Please help w/building a new gaming rig

Hey soldiers,

I often find myself looking through the forums for help when I am desperate, well today is different. My brother needs a new computer and we have time and a little bit of cash. He almost spent $1650 on a ral piece of crap form his local computer store until I found out and showed him the parts were less than a grand on the net (newegg, tigerdirect etc). Anyways he wants to spend around the $1500 range and I think we can do that and get him a kickass gaming machine. Here is what I'm thinking, please critique my build and if you see anything that deconflicts i.e. mobo and cpu etc bring it up so I dont make a huge mistake. I am very into computers, have made numerous upgrades to mty past comps but never fully assembled one.

Case: Xion Dazl gaming tower w/420watt psu
Mobo: ASUS Striker extreme nForce 680i SLI w 7.1 onboard sound
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (4x2.4 gHz/8mb Cache/1066 FSB
RAM: 2048MB 1066 DDR2 PC2 8500
Gfx Card: eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB PCI express SLi supported
HD: Western Digital 10,000 RPM 150 GB
Sound Card: SB Audigy X-Fi extreme gamer
Network card: Intel pro 10/100/1000
op system: Windows XP home

Please critique this build and give me any tips you might have. Also is Newegg, and tiger direct the best place for prices? thanks.

Zach Kirby

 

One more thing to ask. for a gaming machine is a 10,000RPM HD all that much better than a 7200 RPM HD? I only ask because as I look for components to downgrade to get the price down this seems like a good place to maybe not spend a ton. I know I want a good CPU and Gfx Card and RAM as they are taxed the heaviest in a gaming machine. Also I am thiking an Intel Quad chip but maybe a Dual core will do the trick just as well? your thoughts?

Zach kirby

 

I'd stick with the 7200 rpm drive due to the excessive cost per gig on raptors as for the build you did really well EXCEPT that system will not be stable with a 420 watt power supply. the 8800gts will chew that puppy up and spit it out. Get a 600watt or better name brand power supply to feed that pc and youll do good.

 

ibbonkers,

Thank you so much for the feedback, I mentioned going 7200 RPM to save about 100 bucks but my bro wants the 10K RPM for now. As for the PSU I actually have changed my mind on the case and PSU and went with more quality parts. The case will be a Cooler master 323 or a Thermaltake VA-9000 Kandalf in black we and plan on using a 'PC Power and Cooling' 610watt PSU unless you all think I should step up to the 750Watt version (I think someday we will add another 2GB of ram and possibly another 8800 GTX as upgrades. I also was tinkering with not going the PC2 8500 route on the ram and instead just getting DDR2 800 PC6400 as I found a smoking deal but if this will make a huge difference in gaming I wont do that. Also after a ton of research I will be getting the regular ASUS 680i mobo vice the Striker Extreme due to cost and the fact the extreme doesnt really have any added features over the 680i that we would utilize (We are not OC'ers), Also my Bro wants the 8800 GTX which I think is a huge improvement over the 8800 GTS.

So my perspective build has changed a bit and actually looks like this now:

Case: Thermaltake VA-9000 Kandalf or cooler Master 832
PSU: PC Power and Cooling 610watt
PSU cooler: Thermaltake CL-PO369 120mm CPU cooler
MOBO: ASUS P5N32-E SLI nFORCE 680i
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
RAM: 2048 Crucial 240-Pin DDR2 800 (PC 6400)
Gfx Card: BFG 8800 GTX
Sound card: Soundblaster X-Fi extremegamer
HD: Western digital raptor 150GB 10.000 RPM serial ATA
Optical: some form of DVD/CD reader writer combo
Network card: Intel PRO 10/100/1000 network card (DO I EVEN NEED THIS??)
Operating system: Windows XP Home

Any more advice anyone, I think this is the way we are going to go and I would liek to start getting the parts ordered. thanks again in advance.

Zach kirby

 

everything i would have changed has already been mentioned...i would however step up to that 750W PSU. it will give you more headroom for future upgrades.

is that network card a wireless card? most (if not all) motherboards have integrated ethernet, you shouldnt need a card

 

As for the network card it is in fact a regular Ethernet card but I guess i dont need it now that you mention it. For some reason I thought you needed one to hook up tot he internet but if the mobo has a port why bother. Thanks, you just saved me 38 bucks which I will talk to my bro about putting towards the 750 watt PSU now. Thanks for pointing that out.

Zach Kirby