Build log: Mines

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L_Hamilton

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I'm a newb when it comes to this.

I was looking around and I came up with this. What do you guys think?

What am I missing and what do I need?

Operating system- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Processor- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor
Memory -G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Hard drive -Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Graphics card -EVGA 512-P3-N884-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ Superclocked Edition 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
Primary DVD/CD drive- LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Front Productivity Ports-15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, audio
Sound Card= Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports
Speakers= Logitech X-540 speakers (5.1)
 
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Mine's_GTR
I'm a newb when it comes to this.

I was looking around and I came up with this. What do you guys think?

What am I missing and what do I need?

Operating system- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Processor- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Quad processor Q9550 [2.83GHz]
Memory -6GB DDR2-800MHz dual channel SDRAM [2x2048,2x1024]
Hard drive -1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
Graphics card -1GB ATI Radeon HD 4850 [2 DVI, HDMI and VGA adapters]
Primary DVD/CD drive- LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Front Productivity Ports-15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, audio
Sound Card= Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports
Speakers= Logitech X-540 speakers (5.1)
Click to expand...

You need to provide links to the products or provide FULL details (links to Newegg are best). Third, where's the motherboard and PSU? The MB is very important, so we cannot help you without it.

So far, it sounds like a good system. 👍
 
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I think you need to be looking more toward the 600W range of power supplies with a Quad-Core processor, 4 sticks of RAM and a 9800 GTX graphics card.

And why the Antec 1200 case (which is about as big as a single-car garage) coupled with a Micro ATX motherboard?
 
I'd go with 4GB of RAM if I were you. I noticed a huge boost in response when I did. And make it a 2x2GB set so you can expand to 8GB later on. ;) G.Skill 1066Mhz 2x2GB (the sets I run) have been around $80 lately.

And one tip - Don't send off for MIRs, especially not for that graphics card. MIRs require you to cut off the UPC, so you can't make any warranty claims. That GPU will have a lifetime warranty if you register it within 30 days of purchase. It should also have a 90 day window to step up to a newer card for the difference in cost (EVGA's pricing though).

One last thing I noticed is that you chose a quad core. I don't know what you're going to use this for, but you could save $100 and get an E8400 and put the difference towards a Geforce GTX 260. The E8400 easily overclocks to 4Ghz and unless you're doing some sort of encoding or specialized program that can make use of four cores, I doubt you'd notice the difference. You would see the difference of the GTX260 in gaming though.

Edit: Oh yeah, different PSU for sure. My last one was the OCZ GameXtream 600w and was great. I only needed to upgrade because I went GTX260 SLI, and those cards use around 300w each.

And links.

OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPI - Retail

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
 
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Why are you getting a MicroATX PSU with a full ATX tower? You are also gonna need more power than what that PSU can provide. Plus you should not go cheap on a PSU, they keep your parts from being fried. I'd suggest this PSU here. It has a good amount of power but if you want to do more you might need more wattage.

If I were you I'd get a ATX motherboard to use up all of that space in the case.
 
GilesGuthrie
I think you need to be looking more toward the 600W range of power supplies with a Quad-Core processor, 4 sticks of RAM and a 9800 GTX graphics card.

And why the Antec 1200 case (which is about as big as a single-car garage) coupled with a Micro ATX motherboard?
Click to expand...

Mine's_GTR
I'm a newb when it comes to this.
Click to expand...

:lol: :P Any links for those?

Eric.
I'd go with 4GB of RAM if I were you. I noticed a huge boost in response when I did. And make it a 2x2GB set so you can expand to 8GB later on. ;) G.Skill 1066Mhz 2x2GB (the sets I run) have been around $80 lately.

And one tip - Don't send off for MIRs, especially not for that graphics card. MIRs require you to cut off the UPC, so you can't make any warranty claims. That GPU will have a lifetime warranty if you register it within 30 days of purchase. It should also have a 90 day window to step up to a newer card for the difference in cost (EVGA's pricing though).

One last thing I noticed is that you chose a quad core. I don't know what you're going to use this for, but you could save $100 and get an E8400 and put the difference towards a Geforce GTX 260. The E8400 easily overclocks to 4Ghz and unless you're doing some sort of encoding or specialized program that can make use of four cores, I doubt you'd notice the difference. You would see the difference of the GTX260 in gaming though.

Edit: Oh yeah, different PSU for sure. My last one was the OCZ GameXtream 600w and was great. I only needed to upgrade because I went GTX260 SLI, and those cards use around 300w each.

And links.

OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPI - Retail

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Click to expand...

Awesome. I'll look into these.

The PSU was a recommendation in my last thread for my computer. I thought it would have been a good choice. I guess not. :lol:

And I'm all about gaming. Gaming, Music and the ability to switch to something instantly. Like go from Counter Strike:Source, minimize it and go to iTunes without any hiccups whatsoever.

nick09
Why are you getting a MicroATX PSU with a full ATX tower? You are also gonna need more power than what that PSU can provide. Plus you should not go cheap on a PSU, they keep your parts from being fried. I'd suggest this PSU here. It has a good amount of power but if you want to do more you might need more wattage.

If I were you I'd get a ATX motherboard to use up all of that space in the case.
Click to expand...

Nice. Thanks for letting me know whats the effect of buying a cheap PSU.

Is a bigger motherboard better? Whats the difference?
 
I would agree on the 1200 being a little overkill (unless you need to room for a water cooling system) with the components you have selected. I love Antec's products and don't think you can go wrong, but maybe look into the 900 instead of the 1200. It's a little smaller. Coolermaster's also makes some really nice cases also. They offer some really nice "toos free" options and handy wire management cavities for hiding wires and routing behind the motherboard for a cleaner install.

For vista, I wouldn't run anything less than 4gb's. You picked the 64-bit OS, so take advantage of being able to use the extra ram. Check the MFG's site for Ram compatibility for that particular motherboard.

EVGA's lifetime warranty on their mobo's and graphics cards are appealing. Their upgrade plans are pretty sweet to. I highly recommend EVGA products and services! 👍

I will back up with other's have been saying, for a Gaming machine, I would suggest a dual core over the quads. Not only will you use less power and generate less heat with a dual core, but performance will be better (with exception to quad core optimized games). If you're doing a fair amount of rendering, ect...the quad is the way to go. The Q9550 is a hell of a processor but got better gaming performance with the E8600. The i7 Quads are a totally different story, but that's for a different thread.

Might I suggest THIS motherboard? The Asus P5Q is one hell of a nice little board. I recently installed my Q9550 in one for my wife's computer. Packed with nice features for a modest price. I bought it locally for $89.95. Check around, newegg seams kind of high prices for the board. You should be able to find it for less than $100, and it will support all the latest 45ns chips. The only other step up would be a Crossfire or SLI supported motherboard. This would allow you to add a second graphics card down the road as games require it and your wallets can justify it. If you go this route, make sure your PSU is a SLI/Crossfire ready PSU. You don't want to use adapters and you might want to step up to a 700w+ PSU for SLI/Crossfire, especually if you're looking at a GTX260 or 280.

Good suggestions on the Power Supplies. OCZ, Antec, Corsair, Thermatake, PC Power and Cooling, are all reputable PSU brands. I would say 500w minimum. In looking at future expandability of the PSU, make sure there are atleast one PCI-E 6+2 GPU plug and one 6 pin PCI-E plug.

Are you going to overclock the processor at all? You might look into some aftermarket CPU cooling options as well.
 
Had a look at your mainboard. It has a 4GB RAM limit, so you should throw it out.

Also, if you're into gaming, think of getting 2x 500GB drives and putting them together as a RAID 0 pair.
 
 
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I second Erics nomination for the GTX 260 and the RAM, I think it would be best to know what you are going to use this for to determine what kind of parts you will need. Its absurd how many times Nvidia had re-named the G92 core.

As for cases, go for a midATX tower, like the Antec 900, coolermaster 690, or any popular mid tower.

As for power supplies, I just picked up a Corsair 650W for 96 dollars. Its 80+ certified and has a MTBF of 100,000 hours, and backed by a 5 year warranty. Meaning you could leave it on for about 11 years.

EDIT: tree'd
 
A good 500W 80-plus PSU should be sufficient with plenty of room for expansion. The components are drawing between 260-300W at full load from the PSU. Keep in mind that overbuying a PSU will not gain you much as power supply standards change over time. The giant PSU you have today may perform like a mid-size PSU in a future build; consequently, you should buy the PSU for your current needs.

If you don't need modular cables, then a regular Seasonic 500W unit could be a bargain.
 
So what are you up to in price? Are you within your budget range? The OCZ you listed would be fine for one 260 and that processor. The antec is too small.
 
Mine's_GTR
What about this hard drive?

Hard drive -Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

I really want a 1 TB Hard Drive. I want this computer to last a while and not have to worry about Space AT ALL.
Click to expand...

Space shouldn't be a worry. It's easy to put in another hard drive and it will be cheaper in the future too. Either way, I would get this one and get an SATA cable to go with it.

Now that you've said that the GameXStream power supply might be a bit overkill. It has 6 SATA connectors.
 
ROAD_DOGG33J
Space shouldn't be a worry. It's easy to put in another hard drive and it will be cheaper in the future too. Either way, I would get this one and get an SATA cable to go with it.

Now that you've said that the GameXStream power supply might be a bit overkill. It has 6 SATA connectors.
Click to expand...

So what Power Supply should I get? Your saying I need to downgrade it?

And I like that Hard drive a lot.

That would drop my price so far to $676
 
Mine's_GTR
So what Power Supply should I get? Your saying I need to downgrade it?

And I like that Hard drive a lot.

That would drop my price so far to $676
Click to expand...

Any Antec, Silverstone, Corsair or Seasonic that is 500-600 watts

Its not the wattage you need, sometimes its the amps. Im upgrading my 8800GT to a GTX 260 that required a 500W PSU (which I did have) and 36 amps on a 12V rail. I only had 34A, and im going to go quad core in the future, and seeing how fast technology moves these days (just ask Pako) I figured its better to future proof on this and not have to keep upgrading in the future

Yes, 650W is overkill for a Core 2 Duo and a single GPU set up, But im most likely going to have the PSU for quite some time..

Keep in mind, you exceed the TDP whenever you overclock something
 
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Mine's_GTR
So what Power Supply should I get? Your saying I need to downgrade it?
Click to expand...

This Corsair looks pretty good:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

This Antec looks good too, but non-modular PSUs are more stable:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

BFG
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702008

Rosewill
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182150

Mine's_GTR
And I like that Hard drive a lot.

That would drop my price so far to $676
Click to expand...

Just make sure to get a cable like this, I think 10" should be enough.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812123166
 
 
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And why would you choose a Samsung drive, of all brands? Seagate and Western Digital are the top ones that you want. Price is negligible, especially when we're talking about keeping data accessible.
 
Eric.
And why would you choose a Samsung drive, of all brands? Seagate and Western Digital are the top ones that you want. Price is negligible, especially when we're talking about keeping data accessible.
Click to expand...

Good point, the Western Digital one is pretty good. I myself would check out the Samsung, before blindly dismissing it. The Seagate 1TB offerings aren't that good as one is unproven, one is pure crap and the other is overpriced.
 
I just had a 120g WD drive die on me. I've had seagate drives, Samsung drives, and IBM drives die on me. With moving parts, they are all prone to failure.

Backup Your Data!

Some runs are more prone to failure than others, but I woudn't blanket an entire brand as they will all fail or not.
 
I've had to get RMA for Seagate, WD, and Samsung. All of them shipped me replacements painlessly. Drives do fail, so keep regular backups.

Samsung used to be the top pick for quiet drives not too long ago, but I haven't bought any new 3.5" drives from them recently.
 
I have had this HDD for 4 months and have had zero problems.

173dhj.jpg
 
Have you decided to use aftermarket CPU cooling for a little overclock, or are you going to run stock cooling on your CPU?
 

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