Upgrading[rebuilding] Presario for gaming

[oldman_gamer]

This is what I have been trying to get from the egg ,but wont go thru.I am going to call them tomorrow.I emailed them with no response...probably holiday related.Tried preferred account application and bill me later to no avail.I dont want it on my credit card,would rather defer payments and pay 0% interest using thier means of credit for 6mos.
NOTE:would really make wife happy that I do it that way.

Newegg.com - Rosewill R6AR6-BK 0.8mm SECC 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Newegg.com - ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Newegg.com - APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply 115/ 230 V UL, CSA, TUV, CE - Retail
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
Newegg.com - OCZ Gold 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Newegg.com - Thermaltake CL-P0114 120mm CPU Cooler - Retail
Newegg.com - Rosewill RCX-TC050 Thermal Grease - Retail

Another thing that concernes me is all the negative reviews I see on eveything I have here,or for that matter,everything that I dont have here.Seems nothing escapes a poor review,wheather it be DOA,burns up in a day,plug pulled out,cant OC wont work etc.How the heck is one supposed to overcome all the negative and just do it? Spend $900,recieve your items,put it together,and it dont work...that'll really pizz me off.
I have been reading alot of horrific stories about DOA items and the like.

[Elysium]

Everything looks pretty good! A couple things though...

1. That PSU may be a little on the small side, depending on what GPU you have chosen. I recommend Antec, Silverstone, Corsair PSU's (just a few off the top of my head).
2. What GPU are you getting (or already have)?

Other than that, there are little nitpicks (not very important) like the thermal paste you have. I would have gotten some AC MX-2 or AS5 myself.

[oldman_gamer]

Another thing I forgot to ask about was...I have a mid tower Compaq case downstairs...would I be able to strip that case and use it ? Or is it just going to fit Compaq parts?Just was a thought to maybe save a few bux.
It stinks that if thats the case,I also cant use my dvd/cd/ drives which have flip down doors that I really like,thus costing more scratch.Giving up on the whole idea has crossed my mind....but then again,I wont be able to play higher end games I am looking forward to.
I told the wife I could part out or sell the 3 yr old Compaq I currently have along with the new GeForce 6200A to help frey costs...she liked that idea!!!

[Elysium]

Actually, that is exactly what I did with my first build. I had an old Compaq case and just dropped a new system into it. Everything was compatible, and fit great. I'm not sure if that is going to be the same for you, though.

One thing to consider when doing this is cooling in the case. The Compaq case that I had had horrible cooling (one 80mm fan up front, and no exhaust fan!) so with all that is something to take into consideration also.

If I were you, with all that great new hardware, I wouldn't do it.:dontknow:

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by yellowhello

Everything looks pretty good! A couple things though...

1. That PSU may be a little on the small side, depending on what GPU you have chosen. I recommend Antec, Silverstone, Corsair PSU's (just a few off the top of my head).
2. What GPU are you getting (or already have)?

Other than that, there are little nitpicks (not very important) like the thermal paste you have. I would have gotten some AC MX-2 or AS5 myself.

100% agree with Yellow, do not get that power supply!!!!!!!!!! That is the heart and soul of your system, and you need to look at a much better PSU!!!
Here is a couple that are pretty good supplies.

Newegg.com - Thermaltake Purepower W0129RU ATX12V 600 W Power Supply 115/ 230 V CE, FCC, UL, CUL, TUV certification - Retail

Newegg.com - Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TÜV, CE, C-tick, CCC, CB - Retail

Newegg.com - ENERMAX FMA II EG565P-VE ATX12V 535W Power Supply 115/ 230 V - Retail

Newegg.com - OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB, CE, CSA, UL, FCC - Retail

[Tech Geek Deluxe]

Regarding Reviews on Newegg.

If there are over 30 Reviews on Newegg and the Percentage is 65% or better ... you might have a good product. If over 100 Reviews and 65% Positive ... you "Do" have a good product. If there are over 300 Reviews on Newegg and the Percentage is 70% or better ... you have an excellent product.

[Not inclusive of DOA, using the wrong item or capacities or power requirements or getting a lemon or nubish mistakes on product install nor inferior mental capacity]

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by Tech Geek Deluxe

Regarding Reviews on Newegg.

If there are over 30 Reviews on Newegg and the Percentage is 65% or better ... you might have a good product. If over 100 Reviews and 65% Positive ... you "Do" have a good product. If there are over 300 Reviews on Newegg and the Percentage is 70% or better ... you have an excellent product.

[Not inclusive of DOA, getting a lemon or nubish mistakes on product install nor inferior mental capacity]

I don't even read the Newegg reviews, I read real reviews that actually mean something.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by oldman_gamer

I told the wife I could part out or sell the 3 yr old Compaq I currently have along with the new GeForce 6200A to help frey costs...she liked that idea!!!

If your going to do that, then keep the case and sell the whole unit as a single system. You'll have more luck then trying to sell the propriety OEM parts seperately.

Few suggestions with the build I have:

Avoid that Rosewill case, trust me on this. Rosewill makes some decent stuff, but their cases are shoddy and very underwhelming. In my opinion the best cheap case to get is this here:
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
I personally have one, and for the price it's amazing. Excellent cooling and good room to work in while not built from cheapo parts. And with the current price and MIR it's cheaper then even the Rosewill.

Abit has been having some issues with their BIOS lately, I'm not sure what is up with them. Normally they make awesome boards, but have been going down hill for awhile. For much less scratch, I would recommend this board here:
Newegg.com - DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
DFI's Infinity series can't be beat for midrange boards with excellent overclocking capabilities. I abused my old Infinity and it still ran like a champ until a power failure killed it. Yellow is running this board here, I think he can chime in on it.

For the PSU, STAY AWAY FROM APEVIA. There's a reason they are so cheap, because they're made cheap. And a cheap PSU is the ONE thing you don't want. Seriously, you don't want to spend all this money only to have the crappy power supply blow and fry it all. A quality PSU also delivers cleaner, more efficient power to the components and extends their lifespans. For the system you're building, this a good unit that will serve well: Newegg.com - FSP Group SAGA+ 450R ATX12V 450W Power Supply 100 - 240 V NEMKO, TUV, CSA, IEC, UL, CE - Retail
You do pay a price premium for a good PSU, but that is because the PSU is the lifeblood of the system, the heart. Just like you wouldn't want a weak and poorly made heart pumping your blood, the same goes for a PSU.

Don't bother with that TT cooler, it's an alright cooler but a pain to install and better ones are out there. I've used the AMD version of this cooler and it's a little monster thats worth it's price: Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
Easy to install, excellent cooling, and the price is right too. Can't go wrong with this one.
Also, as Yellow suggested...don't waste your cash on that Rosewill goop. AS5 is about the same price and is tried and true: Newegg.com - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

What are you using for video? If you're thinking of picking up a video card on a budget, this one is a great bang for the buck: Newegg.com - HIS Hightech H385F256NP Radeon HD 3850 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

[oldman_gamer]

Im sorry guys im a freakin n_ _ b eww it dont even sound good
when I grow up I wana be a geek
As far as the grease stuff,I can change that(George recommended beteer stuff too but I was going for quantity supplied)Hell I have grease gun here I grease my F25itty with ,have lotsa grease. I even have some silverware here I can shave into it!
As far as GPU...not sure really,but would like somewhere in the 8xxx category w/dirX10 @ the same time dont want to spend $200 or more.
Power supply,I was wondering if I should get a larger PSU...will work on that as well.

[Tech Geek Deluxe]

I know your on a budget ... and that is likely why you chose that particular power supply. Very good price after rebate ... but as other have said ... a better power supply is a better choice.

I'm not convinced that it isn't worth the risk as the reviews are reasonable and the power is decent enough for your needs ... unless you plan on using a $200+ video card with huge power requirements ... you should be fine.

Here is a ok deal on a good PS with free shipping ... $28 cheaper and is the same Unit as the Antec EA500 ... [Compare to Corsair ... but much less money]
SeaSonic SS-500ES ATX12V/V2.2, EPS12V/V2.91, 500W

An even better Choice:
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W


My prefered Choice:
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W