Building a new PC, need suggestions

ricky715

CAGiversary!
I've been doing some research into a new PC to replace my old junker. I'm not looking for top of the line $4000 monster with a $500 graphics card, i'm just looking for a computer that will play Oblivion, Source engine, and vista with no problems. I originally was looking at ibuypower.com but I read some reviews and decided it was not worth the risk. I headed over to newegg and pretty much carbon copied the specs from iBuyPower onto newegg. I want to know if this is what I'm looking for in a computer. Are their any neccesary parts to do what I need, or are their any compatibility issues. I spent about 5 minutes typing it into newegg, so i don't know if it all will fit nicely together.

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1
11-156-188-02.jpg

RAIDMAX AZTEC ATX-619WY Black/ Yellow SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811156188Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99$79.99 1
22-145-162-02.jpg

HITACHI Deskstar 7K160 HDS721616PLA380 (0Y30006) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822145162Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $9.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $14.99
$41.99 1
24-009-127-04.jpg

Acer X193W+BD Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail Item #: N82E16824009127Return Policy: [LCD] Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99 -$30.00 Instant

$189.99$159.99 1
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Rosewill RP550-2 ATX12V v2.01 550W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817182017Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $19.99 $30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$69.99 1
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ASUS P5N-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131142Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99
$119.99 1
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Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115037Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99
$189.99 1
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ZEROtherm CF800 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail Item #: N82E16835887005Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $9.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $14.99 -$5.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$29.99$24.99 1
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-$25.00 Instant
-$39.00 Combo
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$244.98$180.98 Subtotal: $867.91



Sorry about the terrible formatting, new to these forums and dont know how to format correctly.

EDIT: I only have about $480 so far and was gonna pay the rest off in payments if I would have got it from IBuyPower Got any suggestions for that?
 
I'm actually in the process of putting together a similar setup. I'm not sure you'll need the cpu cooler, but thats up to you. I'd put the cash toward 4GB(2x2) ram instead of 2x1.

There's also an Acer 22 inch for about 50 bucks more that has really good reviews on most sites. Don't forget your optical drive(s) too. There are some better Hard drives for like 10 bucks more with free shipping as well.
 
Looks pretty good. Don't see XP or Vista on there so I assume you already have it or getting it(whatever those means may be). Would defiantly consider putting in some more ram just to feel safe, and possibly a slightly bigger HD since 160 isn't a whole lotta breathing room. You prolly already have speakers, keyboard, mouse. Looks like a pretty nice setup overall though.
 
Hey, I just wanted to mention that I tried getting a pc from ibuypower about 2 years ago, and the first one I got from them had liquid cooling...which exploded 2 days after getting the computer. They replaced the computer (after much bitching on my part), and the replacement randomly shut down for no apparent reason. Took nearly a month of more bitching to get them to "repair" it (the sent out a guy, from some local service). The "repair" didn't work. I nearly had to threaten to sue them to get them to refund my money. Worst experience of my life.

I then built a PC. Never realized just how easy it was. Cheaper too. Just want to warn you away from ibuypower if you were still considering it.

EDIT: Here's the thread I made about it: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81864
 
This setup would've been great about 3 months ago. But now there are better video card options (such as the HD 4850 and 8800 GTS) for about the same price you're paying for the 8800GT. Also I would get faster memory (DDR2 800 PC 6400 or faster)and possibly 4GB (though debatable vs 2GB).
 
Thanks for all the suggestions,
Yes I do have all the accesories(keyboard,mouse,speakers) and I already have a rockin DVD burner from my old PC thats in great shape. So what I gather from these posts is that I should get a better gfx card and 4GB ram? I personally think 4GB is a little overkill, but Ill think about it. 160GB is more than enough for me, I have a 1TB backup hooked up to my lan for storage, so space doesnt matter too much.
Got any other suggestions? Any deals? Im trying to cut down the cost as much as possible!
Also, I'm not quite sure about all of the parts being compatible, specifically the mobo and the psu. Can someone with a bunch of experience in it check it out for me?

OK one last edit:
I edited the parts a bit. i'm not going for the 4GB, but I am upgrading the harddrive and video card. Once i upgraded the video card I had to upgrade the power supply to comply with SLI. Heres the new specs. I tried to make sure they were all compatible, but I need final confimation.
11-156-188-02.jpg

RAIDMAX AZTEC ATX-619WY Black/ Yellow SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811156188Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate $99.99$79.99
22-144-456-02.jpg

Maxtor DiamondMax 21 STM3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822144456Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $19.99
$54.99
24-009-127-04.jpg

Acer X193W+BD Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail Item #: N82E16824009127Return Policy: [LCD] Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99 -$30.00 Instant
$189.99$159.99
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COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro 550 RS-550-ACAA-A1 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817171025Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan -- $19.99 -$20.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate $99.99$79.99
20-145-201-03.jpg

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model CM2X2048-6400C5 - Retail Item #: N82E16820145201Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
$50.00
13-131-142-13.jpg

ASUS P5N-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131142Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99
$119.99
19-115-037-02.jpg

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115037Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $24.99 2 Year Replacement Plan (Special Promo Pricing) -- $34.99
$189.99
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I'm curious as to why you're getting an SLI motherboard if you're not getting two video cards to take advantage of it. I understand most people's desire to keep their options open, but there's really no need to use SLI if you're not running at super-high resolutions. And it'll always be better to just sell the older video card and buy a higher spec video card then buying another to put in SLI. Additionally, most newer cards require quite a bit of power so a 550 W power supply likely wouldn't cut it if you ever decided to go SLI. I'd reccomend at least 700 W.

The suggestion of the Radeon 4850 is definitely sound if you want to spend a bit more. It outperforms the 8800GT significantly and competes with the latest NVIDIA cards at a very reasonable price. If you still want to stick with the expandability on the ATI front, you want a Crossfire motherboard. The following board is pretty capable and in the same price range as the other motherboard you showed...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131275
 
Yeah i think im gonna switch the the radeon card. If I switch to the crossfire motherboard($10 less woo!) wil I have to use 2 crossfire videocards or can I just use 1 and upgrade later if I want to? I dont think I have any more questions for you guys, but I was wonderin if anyone can recomend any cases in the same price range as the other one. (I think 80 bucks) Im trying to find the best looking one to impress my friends when I get it. ;D
 
I have the Asus P5N-E SLI motherboard and I absolutely hate it. It's a crap motherboard for overclocking. The northbridge runs really hot unless you put your own cooling on it. Most everyone had to "downgrade" their bios to the 0608 version just so they could get minimal overclocking gains.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188026

Most everyone seems to love the EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1. It's far more stable and overclocker friendly. Do a google search for the motherboards and you'll see a big difference in the amount of positive responses to the P5N-E vs the E175.
 
Well If u mean by crap as in just the overclocking part, then im not really willing to pay that much more for an overclockable motherboard. I dont even really need a 3ghz duo and that is waaaaay more than enough for what im doing with it! I play all of the games I want to play already on a 1.8ghz duo so overclocking isnt really something I want to do. I've had quite a bit of experience with overclocking and everytime I do it I get screwed over in system stability and the life of the hardware. Is overclocking even that neccesary when the most intensive game would probably be Oblivion? Is the overclocking the only bad part about it, or are their other problems? If overclocking is the only problem I'm pretty sure im not going to change it.

EDIT : I actually changed the motherboard to a ASUS P5K PRO (the money was the problem with the one you suggested) and I want to know if this one has any problems like the old one.
 
You can certainly buy one ATI Radeon card right now and then buy another one later on when you have more money for crossfire setup.

As for case, it is really a subjective choice. Although some cases will have better airflow than others, they will cost you $100+. At the $80 price range, you won't get too many great ones to choose from, so just go with ones that looks nice/cool/awesome/badass/rad/dope/l33t to you.
 
I suggest taking a look at either the Corsair 450VX or the Antec EA500 Power Supplies they are also 80 plus certified and are re-badged Seasonic Power Supplies. Both my suggestions are really well reviewed. I bought the Corsair and couldn't be more pleased with my choice. Whatever you decide, you definitely made a good choice replacing the Rosewill.
 
Let me second the Antec power supply. 1) it's energy efficient which will save you money in the long run and 2) Antec is a reliable brand. There is nothing worse than having a power supply crap out on you and take out some of your other components.

Also, i think I'd go against using SLI. Unless you are planning on getting two cards to run in SLI *rightnow*, it is almost a guarantee that you'd get better perfomance/price ratio getting a single card solution now and simply upgrading the card when you no longer get the perfomance you want. I'd go for a more affordable mobo (Newegg has several in the $50-75 range) and maybe apply the leftover to an upgrade in the vid card. Just a thought.
 
sorry to dig up a somewhat old post, but i was on vacation so i couldnt reply to your latest suggestions.

i recently had to pay for something that cut my budget down a bunch (damn u life!) and i am now looking for something in the 500-550 range. i redid my whole specs and all i want to know is if it will play Oblvion, and what fps do you think i would get. (I'm pretty sure that if it would play oblivion fine it will play the source engine perfect)

remember my budget is super low XD
i already have dvd-drive, monitor, and misc crap (keyboard, mouse,speakers)

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Athena Power CA-2853B Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$18.99

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BIOSTAR TForce TP43D2A7 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$89.99
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EVGA 384-P3-N851-AR GeForce 8800 GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$109.99
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Sunbeam PSU-HUSH680-US-BL 680W ATX 12V 2.0 Power Supply - Retail
$42.99
19-115-037-02.jpg
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
$174.99
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Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR800D2N6K2/2G - Retail
$44.99
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HITACHI Deskstar 7K160 HDS721616PLA380 (0Y30006) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$41.99
 
OMG!!! Thanks so much for the savings! Yep then thats set i'm gonna buy all of it before the weekend. I'm gonna take pics of asembly for my website too.
 
Hey, never built a computer without already having all the parts at my disposal. What little things will i have to buy to complete my computer if i bought what you have on your list? (Heatsync compound, extra washers, screws, wires, extra fans...) Any little stuff like that or do the parts come with everything you need.
 
plasticbathmonki:
Well its already been acomplished, i think, that im not going sli any time soon.
I dont need raid, as i have alreadt said that i have a backup of 1 tb for important crap, the only thing that will be on hd will be os/games. And for the last flipping time (sorry) im on a very tight budget with no room for $150 motherboards, but thanks anyway.

lepinat0r:

well my case has only one fan, the rainbow one in the front, (can anyone say gay pride parade in my case? lol), so i suggest that you buy a couple more and see where you can mount them.
You will need ide, sata, vga/dvi cables for the computer, since it doesnt come with any, unless your monitor comes with vga/dvi cables.
all of the mounts for the mobo should come with the case, so you shouldnt need to worry bout that. ive never actually used heatsink compound, so idk bout that.
that should be about it, everything else comes with the parts.
tell me how it works out
 
No problem.

Oh and next time, im sure that on this forum, well at least on every other forum i've been a member of, really short messages like that are not very ummm, wanted, (the best way i could put it) Not to burst your bubble, i'm actually really flattered you chose my compy build XD, but i'm sure you could have fit more info into your post. No hard feelings though :)
 
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