the CPU. __________________ Power Supply and Selection Last edited by wrench97; 06-25-2009 at 01:19 PM.