After much research, have prepared my first build in over 6 years!

[Sav]

Hey Guys,

I am building a new computer for Vista and mainly Quake Wars . I'd like to be able to run great games and also watch TV / record TV while I work on the computer (waiting to buy TV Tuner HD after Vista I guess).

This is what I have so far:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://secure.newegg.com/NewV............itle=Sav%27s+Vista+Machine"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://secure.newegg.com/NewVers.........istTitle=Sav%27s+Vista+Machine"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion......ishListTitle=Sav%27s+Vista+Machine"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wi...26&WishListTitle=Sav%27s+Vista+Machine"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=4622426&WishListTitle=Sav%27s+Vista+Machine">https://secure.newegg.com/NewV............%27s+Vista+Machine</a></a></a></a></a>

Case:
Antec Performance One P180 Silver cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6400 - Retail

Cooler:
ZALMAN 9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail

HD:
2 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3250620AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Video Card:
eVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail

DVD:
SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe Technology Black SATA Model SH-S183L - OEM

Power Supply:
Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail

RAM (?):
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK - Retail

Here is some last minute info before I go into my questions:
1.) I do not want raid at all, I plan on using 1 HD for OS / Games and 1 HD for Media storage

2.) I do not ever plan on using SLI

Question fun time :

1.) The antec p180 has 3 fans, do all mobos support this or do I need a mobo that can support 3?

2.) Will my antec p180 fit the Zalman 9700 cooler?

3.) Is the mobo a good choice? It's running at $145 and out of stock right now, I was planning on waiting if it's a good choice. What's the difference between the Asus P5B and the Asus P5B-E as the Asus P5B is only $120, would that be a better choice for me?

4.) Is this ram good? I am hoping to hit 3.2 GHz with 8x400, is this a good goal or is the probability not good for this?

5.) I just read that HD Cable Card tuners will only be for OEM manufacturers. Will I be better off just buying a HD TV Tuner card now and using OTA antennas to grab the signal (I mainly just want to watch ABC, NBC, CBS HD shows on my PC)

6.) Why are reviews on newegg for prices always written with x's what's the help in that? (ie: when I bought this it was $xxx and I saved $xxx over other products).

Please advise on any changes, I am most grateful for any help. I havent put together my own desktop PC in over 5-6 years I think... (been buying Dell laptops but it's time for a gaming rig for QUAKE WARS )

Thanks again!

 

[RKS]

I don't think you want to run 3 case fans off of your mobo. Mine has molex connectors that attach to you PSU anyway.

I sure there may be better choices than the Antec PSU.

 

[Sav]

Thanks for the fan advice . I am sure there are better powersources, but with this system since I plan on never SLIing or Raiding will I really need a better one? This one has pretty good reviews and is relatively cheap.

 

[Boyo]

Antec PSU's stink is what he was trying to tell you. The power is fine, it's the PSU that isn't. You would be much better off with a Seasonic or Enermax 550W - 600W PSU.

Your motherboard is a good choice. If you want to know all the details of the differences in the Asus models, then place a check mark next to the mobo's on Newegg and go to the top and hit the "Compare items" button. It will list all the deatils of both boards.

Other than that, your build looks good and solid.

 

[Sav]

Thanks, I think I'll switch out the Antec and put in a OCZ 600W. Is the ram a good and reliable choice if I want to hit 8x400 = 3.2 GHz?

Also the ASUS P5B seems fine since I don't need the Asus P5B-E's raid/firewire. It's cheaper than the DS3, is the DS3 better?

Thanks!

 

[Steven the Leech]

Here is another power supply to look at since you are already in that price range

 

[Howard]

OCZ isn't great either. Good, but not in the upper rankings.

To save some money, go with the Enhance ENP-5140GH.

The memory is fine - in fact, DDR2-800 is specced at 400MHz. If you like, you can switch to the E6300 and the memory will probably do at least 425.

The ASUS P5B and the GA-965P-DS3 are basically equivalent, for your purposes.

What I suggest is getting a cheaper HSF and switching the 2x250GB drives for a 36/72GB Raptor+400GB storage drive. Perhaps the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro? You can combine shipping with the PSU, I think.

 

[Sav]

I switched to this one: It's highly rated

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817341001

and not that huge of a price.

 

[Howard]

Like I said, that isn't a great PSU, but if you feel like spending >$140, that's your prerogative.

Newegg user ratings are mostly garbage.

 

[Sav]

Hi, sorry I replied before your response was refreshed on the page, I didnt want to spend the $170 of the previous energy supply mentioned but this enermax looks cheap. It's only 400 W though, is that enough?

also if the Gigabyte and Asus P5B are equivalent but the Asus P5B is only $120 while the Gigabyte is $150 would I be better off going with the Asus P5B?

Also will my Case fit the Zalman 9700?

Any word on HD Tuner cards too?

thanks for all the help so far!

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Sav
I switched to this one: It's highly rated

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817341001

and not that huge of a price.

Highly rated by who??
Surely your not so new that you think those are real honest reviews on NewEgg??
At best those are customer comments from people who mostly know no better.
All they understand is the PSU works out of the box.
They know nothing nor do they care about capcitors....voltage regulation...etc etc

 

[Sav]

I have changed the following due to suggestions:

I am still open to power source suggestions but I have a budget and I'd like to stick to Power Sources below $140 if that's possible.

Bold indicates where changes were made:

Case:
Antec Performance One P180 Silver cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6400 - Retail

Cooler:
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler - Retail

HD:
2 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3250620AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Video Card:
eVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail

DVD:
SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe Technology Black SATA Model SH-S183L - OEM

Power Supply:
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W Power Supply - Retail

RAM:
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK - Retail

Questions still remaining:

1.) Will this set up be good enough to get me to 8x400 = 3200 MHz overclock
2.) Will the Artic Freezer 7 cooler fit in case / mb and is it necessary to use Artic Silver 5 or will MX-1 Thermal grease work fine?
3.) Would the Asus P5B (Normal) MB be better for me? I don't need raid/sli/firewire and it's cheaper at $120 than the DS3 ($150). I just want to OC and if the gigabyte is better than asus p5b I'll keep it.
4.) Is there a good HD TV tuner card that I could use to watch / record TV on?
5.) Is there a reason on newegg people use Xs instead of numbers? (ie: I paid $xxx for this board but I saved $xx).
6.) Is there a good card that does both wireless and bluetooth? (Save PCI slots )

I am most grateful for the continued help!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Sav
Hi, sorry I replied before your response was refreshed on the page, I didnt want to spend the $170 of the previous energy supply mentioned but this enermax looks cheap. It's only 400 W though, is that enough?

It's an Enhance, not an Enermax. Yes, it has ample power, probably enough for even a 8800GTX in your rig.

also if the Gigabyte and Asus P5B are equivalent but the Asus P5B is only $120 while the Gigabyte is $150 would I be better off going with the Asus P5B?

It's up to you. Both boards are excellent.

Also will my Case fit the Zalman 9700?

It probably will, but do confirm that. It's kind of pricey, though.

 

[Sniper82]

Same memory I got and it works fine on my DS3. DS3 is probably one of the most used DS3 C2D boards out there so you can't go wrong with it. Only thing I hate about it is it doesn't have onboard firewire which luckily I already had one. I would have went with a P5B-E but hated the way the PCI slots was laid out. Your video card can get in the way of the first PCI slot. As for the PSU I wouldn't go with anything less than a 500watt if your gonna o/c. I think the OCZ will be perfectly fine. But just as good if not better can be had cheaper.

 

[Sav]

Originally posted by: Howard
To save some money, go with the Enhance ENP-5140GH.

This PS is rated at 400 W though, to power this system w/ GeForce 8 I have been told 500W is the minimum.

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Same memory I got and it works fine on my DS3. DS3 is probably one of the most used DS3 C2D boards out there so you can't go wrong with it. Only thing I hate about it is it doesn't have onboard firewire which luckily I already had one. I would have went with a P5B-E but hated the way the PCI slots was laid out. Your video card can get in the way of the first PCI slot. As for the PSU I wouldn't go with anything less than a 500watt if your gonna o/c. I think the OCZ will be perfectly fine. But just as good if not better can be had cheaper.

I'd definitely be interested in something cheaper because after I buy Vista and pay for shipping and handling I'll be a little higher than I'd like to be. Also I saw that you have the Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro on the same board, did it fit well? Thanks!

 

[Sniper82]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151024
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103462

Are a couple. There are several under $100 that will get the job done. But about anything Seasonic,Fortron,Enhance,OCZ,Enermax,Sparkle,ect,ect will get the job done no matter the price. I would just keep it 500watt or better and at least 16-18amps(more the better) on each 12v.

Of course the OCZ would probably last you through your next upgrade where anything cheaper would be questionable.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Sav

Originally posted by: Howard
To save some money, go with the Enhance ENP-5140GH.

This PS is rated at 400 W though, to power this system w/ GeForce 8 I have been told 500W is the minimum.

That's a catch-all figure for inferior PSUs. If you want to make sure, find out how much power each component draws and add it all up.

 

[Roguestar]

If you don't need RAID, why not go for the Gigabyte 965P-S3 instead of the DS3? Cheaper and arguably a more stable overclocker, and hasn't had the myriad of BIOS problems the DS3 has had...

 

[Sav]

I thought the DS3 was the more stable OCer due to better capacitors?

 

[mcurphy]

Originally posted by: Sav
I thought the DS3 was the more stable OCer due to better capacitors?

I'm not so sure it means more stable as much as durability and longevity.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Sav
I thought the DS3 was the more stable OCer due to better capacitors?

The DS3 might OC better, but if so, it's not because of the capacitors.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Sav
I thought the DS3 was the more stable OCer due to better capacitors?

The DS3's solid capacitors apparently prolong the life of the motherboard on the whole. Anecdotal evidence from reading these forums seems to indicate more people using the S3 have less problems and get easier overclocks. I'm on 3.2Ghz!

 

[Sav]

I am a little finicky about the S3 after reading some reviews, it seems gigabyte is giving the DS3 more support and faster firmware updates and the rev 2 of the ds3 seems to be doing pretty well. I guess it boils down to the DS3 and the Asus P5B since I don't need raid, firewire, or SLI.

What would be my best option between these 2 simply to achieve a 8x400 = 3.2 GHz OC on a E6400? The Asus P5B is about $30 cheaper than the DS3 right now on newegg, but if the DS3 is more stable than the P5B for OCing I'll stick with it. If they're both equal OCers and performers though I should probably go with the Asus P5B, since it's cheaper right?

Thanks!

 

[Roguestar]

If you mean the P5B vanilla (just P5B) then I'd say go for the DS3. The P5B-E and P5B-Deluxe have good reputations but I've read almost nothing but dislike and problems regarding the plain P5B in the motherboard forum, the CPU/OC forum and any time anyone's asking the difference between the P5B variants. If it's a toss up between the P5B plain and DS3, I'd say DS3.

 

[Sav]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
If you mean the P5B vanilla (just P5B) then I'd say go for the DS3. The P5B-E and P5B-Deluxe have good reputations but I've read almost nothing but dislike and problems regarding the plain P5B in the motherboard forum, the CPU/OC forum and any time anyone's asking the difference between the P5B variants. If it's a toss up between the P5B plain and DS3, I'd say DS3.

Thanks! Sticking with DS3 then, just have to wait till it's back in stock, I guess the fact that it's sold must be a good indication to get it over the P5B vanilla as well. :laugh: