dream pc - need input

V

varney

n00b
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
56
ive been saving $2000 to build my dream pc - a powerhouse shuttle

ive never built a computer before, most i've ever done is install a video and sound card
so im pretty nervous about the whole thing :O

anyways this is my system
http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishHistoryReview.asp?position=HISTORY&submit=VIEW&ID=1399467

im wondering if everything matches right, if everything will go smooth when i start building

any other input is also appreciated

thanks
varney
 
I don't know much about SFF but those CAS timings on that ram are high. everything else is a go, any one else out there know about DDR2 CAS timmings, are those on these Geil 's too high?

EDIT: Almost forgot, building is scary the first time, espacially because you don't want to mess up all your components, take it slow and read all the instructions that come with the hardware. It's not that [H]ard! :D
 
I wouldn't be too comfortable putting a raptor in a SFF box, because of the heat. You don't have much room in those small boxes.
 
with all the reviews ive read about my shuttles cooling system, its supposed to be one of the best cooling systems for a SFF, with HD cooling
 
If you want to have top of the line PC then you should go for AMD based Shuttle. The best SN25P with Nvidia Nforce 4 chipset.
( http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=56-101-468&depa=0 ) .

For the same money as the intel system you will get 64bit CPU as opposes to 32-bit ( 64-bit Windows XP is coming out next month) way much faster CPU (especially in games) (3500+ as oppose to 3.2Ghz). Also AMD based systems run cooler and therefore are more quiet then their intel counterparts.

( http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-460&depa=1 )

Another thing is that with the intel system requiresh DDR2 which is very expensive and not faster then regular DDR . AMD based system with regular DDR outperforms INTEL system with DDR2. For the money of DDR2 you can buy high quality DDR memory with low timings (CAS 2 or even lower) and better overclocking capabilities.

( http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-144-517&depa=0 )

:)
 
Pro, Burner, Look into Maxtor Diamondmax Drive (Holds 300GB for same price and MaxPC says its right on the Raptor's tail in benches), Especially when goin for a nice videocard like that I'd look into AMD (3500+?) for gaming. If your planning on intense encoding or video work, or anything else that would lead you to Intel thats another story. If not I'd strongly consider AMD.
 
not to start a cpu war, but you could get a more powerful and cheaper machine with an AMD 64 and a Shuttle that supports it.
 
ncantador said:
I wouldn't be too comfortable putting a raptor in a SFF box, because of the heat. You don't have much room in those small boxes.
Click to expand...
A raptor will be fine, especially since he's going to be using a P chassis.
 
Vulcanus said:
A raptor will be fine, especially since he's going to be using a P chassis.
Click to expand...

I guess I'm a little behind on the times when it comes to SFF. I know raptors are blazingly fast drives but with only 74GB I personally would pass it up for a larger drive myself, and switch to a DVD burner. With your processor choice, and with Longhorn due out this year, I would'nt be too concerned about the OS.
 
varney said:
ive been saving $2000 to build my dream pc - a powerhouse shuttle

ive never built a computer before, most i've ever done is install a video and sound card
so im pretty nervous about the whole thing :O

anyways this is my system
http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishHistoryReview.asp?position=HISTORY&submit=VIEW&ID=1399467

im wondering if everything matches right, if everything will go smooth when i start building

any other input is also appreciated

thanks
varney
Click to expand...

Check out this link and read the reviews on page of this thread..
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=873940&page=4

I just built the Shuttle SN25P for just about 2 grand and some change yesterday.
Here is my new system
SN25P
Athlon 4000+
Corsair XMS PC3200XL 2-2-2-5
WD 160 gig 7200rpm Sata HD
HP DVD/RW "lightscribe" duel layer 16x
ATI Radeon x800Xl 256 meg
Linksys Wireless USB 54g
Hauppage WinTV/FM USB
Saitek Eclipse lighted keyboard
MS Intellimouse Exploere wireless
floppy drive - i still need one !

I also gave a short critique on setting it up in the link above. Not bad, a lot easier for a nOOb then a full build. You can't go wrong with any Shuttle and if you have done
upgrades you can do this. The only scary part will be installing the CPU correctly,
but if your at least 1/2 way mechanical like me no problem.

Even after building systems for 15 years I still shutter when I press the power button
for the first time on a new box.
 
Okay, I'll ask the obvious (unasked) question:

Varney, what are you primarily going to use this system for?

If "gaming" is the answer, then the comments by bbc20000 and others about AMD-based systems and the SN25P are probably best listened to. It was a little hard to find these babies a few weeks ago, but now they seem to be available at many e-tailers (as opposed to "e-tailors," who make nice suits for your Matrix Online characters). The forums across the WorldWastedWeb all agree, the AMD rules the roost for gaming.

If "video rendering" and "working on my statistics Ph.D. research at home" are the answers, continue on in your pursuit of the Pentium.

I want to game. I just bought a SN25P barebones, and also was considering the Raptor 10k RPM drive as part of the package (read: I'm buying components as I can afford them!).

I will run Win2K on this system, because I have it and it is enough. It also doesn't have the obnoxious footprint on HD drive space that WinXP does. Given that, the 74 GB space seems just fine. I probably won't install every game on the drive I can get my hands on, so that won't be an issue either.

I will, however, at some point, attach a second hard drive of around 300 GB size into the Shuttle box for storing MP3s and my lossless file format music. I intend to use this as a media player/television (I have no T.V., I want no T.V., but I like movies and want to play my music).

So, Varney. Are you a packrat? Are you an application collector? Must every game you play stay on your drive forever, even if you aren't playing it anymore? Are you going to use this thing as a media player, too, and store music on it?

No? Then I think you're fine with the 74 GB Raptor, although on another post, there were some concerns about the noise level of the drive in a SFF box . . . anyone know any more about that? [tangent regarding noise level of 10k RPM drive in SFF: http://forums.anandtech.com/message...eyword=&STARTPAGE=2&FTVAR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear ; bottom of page, next-to-last and last post)

Seriously think about the AMD option, if it fits, and also, on another sub-topic, if you are gaming, determine what games you are going to play the most and tailor your video card purchase to that - - search the forums and find out the "best" card for that game.

Long-winded, but [H]opefully [H]elpful.

-hk
 
hey dont worry about building your shuttle.

i had the same nervousness when i put mine together (also my first rig) and afterwards it was i thought it was silly that i was nervous.

actually for me it was very scary because my friend was helping me and he seated the heatsink crooked. my comp kept stalling out and then finally i looked in the bios and saw the temp was 90C. that gave me a whole bunch of "omg i broke it" thoughts which really freaked me out. but then i just resat the heatsink, started it up and it ran like a dream. good luck and be weary of the heatsink, its kinda tricky
 
im building this system just for gaming, the reason i picked a shuttle is so i can bring it to BYOC events like the CPL and other U.S lan events

im not interested in burning dvd's or cd's since i have another pc that belongs to the whole family that can do both

i play CS, CS:S, Doom 3
 
varney said:
im building this system just for gaming, the reason i picked a shuttle is so i can bring it to BYOC events like the CPL and other U.S lan events

im not interested in burning dvd's or cd's since i have another pc that belongs to the whole family that can do both

i play CS, CS:S, Doom 3
Click to expand...

Then you really want the SN25P....
 
im not really familar with anything AMD, if i were to get an amd shuttle, what cpu should i get
 
Socket 939, it seems 3500+ is a great deal for the money right now, 3800+ is a decent ammount faster, but of course more $. I'd look into those and see what you have the funds for. If you really wanna go all out FX-53/FX-55 is where its at :D
 
Might consider the 3800 then as it's $385 on Newegg, possibly better if you shop around.
 
just get the 3500+ and buy some more RAM :p

EDIT: I bought my ram in a 1GB stick, (although they don't clock as high, have worse timings w/e) just so I have room to expand. There are only 2 dimms and support for 2GB max.
 
/agree *.*

:)

Ya, stick to your budget, get a 3200 or 3500 and don't sweat the processors numbers game. Nice thread recently on [H]ardforum regarding the "numbers game" that could help settle your mind : http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=880419 . It allowed me to sleep better at night and not be traumatized about the choice to go with a 3800+

Now . . . go build it! And then post sweet pictures of yourself looking psyched and fragging people!

Still working on my SN25P build (read:low on 'da dough, barebones box only right now, it's just sitting in my computer room, looking lonely . . .).

-hk
 
Man this box needs to come up north already! :mad: :mad:

If anyone sees a canadian retailer - online or B&M - carrying this, please inform!
 
you guys really should let him choose whatever cpu he wants in there....
he is not going to "see" (and i use that word relative to your eyes ability to see frames) a performance differance from 1 intel processor to the comperable amd processor.... not to mention with the video card he has chosen, he could put it with an Athlon XP 2500+ and run smoothly... and dont take this post the wrong way and start calling me an intel bias.... i happen to be posting this message on my latest machine i just built for myself... the SN25P... i have 4 machines total, and they are broken down equally... 2 full sized computers (1 amd 1 intel) and 2 SSF computers (1 amd 1 intel) and the slowest of which being a Northwood 2.8 P4 (my intel mini)
i see nothing wrong with any of his desions.... they all look grade A to me.... i think i recall someone complaining about his memory timings, but that shouldent matter too much, cuz there isnt a single piece of DDR2 out there that does CAS's much better than CL3... its just the nature of the beast at this point....

if i were you varney... i would hit the checkout button with no regrets...
 
Vapor1000 said:
you guys really should let him choose whatever cpu he wants in there....
he is not going to "see" (and i use that word relative to your eyes ability to see frames) a performance differance from 1 intel processor to the comperable amd processor.... not to mention with the video card he has chosen, he could put it with an Athlon XP 2500+ and run smoothly... and dont take this post the wrong way and start calling me an intel bias.... i happen to be posting this message on my latest machine i just built for myself... the SN25P... i have 4 machines total, and they are broken down equally... 2 full sized computers (1 amd 1 intel) and 2 SSF computers (1 amd 1 intel) and the slowest of which being a Northwood 2.8 P4 (my intel mini)
i see nothing wrong with any of his desions.... they all look grade A to me.... i think i recall someone complaining about his memory timings, but that shouldent matter too much, cuz there isnt a single piece of DDR2 out there that does CAS's much better than CL3... its just the nature of the beast at this point....

if i were you varney... i would hit the checkout button with no regrets...
Click to expand...

I'ts a matter of taste and I think people are just making suggestions. After building
systems for years myself, I find that buying top components actually allows me to
upgrade less and build a new one less often.
 
Vapor1000 said:
you guys really should let him choose whatever cpu he wants in there....
he is not going to "see" (and i use that word relative to your eyes ability to see frames) a performance differance from 1 intel processor to the comperable amd processor.... not to mention with the video card he has chosen, he could put it with an Athlon XP 2500+ and run smoothly... and dont take this post the wrong way and start calling me an intel bias.... i happen to be posting this message on my latest machine i just built for myself... the SN25P... i have 4 machines total, and they are broken down equally... 2 full sized computers (1 amd 1 intel) and 2 SSF computers (1 amd 1 intel) and the slowest of which being a Northwood 2.8 P4 (my intel mini)
i see nothing wrong with any of his desions.... they all look grade A to me.... i think i recall someone complaining about his memory timings, but that shouldent matter too much, cuz there isnt a single piece of DDR2 out there that does CAS's much better than CL3... its just the nature of the beast at this point....

if i were you varney... i would hit the checkout button with no regrets...
Click to expand...

Vapor-

Sweet!

Off-topic: since you *have* the SN25P and some other AMD and Intel boxes, maybe you wouldn't mind taking some time to compare that build with your others in the SFF forum?? I would really like to read that . . .

-hk
 
no prob HardKard....
what info u want on them???? and any perticular threads you want info posted in???
my intel mini is a FIC VL67 /w Northwood 2.8 that i built back mid 2003 (was 2.66gig then)...
i just got done with stock benhmarking on the SN25P today..

my specs of the 2 mini's are (specs are taken down to the T)
===Primary Mini===
-Fic VL67 Barebone Mini Case
-CFI 220w Mini PSU
-Fic VL67 Barebone Mini Motherboard
-Intel Pentium 4 2.8c/800mhz Processor
-1GB Mushkin PC3200 Level1 Memory (2-3-2)
-Western Digital WD2500JD 7200RPM/8mb 250GB Hard Drive
-MSI 6600GT AGP 128MB Video Card
-Sound Blaster Audigy 2
-Onboard 10/100 NIC
-Plextor 712A 12x/8x/16x DVD-+RW
-Teac 1.44MB Floppy (oh yea!!! still sporting the floppy)
-Swiftech MCX478V Heatsink w/FIC Stock 70mm Blue LED Fan
-Stock NB Heatsink
-Stock VGA Heatsink
-2x 60mm Aluminum 29cfm Fans
-1x Stock Standard Floppy Cable
-1x Stock Standard IDE Cable
-1x UV Blue SATA Cable

===Secondary Mini===
-Shuttle SN25P Barebone Mini Case
-SilentX 350w Mini PSU
-Shuttle SN25P Barebone Mini Motherboard
-AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (1.8ghz) Socket 939 Processor
-512MB Mushkin PC3500 Level1 Memory (2-3-3)
-Western Digital WD400EB 5400RPM/2mb 40GB Hard Drive
-PNY 6600GT PCIe 128MB Video Card
-Onboard Via 8.1 Sound
-Onboard 10/100/1000 NIC
-HP 8100i 4x2x24x CD-RW
-Teac 1.44MB Floppy (oh yea!!! still sporting the floppy)
-Stock SN25P Heatsink
-Stock NB Heatsink
-Stock VGA Heatsink
-2x Stock 60mm Black Xhost Fans
-1x 70mm Black Fan (CPU Duct)
-1x 80mm Black Fan (CPU Duct)
-2x 60mm Black Fan (Rear Exhost)
-1x Stock Standard Floppy Cable
-1x Stock Standard IDE Cable
 
Vapor1000 said:
you guys really should let him choose whatever cpu he wants in there....
he is not going to "see" (and i use that word relative to your eyes ability to see frames) a performance differance from 1 intel processor to the comperable amd processor.... not to mention with the video card he has chosen, he could put it with an Athlon XP 2500+ and run smoothly... and dont take this post the wrong way and start calling me an intel bias.... i happen to be posting this message on my latest machine i just built for myself... the SN25P... i have 4 machines total, and they are broken down equally... 2 full sized computers (1 amd 1 intel) and 2 SSF computers (1 amd 1 intel) and the slowest of which being a Northwood 2.8 P4 (my intel mini)
i see nothing wrong with any of his desions.... they all look grade A to me.... i think i recall someone complaining about his memory timings, but that shouldent matter too much, cuz there isnt a single piece of DDR2 out there that does CAS's much better than CL3... its just the nature of the beast at this point....

if i were you varney... i would hit the checkout button with no regrets...
Click to expand...


I think that it does matter what you buy because 10% slowe cpu might mean playing games in lower resolution with less details etc.. I do not understand how can anyone recommend CPU which is already obsolute ? I mean Intel is about (or already has ) to stop producing 5xx series CPUs. AMD is simply better choice now because it is faster and it is 64-bit and is less expensive. If you really want to go for Intel then you should consider 6xx series CPUs with 64-bit architechture not 5xx. However, 6xx CPUs are awfully expensive and not really faster than 5xx.
 
varney said:
ive been saving $2000 to build my dream pc - a powerhouse shuttle
...
Click to expand...
It should be a rule, that you answer the 5 doubleya's (who what when where...) type of stuff.

Please be more specific at the first post, so I dont have to read through 2 pages to figure this out.

Small computers always run hotter, if your aiming for low noise levels. Theres just not enough room to get good airflow, or a big fatty good ole' american sized heatsink. Things are more expensive, and you have to consider your expansion slots.

I would recoment a Micro ATX/Mid ATX case over a shuttle, unless you drive a mazda miata and like to lanparty.
 
Vapor1000 said:
no prob HardKard....
what info u want on them???? and any perticular threads you want info posted in???
my intel mini is a FIC VL67 /w Northwood 2.8 that i built back mid 2003 (was 2.66gig then)...
i just got done with stock benhmarking on the SN25P today..
Click to expand...

Got it all set up and running? Nice. Someday mine will be, too (freaking paychecks should really be spaced closer together!! Gotta talk to the boss about that . . .).

I suppose you could post some "impressions/wishes/would definately do/don't do" over at the "SN25P" thread: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=873940

Noise? Gaming speed compared to your other rigs? Pleasure factor?

Just an idea, no worries . . . For those of us still in the process of shopping it out and considering one component over another, you could have some good advice for the sweaty, unwashed masses . . .

-hk
 
Decelerate said:
Ah thanks! Price seems to be ok for me. Wonder if they have it in stock..

Edit: ever bought from them? are they reputable/reliable?
Click to expand...

Yes they are reliable. I bought some parts from them a few times. Newer a problem. Myself I am getting ST20G5.
 
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