New Computer

I know you guys get a lot of these, so it's my turn.

I'm currently in Australia so I'm not exactly sure how pricing systems work over here (haven't been here that long).

The computer store that I'm looking at buying from is affiliated with this web-site. They don't have everything on it, but I believe they can order what they need from it:

http://www.itwarehouse.com.au

I'm looking at getting something fairly high end, without being extravagant.

My main use for the computer is playing Guild Wars and video/sound multi-media. I dabble in 3ds Max, so I would like something that will support that as well. I may also be playing DDO in the future.

I would like to have a really good video card I think above anything else, and I’m looking at getting a Gigabyte motherboard, though I’m not sure which one, unless you guys think something would be better. So if you guys could come up with some options, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Edit: I'll also be getting an LCD monitor (non-wide screen), if that makes a difference.

Thank you,
Livingston

 

Ah yes and my current computer is as follows:


AMD Athalon 64 Processor 3000+
1.81 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM

Video Card: GeForce 6600 GT
Bus: PCI Express x16
Memory: 128 MB

 

The store has higher prices than normal. Maybe it's normal in your country. I know it's australian dollars. After exchange, it's still high. Also, they have kinda old stock. Don't even have core 2 duo cpu.

I'm picking this setup so that you'll be able to upgrade the cpu to c2d e6300/6400/6600, geforce 7900GT or radeon x1900gt. The power supply is alright. I have the same in my family's rig. I know someone who has the same 430w running 7900GT stock no problem. You can upgrade it to something bigger.

Again, the prices are way too high. How about another store that has either lower prices or more choices?

 

Yeah, Australia sucks price wise. Over here it costs nearly $2.50 for a freakin 2 liter of coke. I'm from the states and the prices over here remind me of trips I used to take to DC. Which is why I didn't bother putting in money to be spent.

I'll know exactly what they have tomorrow, as we will be able to look at their catalogue. They may have things that aren't on the website, as they are only affiliated with them. The store in question has a specific payment scheme which made us choose it.

Anything in particular that I should look out for or ask about?

Thank you so much,
Livingston

 

Asus P5LD2-VM ... $155.00

Ask for PCB R2.0 (or higher) that support Intel® Core™2 processor, & a c2d e6300 at least or e6400, & that they'll build it for you so if there's any incompatibility issue, they'll find out.

No problem.

 

You did not mention which state you are in in Australia

Do have look at I-Tech.com Lidcombe Sydney NSW

Do ask for Wilbur

I had a special tower built by them and it is performing excellently

I found the firm is very reliable to deal with!

Web Site
http://www.i-tech.com.au/

Regards Colin

 

i-tech has better prices & stock.

The only thing is that the P5B may be out of stock, just get the P5LD2-VM, & that the 400w power supply may be garbage/generic. If they replaced the psu with the TT 420w I selected, it'd be great.

 

I live in Queensland on the Gold Coast. So I would have to have that ordered and posted, and they wouldn't have the same payment scheme, which was the only reason I was able to get the new computer in the first place, so I'm more or less stuck with the other guys. However, I would imagine that they could order other things if I need them, even if they aren't on the website that I posted.

Thanks again for all the help.

Livingston

 

www.scorptech.com.au

The best store in AUS.

 

So if I get the TT 420w, then the power supply won't matter? Oo

Livingston

 

Aren't those the same things that you listed in the first reply?

I was just wondering as you said their stock looks pretty old, if there is something that I should ask about that they don't have listed on the website? That they may be able to order from other places.

Livingston

 

Ok I have a catalogue from the store now and here are a few of the things they offer:

CPU:

Intel P4 3.0/3.2Ghz Dual Core
Intel P4 D945 3.4Ghz
Intel Core2Duo E6300/E6400
Intel Core2Duo E6600

They of course have a heap of AMDs as well.

What are the advantages of having Intel over AMD?

Hard Drives:

SG 80 / 160Gb, IDE, 2Mb
SG 160 / 200Gb, IDE, 8Mb
SG 250 / 320Gb, IDE, 16Mb
SG 160 / 200Gb, SATA2, 8Mb
SG 250 / 320Gb, SATA2, 16Mb
WD 160 / 250Gb, JB, IDE 8Mb
WD 160 / 250Gb, JS, 8Mb SATA2
WD 320 / 500Gb, KS, 16Mb SATA2

Motherboards:

Asus M2V-TVM / P5PE-VM
Asus P5B / P5LO2SE-C
Asus M2V / M2NPV-VM
Asus MSN4-SLI / M2N
Gigabyte 8VM800PDM / 81945GMF
Gigabyte GA945G-S3 / GA945PL-S3
Gigabyte 81945P-S3 / GA955P-DS3
MSI K8MM3-V / K9NU Neo-V

I'll post the Video Cards, Cases & Power Supplies, and Memory when I get back.

I asked the guy about what other things he can get, and he said he can pretty much order anything, though of course that will effect the price and how long it will take to get it. Which I'm not really worried about, though if it is more than I can realistically afford I may have to buy what I can and get the rest of it later.

I hate this. I used to know quit a bit about the latest stuff out about 4 years ago when I spent a lot of time on IRC, now I feel like a comp noob. Anywhere you guys recommed I frequent to get and keep up to date on stuff like this (besides here of course)?

Livingston

 

Here's the rest.

Memory:

258 / 512Mb PC 133 SD
1Gb DDR 400Mhz
512Mb / 1Gb DDR2 533Mhz
512Mb / 1Gb DDR2 667Mhz
Kingston 512Mb DDR2 533Mhz
Kingston 2Gb Kit 400 / 533Mhz
Coresair TwinX DDR2 1 Gb

Video Cards:

256Mb X1600Pro PCIE
256Mb GF7300GS / 7600GS PCIE
256Mb GF7600GT / 7950GT PCIE
512Mb / 1Gb GF7950Gx2 DDR3 PCIE

Cases & Power Supplies:

Antec Sonate 11 with 450W PSU
Antec SLK 1650B (Black) with 450W PSU
Xion II Black/Silver with 350W PSU
Gigatech F1 Racer
Gigatech 202 Mini with 550W PSU
Superflower 500W Cable-less PSU
Superflower 600W Cable-less PSU
Topower 750W PSU
Topower 100W Cable-less PSU

I wasn't impressed with any of these cases aesthetically. If there's something that looks really good that I could order though, it probably wouldn't take any longer to order than the one mentioned from the site I listed.

I'm looking to spend around $1900 AUS tops.

I really appreciate you guys looking through this.

Livingston

 

Arg, I tried to edit my post above, but ran out of time.

Just going to add that the $1900 was including a new LCD monitor, though I may hold off on that if I have to, in order to get a better system.

Also was going to say that I plan on running two hard drives, an 80g which I''ll use exclusively for Windows and programs, and whatever size I decide for the larger one.

I'll upgrade the power supply to a 550w.

I also noticed that the prices of the store were a bit better than those on the site.

Livingston

 

Yeah, I would at least look at NewEgg. I have bought a PC Chips mobo($25!!!) and 512 MB PC3200 RAM($60) and a AMD Sempron 2100+ (1.775GHz) all for 135$($40). It's a pretty good deal.

 

Core 2 Duo is the hottest item right now. Anyone upgrading from older AMD/Intel would want c2d, unless they're AMD fanboys. Mind you, I have a gaming AMD rig & I'm recommending a C2D pc to you. You'll get only bias if you ask the same question in AMD forums.

C2D overclocks like crazy & destroys anything AMD has at the moment including their $1000+ FX chips. Before c2d, AMD was king. At stock, e6300 beats AM2 5000+ in most benchmarks for a LOWER price. Both C2D(775) & AM2 uses the same DDR2 & PCI-E.

Depends on your budget, the best from your list would be:

Add these:

& finally choose your monitor (i.e. Samsung LCD 19"+), keyboard, mouse & maybe XP.

Again, pay a little for them to build & test it. The last thing you want is to find out one part is incompatible & have to send it back & maybe pay a restocking fee. i.e. motherboard with old bios won't power on with new cpu/ram.

 

You didn't mention the motherboard on this new list.

The previous ones you mentioned were:

Mainboard - Socket 775 (Intel) ... Asus I945G 1066FSB DDR2 VIDEO PCIEx16 GiLAN mATX LGA775 PEN-D ... HW-MB-P5LD2-VM ... $155.00

&

ASUS P5B S775, Core 2 Duo, P965, 1066FSB, PCIE, AUDIO, GbLAN, ATX, 3YR ... $239.00

Should I still go with one of these, or is there something else I should ask about?

So I've got the CPU and Video Card covered with the Core 2 Duo and the GF7000+ series.

With the RAM should I be looking for a specific brand like Kingston or Corsair? You quoted a Corsair in your second list.

Also looking at the prices, if I don't want to go top line with both the video card and the CPU what would be the best combo.

Would it be better to go with a C2Duo E6600 with a GF7900GT or a C2Duo E6400 with a GF7950?

Also what's the difference between the GeForce GTs and the GSs? My wife is also putting building a computer, but she prefers to sacrifice the quality of the main systems (as in going middle or minimum of your suggestions) for other little gadgets like card readers and stuff.

I think I'm leaning towards getting the C2Duo E6400 with a GF7950, would the 450w power source be enough to support that or should I get a 550w?

You listed the Antec Sonate 11 with 450W PSU, do you recommend that over the THERMALTAKE Soprano VB1400BWS Mid Tower w/ 400W PSU & Window Black or Midi Tower ... Thermaltake Soprano Midi Tower Case, Black, "X" type transparent window panel, 430w PSU ... CS-MIDDLET-VB1400BWS, that you quoted earlier? Or did you choose that one simply because it was on the list?

Oy! I didn't think this would be quite so difficult.

Livingston

 

specs

Case: choose

Sorry I always have multiple tabs open in my browser & some pages load longer than others. I got carried away.

The list is the best from the site. Not overkill. You can knock the cpu & video down a bit if you can't afford them.

Kingston or Corsair doesn't matter much since you're not overclocking. Value ram will do.

7600GT is minimal for gaming. GX2 > GTX > GT > GS > regular > LE. 7950GX2 is two cards in one. It's the fastest in the 7900 series, but can produce a lot of heat & draw a lot of power. 7900GT stock is the best bang for the buck. It's one card & can have the stock cooler replaced with a Zalman vf700/vf900 for better & quieter cooling. GX2 coolers can't be changed.

Anyway, a 450w is enough for one card. 500w or larger for 2 cards in SLI/CF. This info is on the video card sites under system requirements.

Antec Sonate has a 450w psu. Of course it's better than a 430w. Neither of them would go in my main rig. Sorry. The store doesn't have anything better. Fortron, Sparkle, Enermax, OCZ, Seasonic & PCP&C are way better psu brands.

There are typos on the list. Try to copy & paste the model. You can't find them. I'm guessing the models in my list.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products...spx?VenderType=Intel&CPUType=socket+775#Intel 945P

 

Sorry, the forum cut me off while i was editing. Must wait 10 mins before the next edit. Geez!

The store doesn't list the specs of the bundled power supplies. If they're these, they're good.

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=26450
http://www.tr2tt.com/products/psu/w006970/w006970.htm

As for your wife's pc, please don't complicate this thread further. Start another thread.

 

Are there any essential differences between the Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 or ASUS P5B

As for the power supplies, as I said before they can order anything I want, so if you think everything they have is garbage, I can ask them to order whatever you think I need. I know nothing about power supplies so I'll completely go with whatever you think is best on that one.

The two that you linked to in your second post, should I ask them to order one of these if that isn't what they have, or should I ask them for something better that you haven't listed yet. If you wouldn't personally run something on your rig, I don't really want to put it in mine, as I don't get many chances to upgrade my computer, outside of buying new graphics cards. So I'd like to get it up to par as much as possible.

As for my wife's computer, don't worry about that, I'm just making it a couple steps down from whatever I get so she can afford the little gadgets that she thinks she needs, so I just wanted a general idea on the differences between stepping down a bit on the CPU and graphics card so I could tell her the difference.

Once again, I can't express to you enough how grateful I am to you for taking the time to suggest this stuff. I pretty much live on my computer, so this is very important to me. I really do need to get back up to date on the latest things and how they all compare to each other. Is there any place you suggest that I hang out to do this?

Thank you very very much
Livingston

 

Avoid the Thermaltake 430 = Garbage, it only has 18amps single +12v rail
Not enough juice & bottom of the barrel on Quality

The other one akillies linked IMO doesnt have enough juice either.
Antec makes some good products but choose one with more power, as a minimum a "Antec True 480 2.0"


PSU's to Avoid
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=974240

Have a read here for some Recommended PSU
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1000883

 

They look the same to the average user, but I'm personally leaning toward the P5B which is a good overclocker. Asus boards except deluxe may look dull, but they're quality. And their RMA is top-notch: I paid one-way shipping for a faulty mobo; they fixed it & shipped it back for free; all in 4-5 weeks.

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1178&l1=3&l2=11&l3=0

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products...erboard&ProductID=2321&ProductName=GA-965P-S3

P5B Deluxe would be better. P5W DH Deluxe is a more popular choice. Intel D975XBXLKR (aka Bad Axe) is also a very good choice.

Thanks ASUS, the lists come in handy.

If you want the best psu:

http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=T1KWSR

Take your pick. Anything over 600w will last a long while.

http://www.seasonic.com/product/pc_atx.jsp

You might want an uninterruptible power supply. APC is what I use.

Take this revised list to any pc forums & ask for their opinions:

You're welcome.

 

For a PSU, have you guys every heard of the Superflower?

I took the list of good and bad PSUs from those links and the guys in the shops hadn't even heard of most of them, so I imagine they are US brands that they don't get down here. They said if I didn't trust the normal ones they had, that there top of the line one was a 500w Superflower.

Any thoughts?

I'll be ordering my comp Monday.

Livingston

 

Super Flower 600W Plug-N cableless power supply CS-PS-SF-600W Plug-N $149.00

http://www.super-flower.com.tw/products_detail.asp?products_id=172

Is not listed so no specs to compare. I assume it's the same series. The specs of the others look ok to me.

Topower P9 1000W "Power Train", 20+4+8 Pin Connector, 120mm High Speed Fan CP-PS-TO-PT1000W $499.00

http://www.topower.com.tw/product/power_supply/iframe_1000w.htm

Looks the best of their stock. Should last a long time.

Neither are on avoid list. Like I said, the other online stores have better stock. Even i-tech in au.

 

i hope your local ITwarehouse is better then the one here in Toowoomba. The prices they advertise are nothing like the ones in store. Check out www.msy.com.au for prices then see if itwarehouse will match it. I bought last week from MSY a creative audigy4 for $104 and a WD SATA HDD 250GB for $102 plus only $12 freight. Those same 2 items itwarehouse has advertised for $125 & $129