The official "help me buy a new PC" thread

[Watchers]

This will kinda be my first gaming rig, and I don't know all that much about PCs, so any help you guys could provide would be great. Here's what I'm looking at:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 - $163
Motherboard: Gigabyte 965P-S3 - $132
2x1GB Kingston 667 RAM - $125
400GB Samsung HDD - $110
256MB ECS 8600GTS - $254
Existing DVD burner - Free
Thermaltake Matrix w/ 430W PSU - $103

Total - $887

Prices from http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf

I'm trying to keep it at around $1000, and keep in mind that I'm going to need a set of speakers and a new keyboard/mouse. How do those specs stack up? And how long am I looking at before I need to upgrade in order to play new games?

Also, with regard to the OS, what should I choose? Keeping in mind that I do want to use the PC for uni/work too, so I want it to run Office etc. Should I get Vista and Office 2007 or XP and Office 2007 or Office 2003 or what? Also, I was thinking of running Linux in addition to whatever Windows version I choose as a back up in case Windows crashes or something. Thoughts?

Also, monitor-wise, I currently have a Philps CRT that's OK, and I have a 51cm Sanyo LCD TV (Resolution: 1366 x 768, 8ms response time) with a d-sub input. I was wondering whether I should run it through the CRT or hook it up to my TV? I don't really want to buy a new monitor right now, as the LCD sizes I'd be looking at wouldn't really output at a higher resolution than the CRT. Thoughts?

Ta.

[TAT]

I'm trying to keep it at around $1000, and keep in mind that I'm going to need a set of speakers and a new keyboard/mouse. How do those specs stack up? And how long am I looking at before I need to upgrade in order to play new games?
Speakers, kb and mouse can be bought for <$50 if you wish.
The specs are fine.
You won't need to upgrade for atleast 3 years I wouldn't think.
Also, with regard to the OS, what should I choose? Keeping in mind that I do want to use the PC for uni/work too, so I want it to run Office etc. Should I get Vista and Office 2007 or XP and Office 2007 or Office 2003 or what? Also, I was thinking of running Linux in addition to whatever Windows version I choose as a back up in case Windows crashes or something. Thoughts?
Get XP w/ Office. It's the best option as it's still has a huge user base and has a massive support network for drivers, updates, etc.
If you know Linux, get it.
Also, monitor-wise, I currently have a Philps CRT that's OK, and I have a 51cm Sanyo LCD TV (Resolution: 1366 x 768, 8ms response time) with a d-sub input. I was wondering whether I should run it through the CRT or hook it up to my TV? I don't really want to buy a new monitor right now, as the LCD sizes I'd be looking at wouldn't really output at a higher resolution than the CRT. Thoughts?
That's a pretty huge tv with a relatively small resolution. Your pc is going to look like shit on it, I can guarantee that. Go with the CRT and if it's getting a bit shit (or you really want to get the most out of your GTS) you wouls probably want to look at saving for an LCD monitor with a respectable res in a few months.

[Slurry Murray]

I think TAT summed it up pretty well.

Just looking at the processor - the E4300. According to Google it's similar to the E6300 but has half the L2 cache. I'd pay the extra ~$35, personally. I have a E6300 and it zooms, AND it's the 'low end' of the Conroe line (with E4300 even lower to gain AMD's market share apparently. I actually didn't realise this processor existed until before, I'm guessing it's reasonably new).

Apart from that it looks pretty good. Too bad you have to pick up the parts from MSY yourself - I'm after a new HDD myself for movies/TV shows.

[Watchers]

I assume, TAT, that you meant XP with Office 2003?

And I don't live that far from MSY in Clayton, so it's no big deal having to pick it up.

[TAT]

Either. I have Office '03 on mine. Whether you're going to buy the software or 'obtain' it, you'll have to factor that into your budget.

[Watchers]

I don't think I'll need to factor in 'obtaining' said software into my budget...

It's just a choice between Office 2007 and 2003.

I'll need to factor in building it though. I think it's like $70. I could have a crack at building it myself, but I'd rather have someone other than me to yell at if it doesn't work.

[clarky]

So you can get a pretty decent computer for around $900? Why would anyone buy a $3000 PC then?

[TAT]

@ the_watchers_eye

Just grab a mate who's done it before, or find a mate of a mate. That $70 can get you a shiny new game to test your rig out on.

[Slurry Murray]

I don't think I'll need to factor in 'obtaining' said software into my budget...
Go for 2007, then. I love it. AND, I actually paid money for a licence for Office 2007 Ultimate. Well, $75 because I'm a uni student. Worth every cent.

That, and I couldn't find a crack for it that didn't have a virus attached. :?

I love that new ribbon UI. I've found countless things in there that I never even knew existed in Office 2003.

[Watchers]

Go for 2007, then. I love it. AND, I actually paid money for a licence for Office 2007 Ultimate. Well, $75 because I'm a uni student. Worth every cent.

That, and I couldn't find a crack for it that didn't have a virus attached. :?

I love that new ribbon UI. I've found countless things in there that I never even knew existed in Office 2003.

lol

Anyway, I was thinking about that $75 thing, but then I read that it's D/L only, and I don't have a credit card either. I would have done it if I could get a boxed copy. Instead Microsoft can do without my moneyz.

[Hyperblau]

This will kinda be my first gaming rig, and I don't know all that much about PCs, so any help you guys could provide would be great. Here's what I'm looking at:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 - $163
Motherboard: Gigabyte 965P-S3 - $132
2x1GB Kingston 667 RAM - $125
400GB Samsung HDD - $110
256MB ECS 8600GTS - $254
Existing DVD burner - Free
Thermaltake Matrix w/ 430W PSU - $103

Total - $887

Prices from http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf

I'm trying to keep it at around $1000, and keep in mind that I'm going to need a set of speakers and a new keyboard/mouse. How do those specs stack up? And how long am I looking at before I need to upgrade in order to play new games?

Also, with regard to the OS, what should I choose? Keeping in mind that I do want to use the PC for uni/work too, so I want it to run Office etc. Should I get Vista and Office 2007 or XP and Office 2007 or Office 2003 or what? Also, I was thinking of running Linux in addition to whatever Windows version I choose as a back up in case Windows crashes or something. Thoughts?

Also, monitor-wise, I currently have a Philps CRT that's OK, and I have a 51cm Sanyo LCD TV (Resolution: 1366 x 768, 8ms response time) with a d-sub input. I was wondering whether I should run it through the CRT or hook it up to my TV? I don't really want to buy a new monitor right now, as the LCD sizes I'd be looking at wouldn't really output at a higher resolution than the CRT. Thoughts?

Ta.

If your worried about how long this comp will be good for games, you might want to think about going a step up for your graphics cards, the 8600gts' are pretty good, but an 8800gt 320mb/640mb will last a lot longer. I would give the 8600gts about a year before its really struggling in new games.

[Stormyau]

Speakers, kb and mouse can be bought for <$50 if you wish.
The specs are fine.
You won't need to upgrade for atleast 3 years I wouldn't think.
Wrong.

Those specs won't run Crysis at maximum settings right off the bat, and his video card already isn't one of the best around.

Sure, he'll be able to play most games coming out in the next three years, but if he wants new games to look good in 2 years, he'd need to get a better video card at least.

[Watchers]

Wrong.

Those specs won't run Crysis at maximum settings right off the bat, and his video card already isn't one of the best around.

Sure, he'll be able to play most games coming out in the next three years, but if he wants new games to look good in 2 years, he'd need to get a better video card at least.

In case I haven't made myself clear, I'm not too interested in maintaining 'great' graphics or spending big on a video card every year when a new one comes along. Sure, I may upgrade the video card once in the PC's lifetime, but as long as games remain playable (read: frame rate is still OK, nothing impacting on actual gameplay), I'll be happy.

[Vicious]

In case I haven't made myself clear, I'm not too interested in maintaining 'great' graphics or spending big on a video card every year when a new one comes along. Sure, I may upgrade the video card once in the PC's lifetime, but as long as games remain playable (read: frame rate is still OK, nothing impacting on actual gameplay), I'll be happy.

With the card you're looking at you'll have to upgrade rather soon to remain at "OK" framerates. The 8800GTS is quite a bit more powerful and probably a better investment.

[Watchers]

Hmm...might have to go with the 8800 then. Sounds like it'll save me money in the long run.

[Gemerald]

I'm in a similar position and am looking to spend my paycheck on a new computer. I want it to be a jack of all trades media + light gaming + provide strong computing power if required. The kicker is I won't update it for 5 years so it's got to be reliable and still be usable in 5 years time. I've got a budget of 1000 but but don't mind dishing more for a better PC. I'd rather buy something once and have it last a long time than having to buy it over and over. Furthermore as time goes by, I don't mind overclocking the computer (lightly) to keep it up to date. I also prefer to stick with as few brands as possible.

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 | 258
Motherboard: Gigabyte P35-DS3P(Pro) | 265
RAM: 1G DDR2 800 Samsung | 89 [x2]
HDD: Samsung 250G IDE | 65 [x2]
VGA Card: nVidia Gigabyte 256MB 8600GTS | 299
Monitor: 19” Samsung 940BW-4ms WS DVI | 287

Total = 1417 (I think)

In regards to other stuff I can salvage. Furthermore all my peripherals will be Logitech and they are quite good right? Cooling is pretty important as I don't want to lose 1500, furthermore I want a nice case that's practical but doesn't look like something from the IKEA catalog, nor like something from the Roswell crash site.

# Opinions already gathered on #Hyper

Other people have recommended alternative parts.
Motherboard: Gigabyte 965P-S3 DS3P(Pro) | 169 (Suggested by Leadhead)
VGA Card: 256MB 8600GT Gigabyte | 203
RAM: 2G Kit(2x1G)Kingston 667 | 97 (Suggested by Leadhead)

[Beinkasaurus Rex]

5 years? Won't be playing games in that time, sorry.
Also, light gaming isn't any different from normal gaming imo, you'll still need the specs to run the games you want to play >_>

[Lazlow]

Get a SATA hard drive.

Be very careful of that monitor, certain revisions are awesome, and certain ones are shithouse.

EDIT: if you're aiming for light gaming, don't bother with overclocking. Its only for the uber leet who want that extra 4 fps. And if you do it wrong, you'll shorten the lifespan of your parts, or even kill them.

[TAT]

YOU MUST HAVE:
http://mcs.mcgill.ca/tecra/Kingston%20Memory.jpg

[Vindik8or]

PC Gaming isn't cheap. Money not spent now will be money twice spent in the vicious upgrade cycle to come.

[Quatters]

YOU MUST HAVE:
http://mcs.mcgill.ca/tecra/Kingston%20Memory.jpg

Did you just score a job with them?

[TAT]

Did you just score a job with them?Lol, nah I just know they make some of the best RAM you can get, and I've got some in my PC.

KINGSTON RAM

[Richie]

I'm going to be building my own PC soon, but I have no idea about choosing parts, what's compatible with each other etc. Anyone know of any good tutorials? Not ones that cover how to actually put it together but more choosing parts, I can't seem to find any good ones of them.

[Grechy]

I'm planning to upgrade my PC very soon but I'm also in a similar boat to Ritchie.

Basically I'm after a pretty strong PC for gaming and what not. I already have a 22" Samsung LCD and a good keyboard, speakers and mouse.

The parts I were looking at taken from MSY

Gigabyte m59 SLI (Pro) $225
AMD AM2 6000+ Dual Processor - $321
2 gig Corsair – $146
ASUS 8800GTS - $435

How far will these specs get me?

[TAT]

Hey Guys,Hey the_concierge.
So my Dad dropped the bomb on me today...we're going to be getting a new computer to complement the 4 laptops we have between us. Problem is...I've been out of the PC loop for so long now. In fact the last time I was clued up on PC specs was in 2002 when we bought the PC we have now.HAHAHA OH WOW! You're pretty out of the loop, then... *chuckle*
So basically I need some help in regards to what I should be looking at. Basically we have a budget of about 3-3.5 grand, and I'm basically wanting something thats good in terms of speed and power for that price, which will get me through the next few years.Holy *****, dude, for 3 grand you can make a *****ing network of awesome PC's, but I digress...
Here are some questions (and please excuse any blatant ignorance in regards to PC tech):OK, shoot.
1: CPU - What kind of GHz should I be looking at? A quick look at Dell's website for reference shows that none of the CPU's they are offering go above 2.6 GHz. Is this the benchmark at the moment? Anything else I should know?Do not look at Dell unless you want an idea of how to totally rip people off.
Dell if the Satan-equivalent of the PC world.

If you were looking at a pre-built PC, I would seriously look at Alienware (http://www.alienwaresystems.com.au/dnn2/), if you had $3k to throw at it, but that's just me...

There are people who know WAY more than I do (Leadhead) but for your CPU/motherboard, you need to decide whether you want an AMD or Intel CPU. As part of that $3k, I'm sure you could grab yourself a quad-core CPU from Intel and be pretty *****ing well set up for a good life to the PC.
2: RAM - I'm thinking at least 2 gigs of ram? Close or wayyy off?1Gb or RAM is sufficient for a <$1k PC, for yours I would say 2Gb as a minimum, but seriously consider putting 4Gb in it, just because you can.
3: Video Card: I want something that will let me play the games of the past few years no problem, and at least run some games over the next couple of years. What sort of minimum should I be looking at?Well, if you were going to choose a geforce gpu over an ati gpu, then an 8800GT/GTS sounds like it would satisfy both your criteria, but I would aim a bit higher for an 8800GTX (retail about $800) or 8800 Ultra (retail about $1k).

I know nothing about ati graphics cards.
In terms of hard drive size, etc etc I think I should be fine. It's mainly the above three areas that I find myself walking around blind at the moment. Anyway guys any help would be much appreciated.

the_concierge.cool. hope I wasn't too much of a *****.

[Grechy]

Hey the_concierge.
HAHAHA OH WOW! You're pretty out of the loop, then... *chuckle*
Holy *****, dude, for 3 grand you can make a *****ing network of awesome PC's, but I digress...
OK, shoot.
Do not look at Dell unless you want an idea of how to totally rip people off.
Dell if the Satan-equivalent of the PC world.

If you were looking at a pre-built PC, I would seriously look at Alienware (http://www.alienwaresystems.com.au/dnn2/), if you had $3k to throw at it, but that's just me...

There are people who know WAY more than I do (Leadhead) but for your CPU/motherboard, you need to decide whether you want an AMD or Intel CPU. As part of that $3k, I'm sure you could grab yourself a quad-core CPU from Intel and be pretty *****ing well set up for a good life to the PC.
1Gb or RAM is sufficient for a <$1k PC, for yours I would say 2Gb as a minimum, but seriously consider putting 4Gb in it, just because you can.
Well, if you were going to choose a geforce gpu over an ati gpu, then an 8800GT/GTS sounds like it would satisfy both your criteria, but I would aim a bit higher for an 8800GTX (retail about $800) or 8800 Ultra (retail about $1k).

I know nothing about ati graphics cards.
cool. hope I wasn't too much of a *****.

What about my damn question!? :(

[TAT]

What about my damn question!? :(Those specs are fine, and you've got room to upgrade/whatever over the next 3-5 years. Chill the ***** out.

[Grechy]

I've decided to buy a few parts at a time so this way I may be able to put in an 8800GTX instead of the 8800GTS for that extra oumph.

[konspakatak]

I know nothing about ati graphics cards.

ATi Graphics cards aren't good at the moment. All of their stuff at the moment is directed at crossfire only users. The high end of their current 2xxx range isn't really comparable to an 8800. At all. So if you want the extra power you're gonna need to buy a nVidia 8800 GTX/Ultra.

[the_concierge.]

Hey the_concierge.
HAHAHA OH WOW! You're pretty out of the loop, then... *chuckle*
Holy *****, dude, for 3 grand you can make a *****ing network of awesome PC's, but I digress...
OK, shoot.
Do not look at Dell unless you want an idea of how to totally rip people off.
Dell if the Satan-equivalent of the PC world.

If you were looking at a pre-built PC, I would seriously look at Alienware (http://www.alienwaresystems.com.au/dnn2/), if you had $3k to throw at it, but that's just me...

There are people who know WAY more than I do (Leadhead) but for your CPU/motherboard, you need to decide whether you want an AMD or Intel CPU. As part of that $3k, I'm sure you could grab yourself a quad-core CPU from Intel and be pretty *****ing well set up for a good life to the PC.
1Gb or RAM is sufficient for a <$1k PC, for yours I would say 2Gb as a minimum, but seriously consider putting 4Gb in it, just because you can.
Well, if you were going to choose a geforce gpu over an ati gpu, then an 8800GT/GTS sounds like it would satisfy both your criteria, but I would aim a bit higher for an 8800GTX (retail about $800) or 8800 Ultra (retail about $1k).

I know nothing about ati graphics cards.
cool. hope I wasn't too much of a *****.

Wow thanks man that really did help. We went with Dell last time, and I was verrry suspicious to do it again this time around, especially since even their most expensive package seemed very underwhelming.

Edit: Ok new plan. I've done some research and found some supposedly reputable and respected online computer retailers. Basically this is my task to you guys: Find me examples of what you would consider a good deal through these retailers to give me some idea:

PLE Systems (http://www.ple.com.au/?p=systems)

Austin Computers (http://www.austin.net.au/PCSystem/tabid/78/Default.aspx)

Or better yet, build me an awesome system on a 3 grand budget using this baby:

NetPlus Computers Online Quote System (http://www.netplus.com.au/online-quote.asp)

Once again, thanks heaps. My Dad is still dead set on Dell so I need some mind blowing evidence to the contrary quick...

[Choabac]

Topic slightly changed, for the moment all PC purchase inquires can go here.

[TAT]

Once again, thanks heaps. My Dad is still dead set on Dell so I need some mind blowing evidence to the contrary quick...To convince him that Dell are going to be a ripoff, just go to PARTS.pdf and compare the prices of the individual components to the Dell-built specs. Easy victory there.

PARTS.pdf (http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf)
(best buys highlighted in yellow ;) )

[Richie]

Ok I've decided what basic specs I want, can others suggest the actual parts for me. There's just too many numbers and hz and things that just confuse me and basically force me to rely on price to determine which is better which isn't always the case.

Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2gb of Ram (how much is 4gb?)
500GB hard drive
I think i''ll go with the 640mb 8800GTS, though what does the 640mb mean because the 320mb one is about $150 cheaper.
How much are Dual layer DVD burners? If there to expensive I'll just go with a normal DVD Burner
Soundcards??? I want to have at least decent sound, nothing mind blowing.

Can this be done for $1500 or is that not enough? I have $2000 but so I'm thinking 500 left over for the monitor and case/power supply and possibly a router. Well definitely a router but I can wait a while before I buy that.

[TAT]

Ok I've decided what basic specs I want, can others suggest the actual parts for me. There's just too many numbers and hz and things that just confuse me and basically force me to rely on price to determine which is better which isn't always the case.

Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2gb of Ram (how much is 4gb?)
500GB hard driveI'm not sure how fast you want your processor to be, but an E6300 ($195) or E6320 ($226) sound like they would fit into your price range.

2Gb of Kingston RAM ($99) would serve your purposes, I think ;)
I think i''ll go with the 640mb 8800GTS, though what does the 640mb mean because the 320mb one is about $150 cheaper.640MB represents the amount of memory in the graphics card. Traditionally, we've been privvy to 128, 256 and 512MB cards, but geforce have upped the ante with their 8800 series and gone for 640MB.
How much are Dual layer DVD burners? If there to expensive I'll just go with a normal DVD BurnerAbout $99 for a good/great model. Go for Pioneer or LiteOn (?).
Soundcards??? I want to have at least decent sound, nothing mind blowing.A decent motherboard with have decent onboard sound (sometimes including 5.1).
Can this be done for $1500 or is that not enough? I have $2000 but so I'm thinking 500 left over for the monitor and case/power supply and possibly a router. Well definitely a router but I can wait a while before I buy that.At a glance, you would need a 400W, mabe 500W power supply. Case won't set you back more than $100 or so. A half-decent LCD can be picked up for $200-300.

[Richie]

Another thing, I forgot the motherboard. What should I look for when choosing one of those? And the 8800 GTS supports DirectX 10 right?

[mayo]

And the 8800 GTS supports DirectX 10 right?

Yes, the entire 8x00 series supports dx10.


Edit:

Also, I'm building a PC myself! :)
So far I've purchased-

Antec Sonata II Case w/ 450w PSU Black - $170
Corsair 1Gb XMS2-6400 800MHz - $90
Powercolor X1950 Pro Extreme 256Mb - $250
160GB Samsung 7200rpm Hard Drive S/ATA-II, 8Mb - $80

Next I'll be grabbing-

Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3P motherboard- $152 (http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004556).
Core 2 Duo e6420 cpu - $253 (http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004697).
And a nice heat sink as well.


This is all possible because I got a scholarship at uni this year, $1060 now and $1060 in September.
Come September I'll pick up more RAM another Hard Drive and probably a nice 8800 card :)

[Richie]

One more question!! Is the 8800 GTS able to support Crysis at it's maximum settings? That game looks unbelievable I didn't really take notice until I watched the video myself.

[the_concierge.]

One more question!! Is the 8800 GTS able to support Crysis at it's maximum settings? That game looks unbelievable I didn't really take notice until I watched the video myself.

Someone please answer this as I'm curious myself.

[mayo]

I'm not sure if anyone here would be able to answer that question.... I'd go the 640mb version of the 8800gts just to be on the safe side though.... *shrug*

[texta]

One more question!! Is the 8800 GTS able to support Crysis at it's maximum settings? That game looks unbelievable I didn't really take notice until I watched the video myself.No one here will be able to answer this until the game actually comes out.

[Grechy]

One more question!! Is the 8800 GTS able to support Crysis at it's maximum settings? That game looks unbelievable I didn't really take notice until I watched the video myself.

Get a GTX to be sure. :P

[mayo]

Yeah, if the budget allows, the gtx is the way to go. The gts is a nice budget wise compromise though.

[Richie]

Yeah GTX is out of my budget :razz:

[NiB]

It is time to upgrade, my curretn PC is 3 years old and I'm lookin for a new one.

All I'm really looking for at the moment is a system with a good current processor and 2gig of RAM. I'm not fussed about the hard drive size or a video card as I'll put them in later.

Any ideas/suggestions, is there something I haven't thought of?

[StorminNorman]

You'll probably need to upgrade your graphics card as well, because new motherboards generally don't have AGP slots, favouring PCIe instead.

I recommend getting a Core2 Duo. I have an E6600 and its very nice. Runs cool, too, and apparently has good overclocking potential if that's what turns you on. We've got it in a Gigabyte GA-965G-DS3 motherboard, although I'm sure there's better options (I tend to swear by Gigabyte boards though, they've always served me pretty well).

[NiB]

Whats overclocking?

[konspakatak]

It's just fiddling around in the BIOS with CPU clock speeds, multipliers, memory timings, to make your equipment run faster than the manufacturer intended.

But no, you generally won't get too much more out of an e6600 on stock cooling, because of the locked multiplier, it'll have to run HOT for you to get anything out of it. And your mobo has to support high FSB at high Multis.

e6600 have a shitty cooling system, you'll be wanting an aftermarket heatsink or fan to keep it running cool.

[TAT]

Ok, I'm going to ask a mod to combine this with the 'Official' new pc buyers thread that we already have...

All you need to know, NiB, is that the RAM must be Kingston RAM.

[DekarTyphon]

Corsair > Kingston suckaz

[TAT]

Wtf, Dekar? No wai. You don't even believe in your product. I live Kingston RAM.

[DekarTyphon]

Well that explains the short life expectancy.

[mayo]

Corsair does rock.

[TAT]

Well that explains the short life expectancy.How do you figure that? I'm older than you...

[mayo]

Anyway, in relation to this thread; Core 2 Duos are win. Good cost/performance ratio.
I recommend the e6420 (http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004697), which I'm picking up soon. From all sources I've investigated, it seems fantastic.

[texta]

Now with NiB's "I need a new pc".

Suggestions about whether people would prefer individual threads every time someone wants help upgrading or if you'd prefer one thread appreciated.

Also stickied.


Anyway, in relation to this thread; Core 2 Duos are win. Good cost/performance ratio.
I recommend the e6420 (http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004697), which I'm picking up soon. From all sources I've investigated, it seems fantastic.

Or for an extra $75 you could get an e6600. (http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=7133)

[mayo]

Or for an extra $75 you could get an e6600. (http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=7133)

You mean an extra $37 (http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00003970).
:P

[Richie]

These processors are only 2 point something Ghz, I remember looking at these types of numbers when I was buying a computer 3 years ago. Why aren't they up to fours and fives yet?

[mayo]

*cough*

They're dual core.

Meaning 2x whatever it is.

Check this for more info. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core_(computing))

[TAT]

Suggestions about whether people would prefer individual threads every time someone wants help upgrading or if you'd prefer one thread appreciated.I know I've cracked it several times over this matter, but I really think the sticky can be invaluable for a speedy reply to questions/queries and the like.

I also think that as long as it's made public that there is a 'new pc' thread, it can be used commonly, like the 'help my pc broke' thread.

[Richie]

*cough*

They're dual core.

Meaning 2x whatever it is.

Check this for more info. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core_(computing))

Ahem. See, this is why I shouldn't be making decisions when buying a new computer. *Runs*

[mayo]

Nah, it's all good. Just do your research and ask around, it's not too complicated once you look into it more.

[craptest]

Im still using a P3-450 with a top-of-the-line 16MB Riva TNT graphics card, 8 gig hard drive, and brobably 8 bits of ram. Or something silly like that.

Anyway. Ill be buying a new computer sometime in the next 4 months. Seriously considering a 20" Apple Imac after they update the range in June. Good idea?

Either that or just get a laptop. Again not sure whether to go a white macbook or a PC equivalent. Not so much worried about gaming. Its more the multimedia functionality.

Suggestions? Keep in mind Ive never owned a mac.

[Richie]

Core 2 Duo E6600 - $302
2X1G Kit-667 Kingston Ram - $88
Seagate SATA 500G - $184 (Seagate a good brand?)
640mb Nvidia 8800 GTS Leadtek - $579

Ok so they're the parts I've chosen so far. Is Seagate alright? Also what does that Leadtek mean on graphics card?

I need someone to recommend me a motherboard, that Gigabyte P35-DS3P Pro seems popular at and $259 fits in my budget ($1500). Does it have on board 5.1 sound that someone mentioned earlier, I don't want to have to fork out extra for a sound card.

When buying monitors what do I look for? I'm after a 19" widescreen, 5ms response time seems pretty good. So I should just look for a good brand name monitor with that and I'll be fine?

Fianlly, casing and powersupply, I really don't care I would rather someone would just recommend me one. Also will I need any additional cooling shit to go with.

[Stevorooni]

I think Leadtek is the brand

EDIT

HELP STEVO BUY A NEW PC

So my PC here is about 5 years old. It's still chugging along fine and over the years I've breathed new life into it with more memory, a better video card and a bigger hard drive. But it's useless for games these days unless I'm shopping in the bargain bins.

I've mostly figured out what I want, but need a little help with the CPU. All this dual core duo crap confuses and slightly arouses me.

Here's my picks:

CPU

LGA775 Intel Pentium 4 650 3.4G/800/2M LGA775 "Prescott" HT EIST EM64T XD CPU

or

Intel Pentium D 925 3.2G 2x2M LGA775 "Presler" Dual-Core EIST EM64T XD CPU

or

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.8 GHz Boxed CPU - 2MB Cache 800FSB


I've been informed that the 3rd one is the best, but that 1.8 GHz is very misleading. Anyone wanna explain?



MOTHERBOARD - The Intel® Desktop Board DG965WH

MEMORY - 2GB - DDR2-667

HARD DRIVE - HITACHI 250GB SATA2 8M

VIDEO CARD - MANLI 8600GTS 256MB PCIexpress



Plus this case:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/Stevorooni/case.jpg


Sound good?

With Ultimate Mortal Vista the grand total comes to around $1400 (with my limit being $1500)

[Richie]

I've been informed that the 3rd one is the best, but that 1.8 GHz is very misleading. Anyone wanna explain?


I think that's what I asked about on the other page. Basically it's 2 of 1.8, so 3.6 Ghz.

[TAT]

Ok so they're the parts I've chosen so far. Is Seagate alright? Also what does that Leadtek mean on graphics card?Seagate are a very good hard drive manufacturer. Leadtek is the company that have made the nvidia-based 8800GTS that you're buying.

I need someone to recommend me a motherboard, that Gigabyte P35-DS3P Pro seems popular at and $259 fits in my budget ($1500). Does it have on board 5.1 sound that someone mentioned earlier, I don't want to have to fork out extra for a sound card.I can't find our for sure, to be honest, but if/when I find out, I'll post in here.
When buying monitors what do I look for? I'm after a 19" widescreen, 5ms response time seems pretty good. So I should just look for a good brand name monitor with that and I'll be fine?The smartest thing to do is to go through PARTS.pdf and find monitors that are within your budget and then google them crossed with 'ratings' or 'reviews'. After reading several reviews, you'll get a good idea of what the monitor is going to offer you in terms of quality and features.
Fianlly, casing and powersupply, I really don't care I would rather someone would just recommend me one. Also will I need any additional cooling shit to go with.You won't need additional cooling unless you're planning to overclock (and even then it would have to be pretty badass overclocking to negate the original cooling). Power supply look for a 500W+ from Antec (or someone name another reputable power supply brand?). I'd be after a tower case. Coolermaster make pretty awesome cases.

[Stevorooni]

OK here's a revised choice.

I've been told that the 8600GT isn't that much worse performance wise than the 8600GTS. I can always replace the video card later, but it should do for now and allows me to up the cpu. I've also upped the hard drive as well.


CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40 GHz Boxed CPU - 4MB Cache 1066FSB

MOTHERBOARD - The Intel® Desktop Board DG965WH

MEMORY - 2GB - DDR2-667

HARD DRIVE - HITACHI 320G SATA II 16MB HDD

VIDEO CARD - MANLI 8600GT 256MB PCIe

Windows XP Ultimate


Which brings the grand total to a shade under $1500

[TAT]

Richie: as far as I can tell, Asus make motherboards with onboard sound (up to 7.1 surround). So here is one to check out. Price is $250-300.Asus P5W64-WS (http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/Asus_P5W64WS_Professional_Motherboard/)

Stevo: nothing wrong with anything you've chosen, imo.

[texta]

Ritchie: that Gigabyte mb has 7.1 channel sound too. In fact most boards these days do. ASUS mb's have had some problems in the past with dodgy northbridge fans (I had to replace mine) so you might want to look into that and see if that's still a problem.

EDIT: The only think you might want to consider about that board is that it's designed for Crossfire rather than SLI. Not sure if that should make much difference, but you should probably check out what that means if you're thinking about that board. details (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2455&ModelName=GA-965P-DS3P)

[Stevorooni]

Well I've ordered my new PC

Now we play the waiting game...


...


...


* wishes he could play Hungry Hungry Hippos on his new PC *

[DekarTyphon]

I am so hitting up MSY when I buy a PC.

[TAT]

EDIT: The only think you might want to consider about that board is that it's designed for Crossfire rather than SLI. Not sure if that should make much difference, but you should probably check out what that means if you're thinking about that board. details (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2455&ModelName=GA-965P-DS3P)Crossfire is what dualcarding with ati cards is called; SLI is dualcarding with nvidia. The 8800 would be powerful enough on its own without the need for SLI, but it's totally up to you and whether or not you are definitely going to SLI in the near future (6 months).

I'm a case in point. I had planned to SLI my videocard in about 12 months. In 12 months, my card has stopped being manufactured, so it's still as expensive now (and rare) as when I first bought it.

It's up to you, though. As I said, an 8800 won't need to be SLI'd for a long time.

[Richie]

Crossfire is what dualcarding with ati cards is called; SLI is dualcarding with nvidia. The 8800 would be powerful enough on its own without the need for SLI, but it's totally up to you and whether or not you are definitely going to SLI in the near future (6 months).

I'm a case in point. I had planned to SLI my videocard in about 12 months. In 12 months, my card has stopped being manufactured, so it's still as expensive now (and rare) as when I first bought it.

It's up to you, though. As I said, an 8800 won't need to be SLI'd for a long time.



No I think it's pretty safe to say I will never both with SLI. How long will that 8800 GTS last me for anyway, can anyone give a good prediction? So If I don't intend to bother with SLI it doesn't really make a difference about that particular motherboard then does it?

I've chosen a monitor, 19" BenQ FP92W for $235. It got good ratings and pretty much all the reviews said it's great especially for it's price and I trust BenQ as a brand.

So anyway I'm thinking I'm just going to walk into MSY and look at the case and towers there. Is this how it works I have no freakin' idea :razz:

Anyway If I choose a tower there and give them the list of the parts and just say can you build it for me and I'll come pick it up later and it's all set?

Just one more thing, what's the general consensus on Windows Vista? I really want to move on from XP so my decision probably won't be swayed but I just want to see what others here think.

Also can I trust all these parts are compatible and won't give me any bottleneck issues etc.?

Gigabyte P35-DS3P - $259
Core 2 Duo E6600 - $302
2X1G Kit-667 Kingston Ram - $88
Seagate SATA 500G - $184 (Seagate a good brand?)
640mb Nvidia 8800 GTS Leadtek - $579
BenQ FP92W monitor - $235

Sorry for the bad structure of the post but I'm tired and I really don't want to **** this up because I probably won't see this money again anytime soon. Thanks guys.

[TAT]

No I think it's pretty safe to say I will never both with SLI. How long will that 8800 GTS last me for anyway, can anyone give a good prediction? So If I don't intend to bother with SLI it doesn't really make a difference about that particular motherboard then does it?Well, I'm still using a 7900GT to play new games on almost full specs (eg, GRAW), plus the 8800's are DirectX10 ready. No to the second question.

Anyway If I choose a tower there and give them the list of the parts and just say can you build it for me and I'll come pick it up later and it's all set?I'm going to say yes, but it will cost you anywhere between $50 and $100 I think. You don't have any geeky mates who are big on building their own pc's?

Just one more thing, what's the general consensus on Windows Vista? I really want to move on from XP so my decision probably won't be swayed but I just want to see what others here think.It's a tough call, but seeing as you're getting a DirectX10 graphics card, I'd probably go Vista to make the most of it. If it were me, I'd stay with XP.

Also can I trust all these parts are compatible and won't give me any bottleneck issues etc.?Alas, you won't be able to tell until you get them together. All parts come with some kind of manufacturers warranty, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

Core 2 Duo E6600 - $302
2X1G Kit-667 Kingston Ram - $88
Seagate SATA 500G - $184 (Seagate a good brand?)
640mb Nvidia 8800 GTS Leadtek - $579
BenQ FP92W monitor - $235Yes, Seagate are a good brand of HD.

[Silverwolf]

Alright guys, heres another person who requires a new PC.

I have a decent understanding of PCs, but with the new wave(s) of video cards i've got lost in how fast which ones are.

My budget is somewhere around th $1300 mark
Parts i need are
Motherboard (compatible with all below, of course)
CPU (Core 2 duo is obviously the best bet, which one though?)
RAM (only really need 1gig at the moment, unless 2gig is significantly better)
HDD (250gig+)
Video Card

Stevo's proposed setup is similar to what i want, but the problem is i am in perth and prices arent very good here.

So i challenge you guys to find me a PC! (which i can order to perth)

[the_concierge.]

Hey Silverwolf,

I can't really help you with regards to a computer to best suit your budget, but I'm looking for a new computer I can order in Perth myself and the best place I've found so far has been Omni Vision (website (www.omni-vision.com) ). Here is the computer they quoted me for, and compared to other places in Perth the components have consistently worked out cheaper through them (my budget was 3 grand by the way):

ASUS Commando Mainboard S775/P965 --> $329
Intel CORE 2 QUAD Q6600/2.40GHz --> $765
Corsair twin pack 2GB (2x XMS2 1GB) PC-6400 (800MHz) --> $228
Foxconn Case Black Tower --> $85
550W "Antec" TruePower Trio ATX Power Supply --> $160
Seagate ES 500 GB SATA with 16Mb Cache --> $270
ASUS GF8800GTS, 640MB, DDR3, PCIEx16 --> $682
Viewsonic VX 2245 22" W/S, 1680x1050, 5ms --> $472
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium --> $171
Samsung/Liteon 18x DVD Burner dual format --> $55
Labor to install and configure --> $66


On that note, could anyone with the PC know-how advise me on this system? Good? Bad? Could be so much better? etc etc

Edit --> Also now that I think about it Silverwolf, just email the Omni Vision guys with the same details/budget you put in your post and they'll get a quote to you with price breakdowns and everything usually by the next day.

[TAT]

ASUS Commando Mainboard S775/P965 --> $329
Intel CORE 2 QUAD Q6600/2.40GHz --> $765
Corsair twin pack 2GB (2x XMS2 1GB) PC-6400 (800MHz) --> $228
Foxconn Case Black Tower --> $85
550W "Antec" TruePower Trio ATX Power Supply --> $160
Seagate ES 500 GB SATA with 16Mb Cache --> $270
ASUS GF8800GTS, 640MB, DDR3, PCIEx16 --> $682
Viewsonic VX 2245 22" W/S, 1680x1050, 5ms --> $472
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium --> $171
Samsung/Liteon 18x DVD Burner dual format --> $55
Labor to install and configure --> $66


On that note, could anyone with the PC know-how advise me on this system? Good? Bad? Could be so much better? etc etcMy only real concern is your extreme lack of Kingston RAM, but it's much of a muchness, really :P

Seriously, that sounds pretty good to me.

[the_concierge.]

Thanks mate. And for the record, as a comparison I went over to the Dell website and built a roughly equivalent system. You could say my Dad was instantly happy to go with the Omni Vision guys...because the equivalent Dell system only cost A THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE!!!!!!!! (in summary, don't go Dell EVER)

[Silverwolf]

http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=5670 <- i dont know if its the exact same ram, but the corsair ram just higher than this is still cheaper.
http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8900 <- $20 cheaper than your one.
and you can save 2$ on your PSU.

[Silverwolf]

So i found the 'PC-builder' option on Nintek and played around with it. what i got was

Mobo: Asus P5B Motherboard - Socket LGA775, Intel P965 Chipset, DDR2, PCI-Express x16, 5xSATA, 1xeSATA, RAID, GbLAN, 8-ch Audio - $185
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Dual Core Processor - 2.13GHz, 64-Bit, 1066FSB, 4MB Cache, VT, LGA775 BX80557E6420 - $275
PSU: Hiper Type M 580W EPS Active PFC PSU ATX2.2/BTX 4xSATA, 8x Component Connectors, 1xPCIe HPU-4M580 - $129 <- anyone know much about Hiper? good/bad?
HDD: WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200rpm SATA II Hard Drive - 8.9ms, 16MB Cache - $139
RAM: Team Elite 5-5-5 PC2-6400 2GB DDR2 Kit (2x1024MB) DDR2-800MHz - $179
GFX: Inno3D 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit DDR3,500MHz Core Clock, 1600MHz Memory Clock, PCI Express X16 - $435

All I know is that it obliterates my PC and seems to all fit together.
Suggestions please :P
(sorry for double post >_>)

[Watchers]

Hate to be one of those guys, but 'official' is spelt wrong in the thread title....*hides*

[Vicious]

Hey guys, just a quick FYI for some of you:

First, there was discussion on why the Core 2 Duos are kicking so much ass at lower speeds. They being dual core isn't the biggest of deals, it's the effectiveness of the architecture. Really, we've seen AMD sticking to very similar clockspeeds for ages, so it shouldn't be the largest of surprises. You don't double the clock because there's two cores either. That's just not how they work. If you're interested in it consider searching google, maybe even wiki could help.

Next, I'm seeing suggestions for a lot of Asus boards. Yes, they do perform well. HOWEVER, they have been doing wierd things with their PCI management that can cause issues in PCI cards such as soundcards and the like (they don't stick to the standard). Also, it seems they've had some issues supplying power to USB if enough peripherals are hooked up. Just as long as people know that before buying great, but it's caused some headaches for quite a few. Personally, I'd suggest Gigabyte boards. Primarily the Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 ;)

[Stevorooni]

Gots my new PC :D

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/Stevorooni/000_0808.jpg

[the_concierge.]

So my dad just informs me he wants a TV tuner in the new PC we are getting...

So whats the deal with them? Would it be worth investing in a model which gives me access to HD broadcasts? Do such models even exist? My friends, please share your wisdom regarding this area of computers with me.

[TAT]

So my dad just informs me he wants a TV tuner in the new PC we are getting...

So whats the deal with them? Would it be worth investing in a model which gives me access to HD broadcasts? Do such models even exist? My friends, please share your wisdom regarding this area of computers with me.PCPP did a feature a while back about USB TV tuners (some that had SD/HD compatibility). I'll see what I can find.

[TAT]

I don't have the magazine anymore, but this is about as good as I could find in 15 minutes or w/e of looking: NetComm Banksia Digital HD (http://www.cnet.com.au/desktops/accessories/0,239029388,240061920,00.htm)

Keep in mind the price was for Dec. '06, so the prices will most definitely have come down since then, and technology (hopefully) improved.

[texta]

I've a DVICO HDTV tuner and it runs pretty well. I've got an internal PCI version which is great, but you can get USB versions if you don't have space inside your case.

[Stevorooni]

I have a compro VideoMate U3 usb tv tuner.

I just spent an hour trying to get it to work under vista but I got there eventually!

Too bad my place is built on an ancient shit tv reception burial ground

[the_concierge.]

So with these USB tuners - do they actually run through a program in Windows? I remember seeing a TV tuner on one of my mate's PC's that was actually contained in the case, and you'd have to switch 'inputs' on the monitor when you wanted to watch any TV signals.

[Stevorooni]

yeah they usually use a program

[Watchers]

Got my new PC a week or so ago and I just wanted to thank you guys for all the free advice.

In case you're wondering, it's got the 8800GTS, Intel Core2Duo E6420, 2gig Kingston RAM, 320GB HDD and a beautiful 20" WS LCD monitor. ^_^

[mayo]

Nice, how much did it end up costing you?

[Watchers]

All up (monitor included), it was around $1500 including a Billion ADSL Router. Luckily, it was my birthday around the same time so it coincided with a large cash injection.

[Grechy]

Well I've decided to change things around a bit with my new PC. I initially had my eyes set on an AMD setup but with Intel really the faster option at the moment I can't help but spend the extra dosh and get a little bang for buck back.

I've decided on the

Gigabyte P35DS3P (PRO)
Intel E6700
Leadtek 8800GTX
2 GIG of Corsair RAM
Seagate 500 GIG HDD

Gonna keep my case, keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Saving my ass off at the moment for this stuff.

[Gutsman Heavy]

My stupid computer went all splody on me, so I need something that'll play WoW and CoV, well mebbe some other games later but nothing too hardcore. Basically MMOs and Oblivion.

hows this:
Athlon 64 4600+
MSI Ultra Mainboard
2GB Ram
250Gb HDD
7600GS 256MB PCI-E

[Grechy]

Well the cost of my PC is coming to around $1800 for just the case and to fill it.

So far I've purchased the motherboard, ram and graphics card now just gotta get the CPU, HDD and case.

My wallet is definitely burnt!

[Italian Stallion]

My stupid computer went all splody on me, so I need something that'll play WoW and CoV, well mebbe some other games later but nothing too hardcore. Basically MMOs and Oblivion.

hows this:
Athlon 64 4600+
MSI Ultra Mainboard
2GB Ram
250Gb HDD
7600GS 256MB PCI-E
Not worth fixing the problems with your old PC?
That setup seems alright, but you'd probably be better off spending the little bit extra for an Intel setup. Their current range of CPUs shits all over AMD, and they'll continue doing so for a while to come by the sounds of it - so getting an Intel-based motherboard will provide a bit of extra upgradability.

[Grechy]

Not worth fixing the problems with your old PC?
That setup seems alright, but you'd probably be better off spending the little bit extra for an Intel setup. Their current range of CPUs shits all over AMD, and they'll continue doing so for a while to come by the sounds of it - so getting an Intel-based motherboard will provide a bit of extra upgradability.

Too true. AMD is so far off the pace at the moment it's a much easier decision nowadays to choose your CPU setup.

[Gutsman Heavy]

Intel eh? if they are the way to go I'm in. thankys, now to gets them quotes.

[Grechy]

Intel eh? if they are the way to go I'm in. thankys, now to gets them quotes.

www.staticice.com.au

Type in the part and it brings up the cheapest place to acquire it.

MSY is usually always the cheapest but I'd still try staticice to make certain.

[clarky]

Hypernerds ahoy! My mission for you is to build me a PC. I need a PC with a 22' monitor a decent Video Card for gaming, windows vista premium and all that jazz. I want to spend around $1500 -$2000, but the lower the better obviously. I don't have a clue how to purchase these things, or who to goto, that's why I want you guys to do it. Winner gets weekly pep for the lifespan of purchased PC. That's some deal!

Oh it needs a wireless card too. So I can use the cable internet from the otherside of my house...

[Hide & Reason]

Hmm. I like Stevo's assembly (http://hyperactive.com.au/showpost.php?p=537451&postcount=67), but I'd be fine with a lesser video card, and two 250GB Seagates instead of the half-tera.

I know shit all about cards. The most resource-intensive game I play would be Civ 4, and by the amount of games I've started and never got to finish, I know 1GB SDRAM and an FX5700 is quite sub-par.

And two questions on monitors: is there that much quality difference between say a Benq 22 WS and a Chimei 22 WS? And are monitors generally a good component to buy second-hand (auction sites) or not?

[Vicious]

Hypernerds ahoy! My mission for you is to build me a PC. I need a PC with a 22' monitor a decent Video Card for gaming, windows vista premium and all that jazz. I want to spend around $1500 -$2000, but the lower the better obviously. I don't have a clue how to purchase these things, or who to goto, that's why I want you guys to do it. Winner gets weekly pep for the lifespan of purchased PC. That's some deal!

Oh it needs a wireless card too. So I can use the cable internet from the otherside of my house...

I'm not 100% sure about pricing, but I can give you a general guide of what to look for.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6450 or E6600

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 has my personal recommendation

RAM: 2GB Corsair XMS2 if possible, if not Corsair Value should work well.

Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB or higher recommended

Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music or Fatal1ty. Avoid likes of Extreme Gamer/Audio (not true X-Fis)

HDD: Seagate/Western Digital 320GB/500GB SATAII

DVD-RW: Any one from Pioneer/Samsung/LG should do fine.

Case: Antec Sonata (II?) with Antec power supply is good bang for the buck.

LCD: Something from Samsung or Hyundaii should work well. Check reviews if looking at NEC, Viewsonic, or Westinghouse.

Mouse: Razer Deathadder or Intellimouse Explorer 3.

Mousepad: Something of good quality if you're planning on games. Xtrac, Corepad, Steelpad, fUnc, Ice Mat, Banshee Pad . . . you get the idea.

Keyboard: A logitech should work fine.

Windows Home Premium for an OS

As for a WiFi card, I don't have any real suggestions on that front.


Sorry that I can't be of help pricing being in the US I just don't know the good sites over there. Regardless, I hope this can be used as a guide to point you in the right direction.

[clarky]

Would you be able to give me an estimate of how much that would come to in $US if you can't do $AU?

Cheers

[obsolete]

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 = $296

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 = $155

RAM: 2GB Corsair = $109

Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB = 425

Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music = $88

HDD: Seagate/Western Digital 500GB SATAII = $179

DVD-RW: Any one from Pioneer/Samsung/LG $18-59

Case: Antec Sonata (II?) $159 (with psu) probably still need to buy one depending on what it comes with but i dont no.

LCD: 22” 5ms DVI WS Chimei 221D = $345
Im not going to bother with the mouse and keyboard stuff

total=$1815

And i just used MSY (http://msy.com.au)

[Vicious]

Would you be able to give me an estimate of how much that would come to in $US if you can't do $AU?

Cheers

Heh, the last time I tried I got lectured because their prices are different based on region, thus an exchange rate doesn't work.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Well I'm gonna grab a new case. mobo/cpu and vid card over the weekend (probably from techbuy) since my vid card has died or something and it's time for an upgrade.

Any general suggestions? I was going to grab just a new card, but it seems everyones moved on from AGP to this PCI express card slot thingy. I'm assuming that's what I'm after card wise these days.

I'd prefer to grab the best going around since I'd like to not have to do this again for at least 3 months.

EDIT: Think I'll go with that case bexta was getting.

[clarky]

I just got my PC and it has a wireless G PCI Adaptor that Vista doesn't recognise. Shintaro have no drivers on their website. Can anyone help me!?

[Grechy]

Well I'm gonna grab a new case. mobo/cpu and vid card over the weekend (probably from techbuy) since my vid card has died or something and it's time for an upgrade.

Any general suggestions? I was going to grab just a new card, but it seems everyones moved on from AGP to this PCI express card slot thingy. I'm assuming that's what I'm after card wise these days.

I'd prefer to grab the best going around since I'd like to not have to do this again for at least 3 months.

EDIT: Think I'll go with that case bexta was getting.

Not sure if you're a heavy gamer but if you are an 8800GTS would run most thing pretty comfortably and they're around the $570 mark?

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

This precious? (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/70423/VIDEOCARDS_GEFORCE_PCI-EXPRESS_SERIES/ASUS/EN8800GTS-HTDP-320.asp)

Looks pretty sweet indeed.

Any mobo suggestions? What is a quad core and is it really better then the core duo things all the kids are talking about?

[Vicious]

This precious? (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/70423/VIDEOCARDS_GEFORCE_PCI-EXPRESS_SERIES/ASUS/EN8800GTS-HTDP-320.asp)

Looks pretty sweet indeed.

I'd suggest going for an eVGA branded one, they seem to have more factory OC'ed cards with nice warranties.

Any mobo suggestions? What is a quad core and is it really better then the core duo things all the kids are talking about?

Gigabyte GA-965P-S3, or if you feel like being fancy, Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 (no electrolyte caps FTW).

[Grechy]

This precious? (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/70423/VIDEOCARDS_GEFORCE_PCI-EXPRESS_SERIES/ASUS/EN8800GTS-HTDP-320.asp)

Looks pretty sweet indeed.

Any mobo suggestions? What is a quad core and is it really better then the core duo things all the kids are talking about?

Took me awhile to decide between Quad and Dual. It was probably the toughest decision building my PC. Basically hardware is so far in front of software at the moment (like 3-5 years) that a Quad would be not be really be utilised by software at this current stage in time.

Really software companies are still making the best use of the dual core right now and you do get better OC capabilities as well as a faster clock speed which is obviously better for gaming.

Apparently in the upcoming future though games like Crysis will utilise Quad technology and this is where they will shine above the Duals. At this current moment and for most games in the next year or so the Dual core will perform better.

Saying this I still purchased the Quad because it's the same price as the dual core so value for money for me was an important issue. Also I don't upgrade often so I tried to future proof as much as I could although I could eat my words with this if they don't take off. Also they do overclock okay despite being a little hot. The Quads being released in August apparently have a better cooling system, something to do with G0 stepping. PC jargon.

Furthermore the Quads would perform a tad better in multitasking due to the extra core BUT it would be very difficult for a normal user who doesn't encode etc to really get the most of out it. Some dude ran like 4 movies, 2 games and a whole bunch of programs on the Duel Core and it only reached 90% of the CPU's ability.

Either way though Blakey you'd be getting a great CPU.

[Vicious]

Took me awhile to decide between Quad and Dual. It was probably the toughest decision building my PC. Basically hardware is so far in front of software at the moment (like 3-5 years) that a Quad would be not be really be utilised by software at this current stage in time.

Really software companies are still making the best use of the dual core right now and you do get better OC capabilities as well as a faster clock speed which is obviously better for gaming.

Apparently in the upcoming future though games like Crysis will utilise Quad technology and this is where they will shine above the Duals. At this current moment and for most games in the next year or so the Dual core will perform better.

Saying this I still purchased the Quad because it's the same price as the dual core so value for money for me was an important issue. Also I don't upgrade often so I tried to future proof as much as I could although I could eat my words with this if they don't take off. Also they do overclock okay despite being a little hot. The Quads being released in August apparently have a better cooling system, something to do with G0 stepping. PC jargon.

Furthermore the Quads would perform a tad better in multitasking due to the extra core BUT it would be very difficult for a normal user who doesn't encode etc to really get the most of out it. Some dude ran like 4 movies, 2 games and a whole bunch of programs on the Duel Core and it only reached 90% of the CPU's ability.

Either way though Blakey you'd be getting a great CPU.

Crap, I forgot the Quad part of his question . . . you summed it up pretty well though.

Quad = Photoshop, Encoding, and future software.

[craptest]

Whats the best site for 'do it yourself' PC? Is EYO okay?

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Crap, I forgot the Quad part of his question . . . you summed it up pretty well though.

Quad = Photoshop, Encoding, and future software.

Well I do a bit of encoding/photoshop, so I'll probably go with quad. Plus it sounds twice as awesome!

Will check out your other suggestions. Thanks guys.

[Grechy]

Well I do a bit of encoding/photoshop, so I'll probably go with quad. Plus it sounds twice as awesome!

Will check out your other suggestions. Thanks guys.

Running on the Quad now (Thank you Damo you fcuking legend) who built this PC for me. It is just hammering, it's soooo damn fast.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

I believe you can get vibration reducers that help cut down on hammering.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Gigabyte GA-965P-S3, or if you feel like being fancy, Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 (no electrolyte caps FTW).

The closest I could find to that on techbuy was GA-965G-DS3 (v3.3) (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/71710/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965G-DS3-V3.asp) and GA-965P-DS4 (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/63591/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965P-DS4.asp). I'm leaning towards the first as I probably need the extra PCI slot, + the second more expensive one doesn't seem to support quad-core. Would the extra cost on the second one be for the 2nd PCIe slot?

Also any suggestions for what quad-core I should go with for the DS3? Here's list of them (http://www.techbuy.com.au/search.asp?what=BeginSearch&page=1&fromSearch=1&srchCat=CPU&srchManuf=Intel&srchSortBy=2&srchQuery=Quad-Core&min=%240.00&max=%240.00&srchNumRecs=20&rbSrchType=ALL&x=0&y=0) at techbuy.

Oh, another question I had; do they have HD drives for PCs yet? I see they're selling bluray drives, but don't seem to have HD ones.

[mayo]

The closest I could find to that on techbuy was GA-965G-DS3 (v3.3) (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/71710/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965G-DS3-V3.asp) and GA-965P-DS4 (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/63591/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965P-DS4.asp). I'm leaning towards the first as I probably need the extra PCI slot, + the second more expensive one doesn't seem to support quad-core. Would the extra cost on the second one be for the 2nd PCIe slot?

Also any suggestions for what quad-core I should go with for the DS3? Here's list of them (http://www.techbuy.com.au/search.asp?what=BeginSearch&page=1&fromSearch=1&srchCat=CPU&srchManuf=Intel&srchSortBy=2&srchQuery=Quad-Core&min=%240.00&max=%240.00&srchNumRecs=20&rbSrchType=ALL&x=0&y=0) at techbuy.

Oh, another question I had; do they have HD drives for PCs yet? I see they're selling bluray drives, but don't seem to have HD ones.

The GA-965G-DS3 (v3.3) is a great board, I've got one myself ($150!).
Heaps of overclock options if you're like me and have a low end Core 2 Duo :)


EDIT: Whoops! My board is actually a GA-965P-DS3P (rev. 3.3) (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2455)!
Damn similar letters >_>

[Vicious]

The closest I could find to that on techbuy was GA-965G-DS3 (v3.3) (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/71710/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965G-DS3-V3.asp) and GA-965P-DS4 (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/63591/MOTHERBOARD_INTEL_S775/Gigabyte/GA-965P-DS4.asp). I'm leaning towards the first as I probably need the extra PCI slot, + the second more expensive one doesn't seem to support quad-core. Would the extra cost on the second one be for the 2nd PCIe slot?

They don't use the same chipset. The biggest difference is the first has integrated video, which can be a nuisance when trying to OC. It seems it bring the MoBo's potential as a whole down. On the other hand, if you have no plan for OCing I'm guessing either will suffice (I'm sure both support quad).

Also any suggestions for what quad-core I should go with for the DS3? Here's list of them (http://www.techbuy.com.au/search.asp?what=BeginSearch&page=1&fromSearch=1&srchCat=CPU&srchManuf=Intel&srchSortBy=2&srchQuery=Quad-Core&min=%240.00&max=%240.00&srchNumRecs=20&rbSrchType=ALL&x=0&y=0) at techbuy.

Q6600.

Oh, another question I had; do they have HD drives for PCs yet? I see they're selling bluray drives, but don't seem to have HD ones.

I'm guess you mean HD-DVD drives correct? You can actually use the 360 HD-DVD drive with the PC, pretty much plug & play + get software that supports HD-DVD playback + HDCP connection = joy.

Hope that's of some use to you.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

I'm guess you mean HD-DVD drives correct?

Yes that's what I meant sorry. So no one's actually making them for PC's yet?

Oh and I've picked a power supply. It has a racing stripe (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/73099/POWERSUPPLIES_ATX/Antec/761345-27850.asp).

[Grechy]

Yes that's what I meant sorry. So no one's actually making them for PC's yet?

Oh and I've picked a power supply. It has a racing stripe (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/73099/POWERSUPPLIES_ATX/Antec/761345-27850.asp).

Nice Blake. Just make sure your case fits it. My case was a bit of struggle but it was more due to the fact it was such a shitty PSU slot then the the actual case. I don't think you would have much of a problem but just look at a few case reviews and be certain.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

I think it should be big enough (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7494970967421899506&hl=en-CA).

[Vicious]

I think it should be big enough (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7494970967421899506&hl=en-CA).

I got the exact same case waiting in the basement for my next PC. Plenty of airflow for OCing :D

[Grechy]

Quality case that is. Only heard good things about it.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

I got the idea from bexta. Seems it's on back order though, along with my vid card of choice.

Think I'll just tell them to hold off on them and send me the other stuff asap so I can have a computer up and running. I can just use my old case.

[Italian Stallion]

I'm considering buying a Nine Hundred as well.. it's one of a couple I'm considering, which include the CoolerMaster Stacker 832 (http://pccasegear.com/prod5038.htm), CoolerMaster Mystique 632 (http://pccasegear.com/prod4128.htm), Lian Li PC-A12 (http://pccasegear.com/prod5150.htm), and possibly the Thermaltake Armor (http://pccasegear.com/prod2446.htm). The Stacker would be my first choice due to it basically being the sexiest case ever & the greatest case ever to work in, not to mention the great air flow it has.. but it's awfully expensive. The Nine Hundred seems good, but it sounds like it's relatively small - smaller than the Thermaltake Soprano I've got - and that already is too small for my liking.. but the case seems much more well set-out and easier to work on (which isn't hard considering how badly the Soprano's set out). Anyone used any of these cases and have anything to say about them?

[Vicious]

I'm considering buying a Nine Hundred as well.. it's one of a couple I'm considering, which include the CoolerMaster Stacker 832 (http://pccasegear.com/prod5038.htm), CoolerMaster Mystique 632 (http://pccasegear.com/prod4128.htm), Lian Li PC-A12 (http://pccasegear.com/prod5150.htm), and possibly the Thermaltake Armor (http://pccasegear.com/prod2446.htm). The Stacker would be my first choice due to it basically being the sexiest case ever & the greatest case ever to work in, not to mention the great air flow it has.. but it's awfully expensive. The Nine Hundred seems good, but it sounds like it's relatively small - smaller than the Thermaltake Soprano I've got - and that already is too small for my liking.. but the case seems much more well set-out and easier to work on (which isn't hard considering how badly the Soprano's set out). Anyone used any of these cases and have anything to say about them?

Well I've played with most incarnations of the cases in one way or another. The biggest question is: What do you want from the case?

Do you want to OC?
Do you want a "silent" PC?
Do you plan on modding?
Do you plan on using lots of expansion bays?
In terms of styling, is less more or more less? (lots of lights, no lights, basic Lian-Li box, or racing stripes galore?)

Answer those and I should have an idea of what you want so I can help you hunt in and out of what you're already looking at. I'm always glad to help ;-)

[Italian Stallion]

Yeah, I've got a good overclocking CPU so I figure I might as well.. so good airflow & cooling is a must - but I'd still like to have a relatively quiet PC. I've got both a Zalman CPU and GPU cooler, and they're quiet enough so the only thing left to worry about are the case fans.. but I can chuck a fan controller on if I need to. The case won't be for modding, and I don't really require lots of expansion bays - but a bit of extra room for working in the case would be handy.. a removable motherboard tray wouldn't hurt either, but it's not essential. As far as styling goes, I'm not too fussed so long as it doesn't look cheap & plasticy, and isn't covered with blinding lights that'll keep me awake all night - a few lights (preferably blue :P) wouldn't bother me though.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Then you'll be wanting all those cases combined into one which you can order from MAGICAL FAIRY LAND OF HAPPYTIMES CASE'N'MODS!

:P

[Grechy]

Yeah, I've got a good overclocking CPU so I figure I might as well.. so good airflow & cooling is a must - but I'd still like to have a relatively quiet PC. I've got both a Zalman CPU and GPU cooler, and they're quiet enough so the only thing left to worry about are the case fans.. but I can chuck a fan controller on if I need to. The case won't be for modding, and I don't really require lots of expansion bays - but a bit of extra room for working in the case would be handy.. a removable motherboard tray wouldn't hurt either, but it's not essential. As far as styling goes, I'm not too fussed so long as it doesn't look cheap & plasticy, and isn't covered with blinding lights that'll keep me awake all night - a few lights (preferably blue :P) wouldn't bother me though.

Thermaltake Armor. :P

[Vicious]

Yeah, I've got a good overclocking CPU so I figure I might as well.. so good airflow & cooling is a must - but I'd still like to have a relatively quiet PC. I've got both a Zalman CPU and GPU cooler, and they're quiet enough so the only thing left to worry about are the case fans.. but I can chuck a fan controller on if I need to. The case won't be for modding, and I don't really require lots of expansion bays - but a bit of extra room for working in the case would be handy.. a removable motherboard tray wouldn't hurt either, but it's not essential. As far as styling goes, I'm not too fussed so long as it doesn't look cheap & plasticy, and isn't covered with blinding lights that'll keep me awake all night - a few lights (preferably blue :P) wouldn't bother me though.

You want to OC and have it be quiet, the most troubling combination. I'd say get one of the largest cases you can find, probably with some dampening material. Eventually you'll want to upgrade to watercooling if noise is that large of an issue. The potential of OCing on air will not be realised without a noisier computer than most. For air the Antec 900 is best, but for noise . . .

I'd say the largest Zalman you can find would be the best overall as it will have space and an aluminum construction, possibly with dampening, etc. Space if you upgrade to water later . . . which will dramatically help with noise and allow similar results to the better air cooled rigs.

On another note, not all Zalman heatsinks are good for OCing. I'd suggest getting a Touniqe Tower if you decide that air will be best for you. Polish the bottom with wet sandpaper properly for a mirror finish an give it the highest cmf 120mm fan you can buy and it can't be beat . . . short of thermoelectric/water system with below ambient chemical (substitute for water). That is, assuming you have a very high airflow.

[Grechy]

Just a quickie. Currently running 2GB ram, is it worth upgrading to 4GB?

Would I notice much of a difference? I do play games at maximum setting and haven't had any problems so not sure why many have 4GB of memory.

Vicious probably directed at you as you answer most of the stuff here. :P

[Vicious]

Just a quickie. Currently running 2GB ram, is it worth upgrading to 4GB?

Would I notice much of a difference? I do play games at maximum setting and haven't had any problems so not sure why many have 4GB of memory.

Vicious probably directed at you as you answer most of the stuff here. :P

Well, if you're running 2GB across 2x1GB sticks and have four slots that allow dual channel, I'd buy a 1GB 2x512mb pack. Each "set" will have their own channel so you won't lose the dual channel effect. 4GBs is a waste for many, as most (you too probably) use a 32bit OS and won't be able to recognize much more than 3GB (some can even only recognize 2.5GB thanks to allocation in the registars :?: Unlikely for you though ).

If you're currently using 4x512mb I'd find out if a 4GB kit is ultimately cheaper or not. If it is then you might as well . . . if not then seek the original suggestion.

This is of course based on the assumption you plan on sticking to Windows, as Linux would be different . . .

Whether you'll notice a true difference or not can't be completely gauged. For example, are you running Windows Vista? How much do you run in the background? Etc.

[Grechy]

Well, if you're running 2GB across 2x1GB sticks and have four slots that allow dual channel, I'd buy a 1GB 2x512mb pack. Each "set" will have their own channel so you won't lose the dual channel effect. 4GBs is a waste for many, as most (you too probably) use a 32bit OS and won't be able to recognize much more than 3GB (some can even only recognize 2.5GB thanks to allocation in the registars :?: Unlikely for you though ).

If you're currently using 4x512mb I'd find out if a 4GB kit is ultimately cheaper or not. If it is then you might as well . . . if not then seek the original suggestion.

This is of course based on the assumption you plan on sticking to Windows, as Linux would be different . . .

Whether you'll notice a true difference or not can't be completely gauged. For example, are you running Windows Vista? How much do you run in the background? Etc.

Using Vista at the moment. I'm currently running 2 x 1 Gig Corsair value sticks.

[Vicious]

Using Vista at the moment. I'm currently running 2 x 1 Gig Corsair value sticks.

I'm taking it you have four slots for dual channel then? If so, just buy a pair of 2 x 512mb Corsair Value to go along with them for the total of 3gb. Vista uses enough memory that I doubt you could go wrong with more.

[craptest]

Heya.

Im needing a new computer. Dont want to spend more than $2100. I'll need everything (monitor, keyboard etc etc). Will have to run most things except for the latest games (as long as I can play HalfLife 2 Ill be happy). I may want to dabble with HD (compressed) editing, but thats as beefy as the tasks will get.

Would I be wise to get a PC with Vista?

Ive looked at DELL for prices. I can get an okay sounding PC for $2100 (I know you pay more for a brand, but is DELL considered okay these days? My 1998 PC that Im about to retire is a DELL. Served me well. Sniff)

Been considering an Imac as well. Nearly fainted when I saw the $812 AUD price for the 3GB ram upgrade. Fark me.

[Grechy]

I'm taking it you have four slots for dual channel then? If so, just buy a pair of 2 x 512mb Corsair Value to go along with them for the total of 3gb. Vista uses enough memory that I doubt you could go wrong with more.

Done I'll be hitting up MSY soon for the upgrade. Thanks. :)

[Italian Stallion]

Then you'll be wanting all those cases combined into one which you can order from MAGICAL FAIRY LAND OF HAPPYTIMES CASE'N'MODS!

:P
Haha. :P
Thermaltake Armor. :P
Maybe, it's on the list afterall!
You want to OC and have it be quiet, the most troubling combination. I'd say get one of the largest cases you can find, probably with some dampening material. Eventually you'll want to upgrade to watercooling if noise is that large of an issue. The potential of OCing on air will not be realised without a noisier computer than most. For air the Antec 900 is best, but for noise . . .
It doesn't need to be whisper quiet, but I'd prefer it weren't too loud. A mate has a CM Stacker with a Q6600 overclocked to 3GHz, with each core idling in the low 30s off air cooling, and his PC's probably quieter than my own.. so I know getting soemthing along those lines would probably do the trick, but it's still a tad expensive for my taste.. since my last post I've added the Coolermaster Praetorian 732 (http://www.hardwarezone.com.au/reviews/view.php?cid=22&id=1677) to the list of possible cases. Anyone had any experience with this one? :P

Edit: Was going to go out and buy a Nine Hundred today, but no-one locally had them in stock. Kinda glad, cause I realised afterwards that they don't come with an airfilter.. I imagine that thing will be sucking in a lot of air - and a lot of dust, with it thanks to the dumb idea of not including filters.

2nd Edit: Decided on the Coolermaster Stacker 831 in black. Picking it up this arvo. :D

[clarky]

My PC is all set up and running. Thanks for all the help guys and especially Ruda! I need to put some holes in my desk to clean up the damn cordage!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/g-drive/mycomp.jpg

Gotta love the asthma inhaler.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/g-drive/sammy.jpg

[Grechy]

Is that the Samsung 226BW? Awesome monitor. I have the 225BW, they're so sleek and well designed.

Great for gaming too with the low response times.

[clarky]

Is that the Samsung 226BW? Awesome monitor. I have the 225BW, they're so sleek and well designed.

Great for gaming too with the low response times.

Yeah that's the one. I'm so chuffed with this monitor. It makes everything look amazing! It's got like 2ms response, but I think that's grey on grey...

[Surgeon.]

Hey all,

I'm looking at getting a new gaming/multimedia beast as cheaply as possible. Going to need it to run photoshop, flash, 3ds9, illustrator, audition, dreamweaver, premier, encore, after effects etc as well as games for the next couple of years at least.

Hoping to keep it under 1500 (box only) and have been looking at something like this.

>CASE: Coolermaster Elite 331+
>POWER: 430w power supply
>CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6420
>MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-M61PM-S2
>RAM: 2x 1024mb 667mhz DDR2
>HDD: 250gb Western Digital hard Drive
>DVD: 18x Samsung DVD-RW Drive
>VIDEO: 8600GTS 256mb
>OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic

Anyone have any suggestions because I don't really keep up to date with PC hardware. Also, is 1500 about right for this kind of set-up?

[Vicious]

Yeah that's the one. I'm so chuffed with this monitor. It makes everything look amazing! It's got like 2ms response, but I think that's grey on grey...

I'm not completely sure if that's right, I don't think it would be 2ms grey to grey. Grey to grey is the REAL stress test actually when it comes to LCD testing, which most of the really good ones hit roughly four to eight.

Then again, I could be wrong. Maybe the tech has improved even further than before.

EDIT:

>CASE: Coolermaster Elite 331+
>POWER: 430w power supply
>CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6420
>MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-M61PM-S2
>RAM: 2x 1024mb 667mhz DDR2
>HDD: 250gb Western Digital hard Drive
>DVD: 18x Samsung DVD-RW Drive
>VIDEO: 8600GTS 256mb
>OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic

With all of the intensive proggies you're looking at running I would highly suggest a quad core CPU instead. Also bump up Vista to Home Premium, it's worth it.

If you can, try to scratch up some to up it to 3GBs too. In other words, 2 x 1024mb and 2 x 512mb. That way you can retain dual channel benefits.

[Surgeon.]

With all of the intensive proggies you're looking at running I would highly suggest a quad core CPU instead. Also bump up Vista to Home Premium, it's worth it.

If you can, try to scratch up some to up it to 3GBs too. In other words, 2 x 1024mb and 2 x 512mb. That way you can retain dual channel benefits.

I'll definitely look into getting Home Premium then. I just figured that it was probably like Basic but with more tacked on crap that I don't really need.

Not sure about quad core and 3GB RAM. I can certainly see how that they would be of benefit when running multimedia apps but as mentioned 1500 is already stretching my budget. I have a feeling those extras aren't going to be too affordable.

[clarky]

I'm not completely sure if that's right, I don't think it would be 2ms grey to grey. Grey to grey is the REAL stress test actually when it comes to LCD testing, which most of the really good ones hit roughly four to eight.

Then again, I could be wrong. Maybe the tech has improved even further than before.



Chances are you're right...

[oompa]

I am looking at making an upgrade to my PC and chnaging the CPU from this AMD Athlon 64 4000+ Processor with HyperTransport Technology to AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor. I know my motherboard will support the dual-core chip but would I need to update anything else like the ram or anything else?

[Italian Stallion]

Nah oompa, you'll not need to upgrade anything else. Just make sure you get the right socket CPU - which is probably 939. Double check first though!

Surgeon., not sure what brand PSU you're planning on getting, but regardless I'd suggest going for something abit beefier. 500watts at the minimum. My PC wouldn't boot with a 430watt PSU, and it'd have a similar power-draw to your intended PC.

[Sam]

Is this a good setup? ... not too much more to save..

Intel E6750 – 244.99 (MCG!)
Gigabyte GA-P35-S3L - $134 (Netplus!)
Inno3D nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320Mb PCI Express - $392 (VTech!)
2 GB 800 or 667 RAM – Anywhere (Max $120!)
Antec Sonata III - $187 (Vtech!)
Seagate hard drive SATAII 320GB - $109 (ComWiz!)
Pioneer DVR212 Black SATA DVD – $49 (Netplus!)

Total: $1236

(All W.A. stores, btw)

[mayo]

Yep, it does sound like a nice setup.
I've got a Sonata II myself, sexy and super quiet.
Dunno what the Sonata III is like though.

[Sam]

Bigger PSU. (500W, I think.)

http://www.pixelusa.com/images/CA-AN-SonataIII.jpg

Super sexy. :smile:

You can get a 'Galaxy' 8800GTS for 'round $10 cheaper. Would there be any difference between that and the Inno3D one, or is it just the name?

[Surgeon.]

CPU: Intel core 2 duo E6420
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
RAM: 2x 1024mb 667mhz DDR2
HDD: HDD3 Seagate 250GB SATA2
DVD: LG 18x dual later DVD-RW
VIDEO: 256MB NX8600GTS PCI express
CASE: Superflower SF791BK (450w)
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Just got a couple of quotes for this system I've been looking at. Cheapest was about $1350 so I think I'll probably be going for that one.

Someone mentioned earlier that I should be looking at a 500w power supply, however everyone I talked to today said that the 450w should be sufficient. Also,would have loved to gone for a 8800GTS and a quad core but simply can't afford it at this time.

[TAT]

Someone mentioned earlier that I should be looking at a 500w power supply, however everyone I talked to today said that the 450w should be sufficient.
Go with a 500W power supply.

[Grechy]

CPU: Intel core 2 duo E6420
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
RAM: 2x 1024mb 667mhz DDR2
HDD: HDD3 Seagate 250GB SATA2
DVD: LG 18x dual later DVD-RW
VIDEO: 256MB NX8600GTS PCI express
CASE: Superflower SF791BK (450w)
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Just got a couple of quotes for this system I've been looking at. Cheapest was about $1350 so I think I'll probably be going for that one.

Someone mentioned earlier that I should be looking at a 500w power supply, however everyone I talked to today said that the 450w should be sufficient. Also,would have loved to gone for a 8800GTS and a quad core but simply can't afford it at this time.

Be safe and go the 500w. It wouldn't be a massive price hike.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Go 850 with a racing stripe. It looks cool man.

[Surgeon.]

Thanks to my indecisive nature, I've changed my potential pc again.

Now looking at

CPU: Intel core 2 quad core Q6600
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
RAM: Kingston HyperX 2 Gig 800 Low latency (2X1GB)
HDD: HDD3 Seagate 250GB SATA2
DVD: LG 18x dual later DVD-RW
VIDEO: 256MB NX8600GTS PCI express
CASE: Superflower SF791BK
PSU: Superflower 14CM/600w
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Opinions?

[clarky]

Thanks to my indecisive nature, I've changed my potential pc again.

Now looking at

CPU: Intel core 2 quad core Q6600
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
RAM: Kingston HyperX 2 Gig 800 Low latency (2X1GB)
HDD: HDD3 Seagate 250GB SATA2
DVD: LG 18x dual later DVD-RW
VIDEO: 256MB NX8600GTS PCI express
CASE: Superflower SF791BK
PSU: Superflower 14CM/600w
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Opinions?

That's pretty similar to my new PC, except I have a Core2DuoE6430. It's running awesomely. I haven't really put it to the test with games more demanding than Half Life 2 yet though.

[Surgeon.]

Out of curiosity, has anyone found a noticeable difference between duel and quad core when running resource hog multimedia apps?

Edit - In any case, I've just put down a deposit and it should be ready late next week. I'm pretty excited.

[mayo]

Upgrade time!
I've got just over $1,100.
I wanna save 200-300 of it for a few new games coming out the next 2 months.

My current rig -
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3P
Case: Antec Sonata II w/nice 450w psu
Cpu: Core2Duo e4300
Ram: 1GB Corsair XMS2-6400 800mhz (2x512MB dual channel action)
Hard Drive: Some crap Samsung 80GB SATAII
GFX: Powercolor Radeon X1950 Pro 256mb
Monitor: Shitty old 17" LG CRT

Here is what I want:
Moar RAM
Moar HD space
Better monitor
Nice headphones

After looking around a bit, here is a list of things I've got my eyes on -
SteelSound 5H v2 headphones - $130 (http://www.techbuy.com.au/product.asp?at=51&prodid=69016).
Corsair 2Gb XMS2-6400 800MHz (2 x 1Gb) - $163 (http://www.secret.com.au/cgi-bin/computers/trialdb.pl?product+Memory/DDR2/Corsair/TWIN2X2048-6400).
Samsung 226BW 22" LCD - $448 (http://shop.mcgtech.com.au/s.nl/it.A/id.2890/.f?sc=2&category=6762).
320Gb Seagate Barracuda - $123 (http://www.secret.com.au/cgi-bin/computers/trialdb.pl?product+Hard%20Drives/Desktop%20IDE/Seagate/ST3320620AS).
Total = $864 (+postage)

Any suggestions? I've heard great things about the 226BW monitor, but this (http://www.behardware.com/articles/667-1/samsung-226bw-a-and-s-series-the-verdict.html) worries me a little.

[Italian Stallion]

Hope to the Gods the Samsung you get has an S panel. For no real reason other than it's better than the others they sell them with. Not that there's anything wrong with the A or C though, really.
edit: I read over that link about the monitor after I posted. Point still stands. :razz:

As for the HDD, I'd go with a 400 or 500. 400GB is only an extra $10 or so.

For the price you're paying for that RAM, you can probably get OCZ Platinum stuff, which has better timings & higher voltage, so it's probably better in both stock & overclocked systems.

[Sam]

SteelSound 5H professional gaming headset, version 2 : $125 (http://www.i-tech.com.au/items.aspx?id=14744)
Seagate Barracuda 320Gb 7200RPM 16Mb SATA 2 : $96 (http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=18224)
DDR2 Twin2X (2048MB Kit) 240-pin DDR2 XMS2-6400 Corsair(2X1024MB): $155 (http://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?bid=2&sid=17950)
Samsung 226BW 22" LCD - $448. (Stick with MCG)

= $824 (+Postage)

Dunno about the stuff, but yay, $40 savings.

[clarky]

Any suggestions? I've heard great things about the 226BW monitor, but this (http://www.behardware.com/articles/667-1/samsung-226bw-a-and-s-series-the-verdict.html) worries me a little.

I have this monitor and it's bloody brilliant. Just so you know, they don't put the Panel letter on the back anymore. I don't have a clue which one mine is, but I've had no problems. I'd like it better if it had a glossy screen, but you can't win them all.

BUY IT

[mayo]

Pep is in the mail for those that commented :)

I bit the bullet and ordered the 226BW. Hope it's an S! Even though a $799 monitor for $450 is an absolute bargain anyway, no matter which model.
Also ordered the headphones & RAM. Was going to go with the Umart $155 RAM, but they wanted $20 for delivery... $20, to deliver RAM! I told them to bite my shiny metal ass.
So I went back to secret.net and their price had actually gone down to $153! :)
Ching ching!

[mayo]

The RAM and headphones came in the mail today.
The steelsound 5H V2 headphones are SEXY.

[clarky]

The RAM and headphones came in the mail today.
The steelsound 5H V2 headphones are SEXY.

That was quick. They certainly didn't waste any time...

[mayo]

Yeah, I was very surprised! Overnight delivery kicks arse when you don't expect it.
The monitor will hopefully come tomorrow (please be an S!)

[mayo]

The Samsung 226BW is here...... And I'm blown away. Holy s**t!!
I can't tell which model it is though, and the only way I can find out is by opening it up (http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4259&Itemid=40), which I'm too scared to do. Doesn't matter though, because this monitor is OUTSTANDING.

[clarky]

The Samsung 226BW is here...... And I'm blown away. Holy s**t!!
I can't tell which model it is though, and the only way I can find out is by opening it up (http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4259&Itemid=40), which I'm too scared to do. Doesn't matter though, because this monitor is OUTSTANDING.

I told you.

Give me more pep.

[Reuen_SpACeMuNKy]

heres my problem. i know jack about computer "rigs" and i need to buy 4.
can anyone give me a good idea on what i should be able to get for around 750 bucks a pop. i (meaning my mate who is building them) will be getting all the stuff from a swap meet some time.
theoretically buying 4 comps worth of stuff exactly the same at the same time should drop the price right?
and can anyone give me a pc thats decent that fits my 750 per rig limit.

[Reuen_SpACeMuNKy]

heres my problem. i know jack about computer "rigs" and i need to buy 4.
can anyone give me a good idea on what i should be able to get for around 750 bucks a pop. i (meaning my mate who is building them) will be getting all the stuff from a swap meet some time.
theoretically buying 4 comps worth of stuff exactly the same at the same time should drop the price right?
and can anyone give me a pc thats decent that fits my 750 per rig limit.


oh yeah thats just for the computer. no monitor, keyboard, mouse or anthing. just the good stuff.

[Ajy170]

http://forums.pcpowerplay.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=56103

Make a PCPP log in, go to that thread.

Regularly updated by the great foramer ]{ing Nothing

Lists PC's at budget ranges of 300, 500, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 with optional accessory packs inc monitors etc.

Go to that thread, have a look, then come back :smile:

[in3rtia]

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice for a laptop. I have the specs here for one I am interested in and I was just wondering if someone could tell me if it is worth it for $1000.
Its an Acer Aspire 5710G-4A1G12
* Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2450 (2.0GHz, 2MB cache, 533MHz FSB)
* Mobile Intel® 945PM Express Chipset
* Long life Lithium Ion battery up to 3.5 hrs life
* ATI X2300-HD Video card with 384MB HyperMemory (128MB dedicated)
* Dolby®-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
* Intel® High-Definition audio support, microphone, S/PDIF support
* Integrated Acer CrystalEye webcam
* Built-in 56Kbps international fax/modem
* 10/100 LAN & 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi
* Built-in touch-pad with ergonomic buttons, 4-way integrated scroll key with launch & programmable keys
* S-Video port
* 5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD)
* Four USB 2.0 ports
* Weight: 3.0 Kg
So if someone could reply asap I will be greatly appreciative.

[/backslash]

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice for a laptop. I have the specs here for one I am interested in and I was just wondering if someone could tell me if it is worth it for $1000.
Its an Acer Aspire 5710G-4A1G12
* Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2450 (2.0GHz, 2MB cache, 533MHz FSB)
* Mobile Intel® 945PM Express Chipset
* Long life Lithium Ion battery up to 3.5 hrs life
* ATI X2300-HD Video card with 384MB HyperMemory (128MB dedicated)
* Dolby®-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
* Intel® High-Definition audio support, microphone, S/PDIF support
* Integrated Acer CrystalEye webcam
* Built-in 56Kbps international fax/modem
* 10/100 LAN & 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi
* Built-in touch-pad with ergonomic buttons, 4-way integrated scroll key with launch & programmable keys
* S-Video port
* 5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD)
* Four USB 2.0 ports
* Weight: 3.0 Kg
So if someone could reply asap I will be greatly appreciative.
They seem alright but for $1000 you can't exactly expect too much. I'd probably use dell.com.au if I were you to make your own custom laptop and choose what you want. I also notice there's no mention of the HDD. With Dell's website you have choices of 5400 & 7200rpm and occasionally they have the odd special discount offer + free delivery

[Sam]

So, I've been in Europe for the past ~5 weeks, and I've noticed some price drops in computer parts. Still being a prospective 'budget' (max $1250) buyer, I wipped this list up:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - $328 (MCG)
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L - $144 (Foxcomp)
Galaxy GF8800GTS 320MB DDR3 320-bit - $354 (Foxcomp)
Antec Sonata III - $189 (Austin)
PNY 2GB(2x1GB Kit) DDR2 800MHz - $109 (MCG)
250GB 3.5" SATA-II Western Digital Hard Drive 16MB Cache 7200rpm - $85 (Austin)
Pioneer DVR212 Black SATA DVD - $44 (Netplus)
Total: $1253

It's okay for games/school/general computer usage, right!? Are any of the parts overkill/underkill? Crap, etc.? Thanks for any help, in advance..

[/backslash]

So, I've been in Europe for the past ~5 weeks, and I've noticed some price drops in computer parts. Still being a prospective 'budget' (max $1250) buyer, I wipped this list up:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - $328 (MCG)
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L - $144 (Foxcomp)
Galaxy GF8800GTS 320MB DDR3 320-bit - $354 (Foxcomp)
Antec Sonata III - $189 (Austin)
PNY 2GB(2x1GB Kit) DDR2 800MHz - $109 (MCG)
250GB 3.5" SATA-II Western Digital Hard Drive 16MB Cache 7200rpm - $85 (Austin)
Pioneer DVR212 Black SATA DVD - $44 (Netplus)
Total: $1253

It's okay for games/school/general computer usage, right!? Are any of the parts overkill/underkill? Crap, etc.? Thanks for any help, in advance..
Seems good enough but I'd opt for a 640mb 8800GTS to make it more future proof as games nowadays are starting to require 500mb+ of DDR3. Otherwise you may have to upgrade sooner than you intended therefore wasting money

A Inno3D GF 8800GTS 640MB Overclocked (from Umart) (http://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=82&&bid=5&sid=25532) for $479 would be a wise choice and for an extra $8 you can upgrade to a Western Digital 320gb HDD from Austin Computers. You never know when you might need it

[Sam]

Ooh.. it's so hard! Will it make a *large* difference, the larger card? I've been trawling forums, and the amount of crap you read, it's so hard to know the truth!! Plus I wanna keep all my stores local. (Perth)

Oh, I have another 160GB for HDD, making a total of 400.. so that should be fine.

Is there a large difference between say, Sparkle and Inno 3D?

[/backslash]

Actually I'd upgrade that ram too for either a Kingston 2G-Kit DDR2-800 ($112) or Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 ($127) - both from Austin. Mainly because they're more reliable brands, Corsair is pure class and provides low level noise during game loading sessions (some ram including Kingston can be quite noisy on occasions)

And yes, the videocard would make a significant difference (I'd say about a 30% power boost), especially being an overclocked version - its a must! Unless you don't care about today's games like Crysis, Assassin's Creed and Quake Enemy Territory and prefer to play ones made in the past couple of years like Tomb Raider Legend, FEAR & Half Life 2

Sparkle is also a good brand but not as strong as the XFX though is on the same level more/less than the Inno3D

[Sam]

Don't say that, they're the sort of games I want to play, this is going to end up costing heaps!

What about this ram: GeIL Value Series 2Gb PC6400 DDR2-800 Dual Channel Kit

[/backslash]

Don't say that, they're the sort of games I want to play, this is going to end up costing heaps!

What about this ram: GeIL Value Series 2Gb PC6400 DDR2-800 Dual Channel Kit
Its competent enough but I really must insist on either getting Kingston or Corsair. These companies know what they're doing

[Sam]

Very well! Thanks for your help.

[Ajy170]

He doesn;t know what hes on about.

The ram you have is fine. Rma is ram and the only difference is if you want to overclock, and even then don't go near overclocking ram unless you know what you are doing! Ram making noise? Right................... And the moving parts in ram are located where?

That graphics card is fine, although if you are worried do what I did and go for a budget 8600GT 256mb card now and wait and see what ATI and Nvidia come up with. For example the 8800GT is released VERY soon (tomorrow?) and will no doubt make your 8800GTS purchase seem a little silly. It apparently will have the price v performance mark we have been waiting for. Also consider the ATI offering in terms of the 2600 range.

Instead buy a 320GB hdd now. 250 may seem like a lot now but with your average install now 10GB and vista wanting around 20......

[Sam]

The ram you have is fine. Ram is ram and the only difference is if you want to overclock, and even then don't go near overclocking ram unless you know what you are doing! Ram making noise? Right................... And the moving parts in ram are located where?


So, what you are insinuating is that a generic brand and... a good brand, will be the same quality of ram, if they're the same model, regardless of the price difference?? Hmm...

Can anyone else back this up?


For example the 8800GT is released VERY soon (tomorrow?) and will no doubt make your 8800GTS purchase seem a little silly. It apparently will have the price v performance mark we have been waiting for. Also consider the ATI offering in terms of the 2600 range.


Due to recent financial situations (:(), post Christmas is all go for computer purchasing. 8800GT, huh?? Will have to see how much that costs.. this PC has a budget, remember.


Instead buy a 320GB hdd now. 250 may seem like a lot now but with your average install now 10GB and vista wanting around 20......

If I buy a 250GB, I'll have 400GB all up. Heaps!

Thanks for your opinions/reply.

[in3rtia]

They seem alright but for $1000 you can't exactly expect too much. I'd probably use dell.com.au if I were you to make your own custom laptop and choose what you want. I also notice there's no mention of the HDD. With Dell's website you have choices of 5400 & 7200rpm and occasionally they have the odd special discount offer + free delivery
Thanks for the advice :D

[Fenrir]

I'm looking to buy a laptop, very soon. Budget around $1500, possibly a little higher.

Its main purpose will be running my many software development apps (Visual Studio, Netbeans, XAMPP, Notepad++, SQLyog, and any other IDE, compiler or resource editor that I require at the time - will often be running several of these at once); I'll also be using it for web browsing, hopefully (I tend to have an average of 10 tabs open in Firefox, on top of aforementioned software development apps); and it'd be nice to use it as my main gaming rig too (I'm told this price range can get me on something that'll run Half-Life 2, which would be sweet).
There's probably a lot of other stuff, too, like MSN, ZoneAlarm, NOD32, etc.
A desktop isn't an option, because I intend on using this for my TAFE course, and I don't have space in my room anyway.

I'm guessing I'll want a fair bit of RAM, and a decent video card - but like a lot of other programmers whose job has been abstracted to Windows programming, my knowledge of current hardware doesn't go much further than that. Advice?

[Vicious]

I'm looking to buy a laptop, very soon. Budget around $1500, possibly a little higher.

Its main purpose will be running my many software development apps (Visual Studio, Netbeans, XAMPP, Notepad++, SQLyog, and any other IDE, compiler or resource editor that I require at the time - will often be running several of these at once); I'll also be using it for web browsing, hopefully (I tend to have an average of 10 tabs open in Firefox, on top of aforementioned software development apps); and it'd be nice to use it as my main gaming rig too (I'm told this price range can get me on something that'll run Half-Life 2, which would be sweet).
There's probably a lot of other stuff, too, like MSN, ZoneAlarm, NOD32, etc.
A desktop isn't an option, because I intend on using this for my TAFE course, and I don't have space in my room anyway.

I'm guessing I'll want a fair bit of RAM, and a decent video card - but like a lot of other programmers whose job has been abstracted to Windows programming, my knowledge of current hardware doesn't go much further than that. Advice?

Dell Vostro 1500 (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/notebooks_better?c=au&cs=aubsd1&l=en&s=bsd)

Normally I wouldn't suggest a Dell, but their small business section has redeemed them somewhat for me (mainly their support in the US is seperated between Home and Business users, business gets better support).

Consider getting the gloss screen, and weigh other options like 3GB of RAM, larger HDD, faster CPU, etc. Whatever works for you, I got the gloss screen and am happy with the basic setup myself.

It can run Bioshock on medium for Christ's sake, I wouldn't get anything different at that pricepoint.

[TAT]

Check out Toshiba before you commit, Fenrir. They're pretty gg. I don't have any stats to throw at you, but I've checked out their site before and I definitely remember there being a lot of different categories of laptops (high end, etc).

[Gemerald]

The Samsung 226BW is here...... And I'm blown away. Holy s**t!!
I can't tell which model it is though, and the only way I can find out is by opening it up (http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4259&Itemid=40), which I'm too scared to do. Doesn't matter though, because this monitor is OUTSTANDING.

^ I've got the same monitor and it's one of the newer BUT an S panel. I got it for 300 bucks AUD when I went on holidays in Thailand (I didn't have to pay tax on it). Great monitor, tested it in store first but absolutely brilliant.

[BRJC]

just for clarification you can't mix DDR1 RAM with DDR2 RAM can you?

[Vicious]

just for clarification you can't mix DDR1 RAM with DDR2 RAM can you?

No . . .

[GrapeApe68]

hey this is sort of my first gaming rig just wanted anyones advice
my budget is 2200 and heres the specs i thought up
msi hd 2900xt 550$
antec sonata 3 includes 500watt psu199$ASUS VW192T
ASUS VW192T 19" lcd 299$
intel core 2 duo e6750 cpu 262$
2x1gb 800mhz patriot ram
seagate 320gb sata ll hard drive 130$
gigabyte ga-p35-s31-mb 150$

ive got the speakers and keyboard figured out but any help you guys can give me is appreciated


nice com... Is money an issue mate??

First change - even dont bother 2 x 1 gb sticks of ram... (just get an one 2 gb stick that way you have more slots free for future upgrades)...

[Vicious]

nice com... Is money an issue mate??

First change - even dont bother 2 x 1 gb sticks of ram... (just get an one 2 gb stick that way you have more slots free for future upgrades)...

That's poor advice. Leaving it in a 2x1 gb configuration offers the ability to use a dual channel configuration.

[Sam]

Hey guys, would this: http://www.chimei.com.tw/en/product_list.asp?mainclassid=4&subclassid=11&model_no=21 monitor be okay for gaming? It does need to be excellent, just okay. Or, would I be better off with something like this: http://www.samsung.com/au/products/monitors/tft/tvmonitor/206bw.asp?

Thanks in advance!

Oh, my rig is:

8800GT, Q6600, 2GB RAM.

[mayo]

Go for the Samsung 226BW, I've got it and it's bliss. Got it for $450 too, shop around online and you'll get a good deal.

[Sam]

I wish I could afford a 226BW, but unfortunately my budget draws the line at around $330. The 206BW is around $320, and the Chimei is $307.

[dinopoke]

Hi!

I'm gonna get my very first 'true' gaming PC! I don't really know much about current hardware trends at the moment or even PCs for that matter but this it what I have put together with the help of PCPP and their forums.

Intel Quad Core Q6600...............................315
Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R.............................158
4G Kit-667 (2x2G) Kingston..........................125
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 512MB G92..........~479
Coolermaster Extreme 650W.........................101
Thermaltake Soprano VX...............................99
22” BenQ FP222.........................................286
Western Digital SATA 400G...........................115
Pioneer DVR-212D SATA 18x DVD Burner...........44
Logitech G11............................................... 77
Logitech G9................................................ .99

Total: $1898

My budget is around $2000 and I may be able to stretch it a tiny bit. All these prices are the lowest found on Staticice and you can get a lot of the parts at MSY. I won't be overclocking it. I have a lot of questions to ask to here goes:

CPU: Is the Q6600 good for me at the moment? The new Penryns are coming out really soon, so should I wait for them? The thing is, I personally would like to get my PC as soon as possible so unless someone can convice me to go Penryn, I'll go with the Q6600.

Mobo: I know next to nothing about motherboards. Is this good? My friend recommends me to get an Asus mobo (such as the P5K or P5B ) over the Gigabyte models. Should I? If so, what model? I wouldn't mind having intergrated Wi-Fi or even SLI but they aren't neccessities. What specs/features should I be looking for?

RAM: I would like to have 4 gigs if possible. Is this RAM any good? Since I won't be overclocking I hear that 667mhz is not much of a difference to 800mhz. The thing is, I've also seen 2GB Apacer 800mhz RAM at the MSY site for $51. What a bargain! But are they any good?

Video Card: I have made my decision to choose this card. But what manufacturer? What would be the best (or fastest) to get and fit in my budget?

PSU: I have no idea about PSUs but I hear Coolermaster are pretty good. Is this good? How many watts do I need? What specifications should I be looking at? Will it fit in my case?

Case: I can be flexible with what case I should get. I've seen some iCute cases at the computer fair. Are they good? I would like it to be as tooless as possible though. And have enough cooling. And be big enough. And look good. ;) What do you guys recommend?

Display: Is this good or should I go with the Chimei 221D at $295? I don't really need a huge screen like this. I've been using a BenQ 17" for years and loved it but I wouldn't mind having some glory once in while. My friend tells me to look for models with 2ms. What's that? Should I? What other things should I look for in a monitor? The size is really too important to me. Anything on or over 17" is fine. (Although I do like 22" ;))

Storage: I don't need too much for storage. Are these any good. I hear HDD speeds affect game performance. What speeds/features should I look for?

Optical: Is this any good? Also, do you think I'll still need a floppy drive? ;)

Keyboard and Mouse Should I really spoil myself with this? I've used the G9 before and loved it. Should I get a G15 or is that overkill?

Speakers/Headphones: I don't use speakers that much, I prefer headphones. Are there any very cheap but good speakers? Also what kind of headphones should I buy (preferably with a mic)? I'm not that hardcore and don't want to spend too much.

So yeah, that's a lot of questions I have placed on you guys. I hope you can answer some of them. I've been using a crappy PC for many years now and this will be my first 'true' awesome gaming PC. I can't wait!

Are all these parts compatible? Are there any better combos?

I want to know how this system fares with current games today. Will it play them well? I'm not too fussy with resolutions (I've been playing at 640*480 for years!) but I would like a taste of 'real' gaming. ;) How will it go with .... wait (you know I'm gonna say it)... Crysis? Will I be able to play it at med settings?

How long do you think this system will last me. I'm hoping 3yrs max but I'm aware of how fast technology goes. My system is intended to be primarily a Gaming System. Is the fastest computer possible at the moment (bar Q6600) for under $2000? I would like some bang for my buck.

Yeah I do ask a lot of questions, I really should shut up now. I hope you guys can help me!

[Italian Stallion]

The Penryn CPUs are due out 6th of Jan, so it's not that much of a wait. I have no idea about pricing etc on them though. Might be worth holding back that whole week and having a look at them..

Have you looked at the 8800GT range? From the benchmarks I've seen, they're better than the 8800GTS's.. and you can get an EVGA factory overclocked ('superclocked') 8800GT 512 for about $430. I think they come with a 3 year warranty and usually a decent bundled game too.

Get a different case. The Soprano is shit. Get anything by Coolermaster, it'll be better.

My computer's similar specs to yours - but not quite as good - and it runs most new games at medium to high on 1680*1050, so yours will run new games just fine.

[TAT]

Get a different case. The Soprano is shit. Get anything by Coolermaster, it'll be better.
Agreed. You're guaranteed to find a Cooler Master case within your budget. They're stong, lightweight and reliable as hell. Definitely recommended.

Unfortunately, my PC was built back in '06, so that's about the extent of my parts knowledge. Except to say that either Kingston or Corsair RAM are good choices. But seriously, Kingston is better >_>

EDIT:

Oh, and if possible, check out the price/specs of the Antec power supply range. They're also pretty good.

[Sam]

I shall apply my extremely limited PC knowledge in attempt to aid you! The following may be incorrect!

CPU: At the moment, the E6850 performs better in most games then the Q6600, but seeing as some of the more taxing, newer PC games are optimized for 4 cores (such as Crysis), the Q6600 is more futureproof. As IS has said, wait and see with the Penryn's.

Mobo: This is a good board! But unless you're planning on upgrading to DDR3 memory any time soon, just go with the GA-P35-DS3R!

RAM: Remember, you won't be able to utilise all the 4 gigs of RAM in a 32bit OS! Kingston make quality RAM, and 667mhz should suffice.

Video Card: Apart from extras (games and stuff), and better cooling (I think Palit, etc. have better cooling systems..), there's not much difference between models. I've personally always used generic brands, and they've served me brilliantly. And as IS said, you should really take a look at the 8800GT range! Although the new 8800GTS has better performance at core clock, you can get a factory OC'ed 8800GT which performs better, for less!

PSU: Yeah, that is an okay PSU. I'm using the 600W version of that model. Also, to work out your required Wattage, check out http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp.

Optical: Yes and No.

Should be a good PC. :)

[dinopoke]

According to PCPP there will be a low-end Penryn model around the same price as the Q6600. I didn't know they were coming out so soon! I'll wait a couple of weeks and see how they benchmark.

I probably won't go DDR3 any time so I'll downgrade my mobo. ;)

The GTS I'm looking at are the new ones that came out earlier this month. They have the same core (G92) as the GT's. According to Tweaktown, they are faster then the GTS's and in some cases, a GTX. :)
I'll have a look at an overclocked GT and compare.

Cases, I'm not too worried about. I'll check out the Coolermaster range and see what I like.

What about the Apacer RAM. Are they any good? They are cheaper and at 800mhz too.

I'll be going 64-bit Vista.

Thanks for the advice!

[Vicious]

CPU: Is the Q6600 good for me at the moment? The new Penryns are coming out really soon, so should I wait for them? The thing is, I personally would like to get my PC as soon as possible so unless someone can convice me to go Penryn, I'll go with the Q6600.

Well, there's a couple questions I have to ask. Do you plan on overclocking at all? If so, the Q6600 G0 stepping overclocks extremely well. It's the processor I currently use.

As for the Penryns, the main improvements seems to be they can use DDR3, have a lower die size, and have a new set of SSE instructions added. It seems they may have troubles producing them though currently due to the new manufacturing process . . . so I'd suggest keep your eyes open for delays.

Next, if you don't plan on OCing the Q6600 or doing encoding/movie editing/severe multitasking/batch photoshop edits then there's probably little reason going quad core. The only game to support it currently (well, in the future actually) will be Crysis.

Mobo: I know next to nothing about motherboards. Is this good? My friend recommends me to get an Asus mobo (such as the P5K or P5B ) over the Gigabyte models. Should I? If so, what model? I wouldn't mind having intergrated Wi-Fi or even SLI but they aren't neccessities. What specs/features should I be looking for?

Asus has been utter garbage with support for my friends and I. I'm a fan of the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L. It's won plenty of awards for it's ability at being a stable OCer, reliable, etc. They use solid state capacitors too . . . meaning no electrolytes to go bad on you. Gigabyte's the only company I've seen use them so far.

RAM: I would like to have 4 gigs if possible. Is this RAM any good? Since I won't be overclocking I hear that 667mhz is not much of a difference to 800mhz. The thing is, I've also seen 2GB Apacer 800mhz RAM at the MSY site for $51. What a bargain! But are they any good?

Well, now that I know that I'd say just get one of the durable series gigabytes and the fastest dual core you can, unless you're doing the media related tasks mentioned earlier.

I'd avoid any off brand RAM. Stick to Corsair, Mushkin, OCZ, etc. Also, unless you're using a 64bit OS even 4GB is a waste. Try to go for 3GB. MS since SP2 for XP limits the max addressable space to 3.2GB, and since memory will be taken up by the graphics card on the addressing, you'll end up with slightly less than 3GB at best with any card worthwhile stuck in there.

edit just saw your last post, go with as much RAM RAM as you please. 4GB would work just fine . . . though just a heads up, 64bit still has its fair share of issues in comparison with 32bit.

Video Card: I have made my decision to choose this card. But what manufacturer? What would be the best (or fastest) to get and fit in my budget?

Get yourself an EVGA 8800GT if possible. Trust me, they're worth it! They're basically a GTX core.

PSU: I have no idea about PSUs but I hear Coolermaster are pretty good. Is this good? How many watts do I need? What specifications should I be looking at? Will it fit in my case?

Coolermaster, Antec, Emermax, PC Power & Cooling. All relatively good brands. Just get something with some form of guarunteed efficiency if possible. Also, 500W will do technically. Though, if you can get something better with only a slight increase you might as well.

Case: I can be flexible with what case I should get. I've seen some iCute cases at the computer fair. Are they good? I would like it to be as tooless as possible though. And have enough cooling. And be big enough. And look good. ;) What do you guys recommend?

Depends on the case, what you plan on using it for, etc. If you have the cash, there's Lian-Li, Silverstone (THE ORIGINAL "COOLER MASTER"), Antec, iStarUSA, and Cooler Master (what's ever left of them).

How large of a case do you want? How heavy can it be? What do you plan on doing with it?

Display: Is this good or should I go with the Chimei 221D at $295? I don't really need a huge screen like this. I've been using a BenQ 17" for years and loved it but I wouldn't mind having some glory once in while. My friend tells me to look for models with 2ms. What's that? Should I? What other things should I look for in a monitor? The size is really too important to me. Anything on or over 17" is fine. (Although I do like 22" ;))

The display debate. Well, the question is, do you only plan on gaming? Photo editing of any type? Movies? Etc?

Response time is "how fast can a pixel change color" g2g, gtg, or gray to gray stand for the maximum time it takes for them to switch. So 2ms on these ratings would never ghost, assuming they're truthful measurements.

Anything with a response time lower than six is usually a "TN Film" panel. These have crappy viewing angles, bad image quality, color accuracy, and contrast. They're cheap though, and don't ghost so tend to work for gamers that only game. Oh, and also ALL 22" monitors use these panels. It dissapoints me really.

If you go up in cost, there's the "*VA" panels. These have excellent contrast, solid response time (below 15 easily), good color accuracy with calibration . . . all around performers in the middle. They also have very good viewing angles. I personally own this type because the next . . .

Being horrendously expensive, there's the IPS type displays. These are the type that Apple Cinema displays fall into. Color accuracy is their only goal. Horrible response time, and not meant for a lick of gaming. Considering their cost, you should only touch one if you plan on getting paid using them IMO.

Storage: I don't need too much for storage. Are these any good. I hear HDD speeds affect game performance. What speeds/features should I look for?

Get one of the new Hitachi deskstars or Ultrastars. They come in sizes of 750GB and 1TB. They have caches of 32mb and proven higher performance than the latest Raptors in gaming. They're also quite affordable . . .

optical: Is this any good? Also, do you think I'll still need a floppy drive? ;)

Optical is anything like CD, DVD, HD-DVD, etc. I'd suggest a 20x DVD-RW, anything from lite-on is usually alright and easy to save a buck on. If you want to be all fancy and elitist though there's some mighty fine Plextors out there.

Keyboard and Mouse Should I really spoil myself with this? I've used the G9 before and loved it. Should I get a G15 or is that overkill?

I personally think the G15 is overkill. I myself have a Deck keyboard from overhere in the states . . . it's a piece of art. Will probably last me most of my life as it uses gold contact Cherry switches. Anyway, just find a keyboard that's comfortable to you.

As for the mouse, what type of sensitivity do you game at? If your a high sensitivity gamer, there's nothing wrong with laser. On the other hand, if you're a low sensitivity gamer I'd suggest a mouse like the Razer Death Adder with optical. Optical doesn't have any negative acceleration when going further with movement . . . on the other hand, laser can.

Speakers/Headphones: I don't use speakers that much, I prefer headphones. Are there any very cheap but good speakers? Also what kind of headphones should I buy (preferably with a mic)? I'm not that hardcore and don't want to spend too much.

A Sennheiser headset would probably work. In terms of cheap but good PC speakers, that's an oxymoron. I haven't really seen a decent pair of PC speakers, even Logitechs are overrated IMO.

I want to know how this system fares with current games today. Will it play them well? I'm not too fussy with resolutions (I've been playing at 640*480 for years!) but I would like a taste of 'real' gaming. ;) How will it go with .... wait (you know I'm gonna say it)... Crysis? Will I be able to play it at med settings?

With an OCed GT and OCed 6600 you could play it on high with 1280x1024 resolution.

How long do you think this system will last me. I'm hoping 3yrs max but I'm aware of how fast technology goes. My system is intended to be primarily a Gaming System. Is the fastest computer possible at the moment (bar Q6600) for under $2000? I would like some bang for my buck.

Well . . . if you would consider OCing that would help. Otherwise I'd suggest going for the faster CPU.

As for how long it will last . . . 3yrs if you're willing to drop your expectations over time will probably work out.

Oh, and BTW, consider getting a sound card.

edit The GTS I'm looking at are the new ones that came out earlier this month. They have the same core (G92) as the GT's. According to Tweaktown, they are faster then the GTS's and in some cases, a GTX.
I'll have a look at an overclocked GT and compare.

From what I've seen the GT is STILL faster than the new GTS. nVidia really screwed the pooch on this one it seems . . . in favor of the consumer. Win for us I guess.

. . . Agreed. You're guaranteed to find a Cooler Master case within your budget. They're stong, lightweight and reliable as hell. Definitely recommended . . .

BS to some extent. The only one worthwhile is the Cosmos 1000, and that's only because it's halfway close to their roots. Anything else is just dissapointing since the main R&D broke off and made Silverstone.

Oh, and the Cosmos 1000? It's heavy as **** all. And it's not cheap. I know this because I have one . . . and it hurts to lift it T_T

[Italian Stallion]

BS to some extent. The only one worthwhile is the Cosmos 1000, and that's only because it's halfway close to their roots. Anything else is just dissapointing since the main R&D broke off and made Silverstone.

Oh, and the Cosmos 1000? It's heavy as **** all. And it's not cheap. I know this because I have one . . . and it hurts to lift it T_T
Just because they've changed from what they were doesn't mean they're shit. When I was looking for new cases, I had a look at a lot of Coolermasters, and it was hard to find a bad review about any of them. And the ones I checked out in stores were all good. I settled with a Stacker 831, and though there are a few minor negatives about it, it's a fantastic case. I've also built a few PCs in CM Centurions and they're great cases for the price as well. I honestly can't see why all the negativity towards them. :p

[TAT]

I haven't really seen a decent pair of PC speakers, even Logitechs are overrated IMO.
I beg to differ. You can pick up a Logitech 5.1 setup for about $100 these days. They aren't digital, but I bet you'll find atleast a dozen forumers here who have them (including myself). Great value for money.

BS to some extent. The only one worthwhile is the Cosmos 1000, and that's only because it's halfway close to their roots. Anything else is just dissapointing since the main R&D broke off and made Silverstone.

Oh, and the Cosmos 1000? It's heavy as **** all. And it's not cheap. I know this because I have one . . . and it hurts to lift it T_T
This is my case, the Cooler Master Centurion 531, except mine doesn't have a perspex side:
http://www.sysopt.com/img/2005/12/centurion1.jpg

It's probably old now, but it's still pretty gg.

[Vicious]

Just because they've changed from what they were doesn't mean they're shit. When I was looking for new cases, I had a look at a lot of Coolermasters, and it was hard to find a bad review about any of them. And the ones I checked out in stores were all good. I settled with a Stacker 831, and though there are a few minor negatives about it, it's a fantastic case. I've also built a few PCs in CM Centurions and they're great cases for the price as well. I honestly can't see why all the negativity towards them. :p

They're a very "hit and miss" type of company. While they're a good step up from Thermaltake, they've had their moments.

The Centurions looks like some of their old designs brought back, but the issue is there was no forward thinking with them. And the stacker, while a admirable case to some extent, doesn't carry the fine styling that the old team used to bring.

It's the same with the Cosmos 1000, but it HAS the forward thinking, it has a lower key style to some of their other designs, and is built in an Antec "lifestyle" Sonata type style. Even better, the internals are a joy to work with (provided you don't have a monsterous PSU with too many cables like I do ^_^').

I beg to differ. You can pick up a Logitech 5.1 setup for about $100 these days. They aren't digital, but I bet you'll find atleast a dozen forumers here who have them (including myself). Great value for money.

Interpret value for the money. I prefer sound quality, therefore, rather than spending $100 on so so speakers the money would be better spent on a decent headset.

That's all I'm saying. As speakers, they work . . . but are far from A rating quality.

This is my case, the Cooler Master Centurion 531, except mine doesn't have a perspex side:

Probably a revived ACT (Case development section that left) design. Still, it is old as you say. Silverstone took off from where they left, Coolermaster's just kind of been floating for a while.

[dinopoke]

These answers will also to apply to Sam's advice too!

Well, there's a couple questions I have to ask. Do you plan on overclocking at all? If so, the Q6600 G0 stepping overclocks extremely well. It's the processor I currently use.

As for the Penryns, the main improvements seems to be they can use DDR3, have a lower die size, and have a new set of SSE instructions added. It seems they may have troubles producing them though currently due to the new manufacturing process . . . so I'd suggest keep your eyes open for delays.

Next, if you don't plan on OCing the Q6600 or doing encoding/movie editing/severe multitasking/batch photoshop edits then there's probably little reason going quad core. The only game to support it currently (well, in the future actually) will be Crysis.

Yeah I won't be overclocking mainly because I have no idea how to and I don't trust myself. I'll hold off the Penryns till about half a year or so and see how they are.

The reason why I chose the Q6600 is because the of the future benefits it will have when future games support quadcores (quad core support is one of the features of that upcoming patch right?). I know a high end dual core will perform better at the moment but I would like to have my system last as long as possible.
I may be doing/required to do some media-related tasks in the future like video editing and encoding but this computer will still primarily be a gaming system (although I'll still use it for web, word processing and such).
So basically I'd like to build it with gaming in mind but still use it for other things.

Asus has been utter garbage with support for my friends and I. I'm a fan of the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L. It's won plenty of awards for it's ability at being a stable OCer, reliable, etc. They use solid state capacitors too . . . meaning no electrolytes to go bad on you. Gigabyte's the only company I've seen use them so far.

Yeah I'll go on you and Sam's advice and go with the GA-P35-DS3L.

I'd avoid any off brand RAM. Stick to Corsair, Mushkin, OCZ, etc. Also, unless you're using a 64bit OS even 4GB is a waste. Try to go for 3GB. MS since SP2 for XP limits the max addressable space to 3.2GB, and since memory will be taken up by the graphics card on the addressing, you'll end up with slightly less than 3GB at best with any card worthwhile stuck in there.

edit just saw your last post, go with as much RAM RAM as you please. 4GB would work just fine . . . though just a heads up, 64bit still has its fair share of issues in comparison with 32bit.

So I'm guessing Apacer is a no-no? Are the Kingstons good in your opinion?

Get yourself an EVGA 8800GT if possible. Trust me, they're worth it! They're basically a GTX core.
edit

From what I've seen the GT is STILL faster than the new GTS. nVidia really screwed the pooch on this one it seems . . . in favor of the consumer. Win for us I guess.

A respected poster at the PCPP forums think you guys are sprouting heresy saying that the EVGA is faster then the new G92 GTS's. :D
I'll have a look for some benchmarks and compare them. ;)

How large of a case do you want? How heavy can it be? What do you plan on doing with it?

I'm not sure what you mean by how large. Shouldn't a case just be big enough to fit all the hardware and get airflow? >_>
In terms of weight, I'm not too fussy. If I can pick it up, it's fine. Honestly, I don't really know about the details here. I don't plan to do much with it but house my components and just sit there and look cool. ;-)
Ideally, I'd like it too be as tooless as possible, humanly possible to pick up, cool (enough), suitably quite (just not abhorrently loud) and if possible, look stylish. :D

The display debate. Well, the question is, do you only plan on gaming? Photo editing of any type? Movies? Etc?

Well, I'll be mostly gaming but from time to time I might watch a movie. I'm not too fussy about monitors. I've been using a BenQ FP737s for years and it's been working wonders for me. I'll do some research into the types the panels and see what suits me.

Optical is anything like CD, DVD, HD-DVD, etc. I'd suggest a 20x DVD-RW, anything from lite-on is usually alright and easy to save a buck on. If you want to be all fancy and elitist though there's some mighty fine Plextors out there.

I'll have a look at lite-on. ;-)

As for the mouse, what type of sensitivity do you game at? If your a high sensitivity gamer, there's nothing wrong with laser. On the other hand, if you're a low sensitivity gamer I'd suggest a mouse like the Razer Death Adder with optical. Optical doesn't have any negative acceleration when going further with movement . . . on the other hand, laser can.
I'm a high sensitivity game (I think). I always have to turn the sensitivity up in games!

A Sennheiser headset would probably work. In terms of cheap but good PC speakers, that's an oxymoron. I haven't really seen a decent pair of PC speakers, even Logitechs are overrated IMO.
Well when I meant good I mean 'works without any horrendous problems' :D


As for how long it will last . . . 3yrs if you're willing to drop your expectations over time will probably work out.
That's great! I'm willing to lower my expectations a lot. The PCI have now is considered 'high end' in 2000. <_<


Oh, and BTW, consider getting a sound card.
Why is this? I thought the intergrated sound in the mobo did the trick. I'm don't worry too much over sound.

Thanks for all your good advice! I really appreciate it.

[Sam]

Speaking of cases, my new NZXT Apollo is coming today. Sure, the looks arn't that brilliant, but the reviews are! Might be a bit out of your budget, though...

I really think you should try to overclock an 8800GT. It'll bring you up to the performance level of the GTS, with a better cost/performace ratio!



3D Mark 05 comparison (http://images.tweaktown.com/imagebank/88oc_g_01.gif)

Straight away we can see that the 8800GT when overclocked is able to bring itself up to the performance of the stock 8800GTS. Sure we see the 8800GTS continue on, but it’s not by a huge amount.



Another edit!: I saw on PCPP how you were looking for PC shops in Canberra? Try Here. (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=AusPC_ACT)

[TAT]

Why is this? I thought the intergrated sound in the mobo did the trick. I'm don't worry too much over sound.
Some mobo's have onboard 5.1, which is adequate for your needs.

[Vicious]

So I'm guessing Apacer is a no-no? Are the Kingstons good in your opinion?

Kingston is fine.

A respected poster at the PCPP forums think you guys are sprouting heresy saying that the EVGA is faster then the new G92 GTS's. :D
I'll have a look for some benchmarks and compare them. ;)

It was from an article at either Tweaktown or Xbit that I remember.

I had a look at some benchmarks finally for the new cores. While impressive, it seems to be very much what model you buy at what price. If you buy a highly OCed 8800GT it will outperform a stock 8800GTS 512. The question is cost.

I'm not sure what you mean by how large. Shouldn't a case just be big enough to fit all the hardware and get airflow? >_>
In terms of weight, I'm not too fussy. If I can pick it up, it's fine. Honestly, I don't really know about the details here. I don't plan to do much with it but house my components and just sit there and look cool. ;-)
Ideally, I'd like it too be as tooless as possible, humanly possible to pick up, cool (enough), suitably quite (just not abhorrently loud) and if possible, look stylish. :D

Well, there's mini tower, mid tower, and full tower. To get the best airflow and comfortably work in the PC, I like full tower. In a mid tower, it can get a bit cramped. Anyway, Antec makes some rather good quality cases. Take a look at the Sonata or Performance series they offer. I personally have a cooler master cosmos 1000 and love it. There's also Silverstone which are quite nice.

Well, I'll be mostly gaming but from time to time I might watch a movie. I'm not too fussy about monitors. I've been using a BenQ FP737s for years and it's been working wonders for me. I'll do some research into the types the panels and see what suits me.

Good to hear.

Well when I meant good I mean 'works without any horrendous problems' :D

An entry level Senn set isn't that bad.

Why is this? I thought the intergrated sound in the mobo did the trick. I'm don't worry too much over sound.

Sound cards increase performance, sound quality, and allow sound effects that onboard can't produce via EAX specs.

[dinopoke]

It was from an article at either Tweaktown or Xbit that I remember.

I had a look at some benchmarks finally for the new cores. While impressive, it seems to be very much what model you buy at what price. If you buy a highly OCed 8800GT it will outperform a stock 8800GTS 512. The question is cost.



Well I'd like to spend under $500 if possible. And I prefer more performance over the fancy extras some cards bundle with.

Well, there's mini tower, mid tower, and full tower. To get the best airflow and comfortably work in the PC, I like full tower. In a mid tower, it can get a bit cramped. Anyway, Antec makes some rather good quality cases. Take a look at the Sonata or Performance series they offer. I personally have a cooler master cosmos 1000 and love it. There's also Silverstone which are quite nice.

Yeah I'll probably go full tower too.

An entry level Senn set isn't that bad.

Oh, no, I didn't mean the Sennheiser's, I was referring to good speakers. I don't really mind too much about sound quality of speakers as long as the thing actually works and doesn't make any horrible static noises. ;)

Sound cards increase performance, sound quality, and allow sound effects that onboard can't produce via EAX specs.

At the moment I'll go with TAT and just use the onboard sound from the motherboard. If I'm not satisfied, I'll consider a sound card.


I really think you should try to overclock an 8800GT. It'll bring you up to the performance level of the GTS, with a better cost/performace ratio!

As in me, personally? I don't think I can trust myself enough to do that. :p I'll be taking a look at some factory overclocked GT's though. ;)

I saw on PCPP how you were looking for PC shops in Canberra? Try Here. (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=AusPC_ACT)

Thanks! I'll be checking out the prices at some of those shops. BTW what name do you go on at PCPP if you post there at all?

[dinopoke]

Sorry for the double post.

After taking in all you guy's advice and doing some extra research, this is what I have come up with.

Intel Quad Core Q6600
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P
4G Kit-667 (2x2G) Kingston
Inno3D GF 8800GTS 512MB Overclocked
Corsair HX-620
Antec P182
22” BenQ
Western Digital SATA 400G
Pioneer DVR-212D SATA 18x DVD Burner
Logitech G15
Logitech G9

The thing is, I would like to know if all this is all compatible and good.

All the parts are pretty much stone-set besides that case (I'll take a look around) and video card (I could step down to an MSI overclocked 8800GT).

I'll be going to the computer fair and have a look for these parts myself tommorrow. I have another question, will the components at a computer fair be any difference in quality to, say, a retailer? I'm really not sure on this.

I hope you guys can answer my questions and I owe you all dearly for the great advice!

[Italian Stallion]

I'll be going to the computer fair and have a look for these parts myself tommorrow. I have another question, will the components at a computer fair be any difference in quality to, say, a retailer? I'm really not sure on this.

I hope you guys can answer my questions and I owe you all dearly for the great advice!
Provided they're all boxed, they'll be the same. Main difference is that buying them from a computer shop you'll be able to go through them for warranty (atleast for a while), sellers at computer fairs will probably just tell you to send it off to the manufacturer.

Also, it's like an extra $10-$15 for a Seagate HDD over a Western Digital, and they offer an extra 2 year warranty compared to WD. I'd go for it personally. Might be worth the money. The 500GB hdd's are also the best value-for-money, regardless of whether you go for WD or Seagate.

[Sam]

All the parts are pretty much stone-set besides that case (I'll take a look around) and video card (I could step down to an MSI overclocked 8800GT).

That is a very good case. Get it.

[Vicious]

Sorry for the double post.

After taking in all you guy's advice and doing some extra research, this is what I have come up with.

Intel Quad Core Q6600
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P
4G Kit-667 (2x2G) Kingston
Inno3D GF 8800GTS 512MB Overclocked
Corsair HX-620
Antec P182
22” BenQ
Western Digital SATA 400G
Pioneer DVR-212D SATA 18x DVD Burner
Logitech G15
Logitech G9

The thing is, I would like to know if all this is all compatible and good.

All the parts are pretty much stone-set besides that case (I'll take a look around) and video card (I could step down to an MSI overclocked 8800GT).

I'll be going to the computer fair and have a look for these parts myself tommorrow. I have another question, will the components at a computer fair be any difference in quality to, say, a retailer? I'm really not sure on this.

I hope you guys can answer my questions and I owe you all dearly for the great advice!

Only a couple things I would suggest you examine a bit more:

The Inno3D isn't one of the very mainstreamed companies. Might be worth checking other experience with them, looking up reviews about the card in particular, support, etc.

Try and get a HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 (or ultrastar) with the 32mb cache. They're cheap and extremely fast here in the states, not sure if that would hold up true there.

Type on the G15 to make sure you like it and look up programs to use on its LCD . . . just make sure you're going to fully use it IMO.

Other than that, looks solid.

[TAT]

The Inno3D isn't one of the very mainstreamed companies. Might be worth checking other experience with them, looking up reviews about the card in particular, support, etc.
In this respect, XFX are quite reputable, although this is reflected in the extra you pay for one of their cards.

[Sam]

Hey guys! So, my first computer is getting complete. I've bought about half the stuff on the follow list (mostly the cheaper stuff), but I just want to make sure it's all okay.

Jetway 8800GT - $360
Corsair 2GB Twin2X 800Mhz RAM - $100
NZXT Apollo - $140
600W CoolerMaster PSU - $90
Intel Q6600 - $324
Western Digital 320Gb 7200RPM 16Mb Cache SATA2 Hard Drive - $92
Asus 22" Widescreen 2ms LCD Monitor VW222U - $352
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3 - $139
Pioneer DVR-215 DVD Writer - $38
Netgear WG311(WLESSNIC) LAN CARD - $35
Netgear modem DG834G ADSL2+ Wireless Router w/ 4-Port 10/100 Switch - $105
Microsoft keyboard mouse combo Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 - $89
Antec fan case Blue 120mm Case Fan with 3-Speed Switch - $26
Cabac PB80 8 Outlets Power Surge Protector - $29
+ 2 x 80GB HDD (1 x IDE, 1 x SATA)

1. Do I need anything else to make this computer run? It's all there, right?
2. This will bring the total number of computers in the household to a grand total of 2. Do I need anything but the modem + card to have both computers connected to the internet?
3. I want to install 2 OS's on this computer. Is it better to have say XP on drive 1, and vista on drive 2? Or both on the same drive? Also, I want to install XP on the 320GB drive. Do the drives need to be configured in any particular order?

[Vindik8or]

I'm putting together a computer for my girlfriend. She will be using it for some gaming, and for video and media editing. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Intel Q6600
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
Corsair Twin2X 1024MB 6400 Pro (2GB)
Gigabyte 8800GT
Coolermaster CM690

She doesn't need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, modem, etc. but I'm stuck on a power supply; I'm not sure what brand or size to get (I'd like to keep the option open for SLi in the future). Any other comments, suggestions, or recommendations would be great, just keep in mind I'm trying to keep the price down.

EDIT: I'm also not sure what to get in the way of a DVD Drive/Burner.

[Sam]

but I'm stuck on a power supply; I'm not sure what brand or size to get (I'd like to keep the option open for SLi in the future).

This one looks great: OCZ GameXStream Power Supply (NVIDIA SLI-Ready) 600W (http://www.newcomputers.com.au/productDetailed.php?categoryID=28&productID=15399&template=productDetailed). Might be a bit expensive, though.
Also, if you want to roughly calculate how many Watts your PSU needs, try this (http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp) site.


EDIT: I'm also not sure what to get in the way of a DVD Drive/Burner.

Pioneer SATA 212D is regarded as a good optical drive, and it's cheap too!

[dinopoke]

I don't really know much about computers but I'll try and answer these questions to the best of my ability. You'll probably get better advice from someone who knows their stuff though! ;)


1. Do I need anything else to make this computer run? It's all there, right?
2. This will bring the total number of computers in the household to a grand total of 2. Do I need anything but the modem + card to have both computers connected to the internet?
3. I want to install 2 OS's on this computer. Is it better to have say XP on drive 1, and vista on drive 2? Or both on the same drive? Also, I want to install XP on the 320GB drive. Do the drives need to be configured in any particular order?

1. No, I don't think so. That's all you need!

2. I assume you're going wireless right? I don't think you need anything other then that, just put the cards in both PCs and they'll connect to the router. However, if you are going wired, you'll need some Cat-5 cables. I think they'll come bundled with the router or card though.

3. Personally, I think I would be better to have the OS's on two different drives. But since you are also getting two smaller drives along with the 320GB one, it might be better to partition the 320GB drive (the WinXP install usually lets you do this or you could use a third party program such as Partition Magic) and install XP on the first partition and Vista on the second. I have heard that it is better to install XP first and the Vista second as Xp will overwrite Vista's bootloader and you won't be able to choose to boot Vista when the computer loads up. It is possible to dual boot with Vista installed first, you just have to repair the bootloader with the Vista disc. When I get my new PC I'm gonna try and boot 32-Bit XP with 64-Bit Vista. What version of the OS's are you gonna use?

Heres a tutorial from APC: http://apcmag.com/5023/dual_booting_xp_with_vista

I'm not sure what you have to with drives these days but with my old IDE drives, when I have to use two of them, I had to set my main drive's jumper to Master and the secondary to slave. I don't think you have jumpers anymore with SATA drives so you can just put them into your PC normally. But with the 80GB IDE drive, you'll need to set the jumper to "Secondary". There will be a place need that bac of your HDD with allows you to stick a small plastic thingy on different sets of pins. Just stick it on the set under 'Secondary'. When you boot up your PC, go into your BIOS (usually by pressing 'Del') and set the drive you boot up first to the 320GB HDD.

But yeah, I'm not completely sure what I said is correct. You're better off getting advice from someone more experienced. ;)


She doesn't need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, modem, etc. but I'm stuck on a power supply; I'm not sure what brand or size to get (I'd like to keep the option open for SLi in the future). Any other comments, suggestions, or recommendations would be great, just keep in mind I'm trying to keep the price down.

EDIT: I'm also not sure what to get in the way of a DVD Drive/Burner.

I have been recommended the Corsair HX 620 watts by numerous people and I'm personally gonna get this as a part of my new PC. Corsiar does not actually manufacture it, it is Seasonic (they make good PSUs too) who does. It goes for around $160.

I hear that the Antec range (e.g Neopower) is pretty good and it has been reccommended to me by TAT.

Vicous recommends brands such as Coolermaster, Antec, Emermax, PC Power & Cooling.

If you want to SLI, I think you'll need a minimum of 600watts. Look for features such as modular cabling and efficiency rating. 600watt PSU's go from $50 to $200. How much are you willing to pay?

EDIT: I think the PSU that Sam recommended is pretty good too!

(Sorry guys for stealling your info! I don't have any of my own!>_>)

As for DVD, go for what Sam recommends IMO, I am too. It'll cost around $40 and its a dual-layer burner too. There are also 'Lite on' burners which you could look at. The LH-20A1P is a 20x multi layer burner and costs around $30. Thing is, I couldn't find any at my computer fair.

BTW, should I get an UPS with my new PC?

[Sam]

Words

1. Lucky, 'cause that's all I bought. :P

2. I just went wired, bought some port thing, and a long ethernet cable. It was pretty simple, drilled a hole through the wall, and it was really simple. :D

3. Thanks for the advice! Yeah, just going to partition a portion of the 320GB HDD and install Vista on it. I've got all the cables set up so I can have the IDE drive as the slave, so it's all good.

Btw, I'm using XP Pro and Vista 'Gamers Edition'. Don't look at me like that, I bought HP. :P

Really, Vindik8or should have a look here. (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=PSU_Recommendations)

[dinopoke]

This might sound like a stupid question but what's HP?

[Sam]

Home Premium.

[Spazzallo]

Right well seeing as I got into Uni, dad's buying me a laptop. He said he's willing to pay up to $1400 for it so here's what I've found.

Intel Celeron-M 2.0GHz Processor 550 533Mhz
15.4" Widescreen WXGA (1280x800) TFT Crystal Bright Screen
nVidia GeForce Go 8600M GS 256M PCI Express Graphics
2GB (2 x 1GB) 667MHz DDR2 RAM
160GB 5,400RPM Serial-ATA Hard Drive
Single Partition
8x DVD/24x CD-RW Combo Drive
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Level One 11g 54M Wireless Pocket AP Router (WAP0004)
Microsoft Basic PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse Value Pack
Stereo Speakers USB
DreamMicro 2 Outlet Surge Protector
DreamBook Docking Station USB
DreamVision Bluetooth USB
$1,575

That's quoted from the Pioneer website. I don't really know much about computers but would that play games such as WoW and other recent games? And is that paying too much? If there's any changes that can be made please let me know :).

Oh and I'm also after a port that allowes me to hook my computer screen to it when I'm at home, so that it can double as a home computer. Anyone know where I can find one of these or what it's actually called?

As you can see I know pretty much nothing >_>.

[dinopoke]

It think most laptops have those ports to hook your monitor up to. If you aren't sure, ask if the laptop has a VGA connector (a blue trapezium-shaped connector, a lot of older monitors use them, like mine ;)) or a DVI connector (a white rectangular connector, newer monitors use them).

Your monitor uses either a DVI or VGA connector. However if the laptop is DVI only and your monitor uses VGA then you could easily get a DVI to VGA adapter for a small price.

[mbiddo]

Hey Hyper ive had enough on my pieace of shit (well it aint that bad but im impatient) computer and have decided to get a new one. Usually this is no big deal; buy the parts make it myself however due to excessive work commitments i have no idea how the current computer market is like new processors, ram, grapics etc. Therefore i fall upon the benevolance that is hyper to educate me about the current computer maket for a comp about $1500 (assume screen and other things all good). that is all thank you!

[Stevorooni]

"The threads shall be merged" he said, and they were merged and there was much rejoicement

[mbiddo]

mods have waaaay to much power

[Cerebral]

Oh, I can tell you about graphics. 8800GT coversation over.

[TAT]

How much are 8800GT's these days, and would it be worthwhile upgrading from a 7900GT?

Or should I just get myself some more RAM? (currently have 1Gb)

[in3rtia]

How much are 8800GT's these days, and would it be worthwhile upgrading from a 7900GT?

Or should I just get myself some more RAM? (currently have 1Gb)

The 8800GT is about $350-$500, depending on brand, store etc. I personally think it would be worth upgrading from a 7900GT (I currently have a 7900GT) as the performance boost will be enough to warrent the price.
As for the ram question, depends on how much you have. 2gb should be enough for now but if you have 1gb (or less then 1gb) then I would say upgrade the ram.

[TAT]

I've been meaning to get another Gb of RAM for a while now. Maybe it's time I did - along with another 320Gb HDD... only 40Gb left in this one...

[Italian Stallion]

mbiddo, something like an Asus P5K-E, Q6600, 2GB of (decent) RAM & an Asus 8800GT will set you back about $1100.. leaving the other $400 for case, power supply, HDD & burner of your choice. MSY prices, of course.

How much are 8800GT's these days, and would it be worthwhile upgrading from a 7900GT?

Or should I just get myself some more RAM? (currently have 1Gb)
Selling your 7900 will cover the cost of new RAM - people are still buying them, and they still go for $120+ second hand.

And the difference between a 7900GT to an 8800GT is fairly substantial. Worth it, I reckon!

[in3rtia]

I've been meaning to get another Gb of RAM for a while now. Maybe it's time I did - along with another 320Gb HDD... only 40Gb left in this one...

Well in that case I would say get an extra gig of ram + 320gb hdd. The extra hdd space would be more useful to you and the ram should give a nice boost. There is no real rush for you to get a new graphics card, the 7900GT "should" be able to play all currently released games and like somebody else said, you could always sell it for extra money if you are in a rush to get a new one.

[Cerebral]

I've been meaning to get another Gb of RAM for a while now. Maybe it's time I did - along with another 320Gb HDD... only 40Gb left in this one...
2GB Kingston 800 for $64 according to PARTS.pdf. Amazing price. I paid $197 for 2GB of Kingston 667 almost a year ago. :(

[Javer]

I should get into uni so I'm looking to get a laptop.

I would like it to be reasonably portable but I also need a little bit of grunt on it since I'll be running alot of progamming languages on it, and perhaps be doing a little multimedia as well.

[Dunkurtin]

I should get into uni so I'm looking to get a laptop.

I would like it to be reasonably portable but I also need a little bit of grunt on it since I'll be running alot of progamming languages on it, and perhaps be doing a little multimedia as well.

Basically same thing for me. Looking to get a laptop ontop of my PC so i can take my uni work home to do easier. Doing Computer Tech majoring in Digital media so my requirements will pretty much be the same as Javers.

[in3rtia]

A price range would be helpful :D

I would recommend dell because they normally have some nice deals. The deals change each week so keep an eye on them (you can do that through this website http://www.buckscoop.com.au/search?search=dell).

[Javer]

Price range isn't that much of an issue, but I don't want to spend a ludicrous amount of money on things I don't need (like a vaio, for example).

[in3rtia]

Price range isn't that much of an issue, but I don't want to spend a ludicrous amount of money on things I don't need (like a vaio, for example).

Well then I would recommend this from dell http://dellstore01.dell.com.au/public/cart/configurator.jsp?prd_id=608941&sr_no=1
It is small enough to be very portable for uni and has high enough specs to run all your multimedia programs well enough.
Specs for it are here http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/notebooks_mobility?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs#connect

[Richie]

What's the battery life like on laptop these days? My sister's laptop goes for about 2 hours till it dies, that's pretty shitty I reckon.

[Kotche]

What's the battery life like on laptop these days? My sister's laptop goes for about 2 hours till it dies, that's pretty shitty I reckon.

I just pulled the plug out of mine and it goes for 3 hours, mind you it's only 2 months old so it still holds a decent charge.

[Richie]

True, I was kind of hoping for four. As in average.

[Kotche]

Yeah 4 would be nice, wonder what other people get out of their battery?

[mayo]

What's the battery life like on laptop these days?

Depends what you're doing on it. Word processing wouldn't suck the juice as fast as gaming or burning cds.

[in3rtia]

What's the battery life like on laptop these days? My sister's laptop goes for about 2 hours till it dies, that's pretty shitty I reckon.

Depends on what battery. 6 cell normally runs between 3-4 hours on average while 9 cell should be about 4-5 (I think). These depend on what you do. Also sounds like your sister has a 4 cell battery (the same kind as my sisters laptop battery).

[Javer]

in3rtia the session expired and the other link just takes me to the general XPS page, which model was it that you linked me to? the 1330 or the 1530?

[in3rtia]

in3rtia the session expired and the other link just takes me to the general XPS page, which model was it that you linked me to? the 1330 or the 1530?

Oh sorry about that, it was the 1330 (with the 13.3 inch monitor)

[BRJC]

Okay, my dad and I are looking to build a PC together. None of us have built one before, but we both have a decent knowledge of computers. I'll probably be posting in this thread a bit.

At the moment, we're in the "look for the parts we want" stage. I'm assuming that we're going to need:

Case
Motherboard
RAM
HDD
Graphics Card
Sound Card
PSU
Disk Drives (DVD Burner Capable dur)

Is there anything major i'm missing?

any help is appreciated, and will earn pep.

[Kotche]

A CPU might help?

EDIT: Wow that came out really 'smart-arsey' but not intended.

[in3rtia]

Okay, my dad and I are looking to build a PC together. None of us have built one before, but we both have a decent knowledge of computers. I'll probably be posting in this thread a bit.

At the moment, we're in the "look for the parts we want" stage. I'm assuming that we're going to need:

Case
Motherboard
RAM
HDD
Graphics Card
Sound Card
PSU
Disk Drives (DVD Burner Capable dur)

Is there anything major i'm missing?

any help is appreciated, and will earn pep.
I built my first computer with my dad, some of my best memories :D.
Everything looks fine, except a cpu will be needed(although I assume you just forgot to list is :D).
Thats all the advice I can give now until you post up possible system specs.

[BRJC]

I knew there was something i forgot! :)

[BRJC]

Ok this is what i have from a quick night of store browsing.

Remember, i am a pretty much complete n00b at this, and i am going on best guess, so i will need all the advice i can get, and please don't berate me too much

Also, this is a computer that I am building to be able to play medium-high performance games:

Case: Monceros Gaming Case - $85
PSU: P4 Tsunami EATX 500W - $50
RAM: Kingston 2GB DDR2 - $100
Graphics: GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB DDR3 - $130
Motherboard + CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E680 Processor - $300
HDD: WD Cavier SE16 500GB SATA - $130

My main question at this point would be: Will the DDR3 on the 8600 clash with my DDR2 RAM?

Also, point out dumb errors due to my n00bness.