Sorry, I put it under the wrong topic, I can't find a way to change it back now though.... =(
The Case
The Motherboard
The Graphics Card
The Power Supply
The Processor
The RAM
The Hard Drive
The Keyboard and Mouse
The DVD Burner Drive
The Speakers
I Want to get a new computer and thought that building one would be cheaper and a learning experience. I hope someone can help me with my choices and leave me a few comments. Thanks!!
Assuming you choose (exact) duplicate HDs for your build, to quote from a Controller Manual:
A Raid 0 (striping) array would give (twice) the HD capacity as a single HD and about (twice the performance) of a single HD configuration with (no) system redundancy.
A Raid 1 (mirroring) array would give the (same) HD capacity as a single HD but (provide system redundancy) as one HD would mirror the other and the performance would be about the (same) as a single HD configuration.
HV07, hello. Putting together a system is not necessarily cheaper. However, it is a great learning experience, and that is worth something. Also, you can get exactly the parts that you want, rather than accepting what comes in a pre-built system, and that is worth something, too.
The parts you have chosen look fine -- I see no compatibility issues. I was unable to add the DVD burner to a cart, so it may be out of stock. Total price comes to $820.90, assuming that the DVD burner can be purchased.
What do you plan to use the system for? What OS will you run? These answers might change the feedback I would give. You are aware that the Core i7 processor, and accompanying new socket and chipset, is out now, yes? Prices for a system such as this one may drop in the next few months. In a few years, it may be difficult to find parts to upgrade this system.
Thanks Scott and Raphoenix for the help.
Raphoenix, as nice as Raid is, i dont think i'm going to need that much hard drive space, i currently have 160 and has never been full. Although new games take more and more space, do you think i should invest in one more hard drive just in case? Or, should i wait until i see if i'm going to need the extra space?
Scott, yes the dvd burner is currently out of stock, I'm hoping Newegg will get a new shipment in sometime this week (as I'm sure they will). I'm planning on using this new computer as a low-cost gaming machine. I'm also hoping it to be upgradable, so in the future i won't have to spend too much on something that will run the latest and greatest games. For the OS, I'm hoping to get Vista while i currently own XP. Do you think i should get 64-bit or 32-bit, i've heard 32 is more compatible with older programs but only recognizes 3.2gb memory?
About the Core i7 Processor, after getting a i7 motherboard and Processor, the price increase is a minimum of around $300. After doing some research, most PC Games don't even recognize a quad-core's capabilities. I got the impression that i would be fine with a dual core for a few years. Although i would like to max out games (except Crysis) with this computer, do you think this new processor is worth the price? And, with the swift advance in technology, is it worth it to make such a big investment?
A few last questions: Is the power supply going to be big enough? Should i get an SLI Motherboard?
Thanks SO much for the help. This is my first build, I would like it to go smoothly =)
HV07, there is more to i7 than just 4 cores, but since you are making a low-cost gaming system it is not right for you. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of the technology change that's coming and the possibility of a price drop on Core2 systems. Your build is fine for the usage that you describe.
As a gamer, you are probably still better off with 32-bit Vista. It is more compatible with older software, including older games. It's easier to find drivers for 32-bit devices so there is more hardware available without dealing with driver hell. The 32-bit Vista will be limited to around 3.2 GB, maybe slightly more or less, with 4 GB RAM installed. This is unlikely to be a problem since games run by themselves. It's not likely that there will be 2 games running, whereas an office computer might have several productivity apps running. Nor is it likely that you will have other apps running in the background while you are playing a game. Maybe something light, such as Teamspeak, but you should not run a game server and play it on this system.
When you start thinking about an SLI, or CrossFireX, motherboard you will need a bigger PSU and the price starts to climb again. Also, this is mainly paying now for possible future upgrades. Since graphics cards continue to increase in power, by the time you need an upgrade you could get a dual-GPU card that only takes up one slot, or you could get the latest new card which might do more than two of your initial GPUs with only one.
One thing that I just noticed about the PSU that you have picked out is that the efficiency is 72%. That's a bit low, it is recommended that you get 80% or better. You can look for the 80plus certification, but it's not required as long as the specs say 80% efficiency or better. The wattage that you have is fine, but see if you can get the efficiency up to par.
Thanks again Scott for the help. I won't be running any servers on this computer but occasionally use Teamspeak. Thanks for the tip on the PSU, I'm currently looking for one with better efficiency. In case of future expansions, Are In-game graphics controlled solely by the GPU or does the Processor and Ram come into play?
I can't explain enough how grateful I am for the help. =D
HV07,
I personally like Antec PSUs. Never had one fail even under the worst of conditions.
Most all of their current models meet or exceed the 80% efficiency rating ScottW is referring to and also they do have a variety of models to choose from.
Here is the Antec PSU page.
http://www.antec.com/usa/pro_e.....20Supplies
Glad we could be of help and Good Luck with Your Build.
Regards,
Rick P.
HV07, the CPU and GPU are the primary contributors to game performance. However, all of the system specs matter, to a lesser degree. Some games rely more on the CPU for rendering and others rely more on the GPU. It's best not to skimp on either one, since you never know how the next game that you want to play will behave.
To know more, you need to hang out where the gamers, system builders, and overclockers are. Places such as tomshardware, anadtech, and others. These folks keep track of how games perform on different hardware, how different rendering engines behave and much more.
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