First Intel Build Ever! Need Input Before Clicking BUY!

J

Juggafat

Gawd
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
640
This is my first Intel build ever...I have a budget of $1000 and this came out to $992 out of pocket and $897 after MIR. Any suggestions or substitutions?

I'm currently gaming on a 27" Viewsonic 720p LCD TV at 1280x720 but I'm buying a 4870 just in case a 24" monitor screams out at me.

Case: Antec Three Hundred - $50
Mobo: DFI Lanparty DK X38-T2RB - $180
CPU: Q6600 - $180
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 120mm Rifle with Bracket - $32 after MIR
Ram: OCZ Platinum DDR2-800 (2 x 4GB) - $50 after MIR
GPU: Visiontek 4870 - $250 after MIR
HDD: WD Digital Caviar WD6400AAKS - $85
Power Supply: OCZ StealthXtreme 600W - $45 after MIR
Optical: Samsung 22X DVD Burner - $25
 
The biggest issue I see is that you're buying an older processor (although it is a good one). If you're gaming, 4-cores may not be the best choice for awhile. I would get an E8400 or E8500 for about the same money.

If you're not going with a 64-bit OS, 4GB is more than you'll need.
 
The biggest issue is the PSU: It's a bad choice. It's based off the FSP Episilon PSU design which has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that can damage or kill your system. Granted, you may not reach such high loads but why pay for a PSU that can kill your system?

So I recommend getting this PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $98

Yes it's a bit overkill but you get a SIGNIFICANT increase in quality.

Everything else looks good to me.
 
Danny Bui said:
The biggest issue is the PSU: It's a bad choice. It's based off the FSP Episilon PSU design which has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that can damage or kill your system. Granted, you may not reach such high loads but why pay for a PSU that can kill your system?

So I recommend getting this PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $98

Yes it's a bit overkill but you get a SIGNIFICANT increase in quality.

Everything else looks good to me.
Click to expand...

+1 to the PSU recommendation.
 
FInd someone who has that videocard and case to make sure it fits. my 4870 BARELY fits my 900 ( less than 1 inch from HD cage.
 
I will definitely be looking at different power supplies. I chose the OCZ stealthXtreme more cause of the price and the fact that I won't be running a ton of hard drives or OC'ing like crazy. Are ALL of the OCZ power supplies built off of the old epsilon design i.e. gameXstream series? I was looking at the gameXstream as well as teh Enermax Liberty. I was looking at the PSU Tier Guide.

I chose a Q6600 because the Intel dual cores were about the same price and I was gonna OC the Q6600 fo 3ghz. Would a Q6600 at 3ghz be comparable to an E8500 in gaming ability?

Yeah I need to figure out if there will be some fitment issues with the 4870 in the Antec 300 case and also the Xigmatek 120mm Rifle cooler on the DFI DK X38-T2RB.

Thanks guys you are super helpful.

Danny Bui you are Vietnamese? What the con heo!?
 
An E8500 can OC as high as an E8400, so if theres any price premium for the higher model, its not worth it, IMO. The E8400 OC'd to 4Ghz would outperform the Q6600 OC'd to 3.6Ghz. However, that difference is negligible once you get into the resolutions of 1680x1050 and higher -- where you're more GPU bound than CPU bound. For pure gaming, the E8400 would be better. For longevity (you want to keep the system for more than 3 yrs), the quadcore would be better assuming future apps/games made better use of multicore processors.

edit: The extreme OC'ing link may be outdated, lol, but the JG links should work fine.

PSU Suggestions:
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showpost.php?p=1590883&postcount=193
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1460
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103
PSU FAQ: http://www.jonnyguru.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1036
 
Yeah I looked around for a recent PSU guide but the Xtreme OC'ing one was the most recent one I could find and was over 2 years old. Man picking a PSU is a toughie when you don't want shell out a ton of cash. I'm only gonna be running a Q6600 at 3ghz, 4gb of ddr2 800, 2 hard drives, and a 4870 so I think a quality 500W PSU should do.

I'm probably gonna stick with the quad. I'm hoping this build will last me a few years so I'm not going with any crazy OC's plus I'm hoping a quad will pay off in the long run.

Thanks to everyone who replied...you guys are super insightful.
 
Juggafat said:
Are ALL of the OCZ power supplies built off of the old epsilon design i.e. gameXstream series?
Click to expand...

No, not all OCZ PSUs are based off the Epsilon design. But the vast majority are though. Yes the GameXStream series is based off the Episilon design.

Juggafat said:
Danny Bui you are Vietnamese? What the con heo!?
Click to expand...

Rydawg5143 said:
Viet? I pictured him as living in California!
Click to expand...

LOL! Yes I'm Vietnamese, born, and raised in California. :)

Anyway while yes a quality 500W PSU will be enough for your rig, theproblem is that most quality 500W PSUs are almost the same price as the Corsair 750W PSU I recommended earlier. So I recommend getting the Corsair 750W PSU since it's a freakin' steal at $100 (MSRP is $180)
 
I can't believe the TX750 is still so cheap.

Anyhow, you're safe with any Corsair PSU, lol. Stick to Corsair, Seasonic, Antec Earthwatts/Neo, Silverstone, PC P&C, Thermaltake Toughpower and PurepowerRX, and you should be fine. For confirmation, just ask about the specific model.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top