Critique My System Please!

[nisten]

Hello all--

My current PC was purchased in 10th grade--roughly 4 years ago. Struggling with Crysis and newer games has me building an entirely new system. The rundown is:

- $1500 budget, preferably with tax & shipping.
- A relatively future-proof system.
- I worked my ass off at my last job to make some dough, so it has to be spent wisely!

Here's what my homework has provided for me thus far (excluding mail-in rebates; please feel free to suggest other options!):

- Samsung DVD Burner $27.99 - does what it does; cheap.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151173

- WD Caviar 640gb HD $84.99 - good speed, nice capacity, good bang for your gigabyte buck, low heat.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136218

- VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 512mb 256-bit GDDR5 GPU $260 - from what I've read, powerful card; cheap price for higher-end card; runs hot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814129113

- Corsair 750w PSU rated at 80%+ w/one 12v rail $129.99 - may be overkill for this build, but provides stability and the ability to crossfire/SLI if I ever choose to.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139006

- G.SKILL 4gb (2x2gb) DDR2-800 SDRAM $69.99 - cheap, well performing RAM. Is higher speed RAM worth it?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231122

- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield @2.83GHz $329.99 - the most expensive component in the build; fast w/relatively low heat; quad-core (which I want for future-proofing).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115041

- Foxconn P45A-S Mobo $119.99 - I was gonna go with a similar Gigabyte board, but the mixed reviews made me pick the Foxconn board; easy to overclock with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813186148

- Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit $99.99 - DX10; etc.

Total comes to $1224.96 w/shipping and tax. I am also looking to purchase a $200 22in Acer monitor, so I will most likely be gaming at around 1680x1050 which is why I'm not going with a dual-GPU system at the moment.

I am deciding between the Antec 900, Antec 1200, and the CoolerMaster Cosmos. I want to be set on cooling (will only do mild overclocking, if any). These must be included in the budget. Also, are there any components worth waiting for? I mean really waiting for? I was going to do this build at the beginning of the year, but held off for the new GPUs... I don't want to wait forever

Thanks guys, your help is appreciated!

 

[mpilchfamily]

All looks good. But if your going by Newegg reviews as a determining factor for the motherboard then your getting bad information. Newegg reviews are not very reliable. Sure they can point out something that has some major issues. So long as your knowledgeable enough to see threw others ignorance. Personally i'd take a Gigabyte over a Foxconn any day. Especially if you plan to OC.

 

[nisten]

Any case recommendations? I was thinking either the Antec 900, Antec 1200, or Cooler Master Cosmos 1000.

 

[modoheo]

I have the Cosmos case and it's the best I've owned or worked with. The construction quality is great, and it's very easy to work with during your build. Quiet, with good airflow once you stick 4-6 120 mm fans in there (comes with three, if I remember right).

The only complaint many people have is that it's huge. Really. Very large.

Doesn't bother me though, just sits unobtrusively next to my desk, and I know I can fit anything I want in there.

 

[mpilchfamily]

The 900 and 1200 have too many screws to deal with. Also the 900 is a bit cramped. You'll like the amount of room the Cosmos and 1200 have. But if your going to spend the money then get the Cosmos.

 

[Roguestar]

The Antec P182 is a nice case too.

Future-proofing is a myth. Your CPU is overly expensive; more expensive over the ones beneath it than justifies the price hike. Consider getting a Q9300 and overclocking to save a load of cash.

I'd buy the Gigabyte P45 DS3L over the Foxconn board 10 times out of 10. Newegg reviews are usually BS, they just tell you that the person had a problem immediately upon using it, doesn't take into account their level of knowledge, idiot screwups they made or incompatibilities. Go for advice from forums and review sites instead of newegg.

 

[sonnygdude]

ASUS P5Q Pro might be another good option too

Hey Roguestar, speaking of the P182, were you ever able to pick one up for a decent price? I remember we'd talked about how hard it was for you to get one across the pond

 

[LOUISSSSS]

everything's good except the motherboard

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: sonnygdude
ASUS P5Q Pro might be another good option too

Hey Roguestar, speaking of the P182, were you ever able to pick one up for a decent price? I remember we'd talked about how hard it was for you to get one across the pond

Nope . I shelled out the equivalent of $180 for it, plus the "screw you nothern ireland" postage penalty for shipping from the mainland GB of $50.

Ah well, it's here and I haven't bought a case in six years and I reckon this is an investment. I love it now that I've got it, though .

 

[sonnygdude]

Ah well, can't really get too worked up about things you can't change, I guess - nothing's ever as cheap as you want it to be. And regardless, now you've got a great case!

 

[dmw16]

I agree with several others about getting the Gigabyte over the Foxconn.

Also agree with not trying to future proof. By the time most software taxes advantage of quad cores, your CPU will be slow anyway. Go with an E8400 and use the difference towards a great 22" monitor (rather than an ok $200 one) or go to 24".

 

[nisten]

Originally posted by: dmw16
I agree with several others about getting the Gigabyte over the Foxconn.

Also agree with not trying to future proof. By the time most software taxes advantage of quad cores, your CPU will be slow anyway. Go with an E8400 and use the difference towards a great 22" monitor (rather than an ok $200 one) or go to 24".

Would it really be better to go with a dual core? Isn't the future heading towards the quad?

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Go with a cheaper quad core first off.

Secondly change mobos. You can afford to stick with a teir 1/2 (Asus, Abit, Gigabyte, DFI, etc).

Third go with the Cosmos. One of the best cases ever made from what I have read (which has been a lot because I kind of want to replace my Lian Li with it).

 

[nisten]

This is probably a stupid question, but the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R has one 16x and one 8x PCI-E slot... would this impede CF/SLI performance?

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: nisten
This is probably a stupid question, but the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R has one 16x and one 8x PCI-E slot... would this impede CF/SLI performance?

With current cards no. In the future it might, but currently they barely make use of 4x connections.

 

[nisten]

Alright, so I'm going with the Asus P5Q Pro. Any objections/suggestions before I place my order?

 

[sonnygdude]

Nah, pull the trigger, I think you'll like it. What swayed you to that board?

 

[gabbagabbahey43]

Wait one sec. You have a nice build but I found a Seagate that has double the cache for five bucks more. It doesn't come with cables, but I'm sure you have those lying around

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148335

 

[nisten]

Originally posted by: sonnygdude
Nah, pull the trigger, I think you'll like it. What swayed you to that board?

From what I've read, it's stability and OC'ing capabilities. I've also always been an Asus fan

 

[nisten]

Originally posted by: gabbagabbahey43
Wait one sec. You have a nice build but I found a Seagate that has double the cache for five bucks more. It doesn't come with cables, but I'm sure you have those lying around

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148335

Awesome, thanks a lot

P.S. - Does Seagate's version also have two platters, and similar performance to WD's?

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: nisten

Originally posted by: gabbagabbahey43
Wait one sec. You have a nice build but I found a Seagate that has double the cache for five bucks more. It doesn't come with cables, but I'm sure you have those lying around

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148335

Awesome, thanks a lot

P.S. - Does Seagate's version also have two platters, and similar performance to WD's?

NO! It does not. I'll not start the "32MB cache" is unnecessary at the moment, but WD's 640GB Caviar is the fastest 7200RPM desktop drive bar only their Caviar Black 1TB. Get the Western Digital drive over the Seagate one, despite the seemingly better cache.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: Roguestar

Originally posted by: nisten

Originally posted by: gabbagabbahey43
Wait one sec. You have a nice build but I found a Seagate that has double the cache for five bucks more. It doesn't come with cables, but I'm sure you have those lying around

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148335

Awesome, thanks a lot

P.S. - Does Seagate's version also have two platters, and similar performance to WD's?

NO! It does not. I'll not start the "32MB cache" is unnecessary at the moment, but WD's 640GB Caviar is the fastest 7200RPM desktop drive bar only their Caviar Black 1TB. Get the Western Digital drive over the Seagate one, despite the seemingly better cache.

actually, the TB hard drive is the slower drive, the 640 gig is THE fastest 7200rpm available.