Help with a custom

[Greco101]

I was doing some research for electricity prices to find out how much it was going to cost per hour (avg) to run our central air this summer. It was less than I expected, but then again, it'd only be running 2-3 hours a day.

This made me start thinking about my custom that I'm ordering this coming weekend... My pc usually runs 24/7. I found an energy bill calculator online and found that in California, it'd cost me around $88.50 a month to run that custom with a 850w psu. :neutral:


My question is...

Can someone help me with a parts list to make a bad ass, yet affordable, gaming pc. I'm not into all colorful fans and case neons, but I am into perfect quality gaming. Awesome graphics, and smooth gameplay with full settings.

I will pay for the help if I have to... it's just a lot of money to be throwing away if I'm not getting the right setup. I'd rather just pay one of you that know your stuff to set me in the right direction.

Thanks a lot for your time.

[.Maleficus.]

Don't worry about the PSU. It only draws the amount of power it needs to run the system, so you could only be drawing 400W from the wall, and not using the extra 450W. 850W is just the highest amount it can take.

[Bucko]

Mal is right. You could have a micro system that only uses a 250w PSU. The PSU dies and you just happen to have a 1000w PSU lying around and hook it up, it's still only going to pump out the 200 odd watts the system requires.

A computer will only use the power required. So when your PC is idle it will use very little compared when gaming on an intense graphics platform.

[Ichbin]

learn to love standbye

[Greco101]

Awesome. I appreciate the quick response.

That sets me at ease. :rolleyes:

[Indybird]

Please, none of us (well maybe some of us) could ever ask for money to recommend parts, its no big deal we do that kind of stuff all the time.

First of all can you give us a budget? That'll determine everything...

Oh by the way, welcome to the forums! :banana:

-Indybird

[Bucko]

As Indy said, a budget will be a big help.

No-one needs to be paid anything for advice here. we give it freely, or not at all.

also, have a look around the place. There has been plenty of threads asking for a recommendation on parts. There will be fan boys of AMD and Intel, as well as ATi and nVidia who are one eyed and refuse to look at other brands.
But most people are ok.

[Greco101]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help. I know it's time consuming to research parts for a custom so I feel bad since there isn't much I can do in return considering you're all much more experienced than I am.

I'd like to stay around $3500, but saving is ALWAYS great.

So far, I've already purchased a G15 kb, G5 mouse and a telescoping LCD wall mount.



Here's my updated shopping list:

Seagate 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148144) $ 70.00

Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115011) $970.00

Swiftech H20-220-APEX-GT CPU Liquid Cooling Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108076) $250.00

ENERMAX Galaxy 850W Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194020) $280.00
.
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 2GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227191) $230.00 (x2)

Burner with LightScribe (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135146) $ 40.00 (x2)

ASUS Striker Extreme (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131074) $330.00


8800GTX 768MB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143093) $600.00
8800GTS 640MB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143081) $400.00


7.1 Channel 24-bit 192KHzSound Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271003) $175.00

SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22" 2 ms (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001096) $315.00





CASES:


Zalman Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5184/cst-460/Zalman_Fatal1ty_FC-ZE1_Champ1on_Series_Aluminum_Case.html?tl=g1c7s12# blank)

Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5565/cst-502/Gigabyte_3D_Aurora_570_Aluminum_Full_Tower_Case_-_Black_GZ-FA1CAASBATB.html?tl=g1c7s12)

Cooler Master Stacker 832 (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5416/cst-501/Cooler_Master_Stacker_832_Aluminum_Full_Tower_Case _-_Black_RC-832-KKN1-GP.html?tl=g1c7s429#blank)

SilverStone Temjin SST-TJ07B (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1636/cst-344/SilverStone_Temjin_SST-TJ07B_Full_Tower_Case_-_Black.html?tl=g1c7s27#blank)

Thermaltake Armor ATX (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_114&products_id=3489)





Questions/ Concerns:

1. I like all of these cases, but which would be best for the water cooling
system? I'd hate to have to chop up a brand new case.

2. A lot of people were having problems with the ASUS Striker Extreme mb...
Is anyone familiar with it?

3. The OCZ mem says 5-5-5-15 timing... does this necessarily mean it's slower
than 4-4-4-12 or 3-3-3-8?

4. Someone recommended the Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty card
but a lot of the reviews saying:
- "Hardware dependant. If you have a 680i motherboard, like an asus
striker, the system will not boot no matter bios updates."
- "lots of popping and crackling."
- "The software that came with the card was causing the blue screen
of death on XP SP2."

5. I'm not sure if I NEED the 768MB card... and the 640MB is a hell of a lot cheaper. Is there a significant difference
between the two?

6. I don't really multi-task while gaming... so is a quad-core needed? If only one program is running, do they all team
up? or are the others put on reserve? If so, should I go with the X6800? E6700?

[Greco101]

P.S.

I will be running XP and sorry for the long posts. Thanks again guys

[Greco101]

Please, none of us (well maybe some of us) could ever ask for money to recommend parts, its no big deal we do that kind of stuff all the time.

First of all can you give us a budget? That'll determine everything...

Oh by the way, welcome to the forums! :banana:

-Indybird

Thank you. Please excuse my noobness haha, I'm just getting into this. I've had my own computer, and taught myself since I was 6 so I know how to use a computer for the most part, but I'm just now building my first custom, so I have a lot to learn.

I'd like to eventually turn this into a hobby after I get other priorities taken care of: moving out, etc...

[Spawn-Inc]

i would go with the 8800GTX beucase it will last longer and after 5 years you can always get another 8800GTX and you should be able to last another couple of years... i think.


and ps you you get all this stuff i demand you take pictures!!!!!!!!! i want to see what it looks like. and in terms of your not being able to give us advice just give advise on what you know best.

[XcOM]

ok, most games are single treaded so can't make use of the extra cores, although i prefur AMD's i think the X6800 intel is a good chip, two cores will be good for when playing a game and having an app open, the app will be moved to the second core giving your game the first core.

i can't comment on the ASUS striker, i would however recommend the ASUS MN32-Deluxe i think its called.

and don't worry about not giving anything in return, once you learn im sure you will give back to the community later in life

[Greco101]

Your system compared to all 1419988 system configurations. There are 1414253 systems with a higher score and 5735 systems with a lower score than your system.

:up:

hahahaha

[Spawn-Inc]

Your system compared to all 1419988 system configurations. There are 1414253 systems with a higher score and 5735 systems with a lower score than your system.

:up:

hahahaha

where did u get that from!?

also to your other question which case then i would go for the Thermaltake Armor(lots of space) or Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 or SilverStone Temjin SST-TJ07B for a clean look

[Greco101]

It's a program called 3Dmark06 (http://www.futuremark.com/download/3dmark06/)

Out of all of those I found this (http://www.bjorn3d.com/pafile/index.php?act=view&id=36) one to be the fastest.

[Greco101]

Questions/ Concerns:



2. A lot of people were having problems with the ASUS Striker Extreme mb...
Is anyone familiar with it?

3. The OCZ mem says 5-5-5-15 timing... does this necessarily mean it's slower
than 4-4-4-12 or 3-3-3-8?

[Outlaw]

To answer number 3: Yes and No, Anybody please correct me if I am wrong. look at the timings (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000147+1052307858&Description=Mushkin&name=1GB), you will notice as the timing goes up, the frequencey(Mhz) also goes up.

With the numbers you gave, yes, the 5-5-5-15 would be slower then a 4-4-4-12 or 3-3-3-8, but those are also slower in sending the data. As you will see by clicking the above link. Just goes to newegg. :) This is what I did when looking for memory, I found the memory I liked and looked for the lowest timing in my budget. With fast bandwidth and low timings comes a price which if you find the medium will be your best bet for both options. It all depends on what you are going to do with your computer. I believe the article below says if you are doing more video and photo, you want a lower timing vs gaming where you want the speed of the bandwidth.

I hope this makes sense and doesn't sound like I am rambling. I know what I mean but it was hard for me to describe it. Also you can read the article below.

I thought this was a pretty good article. (http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=873)

**update**
I think I found how to explain it :)

Think of it as the "More for less" speech.

1.The memory can process the data faster (3-3-3-8 ) *MORE* / but it will take longer(400) to send the data to it's destination. *LESS*

or

2. The memory can process the data a few **seconds(whatever it's mesured in) slower(5-5-4-12) *LESS* / but it will send it in a shorter time (1066). *MORE*

It is a toss up, you win some you lose some. Hope that helps

[Ichbin]

Hey greco, dont worry about a thing, you got a question? we've got a wealth of knowledge all together. ranging from what parts to buckos 1337 mspaint skills.


Just make sure you post it in the right area :P

[Indybird]

The list is looking great, except theres a couple things I would change:

I don't normally veer away from ASUS, but the Striker Extreme has not gotten any reviews to match its tremendous price. Though it has some cool features (that might be a reason to buy it right there), it actually doesnt quite perform as well as others. I'd have to recommend this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188014). So this is how it goes:
-If you want cool features & looks go for the Striker
-If you want performance go for the evga


Second, Im going to have to agree w/ Spawn-Inc on this one: go for the 8800GTX. That is by far the (fastest and) most future-proof card on the market. You will not regret buying that...
EDIT: Do not go for the 8800 Ultra; though it is much higher performance than the GTX, its performance to price ratio is not that good at all

Third, go for the silverstone TJ07. That case is quality material right there. Great layout, high quality, well-placed options, and great features.

Fourth, I'd highly recommend this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829110015) soundcard. It has great reviews and might be the best sound card on the market. The only downside is that it takes up two PCI slots :( .

Lastly, what OS are you going for. Personally I love Vista (one of the few). For your system, you should have no troubles with incompatibility. Vista has a bunch of cool and useful features over Vista. This is really your call; if you don't feel Vista is smooth enough yet then go ahead and get XP. However if you think you can deal with (literally) a few errors every once in a while, then get Vista (you won't regret it).

Hope that helps, lemme know if you want to know more...
-Indybird

EDIT: The mobo is no longer available, check the link now

[.Maleficus.]

Indy, your link is to 40 different boards.

I personally would go with the eVGA 680i board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188013). If I ever upgrade my board now, that's what I'd go for. Hopefully I can do that soon.

Also Indy, the 8800 Ultra doesn't have that much performance increase over the GTX. You are right saying that it isn't worth the money, but a decently overclocked GTX would give it a run for it's money.

Hey Greco, do you do major sound things, like recording and stuff? If not, I wouldn't spend more than $100 on a sound card. I have an Audigy 2 card and it works superbly, and cost me $40. You may look into a cheaper card unless you are going to need extra features.

[Indybird]

Indy, your link is to 40 different boards.

Also Indy, the 8800 Ultra doesn't have that much performance increase over the GTX. You are right saying that it isn't worth the money, but a decently overclocked GTX would give it a run for it's money.


First, Newegg for some reason stopped selling that mobo, so i linked it to the next best one. :up:
Second, thats what I meant about the Ultra, besides an overclocked ultra could beat an overclocked GTX... :think:

[Redundant]

First, Newegg for some reason stopped selling that mobo, so i linked it to the next best one.

What do you mean they stopped selling that mobo? .Maleficus. stuck the link to it in his post?! :?

What's the difference between these two evga 680i mobos (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=50001402%2040000280&Manufactory=1402&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16813188013%2CN82E16813188012) ? Exactly the same specs...

[Indybird]

What do you mean they stopped selling that mobo? .Maleficus. stuck the link to it in his post?! :?

What's the difference between these two evga 680i mobos (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=50001402%2040000280&Manufactory=1402&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16813188013%2CN82E16813188012) ? Exactly the same specs...

Nono, I had a link to a Gigabyte board...

[.Maleficus.]

If you look closely, one is the CK-NF68-T1 and the other is the CK-NF68-A1. How that translates to features I don't know, but that's the best I could come up with.

[Spawn-Inc]

If you look closely, one is the CK-NF68-T1 and the other is the CK-NF68-A1. How that translates to features I don't know, but that's the best I could come up with.

the only difference i can see is this

Package Contents
122-CK-NF68-T1 Rear I/O Panel Shield IDE/PATA Cable FDD Cable 6 x SATA Cable 3 x 4-pin to SATA Power Cable SLI Bridge USB Bracket Brackets 122-


CK-NF68-A1 Driver Disk User Manual Floppy Drive Diskette Rear I/O Panel Shield IDE/PATA Cable FDD Cable 6 x SATA Cable 3 x 4-pin to SATA Power Cable SLI Bridge USB Bracket Brackets Fan


is the is the evga 680i one that you guys are talking about

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013699&cid=MB.157