First Computer Build - Help on this setup

Hello everybody,

I am in the process of picking out my parts and trying to build my first computer. My budget is around $800-$1000.

So far I have put together this setup:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/meeiu/NewSystem.jpg


This system will be mainly used for gaming.
I would want it to run smoothly on the latest games on high settings if not max settings.

Any input or any flaws in this setup will be wonderful!

 

I see you're getting an ATI Crossfire compatible motherboard and a Nvidia graphics card. Since your focus is gaming, you might want to consider an ATI graphics card to allow you the possibility of adding a second card and taking advantage of your motherboard's Crossfire capabilities or an SLI motherboard might be a better choice if you prefer Nvidia cards, for the same reason.

 

Adding to Just Playin's comments...

• I don't see a copy of Windows 7 on the list. If you don't already have a copy, be sure to add it to the budget and order it (64-bit, of course).
• The Antec case/PSU combo is good quality; however I would use a case with better airflow and a higher wattage PSU (especially if you plan on adding a 2nd card for Crossfire at some point).

The Cooler Master HAF912 or HAF922 are my pick for budget gaming towers. Unlike most Antecs, CM's gaming cases allow access to underside CPU heat sink/fan mounts. This will save you the hassle of removing the motherboard if you ever need to upgrade or change the CPU fan. (Alternately, if you plan on hooking up to a big screen TV, you may want to look at horizontal HTPC cases that will hold a full-size ATX board and ATX power supply)

For extreme gaming or overclocking, ditch the stock AMD CPU fan and upgrade. The Zalman CPNS7000C (about $35 at Newegg) is quiet, well built and is cheap protection for your CPU. Nobody ever had a meltdown due to too much cooling. :strong

Don't skimp on the PSU. Cheap ones will die quickly, Look for a single rail Corsair of at least 500 watts (650 if planning to go Crossfire in the future). Antec is good, but they're triple rail. I've seen them fail on beefy video card setups due to too much power draw placed on one rail.

If you have to cut anything, drop to 4GB (2x2GB) memory. You can always add more if you need it or when you can afford to.

These three tips will add about $100 initial cost; however in the long term they'll likely save you time and hassles caused by fried PSUs or cooked CPUs.

Final thought: If you have a computer parts superstore nearby (Fry's, MicroCenter, etc) consider asking them to match (or at least come close to) the online pricing. If an item is DOA when you install it it will save you return shipping costs and waiting for the replacement.

Hope this advice helps.

 

I agree with the comments about a license for Windows. This is new PC, there it must have its own new license for Windows.

I like Antec cases and PSUs. I have the Sonata and it is a great case, and provides excellent cooling for most situations. But serious gaming produces lots of heat, so a case that offers more fan support might be a better choice.

And while the Antec 500W supply is a quality supply, and will likely support that hardware, it will be nearing capacity all the time. This results in more heat, which will cause the fan to run full speed (and loudly) full time. And as noted, leaves little to no room for expansion.

Note I have bought many cases that came with power supplies, only to pull the supply to keep for a spare, or for testing fans.

Here is my canned text on sizing PSUs (note the last line too):

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your minimum power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home) or extreme 3D animated gaming, I recommend setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation, and future hardware demands. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

1. Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
2. Efficiency,
3. Total wattage.

Don’t try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply! Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. Look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Note that some case retailers “toss in” a generic or inadequate PSU just to make the case sale. Be prepared to “toss out” that supply for a good one with sufficient power.

Most PSUs have an efficiency rating of around 70%. This means for every 100 watts of power a PSU draws from the wall, only 70 watts is delivered to the motherboard, with the rest wasted in the form of heat. The best supplies are 85 to 90% efficient, and as expected, cost more. I strongly recommend you pick a quality supply with an efficiency rating equal to or greater than 80%. Look for 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant labels.

Too big of a PSU hurts nothing but your budget. Your computer will draw from the PSU only what it needs, not what the PSU is capable of delivering. If a computer needs 300 watts it will draw 300 watts regardless if the PSU is a 350W, 650W, or 1000W PSU. In turn, the PSU, regardless its size will draw from the wall only what it needs to support the computer. In this example, it will draw 300 watts, plus another 45 – 90 watts, depending on the PSU’s inefficiency.

As noted, the eXtreme Calculator determines the minimum requirements. If the calculator (with the changes I suggested) recommends a 400 watt minimum, a quality 400W supply will serve you just fine. But a quality 550W – 600W supply will have, among other things, larger heat sinks to dissipate potentially more heat. It might have a larger fan too. The 400W supply will run most of the time closer to capacity, while the larger supply will be loafing along, rarely breaking a sweat. To help the smaller heat sinks get rid of the wasted 80 watts (20% of 400) of heat, the fan in the 400W supply may need to run full speed, while the fan in the larger supply, with bigger sinks just loafs along too – but in near silence.

Don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Surge and spike protectors are inadequate.
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Digerati:

You have some good points.

I have an Antec Sonata case on my main PC with an EarthWatts 500 PSU. I am not a gamer; the biggest workout my system gets is light-to-moderate video editing.

My concern on using a high air flow case stems from the exact definition of "gaming". I have seen cases where a Sonata or similar case appears to have an overheating cause/effect relationship on systems running SLI/Crossfire, overclocking or high precessor usage for hours at a time . If building a system for extreme gaming (or I think the user may be playing with overclocking), I would rather err on the side of caution by having the extra cooling power than risk overheating issues.

My tip on using a single rail PSU is based on multiple tips and feedback I've received from gaming and overclocking maniacs. Without exception, they feel single rail PSUs are less likely to fail in SLI/Crossfire and/or overclocking setups where a PSU is taxed at or near its constant output limits.

 

Thank you everybody for giving me such valuable points!

I have changed my case, PSU, video card, and the RAM.

And because of this, I have a few more questions.

This is my new setup:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/meeiu/NewSetup.jpg

1. Is the PSU good for this setup? (I have pretty much zero knowledge when it comes to picking a good PSU)

2. How is the new video card compared to the old one?

3. Is the RAM downgrade appropriate?

Thank you once again

 

That is an excellent PSU and actually the same one I use here.

As for single vs multi-rail PSUs I prefer single simply because they are less complex, fewer parts, and therefore fewer opportunities for something to go wrong - even with a quality PSU from a reputable brand. The problem with multi-rail systems, besides being more complex to manage the multiple rails, is that some power is always reserved for each of the rails, meaning that all of the produced power may not be available on the rail you are using. If the PSU is big enough, that may not be an issue as there would be plenty of power to go around. And some of the better multi-rail systems can redistribute power as needed - but again, to do that requires active (read: more complex) circuitry. And that typically means higher costs too.

When multi-rail PSUs came out, the (marketing) idea ("fluff"?) behind it was "isolation" between rails would help prevent a device failure on one rail from destroying another device on another rail. But in practice, that was rare anyway, and besides, all the devices are connected via the motherboard so damaging voltages could (and do - but again, rarely) travel back that way. In other words, true isolation cannot be obtained via a multi-rail PSU, regardless the isolation qualities of the PSU.

As far as graphics, both are excellent cards. I did find this that might interest you.

While I agree you can add more RAM later, I generally prefer to buy all that I will need in the beginning - just to minimize any compatibility issues down the road as it is very possible the exact same model numbers will not be in production when you decide to upgrade. Most modern motherboards/chipsets are very good at making mismatched RAM play well together, but you increase your chances if they match.

That said, I still don't see an OS listed. I hope you are not planning on using an OEM license that came with, or was purchased for another computer. That is illegal, amounting to theft. Also, 64-bit is here, and here to stay and I see no reason to restrict the computing potential of brand new hardware by using a 32-bit OS. But if that is your choice, then 4Gb of RAM is all you need.

 

That Corsair might be somewhat on the strong side for you but is nevertheless an excellent choice. I have the same one powering an i7@3.8GHz a GTX470 and a GTX260 running all components 24/7 at %100 for the last year. I love this PSU!

 

Don't forget to factor in the cost of an UPS/battery backup.

 

Thank you all for your information and suggestions!
I'm really grateful for all your help!

I think I am pretty much set to buy the latest setup I had.

However, with that being said, I am still torn between the two GPUs; the XFX Radeon HD 5850 and the Gigabyte GTX 460.

Let me get this straight, if I plan on upgrading and adding on another GPU, it would benefit me to get the HD5850. And if I do not have this intention, the GTX 460 will work fine?

If this is the case, which one would be capable of handling intense gaming?


As for the OS, I purchased Windows 7 last week!


Thanks again

 

Looks like a nice setup. Just be sure to check the minimum PSU wattage requirement for the video card you end up choosing.

 

Thanks all for the input.

I actually went out and brought all my parts that were listed in the last picture.
With the exception of a Sapphire HD 5850 and a 4g Kingston RAM. :-D

However I forgot to purchase a heat sink and thermal gel :cry

So now my question is, which is a good heat sink and thermal gel?

 

Your AMD CPU is a retail version, therefore it comes with an able heatsink fan assembly, and will have a thermal pad - though I too prefer to use a better TIM (thermal interface material), such as Arctic Silver.

Note that you void your warranty if you use a 3rd party cooler with the retail version of CPUs, AMD or Intel. See http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showpost.php?p=1545667&postcount=5