aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
Hi Guys,

I have been planning to build my 1’st system for a while now. I have been checking out everyone’s response for about a week on this forum. I really learnt a lot from you guys :) , which helped me make up my mind. My last pc was from Gateway purchased in 2004, in Canada. I know this config would be ancient. It was a very stable PC so I was quite happy. Here’s a list of some of the upgrades I have been doing for a while now from the original setup. Please let me know what you think I need for the remaining items and what I can salvage from my old PC.

Gateway Specs:
1) Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550 – 3.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 cache
2) 1 GB DDR PC3200 Ram
3) 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
4) 250 Gb SATA HDD
5) GPU: ATI Radeon X300 SE
6) PSU: 300 W

Partially Upgraded till last year:
1) 3 GB DDR PC3200 RAM (Unfortunately Win XP 32 bit ONLY Recognized 3.5 GB -> No Salvation for these guys I guess in my NEW Build)
2) 1 Seagate FreeAgent Desktop - 320 GB External Drive

Recently Purchased in Hopes of Upgrading to a Better Config (Last Month): (Price->Can $ incl of Tax)
1) Corsair VX550W 550W ATX Power Supply - SLI-Ready, SATA-Ready (From TigerDirect) ->C$ 149.6
2) 1 Seagate FreeAgent Desktop – 1 TB External Drive (From Futureshop)->C$ 170.00
3) BenQ E2400HD 24" Widescreen Full HD LCD Monitor ( From Tigerdirect)->C$ 431.66
4) XFX GeForce 8800 GT 512MB PCI-Express Video Card - Alpha Dog Edition ->C$ 354.58

Little did I realize that my Graphic card wouldn’t work on my ancient Motherboard. Sorry It sounds pretty dumb to try run it on anything not compatible with a SLI or ATI enabled Mobo. The Excitement lasted only a couple of hours :p. The goal was to be able to run some good adventure games and a have really fast PC. Right now my AWESOME monitor is displaying BLOATED up icons with my nice/Stable old GPU.

Either way, learnt from my mistakes and started looking into the tech websites like tomshardware.com for expert advice and brushing up on all the latest news. I have had an information overload in the past few weeks but I am glad I took this step. Now Here are a few things I have purchased in the last 1 week. I know about all the Buzz related to the new Intel Core i7 chips. But I found this good deal on NCIX.com the day before and went for the New MOBO and Ram. I will tell you the retail price on these were around C$ 700+, probably a little less or more depending on where you buy it from. I got it on a deal for C$340 including Tax and delivery.

1) EVGA Nforce 790I Ftw Digital Power LGA775 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN Motherboard
2) Aeneon Xtune AXH760UD10-18J-K-2G 2GB 2X1GB DDR3-1866 CL10-10-10 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit (2 sets – 4GB total)

I know this rules out the option for Intel Core i7. Due to this decision here, I need your advice on configuring the rest of my pc. THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ALL THE HISTORY I have been writing :). I used the site www.shopbot.ca to check the lowest price for the PC components for online websites. Here are some of the Specs I think I will go for just to make it a bit more futureproof (say 2 years atleast) :):

1) Thermaltake ArmorPlus(Armor+) VH6000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case –> C$ 254.49
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133056&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-Cases+(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Thermaltake-_-11133056

2) Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9650 -> C$ 418.49 (Want to OC it in future OR RATHER when I learn how to do it based on your advice :) )
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115130

3) Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound Paste NON-ELECTRICAL Conductive 4 Gram ->C$ 9.00
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26895

4) COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler -> C$ 83.00
http://www.extreme-pc.ca/showproduct.asp?productid=373001

5) Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders (Retail) – C$ 149.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488CVF&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-Software+-+Operating+Systems-_-Microsoft-_-32116488CVF

Am I missing anything else. Can my 500 W PSU support this Configuration if OC is performed. I intend to use the SLI feature in about an year’s time or do u think I need to find another 8800 GT 512 MB right now?. I Really appreciate your time and effort to help me with any tips :) to build my 1’st PC :).
 
That case is a bit overpriced. The antec 900 is a little cheaper and as good if not better.

The 8800GT is old and won't play games very well. Running SLI would help. That psu will be cutting it close. Under load a single card will suck ~ 200W.
 

wolfseeker2828

Distinguished
Oct 29, 2007
200
0
18,680
Your PSU should be fine if you are only going with one graphics card, but i'm not sure that 33A will be enough for SLI. The 8800gt needs 22A per card, that's 44A total, and your PSU only has 33. So I would either get the one card now, and upgrade the PSU/extra 8800gt later, or buy them both now.

//EDIT here is a good PSU for SLI, the same company as the one you have, just more beefy, and enough amps to handle SLI:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3438609&Sku=C13-2503
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
Thanx for the response aford10. I will check out the antec 900.

I took that case because it was Thermaltake brand and it had the motherboard slide out feature apart from being a Full Tower case for adding extra slots and PCI slots in future. It also looked really spacious.

I know it's old, but for the time being I have purchased it and won't be able to return it for a better one. So i guess i am stuck with it. IT's not that BAD a card is it? IT's able to play games like crysis and some GPU intensive games which came out last year. How much improvement are we talking about in performance if I plurge a bit more and get another similar card.

Would you recommend a 750W or 1000W PSU to support the above mentioned config?
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530


So does a 750 W provide more Amps for the SLI config? or do you think i should upgrade a to better card and PSU after a year's time frame?

Thanx for the link :)
 
You have made some mistakes in your purchases so far, but let's not discuss those as it's just water under the bridge.

For less money, this is a far superior case:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Better cooling, better cable management.

Cooler:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

You chose a REALLY nice monitor... but you are not going to have the GPU to power it. Adding a second 8800GT, if you can find one, would still require a PSU upgrade and would not be a great idea.

You are better off getting a GTX 260 now, and adding a second at some point. You should get a Corsair 850TX to go along with it, or at least a 750TX... Ah, I see they are the same price on newegg.ca. Get the 850TX:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009&Tpk=850TX

 

wolfseeker2828

Distinguished
Oct 29, 2007
200
0
18,680
yes, the 750w has 60A on the 12v rail, in English that means that it can handle 2 8800gt's. I say you should try getting the new PSU and 8800gt right now, because your monitor is big enough that you definitely will be able to notice the difference between one and two cards.
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
Thanx Proximon....I will consider the change in the CASE as well as the upgrade to corsair 850TX. I just needed a Full Tower case.

AS far as the GPU is concerned i am stuck with 8800 GT for a while now. Since you consider it to be a waste to invest in another similar card for a minor improvement in performance. I will stick with it for 8 mths to an year and upgrade to the GTX 260 or better to support my monitor. IS this fine?
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530


Lol..thanx for making it simple :p.....I will go with the 850 Corsair one which was suggested earlier by Proximon. So you think i should go for the 2'nd card. What kind of a difference do you think it will produce. Will it be better resolution than just 1 card or will it improve the picture quality for movies and games?.....Is it really a good investment or do u think i should wait it out and buy some real good ones in 6 mths to an years time frame
 
Your 24" monitor is going to easily overwork that poor card. An 8800GT is a work horse that will try to do whatever you tell it to do... so go easy on it, and keep those settings turned down.

There are a nummber of good threads around with picures of the HAF in service. Let me see if I can find one for you...
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530



Overwork? ......Do you think improving the speed of the CPU via OC would improve the situation here? 2'nd card would be NEEDed according to you. I don't know how to improvise on the GPU setting or how to OC the CPU as yet...... I might get a Tv-Tuner card later on to watch movies etc. Would the 2'nd card help in this process?
 
I simply mean that when you are playing graphically intensive games, keep the settings within the game in the medium range and not high. Don't let the card struggle trying to render very high quality textures, etc.

A moderate overclock is a good idea, but won't take the load off the GPU.

The card will have NO problems playing any movies, or even Blu-ray movies. Only 3D games will tax the card.
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
yeah it does look roomy enough....I will keep my options open. I am planning to purchase the remaining components by end of next week...After i get my tax returns :)
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
hmmm .....i was reading on some tech site that since the price of the Q9650 has come down...and is about 70 to 80 bucks more than Q9550. IT would be better in the long run for OC and stable performance ?
 

Akebono 98

Distinguished
Dec 5, 2008
560
0
18,980
Only difference is that the 9650 has 0.5 higher multiplier and guaranteed E0 stepping, while there's a chance you could get C1 stepping with the 9550. That multiplier difference won't translate into much of a real world difference. However, the opportunity cost of that price difference is very high, since the money could be better spent elsewhere to balance out your rig, and you do have a few more components to buy... ;)
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530


Thanks for tip....I will keep that in mind :)
 


The HAF is one of my top 5 favorite cases. I recommended the antec 900 b/c it's nice but it's also ~ $35 less than the HAF
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
Thanks for all your responses. I think i will go for the Antex 900 case, along with XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 CPU fan & the 850W Corsair PSU.

Once i check the performance after assembling the pc (HOPEFULLY by the end of this month), I might consider going for an extra 8800GT. Just to keep the graphics aspect stable.
 

Helloworld_98

Distinguished
Feb 9, 2009
3,371
0
20,790
the PSU will power it but don't get a 280, get a 4870 if you don't want to sli, or even a 4870x2 if you can find one cheap enough(it's also the second most powerful single card out there). but the 4870 will be quite a bit cheaper than the 280, infact over here in the UK sometimes it's a good £60 less ($90)
 

aldagr8

Distinguished
Feb 5, 2009
42
0
18,530
i think my board :EVGA Nforce 790I Ftw Digital Power LGA775 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN Motherboard.... can only support SLI card right? Please correct me if i am wrong.....

For the time being i am going to manage with 8800GT for a couple of months :)....Needed advice on whether a new GPU in the SLI series would be or rather could be supporeted with PSU of 850W that i intend to purchase?
 

ourselfish

Distinguished
Feb 15, 2009
67
0
18,640
Have you received the card yet; and/or opened the package?
If your supplier offers a refund option;

**You could have a more capable card in under a week via refund with minor shipping losses.