# I want to build a MONSTER!!!



## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

Hi everyone!

I've used this forum in the past for help with repairs to my two current PCs which are a Dell 9100 and a Dell XPS Gen 3, so I'm back for more advice.

I've had it with Dells to tell you the truth. I've had nothing but problem after problem with these systems. Replacing MoBo's, HDD's, and now my XPS is experiencing difficulties due to video card problems. My most recent problem was that I froze up while playing a not so intense 3D game and then I couldn't reboot. I had a feeling it was the video card, so I bought a nVidia GTS 250 and that seemed to work... but..... I think the system is underpowered for this card, so I've decided to build my next PC from parts.

So, I'm currently accepting applications.... I mean... suggestions for building a monster system that will last me for at LEAST a few years before becoming obsolete. I've done a little research (and am still processing it), but I wanted to ask here as well.

I was thinking something along the lines of:

Mobo: ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $150

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - $200

Memory: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model - $200

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $110

Video: PNY VCGGTS2501XPB GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail $165 (Already Own This - sorta need to build around it)

Case: RAIDMAX SIRIUS ATX-701WB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $110

Planning to upgrade to Windows Vista 64 bit and of course your standard DVD/CD drive, and a nice 1TB HDD.

Can I please have thoughts/suggestions/pitfalls etc about the style I'm planning on going with? I don't want to skimp and have to re-buy in 2 years. Price is not a HUGE concern, but I'd like to stay in the 800-1000 range. If anyone can suggest better components for a few extra bucks, please do. Any input is good input!

Thanks in advance.
KA


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

hmmmmm nice build although I like DDR2 for that cpu better myself

the deneb is a sweet choice

although personally; I would go with the intel Q9650 and GA-EP45-UD3L


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I have a board similar to that and it's AWESOME. DDR3 is too new to be good yet so using fast DDR2 should be just fine.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Another yea for DDR2 RAM. Much cheaper for equal to better performance and certainly more reliable at this time.


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey all-

Thanks for the input! I'll look into DDR2 for sure. Anywhere else I can improve or cut back? Little things like is the 750W Corsair enough for now, but won't be later? Or can I go with a better memory package/brand? Anyone know a better case to use? 

Linderman- after doing a little reading on newegg (customer reviews of the Q9650) I see a lot of people recommend the i7. Thoughts? Only because I'm building ground up, I can go with new Mobo etc.... Also, people mention the Gigabyte doesn't run the 4 cores? 

I think by the time I figure out what I want, I'll have to start the research over again because everything will be upgraded! LOL


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

we as consumers of computer equipment are all trained to flock to the new release products; I have played with enough i7 systems now to realize for sure the performance improvement is 2-5% at best when you are not being plagued with memory incompatibilities and other issues, the bios updates for these systems are appearing at an alarming rate, sometimes two in the same month, this means the platform is struggling to mature and iron out the glitches.

the computer market is very slow right now which means the problems will also be fixed slowly, it takes hordes of people reporting the same stuff before they fix them!

as for gigabyte board not using all four cores, thats a joke!

7/8ths of the people who leave reviews on newegg struggle to find the power button on a computer !


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

games dont make efficient use of a quad core to begin with


therfore I would rather own the E8500 with a $100.00 motherboard (ga-ep45-ud3L) and the 275GTX

-vs-

the more expensive quad with a lesser video card ?


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

linderman said:


> as for gigabyte board not using all four cores, thats a joke!
> 
> 7/8ths of the people who leave reviews on newegg struggle to find the power button on a computer !



:tongue: That's kind of what I figured. I was skeptical of posts there because too many times I've seen a rating for a product like a mobo read like this:

Cons: The mobo was fine, but my XYZ card didn't work in it! I'll never buy ABC mobo's again!!!! POOR!

Anyway, thanks again for the input..... I'm just really learning the finer details of building my own system so forgive my ignorance. I would say my tech level is moderate, but I'm certainly willing to learn and improve my skills through research and asking. I just want to make sure I go with something that's tried-and-true and will be fairly easy to work with/upgrade in the future. There's a lot of material to follow when it comes to different components, just want the most bang for my buck. 

Thoughts on going with combos? Right now, Newegg is offering the Combo Deal for the Gigabyte Mobo and Windows Vista Business SP1 (tech package - not sure what that means yet - have not read the description....) for $320. I need the 64 bit (tired of my HDD's being limited to 137.4 Gb). 

Thanks again!!!


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Why would your hard drives be limited to 137GB? XP without any service packs will do that, but if you're using sp2 it shouldn't be a problem. Check in your bios to make sure that Large (48 bit) LBA is enabled.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

questions is what this forum is all about; and it does not matter whether the question is basic or complex, we are here for YOU

as for combo's; you really have to know what you are buying and the price of each to evaluate the deal properly; I have seen excellent value combo's and I have seen combo's which are a joke

BTW: you dont need a 64bit OS to get your drives to be seen correctly (larger than 137 gig) be careful because 64bit can bring its own problems to the ball game. I always suggest sticking with 32bit unless you know for a fact you "need" a 64 bit platform. 64bit really was designed as a business platform and should be evaluated as such.

i see people on newegg list "Cons" like "not enough USB ports or board lacks firewire" that to me always makes me laugh!! buyer should know specs of what they buy! LOL

most of all ENJOY the research for your system, half the fun is knowing YOU have learned what you want and need as well as being able to build and maintain your creation!


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Your hard drive would only be limited 137 if your ide cable was knackered or that you were using the wrong file system i.e not NTFS could also be with the cable settings too.

If you want a monster motherboard get the asus rampage formula 2.


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Forgot earlier, but give this sticky a gander.
http://www.techsupportforum.com/f234/the-137-gb-barrier-and-ddo-302595.html


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

"native" windows XP and the lack of service pack one or higher is generally the cause of 137 gig barrier (lack of LBA = large block addressing)


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

Thanks again for all the information.

As for the 137 gig barrier.... short story is... comp was down and I was frustrated, so I did whatever I could to get it running. I didn't put a lot of research into it at the time. I didn't know I could have fixed that prior to formatting. At any rate... my XPS is down for the count right now, so I'm prepping to order my parts. I'll be around here for a while I'm sure asking more and more questions as I go.

So... back to the topic at hand...... I'm ready to get the ordering moving.... down 2 days and counting, and I'm like a 3 year old.... I want it NOW!! lol....

If I go with the intel Q9650 and GA-EP45-UD3L..... That's about $474 on Newegg, which chops into my budget a little bit (expecting about 200 on a processor - I can look around a bit to see if I can get a better deal - but I want to order all at once/save on shipping hopefully...)
Plus I have the GTS250 1024 nVidia card ready to go.

Still need to firm up the remaining choices:
RAM: (nice that the MoBo supports 16 GB)..... I have no frame of reference for best performers here. Thoughts on the best memory?

G.Skill, Corsair, OCZ, Patriot? I'm debating on 8 Gigs (4 x 2 Gb) or possibly (2 x 4 Gb). Didn't know if there's an advantage to 4 sticks vs 2? Can't seem to find 4Gb sticks on newegg??

CPU cooler/heatsink? I've heard (again... newegg reviews so take it for what you will) that the OEM fans/heatsinks are poor. Thoughts on an aftermarket one I should look at? or do you think the one included would be sufficient?

PSU: I still like the Corsair 750W ATX12V but it's kinda pricey at $100+. 750W enough? too much? Other options?

Case: Honestly, I'm a little vain I guess, but I want it to be pretty with a nice cool light in it, maybe blue. Other than that, just want to make sure it has good room and good fans/cooling. A Plus would be a temp gauge/fan speed etc. Suggestions?

Optical Drive: I just need something that can read CD/DVD and perhaps burn some audio CD's using Itunes. I rarely use it for anything else. Suggestions?

Sound Card even needed? I like playing my music loud from time to time, I have the Dell Dolby 5.1 system to use. Didn't know if others think the on-board audio is fine? 

And lastly.... ethernet card suggestions? I do online gaming as well, I have no idea what's good, what's crappy.

I know it seems like a lot to ask, but if I have to learn EVERYTHING before I buy this set-up, they'll probably have new stuff out and this will all be obsolete. You guys have been awesome so far, I appreciate the time and input!


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

If you want a good CPU for ~$200, the Core 2 Duo E8500 is an excellent CPU, and will actually do better in most games than the Q9650.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036&cm_re=E8500-_-19-115-036-_-Product


4GB of RAM is all you'll need. As for two sticks versus four sticks, many motherboards run into voltage issues when all of their memory slots are filled, so we recommend two sticks. 

Intel's OEM heatsinks are decent, and can even work with a bit of an overclock. But if you plan to overclock more than ~10% I'd recommend a new one. The Arctic Freezer Pro 7 is decent for moderate-range cooling, and the Thermaltake 9700, 9900, and Thermaltake V1 are good for high-end cooling.

750W should be plenty, though you could drop down to the TX650W without suffering any issues, and in fact you'd still have plenty of headroom. Corsair is more expensive than most brands of PSUs, but it's worth it for the quality, and they still tend to be cheaper than SeaSonic, Thermaltake Toughpower, and the CoolerMaster Real Power Pro models.

If you like blue lights, good cooling, and lots of space, I'd recommend the Antec 900 or Antec 1200.

Anything from LiteOn is good, LG is decent, Sony and most of the other brands are ok, but aren't as good at burning disks.

Sound card shouldn't be needed, most motherboards have very high-quality onboard sound nowadays.

Network card likewise, you should only need to get one if you've got, say, a fiberoptic connection, or if you want to go wireless. Most motherboards can handle the max throughput of your standard CAT5, so no need to worry.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

what he said ^


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

OK, so here's the verdict for those of you who helped guide my path:

I placed the order today with Newegg for the following:

Antec 900 ATX Mid Tower: $105
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L LGA 775: $95
Corsair 750TX 750W ATX12V: $120
Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale: $190
G.Skill 4Gb DDR2 1066 PC2-8500: $65
Lite-ON 24X CD/DVD: $32
Zalman 9700 NT 110mm Heatsink/fan: $59
NVidia GeForce GTS 250 1Gb: $150

Grand total: $816

Other things I'll probably add at a later date include HDD (I plan to run my current HDD on this rig since it has everything loaded and ready to go) and maybe upgrade my OS to Vista at a later time.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my decision making process. I still feel a little overwhelmed at making some of these choices, but I can't imagine buying another comparable Dell (or other) for double the price. This will be my first build, so everyone keep your eye open for me in a few days when I'm trying to update my BIOS or some other trouble-shooting issue that I'm SURE to have.

Thanks again for being so helpful! ray:
KA


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

kevalb said:


> OK, so here's the verdict for those of you who helped guide my path:
> 
> I placed the order today with Newegg for the following:
> 
> ...





KUDOS; ray:ray:

you did VERY well; you have grabbed alot of performance here without spending any money wrecklessly.......... impressive!

*I only wish you could compare this rig to others who will spend twice this much and not be able to see why !!*


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Phædrus2401 said:


> If you want a good CPU for ~$200, the Core 2 Duo E8500 is an excellent CPU, and will actually do better in most games than the Q9650.
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036&cm_re=E8500-_-19-115-036-_-Product
> 
> 
> ...




*VERY ACCURATELY AND THOROUGHLY ANSWERED* .......my hats off to Phaedrus


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks Lind. :wink:

Only comment is that $150 seems a bit much for a GTS250, you can find a Radeon 4870 or GeForce GTX260 for about that price on newegg.com.


Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...2849&cm_re=Radeon_4870-_-14-102-849-_-Product
$149.99

I have this card (not this exact one--this is a revision of the version I have, with a better cooler and a few tweaks) and it's comparable to a GTX260.







EDIT: Oh, and in my earlier post I put "Thermaltake 9700, 9900, and Thermaltake V1" that should have been "Zalman 9700, 9900, blah blah". Dur. :grin:


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## kodi (Jun 30, 2004)

For about the same price you can get Windows 7 instead of Vista, it's a lot better than vista


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

Yeah, Phædrus... I realized I could have done the video card better and cheaper, but it was an impulse buy to try and fix my XPS. My ATI X800XT was literally *groaning* (as if in severe pain) and I went into panic mode. Don't shoot me..... but I got it at Best Buy (never will I do that again). My major personality flaw (well, one of them) is lack of patience. Anyway, I can possibly upgrade in the future if needed, but I think I'm set ok for now.

Linderman- I have no right to take any credit for the design of this system, I have you, Phædrus, and the other posters on this board to thank for getting me rolling. I was just the financial provider in this instance. If it wasn't for the advice here, I might have spent much more for little extra. I can't thank you all enough for being very forthcoming with suggestions and helping me decide. I've had nothing but kind, friendly help on this board, and I am extremely thankful for all the information you freely offer (you're not planning on sending me a bill, right? :grin. I'll post up as soon as I get the machine up and running.

Thanks again to everyone!!
KA

*edit* oh, I know this is the build thread..... but while i have your attention, and suggestions on the following:

My XPS started to lock up while gaming and then wouldn't boot after I pulled the plug. I replaced the video card with the GTS250 and it booted and was fine. I was then worried that the lack of a good PSU and the old system might damage the new card, so I put the ATI back in. It worked again for a while, then I found it frozen at idle. I took out the ATI and tried to boot and got nothing. Mouse (optical) didn't even come on. Yellow amber light (normally green) on the power button, stays lit constantly. I removed the ATI, the sound card, and the RAM and still nothing. Green light on the Mobo is on, when I plug it in, I get a whirrr from the case fan, then nothing. I would have hoped that the removing the ATI card would allow me to boot, but now that doesn't even work. Any suggestions on what to look at next? I'm wondering if the PSU is having trouble or if I fried something. I plan to take it apart totally and try and piece it back together. I have the old 375W PSU from the 9100 that I can try to see if I can breath any life into it. Right now, I have everything out... video, sound.... RAM is in but I still get only the solid yellow amber light. I've tried re-seating the connectors. Have not looked at power switch yet.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

You did better than I did. Only video card I ever got at Best Buy was a BFG 9500GT for $120. Never again.


Not an expert on Dell systems, but running that GTS250 on it might have damaged the power supply. I'd try that 375W you have lying around. If that doesn't work, try a bench test (instructions at the top of the Building forum).


Anyway, glad that we could help out. As for a bill, well, we seem to have neglected to mention that, so let me just tally up cost for services, time, taxes...

I kid, I kid. :wink: Good luck!


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

Yeah, I'll give that 375W PSU a shot... At this point, I can't see any reason not to take it apart and see what I can find, it's not running anyway.

Looks like my order from newegg has shipped, all but the case and the optical drive, so I probably won't mess with that until everything is here anyway. I should have time to look this weekend. I'll update if I find anything.


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

I posted a new thread in Power Supply with photos.....

Post about issue with Dell XPS Gen3

Looks like buying new rig was the best bet after all..... :grin:


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

While you're waiting for the case and optical drive, it would be a good time to bench test the new components.


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## kevalb (Oct 23, 2007)

UPDATE!

System is operational! WHOO HOO! My first successful build, thanks to all for the input.

Just working out a few kinks here and there, getting drivers installed, etc.... Other than that, I'm up, on the internet, and everything seems to function nicely. I'll see how it goes in the next few weeks and let you all know.

Thanks again!


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

good luck


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