Message For [H]ardOCP Staff: Holiday System Build Guide...

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LeviathanV

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
247
Hello, in the past, I have always enjoyed your System Build Guides. I might have not bought everything exactly as you suggested but its a great place to start...

The last one you made, if I'm not mistaken was for the 2006 Holiday season... I think its time, and I would really appreciate if you would do one, the way you do them, you know. 1000 dolar budget, 1500 dolar budget, 500 dolar Upgrade...

This season I'm actually going for a 800 dolar budget, not including monitor...

Anyone out there misses the System Guides, show your support in this thread...

P.S. If you were already planning on doing one, pay no attetion here...

Thanks.
 
All they would need to do is link to GenHard, all the build advice possible. :cool:
 
We can help you here, too... just answer a few questions for more tailored responses:

What will you be doing with this system aside from gaming?
If gaming, on what size monitor, which games, and at what settings?
How often do you upgrade, and when do you see yourself upgrading this system?
What's included in that $800 budget (windows, kb, mouse, tax, shipping, etc)?
Are you in the USA?
 
System guides are great but you'll get a much better PC tailored to your needs if you ask for help here in the forums. So answer Enginurd's questions and we can help you.
 
though there is lots of good advice here, i really appreciate the in-depth commentary and the overall festive community-oriented feel of system bulid guide articles. my vote for one if y'all have time too.
 
....might get some traction in the "Forum Help and Feedback" forum. Food for thought....:cool:
 
enginurd said:
We can help you here, too... just answer a few questions for more tailored responses:

What will you be doing with this system aside from gaming?
If gaming, on what size monitor, which games, and at what settings?
How often do you upgrade, and when do you see yourself upgrading this system?
What's included in that $800 budget (windows, kb, mouse, tax, shipping, etc)?
Are you in the USA?
Click to expand...

I know, for my first build a few years back, the forums were very helpfull, I just thought i was over the whole "New system build, help please" type thread :p .. But here it goes:

My Last full build was 2 1/2 years ago with a small CPU upgrade half way through. And I wanna keep it that way, not have to upgrade for a while...

1) Mostly programming and some image editing and Web design, but the real reason I'm upgrading is for gaming. (UT3, Crysis, etc...)
2) 19" Dell (1440x900). I hate using an LCD monitor in any other resolution other than its native, so resolution is not negotiable... The settings is as high as my budget allows me to...
3) I see myself upgrading this system not often, perhaps just a cpu upgrade down the line.
4)The 800 dolar budget inlcudes: CPU, Mem, MB, GPU, PSU, Optical and (1)HDD.
5) I'm in Colombia, but my sister is in the states and shes bringing the stuff for me. Everything else in the system I will get here, but the 750 (had to shave 50 bucks) dolar budget is only for the stuff I'm getting there...

Spending some time in newegg, I had already come up with some stuff that came under that price, however I'm not sure about it... My biggest problem is with the mother board... I have no Idea whether to go with intel or nvidia chipset... I might want to do SLI later on, but don't want to sacrifice stability a support on a good chipset for the possibility of SLI..

What I check out:
1) CPU: Core 2 Duo Allendale 2.2 = $130
2) Mem: 2x1GB G.Skill 800Mhz = $60
3)MB: (???) = Hoping around 120 - 130 bucks.. less if possible but I want a decent board.
4) GPU: Crossing my fingers hoping for a $250 8800GT before Dic. 10th...
5) PSU: FSP Group 400 Watts (Decent, not great, but enough) = $50
6) Optical: Samsung SATA DVD-burner
7) HDD: 250GB Seagate to go with my other Seagate...

Should clarify that PSU will is for another PC... I'll keep my current PSU in the new build, an OCZ Modstream 450... haven't failed me so far... But it goes into the budget..

Most help I need is with the MB - Processor and Video...

thanks...

P.S. I still like System Build Guides...
 
You're on the right track.

What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? 2 PCI ports? If you don't need anything fancy, the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L or Abit IP35-E are good choices. If you want RAID, the DS3R is good. If you want Firewire, the Asus P5K(C) is good. If you want both RAID and Firewire, check out the Abit IP35 vanilla.

You wouldn't need SLI unless you upgraded your monitor. SLI as an upgrade path for the same monitor just isn't a good idea. You'll be better off selling your old card and putting that money towards your budget for a newer gen card instead. SLI is only worthwhile if you get a 24" (1920x1080+) monitor or larger. If and when you do get such a monitor, just upgrade your card at the same time. A single card solution can still feed a 2MP display. Since you only have a 19" monitor right now, just stick to a P35 chipset and a single vidcard unless you foresee yourself upgrading that monitor any time soon.

The 26A on the +12V rail of that OCZ PSU should be enough for your system. However, if you're buying a new PSU, you might as well get a better Corsair 450W and move the modstream to the other system. What are the specs of the other system?

$119 - Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz 2MB L2 Cache (BUNDLE w/ mobo)
$86 - Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
$76 - Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450W PSU ($10MIR)
$55 - G.Skill 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2-800 F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
$65 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200RPM SATA300 16MB Cache
$30 - Samsung 18X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ LightScribe Black SATA SH-S183L - OEM
==========
$431 + tax and shipping - $10MIR

That should leave enough room for the 8800GT. If you plan to OC past 3Ghz, you might want to pickup a better cooler:
$25 - Cooler Master RR-CCH-L9U1-GP 92mm Hyper TX2 ($20MIR)
 
Thanks for your reply....

Features of MoBo:
1) 2 at least, better 3 PCI slots
2) And just good Layout... I love a mobo with good layout.
3) Solid, I like ASUS because they just work... And they keep working... I've had PCChips, MSI, Abit, and ASUS, and ASUS is the most reliable in my experience, and that is the most important aspect for me...

Question: whats the difference between the P35 and the G33 Chipsets? And is intel the way to go and not nvidia, regardless of whether or not I'll be using SLI ?

The specs of the old system are the ones in my sig... I really like the OCZ and it has no failed me yet, so I would rather not spend too much on a new PSU... plus I like the modular configuration... And another thing, I saw a PSU review here a few weeks ago, and the Corsair didn't do too well against the competition in the mainstream category... Its didn't do bad either, but Im not sure about it...

I won't be overclocking, so getting a better cooler probably isn't nessesary ...
 
While the Gigabyte DS3L fits your needs, I'm not sure if you like the layout/colors or not. If you want Asus, check out the P5K series. Here's a side-by-side link. Figure out which one fits your needs best at the price you want to pay.

SLI is the only reason to get an NVIDIA chipset, IMO. The P35 boards are more stable and can OC better, and the chipset runs much cooler as well.

G33 has onboard video/graphics (its what the "G" is for). The P35 is their mainstream chipset.

Don't forget to take into account the age of the OCZ PSU. If its a few years old, I wouldn't use it on a new system that requires a lot of power. Though, as I said earlier, your system doesn't require that much power, so you should be fine with it. Just remember that PSUs don't last forever. If you want modular, the Corsair HX520 is better than your OCZ.

FYI, these Core2 chips are EASY to OC without compromising stability/reliability, and for $5 after rebate, that cooler is a pretty good deal, imo.
 
Thanks for the MoBo link... pretty great... I'll go for the P35...

Guess you are right in the age thing... That Corsair PSU looks pretty cool, anly problem is is too expensive for me... I know money spend on a good PSU is money very WELL spend, but I was hoping to spend no more than what I did on my current OCZ ( $75 ) I'll look around, doen't have to be modular, just preferred it that way....

I know oc is easy... I've done some mild amateur oc's in the past, but unless I can see some noticeable improvement in performance, and not just say 65 instead of 60 fps in a game, I'm talking improvement you can notice without using FRAPS, then why bother. Its not a question of skill but a matter of lazzyness... the system is bottlenecked by the video card anyway...
 
For PSUs, shop elsewhere aside from newegg. They seem to be the most expensive when it comes to PSUs. Try zipzoomfly, clubit, or even buy.com instead. The HX520 goes on sale for $80AR every so often, but its usually found for $90AR.
 
You know, its funny, I used to shop around a lot when it came to buying, but I found that the overall savings did not compensate having to keep track of your stuff coming from 3 - 4different shops... And since newegg always offered good prices with excellent service I just stuck with it.

But you are right, I should shop around see what I find, at least with the PSU... I'll check it out and let you know what I found.

I'm hoping for some Thanksgiving sales... do you think there will be ? do online stores have thankgiving sales ?
 
I don't think I've ever ordered all the parts, for an entire computer, all from the same place, lol. I shop everywhere, lol. I also look at the final cost, shipped and taxed. If I only save a few (~$10) bucks by going elsewhere, then I may consider just getting it all from one place. I also try to avoid rebates if at all possible. There will definately be some online deals for black friday, but you have to be quick... so don't lollygag. :p
 
jeje ... of course not...

I too also avoid rebates... Unless its an instant rebate I ignore it... Honestly, if I get 20 bucks back 3 - 4 months later, it doesn´t mean much to me... Maybe if its like a 100 dolar rebate or something, other wise I ignore them...
 
I once ordered my bro's entire PC from newegg, despite the higher costs, thinking that everything would've came in on the same day. Well I thought wrong. Damn parts came in over the period of 3-4 days.

Now whenever I build a PC for fdz, I shop around. Saves money.
 
Danny Bui said:
I once ordered my bro's entire PC from newegg, despite the higher costs, thinking that everything would've came in on the same day. Well I thought wrong. Damn parts came in over the period of 3-4 days.

Now whenever I build a PC for fdz, I shop around. Saves money.
Click to expand...


Its not about getting them the same day, its about not having to check 3 different sites for the status of my order... But if the savings are considerable, then it would be worth it...
 
LeviathanV said:
Its not about getting them the same day, its about not having to check 3 different sites for the status of my order... But if the savings are considerable, then it would be worth it...
Click to expand...

Heh, you're lazier than I am, and I consider myself pretty DAMN lazy, lol! It only takes a few minutes longer to track other packages -- I don't consider it an inconvenience nor a nuissance. I'm used to ordering from different sites because not all sites have the deals I'm cashing in on.
 
enginurd said:
Heh, you're lazier than I am, and I consider myself pretty DAMN lazy, lol! It only takes a few minutes longer to track other packages -- I don't consider it an inconvenience nor a nuissance. I'm used to ordering from different sites because not all sites have the deals I'm cashing in on.
Click to expand...

Sloth is the mother of all vices, But mother is mother and you have to respect her... jeje..

Actually, more than laziness its about not having to create accounts and input my credit data on a lot of different sites... well it is laziness... but also for security...
 
LeviathanV said:
Sloth is the mother of all vices, But mother is mother and you have to respect her... jeje..

Actually, more than laziness its about not having to create accounts and input my credit data on a lot of different sites... well it is laziness... but also for security...
Click to expand...

I have two friends, one does everything online (shops, banks, etc) and the other does NOTHING online (he's paranoid like you). Guess which one has been a victim of CC fraud? and not online once... but TWICE! lol.
 
enginurd said:
I have two friends, one does everything online (shops, banks, etc) and the other does NOTHING online (he's paranoid like you). Guess which one has been a victim of CC fraud? and not online once... but TWICE! lol.
Click to expand...

Paranoid ?? If I was paranoid I would never buy anything online. Do not mistake paranoia with prudence... I also use internet for everything... remember, I'm lazy, I 'ld rather go online than go to the bank... I use the internet for a LOT for payments and others... But this is severely off topic... please lets just forget about it...

FYI: Your friend wasn't a victim of CC fraud because he didn't shop online or becuase he's paranoid, he was a victim of CC fraud because, forgive my bluntness, he is ignorant on the matter... thats not an insult, its a fact. Most people fall victims to fraud out of ignorance... and lack of common sense...

Voltaire said: "Common sense is not so common." This is one of the great truths of life.
 
Well, he's not ignorant. He's very careful about all that stuff because his parents fell victim to it as well, but yes, this is off-topic.

There are several other sites with build guides... did you check them out? Anandtech, ArsTechnica, etc.
 
You are missing to point. Sure I've checked out other sites, but If I enjoyed those better, I wouldn't be here. Its not just about checking out the hardware, its about seeing what they do with a particular budget...

I like HardOCP, it was the first site I ever trusted when it came to hardware reviews. I have been coming here for hardware reviews and tech news since January 2001. My Join date may say 2005, but thats only because I lost my previous user and password. And I always liked HardOCP System Build Guides... and trusted them and I just wanted them back, in case they had dropped them.

But thanks for all your good advice regarding the system. I'll try to make room on the budget for the Corsair HX PSU, and I'll get the ASUS P35 chipset MB...

So far, the cheapest Corsair HX 520 I've found is at ClubIT $98.00 . It has a 10 MIR but I wont be using it... I'll keep looking...
 
Heh, I wasn't missing your point, I was asking if you checked out any of the other build guides. :p I, too, would still like to see HardOCP's build guide.
 
Opps... sorry, guess I'm a little touchy today... Actually I haven't checked them out lately... I will tho...

One question, black friday is the 23rd right ? and do the sales usually last only that day or do they last the weekend ?
 
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which yes, this year is on the 23rd. Deals for Black Friday vary, I suppose some might last the weekend, some might last the day, and some only last for *hours* or less. There are quite a few people who camp out or arrive at very early hours for Black Friday deals, cause even if the deal might last for the whole day or weekend, a lot of places sell out their supply rapidly. I haven't looked for online deals on Black Friday either, but I'd probably imagine they would run quickly too, so if you really want to do the Black Friday thing, don't oversleep.
 
Most deals are in-store. Some online deals pop up for a few hours here and there, but the bulk of the great deals are at B&M stores. Theres a black friday preview section at fatwallet.com: http://www.fatwallet.com/c/1/ If its a good deal, it'll most likely be out of stock before the weekend.
 
I guess I'm not really hopefull, but I'm not buying anything yet just in case... with a $100 PSU I go over budget...

I've been an AMD owner for 7 years in a row now, (XP2000, XP2700, AMD64 3000, FX-55) and am changing to intel for obvious reasons, but I might go for a cheaper AMD procesor and compatible-board instead... or would that just be a bad idea right now... ?

What would be a comparable AMD right now to an intel C2D Allendale 2.2 GHz ? Main interest is multimedia and gaming...
 
You can try the VX450 or the XCLIO Goodpower if you are looking for good reliable sub $100 power supplies. Try checking out jonnyguru's site also and see if there is a well rated power supply that fits into the ~500w range that is probably your budget and check their prices.

As for ways to shave money, while it isn't as fast as the 8800GT, you might consider looking into ATI's HD3870 or HD3850. It just came out (or will be shortly), and the reviews are generally favorable given its pricing. I haven't seen any available as of yet, but the 3870 runs about 50-70 dollars cheaper than what 8800GT's are going for at the moment, and the 3850 is even lower.

Sorry that I can't help you a ton with a good AMD configuration, but someone else hopefully can.
 
Well the closest AMD CPU that I know of thats comparable with the E4500 is the X2 5200+ which retails for about $120, about the same as the E4500 ($119). Considering that you really won't save that much money, I say stay with the Intel build. It' has a bit more potential power than an AMD setup. And by potential power I mean overclocking and compatibility with Intel's new Penryn CPUs.

Also, since the costs of a PSU is bothering you, here are some other PSU recommendations. Note that none of them are modular:
Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W PSU - $68
Corsair VX450 450W PSU - $76
Corsair VX550 550W PSU - $87

Also I second the recommendation for the ATI cards if you're feeling cash-strapped.
 
If that is the case, then i'll stay with the intel build... Unless I win that AMD X2 5000+ Black Edition... jejeje...

I really want Modular, since I'm not really a genious at cable management, and Modular PSUs make it easier, impoving the all important airflow...

I just read the [H] review on the Ati 3870/50 ... Pretty interesting... Not better than the 8800GT, but at the price range... If you get a 8800GT at 250, that would be the sweet spot, but 290 Vs 220 ... that a big diference... Maybe, maybe not... Still have time to hope for a price reduction on the 8800GT...
 
If I dont find a 8800GT at MSRP by early christmas.. Im definitely getting a 3870... only problem would be getting one of those.... They are sold out at newegg, i'll check others strores to see...
 
Ok, just finished ordering my new build... this is how it came up

ClubIT (+$16 Shipping)
CORSAIR 520HX = $99.99
Gigabyte DS3L = $85.70
E6550 2.33G G0 Stepping = $176.99

DELL
XFX Geforce 8800GT 512MB = $251,99 Shipped


Newegg (Free Shipping)
G.Skill 2GB(2x1024) 800MHz = $49.99
Seagate Barracuda 250GB 7200 RPM = $69.99
SAMSUNG SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner = $31.99
Unreal Tournament 3 = $44.99

Grand Total = $828 ...
 
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