Advice Needed on 2 Computer Setups

[smuncky]

Frist time poster, but I got a lot of good info from these forums so I was wondering if you could help me out.

BUILD 1
Since the Intel price drops, I've finally decided to buy my parts. I have some parts that I bought already and I need some final advice between some other parts. Here is what the setup is going to look like.

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6420 (from DirectCanada)

MEMORY
2x1G DDR2-800 Dual Channel Gold GX XTC Edition (5-5-5-12) (from DirectCanada)
- is there some other memory I should get thats on sale right now? This one goes for 159.99 plus 35 MIR. Or should I go with OCZ2P8002GK 2x1G DDR2-800 Platinum Dual Channel (4-5-4-15) for $108.95 after rebate at PC Village?

MOBO
ASUS P5B Deluxe (from [http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530BD4604&vpn=P5B%20DELUXE%20(GREEN)&manufacture=ASUS]DirectCanada[/url] )
- That is the one I want to go with or should I go with the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3. The price difference is significant at $73. I wanted to go with an ASUS board from the start but now I don't know if it's worth it.

CASE
Antec SLK3000B (from DirectCanada)
- Again, I want to go with that one, but I'm not to familiar with cases. I thought about getting the Antec Sonata II, but I want to put in my own PSU. Are there good cases in and around the $50-$60 price range as this one is. The other case I had in mind was the Thermaltake Matrix VD2000BNS Aluminum Mid Tower.

PSU (from PC Village)
Enermax EG565P-VE (FMA II) All-in-One 535w Power Supply
- I want to go with this one as it seems to have enough power for everything that I want and it's only $65 at PC Village. Are there any other PSU's I should look at that are solid and will run for a long time.

HARD DRIVE
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB
- I already bought this. It seems to be the standard these days.

VIDEO CARD
ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 256MB
- I aready bought this as well. Bought it a bit prematurely during boxing week at FS.ca for $230 all in, so it's still an ok price.

DVD drives I already have from this computer so I can put them in the new build. Just to mention, this computer will be used for surfing, gaming, 3D rendering, Photoshop, Autocad and other architectural software. So again, just need some tips and advice on some of the components that I already mentioned.

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BUILD 2
A friend of mine asked me to build a computer system for him. So I picked out some parts for him. He will mainly be using it for photoshop, some light gaming, internet and other multitasking stuff. So it's not going to be as powerful as the system above, but powerful enough to do all the things I mentioned above. Also, he wants to save a bit of money so the parts shouldn't be that expensive. Here is what I proposed.

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300
- Should I go with this or should I downgrade to the E4300? Will the difference be noticeable?

MOBO
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
- Since he wants to save a bit of money, I suggested to go with this.

MEMORY
Corsair Value Select PC2-5300 2X1GB DDR2-667
- I chose this. Are there other choices I should consider? Maybe for a better/cheaper price? This goes for $95 at DC.

VIDEO CARD
Bfg Geforce 7600 Gt Oc PCI-E 256MB
- I choose this as it was very popular a few months ago and I remember reading that it can play a lot of games at good settings. Are there any other cards I should consider remembering that he will only be using this for some light gaming.

HARD DRIVE
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB
- He won't need a lot of space but I thought to futureproof him a bit, get a bigger hard drive won't do any harm.

CASE
Antec Sonata II Black
- Since it comes with a PSU, I read it was the best bang for the buck. Any other cases I should consider? I heard that the PSU might be faulty sometimes, any advise?

Ok so there it is. Any other suggestions for this build? Monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, drives, etc. he already has.

One last thing. He told me he would pay me and ask me how much I would charge. I have no idea how much to charge someone to build a computer so if someone could give me a rough estimate of what I could charge that would great!

Any input on both systems would be much appreciated!!!

 

[skyguy]

Canuck buddy, you gotta learn to be more brief LOL

Ok, I'll try to be brief but informative in my responses:

BUILD 1
If you're NOT overclocking, the go with the cheapest RAM, 5-5-5-15 is fine, you won't notice a difference. If you ARE overclocking, then try to get some 4-x-x-x stuff at DDR2-800.

Mobo, same thing. If you don't need the extra features of the ASUS, then go with the Gigabyte DS3. It is a stellar board, proven winner, overclocks great, is stable, isn't picky about RAM, and quite inexpensive compared to the ASUS. If no overclocking, you can even get cheaper than the DS3. But it is a winner, and the ASUS is overkill in my opinion.

Case, don't get one with the PSU since you're already getting a standalone PSU. Get something inexpensive and decent. Entirely depends on your budget and personal style preferences. Post your budget and style and we can help you pick one.

PSU, there are others that are more "solid" as you put it, but they also cost more money. I wouldn't skimp on the PSU, that's the worst place in a system to cheap out. If you have to, spend an extra $40 and you'll be happy when it's still working great after 2-3 years.


BUILD 2
Again, depends on budget. 4300 is a very fast chip, probably won't notice much real-world difference between it and a 6300.

Mobo, DS3 is a champ. But if he's not overclocking there are cheaper options, like the MSI 965P Neo-F.

Memory, get the cheapest you can find.

Graphics card is good choice there.

Hard drive is fine.

Case....Antec Sonata II is fine for these specs. If he ever wants to upgrade to a bad-a$$ graphics card later then he'll need a new PSU. But as it stands, that case/psu is a very good choice.



Lastly, how much to charge him. Hard to say....depends how fast you can build it, how good you are, how "custom" the cable management etc will be, how much your time is worth, and what his budget will allow. Will you have to install the OS and drivers too? ETc, etc, etc. I would think that $100 would be a reasonable amount for your time, especially if you do some installs too. If not, then maybe $60? Who knows, it all depends on too many factors.

Post back with some more info for those things I mentioned and see if we can get you off and running

 

[akhilles]

I don't have to give you more advice on parts, but something about e-store.

I'd order everything from ncix.com since they have sales like every week & they PRICE-MATCH directcanada. When you check out, find the price-match link, click it & there'll be 2 fields under each item: one for the link to a Canadian e-store with available stock; another for the lower price. The price-match will be done in 1 biz day. If it fails, the item will not be processed.

 

[smuncky]

Canuck buddy, you gotta learn to be more brief LOL

LOL. Just wanted to be as precise as possible.

If you're NOT overclocking, the go with the cheapest RAM, 5-5-5-15 is fine, you won't notice a difference. If you ARE overclocking, then try to get some 4-x-x-x stuff at DDR2-800.

i will be overclocking in the future as programs/games will be more demanding and i will need to pump up the juice. that is why im stocking up on better parts for later oc'ing. if i go with the memory i mentioned(OCZ2P8002GK 2x1G DDR2-800 Platinum Dual Channel 4-5-4-15) it'll cost me $43 more. will the results be noticable when i OC in the future?

Mobo, same thing. If you don't need the extra features of the ASUS, then go with the Gigabyte DS3. It is a stellar board, proven winner, overclocks great, is stable, isn't picky about RAM, and quite inexpensive compared to the ASUS. If no overclocking, you can even get cheaper than the DS3. But it is a winner, and the ASUS is overkill in my opinion.

the only reason i went with the asus is that i trust the brand more. ive had numerous asus products and have been happy with them. their service center is close to wehre i live as well and have heard nothing but positive stuff from other people about their service and support. i guess it also depends on everyones preference as ive heard nothing but good about both MOBO's.

Case, don't get one with the PSU since you're already getting a standalone PSU. Get something inexpensive and decent. Entirely depends on your budget and personal style preferences. Post your budget and style and we can help you pick one.

since i am getting a separate PSU, i wont be going with the sonata II. so somewhere around the price range of $50-65 CDN. in other words, in the same price range as the Antec SLK3000B. the only thing i dont like about he Antec SLK3000B is the door.

PSU, there are others that are more "solid" as you put it, but they also cost more money. I wouldn't skimp on the PSU, that's the worst place in a system to cheap out. If you have to, spend an extra $40 and you'll be happy when it's still working great after 2-3 years.

ive read many posts that enermax make good PSU's. i thought that 535w would be enough to power this system, and for the price i thought this part was excellent. if there is something else in the same price range i'll look into it.

other things...when i do OC, i wont go crazy on it and try to suck every possible Mhz out of it lol. i intend to keep this system for 3-4 possible 5 years, while upgrading some stuff along the way ie. HDD. my budget is tight and i want to keep the cost to a minimum while still keeping the parts fairly good, if u know wat i mean.

regarding the 2nd build, i'll look into the MSI mobo and will probably go with the E4300 so save a few bucks.

thx again for the input on both systems!

 

[skyguy]

LOL, no prob

Ok, that OCZ will do fine.....I've used it for a buddy's build. Only ONE thing not so great....it won't overclock more than 850mhz really, even if you loosen the timings and juice up the volts. It's just not good that way. But if you can run it to 800 or slightly over then you'll be fine. If you go with a 6600 CPU then you'll be fine because it has the higher multiplier and won't push the RAM too high. It's good RAM and the faster timings are nice. But it won't OC very high....but like I said, if you go with a 6600 then it'll do just fine.

Case, yea just get what you like and make sure you have some good 120mm fans in it for cooling and airflow.

I certainly won't knock ASUS, I've owned them in the past and have been happy. I jumped ship to the Gigabyte this time and it is a champ. I only mentioned it in case you were looking to save some money there then it is a stellar option. But the ASUS is a winner to, so if you're happy with it and it fits into your budget, then by all means get it.

PSU. Yes, Enermax does make good PSUs. Again, I just wanted to give you options. There's nothing worse than making an uniformed decision. So since you now have the info, by all means go with an Enermax if that's what you choose. Can't knock it. I was just saying if you wanted another option or something bigger that doesn't cost a fortune, then you'd have some choices. But Enermax is good.

Good choices overall for Build 1.

Build 2, the MSI/4300 combo is great for a tighter budget. If your buddy plans on overclocking though, then I'd suggest a different mobo. The Gigabyte 965P-DS3 would be a perfect choice for him. Highly recommended.

Other than that, looks like you've done a good job at component selection, especially for what's available here in Canuckland

Also check out Canadacomputers.com.....they often have some good deals, especially on RAM. And if you live in Ontario, then Direct Canada is great because you don't pay PST...just GST since they're based in B.C. Plus, they'll ship Purolator for free on orders more than $300.....so those combined can save you $100 or more easily