Need Help Building a computer, new to this

[Parker]

+1 on what Captain Crunch said!!

Originally Posted by Captain Crunch

This applies for just about every thing stick with the big name brands......
Mother boards.....Asus gegabyte etc.
vid card ......BFG, MSI, evga, XFX ect.
ram OZC, crucial, corsair

Um just adding onto the list here:
HDD's.....Seagate, Western Digital..
PSU's.....PPC&Cooling, Corsair, BFG, OCZ.....
CPU's..... INTEL< Period.

[diabloplayer75]

You guys have been a lot of help, thanks a bunch. I have narrowed down a few of my choices, and a lot of the items I’m about to show I got right off your “suggested hardware” page.

Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors Q9300 295$
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors E8400 210$

Something I should probably mention is I have never over clocked on a system of mine, but from what I have been reading it seems like that is something I should change and ill read up on it more later.

Newegg.com - BFG Tech BFGE88512GTOC2E GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics BFG 8800gt 215$ 185$ after mail in rebate. Again I have never over clocked a graphics card either.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards Gigabyte Mobo.. is this compatible with everything I’m getting? 90$

Newegg.com - Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory Crucial 4gb ram, 110$

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives Seagate 320gb hd 80$

Newegg.com - OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB, CE, CSA, UL, FCC - Power Supplies OCZ 600w Power supply.. is this a reliable power supply/ can handle the quadcore? 85$ 70$ after rebate
Newegg.com - ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks Zalman Fan.. 54$ do I really need this? Not sure if I’m going to over clock but I am planning on looking into it.

Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe - CD / DVD Burners Liteon Dvd drive, 29$

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases Antec Case, 120$ This feels kind of expensive, is it worth the cash/ look good when its in front of you?

And finally, the operating system. First question, do I want the OEM or the Retail?
Do I want Premium, or Ultimate or just Home? And lastly 64bit or 32bit? And do the Ultimate OEM versons like Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - Operating Systems come with service pack 1?

All this brings me to two price ranges,
1078$ Q9300 before rebate, 1033$ after rebate
993$ E8400 before rebate, 948$ after rebate
Then I would have to add the operating system cost, and say 50 or so for shipping.

Would these be quality builds? Am I spending too much? I don’t need to be top of the line on everything, because I know that means spending substantially more for a marginal increase in performance. Would you guys suggest swapping any parts? Either to save money or increase quality? And is the 4gbs of ram too much or just about right?

Thanks again, you guys have made things a load more clear.

Ah i forgot to add, is this all compatible with each other?

And i was asked about my screen size, i have a Samsung 931bf its 19inch, SAMSUNG SyncMaster 931BF - Best prices

Curious as well, will Vista be compatible with my other hardware as in my monitor, keyboard and mouse?

[Tech Geek Deluxe]

Welcome to HL !


If you are planning on buying a new Operating System:

• Buy Vista 64 Business or Ultimate.

If you already have XP Pro ... save your cash for hardware.
________________________________________


Several E-tailers have good reps. Newegg being the best.

• Whoever gives the best price with shipping often gets my money.

[Captain Crunch]

Newegg.com - ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks Zalman Fan.. 54$ do I really need this? Not sure if I’m going to over clock but I am planning on looking into it.

Look at this one it will save you a few bucks........and you will more than likely want to try you hand at over clocking at some point if you stick around here long so yea I think it's a good idea. Plus this get a good review here at HL!
Newegg.com - ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 CPU Cooler Review

2GB will perform just fine 4GB is even better and I wont even go into the whole you can only see 3 GB deal......But if it makes you feel better this kit is almost half the price. That kit you have listed is a great kit. And for that price Id stick with it.

Newegg.com - OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

[Parker]

You have really narrowed it down well!

This is what I would personally get:

CPU:
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors
Sticking with a quad will be a good choice in the long run, since there are more and more games that utilize all four cores now, it'll be more "future proof" as we call it.

Video Card:
Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics
I would stick with EVGA over BFG, I'm not saying BFG is a bad company, it's just a personal preference (based on experience).
I have this card and love it!

Motherboard:
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
You have picked wisely, that is an excellent board and should serve you well!

Memory (RAM):
Newegg.com - Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
Excellent choice mate!! Stormcrow has this kit and loves them.

PSU:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply 90 - 264 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Power Supplies
The OCZ one would be a fine PSU, but I'd prefer this Corsair one, it has a Single 12v rail rather than 4 12v rails. Others here can touch on this and tell why, I don't know much about rails but I do know that they play a big part in serving power to the components.
I have the 650w version of this PSU and couldn't ask for more!

HDD:
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
Fine indeed! You'll find this to be an excellent hard drive!

CPU Cooler:
Newegg.com - ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks
I would say that an aftermarket CPU cooler would be a wise thing to get as the Intel stock coolers don't perform very well and they are especially not good for OC'ing.
This Zalman cooler is an excellent choice, we reviewed this cooler:
Zalman CNPS9700 LED CPU Cooler Review

Optical Drive:
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - CD / DVD Burners
LITE-ON drives are good drives, but I would suggest this Samsung instead.
I have the non-Lightscribe model and couldn't ask for more. It's quiet, fast and cheap.

Case:
Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
The Antec 900 is an excellent case, we review this also:
ANTEC Nine Hundred Case Review
But if your still hesitant about spending so much on just a case, then I'd check out the Cooler Master 690. We also reviewed this:
Cooler Master CM 690 Case Review

OS:
Hey, it's your call on what version, theres not so much difference, but if you've got the money then I'd go for Vista Ultimate 64-Bit.
32-Bit OS's won't see all 4GB of RAM, it'll see 2.5-3.5GB only, you'll need the 64-Bit OS to see all 4GB.

LCD:
Your monitor is a fine one, Vista won't have any problems with your Mouse/Keyboard/Monitor. You'll be cruising smooth!
The reason I asked what size monitor is because if it was a 24" or bigger than it'd be a good thing to go SLI with two video cards or get a more expensive one. But with a 19" you'll be just fine. I personally run a Samsung 22" (1680 x 1050) and my 8800GT doesn't fuss at all, it's past 24" that you'll loose performance with a single 8800GT.

Price:
For everything I listed above, the price will come to $1,167 before rebates and $1,127 after rebates (thats shipped price BTW). This is with the Cooler Master 690 case, add about $40 for if you want the Antec 900.

That would be an outstanding system if you ask me.

Edit:
Great catch there captain! I agree 100% with the recommendations there.

Edit 2:
Wow I think this is the longest post I've even made..........

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

Newegg Reviews
Ignore them - that's what we're here for. Don't ever make a purchase based on a Newegg 'review,' though they can be somewhat handy in looking for common complaints about a product.

To expand on what One4yu2c said, when it comes to Newegg reviews keep in mind that they are written by common people who bought the product. They have no expertise, or credibility whatsoever. But I if I am interested in a particular product I will skim through all the user reviews to look for a common problem then research it further. Just keep in mind that Newegg reviews should not be taken as fact.

[diabloplayer75]

Awesome guys! ill post my full system in just a minute, since i am now at the last stage.
Their are three Vistas i'm looking at, but don't know which is the one for gaming.
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - Operating Systems Vista 64 bit Home premium 100$
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Business for System Builders Single Pack DVD - Operating Systems Vista 64bit Business 140$
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - Operating Systems Vista 64-bit Ultimate 180$

I was told if I buy from Newegg I can avoid sales tax somehow?

Also a bit off topic, but are their any big budget games coming to pc anytime soon? One of my friends was just telling me that building a gaming pc is not a good idea because consoles will take over but I like to think that this is the way to go.

Oh and parker, was your price estimate before or after including the operating system?

[screwballl]

My choice would be Home Premium as the others carry more junk that most people never use.

as for the Pc versus console battle, that has been going on since the 1980s... both have their place and neither will truly die off for many decades to come.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by diabloplayer75

Awesome guys! ill post my full system in just a minute, since i am now at the last stage.

Can't wait!

Oh and parker, was your price estimate before or after including the operating system?

Oh actually, that was without the OS.... didn't realize I had forgotten that.
If you want you could just get the E8400 and use the saved money for the OS and you'd probably end up at $1,170.
But I would still stick with the Quad.

[diabloplayer75]

Well, here is the system I’m now going to attempt to put together.. slightly getting cold feet as I have never configured one myself, and then installing the OS and Drivers, but ill worry about all that when the time comes.

Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors Q9300 295$
Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics 8800GT 200$ (can you link me the 8800GTS? And is it worth looking into?)
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards Gigabyte Motherboard 97$
Newegg.com - Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory Crucial 4gb Ram 116$
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply 90 - 264 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Power Supplies Corsair 100 -110 (10dollar shipping) This is enough power for the quad core and all right?
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives Seagate 320gb hd 80$
Newegg.com - ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks Zerotherm Fan 50$

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - CD / DVD Burners Samsung Dvd Drive 35$

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - Operating Systems Vista 64bit Premium 100$

And my last uncertainty, the case.
Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases Antec 900, 130$
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases Coolmaster 104.
The coolmaster has huge shipping cost, 20 dollars, wile the antec is 10 dollar shipping. Both prices I listed were after shiping. Anyways, the reviews here make it seem like the coolmaster is better, and the antec has worse ventilation.. Or is it saying its better for the money but the antec is better overall? I will go with the Antec, unless the coolmaster is indeed better.
And are they big enough to fit my system in? It says the coolmaster is a midsize case, not sure how big that means.

And I’d like to ask one more time, I was told I don’t have to pay tax if I am buying this online? Is that true? Because that’s nearly 200 dollar saving right their.

This all came out to 1260 (with the antec) with shipping, but without counting the tax.

Edit: I was putting items into my shopping cart on newegg.com and this powersupply came up as a combo deal Newegg.com - RAIDMAX QUANTUM RX-700 ATX12V / EPS12V 700W SLI Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, C-tick, CCC, CB - Power Supplies it has a 40$ rebate and cuts 35$ off when i buy it with the Motherboard. Will i still get the rebate if i buy it combo/ is it as good or better then the one i have selected?