New Build Critique

[MrMilney]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Windows & web development, some Camtasia-style screen capture and video editing (for use in my classroom, I'm an instructor at a community college), occasional gaming.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$2200 to $2500. I could bump this a little if there is a compelling reason.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA. I would prefer to order all parts from Newegg because I've always had good luck with them, their support is fantastic, and I can minimize shipping costs. I would be willing to look other places, however, if the price is right.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.
I'm sold on an Intel chip for obvious reasons, otherwise I'm open to suggestions.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
This is a build from scratch, my existing machine will be re-purposed. I do not need a new monitor or keyboard, however.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
I've looked around a lot and have tweaked my components. This is a final sanity check before I pull the trigger and order parts.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I don't plan to overclock.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
I plan to order parts in the next 7 to 10 days.

Parts:

• Case: Cooler Master COSMOS 1000
• PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W
• Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Deluxe
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale
• HSF: Tuniq Tower 120
• RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) X 2 sets = 8GB total
• HDD: WD Caviar SE16 640GB SATA X 3 (1 system & applications, 2 in RAID 1 for data)
• Fan: Scythe SY1225SL12L "Slipstream" 120mm (to cool HDDs)
• DVD-R: SAMSUNG SH-S223F Black SATA X 2
• Video: EVGA GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 512-P3-N845-AR
• Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional
• Mouse: Logitech G9
• Speakers: Logitech Z-2300
• Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000
• Headset: Sennheiser PC166 USB/3.5mm Circumaural Headset
• OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

Questions:

1. Is that PSU sufficient? I think it will be, but I'd appreciate some feedback.
2. I've set aside some money for software, can anyone recommend a better CD/DVD burner package than Nero? I know they have suffered from feature creep and bloat lately.
3. Anything I've missed? This isn't my first build, but it is my first in a long time.

edited ad nauseam thanks to suggestions in the thread

 

[modoheo]

I just built a new system using the Asus Rampage and the Cosmos 1000. Both pieces are excellent. The board overclocks easily and effortlessly, and has every feature you could imagine. The case is hands down by far the nicest I've ever used for a build (including a Lian Li with built-in water cooling I used a couple years ago). Great airflow, very solid construction. It's huge, but then you knew that I'm sure.

Don't get the obsolete raptor; if you really want a 10k HD, go with the velociraptor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136260
It's twice as fast, twice as big, and much quieter.

This cooler is a bit more effective than the one you choose:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233003

Otherwise, looks good to me. It's a shame if you don't at least consider overclocking a little though, with such an amenable mb/cpu combo you have picked out.

Oh, and buy at least one extra 120mm fan to install over the hard drive cage - you'll see what I mean when you start building out the case. Otherwise the HD's may get too hot.

 

[MrMilney]

Originally posted by: modoheo
I just built a new system using the Asus Rampage and the Cosmos 1000. Both pieces are excellent. The board overclocks easily and effortlessly, and has every feature you could imagine. The case is hands down by far the nicest I've ever used for a build (including a Lian Li with built-in water cooling I used a couple years ago). Great airflow, very solid construction. It's huge, but then you knew that I'm sure.

Don't get the obsolete raptor; if you really want a 10k HD, go with the velociraptor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136260
It's twice as fast, twice as big, and much quieter.

This cooler is a bit more effective than the one you choose:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233003

Otherwise, looks good to me. It's a shame if you don't at least consider overclocking a little though, with such an amenable mb/cpu combo you have picked out.

Oh, and buy at least one extra 120mm fan to install over the hard drive cage - you'll see what I mean when you start building out the case. Otherwise the HD's may get too hot.

Thanks for your input. I'm glad to hear you had good experiences with boththe case and MB, I've read a lot of good things about both. I edited the list to include the VelociRaptor (I should have caught that myself) and the extra cooling fan, good call on both!

 

[modoheo]

BTW, that PSU is probably fine, but if you're not too married to the idea of modular cabling, then the one below is more potent and cheaper. The 750w may be overkill, but it'll have you covered in case you decide to upgrade your GPU to the 280GTX coming out soon (you're aware of the new GPU family release this month, right?), which according to nvidia may pull more than 200watts of juice by itself! The 750 tx PSU has long cables, but there's no side window on the comos so there's no need for absolutely pristine cabling, and the case itself is plenty big enough to tuck cables out of the way for airflow purposes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139006

Another note on the case: the only frustration I had was when I initially tried to route PSU cables behind the MB - the opposite side panel won't close if you do that. SATA and fan cables will (barely) fit back there.

 

[MrMilney]

Originally posted by: modoheo
BTW, that PSU is probably fine, but if you're not too married to the idea of modular cabling, then the one below is more potent and cheaper. The 750w may be overkill, but it'll have you covered in case you decide to upgrade your GPU to the 280GTX coming out soon (you're aware of the new GPU family release this month, right?), which according to nvidia may pull more than 200watts of juice by itself! The 750 tx PSU has long cables, but there's no side window on the comos so there's no need for absolutely pristine cabling, and the case itself is plenty big enough to tuck cables out of the way for airflow purposes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139006

Another note on the case: the only frustration I had was when I initially tried to route PSU cables behind the MB - the opposite side panel won't close if you do that. SATA and fan cables will (barely) fit back there.

Another good suggestion, thanks. I specifically went looking for a case with no window. While I like to keep things neat inside the case, I don't necessarily want to look in there. I had read that the case was tight between the MB tray and the side, but I didn't realize it was that tight!

I knew that there was a new GPU coming soon (isn't there always?) but I also know that it will be price prohibitive for the next few months. I had thought about waiting on the off chance it would push the 9800 GX2s down to a reasonable price, but I'm happy with the bang-for-the-buck value of the 8800GTS (G92).

Thanks again!

 

[DSF]

Since you're not overclocking and not using an ATI graphics card, the Rampage Formula is a serious waste of money for you. A P35 motherboard would be $150-200 cheaper and cost you nothing in performance.

The Scythe Ninja Copper is a very heavy heatsink, and really not necessary on an E8400 being run at stock speeds.

 

[chinaman1472]

What DSF said. Along with that, the sound card *may* be unnecessary. And why a DVD-ROM and a DVD burner? I'd ditch one or just get another DVD burner for that little extra functionality and the cost increase is minimal. For that kind of usage, you might be able to utilize a quad core as well, but that's up to you.

 

[modoheo]

I agree with what chinaman and DSF said about the Rampage - since you don't plan to overclock you'd probably be just as happy with one of these two boards, and you'd save 100-200 bucks:
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136038
ABIT IP35 Pro XE LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813127050

Both those boards even overclock extremely well also.

The truth is, almost no one NEEDS a board like the Rampage; I got it b/c I can afford it and b/c in the past I've always built with moderately-priced boards that give you great bang/buck like the two above, and I wanted to try a 'high-end' board for once. I also wanted to be nearly certain I would be able to oc to 4.0GHz on air, which was a breeze with the Rampage.

Fact is, no one NEEDS a Lexus to get from point A to point B either, but that doesn't stop many people from getting one.

 

[MrMilney]

Thanks all for your input. I don't tend to be an incremental upgrader so I generally try to buy semi-high end components to try to stretch the lifetime a bit before my next re-build. I will take a serious look at the suggested motherboards.

 

[MrMilney]

Originally posted by: chinaman1472
What DSF said. Along with that, the sound card *may* be unnecessary. And why a DVD-ROM and a DVD burner? I'd ditch one or just get another DVD burner for that little extra functionality and the cost increase is minimal. For that kind of usage, you might be able to utilize a quad core as well, but that's up to you.

The DVD-ROM and DVD burner is just old habit from the days when burners were too expensive to think about putting burners in a system and you wanted to use it as little as possible to extend its life. You're right that they're cheap enough today that there's almost no reason not to have two burners. I still like having multiple drives for disc-to-disc copies.

 

[MrMilney]

Does anyone have any opinion on the Asus P5Q Deluxe (newegg)? I'm reading reviews online now...

 

[DSF]

Spending an extra $100 on a motherboard will do very little in terms of extending the useful life of the computer. You're better off putting that $100 in the bank and pulling it out down the road for a graphics card upgrade.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: MrMilney
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Windows & web development, some Camtasia-style screen capture and video editing (for use in my classroom, I'm an instructor at a community college), occasional gaming.



7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I don't plan to overclock.

Parts:

• Case: Cooler Master COSMOS 1000
  
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale
  
• RAM: Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 X 2 sets for 8GB total
• HDD1: WD VelociRaptor 300GB 10000 RPM SATA (system & applications)
• HDD2: WD Caviar SE16 640GB SATA (data)
  
  I'm also looking to recomendations for a web cam and headset (primarily used for Skype). So far I've found these likely candidates:
  • Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Communicate Deluxe
    
  • I've set aside some money for software, can anyone recommend a better CD/DVD burner package than Nero? I know they have suffered from feature creep and bloat lately.
  • Anything I've missed? This isn't my first build, but it is my first in a long time.

• 
  
  * The Cosmos is VERY HEAVY... I'd get something lighter if you have to move it at all.
  * You'll need a quad core if you're doing "heavy lifting" like video editing and such.
  * Forget the Patriot Viper memory. It's rated to run 2.2v at PC2-6400 speed (too high).
  Instead use A-Data 4GB (2 x 2GB) rated at 1.8v.
  * The VelociRaptor isn't doesn't offer a good bang for the buck.
  Buy another 640GB WD... Create a 200-300GB partition and use it for your OS & Apps (forget the rest of the drive or use it for minor storage)
  * For your main storage use 2 640GB WDs in RAID 1.
  * For a webcam... The Logitech Pro 9000 is THE WEBCAM you need.
  * Nero 8 Ultra is good. Do a "Custom" install and only install the components you'll use.

 

[MrMilney]

Originally posted by: Blain
* The Cosmos is VERY HEAVY... I'd get something lighter if you have to move it at all.
* You'll need a quad core if you're doing "heavy lifting" like video editing and such.
* Forget the Patriot Viper memory. It's rated to run 2.2v at PC2-6400 speed (too high).
Instead use A-Data 4GB (2 x 2GB) rated at 1.8v.
* The VelociRaptor isn't doesn't offer a good bang for the buck.
Buy another 640GB WD... Create a 200-300GB partition and use it for your OS & Apps (forget the rest of the drive or use it for minor storage)
* For your main storage use 2 640GB WDs in RAID 1.
* For a webcam... The Logitech Pro 9000 is THE WEBCAM you need.
* Nero 8 Ultra is good. Do a "Custom" install and only install the components you'll use.

Thanks for the suggestions, I've edited my system above to incorporate most of them.

 

[DSF]

SilenX is a horrible fan company known for pulling airflow and noise ratings out of their ass. Nexus, Noctua, Yate Loon and Scythe are better companies to go with. I'm very pleased with the Scythe Slipstream series - this model should move enough air over your hard drives and be virtually silent. If you want a little bit more air, this is the next model up.

 

[MrMilney]

Originally posted by: DSF
SilenX is a horrible fan company known for pulling airflow and noise ratings out of their ass. Nexus, Noctua, Yate Loon and Scythe are better companies to go with. I'm very pleased with the Scythe Slipstream series - this model should move enough air over your hard drives and be virtually silent. If you want a little bit more air, this is the next model up.

Thanks for the tip. I was looking at their air flow/noise rating ratio (ala newegg) and it looked good, but I have no experience with the company. Thanks for steering me clear of a noisy fan. My current system sounds like a jet and I'm really looking to make my next one quieter.