1st Build ~ help a girl out.

[Joyous]

This is my first build and I would like to get opinions. My primary concern is that there will be a price drop Q1 and I'm throwing money away ~ that being said I don't want to wait three months for a new system. I'm not an avid gamer (once in a while) and will be using this system for remote desktop,internet and photo manipulation (moderate to rare) ~ I just need something that flies and I don't like to wait.
My question is which case? and should I just go with the Gigabyte MB w/onboard graphics and wait a while for price drop to buy a graphic card ~~ or go with the Asus MB and the Saphire card now. I don't realy want to spend over $1,100 and as you can see I don't want to skimp on ram. Any help would be great!

Here is my proposed build:
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Thermaltake Armor Series Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133021

or

Antec Performance I P180B Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129017
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Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550
ATX12V 550W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817103931

ZALMAN CNPS9500 CPU Fan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835118223
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GIGABYTE GA-965G-DS3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128018

or

ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131025

SAPPHIRE 100149 Radeon
X1900XT 512MB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102003

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Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115004

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820145034

Western Digital Caviar SE16
WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822144701




Thanks,

Joy

 

[Forsaken1]

Looks good.I'd go with the DS3 and 1900xt.Just flash bios on DS3 when you get it.

 

[Vokofpolisiekar]

-P180 Antec case, one of the best out there
Try for a 600W PSU (modular cable system - just looks neater), new gcards next year will apparently use 250W
-Asus P5W deluxe is a superb mobo (just check confirmation on quad core support)
-CPU cooler isn't that critical, unless you want to OC. Core is cool, and quiet enough. If possible, go for E6600 as it hands the FX62 a good run :twisted:
-X1900XT will keep you game-able well into the new year
-Seagate is my preference, due to perpendicular read tech and good speeds.
-Corsair mem

 

[WR2]

I'm not an avid gamer (once in a while) and will be using this system for remote desktop,internet and photo manipulation (moderate to rare) ~ I just need something that flies and I don't like to wait.

What games are you interested in? What photo/graphics software do you use? What screen resolution are you using?

Your proposed build so far is looking like a hard-core gamer's machine. My opinion is that you'd want to boost your GPU power and lower your graphics card price to match the increased cost of the CPU. (i.e., E6600 and SAPPHIRE X1900GT 256MB for example). You're not likely to notice any lower gaming performance and you'll get a nice "pop" to your photo/graphics processing power.
A full sized tower case like that Armor is far more case than you need. The Antec P180 is more reasonable and so is the Antec P160 & A Review - Antec P160

The power supply you picked is also more than you're likely to need unless you plan to drop in the top of the line $600 video cards of the next generation. There is a good chance you'll not miss a DX10 graphics card anytime in the next year (unless one of the new DX10 games is just one you cant live without.)

 

[Joyous]

cool ~ just the type of advice I am looking for ~ okay so this is where I'm at ($$$ ouch):


Antec Performance I P180B Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129017

AeroCool ZERODBA ZERODBA-S620 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817331002

ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131025

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115003

SAPPHIRE 100168L Radeon
X1900XT 256MB 256 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102051

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820145034

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148140
ST3320620AS

Still not sure about the power supply ~ changed to modular 600W. How am I looking?

Joy

 

[ElPolloDiablo]

Having the biggest screwdriver and toolset in the forum, I can say you are looking good.

Ohhh yeah.

That computer will be nice. 😀

 

[Vokofpolisiekar]

Well, with PSU's it gets tricky, because of all the differet standards.

Best would be an ATX v2.x PSU, which has 2x 12v (or more) rails with 18-20+ amps (Core 2 E6600 actually uses a few Amps less than the previous P4's). Important here is efficiency (input vs output ratio), look for 70%+ and NEVER underspend with a PSU.

I like Antec alot, but you being in the States have much more options than we here in the bushes of South Arica where the lions gnaw on our modest PC's. I remember Toms and Xbit doing PSU reviews sometime ago (+/- 6months back).

One thing you should know about the Asus, is that it's a gamer/media PC. So, standard, the Northbridge is cooled with heat pipes via radiator like fins close to the CPU. The intent here, is that CPU air will cool these fins without the need for a NB cooler fan. Problem is, that after some time it can get a tad hot. BUT, the Asus mobo ships with a fan for these fins, so that can be cured - just dunno about noise levels.

Also, hang around a bit more with this topic, as there are some old hands that might just give more info than me. Rather spend a week researching thoroughly, than spend three weeks posting woes... :lol:

 

[rwaritsdario]

ok ok lets take this by parts, im sure you want a high end system but there are some places where you could still get to the top performers without having to pay the top price.

I think the Asus P5B Deluxe is better than the P5W due to its new BIOS revisions. It has unlocked the multipliers and allowed crossfire setups, also the P965 is sure to run quad core cpus, 975X not so much...

You can still get top performing RAM for less than $300... the secret within any RAM are the chips. Any DDR 800 with 4-4-4-12 timings will be running the same Micron chips as Corsair therefore giving you the same performance. EPP and SLI certified are just marketing scam hype, dont listen to it. These Crucial Technology Ballistix are the cheapest ones in the internet right now I believe.

You should get a X1900XTX with what you would save in RAM or the mobo, its dirt cheap right now compared to a month ago. Also the second fastest DX9 card (at 16x12 or less).

I wouldnt trust Aerocool for my power needs...
One of the best PSUs ive seen in a long time is the OCZ GameXstream 600W. Quad 12v rails, high efficency, PFC etc etc
But if you really care for modular cabling (that I wouldnt much because some eletric tape, patience and skills can fix that), then the Antec NeoHE series would be better for you.

The E6600 paired with the P5B deluxe and a good aftermarket heatsink cooling can reach overclocks of about 4Ghz. Read the C2D overclocking guide in the CPU overclocking forums for some suggestions on aftermarket cooling.

En"joy"! (sry im lame at jokes...)

 

[Joyous]

Thanks guys ~ I think I'm getting closer.