I have a $2,500US budget.

[Netu]

Oi! Alas and avast ye maties and scurvy dogs!

I am Netu, you can just call me Netu, for short, though; and I am a college student! (Note the use of the semicolon! That obviously makes me a college student!)

As a college student, I recently received a nice little technology-based grant that gives me $2,500US a semester for a year. I decided that since I already have a nice grand saved up for car payments and the like, I am totally going to do what I have always wanted to do, for as long as my wee lil' heart has played games:

Buy a new frickin' computer!

Now, I've been researching for a while now, and am at the point of "Hmm. Well, let's see what someone else has to say!" That's where you guys come in! I want you to pretend you have $2500US just laying around and are going to buy a new computer! If you want, that is, of course. ;-)

Here's what a friend of mine came up with:

Computer Components
Case: Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000
URL: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...Thermaltake-_-11133154
Price: $149.99

PSU: Corsair 620W Power Supply
URL: http://ozdirect.com/product_in...rrency=USD&language=en
Price: $141.17

MOBO: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-T1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
URL: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ntel-_-EVGA-_-13188012
Price: $180.00 (After rebate)

GPU: EVGA GeForce 8800GTX
URL: http://www.clubit.com/product_...827&cmp=OTC-pricewatch
Price: $485.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.00GHz 4MB Cache
URL: http://www.antaresdigital.com/...d=17759&cat=419&page=1
Price: $280.00

Sound Card: Razer Barracuda AC-1 Gaming Audio Card 7.1
URL: http://www.ecost.com/detail.as...110944&ci_sku=34670601
Price: $169.42

HDD: Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM
URL: http://3btech.net/wedi15rax1rp.html
Price: $189.00

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium (OEM)
URL: http://www.newegg.com/Product/..._-Microsoft-_-32116204
Price: $114.99

As you can see I have yet to decide on RAM...because I ran into this weird issue with that motherboard. I got really irritated that I couldn't find the answer out and that's when I decided to start posting around for general help.

Just as a side-note: I have to build this machine from the GROUND UP! I have no keyboards, no mice, not even screens!

My current computer is a Dell laptop...with integrated graphics...I've had it for a year now, and before that I had a Compaq with even worse specs than this laptop. I've never, ever had a computer even decent enough to be considered for gaming... I want to change that. Gaming is a my hobby--and I wish to evolve that hobby.

I ask for your guys' help; however know you don't have to give it, of course! Any advice, recommendations, websites of interest, further reading, extra research I can and should do, etc., is of course more than welcome!

Thank you everyone, very much, for taking the time to read this and thank you a billion times more for posting a helpful comment. I hope this community is as helpful as I have found it to be for the past few months upon...stalking...lurking...whatevertheword...the site!

Adieu!

UPDATE: These are my current specs! Quite the improvement, I'd say!

CASE: Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16811129025
$159.99

MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16813128048
$154.99

CPU: Xeon - X3220 -2.4 Ghz Socket 775- L2 Cache - 8MB
Ain't gonna give you the link for this one. Mine, mine! ;-)
$299.99

POWER SUPPLY: OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16817341001
$119.99

OPERATING SYSTEM: Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16832116202
$111.99

HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16822148140
$79.99

FAN: Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler LGA775
http://www.svc.com/acfzp7.html
$24.99

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16820146565
$109.99

GRAPHICS CARD: EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16814130072
$529.99

SOUND CARD: HT OMEGA CLARO Plus+ 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16829271003
$174.99

MONITOR: LG L206WTY-BF Black 20" 2ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16824005096
$239.99

DVD-ROM: SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe Technology Black SATA Model SH-S183L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16827151141
$33.99

KEYBOARD: Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Standard Media Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16823126022
$15.99

MOUSE: Logitech G7 Black 6 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB RF Wireless Laser Mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16826104203
$67.99

SPEAKERS: Z-5500 Digital Speaker System
http://accessories.us.dell.com...dhs&cs=19&sku=A0405790
$279.00

HEADPHONES: Sennheiser HD 555
http://www.headphone.com/produ.../sennheiser-hd-555.php
$109.95

POWER STRIP: Kensington 62668 6 Outlets Power Strip
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16812120802
$11.99

Total I'll pay up front: $2525.80

Total after rebates, etc.: $2423.30

 

[nineball9]

Welcome to the forums, Netu.

1) The word "semicolon" is not hyphenated.

2) Combining two statements that are too closely related in meaning to be written as separate sentences using both a semicolon and the conjunction "and" is incorrect grammar.

Alas, I have no relevant opinions about your prospective system components, but I wish you well and hope you build a magnificent system!

 

[mechBgon]

Welcome to the Forums For future reference, that sort of title can make the Moderator's trigger finger itchy and system-building threads normally go in General Hardware, where you will get great advice from The Collective (even if your punctuation isn't perfect).

Topic moved from Computer Help to General Hardware.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

 

[bamacre]

A few quick questions...

1. Will you be overclocking the cpu?
2. If you think you will utilize SLI, how soon would you be adding a second video card?
3. Any particular reason you chose that sound card?

I already have 1-2 recommendations for you, but I'd like to know the answer to those questions before I dish them out.

 

[xitshsif]

What kind of monitor do you plan on using with this build? That video card is pretty beefy, and might be overkill if you're just using a 19" at 1280x1024.

Edit: I'd also consider the Q6600 instead of the E6850 Link

 

[Netu]

@Nineball9: Lol! xD Thanks a lot. I've actually never "been gotten onto" about hyphenating semicolon. Thanks tons for correcting me in that instance. However I do hope you caught the joke regarding the semicolon. =P Thanks for the...silly yet warm welcome!

@mechBgon: I apologize sincerely for putting this in the wrong forum! And the title...hm, yes, it would make a moderator itchy, wouldn't it. If it is possible for me to change the title (I will look as soon as I am done typing this) or if you would like to change it feel free. I appreciate the help and thanks for the welcome! =)

@Bamacre: My friends tell me -not- to overclock. I do not fully understand overclocking just yet; thus, I leave it in the air. I'll overclock if I need to. ;-P I won't be utilizing SLI. I don't need SLI. At all. I am going to be getting a headset (a Barracuda one) that matches that soundcard I'm getting. SLI, now that I look into it and figure out what SLI is, may not be a good idea. What do you recommend on that behalf? I chose that sound card because of the headset. I do ~not~ need good sound; I am not a sound guy. I just figured it went well with that headset I spoke of, this one: http://www.razerzone.com/index...ct_info&products_id=38 What do you think? Thank you, Bamacre, for helping me and asking some good hardcore questions--I -really- appreciate people like you. Intelligence and helpfulness is few and far between in today's society. Run for president. xD

@xitshsif: Monitor. Bwahaha! This is what I've been looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824009094 However I was told that the specs on this aren't that great, while it -is- 22"! So, I think I am going to get a 20" with a higher contrast and refresh rating. I want to run a resolution of at least 1680x1050, I feel. Any reason in particular you're recommending that processor? It's quad core, which is interesting; regretfully though I have heard that quad cores can actually be slower! Now, of course this may just be silly hosh posh... If you have a good idea with that Q6600, then I'll do it. =) Thanks for the help!

Thank you very much everyone! A lovely welcome and even more lovely assistance! I hope to hear from you guys, and some other people, soon!

P.S. I keep looking at this, get confused, and agitated, and close my Firefox window: http://techreport.com/etc/2007...uide-0707/index.x?pg=8 It seems like, maybe, all of my parts are a generation behind? Could I even afford that even if I hacked off a few parts (such as about 750gb of the hard drive)? Again, thanks for your recommendations!

 

[xitshsif]

About the monitor: I just realized you said you're looking to spend $2500 or so. Might as well go all out and get a 24" monitor. Gaming at 1920x1200 is amazing.

CPU: There is definitely debate about this one. It is true that the E6850 would be faster than the Q6600 in single threaded apps. However, more and more games and applications are multi-threaded, which will make use of whatever cores you throw at them. A quad core will also handle heavy multi-tasking a lot better. Of course the Q6600 is probably overclockable to E6850 speeds without too much trouble, if you decide to go that way.

 

[imported_shader]

Originally posted by: Netu
@Bamacre: My friends tell me -not- to overclock. I do not fully understand overclocking just yet; thus, I leave it in the air. I'll overclock if I need to. ;-P I won't be utilizing SLI. I don't need SLI. At all. I am going to be getting a headset (a Barracuda one) that matches that soundcard I'm getting. SLI, now that I look into it and figure out what SLI is, may not be a good idea. What do you recommend on that behalf? I chose that sound card because of the headset. I do ~not~ need good sound; I am not a sound guy. I just figured it went well with that headset I spoke of, this one: http://www.razerzone.com/index...ct_info&products_id=38 What do you think? Thank you, Bamacre, for helping me and asking some good hardcore questions--I -really- appreciate people like you. Intelligence and helpfulness is few and far between in today's society. Run for president. xD

SLI is nvidia's method (as opposed to ati's crossfire) of running two identical video cards together at the same time. so for you to get SLI to work you would have to get another 8800GTX. please understand the following is opinion: SLI is not worth it unless you have alot of money to spend. you will likely not get an increase in maximum framerate, it will however very likely give a great increase in minimum framerate (i.e. won't slow down as much in a graphics intensive situation).

since you mentioned you probably will not use sli, you don't need that motherboard, you can get a good one for less than $100 if you don't plan on overclocking (there is a thread in the motherboards section of the anandtech forums that gives recommendations on mobo's, you should read that).

for your hdd, i would probably recommend a smaller raptor (74gb) and get a larger (300gb) SATAII to supplement it (probably want one with 16mb cache). although you could probably just get the SATAII and not be much different from the raptor (again, personal opinion w/o data to support, if someone has information to the contrary please refute)

your PSU choice - solid. i don't know anything about the case, alot of people recommend the antec P180 tho.

 

[Netu]

@xitshsif: I see, very interesting... I will not be multitasking, at all, really... Quite literally I will use this computer I am on for my school work, etc., and then this new machine for gaming. Neither of which really need to look into multitasking by a great detail. I will still consider and look into what you have said though--it seems I still need to learn more about overclocking, though! =P

@shader: Thanks for the advice on SLI! It seems I won't be SLIing and will be getting a new motherboard. =) You saved me a few pennies, for sure. Also, I am going to view that post as soon as I am done typing this. I don't really need much space for my HDD. Is your reasoning to have a smaller, yet super fast HD and then a big, yet slower, HD? If so, that's fine and I will go that route. Are those two HDDs you mentioned compatible will that list up there? I will look into the P180; I haven't heard of it, but it may be better.

Again! Thank you so much for your help everyone! It is very much appreciated!

 

[imported_shader]

Originally posted by: Netu
@shader: Thanks for the advice on SLI! It seems I won't be SLIing and will be getting a new motherboard. =) You saved me a few pennies, for sure. Also, I am going to view that post as soon as I am done typing this. I don't really need much space for my HDD. Is your reasoning to have a smaller, yet super fast HD and then a big, yet slower, HD? If so, that's fine and I will go that route. Are those two HDDs you mentioned compatible will that list up there? I will look into the P180; I haven't heard of it, but it may be better.

the raptor has much faster random seek times than 7200 drives, but can't use all of the SATAII bandwith. someone did a case study and posted here on anandtech a while ago, but i can't find the link. basically the raptor's low seek times allowed it to get a random block from hdd faster than a 7200 SATAII drive, but the burst transfer rate of both were very similar. what this means to someone actually using each drive: unless you are constantly accessing small random disk chunks, you won't notice a difference.

also please don't take my word as law (i don't mean to imply that you are doing that though). i'm just trying to give some suggestions, i don't want you getting something that won't do what you want. a great suggestion i have is to read several posts in this forum and get alot of different opinions.

 

[Netu]

@shader: I understand, I think. So since I will accessing one large chunk, if megabytes are considered large, at a time however in medium intervals, I should not purchase the Raptor? Harddrives are something I still don't fully understand, along with motherboards; I would say those are the two things I least understand out of a computer. If you have any other assistance regarding the harddrive, I'd appreciate it. (I think I just realized hard drive is two words. Peculiar.) At any rate, thank you again for your help, and I certainly won't take your word as law! Haha! Trust you me, I will cross-check my sources and stuff. You may even see this thread updated and reposted on another site sometime. It's all about getting the most for my money, I guess. But with $2,500 I just feel like maybe I should just buy whatever looks pretty...or get something from Dell! :B (Those were jokes.)

Thanks again, and take care!

 

[bamacre]

From what I have read, this is what I would change...


PSU: Corsair 520W Power Supply
This is plenty to run an 8800 GTX as well as everything else.

MOBO: Gigabyte P35 based motherboard.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Reasoning was stated before. Four fast cores for less than 300 bucks. It's the way to go.

HDD: Ditch the Raptor. Not worth the money, at all. Get a Seagate 7200.10 drive, capacity is up to you.

 

[xitshsif]

Originally posted by: bamacre
From what I have read, this is what I would change...


PSU: Corsair 520W Power Supply
This is plenty to run an 8800 GTX as well as everything else.

MOBO: Gigabyte P35 based motherboard.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Reasoning was stated before. Four fast cores for less than 300 bucks. It's the way to go.

HDD: Ditch the Raptor. Not worth the money, at all. Get a Seagate 7200.10 drive, capacity is up to you.

:thumbsup:

I would also add a monitor. Being able to see things is cool too. Link

 

[bamacre]

The only problem with a large LCD is the financial challenge of keeping up with hardware needed to run games at its native resolution.

 

[xitshsif]

Originally posted by: bamacre
The only problem with a large LCD is the financial challenge of keeping up with hardware needed to run games at its native resolution.

This is true, but an 8800GTX should be able to take care of that for a while.

 

[Netu]

@bamacre: Thank you so much. I needed someone to just straight tell me what to do! =D Do you mind, though, if I ask for some specifics? Here is a nice list from newegg.com of P35 motherboards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...5&bop=And&Order=RATING I look at this and go "Hm...". I think I need certain slots...PCI slots or something. My RL friend, who isn't available, was telling me about it; that is where this question spawns. Which of these motherboards on this list is good and has all the slots I need, especially assuming I do get the Quad Core. I am looking up a Seagate--they're nice, I'll go with it. That power supply is nice and cheap--I'll go with that as well. :-D Really the motherboard and processor is all that I stand confused about. Just a bit more research on my part and I guess I'll almost be done!

@xitshif: I just saw your reply. And, just to be frank, wow. Seriously, wow. That is a big frikin' screen. Can I even possibly consider something so crazy? Would it be smarter just to get two 22" or 20"s instead? o___o I can't even believe people have machines that could run on such a monitor! xD Thanks for your input! And if I have 500 spare bucks at the end of all this, I might just have a nice TV soon! ;-P

An updated list, once I finalize my ideas about the processor and motherboard, will be coming soon; I will also include my mouse, headset, keyboard, and monitor(s). I am still unsure if I want to dual-screen or not. My friends tell me it's awesome; I think it might be a waste of money... I don't know.

As always thank you so much, and feel free to post any and all ideas and suggestions! More reading and links are always helpful, too! Thanks!

 

[xitshsif]

Originally posted by: Netu
@xitshif: I just saw your reply. And, just to be frank, wow. Seriously, wow. That is a big frikin' screen. Can I even possibly consider something so crazy? Would it be smarter just to get two 22" or 20"s instead? o___o I can't even believe people have machines that could run on such a monitor! xD Thanks for your input! And if I have 500 spare bucks at the end of all this, I might just have a nice TV soon! ;-P

What's smarter to do is whatever makes you happiest. I had the same dilemma last summer when I built my system: two smaller ones or one bigger one. I have to say I'm very happy with my choice (the big one). I do use dual monitors at work, and I prefer it for that, but for gaming at home I think a single 24" is the way to go.

Also, if you are planning on spending $2500, you should have no problem buying all this.

By the way, my rig is in my signature. It's nothing spectacular, but it runs things just fine on this monitor.

 

[bamacre]

I think all those boards are nice. I would get one with 3 PCI slots though, especially since you are getting a sound card. You someday may want to add a TV Tuner, or a Wireless NIC. Some are more expensive because they may offer firewire, or just better overclocking features.

One thing I forgot to mention was memory. Since you are not going to overclock, you don't need expensive memory.

This is a little overkill, but its not much more expensive that what you need...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231098

As for a monitor, it is arguable. If it were me, I'd stick with a 20 or 22in, something with 1680x1050 resolution.

An 8800 GTX will play current games at higher resolutions, but when games like Crysis come out, you'll feel a pinch.

 

[Netu]

@bamacre: So how do I avoid that pinch? Is there a way to avoid it with a 2500 dollar budget? Would I have to go SLI? Get a better graphics card (Is there even one out?)? By the way, can't this motherboard and stuff handle DDR3 RAM? Is it even worth it getting it right now? That RAM you posted is fine, as says my friend. Just want to make sure. Also, why save just 20 dollars on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/...b520W%2bPower%2bSupply instead of http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139002 ? I mean, the wattage increase just for 20 bones seems fair. Do I simply just not need that much power? Would it cause over heating, or something along those lines?

Thank you very, very much. You are extremely helpful and I appreciate your assistance. I am very close to being done now thanks to all of you!

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Netu
@bamacre: So how do I avoid that pinch? Is there a way to avoid it with a 2500 dollar budget? Would I have to go SLI? Get a better graphics card (Is there even one out?)? By the way, can't this motherboard and stuff handle DDR3 RAM? Is it even worth it getting it right now? That RAM you posted is fine, as says my friend. Just want to make sure. Also, why save just 20 dollars on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/...b520W%2bPower%2bSupply instead of http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139002 ? I mean, the wattage increase just for 20 bones seems fair. Do I simply just not need that much power? Would it cause over heating, or something along those lines?

Thank you very, very much. You are extremely helpful and I appreciate your assistance. I am very close to being done now thanks to all of you!

I guess what I was saying is, to avoid that pinch, stick with an LCD that does 1680x1050.

For gaming, bigger LCD's with larger native resolutions, are not only more expensive, but also more expensive to maintain. Games just don't look as good when you are playing them at their non-native resolution.

As for the PSU, you just don't need that much wattage. Having more certainly isn't going to offer you any kind of performance increase. I guess if 20 bucks isn't important, than the 620W Corsair isn't a horrible idea.

 

[Piuc2020]

A Q6600 will be a much better buy than an E6850, especially if your main activity will be gaming. Gaming is a very GPU-bound task and a Q6600 2.4GHz is more than enough for games of today and games of tomorrow will be better suited for multi-core processors. Look at it this way, today the Q6600 is more than enough for any game, tomorrow the Q6600 is considerably better than any dual core processor of today. Besides you can easily overclock the Q6600 to 3.0GHz or more if you ever needed the extra speed for single threaded applications.

As for the motherboard, I didn't check your list but the Gigabyte P35 DSR3 is great, you can also get the P35C version which has DDR3 slots but you won't need them but then again its up to you and it WILL give you a bit more of future proof upgrade capabilities. As for the soundcard, an X-Fi XtremeGamer will be enough and it will be cheap but if you are not an audiophile you will love on-board sound (which has evolved quite a lot actually). I say only get the soundcard if you have leftover money after choosing the rest of the parts. You don't need or want SLI (unless you go with a 30" monitor and have tons of cash).

As for the monitor, this NEC is really incredible http://www.newegg.com/Product/...on=nec+20wmgx2&x=0&y=0 it is $529 for 20" but its quality is incredible and honestly, I prefer quality over size any day and it will be better financially speaking as you won't need to upgrade your card as often to run at its 1680x1050 native resolution. Alternatively you could go with the Acer you suggested or the AL2051W if you'd like slightly better color, contrast with a slower response time.

You don't really need dual screen, it is nice but your machine seems to be game-oriented and for games, dual screen is completely useless (I think SupCom uses it but still). Dual screen can be quite useful if you are into media design.

As for mouse, you can't go wrong with the Logitech G5 (the new version with two thumb buttons) or anything from Razer's line. Keyboard its a matter of preference and I can't give any recommendations aside from the Ultra-X if you like laptop-style keyboards. If you appreciate sound, don't get a headset labeled as "gaming" but you said it yourself you are not an audio guy so just get whatever fits your needs best in terms of features and fit (though you'd have to shop in a real store for that).

As for the HDD, some people like getting a small high RPM drive for the OS and Games and then use a 7200 drive for storage. I don't think it would be a bad idea to get that 150GB Raptor (or 73GB if you wish to save a few bucks) and install your OS and Games on that and then get something like a 250GB Seagate (or something else depending on your storage needs) for other kind of storage. But your performance will be just fine if you do decide to go with a single 7200 drive.

And finally the OS, Windows Vista is a nice OS and it will get even better with SP1 this fall, Home Premium is the way to go. The only thing, GET THE 32-bit version, there are no performance benefits right now with 64-bit and all you are going to face is compatibility problems and trouble finding drivers.

 

[Netu]

@bamacre: OK then. I'll most definitely be getting just an LCD that runs at 1680x1050. I will also just get that PSU you recommended--no sense in just -waisting- money if there is no performance increase.

I have a question, though, regarding hard drives: Is it not true that slower hard drives can reduce the optimal settings of your computer as a whole? My friend and I are currently bouncing ideas back to one another and browsing reviews for different hard drives, and http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148140 seems really good, but we are uncertain that it's top of the line.

Thanks again. And take care.

EDIT: @Piuc2020: According to a friend of mine, the Q6600 isn't even a "true quad core", and here soon they are going to make "true quad cores". He went on to say that basically Intel has strapped two core two duos together, which don't really work simultaneously... Thus, it's silly to even worry with getting this "quad core". ***I*** have no idea, and am trying my best to even understand where to begin regarding processors. I have always understood cores, but some of the things he has said has made me question it. http://www.informationweek.com...&subSection=Processors

Also, how about these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128046
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128050
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128048
Which one is the best bang for the buck, as they say? Also, do I need to get a Gigabyte Geforce 8800GTX since we are considering a Gigabyte motherboard, opposed to using the EVGA Geforce 8800 GTX since we are no longer considering the EVGA motherboard? Or will the EVGA still be OK?

Regarding the Raptor: Is it just a complete ripoff? I'd like to save 200 bucks if I can and get more storage space, but at the same time I want a really fast hard drive. I -do not need- space. I need speed. I will have maybe one, or two, games (5gigs each) on my computer at a time with no more than 10 gigs of music/movies/etc. I am on a laptop right now with 40 gigs of space and am only using 17gigs. Thus, anything above 40, in my mind, is just a waste with me... Thus, I would MUCH RATHER have a faster hard drive than a big and slower one. If I ever need more space I will just do as you have said, Piuc, which is an idea I really like. The question is, though: What is the fastest, versus size, hard drive? The raptor? Or something else?

And finally, are you -sure- not to get 64-bit? Does anyone happen to have a site or something that has that same claim? I simply want to remain empirical here. My friends and other sources seem to say that 64-bit is simply better because it opens up -all those- trillions of bits for usage. Are the errors really so much worse than the capability? I'm fine, either way, but, again, do not wish to waste money! ;-P

Thank you so so so much for your help! I -really- appreciate everything and as always keep the comments coming!

 

[bamacre]

What are the options being discussed? Raptor? Screw the raptor. Dollar for dollar, it is probably one of the worst things you can buy for your computer.

The only other option would be a Samsung SpinPoint. That and the Seagate 7200.10 drives are the best drives for your system.

I ran two 74GB Raptors in RAID 0 for about 6 months. The speed increase may look good on charts or graphs, but in the real world, they are horribly insignificant. Not worth the money, for sure.

 

[xitshsif]

Originally posted by: bamacre
What are the options being discussed? Raptor? Screw the raptor. Dollar for dollar, it is probably one of the worst things you can buy for your computer.

The only other option would be a Samsung SpinPoint. That and the Seagate 7200.10 drives are the best drives for your system.

I ran two 74GB Raptors in RAID 0 for about 6 months. The speed increase may look good on charts or graphs, but in the real world, they are horribly insignificant. Not worth the money, for sure.

I don't think raptors are worth it at all either. I've got a 320GB 7200.10 and it's fine. I am beginning to get to the point where I could use some more space though.

 

[imported_shader]

Originally posted by: Netu
I have a question, though, regarding hard drives: Is it not true that slower hard drives can reduce the optimal settings of your computer as a whole? My friend and I are currently bouncing ideas back to one another and browsing reviews for different hard drives, and http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148140 seems really good, but we are uncertain that it's top of the line.

yes, samsung 7200.10's are great drives (& 5 year warranty)