# Gaming / Photoshop / Video Editing Computer



## Doombot (Apr 9, 2008)

_ 1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?_

$1500.00 is the max. Ideally I like to get under it due to shipping for the various parts. If there's anything that I'm paying for that's only giving me a minor boost in speed then we can drop it for something cheaper. I don't *HAVE* to spend $1500.00 

_ 2. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?_

I *believe* I should go with and Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

_ 3. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?_

I'll have music running in the background, Firefox with 15 extensions on one screen and Adobe Photoshop on the other.
_
4. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?_

Yes, I will be gaming and the games will be out this year. Some of the games will be MMORPG type games.
_
5. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?_

I'll be using Photoshop CS2 quite a bit and Adobe Premiere to make simple videos. The video's won't have much in special effects mainly just simple editing and adding music.

_ 6. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?_

To be technical... just a tad. I'd like to have the option and if I did it wouldn't be very much. I'm more concerned about stability than getting 10 extra frames in a game.
_
7. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?_

I'll be storing many PSD (Photoshop) files and a LARGE number of mp3s, video files and such. I would like two hard drives. One for the applications and the other for files. I usually put my media on the 2nd drive. I'm thinking about two 500 gig drives.

_ 8. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?_

I'm not sure. I have an old Dell Dimension 4600 that died on me. It doesn't start despite some tinkering with it. I'd like to find a way to transfer the data to the new computer. Is it wasteful to get a motherboard just for a few days of old computer hardware connection or is it a non issue since most motherboards come with at least one connection for old drives? Also will this cause issues with Vista if my computer changes hardware too much? Or is this just wrong information?

_ 9. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?_

I'm thinking I want Vista 64 since I'm installing 4 gigs. I heard the 32 bit versions of Vista and XP cannot 'see' the entire 4 gigs. Later on when I get more money I would like the ability to install another 4 gigs for a total of 8 gigs if it ever becomes necessary like if I want to run Internet Explorer 9.
_
10. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?_

I have this case in mind. Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
_
11. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?_

I also do quite a bit of writing so a ergonomic keyboard would be nice. I had issues about 4 years ago with lagtime and connectivity issues with my old wireless keyboard and mouse. It was frustrating enough to make me swear them off. However if you feel there's one I should look into, I'll consider it.

_ 12. Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?_

I will be reusing my speakers and monitors.

_ 13. Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?_

I will be using my Samsung 22" Widescreen. I have a four year old 19 inch LCD screen that I'll use for menu items and as a second computer.

_ 14. Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?_

Newegg has always been good to me and I would like to continue to buy from them. It's my understanding that the processor I want is out of stock so I'll buy it from another vendor if necessary.

_ 15. Location: What country do you live in?_

USA.

I found the following items and they look good. My concern is that they all work together. I also wonder if I'm being 'wasteful' with anything. eg. Why are you getting Item X when you have Item B motherboard? You'll lose the benefits of Item X due to issues with this motherboard.

So here's my list so far. Thanks in advance for your input.

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

LITE-ON Black DVD Burner with LightScribe - Retail

GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit - Retail Overclocked version at 670MHz

ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

M-AUDIO Revolution 5.1 5.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface High-Definition Sound Card - Retail

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM


----------



## bluesoul (Apr 3, 2008)

Good choices all around. Good idea going with the Wolfdale core, IMO. A man after my own heart, using the dual Barracudas. Having bought high-end sound cards I honestly don't do that anymore, and just use the onboard audio, but that's a question of preference; the fidelity is good and I get enough connections to hook up my 5.1. That's about it really, and yes, you may as well do the 64-bit OS.

EDIT: If you're considering OCing make sure you have adequate cooling, and consider an aftermarket CPU fan/heatsink.


----------



## Doombot (Apr 9, 2008)

bluesoul said:


> Good choices all around. Good idea going with the Wolfdale core, IMO. A man after my own heart, using the dual Barracudas. Having bought high-end sound cards I honestly don't do that anymore, and just use the onboard audio, but that's a question of preference; the fidelity is good and I get enough connections to hook up my 5.1. That's about it really, and yes, you may as well do the 64-bit OS.
> 
> EDIT: If you're considering OCing make sure you have adequate cooling, and consider an aftermarket CPU fan/heatsink.


Thanks. I wasn't sure about the sound card. I'm not a big audio fan (although I do enjoy my music) but I heard from various people that the sound...well sounded muted or muddled from on onboard card. Basically all I want is 5.1 sound and I'm ok. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

What Fan/Headsink do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Doombot (Apr 9, 2008)

If anyone has input on the motherboard I would appreciate it. =) The reviews aren't superbad at Newegg but I'm just a bit worried. I also need a cooling unit/heatsink for the CPU (at least I think I do since it doesn't look like it comes with one).

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Doombot (Apr 9, 2008)

I purchased some of the parts. I really... really need validation on the motherboard. I just want to make sure it works with what I've purchased so far.

Here's what I want from the motherboard.
1. To work well with the chip I just bought.
2. Allow for two gig sticks per slot.
3. Allow for 4 gigs of ram.
4. Work with 64 bit OS systems.
5. Allow me to put in 4 more gig later for a total of 8 if I so choose. I probably won't do it but I'll like to be able to if I wanted.​
*Purchased *Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

*Purchased * ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail

*Purchased * Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

Thanks in advance. =)


----------



## Tscott13 (Apr 9, 2008)

Thanks for posting in my thread. Although my thread didn't help you, yours did. I have decided to expand my budget as it is near impossible to build what I want with my previous budget. I think I will buy the same processor you got. Since we want similar setups, would you mind letting me know what motherboard you decide to go with? Thanks


----------



## Doombot (Apr 9, 2008)

Tscott13 said:


> Thanks for posting in my thread. Although my thread didn't help you, yours did. I have decided to expand my budget as it is near impossible to build what I want with my previous budget. I think I will buy the same processor you got. Since we want similar setups, would you mind letting me know what motherboard you decide to go with? Thanks


Thanks back! =)

There's seems to be a almost universal love for that processor. The cost to performance ratio seems to be very well. I was able to buy it at Newegg today and they were out of stock within a few hours. Still... I've found them at other sites and even Newegg expects to get more in three days.

I think I'll go with a Asus brand motherboard but I'm not sure which one. People have recommended Asus as the brand to get with that processor but which one? I don't know.

But yeah... when I get a final recommendation, I'll tell you. =)

Edit: Another brand that's been highly recommended is Gigabyte. So it would be between those two brands for me.


----------

