First Time Builder

westsrbest · 07-13-2009, 07:37 AM

Hi Guys.

Umm im a first time builder but i've looked around for a little while and this is the set-up i was planning to get. Please let me know if you know something isn't compatible or won't work or is just unreliable ect.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16Ghz
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P s(775)
Memory: Kingston 4GB Kit DDR2 1066Mhz HyperX
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black SATA2 32MB
Graphics Card: Leadtek PX9600GT PCI-E 2.0 512MB HDMI
Case/PSU: CoolerMaster Centurion 534 460W
DVD Drive: LG GH22 DVD Duallayer Writer SATA Black

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

**Tyree** · 07-13-2009, 09:19 AM

Kingston HyperX RAM is noted for some problems.
This would be a better choice: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 $47
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145184
G.Skill and OCZ are also good brands.
I'm not familiar with Leadtek graphics cards.
The CoolerMaster case is a nice but their PSU's are not that great.
The case is available separately for $45 on Newegg.
Go with a Seasonic or Corsair PSU.
Nice Seasonic: SeaSonic SS-650JT 650W $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151036

westsrbest · 08-01-2009, 05:06 PM

what do you mean by psu's are not that great?? because i dnt really want to spend too much money on it but if its going to fail on me i obviously dont want it.

Phædrus2401 · 08-01-2009, 05:14 PM

What he means by "not that great" is that it will deliver less than the rated wattage, has a short life-span, may fail prematurely, and if the SCP (Short Circuit Protection) or OVP/UVP (Over/Under Voltage Protection) aren't that good it could very easily fry the rest of the computer.

westsrbest · 08-02-2009, 01:01 AM

how much wattage do you think i will need?

Phædrus2401 · 08-02-2009, 01:06 AM

600w will be fine for a 9600GT, you could even go as low as 550w, but the Corsair tx650w is only $100, so we recommend that a lot.

westsrbest · 08-02-2009, 01:28 AM

i dont necessarily have to have that graphics card. im not really much of a gamer only the occasional game. what other graphics card do you think i could get to bring the necessary wattage of the psu down and stay under $200AUS

Phædrus2401 · 08-02-2009, 01:31 AM

This is an adequate unit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341017 Higher wattage than the Corsair but cheaper and lower quality, it's a lot less likely to die on you than a PSU that would come with a case and is 80+ certified and has active PFC (both good things) so that would work. Keep in mind, OCZ makes many 600w power supplies, the one you want is the ModXStream Pro 600w, not the Fatal1ty or StealthXStream.

westsrbest · 08-02-2009, 01:45 AM

what about this? it is a power supply that comes with a case but its a antec earthwatts 500w psu. it has active pfc and is 80+ certified.

Phædrus2401 · 08-02-2009, 03:11 AM

500w is a little on the low side for the 9600GT. I mean, it will work, but it'll be stressing the card and PSU. 550w is recommended.

lucybaby · 08-02-2009, 05:18 AM

Agree with Phædrus2401, The more higher graphic card you buy the better power supply you should have. Go for high voltage.

Phædrus2401 · 08-02-2009, 08:31 AM

*cough* You mean high current. Voltage is standardized at +12V, +5V, and +3.3V.

**Tyree** · 08-02-2009, 11:34 AM

The Antec Earthwatts series was good but Antec keeps changing suppliers so it's hard to tell what''s good and what's not.
Purchase the best PSU you can now and go with a cheaper graphics card. It's cheaper to upgrade the graphics than the PSU.

westsrbest · 08-02-2009, 11:28 PM

well yer. i was actually thinking of just using the on-board motherboard graphics for a while until i can afford to buy a decent card.

westsrbest · 08-03-2009, 12:05 AM

does anyone know anything about 'vantec' psu's?

Phædrus2401 · 08-03-2009, 12:11 AM

Vantecs are made by the same company that makes BFG, lower-end OCZ, ePower, and a few other brands. Basically low-to-mid-range generic PSUs.

westsrbest · 08-03-2009, 12:28 AM

ok cool because ive found quite a good deal on a antec sonata 2 case which comes with a vantec ion2 620w psu. do you think that would be a good buy?

Phædrus2401 · 08-03-2009, 12:34 AM

Eeeeehhhh... If you want to build a gaming computer it really is best to get a quality power supply. It gives you a cooler, more stable system, and you can have more room for upgrades in the future. The power supply is never the place to skimp on quality, I'd only recommend the Vantec PSU if you were on a really, really tight budget. Also the Antec 300 case has better airflow than the Sonata cases.

westsrbest · 08-03-2009, 12:52 AM

but im not really building a gaming pc. i dont need the best quality. i dont really play much games.

Phædrus2401 · 08-03-2009, 12:58 AM

Hm? Oh! Confused this with another thread. Oops. :P

If you're just going to be running a 9600GT and it isn't going to be under a lot of stress (games like Crysis, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, COD5, etc.) then the Vantec or Antec will do. Still, I'd really, really suggest you get a quality power supply. If you aren't going to be gaming a whole lot then you can knock the CPU down to the E8400 or E7600 and use the savings to get the Corsair PSU. It's a trade-off: performance or reliability. If you can't afford both then you have to pick one, and I usually lean towards reliability.

07-13-2009, 07:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	First Time Builder Hi Guys. Umm im a first time builder but i've looked around for a little while and this is the set-up i was planning to get. Please let me know if you know something isn't compatible or won't work or is just unreliable ect. CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16Ghz Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P s(775) Memory: Kingston 4GB Kit DDR2 1066Mhz HyperX HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black SATA2 32MB Graphics Card: Leadtek PX9600GT PCI-E 2.0 512MB HDMI Case/PSU: CoolerMaster Centurion 534 460W DVD Drive: LG GH22 DVD Duallayer Writer SATA Black Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks Last edited by westsrbest; 07-13-2009 at 07:39 AM.

07-13-2009, 09:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,746 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: First Time Builder Kingston HyperX RAM is noted for some problems. This would be a better choice: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 $47 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145184 G.Skill and OCZ are also good brands. I'm not familiar with Leadtek graphics cards. The CoolerMaster case is a nice but their PSU's are not that great. The case is available separately for $45 on Newegg. Go with a Seasonic or Corsair PSU. Nice Seasonic: SeaSonic SS-650JT 650W $85 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151036 __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

08-01-2009, 05:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder what do you mean by psu's are not that great?? because i dnt really want to spend too much money on it but if its going to fail on me i obviously dont want it.

08-01-2009, 05:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder What he means by "not that great" is that it will deliver less than the rated wattage, has a short life-span, may fail prematurely, and if the SCP (Short Circuit Protection) or OVP/UVP (Over/Under Voltage Protection) aren't that good it could very easily fry the rest of the computer. __________________ 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.

08-02-2009, 01:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder how much wattage do you think i will need?

08-02-2009, 01:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder 600w will be fine for a 9600GT, you could even go as low as 550w, but the Corsair tx650w is only $100, so we recommend that a lot. __________________ 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.

08-02-2009, 01:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder i dont necessarily have to have that graphics card. im not really much of a gamer only the occasional game. what other graphics card do you think i could get to bring the necessary wattage of the psu down and stay under $200AUS

08-02-2009, 01:31 AM	#8 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder This is an adequate unit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341017 Higher wattage than the Corsair but cheaper and lower quality, it's a lot less likely to die on you than a PSU that would come with a case and is 80+ certified and has active PFC (both good things) so that would work. Keep in mind, OCZ makes many 600w power supplies, the one you want is the ModXStream Pro 600w, not the Fatal1ty or StealthXStream. __________________ 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; 08-02-2009 at 01:33 AM.

08-02-2009, 01:45 AM	#9 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder what about this? it is a power supply that comes with a case but its a antec earthwatts 500w psu. it has active pfc and is 80+ certified.

08-02-2009, 03:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder 500w is a little on the low side for the 9600GT. I mean, it will work, but it'll be stressing the card and PSU. 550w is recommended. __________________ 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.

08-02-2009, 05:18 AM	#11 (permalink)
lucybaby Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 18 OS: xp	Re: First Time Builder Agree with Phædrus2401, The more higher graphic card you buy the better power supply you should have. Go for high voltage.

08-02-2009, 08:31 AM	#12 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder cough You mean high current. Voltage is standardized at +12V, +5V, and +3.3V. __________________ 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.

08-02-2009, 11:34 AM	#13 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,746 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: First Time Builder The Antec Earthwatts series was good but Antec keeps changing suppliers so it's hard to tell what''s good and what's not. Purchase the best PSU you can now and go with a cheaper graphics card. It's cheaper to upgrade the graphics than the PSU. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

08-02-2009, 11:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder well yer. i was actually thinking of just using the on-board motherboard graphics for a while until i can afford to buy a decent card.

08-03-2009, 12:05 AM	#15 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder does anyone know anything about 'vantec' psu's?

08-03-2009, 12:11 AM	#16 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder Vantecs are made by the same company that makes BFG, lower-end OCZ, ePower, and a few other brands. Basically low-to-mid-range generic PSUs. __________________ 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.

08-03-2009, 12:28 AM	#17 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder ok cool because ive found quite a good deal on a antec sonata 2 case which comes with a vantec ion2 620w psu. do you think that would be a good buy?

08-03-2009, 12:34 AM	#18 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder Eeeeehhhh... If you want to build a gaming computer it really is best to get a quality power supply. It gives you a cooler, more stable system, and you can have more room for upgrades in the future. The power supply is never the place to skimp on quality, I'd only recommend the Vantec PSU if you were on a really, really tight budget. Also the Antec 300 case has better airflow than the Sonata cases. __________________ 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.

08-03-2009, 12:52 AM	#19 (permalink)
westsrbest Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 22 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: First Time Builder but im not really building a gaming pc. i dont need the best quality. i dont really play much games.

08-03-2009, 12:58 AM	#20 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,844 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First Time Builder Hm? Oh! Confused this with another thread. Oops. :P If you're just going to be running a 9600GT and it isn't going to be under a lot of stress (games like Crysis, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, COD5, etc.) then the Vantec or Antec will do. Still, I'd really, really suggest you get a quality power supply. If you aren't going to be gaming a whole lot then you can knock the CPU down to the E8400 or E7600 and use the savings to get the Corsair PSU. It's a trade-off: performance or reliability. If you can't afford both then you have to pick one, and I usually lean towards reliability. __________________ 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.