computer build advice
Scaron — Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:20
So, I've been toying with the idea of building my own computer. I know next to nothing about doing this, but I decided to educate myself a bit.
After a bit of research, I've put together a list of parts I'm considering.
Here are my values:
1. Price: I would like the build to be as inexpensive as is possible / reasonable.
2. Speed: Bearing in mind that my first concern is keeping the price low, I want to maximize the speed of the machine. It would need to be able to run WoW well, beyond that most of my other pursuits would be less demanding from a computational perspective.
3. Future-proof: Everything changes, I'd like to be able to have the capacity to change with the times. Also, I'd like to NOT have to replace my video card in a month.
I don't know much about brand names to look for (or avoid), so if you want to chime in on my picks with that regard please do so. Also, if I'm buying too much product or not enough product, I'd like to know that too. Further, if there are glaring omissions or redundancies, I'd like to hear about what I'm missing and how to fix that.
FYI, I would need every piece of equipment (Keyboard, Monitor, CPU) so that's all in the list. It adds to the cost, but I'd need to buy it, so I included it.
Here's the list, so far.
Thanks experts! Chime in when you get time!
i guess it;s been a couple
Grasen — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 13:14i guess it;s been a couple years but i went through 3 BFG cards in under a year, all 3 had the exact same problem, capaciters would litterally just fall off and boom. i eventually ended up buying an ati card and used it till i bought the wowcube.
i did have a bitch of a time with the drivers on the ATI card. told myself never again on that one.
to this day, i will not buy a BFG.
3 cards is alot. Which models
Shinzwei — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:193 cards is alot. Which models were they and did you send them in for replacements or repairs?
This is the processor I use
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:48This is the processor I use and have it overclocked to 3.6GHz on air and runs very cool:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214
This is the motherboard I use, choose carefully if you are not good with PC's ASUS can be a royal bitch:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131352
This is the RAM I got, this is really the best you can get, I am thinking about getting another set for 12GB of RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224
If you want to know anything else about my computer let me know.
><
starstalker — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:27Its really sad when I have to run CPUID to remember what board I picked up. ><
I run a very similar system, just an older version of everything. =) .An intel Q9450 on an Asus Maximus (X38 based) motherboard and 8GB of Corsair Dominators.
has BFG gotten any better in
Grasen — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:36has BFG gotten any better in the past few years? I have had some bad luck with their cards in the past.
I have never had 1 single
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:48I have never had 1 single issues with BFG and yes there cards are amazing so is XFX.
BFG, eVGA, and XFX are my
Shinzwei — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:05BFG, eVGA, and XFX are my favorites. Id go with XFX for their double lifetime warranty. Customer support from all 3 companies are top notch.
personally from prior
Grasen — Tue, 09/29/2009 - 17:37personally from prior experiances, i would say avoid the ati vid card, go for the nvidia.
it;s a lil more but if you can fit it into budget http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133266
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121300 <heres one closer to price range,
I use 2 4850's in crossfire.
starstalker — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:21I use 2 4850's in crossfire. I don't need 2, 1 runs wow at 1920x1200 just fine, but I won the other at a LAN and decided why not.
These cards can run any game I want to play at 1920x1200 resolution, with full effects, at very good framerate. Not saying Nvidia isn't good, they are, but I've been extremely happy with my ATI's this cycle.
http://www.anandtech.com/vide
Dufe — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:06http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3650&p=7
I use two of these bad boys
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:26I use two of these bad boys right here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143205
Tom's Hardware is another
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:22Tom's Hardware is another great source for hardware reviews, although they are biased towards ATI they fail to do similar setup with 2 GTX 295's and show that ATI cards with Crossfire aka 2 cards can beat one GTX 295 which I laugh at. Put 2 GTX 295 together and hot damn nothing will ever beat it, put 3 together and well shit that alot of fucking frames per second.
A quote from their comments, this guy thinks like me:
Quote "ATI has two cards that are faster than its competitor’s quickest single-GPU board. My, how times have changed." LoL
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5850,2433.html
GTX 295 fail
starstalker — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:19You do know that the GTX295 is a dual-gpu card (2 GPU's on one board), and the ATI's are single, right? When sites do this, they are testing 2 GPU's against 2 GPU's. In any case, 2 GPU's on a single board *should* be faster than single gpu's on 2 seperate boards, all things being equal.
As for the quote, please re-read the the entire paragraph for context:
"With the Radeon HD 3800-series, ATI settled for second place right out of the gate. The Radeon HD 4800-series was a staggering improvement, catapulting ATI right onto Nvidia’s heels. It was a second-place finish, yet again, but fast enough to outperform the GeForce GTX 260, surprise Nvidia, and force the company to restructure its prices. Now, with the Radeon HD 5800-series, ATI has two cards that are faster than its competitor’s quickest single-GPU board. My, how times have changed."
What it really says, albeit poorly, is that the 2 5800 series (a 5850 and a 5870) offerings are both faster than the GTX 285 (Nvidia's fastest single GPU card).
<3 you knoppix
My point was not that it had
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 10:41My point was not that it had dual GPU's, my point is that one card is one card and that Nvidia has gone a long ways in figuring out how to do what they do. I know that the sites are comparing single GPU to a single GPU and the GTX 285 is not that good anyways. When ATI pulls out a dual GPU card then I will see who did a better job. I compare products not how many GPU's are on a given card.
I have always liked Nvidia due to the simple unified drivers ATI is a nightmare, especially on Linux. ATI also loads alot of useless bullshit onto you computer with their bloated drivers imo.
<3 you Star
I killed your squirrel again btw.
ATI *has* pulled out a dual
starstalker — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 17:48ATI *has* pulled out a dual GPU card, its the X2 series.
Sigh, I figured the X2 was
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 18:16Sigh, I figured the X2 was but I really don't care about hardware anymore...only when I go to build a new PC. last time I looked Nvidia beat all X2 cards as well.
Isnt the GTX 295 just two GTX
Shinzwei — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:16Isnt the GTX 295 just two GTX 280 on the same PCB with both GPUs being SLI'd internally. Whats the difference between 2 ATi cards using crossfire and a dual GPU videocard on a single board? For example 2 4870s in crossfire vs 1 GTX 295. The GTX 295 was the competitor for the 4870x2 right? So 2 4870 in crossfire is sorta like having a 4870x2? Jesus christ i think I just blew a fuse....
oops my mistake the GTX 295
Shinzwei — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:19oops my mistake the GTX 295 uses 2 PCBs.
Same thing for the AnandTech
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/30/2009 - 08:25Same thing for the AnandTech site they are biased to ATI as well, they use the older Nvidia cards in SLI instead of using the beast GTX 295 in SLI when using two of ATI's top end cards in Crossfire, I hate biased articles.
The only real gripe I'd have
Dufe — Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:50The only real gripe I'd have is that you've got more power supply there than you need if you're pinching pennies. I think you can get the 600W version of basically the same PS for significantly less last I looked. Single HD, single video card just doesn't draw all that much, so unless you're planning on RAID or Crossfire in the future, I'd drop the watts down to the 500-600 range.
Also, just wait 1-2 weeks and get Windows 7 OEM disc right off the bat. The OEM discs ship before the official release date. Or at least they have on every previous Windows release I can think of.
I always try to avoid ASUS...
Ewiges — Tue, 09/29/2009 - 14:03I always try to avoid ASUS... I noticed you have an ASUS MoBo there. All ASUS equipment I've had fried way easier than they should have. EVGA is my favorite.
As far as power supply 600+ is probably all you need, but if cost isn't much difference stay at the 700w. Also use neweggs app to make sure ram is compatable with mobo, I'm sure it is since you're using new equipment but its always good to double check.
Biggest problem I see is the monitor. Don't know if you have old equipment or if this is all new, but you will want bigger latter so get nothing or go all out in that department.
(something that doesn't get old in a month, thats all graphics cards. Just go for bang per buck)
I've used over 200 asus
Dufe — Tue, 09/29/2009 - 16:59I've used over 200 asus products in machines for myself and others and never had a single issue. EVGA is good too though.