Author Topic: Finally gonna build... (Read 22126 times)

BC_Programmer · « **on:** July 09, 2009, 07:44:37 PM »

Well, I finally decided to build my own PC, and I think I'll actually try to be up to date somewhat.

Haven't dealt with a lot of stuff after Socket 7 as far as building, so I don't even know what's compatible anymore!

Here is what I have so far- (all prices, are CDN, btw)

Total budget- I can spend 1000$ CDN, but I'd rather have it around 800-900$
current total is 883$.

I Don't include a OS, I already have a Copy of Vista I can use; and for sound I could scoff the XtremeGamer from my current PC.

Everything is up for grabs here, I just whipped this up without a whole lot of thought. (In fact I completely forgot about the HD and PSU until the end).

Main purpose would be various desktop applications as well as likely virtual Machines (thus the quad core). Also like to try out all the new games that haven't a hope in *censored* of working on my current PC. Of course if necessary I can skip out on a Video card altogether and get one later on, using the IGP (which I imagine would be sufficient for at least those games I play now).

Thanks all for any suggestions.

Motherboard:BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX 128M ($119.99) link
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail Link
PSU: Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE ... - Retail link
HD: 1TB WD Green ($99.99)
RAM:OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR10664GK - Retail link
Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100266HDMI Radeon HD 4830 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail link
Case:Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail link

Calum · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2009, 01:56:26 PM »

For $806 - Antec 300, WD Black 1TB, XFX Radeon 4870 1GB, Corsair 750W PSU, Corsair 4GB RAM, Gigabyte EP45-UD3L, intel Q8200.

Compared to yours the processor is weaker, the PSU isn't modular, but the graphics and HDD are better. For a little more it's possible to get a better CPU etc of course, I just went for a low-mid end build in your price range.
If you need the 1TB of space, definitely either get a faster HDD than the WD Green, or get another drive for your OS and programs and use the Green for storage. If you're using a lot of VMs you might want to consider more RAM too.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2009, 07:28:07 PM »

thanks Calum, Think I'll use that build, and double the RAM with what it saves over mine

Now I just have to wait a week for paypal to finish the transfer.

Building a new PC sure has gotten cheaper then it used to be, I think.

Can't imagine what a jump this will be when I switch to using it; each core is twice the speed of my current single core, and I remember the huge boost when I switched to this one; (great feeling).

Only thing holding me back from doing this earlier was that I had never replaced a PSU or installed a heatsink; replaced the PSU and the CPU/heatsink in my old PC for practice and it all went smoothly, and I must have done the paste right because the idle temp went from 49 to 29

.

Calum · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2009, 07:40:08 AM »

You're welcome, enjoy the build.
In terms of raw power it's impossible to compare directly - your Pentium 4 at 1.6Ghz is, at a guess, about equivalent to 1GHz of Core 2 power. Consider that you've got 4 cores at 2.33GHz, which is over 9GHz (yes, I know it doesn't work out quite like that, but if you fully utilise all the cores it will be similar) and, well, prepare to be amazed.

patio · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2009, 07:52:21 AM »

Best of Luck on the new build BC...if you need anything we're here...
patio.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 11, 2009, 09:16:05 AM »

thanks Patio.

heh, Silly me, I went and started a transfer of only 900$, just realized that that total was a sub-total, not the full cost.
Then thought I "forgot" a Optical drive- when in fact I have 6 or 7 to choose from that I don't have in a PC, including DVD-RW burners.( hey, when you see a CD-RW burner for $9.99...)
Full price, came to, $1,007.71. Thankfully, I only have to add another 50 or so, since somehow my paypal account still has 68 dollars in it. Once those transfers complete I'll be ready to actually buy it. Paypal takes forever to transfer, usually over a week.... just hope the prices don't change in the meantime.

Just curious though, what do you mean when you say the PSU isn't modular?

Calum · « **Reply #6 on:** July 11, 2009, 09:21:18 AM »

Sorry ... didn't realise that didn't include tax. My mistake.
As for the PSU - the Antec you picked is modular. That means most of the cables (the less important ones, like SATA and Molex connectors) are detachable. Removing the ones you're not using means less cable clutter. The Corsair I chose isn't modular, so all the cables are permanently attached.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2009, 09:39:19 AM »

oh, didn't even know they HAD power supplies that could do that; I usually just let the unused ones hang free, unless they are trying to visit the motherboard or something, if it makes me nervous I just twist tie'em together and toss em in a drive bay or something.

and hey, I forgot about tax and handling fees too; In fact that's partially why I chose that specific price range, to avoid going over my total funds after the addition of said fees; just forgot about them when I went to transfer is all).

computeruler · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2009, 12:01:22 PM »

Have fun with your new computer! But really, there was 200CDN of taxes?

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:25:08 PM »

Quote from: computeruler on July 11, 2009, 12:01:22 PM

Have fun with your new computer! But really, there was 200CDN of taxes?

and newegg handling fees and such- and 50$ was shipping, as well.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2009, 10:33:51 AM »

well.... transfer is under way. Expected completion, July 20th... (paypal is slow transferring from CDN banks...)

Which would be alright.... except... the grand total has taken a nosedive.. from 1,007 to $910.15...

turns out the PSU now has a instant rebate of 115$....

I hope it's still on on three days... or $:-\$

Aegis · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2009, 11:03:21 AM »

Very nice...congratulations!

Be sure to have your multimeter and a hairdryer available for your build. These are, as you have learned, important diagnostic tools.

I'm gonna check your specs, again -- not that I can do better -- just wanna see the proverbial bang for the buck, again.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:01:31 PM »

thanks. I have a multimeter. Might have ot acquire a hairdryer. I wonder if a curling iron could be adapted to be a diagnostic tool?

And of course, I need something to play these games... I don't enjoy them. just making sure these darn kids are keeping out of trouble and learning good techniques. the importance of circle-strafing cannot be over emphasized.

Although I think I'll avoid that whole "call of duty" line. seems like a poop reference waiting to happen.

Aardobard · « **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:56:03 PM »

Quote from: BC_Programmer on July 09, 2009, 07:44:37 PM

Main purpose would be various desktop applications as well as likely virtual Machines (thus the quad core).

I'm pretty sure that the q8200 does not support virtualization if it makes that big a difference to you. I tried to double-check on the egg, but they dropped those specs from the description.

computeruler · « **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2009, 02:19:18 PM »

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=36547
google ftw

neelchauhan · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:10:21 PM »

I think this is a good build but one part is that the motherboard should use socket AM2. The motherboard should not have a nVidia nForce chipset otherwise you can only have one of the ATI radeon cards.

patio · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:13:00 PM »

Not true...

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:40:10 PM »

Quote from: neelchauhan on July 17, 2009, 08:10:21 PM

I think this is a good build but one part is that the motherboard should use socket AM2. The motherboard should not have a nVidia nForce chipset otherwise you can only have one of the ATI radeon cards.

haha, that doesn't make any sense.

having an NVidia Nforce chipset would make it only able to use ATI cards? Anybody else seeing a lack of thought with that statement? sure doesn't make good business sense for Nvidia to lockout it's own graphics cards...
Another good question is where an nForce chipset suddenly came into the discussion. the motherboard in question uses a Intel P45 chipset.

computeruler · « **Reply #18 on:** July 18, 2009, 10:46:35 AM »

No he was trying to say that because it has a nvidia nforce chipset you wont be able to crossfire. But since its a p45 you can. And you have an intel cpu, so why would the motherboard use a am2 socket?

Quote

The motherboard should not have a nVidia nForce chipset

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #19 on:** July 18, 2009, 10:50:43 AM »

it only has one PCIE x16 slot... which makes any such argument kind of moot.

computeruler · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2009, 10:51:37 AM »

Ohhh I didnt see that. But p45 with 2 pcie x16 slots can use xfire

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:48:46 AM »

hmm, wel it turns out I wasted my time. Newegg refuses to ship to me because I don't have a confirmed address.

However I will see what I can get on TigerDirect.ca... which I hear is more expensive but I have successfully purchased items from them, so I know they will ship.

In either case, I discovered why the price "mysteriously" dropped when I reviewed it- turns out the case was out of stock and automatically removed from my cart. heh.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:21:09 AM »

OK, so I've "rebuilt" the PC using TigerDirect:

Case:

ULT33179 :: Ultra X-Blaster ATX Black Mid-Tower Case with Clear Side, Front USB, FireWire and Audio Ports (19.85 lbs) ($59.99)

Same RAM (x2, so 8GB):

C13-6082 :: Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB) (0.4 lbs)($54.97*2=$109.94)

HD:

TSD-750AADS :: Western Digital WD7500AADS Caviar Green Hard Drive - 750GB, SATA-3G, 32MB, Intellipower ($94.99)

C13-2503 :: Corsair TX750W 750-Watt Power Supply - ATX, 140mm Fan, SLI-Ready, SATA-Ready, 80Plus (7.05 lbs)($129.97)

G452-0003 :: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P Motherboard - Intel P45, Socket 775, ATX, PCI-E 2.0, CrossFireX, 2 Gigabit, S/PDIF, Firewire, USB 2.0, eSATA, RAID (3.95 lbs)($188.99)

CP1-DUO-Q8200 :: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 Processor BX80580Q8200 - 2.33GHz, 4MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB, Quad Core, Retail, Socket 775, Processor with Fan (0.4 lbs)
($189.97)

Notice the missing video card... well, with this build... I have 50-70 dollars left for a video card, which is not enough to get one that pairs up nicely with this board.

Subtotal: $$773.85
S&H: $59.26
Tax: $99.99
Total: $933.10

the maximum I can spend is $1,012.90; obviously any price shaving here can result in a far better card. I've never been good at shaving costs (although I did force myself to get a "tiny" 750GB drive instead of a 1TB, so you can't say I'm not trying

Any advice for reducing the price here? The Motherboard I selected here is a better one then the previous build; something comparable to the previous build would be prefered (crossfire is kinda useless without a video card). even a similar motherboard with on-board video, which would allow me to setup and use the machine until I could buy a proper video card for it.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2009, 04:39:19 AM »

Alright, managed to squeeze in a Video card.

changed the motherboard to

G452-0005 :: Gigabyte EP43-UD3L Motherboard - Intel P43, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF, USB 2.0 (2.85 lbs)

Which saved me a good amount-

enabled me to afford a

Visiontek Radeon HD 4670 Video Card - 1GB DDR3, PCI Express 2.0, CrossFireX Ready, Dual DVI (1.35 lbs)

Which seems capable.

EDIT:

was pretty sure I should avoid this: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4138176&csid=_21, simply because it's so cheap, lacks a fan, the memory chips aren't heat dissipated- reading the specs it seems a bit underpriced... but I went with something a little higher on the price range.

Calum · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2009, 06:54:10 AM »

BC, I'll take a look at this for you when I'm back on my main machine, this laptop's no good for anything really but I can't get on my PC at the minute.
Just replying so I remember to do it later, will edit this post when I've had a look unless anyone else has some input.

computeruler · « **Reply #25 on:** July 21, 2009, 10:17:37 AM »

What do they mean by not having a confirmed adress?
http://www.ncix.com
http://www.canadacomputers.com
http://www.infonec.com/

theres a list of other places to buy from. For example, look how much cheaper the motherboard is
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35763&vpn=GA-EP45-UD3L&manufacture=Gigabyte

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #26 on:** July 21, 2009, 10:41:03 AM »

I'm not sure what they meant, but I looked it up on paypal, and the only way ot confirm an address is to add a credit card(don't have one) or go through some esoteric ritual involving mailing stuff and faxing stuff randomly. Seems like too much trouble; additionally who knows how long it would take.

Thanks for the other links though; but, I think, I'll try to get it all from Tigerdirect if possible, to avoid complications. However I will definitely look at the other sites for accessories... namely the high-end X-Fi I want to get. (with the breakout box. I want the breakout box. Heck... I should get two breakout boxes.. this X-Fi I have now didn't come with one but has the plug for one, that would be a nice addition.

computeruler · « **Reply #27 on:** July 21, 2009, 11:14:46 AM »

But you can save almost $90!

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #28 on:** July 21, 2009, 11:17:52 AM »

actually, since the one I have in the cart is $107.99, I'd only be saving 2 dollars...

computeruler · « **Reply #29 on:** July 21, 2009, 11:18:46 AM »

Oh um ya

But you could get the p45 vs the p43 for the same price

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #30 on:** July 21, 2009, 07:58:54 PM »

Alright, it's all ordered and should be shipped tonight

Ended up with, after some help from Calum:

Gigabyte EP43-UD3L Intel P43 Socket 775 Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33Ghz 4MB 1333FSB CPU

Corsair TX750W 750W Power Supply

Corsair 8192MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz (4x2048MB)

BFG GeForce 9800 GT 512MB PCIe w/Dual Link DVI

Seagate 750GB Serial ATA HD 7200/32MB/SATA-3G

This should a nice diversion. should be a great folding machine, too... Heck, I could leave a Single Core client running all the time on real-time priority and just use my other three cores.

(I'll probably try the SMP client, though)

computeruler · « **Reply #31 on:** July 21, 2009, 11:03:22 PM »

Nice! hope you like it! The stupid smp clients not working for me.. Makes me mad

Calum · « **Reply #32 on:** July 22, 2009, 04:02:45 AM »

BC, definitely give the SMP client a shot.
If you're messing with VMs anyway, the Linux client is a lot more efficient than the Windows one. No need to virtualise a full Linux install either, there are several small implementations designed specifically for folding which will work great for you.
When you get your system all installed and tested, head on over to the folding@home board and I'll try and guide you through it if you're interested.
That machine would make a fairly large impact to the team's performance.

Aardobard · « **Reply #33 on:** July 23, 2009, 12:03:37 AM »

Nice looking build. God jobs guys!

Now to the folding!

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Author Topic: Finally gonna build... (Read 22126 times)

BC_Programmer

Calum

BC_Programmer

Calum

patio

BC_Programmer

Calum

BC_Programmer

computeruler

BC_Programmer

BC_Programmer

Aegis

BC_Programmer

Aardobard

computeruler

neelchauhan

patio

BC_Programmer

computeruler

BC_Programmer

computeruler

BC_Programmer

BC_Programmer

BC_Programmer

Calum

computeruler

BC_Programmer

computeruler

BC_Programmer

computeruler

BC_Programmer

computeruler

Calum

Aardobard