Building my first rig

[piggah]

:darth: I want to build my own GAMING RIG i just recently fell in love with pc gaming currently i own a brand new dell xps 1530 and i'm looking to get a desktop for my home. I'm planning on spending enough to keep it around for a while without switching the parts out for newer ones so my pc doesn't go outta date. I don't really have a spending limit so let me know the possibilities are endless. So I could use a list of ingredients for my rig and links to sites which i may purchase them. I know nothing about building computers, but I have tinkered around with them a little taking them apart and putting them back together, I just don't know what parts are what. LOL yeah like i said I"M A NEWB AT BUILDING COMPUTERS.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

enough to keep it around for a while without switching the parts out for newer ones so my pc doesn't go outta date

Well, we would like to be provided with a more specific budget...it makes things so much easier. The speed that technology moves is just too fast to accurately guess how long it will "last". Old computers can run many modern games on lower settings, do you mean "last" as in be able to play games or to play them at high settings?

With no spending limit, are you willing to pay, say, a $200 premium for the jump from a 2.66ghz CPU to a 2.93 ghz, or even 2.66 to 3.2ghz with an $800 premium? Theres only a slight difference in speed which could be easily made up with overclocking. So really are you going to spend your money wisely and buy mainstream parts (slightly slower than the best) or go all the way with high end premium priced parts? I would HIGHLY recommend the first one as they are all the same exact processor except that some are instructed to run slightly faster.

Are you just going to play games? Have you overclocked? How large of a monitor are you using? Make sure to unplug computers before tinkering lol.



Happy Thanksgiving (and an expensive Thanksgiving 'present' too...?)!

 

[piggah]

well lets see i wanna build a desktop from scratch and my spending limit $3,000 I want a computer that can run everything at the best possible setting and still be running at 60 fps. All I know about my laptop is it has 4 gigs of ram and 250 gigs of memory IDK really like i said i really know nothing and i'm just getting started and figured this would be a good place to start..

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Well i'm not sure if its possible if you have a high resolution and AA on, some games could get choppy at those settings.


Well i'll get started.

CPU: Nehalem 920 $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202


OPTIONAL:
CPU cooler: Thermaltake $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106124


Boot HDD: WD Raptor 300 $230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136260

Storage drives: Your choice... ≈ $100? I would recommend the Seagate 1.5TB drive as a fast reliable high capacity drive $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148337


Motherboard: Asus p6T Deluxe $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131346


Power supply: Corsair 1000w $260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007


Graphics cards, an epic decision...anyone please correct me if im wrong but I think 2x 4870x2's are a good choice. Their drivers will get better and the cards will improve, in theory.
2x $490
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768


Sound Card: Auzentech prelude $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156005


DVD: Your choice of of how many, or if you want a blue ray drive. Standard DVD drive: Lite - On BLACK $22
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228


Excluding the storage drive, all the above adds up to about $2300. That leaves about $550 - $650 for the monitor, RAM, case, storage drive, OS, mice / keyboards / speakers and the optional cooler which is mostly if your going to overclock.

The hdd's depend heavily on your own personal uses. So tell us how much you need. The case is up to you too, I would recommend the Antec 900 or the Antec 1200. The 1200 is a full tower so it will be a big case, and its much more expensive. Pick whatever phericals you want. The RAM and OS will have to wait until you decide how much you think you need.

Remember at newegg, pay attention to the combo deals.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Two 4870X2s are a colossal waste of money. Ditto with the Corsair 1kW supply and Nehalem CPU + mobo. I'd recommend a Q9450, a nice P45 motherboard like the DFI LanParty P45-T2RS, the ASUS P5Q Deluxes or the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6, a 4GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800MHz RAM kit, a single 4870X2 and a Corsair 620HX instead. Throw in a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme, a Cooler Master Stacker case and a nice, big monitor, and you've got a superb gaming system.

In other words, a system somewhat like mine.

 

[mopar man]

And you really don't have to spend the full 3k. Just because someone is willing to spend 3k on a machine, they don't really necessarily want to, usually.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Meh, mine gets maybe 10% more performance .

Yes, 2x 4870x2's are a waste of money, but most computers with more than one card are wastes of money.

 

[piggah]

this is gonna seem weird to some of you guys

ok so now I wanna find out as much as i can about cpu's from you guys for some odd reason I'M HIGHLY INTERESTED in todays advancing technologies. Like everything about cpus is amazing the speeds they run at now and all the cool stuff you can get them to do. Basically I would like to learn, and i have no idea where to start. I'm used to the old school apples and maybe a cpu from dell from like the mid 90's or something like that those are the cpu's that I've tinkered with and they weren't really worth much at all so if I broke them it didn't matter. Basically I'm thinking TRIAL AND ERROR are the best ways to learn. So my question is this where do I start I mean what can a computer really do what are it's limits and is it possible to do ne thing with technology. I'm very intrigued with all of ya'lls knowledge of current cpu parts and accesories, but what else can i learn from you. OH yeah and umm I like rage's idea of the 4870X2s and I'm kinda hoping on at least a 42 inch 1080p for my screen and my sound its just gonna depend on how much i got left I may just go for the bose companion 5 multimedia systems found here

whatcha think o' that. I've always been a fan of bose, well at least for my vehicles i have been I don't know how good their speakers for desktops are tho LOL..

So if you have ne suggestions on good quality sound systems mostly cause i listen to a lot of music LOUDLY and enjoy it Preferably something that has a lil bass and would be perfect for playing stuff like evanescence, ston sour, well basically anything rock, with a lil bit of dance mixed in with it. lets see here I'm also looking for a system that can handle multiple tasks at once on two seperate screens so i can have my game playing on one screen (1080p of course) and my aim, yim, and other stuff on the other monitor . Oh yeah what's a good hdtv (plasma or lcd) that i should get for my system? How do you rate Logitech accessories? I've got a lot of questions and i know i can get good answers from you guys

i'm looking for a speaker system that could play rock and dance music flawlessly. this is for a desktop currently looking at a bose system (companion 5). any suggestions?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Bose is excellent for speaker systems, as are Harman Kardon, whose speakers I've been using for well over three years without any loss in sound quality. Altec Lansing is another perpetually superb brand.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

The sound quality does depend on the sound card too. My friend referred me to the Auzentech prelude.

Everyone tells me logitec is good, and I see nothing wrong with them.

 

[Tmagic650]

The Bose would work. Are you going to use on-board sound from the computer to drive the external sound system, or are you going to invest in a good sound card?

 

[piggah]

Logitech seems pretty good i mean they've got a lot of accessories out there and well it seems like it all depends on what your looking for like always

planning on investion in a good sound card got ne suggestions

 

[DaMak420]

Two 4870X2s are a colossal waste of money. Ditto with the Corsair 1kW supply and Nehalem CPU + mobo. I'd recommend a Q9450, a nice P45 motherboard like the DFI LanParty P45-T2RS, the ASUS P5Q Deluxes or the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6, a 4GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800MHz RAM kit, a single 4870X2 and a Corsair 620HX instead. Throw in a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme, a Cooler Master Stacker case and a nice, big monitor, and you've got a superb gaming system.

In other words, a system somewhat like mine.

I have to disagree.... i7 Systems are test proven WAY faster..... if he is working with a 3000.00 budget, it isn't a waste of money, it is an investment in the future.

Just because the system wont be fully untilized today, doesnt mean it wont be in the not so distant future. Also, for future upgrades, it will be easier to only need to upgrade a processor to a faster one, than to upgrade several components to go i7.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

I have to disagree.... i7 Systems are test proven WAY faster..... if he is working with a 3000.00 budget, it isn't a waste of money, it is an investment in the future.

Not as far as gaming is concerned, primarily because the vast majority of games are GPU-dependent. Unless the PC was going to be used for heavy video editing purposes, I don't see the point of spending all that money on a CPU that will not be utilized to its full potential.

 

[DaMak420]

just the summary page of the article.

https://www.techspot.com/review/124-intel-core-i7-920-940-965/page15.html

This was a nice follow-up of a mobo based off an i7 system.
https://www.techspot.com/review/129-asus-p6t-deluxe/page8.html

Based on those bench's I'd say it i7 ain't too shabby for gaming.

 

[mscott00]

Personally I prefer LCD over Plasma, sure plasma has really dark blacks, and whitest whites, but they get too damn hot and they heavier than an LCD - Plus I've always had the fear of a plasma tv going out on me..

 

[DaMak420]

i7 Dream Rig -

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043 - 179.99

Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115200 - 1029.99

Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131351 - 338.99

PSU + Vid Card combo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.142633 - 709.98 -50.00 mail in - 659.98

2nd Vid Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768 - 489.99

Ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365 - 219.99 (after mail in)

Primary HDD - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136260 - 199.99 (after mail in)

OS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116473 - 267.49 (64bit + 32bit)


TOTAL - 3047.42

If you wanna spend another 100.00.... 2nd HDD - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136150 - 99.99

You could knock about 500 dollars off to drop the extreme to the - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115201- 569.99 - but the multiplier is locked on this CPU.... not a HUGE deal if you arent big into Overclocking, and don't intend to be.

Anyway... this would be my personal dream system........ and using up everybit of 3K, and then a few extra dollars... but since you originally said "there was no limit" I didn't think you would mind spending a few extra dollars.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Based on those bench's I'd say it i7 ain't too shabby for gaming.

I never said they were shabby. It's just that the performance increase gaming-wise is very minimal. Unless we have more games that utilize the CPU just as well as the GPU, I wouldn't recommend the i7 over a CPU like the E8400.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

At th moment, i would personally go with the Nehalem for video editing, thats the only reason I have at the moment. The extra CPU power isn't very useful in gaming until you start getting CPU bottle necks, something that probably won't be happening in this particular build.

I would recommend an E5xxx, E7xxx, or E8xxx simply because dual cores are great performance wise and price wise if you want to save money, OTHERWISE if you are willing to blow off ≈ $3000, you may as well skip core 2 quad and jump to nehalem...

@DaMak420, thats almost the same thing I posted earlier, without the core i7 extreme. Core 2 -> nehalem will get a *bit* of performance, but Core i 920 -> extreme is not so great, though its a dream build. BTW you put a link to the E7200?? HINT, you could almost buy a 1TB drive wth $100 these days.

planning on investion in a good sound card got ne suggestions

SOUND CARD: My friend recommends the Auzentech prelude.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156005


Piggah is the one who will ultimatly decide. So, please do decide and tell us. The main decisions (the most intense arguments) are:

Do you want a Core i7 CPU or a Core 2 Duo CPU?
Do you want a dual GPU triple GPU or quadruple GPU solution?
Do you want to overclock and push your system?
Large computer case (full tower) or slightly bigger than the standard cases that you buy from brands like Dell, HP, Emachine...(mid tower)?


Some things we should all agree on and have little trouble deciding are:

WD 300gb velociraptor, Optional storage drive.
PSU, either Corsair 620W to 1000W depending on the GPU.
The Motherboard should come easily once he has made his decision(s).
The sound card I still say Auzentech Prelude, great card.

 

[piggah]

I'm not sure which i want the 17 CPU or the Core 2 Duo CPU.

and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with the quadruple GPU solution

and I want to overclock

and Yeah i want a full tower

and I want the best sound card for the best sound cause i'm huge on listening to music and throwing huge parties so the sounds gotta be phenomenal

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Well, i would still say you should turn away from blowing out all that money. You do know that four graphics cards will not give you more than...10% more performance if you are lucky, sometimes they will actually reduce performance.

Thats core i7, its not a 1.

Then just go with this as stated above:


Well i'll get started.

CPU: Nehalem 920 $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115202


CPU cooler: Thermaltake $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835106124


Boot HDD: WD Raptor 300 $230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136260

Storage drives: Your choice... ≈ $100? I would recommend the Seagate 1.5TB drive as a fast reliable high capacity drive $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148337


Motherboard: Asus p6T Deluxe $300 - for core i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131346


Power supply: Corsair 1000w $260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139007


Graphics cards, an epic decision...anyone please correct me if im wrong but I think 2x 4870x2's are a good choice. Their drivers will get better and the cards will improve, in theory.
2x $490
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102768


Sound Card: Auzentech prelude $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829156005

You can also go with the HT OMEGA Claro Halo XT for $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271005

read reviews, im both cards have pros and cons, pick which one you want.


DVD: Your choice of of how many, or if you want a blue ray drive. Standard DVD drive: Lite - On BLACK $22
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106228

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129043 - 179.99

great case, it will be big though.




No phericals or OS's are included in this, find some by yourself, like Bose sound systems and logitec input devices.

First, pick Core i7 or Core 2. Core i7 is basicly the same thing as four graphics cards, you may reap some tiny performance increase over the core 2 which is much cheeper. As I mentioned earlier, you might get maybe 10% performance increase with this ≈ $3000 compared to Rage's $1000 - $2000 build. After you decide, we can choose a fitting motherboard and RAM. Remember, just because your are "big" on things does not mean you need to spend big bucks. The majority of people who are also very into these things have nothing more than a simple > $1000 computer.

 

[piggah]

ok on this note i think i'm gonna have to go with the cheaper route and say the core 2.

I think i can handle that and i'm kinda thinking that i want everything to fit nicely into the tower so i don't know if such a big tower is necessary so if you come up with a better solution than a large tower then that'd be great. Oh and umm how about cooling the system. what all would i need for that.

and since i'm deployed i won't be able to start the build until around march so i can't really let you all know how it's going unless newegg sends stuff to apo/fpo addresses...Plus i don't wanna have a desktop computer over here lol.

plus all the links i click on you've posted take me to newegg but say that the item wasn't found.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133021\

or for tower which do you think will work better

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

 

[DaMak420]

piggah..... I don't want to come off wrong... but since this is your first rig, that you are building.... I am going to assume that in the past you haven't really overclocked. I am also basing this on the fact that you asked us for a complete system, not having any clue what the latest technologies are, but having a deep curiosity of them.

THIS IS NOT BAD THING... just my guess.

If you are looking to break into building/modding/overclocking - I think any one of us could recommend a far less expensive rig, that will serve all the purposes you have for it, and will allow you to mess around and learn how to build/mod/overclock with inexpensive results.

For example... if you burn out your processor, and you have purchased the one in my setup.... it will cost you another thousand to replace. that's just a waste... better to learn on a much less expensive system, and work your way into something much bigger/better.

Thats just a thought..... Anyway... I think no matter what you decide to do, it is going to be a great rig, and Rage, and Kitty are very knowledgeable so going the way either of them advise wouldn't in the slightest be wrong.

@ Kitty - I was at work..... I couldnt find the 1TB caviar that I have (I love it) so I linked the next best thing I could find. But yes... I wouldn't go smaller than a TB for the 2nd drive.

Edit : It's late... I missed these replies on page 2 before my above reply....

Piggah - Letting us know you weren't doing this till March would have been nice! Things are going to chage by then, technology, and price wise. anyway... this was a fun dream build thread for me

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

]I would recommend the Seagate 1.5TB drive as a fast reliable high capacity drive $120

I would recommend the Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB drive instead. The Seagate drive has problems with freezing that need a firmware update to resolve, and said firmware update reduces the drive's performance very significantly. The WD Caviar Blue 6400AAKS is also a great drive for its price.

And the Nine Hundred is a great case, but you may have problems fitting large cards like the HD 4870 X2 in it. Check to make sure everything will fit before you buy it.

 

[piggah]

ok yeah. So i guess now comes the question of where do i start. What parts to I purchase first and I'm almost certain I won't attempt overclocking on this system lol. Did a little bit of research and I decided maybe on a system that I spent a lil less money on lol. oh and I'm still looking for a decent size case for my build, I'd also like it to be a little bit flashy I mean come on who doesn't like flashy stuff . Also I'm still on the hunt for a good monitor perferably a large one that can double as a tv . What guy doesn't want to surf the web and play their pc games on a 42 inch flatscreen tv. Plus Its probably going to take me that long (3 months) to save up the money for the system itself so yeah.

Oh and is it really going to matter weather i get the details for the parts now or would it be advisable for me to just wait until march and then ask for some help with the components needed for my build ?



well heres what i've got and what i'm still trying to decide between (got ne input)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043 ---tower

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136150 ---hard drive Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136260 ---Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768 ---SAPPHIRE 100251SR Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007 ---power supply CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365 ---OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131351 --- ASUS P6T Deluxe/OC Palm LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 ---Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

of course vista......

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.142633


1. Thermaltake Toughpower W0156RU 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

2. SAPPHIRE 100251SR Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

so i know there's some doubled stuff on here so if you could please check them out and let me know what is good and what is not good because i need to know so i can begin the purchasing process thank you very much.