First computer build. Any advice is appreciated.

[prettyrose_91]

Hi All

I'm one of those completely lost people in regards to computers. I don't understand the parts or numbers. I've recently gotten into games which means a desktop would be better than my laptop. I've asked friends what computer brands are good, and they've all said "DON'T buy one! Build one."

A friend put this build together and told me to get everything on the list and then give it to a computer man to put it together. I want a durable, good quality pc that I can use for uni and games. Is there any way I can cut costs on this build? Or should I just take a deep breath and splurge the money which could be used for travelling? Any help would be appreciated

Motherboard:
eVGA Intel X58FTW3 LGA1366 6DDR3 2GLAN - $318.00

Case:
SilverStone TJ08 Black Micro ATX Case - Aluminium no PSU - $95.00
Model #: TJ08B

CPU:
Intel Core i7 950 Processor LGA1366 3.06GHz 8MB Cache CPU - $284.00

Power Supply:
CoolerMaster 800W Silent Pro Gold - $198.00

Main Hardrive:
Western Digital 1TB Green 64MB SATAII WD10EURS AV-GP - $83.00

Hard drive backup:
Western Digital 2TB Green 64MB SATAII WD20EARS - $89.00

Card reader:
Apacer USB2 Internal all in one Card Reader Black (Support SDHC) - $13.00

Memory RAM:
Kingston Hyperx 6G(3x2G) 2000Mhz DDR3 CL9 Intel XMP - $150.00

Graphics Card:
XFX ATI HD 6970 2G PCI-E GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort DX11 - $372.00

Cd drive:
Samsung 22X DVDRW Black IDE (SH-S222A/RSBS) - $45.00

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit OEM - $193.00

Wireless Card:
D-Link Wireless N PCI Card - $144.00

Total Cost: AUS $1984.00

I also loove this case however I would need for it to be delivered to Australia which bumps the cost up to about AUS$225 for a case : / any suggestions for a cheap case that I can spray paint pink and put pink or purple lights? xD http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SKUSearch.asp?px=NT&scriteria=ba50017

Once again, thanks

 

[rvilkman]

Not sure how much you can actually cut costs, but you can get more performance by switching from LGA1366 / X58 based system to a LGA1155 / P67/Z68 based system.

1) Don't use X58, it's obsolete and costs more than the respective 1155 counterparts. A P67 / Z68 chipset based motherboard will do fine.
And you can get good ones for about $200-$250

2) Don't use the old i7's get a i5 2500k instead with the mobo selection above it's not much less than the above, but still ~$220-250
If you don't intend to overclock then i5 2400 might be a good choice and a little bit cheaper than the i5 2500k.

3) Your hard drives are both slow:
Get Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 rpm SATAII drive for your main drive.'

4) Get 2x4GB of DDR3 1.5V CAS9 1600Mhz memory Such as corsair vengeance - about the same price.

5) You most likely will have no use for the Win7 ultimate. Win7 home premium 64-bit OEM will do just fine.

6) The Graphics card might be overkill for you, possibly get 6950 or GTX560Ti but the 6970 is by no means bad.

For the case i don't have suggestions unfortunately, but browse around, i'm sure they can all be painted.
Antec 300 is a good case, but it doesn't have lights or any fancy stuff, nor does it have a side window.

 

[prettyrose_91]

Not sure how much you can actually cut costs, but you can get more performance by switching from LGA1366 / X58 based system to a LGA1155 / P67/Z68 based system.

1) Don't use X58, it's obsolete and costs more than the respective 1155 counterparts. A P67 / Z68 chipset based motherboard will do fine.
And you can get good ones for about $200-$250

2) Don't use the old i7's get a i5 2500k instead with the mobo selection above it's not much less than the above, but still ~$220-250
If you don't intend to overclock then i5 2400 might be a good choice and a little bit cheaper than the i5 2500k.

3) Your hard drives are both slow:
Get Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 rpm SATAII drive for your main drive.'

4) Get 2x4GB of DDR3 1.5V CAS9 1600Mhz memory Such as corsair vengeance - about the same price.

5) You most likely will have no use for the Win7 ultimate. Win7 home premium 64-bit OEM will do just fine.

6) The Graphics card might be overkill for you, possibly get 6950 or GTX560Ti but the 6970 is by no means bad.

For the case i don't have suggestions unfortunately, but browse around, i'm sure they can all be painted.
Antec 300 is a good case, but it doesn't have lights or any fancy stuff, nor does it have a side window.

Ok, I was under the impression that i7 was newer/better? No idea what overclock is, but I presume it's something to do with performance. The games I play so far include; L4D2, AvP and Borderlands, so quite a limited list. However, if I decide to play different more advanced games, I would love to have the ability.

Thanks for the info on the hard drives, should I get the same one/size for backup?

Thanks again for your time

 

[prettyrose_91]

Best answer selected by prettyrose_91.