# Looking for help with my first build



## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

Hey TSF, I did some searching and this place seems to have great people who can help me find a build. 

I've never built before, so I figured it would be smart to ask somebody who knows what they're doing.

Heres the survey I filled out, if any more info is needed I'll be checking this thread as often as possible.

*Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?*

About $1800ish, including a monitor... I can go a little higher if neccesary.

*
Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?*

I'd prefer a nVidia video card because I've heard ATI isn't quite as good when it comes to updates and stuff.


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

I do some but not alot of multitasking. (dual core is preferred)
*
Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?*

I'm an avid gamer. I'm looking for a computer that will run Crysis, Bioshock, Call of Duty.... all those high end games.

*Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?*

No.

*Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?*

If it is worth it and is within my budget, sure.

*Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?*

I'll be storing multiple games and a few applications also.

*Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?*

Vista. I figure that eventually it will be something I will need so I might as well embrace the future.

*Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?*

Just looking for something nice looking and with good craftmanship. LED lighting and all that jazz isn't needed.

*Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, monitor, or other items included?*

I plan on getting a ~17+ inch widescreen monitor

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

~17+, widescreen.

*Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?*

Anywhere that is trusted is good with me.

*Location: What country do you live in?*

Canada.


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## blackduck30 (Sep 7, 2004)

Have a look at this and see what you think

*ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $150*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196


*Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail $280*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028


*CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail $68 ( after rebate )*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145177


*Seagate ST3320832SCE 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $70
*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148287


*XFX PVT80FSHE9 GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported HDCP Video Card - Retail $490 ( after rebate )*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150232


*Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail $120 ( after rebate )
*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154


*ViewSonic X Series VX2035WM Piano Black-Silver 20" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 800:1 Built in Speakers - Retail $240 ( after rebate )*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116066


*Sony NEC Optiarc Black 20X DVD $31*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118003


*ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail $65*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019


*Thermaltake toughpower W0117RU ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V CE, CB, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, and BSMI certified - Retail $160 ( after rebate )
*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153036


*Total $1674*


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

blackduck30 said:


> Have a look at this and see what you think
> 
> *ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $150*
> 
> ...


Looks great but Newegg doesn't ship to Canada 

Sorry for that waste of time


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## jaggerwild (May 21, 2007)

these guys are in Canada
http://www.ncix.com/


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## blackduck30 (Sep 7, 2004)

ok, i'm not real sure the best places to buy in canada so this was one place i found, at least between the two builds you may be able to use it for a good shopping list 

*ASUS Motherboard C2D P5K DELUXE WIFI-AP INTP35 ICH9 DDR2 $244*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/8205


*Thermaltake Power Supply W0117RU Tough Power 750W ATX 14cm fan $190*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/4659


*Corsair Memory 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM DIMM 240-pin $140*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/6571


*Intel CPU Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz FSB1333MHz Conroe 4M L2 $299*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/8564


*Seagate Hard Drives ST3250820NS 250G SATA 7200RPM 16MB $81*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/8421


*XFX GeForce 8800GTS 320MB DDR3 HDCP PCI-E ROHS SLI TV D-LINK DVI $315*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/8146


*Viewsonic LCD 20.1" VX2035WM 1680x1050 800:1 5ms Black/Silver $289*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/6627


*Thermaltake Case VA8000BWS Super Tower ATX Black NO PS $170*

http://btecanada.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/2533


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

blackduck30 said:


> ok, i'm not real sure the best places to buy in canada so this was one place i found, at least between the two builds you may be able to use it for a good shopping list
> 
> *ASUS Motherboard C2D P5K DELUXE WIFI-AP INTP35 ICH9 DDR2 $244*
> 
> ...


Thanks 

I have no idea if they are a good computer store as I've never heard of them.

Two shops that I trust are http://www.ncix.com/ and tigerdirect.ca.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

NCIX is good.

One other thing, you really have to watch out when buying the ViewSonic LCDs because many of them although saying they support "HDTV" don't actually support HDCP which is essential for HDTV. I would look at Samsung and Acer for the time being.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Dual Core Processor LGA775 Conroe 2.66GHZ 1333FSB 4MB - $277
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25298&vpn=BX80557E6750&manufacture=Intel

Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-12 240PIN Dual Channel Kit W/ LEDs - $105
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=24926&vpn=BL2KIT12864AL804&manufacture=CRUCIAL TECHNOLOGY

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 ATX LGA775 P35 1333FSB 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN 1394 Motherboard - $219
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26284&vpn=GA-P35-DS4&manufacture=Gigabyte

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR MFR Warranty - $82
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25667&vpn=ST3250410AS&manufacture=Seagate

Pioneer DVR-112D Black DVD-RW 18X6X18 DVD+RW 18X8X18 DL 10X IDE OEM DVD Burner No Software - $40
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22862&vpn=DVR-112DBK&manufacture=Pioneer

EVGA E-GEFORCE 8800GTS Superclocked 576MHZ 320MB 1.7GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDTV HDCP Video Card - $300
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22689&vpn=320-P2-N815-AR&manufacture=eVGA

Thermaltake Toughpower W0117 750W w/14cm Fan Power Supply (Black) - $185
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=666663100&vpn=W0117RU&manufacture=Thermaltake

----

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio - $117
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=21123&vpn=NINE HUNDRED&manufacture=ANTEC

-or-

Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS No PS w/25cm Fan Window ATX/BTX Ready Full Tower Case (Black) - $173
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=666663698&vpn=VA8003BWS&manufacture=Thermaltake

----

ACER AL1916WABD 19 W-LCD BLK 1440X900 700:1 5MS 300CD/M2 DUAL-INPUTS 150'/135' 90/1890 - $206
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=111115595&vpn=ET.1916B.WDA&manufacture=Acer

-or-

Acer AL2016WBBD 20IN Widescreen LCD Monitor Black 1680X1050 800:1 5MS VGA DVI-D Monitor - $230
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25624&vpn=ET.D16WP.B04&manufacture=Acer


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## Quasim (Sep 19, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> NCIX is good.
> 
> One other thing, you really have to watch out when buying the ViewSonic LCDs because many of them although saying they support "HDTV" don't actually support HDCP which is essential for HDTV. I would look at Samsung and Acer for the time being.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot Matt, that build looks great 

One thing I dislike though is the case, I was thinking about getting this one instead, granted that it works well with this build: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1215768&Sku=ULT31824


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## alesana (Oct 20, 2007)

LOLZ INTEL.

Go AMD64X2.
Best way to go.

Lab proven that AMD>Intel

Get an ASUS Motherboard.

Gig of ram

300 Gig HD

Full Case

700 Watt power supply.

and a 512 MB or better GFX Card. (Nvidia preferred - depends on what you have left after everything else.)

Oh and for moniter, make sure you get like a 20" Flat screen LCD.

I would cream my pants.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

alesana said:


> LOLZ INTEL.
> 
> Go AMD64X2.
> Best way to go.
> ...


Real life proven intel

Video memorey has almost nothing to do with the speed of the card.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Right now Intel is controlling the market and also has the most stable platform. There is also a much larger selection of high quality Intel-compatible motherboards than AMD-compatible motherboards. Keep in mind also that Intel is essentially _the_ company that controls PC Hardware, namely form factors.



Quasim said:


> Thanks a lot Matt, that build looks great
> 
> One thing I dislike though is the case, I was thinking about getting this one instead, granted that it works well with this build: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1215768&Sku=ULT31824


That is also a very nice case. Just remember to pick up some quality 120mm fans since it doesn't come with any.

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1621480&CatId=802


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> Right now Intel is controlling the market and also has the most stable platform. There is also a much larger selection of high quality Intel-compatible motherboards than AMD-compatible motherboards. Keep in mind also that Intel is essentially _the_ company that controls PC Hardware, namely form factors.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great, I'll be sure to get two of those.


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

Is there anything I should upgrade before I start ordering this thing? (granted it's in my price range)


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

You should post a final thing of what you are going to order so we can see


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Be sure to post all the accessories as well, not just the core components.


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

Sorry about that.


*Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Dual Core Processor LGA775 Conroe 2.66GHZ 1333FSB 4MB* - $277
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25298&vpn=BX80557E6750&manufacture=Intel
*
Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-12 240PIN Dual Channel Kit W/ LEDs* - $105
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=24926&vpn=BL2KIT12864AL804&manufacture=CRUCIAL TECHNOLOGY

*Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 ATX LGA775 P35 1333FSB 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN 1394 Motherboard* - $219
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26284&vpn=GA-P35-DS4&manufacture=Gigabyte

*Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR MFR Warranty* - $82
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25667&vpn=ST3250410AS&manufacture=Seagate

*Pioneer DVR-112D Black DVD-RW 18X6X18 DVD+RW 18X8X18 DL 10X IDE OEM DVD Burner No Software* - $40
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22862&vpn=DVR-112DBK&manufacture=Pioneer

*EVGA E-GEFORCE 8800GTS Superclocked 576MHZ 320MB 1.7GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDTV HDCP Video Card* - $300
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22689&vpn=320-P2-N815-AR&manufacture=eVGA

*Thermaltake Toughpower W0117 750W w/14cm Fan Power Supply (Black) - $185*
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=666663100&vpn=W0117RU&manufacture=Thermaltake

*
Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Full-Tower Case with Clear Side, Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports*
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1215768&Sku=ULT31824

*Silverstone 120x120x25 Dual Ball Bearing Case Fan with Speed Controller*
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1621480&CatId=802
*
MOUSE:* Logitech G5

*KEYBOARD*: Just the current one I am using

*HEADPHONES, SPEAKERS, SUB WOOFER, PRINTER ETC:*
Just the current ones I am using


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Looks very good. :smile:

Here are two extra things I would pick up:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=39598&CatId=804
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3071621&CatId=503


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

Great! I can't wait to play Crysis (Demo coming out tomorrow, hopefully this computer will play it on low settings until the 2-3 weeks when I will order my computer)

I can't thank you guys enough, I wasn't sure about building at first but after reading some guides about it I'm sure it won't be as hard as I thought.

Thanks again, I'll post a follow-up after I get the computer.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

If you are waiting that long then I would replace the 8800GTS with the 8800GT which will be more powerful and cost less.


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> If you are waiting that long then I would replace the 8800GTS with the 8800GT which will be more powerful and cost less.


I couldn't find any 8800GT on NCIX or Tigerdirect...


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

It is not out yet due in around 3 weeks


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

Another thing, do you think it's worth it to upgrade my RAM to DDR2 1066?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

no not really


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

I would further that by saying not at all. In almost no circumstance will DDR2 1066 MHz RAM give an improvement over DDR2 800 MHz RAM.


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## Nerek (Oct 19, 2007)

I thought you guys might find this interesting, it's an in-depth comparison between the GT video card models and the GT definatly outperformed the GTS, and like you said, it's cheaper! http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQxMCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==


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