Building a new PC ($1000-$1300)

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sheik yerbouti7

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I'm looking to build a new PC in the $1000 range. I've decided on a processor (intel q6600), am debating between 2 video cards (8600 gt or 8800 gts). I'll grab a good deal on a hard drive, but besides that I haven't picked out much else.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
First things first. What is your primary task while using your computer?

Do you do any sort of video encoding, 3D rendering, etc that can fully utilize 4 cores? At your budget you can have a really kickass rig if you are efficient about what you buy.
 
sheik yerbouti7 said:
am debating between 2 video cards (8600 gt or 8800 gts).
Click to expand...
I sure hope u mean the 8800gt because theres a mile gap between the 8600gt and 8800gts

what games are you planning to play? at what resolution are u planning to play at?

This comes in mind:

$260 q6600 G0 SLACR
$45 2gb (2x1gb) Ram @ 800mhz
$90 GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35
$75 320gb harddrive
$30 CD/DVD w/ lightscribe
$110 Corsair HX520 Power Supply

$300 8800gts 512mb
or
$240 8800gt 512mb

Cases:
$70 Coolermaster 690
$100 Antec 900
$140 Antec P182 (newegg has $50 rebate)

Optional:
$55 Thermalright 120 Extreme CPU Heatsink
$5-$20 120mm case fan to attach with the heatsink above

if you want 4gb of ram get 2x2gb and make sure u get a 64bit os. i might even go with the hx620 power supply if price diff with the hx520 isn't too much.

look around websites for good deals. here are a few websites:
newegg.com
clubit.com
buy.com
zipzoomfly.com
 
Answer the following questions so we could help you better:

  • What are you going to use the computer for? (It's the same question that NKDietrich asked; make sure you tell us everything you're planning on doing with this computer.)
  • Do you need just the computer tower, or will you also need a monitor and/or peripherals (keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.)?
  • Which parts, if any, are you transferring over from your old computer?
  • Are you including shipping costs within the $1000 budget? If so, so that we could make accurate shipping estimates, where is everything going to?
  • Which features do you need on your motherboard: RAID? Legacy ports? More than four SATA ports? eSATA? Dual Ethernet? Anything else?
  • How long are you planning on keeping this computer for? Will you be making upgrades to the computer during that time frame?
  • Do you plan on overclocking? Using a water-cooling setup?
  • What's the priority for your rig: Upgradability (now or in the future)? Speed? Quiet operation?
 
Haha, probably would of helped if I had given that kind of info. Sorry about that, was in a rush. But anyways...

1. I want to use the computer for a little bit of everything. Games (as new as possible), image editing, video (especially streaming to my xbox 360), music, virtualizing linux, but mostly just because I want to use something besides OS 10 (which I haven't done in a while)
2. For now I will just need the tower.
3. I'm transferring from a hand me down mac-mini, so none.
4. Yes, I intend the price to include shipping (though not for everything. If a local Fry's or Best Buy (where I work) has a cheaper price I'll get the item from there)
5. A motherboard is where I need the most help, as I know very little. So bear with me! I would like RAID, but I suppose I could just buy a controller later. More than four SATA ports, 7-8 if possible... eSATA would be nice, but not totally necessary.
6. I'll be keeping the computer as long as possible, and I plan on upgrading it during its life span.
7. I plan on over-clocking, and as for water-cooling; no I don't think so.
8. Speed and upgradeability would be my top two priorities, within the price range of course.

A few more questions. As a Best Buy Employee I get hefty discounts on certain items, such as a 700 watt PSU, by the brand Rocketfish (best buy house brand). My question is, does brand matter for something like a psu? Will I need an Antec or something, or will the off-brand suffice? Here's a link:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...upply&lp=4&type=product&cp=1&id=1175389041103

Also, I plan on keeping my mac-mini and would like to use it in conjuction with my PC. Any suggestions on a KVM switch, I need one that will do sound as well as video. I'm pretty sure they're mostly all the same, but I'll ask anyways.

Thanks for the help and suggests everyone, and I appreciate anymore help.
 
The PSU is arguably the single most important piece in your system -- a poor quality PSU can fail and kill everything else in the machine at once, or kill components slowly over time with out of spec DC ripple. Do not get that Rocketfish PSU. You're more than likely going to want a Corsair 520HX, 550VX, or 620HX. The HXs are modular (only use the cables you need, less clutter, better airflow/cable routing) but cost a bit more. The VX is non-modular, but tends to be ~$10-15 less than the 520HX. Again -- do /not/ cheap out here, and don't go Antec. Antec PSUs tend to be lower quality -- lower quality capacitors and an over-emphasis on silence, leaving them running hot and failing early. Expect to spend $70-140 for a good 500-600 watt supply, with the lower end of that range tending to be after rebate.

If you don't go with Corsair (very popular for a reason at the moment) stick to PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic, Silverstone, Enermax (not the Liberty line), Thermaltake (Toughpower line /only/), Etasis, and Zippy.

$275 - Q6600 G0 stepping CPU
$50 ($10 MIR, $40 AR) - Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 HSF
$140 - DFI P35 Dark P35-TR2S motherboard
$70-80 AR (look around) - Corsair 550VX PSU
$300 - 8800 GTS 512MB GPU
$100 - 4GB DDR2-800 CAS5 RAM
$70 (wait for $20-30 AR, happens pretty regularly) - Coolermaster RC-690 case
$10 - 2x 120mm Yate Loon mid speed 120mm fans
$115 - 500GB Seagate 7200.10 SATAII HDD
$30 - Samsung 20X SATA DVDRW

$1170 + shipping. Probably $1200 shipped, $1150 shipped AR or so. Swap the GTS with a Radeon HD 3870X2 for around $100-125 more if you want more graphics horsepower.
Swap out for the Antec P180/P182 if you want a quieter, slightly nicer case.
 
I forgot to ask a few other questions:
  • What's the most you are willing to spend on this computer?
  • What monitor(s) do you have/are you planning on getting?
  • (Assuming you have a monitor...) what resolution are you working/gaming at? What's the monitors native/maximum resolution?
  • Do you need an operating system? If so, does it have to be included within the budget?
silent-circuit's setup is good, but another board that you may want to consider is the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R ($129), which has eight SATA ports, one eSATA port (and, IIRC, an expansion port bracket that turns two of your internal SATA ports into eSATA ports), and onboard SATA RAID. (In case you want to use a RAID card instead, it also has 3 PCI slots.)

NewEgg and ZipZoomFly both have the Zerotherm Nirvana NV120, and both stores offer a $15 mail-in rebate at this moment.

If you plan on using 4GB of memory, stick with a 64-bit operating system. The 64-bit version of Vista (Home Premium is all you really need) is better supported, driver-wise, than Windows XP Pro. NewEgg sells an OEM single-user version for $112 with free shipping.

If you plan on gaming on a monitor with a resolution under 1680x1050 (a 20"-22" WS monitor), you can drop down to a 512MB 8800GT or an HD3870. If you want more graphics power, get the 3870x2 (as silent-circuit recommended earlier) or (a used) 8800GTX.

If you want to use your BB discount on something, use it on the case (the Antec 900 is a popular choice) and the KVM (I've never had a KVM not work for me, and I've used a few...).
 
tiraides said:
I forgot to ask a few other questions:
  • What's the most you are willing to spend on this computer?
  • What monitor(s) do you have/are you planning on getting?
  • (Assuming you have a monitor...) what resolution are you working/gaming at? What's the monitors native/maximum resolution?
  • Do you need an operating system? If so, does it have to be included within the budget?
silent-circuit's setup is good, but another board that you may want to consider is the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R ($129), which has eight SATA ports, one eSATA port (and, IIRC, an expansion port bracket that turns two of your internal SATA ports into eSATA ports), and onboard SATA RAID. (In case you want to use a RAID card instead, it also has 3 PCI slots.)

NewEgg and ZipZoomFly both have the Zerotherm Nirvana NV120, and both stores offer a $15 mail-in rebate at this moment.

If you plan on using 4GB of memory, stick with a 64-bit operating system. The 64-bit version of Vista (Home Premium is all you really need) is better supported, driver-wise, than Windows XP Pro. NewEgg sells an OEM single-user version for $112 with free shipping.

If you plan on gaming on a monitor with a resolution under 1680x1050 (a 20"-22" WS monitor), you can drop down to a 512MB 8800GT or an HD3870. If you want more graphics power, get the 3870x2 (as silent-circuit recommended earlier) or (a used) 8800GTX.

If you want to use your BB discount on something, use it on the case (the Antec 900 is a popular choice) and the KVM (I've never had a KVM not work for me, and I've used a few...).
Click to expand...
  • The most I would spend on the computer is $1300, including shipping and the such (mostly excluding rebates.)
  • Right now I am using an old Dell 19" CRT monitor, which I will be replacing with a 22" Dell WS LCD (most likely). Until I buy the Dell monitor I may connect the PC to my toshiba 32" lcd tv, using DVI to HDMI.
  • I don't really know the answer to this, I'll find out though. :p
  • I may not need an OS (as I can purchase one through my university) but I definitely want the 64-bit version, so if I can't get it through school, I will be buying one. (this does not need to be included in the budget)

I'm piecing together a system right now using newegg and most of silent-circus' reccommendations, I'll post it up later to get some feedback. Thanks a lot everyone.
 
enginurd said:
yes? no?
Click to expand...
I'm sure I do, I go in today, so I'll check. Do you know, off hand, if the processor I am looking at is eligible for a discount of some sort?

Also, here is the PC I pieced together, using mostly silent-circus' advice. I replaced the case as it provides tooless upgrades. It got pretty good reviews on Newegg, but if anyone has any other input it would be appreciated.

I chose the motherboard that tiraides suggested, though a $10 price difference isn't substantiel so I wouldn't mind spending it if the DFI board is marginally better.

As for the RAM, I was a little bit confused on which to choose, as a search brought several results, so clarification on that would be nice.

Thanks again for the continuing help.
 
The DFI is likely a better overclocker and has more BIOS settings available for tweaking, the Gigabyte has more SATA ports. Both have RAID and pretty much everything else.
 
The thing about DFI boards are that they are great for overclocking (as silent-circuit mentioned), but you have to fiddle with so many settings that some people tend to shun them.

The "name brands" for RAM are A-DATA, Buffalo, Corsair, Crucial, GEIL, G.Skill, Kingston, Mushkin, OCZ, Patriot, PQI, and TEAM Group. Because personal opinion plays a heavy role in people's choices, these "name brands" stand out for their customer service and their selling history. A-DATA and G.Skill are often recommended here because they provide excellent performance at low prices (G.Skill, IIRC, also has some of the best customer service around). For simplicity's sake, stick with a dual channel kit from either A-DATA or G.Skill. (If you find memory cheaper elsewhere -- from one of the above "name brands" -- then go ahead and get that instead.)

If you could find a Q6600 (Retail Edge or not) at a price lower than what's posted online, then go ahead and get it from BB. (Look for ones with the G0 revision -- it's also known as SLACR.) Here's a post that explains the Retail Edge program. (It's basically for those who work at retailers selling Intel components.) And here's the 2007 list.
 
I'd add PQI, TEAM Group, and Patriot to the above list.

Had nothing but good experiences with my PQI sticks.

Don't know much personally about TEAM Group, but some swear by them. Patriot tends to have good sticks but some questionable rebate practices. Not sure about customer support.

If you buy OCZ sticks make /sure/ you send the rebate out the day you get them in the mail. The window of opportunity to claim the rebate is ridiculously small -- sometimes less than 14 days after date of /purchase/.
 
The Intel Retail Edge would save you a lot of money since you get a quadcore CPU (Q6600 or Q6700), some Intel mobo (DG33) you could sell, and Vista Ultimate all for around $220 or $250... but you have to qualify. The CPU alone makes the deal. ;)
 
Hey everyone, I'm back haaha. I am pretty much set on all my hardware, but am just troubled as to which mobo to go with. I like the board silent-circuit posted, but now there is only an open box available and I'm iffy on that. Also, even though I won't be doing sli right away, I want the option too. With that addition, any help would be appreciated, as I am ordering everything else now. Thanks! :]

I'm thinking of going with the 9600GT over the 8800GTS. Any advice on this?

Here is my full build so far

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=7329792

hope that wprks, bleh
 
SLI is a now or never thing. Period. It'll make more sense to sell your card and buy a more powerful single card by the time adding a second card and going SLI starts to make sense. You either buy the board and both cards up front, or you avoid the mess that is Nvidia chipset boards entirely.

If you're buying two cards, the only SLI board I would even consider would be the MSI P7N Diamond.

If you go with one card, the P35-TR2S is in stock at Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Motherboards+-+Intel-_-DFI-_-13136043
 
silent-circuit said:
SLI is a now or never thing. Period. It'll make more sense to sell your card and buy a more powerful single card by the time adding a second card and going SLI starts to make sense. You either buy the board and both cards up front, or you avoid the mess that is Nvidia chipset boards entirely.

If you're buying two cards, the only SLI board I would even consider would be the MSI P7N Diamond.

If you go with one card, the P35-TR2S is in stock at Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Motherboards+-+Intel-_-DFI-_-13136043
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks again for the info.

Now my final question; is the 8800gts worth the extra one hundred or so dollars? I've read several articles and reviews and am still torn between the two. My main concern is longevity. Which will be good for longer?
 
What resolution are you running, again? 1680x1050, the GTS is your best bet. Below that, the GT is great. The GT is enough for now at 1680x1050, even, but the extra 16 stream processors and far superior HSF and higher clock speeds on the GTS will, I believe, mean it lasts longer for you.
 
It just depends on how much you want to spend. The 9600GT is the best card in its price range, but the 8800GTS 512 is the best card in its price range.
 
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