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First Custom PC
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dan415 View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2008
Posts: 10 		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: First Custom PC
    Posted: 29 Jul 2008 at 12:47am
I'm planning on buying a new gaming PC from this site in a few weeks and I have selected all the parts so far. This is my 1st time getting a custom PC. My current one is an HP, 6 years old, from bestbuy. I have some general PC knowledge, but I don't know a whole lot. I'm not really interested in over clocking, but if its easy enough, and this system allows for it, I may try it out. Tell me what you think of the setup so far.

http://www.avadirect.com/product_details_configurator.asp?PRID=2541

Case - COOLERMASTER, Centurion 590
Power Supply - CORSAIR, CMPSU-550VX VX Series Power Supply
Motherboard - GIGABYTE, GA-MA78G-DS3H
Processor - AMD, Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core 6000+ 3.0GHz
RAM - G.SKILL, 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz
Hard Drive - WESTERN DIGITAL, 250GB WD Caviar
Video Card - XFX GeForce® 9800 GTX 675MHz, 512MB

Everything else in default, as listed in the link provided.
My monitor is 1440 x 900, so do you think this setup will be able to run Crysis on high settings. Also, do you think there will be any heat issues involved with playing demanding games?

The PC so far is about $975, including windows vista basic. I'm trying to keep it  about $1,000, not including shipping / tax.


Edited by dan415 - 29 Jul 2008 at 1:30am
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MattSlagle View Drop Down
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Posts: 1197 		  Quote MattSlagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2008 at 9:24am
For overclocking, I would recommend an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.  The AMD processors do not overclock as easily or as high.
 
I am forwarding this message to our sales team who can better help you.
Matt Slagle
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Jmundy View Drop Down
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Posts: 1337 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2008 at 10:35am
Hello Dan415,
 
        As Matt mentioned, AMD CPU's are not great for overclocking since they disipate too much heat and require too much power to run.
 
Intel has many great CPU's that are excellent overclockers, like:
 
E8400
E8500
Q6600
Q9450
Q9550
Q9650
QX9650
QX9770
 
Any of those processors would be perfect for you.
 
Also, try to steer clear of Gigabyte for overclocking. Their recent motherboards have proven to have numerious problems when attempting a decent overclock. I suggest either the Evga 780i FTW, or an ASUS motherboard with a P45 or X48 chipset.
 
Feel free to contact me at joseph.mundy@avadirect.com for more questions or concerns.
 
 
Kind Regards,


Edited by Jmundy - 29 Jul 2008 at 10:38am
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dan415 View Drop Down
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Posts: 10 		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2008 at 11:14am
Thanks for the suggestions. I have no clue at all how to overclock, and don't know if I will be over clocking anything. I'm not sure if an intel system, with those processors, would fit into my budget of only about $1000 (not including tax / shipping). If I were to try overclocking, the amd 6000+, with the current setup, about what speed do you think I could bring it up to? Do I need extra fans / cooling devices in order to overclock?

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Nathan_F View Drop Down
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Posts: 21 		  Quote Nathan_F Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2008 at 11:21pm
I configured this in the Core 2 Performance systems configurator.  Just a smidge over 1k, but gets you the best value Intel proc (E8400) and video card (4850).  I would think that even at stock, this would do pretty well for even Crysis:
 
  • ANTEC, LifeStyle Sonata III Black Mid-Tower Case, ATX, 500W PSU
  • MICROSTAR, P45 Neo-F, LGA775, Intel® P45, 1600MHz (O.C.) FSB, DDR2-1066 16GB /4, PCIe x16, SATA 3Gb/s /6, HDA, GbLAN, ATX, Retail
  • INTEL, Core™ 2 Duo E8400 Dual-Core, 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2 Cache, 45nm, 65W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
  • ARCTIC COOLING, Freezer 7 Pro Quiet CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775, Ceramic Bearing, Retail
  • G.SKILL, 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-15) SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
  • VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4850 625MHz, 512MB GDDR3 993MHz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
  • WESTERN DIGITAL, 320GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD3200AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 16MB cache
  • SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S223 Black 22x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
  • MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition 64-bit w/ SP1, OEM

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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 1:30am
    That setup looks great, but then again I'm not an expert so I don't know for sure. Thanks a whole lot for the suggestion!!! I calculated the cost here
    The 4850 wasn't listed, so I chose the 4780. Also, the disk drive is different, but it doesn't make a noticeable difference. All together its $1,134 and I'm pretty impressed. Think I can OC it to about 3.75 ghz?
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    Misfate View Drop Down
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    Posts: 86     		  Quote Misfate Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 10:56am
    Originally posted by dan415

    That setup looks great, but then again I'm not an expert so I don't know for sure. Thanks a whole lot for the suggestion!!! I calculated the cost here
    The 4850 wasn't listed, so I chose the 4780. Also, the disk drive is different, but it doesn't make a noticeable difference. All together its $1,134 and I'm pretty impressed. Think I can OC it to about 3.75 ghz?


    I think it is. Look under the ASUS, SAPPHIRE, and DIAMOND sections. Smile
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    MattSlagle View Drop Down
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    Posts: 1197     		  Quote MattSlagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 11:03am
    Dan,
     
    There are only certain frequencies which you can OC to.  The processor that you selected bases its final clock speed based on a multiplier and the stock front side bus (FSB) bus frequency.
     
    The stock FSB is the lowest between the motherboard and processor.  The mobo has a FSB of 1600 MHz while the processor has a FSB of 1333 MHz.  Now the FSB is quad data rate (QDR) which means that data is sent 4x every clock cycle, so the respective clocks are 400 MHz and 333 MHz.
     
    Since the processor is running at 3.0 GHz with a FSB of 333 MHz, it means its multiplier is 9x.  Unfortunatly, it is a locked processor so you cannot change the multiplier.  You need to change the FSB rating inside the bios.  Since the motherboard can accept up to 1600 MHz (400 QDR) FSB speeds, you can easily bump the processors FSB to 400 MHz as well.
     
    That would give you a final OC of 3.6 GHz (9x 400 MHz).  Any higher, and your memory and motherboard might become unstable unless you choose a better cooling method like a non-stock CPU cooler and extra cans inside the case.
     
    The E8400 is capable of higher, but only with the proper knowledge and hardware support to follow.
    Matt Slagle
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 12:28pm
    Oops, didn't look under those sections Misfate. Thanks for pointing them out for me!
    I think I'm going to stay with the 4870, even if its about a $100 more.

    Is it worth getting a 4780 for $300, compared to getting a 4850 for $200?
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    MattSlagle View Drop Down
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    Posts: 1197     		  Quote MattSlagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 1:12pm
    The 4870 has a slightly higher GPU clock and almost double the bandwidth.  Everything else is the same.
     
    The 4870 will have a few more fps because of that at the lower resolutions.  At the larger resolutions (1600+ x 1200+) and up, the extra bandwidth will come in handy and easily outperform the 4850.
     
    Sample of performance.
     
    For more comparisons, please check this article.  http://www.avadirect.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=352
     
     
    Matt Slagle
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2008 at 2:05pm
    So since I'm only using a 1440 x 900 monitor, I won't see a big difference between the 4850 and 4870. I think I'll get the 4850 and save $100, and get some exra fans. I also decided to go back to the cooler master 590, and add a 550w power supply. Tell me if you think this setup is good. Think it have heat issues when I OC the processor to 3.6ghz?

  • COOLERMASTER, Centurion 590 Black Mid-Tower Computer Case, ATX, No PSU, SECC
  • CORSAIR, CMPSU-550VX VX Series Power Supply, 550W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, SLI Ready
  • MICROSTAR, P45 Neo-F, LGA775, Intel® P45, 1600MHz (O.C.) FSB, DDR2-1066 16GB /4, PCIe x16, SATA 3Gb/s /6, HDA, GbLAN, ATX, Retail
  • INTEL, Core™ 2 Duo E8400 Dual-Core, 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2 Cache, 45nm, 65W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
  • ARCTIC COOLING, Freezer 7 Pro Quiet CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775, Ceramic Bearing, Retail
  • G.SKILL, 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-15) SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
  • SAPPHIRE, Radeon® HD 4850 625MHz, 512MB GDDR3 1986MHz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, HDTV-Out, Retail
  • WESTERN DIGITAL, 320GB WD Caviar® SE (WD3200AAJS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 8MB cache
  • SONY, CRX320EE Black 52x32x52-16A DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive, EIDE/ATAPI, OEM
  • CASE FAN, LED Fans Maximum Package, Blue
  • MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition 64-bit w/ SP1, OEM
  • WARRANTY, Assembled and Tested (1 Year Parts, Lifetime Labor Warranty)

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    MattSlagle View Drop Down
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    Posts: 1197     		  Quote MattSlagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2008 at 10:14am
    Dan,
     
    The artic cooling cpu cooler should be able to handle that processor at 3.6 ghz.
     
    The CM 590 is a great looking case. 
     
    Everything looks great, but for $10 more, I would have chosen a DVD-RW SATA drive.  In a few years, having the ability to write to DVDs could be useful.
     
    As far as the rest, please contact Joe on our sales team to finalize this build for you and for any other questions you may have.
    Matt Slagle
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2008 at 11:51am
    Thanks a lot Matt! I'll definitely change the drive to the DVD-RW SATA. Its totally worth the extra $10.

    Thanks to everyone who helped me out so far!
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    Nathan_F View Drop Down
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    Posts: 21     		  Quote Nathan_F Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2008 at 12:18pm
    For better cooling, I'd go with one of the Xigmatek 1283s.  It seems to be the "hot" cooler these days. :)  This build is real close to what I just ordered, see my thread here:
     
     
    Joe recommended the ASUS P5Q Prod to me as a great overclocker, and I chose Visiontek for the 4850 for their lifetime warranty.  If you stay with the 320GB WD drive, then get the AAKS version, which will be faster (I believe it's a single 320GB platter design, vice the 2X160GB platters in the AAJS-- someone will surely correct me if I'm wrong :)   Happy ordering!
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2008 at 12:46pm
    Thanks for the suggestion Nathan. I'll switch over to that cooler just to be safe and that hard drive for some more speed. Also, I think I'm going to order a new keyboard. My current one is a 5 year old HP. Its sorta dirty. Can anyone suggest a really good keyboard?
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    AndonSage View Drop Down
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    Posts: 156     		  Quote AndonSage Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2008 at 5:59pm
    dan415,

    Your last configuration, along with changing to the Xigmatek HDT-S2383 w/retention bracket (be sure to include that) HSF, the WD 320GB Caviar SE 16 (AAKS), and the Samsung S203B (or D) SATA optical burner will be a great config.

    As far as a new keyboard, that's really a personal preference. I use a Logitech G-15 because I like the macro keys for the MMORPGs that I play. The Saitek Eclipse keyboards are well recommended, if you don't need macro keys.
    My AVA computer: Q9450 @ 3.2GHz | eVGA 750i SLI FTW | 8GB OCZ Reaper HPC 1066HZ RAM | TRUE-120 HS w/Scythe S-Flex 120mm fan | eVGA GTX 280 621/1350/1134(2268)MHz | 320/640GB WD HDDs | Antec P182 | Corsair CMPSU-1000HX | Samsung S203N DVD burner | Scythe Kama-Meter Fan Control | Vista Ultimate 64-bit | Soyo 24" 1920 x 1200 | Logitech G15 keyboard | Logitech MX518 mouse
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 2008 at 9:09pm
    Ok great! Sounds like this is a good solid setup. Thank you everyone with your advice / recommendations!!

        Just two more questions though, do you think I should switch over to the ASUS, P5Q, LGA775, Intel® P45, 1600MHz FSB, DDR2-1200 16GB /4, PCIe x16, SATA 3.0 Gbit/s RAID 5 /8, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, ATX since I'm overclocking, or is my current one good?
        How long do you think it would take for my PC to arrive if I order tommarrow, chose standard ground shipping, and I live in southern NJ?

    And one last thing, I don't see the Xigmatek HDT-S2383 in the CPU cooler list. I'm ordering from here. If I can't get that cooler, can someone recommend a good cooler that's available in the list? Is the ZALMAN, CNPS9500 Copper ok? It got great reviews on newegg. The only bad thing really is installation, which I'm not doing!


    Edited by dan415 - 02 Aug 2008 at 2:17am
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    Moto View Drop Down
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    Posts: 16     		  Quote Moto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 2008 at 12:30pm
    Dan, head here < ="-" ="text/; =utf-8">< name="ProgId" ="Word.">< name="Generator" ="Microsoft Word 12">< name="Originator" ="Microsoft Word 12"><> Frosty Tech's 5 best heatsinks as well for info and recommendations on the top 5 coolers and beyond.
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    Gojira View Drop Down
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    Posts: 106     		  Quote Gojira Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 2008 at 12:47pm
    Dan,I think you have the part number wrong for the Xigmatek,it's HDT-S1283,not 2383.
    It is a very good cooler,only the THERMALRITE Ultra 120,which is more expensive,beats it,and not by much. 
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    dan415 View Drop Down
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    Posts: 10     		  Quote dan415 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 2008 at 1:22pm
    Thanks everyone!

    The XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink is #2 on that list you sent me, Moto. I think I'll go with that then, since I see it on the list. How do I get the retention bracket when its not on the list of things available <here>.  Can I order it separately and request that it be installed to my PC?




    Edited by dan415 - 02 Aug 2008 at 1:25pm
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