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Building a new computer - thoughts on my choices?

Discussion in 'Community Broadband & Computers' started by Mr. Linux, Jul 17, 2007.

  1. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    I've reached the point where it's time for me to build a new computer for myself, since my last home-built one just hit 4 years old. As such, I've put together a list of components that I'm looking at and was wondering if anyone had any experience with any of the pieces I've chosen:

    • Antec Sonata III case, including a EarthWatts 500 Watt power supply
    • EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
    • EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card
    • Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600
    • CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5
    • Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

    Intel is releasing it's new set of Core Duo processors which run at the faster FSB of 1300Mhz, so more than likely, I'll probably go with the newer E6750 (2.66Ghz) which is supposed to go for less than $200.

    Any thoughts/experience on the above components?

    Thanks!



     
  2. brim

    brim Member

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  3. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Yea, read up on that board yesterday; very cool, but it was out of my price range and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why someone would need 4 gigabit ports on a desktop :) I would have only put 2, and added more USB ports, since this one only has 4.

    I was actually looking at the Raptors; decided on just going with one large HD. I was a tad concerned about the powersupply being a tad underpowered, once I throw in the DVD drive, etc. I checked my config through 2-3 different powersupply calculators, and they all gave me about a 20-25% buffer, so I should be ok, even if I add one or two additional drives.
     
  4. Gun Ohna

    Gun Ohna New Member

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    Linux.

    I've been looking to build a new computer myself. can you send me a pricelist of your components??
     
  5. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    Mr. Linux;

    The one thing that jumps out at me is that the power supply does not appear to be SLI rated. Also - is it modular - that is, can you remove the power cords you are not using?
     
  6. brim

    brim Member

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    Oh...re: the Sonata. I like the Antec SLK3000B. It's a lot like the Sonata series as far as features go, has more interior space for better ventilation, doesn't come with a PSU (which allows you to pick a nice modular/efficient PSU) and is a lot cheaper.

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=93000

    It's pretty generic looking but I'm fine with that. As far as PSUs, I'm using an Antec NeoHE 550 in my main computer and a NeoHE 430 in the HTPC. Both are modular, quiet and very efficient.
     
  7. afgm

    afgm Ashburn Farm Resident

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    A good source for PC parts is Affinity Computing over in Sterling, right off of 606 heading into Herndon. Small business and knowledgeable. 2305 Douglas Ct. Ste. 140, 703-397-9451. I've been using them for a couple months now. May be worth checking out.
     
  8. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    All my components will be purchased through either Newegg http://www.newegg.com or MicroCenter http://www.microcenter.com

    Here is a link to my NewEgg 'wishlist' for this system. I might not buy all the components there, depending on where I can find the best prices, but I maintain the main list there: https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...tNumber=5252146&WishListTitle=New+System+2007

    Newegg's prices and selection are pretty hard to beat, even including shipping. Microcenter has GREAT prices on CPU's; in fact, their standard policy is to now BEAT any CPU price that Newegg advertises. That means I can get the cpu locally and return it locally if need be, and avoid shipping charges. Sure, I still pay taxes, but it comes out to a tad less and is more convenient. If you look at the setup I described above, you're looking at about $1000-$1100, depending on how aggressive you are with shopping around, mail-in rebates (yech!), etc... In regards to Microcenter, while they have aggressive prices on CPU's, stay away from other components, such as memory and video cards; they're prices aren't even close to being competitive for those components.

    Yea, you're right about the Antec Earthwatts not being SLI rated, but I personally think that the 80 Plus 'specification' meets my needs. I've read about 12 reviews from folks using this particular PS/case combo in an SLI setup with no issues at all. No, it's not modular either. I was debating going with a different case and pick my own PS, but that increased my costs by almost $100, which is an extra 10% on top of what I already put together. I'm open to some convincing though ;)

    Yea, I looked at that case, since it's basically a newer version of the old Antec case I currently have. two things bothered me though; it's tall, and I'm trying to move to something shorter than I currently use. Also, it comes with a 400watt PS, so I would have to pull that out and put in a NeoHE 550 like you mentioned. At about $95 for the case and another $100 for the PS, I'm looking at $195 for a case I'm not too keen about and a PS that is rated at 50watts more and is SLI certified. That's about a $60 premium. I know, that's not much when you look at the overall cost of all components, but I would need more 'warm fuzzies' about the case before I go that route. The new Sonata III case is very well designed from what I was able to see at Microcenter (they have one out of the box for customers to look at). It's also much more quiet than other cases I've seen. And the use of 120mm fans is a must, since they're low rpm provides a much quieter case.

    While I love to support local business like these, many times, I find that when you include taxes, they can't beat the price of a major online retailer such as NewEgg or Provantage, etc. In some cases the price difference is so minimal for 1-2 components, that it's just easier getting everything from one place online. I guess it's just me... Do they have a website? Anyhow, I'll give these guys a call once I'm ready to plunk some cash down and see what they can offer. I'm open to surprises :)

    Lots of good input here folks! Keep it coming!
     
  9. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    Try This The modular cords make for a much more efficient cooling environment and, if you have a clear sided case, looks MUCH better.
     
  10. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Whoa! Great price! You used this one before? Any thoughts, experiences?

    Thanks for the heads-up!
     
  11. Pats_fan

    Pats_fan Former Resident

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    Wow--you guys (and gals?) are cool.

    I have no experience building a system, though I have opened them up to add hard drives, disk drives, memory, etc.

    Is this something I could do on my own? I have considered upgrading my home desktop computer, and I think I would really enjoy a project like this. Would I need any specialized equipment or other skills?
     
  12. brim

    brim Member

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    I had an Ultra once, the X-Connect modular one. It was junk, IMHO. :(
     
  13. brim

    brim Member

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    It's not too hard, it's all 'connect connector A to socket A, connector B to socket B' etc.. the real skill is determining beforehand what works with what, what is incompatible with what, and tracking down problems after you get it all put together since there's little/no tech support to help you. :) Plus, this way you get to pick exactly what goes into your system and how neatly everything is wired up.
     
  14. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Honestly, the hardest part is probably putting the heatsink on the cpu. The rest is all just "slide it in", screw it, etc. This is DEFINEATLY something anyone can do, if they take their time. It's lots of fun (the geek inside you will love you :)), and it's also fulfilling, knowing you built the box yourself. You'll save at least 30-50% over the cost of a built system, and you'll know exactly what went into your computer, etc.

    Heck, they even sell a Dummies book to do this ;)
     
  15. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    I'm running three of them at the moment. No problems at all.
     
  16. brim

    brim Member

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    Hrm...mine was garbage. One fan died and it developed a leaking capacitor creating a maddening high pitched whine. The NeoHE 550 is just $20 more at outpost.com.
     
  17. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    I think you just one made on Monday. Most of the folks here in the office are using the Ultra modulars and ar rather pleased.
     
  18. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    Like Mr. Linux said - the heat sink is a :censored:! So, what are you going to use the PC for? Simple office stuff? PC Gaming? Video editing? This will determin what we reccomend. The next, most maddening thing is to make certain the CPU matches the Mobo matches the memory.

    Lastly - what is your budget? Don;t worry - we'll only blow it by 25% :p
     
  19. Pats_fan

    Pats_fan Former Resident

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    Thanks for all the replies. I'm interested in basic office stuff, web browsing, audio/video playback, and perhaps some gaming. My old desktop (Dell) is about 5 years old and is starting to show its age--I actually wiped the hard drive this weekend and reinstalled WinXP, so I should see better performance than I did last week, but it is still maddeningly slow.

    Budget would be under $1k. I'm interested in a dual-processor system--Mr. Linux's saved system would appear to be way more than what I need...
     
  20. brim

    brim Member

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