So I finally have the money together to build my first pc. My budget is capped at around 2500. First I looked into monitors and settled on the samsung t240. I think i'll also want to have my old monitor (19" dell lcd) hooked up to for the hell of it. The only other part I know I need is a TV tuner. Other than that I'm open to suggestion and advice. I''ll primarily be using the computer for gaming at 1920*1200, watching hd tv and movies, AutoCAD, and other miscellaneous programs. So where should I begin?
xthekidx
Splendid
- Dec 24, 2008
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2500 US dollars is my budget. No real brand preferences as I know little to none about the components. Depending upon how hard I find this first build will dictate whether I oc or not. Probably will but not initially. Another important aspect is the audio quality, but I'm sure that's another matter outside the desktop.
xthekidx
Splendid
- Dec 24, 2008
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Asus P6T Deluxe V2 Motherboard
i7 920 CPU
Noctua NH-U12P 1366 Cooler
OCZ Platinum 1600mhz 6gb
WD1001FALS HDD storage
2x WD 300gb Velociraptors RAID 0 for system and apps
LG DVD or BLU-Ray drive, whichever suits your needs
Coolermaster Cosmos S Case (or any other one that you like the looks of, but this one is really nice)
Corsair 850tx PSU
2x GTX 285's in SLI
That's probably how I would build on that kind of budget. Maybe a sound card too, but try out onboard sound first, its pretty good nowadays and you would have to spend probably $100 or more on a sound card to get something that sounds better.
i7 920 CPU
Noctua NH-U12P 1366 Cooler
OCZ Platinum 1600mhz 6gb
WD1001FALS HDD storage
2x WD 300gb Velociraptors RAID 0 for system and apps
LG DVD or BLU-Ray drive, whichever suits your needs
Coolermaster Cosmos S Case (or any other one that you like the looks of, but this one is really nice)
Corsair 850tx PSU
2x GTX 285's in SLI
That's probably how I would build on that kind of budget. Maybe a sound card too, but try out onboard sound first, its pretty good nowadays and you would have to spend probably $100 or more on a sound card to get something that sounds better.
shortstuff_mt
Glorious
- Apr 1, 2008
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You said you needed a TV tuner card. I highly recommend the Hauppauge HVR-2250 tuner.
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Media Center Kit Dual TV Tuner 1213 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116036 $139.99
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Media Center Kit Dual TV Tuner 1213 PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116036 $139.99
aevm
Illustrious
- May 18, 2007
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Very nice list.
If you're not interested in overclocking you can dump the Noctua cooler.
If you get a Corsair 1000HX PSU instead of the 850TX, then you'll be able to add a third GTX 285 later - hopefully at a lower price too. That is currently the best combination I know - three GTX 285 cards will beat two GTX 295 cards or two HD 4870 X2 cards.
I wouldn't bother with a second Velociraptor myself for a gaming machine, but it could help a lot in other kinds of applications. If you do RAID 0, backup more often.
xthekidx
Splendid
- Dec 24, 2008
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Fans are what make a PC noisy. The Noctua Cooler I suggested is one of the quietest out there, and performs extremely well. GPU fans are typically the loudest component in a PC, and to make them quieter you need to either buy a case that can muffle sound (like the CM Cosmos case) or get water cooling so you don't need a fan on the GPU. You can buy sound insulation for the inside of the case to muffle sound, but this often results in the sacrifice in cooling capacity.
Cosmos 1000 (great deal right now): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
Cosmos 1000 (great deal right now): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
aevm
Illustrious
- May 18, 2007
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It depends on the case, video card(s), PSU, CPU cooler.
The 850TX is not going to be a problem at all.
If you use the Noctua to overclock, or the stock cooler without overclocking, then again no problem with noise there either.
The case: you can get a case with sound proofing materials and save $60 too:
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
The GTX 285 will probably be the only noisy part, but that's unavoidable with high-end gaming cards. Besides, they will make noise only under load, i.e. when you have a game making noise too. I don't have charts for GTX 285 now but there's one featuring the GTX 260 and GTX 280:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4870,1964-16.html
Edit: LOL, we both thought about that Cosmos case at the same time
The 850TX is not going to be a problem at all.
If you use the Noctua to overclock, or the stock cooler without overclocking, then again no problem with noise there either.
The case: you can get a case with sound proofing materials and save $60 too:
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
The GTX 285 will probably be the only noisy part, but that's unavoidable with high-end gaming cards. Besides, they will make noise only under load, i.e. when you have a game making noise too. I don't have charts for GTX 285 now but there's one featuring the GTX 260 and GTX 280:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4870,1964-16.html
Edit: LOL, we both thought about that Cosmos case at the same time
aevm
Illustrious
- May 18, 2007
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OK, I found a noise chart for the GTX 285. I don't think you need to worry about noise with that card.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/16229/13
They allowed it run at 82 Celsius and got 45 dB. In real life you'd set the fan to run faster, it will stay around 60 Celsius (so the card lasts longer), and you'd get 50 or 55 dB. Still fine, especially in a soundproofed case.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/16229/13
They allowed it run at 82 Celsius and got 45 dB. In real life you'd set the fan to run faster, it will stay around 60 Celsius (so the card lasts longer), and you'd get 50 or 55 dB. Still fine, especially in a soundproofed case.
I just read on another thread that the my p6t mobo will be obsolete with the upcoming release of a new processor better than the i7 than will not work with it. Personally, I know nothing about this. I do know that new stuff comes out all the time, but will i have limits for what i can upgrade with this sytem. After spending 2500+, i want to be able to add new parts in (not for storage, but performance) to keep this system going for the next 3 years. So was that guy right about it being obsolete or not?
aevm
Illustrious
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He was right, kind of. Sockets will keep changing. Whatever CPUs Intel sells in 2011 may work on the P6T but it's not guaranteed. I bet Intel's CEO would like them to work, but he doesn't know yet either. If he knew, you can bet he'd spend millions advertising it.
Whatever they sell in, say, 2014, is almost 100% sure NOT to work on the P6T. Still, you can just get a new MB too in a couple of years along with a new CPU, if the new CPUs won't work on the P6T. You might need a new MB in a couple of years anyway, for SATA 3 or PCI-E 3 or whatever they might come up with.
Whatever they sell in, say, 2014, is almost 100% sure NOT to work on the P6T. Still, you can just get a new MB too in a couple of years along with a new CPU, if the new CPUs won't work on the P6T. You might need a new MB in a couple of years anyway, for SATA 3 or PCI-E 3 or whatever they might come up with.
Thank you. A few more new questions.
1. I know the CM Cosmos will keep this build (i7, P6T, two 285s likely) quiet, but will it also keep it cool enough with the stock fans?
2. What about for OCing, would I just need to add a cpu cooler?
3. Do I need anything special for speeding up the fan speed of the 285s?
4. Can anyone recommend a good sound card or do I even need one if I plan on hooking up Logitech z-5500 surround sound?
5. Should I go for OCZ or mushkin for my RAM?
I really appreciate all the help guys. Planning on buying these parts within the next week or two once I finalize everything.
1. I know the CM Cosmos will keep this build (i7, P6T, two 285s likely) quiet, but will it also keep it cool enough with the stock fans?
2. What about for OCing, would I just need to add a cpu cooler?
3. Do I need anything special for speeding up the fan speed of the 285s?
4. Can anyone recommend a good sound card or do I even need one if I plan on hooking up Logitech z-5500 surround sound?
5. Should I go for OCZ or mushkin for my RAM?
I really appreciate all the help guys. Planning on buying these parts within the next week or two once I finalize everything.
xthekidx
Splendid
- Dec 24, 2008
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1. Should do alright right
2. Yes, the i7 runs too hot to OC on stock cooling. I would recommend somthing like these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029&Tpk=s1283v
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/noctua-nh-u12p-se1366-ultra-silent-cpu-cooler.html
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-1366-rt.html
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/scythe-mugen-2-cpu-cooler---scmg-2000.html
3. nTune is a good program that will allow you to adjust fan speeds and OC nvidia GPU's. You can also get a fan controller, but I wouldn't, just use the program.
4. You should try out the onboard sound first before you buy a sound card, most onboard sound is very good these days. If you decide that you do need to add one, you might try these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001
5. Either of these would do well:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381 <==I think these are the better deal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226030
2. Yes, the i7 runs too hot to OC on stock cooling. I would recommend somthing like these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029&Tpk=s1283v
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/noctua-nh-u12p-se1366-ultra-silent-cpu-cooler.html
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-1366-rt.html
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/scythe-mugen-2-cpu-cooler---scmg-2000.html
3. nTune is a good program that will allow you to adjust fan speeds and OC nvidia GPU's. You can also get a fan controller, but I wouldn't, just use the program.
4. You should try out the onboard sound first before you buy a sound card, most onboard sound is very good these days. If you decide that you do need to add one, you might try these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001
5. Either of these would do well:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381 <==I think these are the better deal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226030
aevm
Illustrious
- May 18, 2007
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If you want massive airflow check out the CoolerMaster Haf 932 too. I think the Cosmos is quieter though, and still cools well enough.
Between those 4 coolers xthekids listed, here's how I'd rank them:
- performance - the Noctua, Thermalright, Scythe all tied for first place, with the Xigmatek just a little bit behind.
- silence - the Noctua first, with the Thermalright and Scythe tied for 2nd and very close behind
- price - depends on where you buy, of course, but the Xigmatek and Scythe are usually cheaper
- the Xigmatek gets bonus points IMO because it can be used on LGA 775 and AMD builds too
Between those 4 coolers xthekids listed, here's how I'd rank them:
- performance - the Noctua, Thermalright, Scythe all tied for first place, with the Xigmatek just a little bit behind.
- silence - the Noctua first, with the Thermalright and Scythe tied for 2nd and very close behind
- price - depends on where you buy, of course, but the Xigmatek and Scythe are usually cheaper
- the Xigmatek gets bonus points IMO because it can be used on LGA 775 and AMD builds too
aevm
Illustrious
- May 18, 2007
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Yes, same thing. You may also find it called HSF (short for heatsink and fan).
Yes, it is best to install it from the beginning, simply because it's less work that way. If you install it later, you have to spend time installing the stock cooler during the first build, and then later you spend more time to disconnect lots of cables and take the motherboard out and take out the stock cooler and clean up the old thermal paste and replace it.
Yes, it is best to install it from the beginning, simply because it's less work that way. If you install it later, you have to spend time installing the stock cooler during the first build, and then later you spend more time to disconnect lots of cables and take the motherboard out and take out the stock cooler and clean up the old thermal paste and replace it.
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