First-time builder!

[rf03]

Hey everyone... first-time builder here. I've put together an idea of my setup, but I have a few questions. I am also NOT planning to overclock this system, so keep that in mind. I'll be gaming only casually, but for the most part, I just want a fast/powerful/stable system that will last for a while and be capable of doing most everything, ideally $1500 max. Setup: (from newegg)

CPU: AMD X2 4400+ (retail) = $497
HD: Maxtor MaXLine Plus III (OEM, SATA, 300GB, 16MB cache) = $128
VIDEO: Sapphire Radeon X800GTO (256MB, PCIE, 12 pipelines) = $159

RAM: 1 or 2 GB... Recommendations?
MOBO: will not overclock... Recommendations?
CASE/PSU: Recommendations?
DVDRW: Recommendations?

1) What do you guys recommend for the things I haven't decided on yet?
2) See anything wrong with what I've decided on? Or better options?
3) How strong of a PSU do I need? And should I buy a case that comes with one already?
4) RAM: should I buy value RAM or low-latency type? And do I really need 2 gigs?
5) Any other accessories I'll need? I know I'll need an SATA cable, for example.
6) Since I'm not OC'ing, will I need to buy extra fans/heatsinks/etc?
7) I'm a bit scared of applying the thermal paste (ArcticSilver, right?) and whatnot... should I be?
8) Anything else I should know? I'm a newb builder, so do you have any tips or warnings?

I hope that wasn't too long. Major, major thanks in advance.. =)

 

[bladefd]

Definately get a 7800 GTX or some other 7800 - you can fit that into your 1500 budget.

 

[thescreensavers]

and get a western digital or Seagate drive seagate has NCQ so I would go with that.

Edit: remeber to put thouse Stand offs befor buting the mother board in.

 

[Killercavecow]

1. Newegg had some Patriot Ram and I got 2 gigs for just under 150 bones. Seems to be working great

2. I agree with other hds than Maxtor. Maxtor is fine, but would go with the WD or something else.

3. I would buy a seperate PSU. Go with a good name and get 500 watts plus. The cpu and video cards both require a lot of power.

4. 2 gigs makes everything better. RAM prices are on somewhat of a down swing right now, if you buying, go for it. Games and other intensive application run a lot better with more ram. Also, you are getting a dual core cpu, why not have the RAM to back it up.

5. SATA cables usually come with newer motherboards. I bought an Abit AN8 and had a lot of extra cables, cords, and hardware. Make sure you know if you motherboard has a 20 or 24 pin connector and buy your PSU accordingly.

6. Make sure you have as many fans as your case has places for them. With the cpu and video card you got, lots of airflow equals happy components.

7. If you buy the cpu/heatsink/fan combo..on the AMD chips, the paste is pre-applied. Just need to put the fan and sink on it. Mine seems to be working great and I don't see the need for arctic silver if you are not gonna OC.

8. Go slow..think things out, read your manuals, and refer a lot to the forums. These forums, the forums on the components websites, ect. ect. Do some research and don't get anxious/jittery.

 

[13Gigatons]

Just a quick warning that the:

HD: Maxtor MaXLine Plus III (OEM, SATA, 300GB, 16MB cache) = $128

is not very reliable even though it comes with a 5 year warranty. I would buy the Western Digital RE or SE even though it's more money.

 

[Azndude2190]

Originally posted by: rf03
Hey everyone... first-time builder here. I've put together an idea of my setup, but I have a few questions. I am also NOT planning to overclock this system, so keep that in mind. I'll be gaming only casually, but for the most part, I just want a fast/powerful/stable system that will last for a while and be capable of doing most everything, ideally $1500 max. Setup: (from newegg)

CPU: AMD X2 4400+ (retail) = $497
HD: Maxtor MaXLine Plus III (OEM, SATA, 300GB, 16MB cache) = $128
VIDEO: Sapphire Radeon X800GTO (256MB, PCIE, 12 pipelines) = $159

RAM: 1 or 2 GB... Recommendations?
MOBO: will not overclock... Recommendations?
CASE/PSU: Recommendations?
DVDRW: Recommendations?

1) What do you guys recommend for the things I haven't decided on yet?
2) See anything wrong with what I've decided on? Or better options?
3) How strong of a PSU do I need? And should I buy a case that comes with one already?
4) RAM: should I buy value RAM or low-latency type? And do I really need 2 gigs?
5) Any other accessories I'll need? I know I'll need an SATA cable, for example.
6) Since I'm not OC'ing, will I need to buy extra fans/heatsinks/etc?
7) I'm a bit scared of applying the thermal paste (ArcticSilver, right?) and whatnot... should I be?
8) Anything else I should know? I'm a newb builder, so do you have any tips or warnings?

I hope that wasn't too long. Major, major thanks in advance.. =)

RAM:Well since you wont be gaming as ehavy then 1GB(Corsair Value) should be more than enough.
MOBO:An EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra
CASE/PSU:Antec PERFORMANCE TX TX1050B(comes with a 500w psu)
DVDRW:Anything Lite-on

1)A seperate sound card.Onboard audio is good but I think its worth paying the extra 30 bucks for a seperate one that will provide better sound quality and cpu cycles wont be used up.Anything 7.1 24bit made my Creative Labs.do you already have a mouse/keyboard/monitor/speakers?...A comfy chair?
2)Instead of a X800GTO go with a 6800GS...and you dont need a 16mb for your HD go with a 8mb one.
3)The one I listed should do you fine even for extreme gamers.
4)Value.No need for 2GB since you dont game as heavy.
5)All the things that are required come with your mobo.
6)No
7)Not that hard...although it would be pretty helpful if you pickup one of those computer guides at a local bookstore(I did for my first build).
8)Have fun.Dont get mad if you cant seem to figure out something right away.THINK.

 

[rf03]

RAM: Buying 1 gig of RAM... should I buy 2x512 or just a full gig?

PSU: Looking at [Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply] = $80 after rebate. Good PSU? There are other 550W Antecs but they're more expensive, I don't know the difference.

HD: [Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD 400GB, 16 MB cache OEM] = $200 ... good HD? Doesn't have NCQ, though I don't know if that's important or not. It's also $50 cheaper than the Seagate which makes me worry about quality.

Also about the HD, if it's OEM... what does that mean to me? Will I need to buy anything extra since it isn't retail?

Thanks a lot. You guys have been helpful =)

 

[ub3rnewb]

The thing to look at for power supplies is the amps they provide on each rail, with the 12V rail being the most important. You should ideally be getting a total of at least 30A on your 12V rail(s). Dual or triple 12V rails are reccomended as well. A good 400W PS is way better than a crappy 500W PS. 400W is generally more than sufficient for the average user. Antec is a good brand for power supplies, as are PC Power and Cooling, Enermax, OCZ, Seasonic, and Fortron. That TruePower is an excellent power supply.

EDIT: The SATA cables should come with your motherboard, and the power cables will be on your power supply. In short, nothing else needed. Get 2x512 if you don't plan on upgrading, but if you do plan on upgrading, then get one 1GB stick. Reason is that Athlon 64 systems suffer from running more than two sticks of RAM. It has to do with the timings of the RAM.

 

[rf03]

To run DualChannel, do I have to purchase XMS ram? Or will 2 sticks of normal value RAM work also?

Also, I've heard that an OEM hard drive won't come with screws... do I have to get those on my own then?

 

[JMoore]

No you don't have to purchase XMS Ram to go Dual channel. I'd go with a Seasonic S12 430 Watt PSU (Antec good to). I'd get an Opertron CPU (Dual core) because it will save you some money and they run really cool. I'd go with an Antec case prob P-160 or P-180. DVD burner Nec 3540a and I am not sure about OEM drives.

Tip for First Bulder: Make sure to ground yourself properly before you start messing with the components, and whenever you can touch your computer components on the edges

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: rf03
RAM: Buying 1 gig of RAM... should I buy 2x512 or just a full gig?

PSU: Looking at [Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply] = $80 after rebate. Good PSU? There are other 550W Antecs but they're more expensive, I don't know the difference.

HD: [Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD 400GB, 16 MB cache OEM] = $200 ... good HD? Doesn't have NCQ, though I don't know if that's important or not. It's also $50 cheaper than the Seagate which makes me worry about quality.

Also about the HD, if it's OEM... what does that mean to me? Will I need to buy anything extra since it isn't retail?

Thanks a lot. You guys have been helpful =)

The Western Digital SE and RE are very similiar in price. The RE has a longer burn in process of 24 hours versus 8 hours for the SE model.

The RE model is rated for 24/7 100% seeking use, no other 7200 rpm hard drive is rated for this kind of abuse.

It also has NCQ which can be a useful feature.

It uses some Raptor parts for proven durability.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe...p?ProductCode=101254-1&affiliate=yahoo

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=158&Language=en



Here is a link which spells out the differences in more detail.

http://www.storagereview.com/php/cms/cms.php?loc=news_content&id=1010

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: rf03
To run DualChannel, do I have to purchase XMS ram? Or will 2 sticks of normal value RAM work also?

Also, I've heard that an OEM hard drive won't come with screws... do I have to get those on my own then?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220037

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220060

Corsair XMS for $100

 

[rf03]

Right now, I'm really torn over the ram.

Value or high-performance RAM?
1GB or 2GB? I'm just worried that 1 gig will become insufficient in a couple of years.

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: rf03
Right now, I'm really torn over the ram.

Value or high-performance RAM?
1GB or 2GB? I'm just worried that 1 gig will become insufficient in a couple of years.

Buy a 1 gig stick and run single channel mode and then switch to dual channel mode down the line. Also high performance memory on a AMD system can be a waste. Just buy good quality and it will run great. Only a the extreme few tweakers actually need high perfromance memory.

 

[rf03]

Hmm... that's an option. With my setup (dual-core AMD & the like) will I notice a difference with dual-channel vs single-channel?

 

[LarryK]

Duel core is cool its a neto new tec games like Quake 4 and COD2 support multithreading would be something to look at and with $1500 would be no sweet to fit in. If your not OCing just go value i would also look at these options will save money

ram rebate ends on the 27
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4463916
case 450w PSU great buy
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009W...8530117-8353739?n=507846&s=pc&v=glance
video card/ motherboard Free Quake 4 also great buy for a new build
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322728

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: rf03
Hmm... that's an option. With my setup (dual-core AMD & the like) will I notice a difference with dual-channel vs single-channel?

1. Gaming
2. Encoding Video
3. Large Photos using Photoshop

Some stuff can use the extra memory bandwidth but otherwise no, it won't make that much difference.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145560

 

[0roo0roo]

silentpcreview.com

 

[alimoalem]

most any mobo would be fine
2gb if u wanna keep it for a while

psu: a good 400w should do
HD should be Western Digital RE2

video: 6800GS. don't get a 7800. too expensive if you wanna keep this for a while unless you're getting a real cheap 7800gt

2gb of value ram should be what you get

don't be worried about the thermal paste. put a pea size amount. if you can see through the paste, you did it right

 

[rf03]

Just a couple more Q's:

1) Since my HD is OEM, will I need fans for it? Or is that the case's job?
2) If my X2 CPU is retail, doesn't it come with the thermal paste already applied?

 

[boomerang]

1) No fans needed. Case cooling is sufficient.

2) No paste needed. Comes with it pre-applied.

Edit: And to answer an earlier question, the case should come with all the screws you need.

 

[darknodin]

I know its not the most important part but for the DVD-RW i suggest you check anandtech's website for the latest roundup... personally i'd go with NEC...

 

[bchivers]

Here's a site for help with the Arctic Silver.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions_big2.htm
This site may be of some help also.
http://www.mechbgon.com/build/index.html