my new computer

krimy

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hi so as the topic is saying .... im looking to buy a new computer ... so i need the computer to play the latest games availale right now , it needs to be able to do 2D and 3D plans* but not that much*. i also need it to be really stable. if you can help me out i would really love it.

SO i came up with this ...

MOBO : Asus p5n32-sli premium
proc : Intel core 2 duo e6400 conroe 2.13ghz
psu : Antec truepower trio 650 ec
harddrive : wdc caviar sata 3gb/s 250giga
harddrive2 : wd raptor 36 giga 10 000rpm
sound card : x-fi fatal1ty premium
rams : 1gb hyperX kit 800mhz pc2-6400
video : asus 7600gt oc pci-e
case : antec sonata 2 artica
screen : viewsonic vx922 lcd 19" 2ms

wo what do you guys really think about this .... if you can help me out please do so .... i got a budget of around 2K or 2.5K ( canadian dollars )

thanks alot
 

tool_462

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Looks good except I would either drop the Raptor for another 160/250GB HDD and get a cheaper sound card and use that extra money to upgrade your video card to a 7900GT/7950GT.

Maybe look at a Gigabyte DS3/S3 mobo and you can save $100 right there to get 2 gigs of memory.
 

krimy

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thanks men .... im also not that sure about the SLI setup ... i dont think im really gonna use it .... so if anyone knows a REALLY good motherboard withouth the SLI for a core 2 duo please let me know ( asus would be my best choice but w/e )
 

Eurasianman

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Graphics: Stick with your current graphics card. Getting a 7900 or 7950 is a waste seeing that DX cards are coming out. Also make sure it's HDCP capable for future needs.

Motherboard: Check out ASUS P5B series.

CPU: I take it you just read the article in TH about that :tongue:

Hard Drives: Raptors, IMO, are not really worth it. Just get 2 hard drives at 160 and put them in RAID 0 or something. Also, if you wish, get two other hard drives (I'm guessing 250 gig is for data) and put in RAID 1.

Sound card: Don't know if you really need that expensive one. Depends on what you do.

RAM: Go for 2 gigs with DDR2 800.

Case: Fine, might get cramped if you ever try to get a 8800GTX

PSU: Should be fine since you don't care about SLI/Crossfire

Screen: Try and find an HDCP one for future proof if possible.

Good Luck.
 

krimy

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okay so after some changes i came up with this computer

mobo : asus p5b
proc : intel core 2 duo e6400 conroe 2.13 ghz
psu : truepower trio 650 ec
case : antec sonata2 artica
hardrive : wdc caviar sata 3gb/s 250 giga
soundcard : soundblaster x-fi xtrememusic
rams : kingston valueram 2gb ( 2x1gb ) ddr2 sdram 800mhz
videocard : PNY verto geforce 7950GT pci-e 512mb ddr3
screen : Viewsonic VX922 lCD 19" 2ms

so is that any better ... and whats the thing about the DX card ... never actually heard of those .... for the case its because i dont want a big flashy 1 with lights and stuff ... but i do think that thermaltake or NZXT case or awesome ... i also decided to stick with only 1 Harddrive ...

and i was wondering im living in canada ... so over here this kit in canadian money cost around 2 410$ do you know anywhere that i could buy it in USA and it would cost me less even with the money exchange
 

Eurasianman

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DirectX 10 is the new graphics API for Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista. Basically, it's the next gen graphics that requires the next gen cards (currently, only nVidia's 8800 series graphics cards) in order to run DX 10 to it's full potential. That's why I suggested to stick with a lower model graphics card till then. Either an ATI X1600 or nVidia's 7600 series for $100 US dollars I seem would be reasonable. As for as it goes for ordering parts, I don't know. I live in the US and order most of my parts from newegg.com and mwave.com. Sorry.
 

krimy

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okay so i should stick with a cheaper one than when they'll get lower i should go for a 8800 or something like that ?? and yeah i was wondering also is the mobo any good ... i mean does it have problems and stuff ... cuse i saw that the only memory that could work on it ... is the Kingston valueram 2gb ( 2x1gb) 240-pin ddr2 sdram 800mhz ... ( well in the 800MHZ kind ) .... and if anyone knows where i could buy my stuff cheaper in the US and actually ship it into canada with lowest price i would love it ... cuse right now this PC cost me around 2300$ Cdn.
 

avarice

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I would have to parrot Eurasianman on his suggestions - it is sound and practical.

I would suggest dropping the sound card if you don't feel you need it - most of the newer integrated sound on motherboards today is very acceptable. Of course the discriminating audiophile would want to get the seperate card - it offloads some of the CPU cycles that the onboard would use.

The power supply is a bit of overkill for now - but it's a solid component, and should not cause you any concerns going forward.

For the monitor - may I suggest the BENQ 19" 4ms, it's quite nice. and not as expensive as Viewsonic. Though that LCD is a really good choice - I just mention this if you are looking for a less expensive alternative.

One last thing - you might consider the P180 from antec - I am sure Eurasianman likes his, and I love mine as well. for the 8800 cards, you will need to remove the upper drive cage - but you don't look to be getting a huge number of drives - so the lower cage will suffice. Just give it a thought.


Cheers.
 

AMDThunder

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If I were a bettng man, I'd say it's at least a good 2 years before there's any games out there to take advantage of DX10. Unless you wanna run on the 7600GT for a couple of years, buy something better. Just not the 7950GT. It's a good card, but overpriced for what you get. Something like the X1950Pro, 7900GS, one of the other X1900 cards is good at around $200 US. (Someone remind me which one it is.) one of these will have a higher probability of lasting you at least a couple of years until you actually need to upgrade to a better card.

Guess it depends on how much eye candy you like, and which games you'll be playing.
 

krimy

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okay .... but i was MAYBE looking for a Thermaltake case .... i dont know if its worth it ... but i would really love 1 .... and i was wondering .... right now i got a Gamersurround Fortissimo 3 sound card in my PC should i keep it and forget the X-FI ? ....

for the screen i really want that viewsonic :p thanks for the info thought but ive been dreaming about this screen for the past year LOL

for the video card well ... ive been looking for a 7600GT .... but i would really love the 8800GT but right now its REALLY expensive ....

for the case like i said i might be up for a thermaltake or a NZXT ... right now i got a ANTEC sonata2 artica .... and i really enjoy it

so please help me out !
 

Eurasianman

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Then again, he could opt for a cheap sound card, like the X-Fi Music Xtreme or whatever. I have yet to figure it out, so I'm going to take a wild guess. Sometimes, when I do heavy loads with my computer, my sound gets a little... fuzy? distorted? I would get a sound card right now, but I'm on a strict budget (Look at my sig and you'll see why! :p )

The power supply might be a little overkill, but it won't hurt. Now had the OP said something like 1000W power supply, that's when I would consider overkill. Just make sure to get a Active PFC power supply ;). Also, I bet that PSU is quieter than my OCZ GameXStream 700 WATT!!! I know my Antec True Power 480 WATT was quieter!

Case: I love my P180. Sadly, the outside of it is fragile. I've already chipped a few pieces on the case moving it around. But not too bad. (I'm very observant and nit picky about stuff like that. You'd have to look real close). My only complaint about the P180 is the bottom compartment. With my power supply, it was quite difficult to leave the fan in on the bottom. The fan on the bottom made about 5C difference for my hard drives. Other than that, the good thing about the case is, if you play your cards right, you can achieve a quiet and cool (temperature wise) running computer! I've tried water cooling and noticed little difference. Got a Scythe Ninja and noticed a big difference! Antec is releasing a new P182 that is designed for water cooling if you wish to go in that direction, but I'm not sure when it'll be released.

Good luck with the build.
 

Eurasianman

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Oooo... Thermaltake cases are nice. I have a Thermaltake Shark that houses my AMD machine. Not bad if I do say so myself. My only complaint is it gets dusty real quick! If possible, try to find a case that has filters on the fan intakes :wink:

Monitor: Heh, whatever makes you happy :tongue:

Sound: Try your current sound card and see how that works. If you don't like it, then try the onboard sound card. If you don't like that, then go ahead and get a Creative sound card. But try things out first.

Graphics: If possible, get a eVGA 7600 series card. Yes, the 8800s are nice and all, but soon, ATI will release their DX 10 cards, and hopefully, will cause the 8800s to drop. If that's the case, with eVGA, you have 90 days, I believe, to do an upgrade where you simply send in your old graphics card and get the new one ( of course, you do have to pay the difference) . But I think that would be better than buying a $100~$200 graphics card that will be obsolete within the next few months and not be able to do anything with it (unless you have another computer that uses PCI Express) but make it a nice pretty paper weight.

For me, I game on a Samsung SyncMaster 940BW. Very nice monitor. 19" WS! Do note though that most games still don't support widescreen formats *coughUbiSoftEAGamescough*. Other than that, I'm waiting for more LCDs that are HDCP compatable to come out before I purchased another monitor. Besides, I'm not even sure my ATI card is HDCP compatable.
 

krimy

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i just love thos Thermaltake case with the inner FAN pannel ... like you got 2 fan on the inside and its a little orange pannel or stuff like that ... its just awesome .... and .... for the video card yeah a evga 7600GT OC was my 1st choice so i guess it should be good ... or should i go for a 7800GT ? not that much and maybe better .... and for the PSU well i got a smartpower 450 and i love it ... so the truepower 650 looks like a very nice choice.... and yeah i guess ill try my old soundcard on it

just tell me what you think about the thermaltake and the video card ... and iuf you got ay geniuses idea ! GO AHEAD ! im open to everything
 

Eurasianman

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What's the price difference between the 7600 and 7800?

Which Thermaltake case were thinking?

Power Supplies, IMO, are user's personal preference. The Antec should do you justice as long as you don't try running 8800s in SLI :tongue:

Remember, eVGA (to my knowledge) is the only graphics card manufacturer that I know that allows for a 90 day upgrade program.
 

krimy

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aight so for the case i was looking for those ones ...

1st : water cooling incorporated into the case was just awesome idea eventhought i dont know anything about it

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Chassis/fulltower/armor_lcs/ve2000swa.asp

2nd i do love this one 2 ... but the dual chanel are not really usefull for me ... well i dont think so ...

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Chassis/fulltower/kandalf_Extreme_Edition/va9004bns.html

anyways .... after that .... for the video card i cant even find the difference of price between both ... should check on newegg ....

and yeah cant remember the last question lol
 

Eurasianman

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Something I learned a few months ago:

If you don't know much about watercooling, stick with air.

Between the two, both are nice. But for the Armor, just stick with the air one. Water cooling is nice, but if you don't know much, it could be bad.
 

krimy

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okay so i should get the armor but no water cooling ??? .... and whats the cheapeast site for the parts ( in the US ) i mean is newegg the cheapest one or ? cuse i might look to get it into the us and ship it into canada ... not sure yet
 

Eurasianman

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okay so i should get the armor but no water cooling ??? .... and whats the cheapeast site for the parts ( in the US ) i mean is newegg the cheapest one or ? cuse i might look to get it into the us and ship it into canada ... not sure yet

Do you live in Canada or US????

Newegg if US, otherwise, not sure.

Also, if you're in the US, mwave.com, tigerdirect.com, zipzoomfly.com, etc.
 

krimy

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i live in Canada ( quebec City ) and i want to buy a GOOD computer and i dont know if i ship ip into QC if its gonna cost less than if i buy it over here
 

krimy

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wow this is dumb ..... alright so i made that computer aight :

case : Thermaltake P N:VA8000BWS ARMOR Black full tower ATX case w side windowBTX upgr

mobo : ASUS MOTHERBOARD P5B P965 CONROE LGA775 1066FSB DDR2 GBLAN SATA2 RAID ATX RETAIL

proc : BOXED CORE 2 DUO E6400 2.13GHZ 2MB 1066 LGA775

PSU : P/S 650W ATX12V 120MM FAN 4 SATA 2 PCIE FCC

Hard-drive : WDC 250GB Int 3.5-in SATA 3G HDD 7200rpm 16MB 1-in Height 3-Yr Warr. Bulk

Video : eVGA 256-P2-N554-AX Geforce7600GT KO 256MB 128bit GDR3 PCIExpressx16 VideoCard-R
r
am : Kingston Valueram 2GB ( 2 x 1GB ) 240pin ddr2 sdram 800MHZ

Screen : VIEWSONIC LCD VX922 19-inch 1280x1024 VGA DVI Silver on Black 650:1 2ms

if i make this computer in quebec city .... it cost : 2156.20$ with canadian taxes and all .....

and if i order ALL the same parts on Newegg ... it goes to 1470.50$ shipping included .... this is just dumb ....