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Old 2008-12-20, 19:27   Link #1
Magic Saito
The Phantom Thief
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Building a computer

Greetings.

So, I am in the market for a new computer. But this time I will be trying my hand at building one for the first time. As such, I will need some minor assistance. And do bear with me as my technological knowledge is not extensive.

My budget has been laid out to be about 700 dollars, 900 dollars maximum. This is simply for the computer, as the monitor and other peripherals shall be dealt with as another matter. The main usage for my computer would primarily consist of anime watching, some gaming, and Photoshop.

Since anime files can reach HD quality, it is a requirement that my computer is equipped to handle such and further. In the past, I have seen some stuttering on certain mkv files and a loss in sync between the audio and video, and I would like to avoid this without using CoreAVC, if possible. And although I say some gaming, I have not and probably will not play very many games on my computer, and most certainly not any graphic-intensive ones. However, this should still be taken into consideration as I would rather not be too restricted in this regard down the road.

I have done my own research, and with it, I have compiled this list:

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0 GHz - $164.99
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R Intel Motherboard - $114.99
Video Card
MSI R4670-2D512 Radeon HD 4670 512MB Video Card - $79.99
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB SATA Hard Drive - $74.99
Computer Case
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW ATX Mid Tower Case - $49.99
Power Supply
Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W Power Supply - $54.99
DVD Burner
LG Black 22X DVD Burner - $20.99
DVD/CD Drive
ASUS Black DVD-ROM Drive - $19.99
Memory
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 Memory - $54.99
Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - $99.99

Total: $767.90

My main concern is that perhaps some of these components, particularly the CPU and graphics card, are not necessary for my purposes and my money would be better spent in other areas or not at all. The reverse also holds true, albeit less so as I would find it hard to believe considering my non-intensive purposes. A check on the compatibility of these components would also be appreciated. Though I have done so myself, verification from more knowledgeable individuals would be ideal. And if a cheaper alternative to any parts with similar, or at least ideal for my purposes, performance can be presented, then it is by all means welcome.

So, any feedback, comments, suggestions, would be of great assistance to me.

And, as a side note, what exactly is the difference between the retail version of the Windows Vista OS and a System Builders version?

Last edited by Magic Saito; 2008-12-21 at 05:15.
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Old 2008-12-20, 19:54   Link #2
Claies
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
That's a great CPU if you can care less about performance than most gamers. It'll last you a long time without being too costly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
I'd go for a motherboard that has lots of USB ports, firewire, can handle your RAM...oh, this does them all. Splendid.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
If you're still not sure whether you want to play graphic-intensive games or not, here's that option:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102770

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
No problems here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
You can do away with the LightScribe feature and a couple dollars, since you need special DVDs for it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136144

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
If you want something cheaper, this one doesn't have a heatsink for roughly $15 less.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227298

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Saito View Post
So, any feedback, comments, suggestions, would be of great assistance to me.

And, as a side note, what exactly is the difference between the retail version of the Windows Vista OS and a System Builders version?
<Insert Vista hate rhetoric, etc.>

The System Builder's Edition only allows you to install it and the license on one computer, ever. You can move the license from one computer to another with the retail version if you call Microsoft.
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Old 2008-12-20, 20:26   Link #3
problemedchild
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You don't need PC-8500 if you aren't overclocking, just get the PC-6400 version and save some money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227267

Overall it's a very nice build, but I would wait till the day after Christmas sale or around that to see if any special days are taking place.
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Old 2008-12-20, 20:33   Link #4
martino
makes no files now
 
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Claies View Post
If you're still not sure whether you want to play graphic-intensive games or not, here's that option:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102770
I'll just add that the fan on this card is rather noisy. If you like a quiet PC, better avoid it.

I have three case fans, and a CPU fan. I can barely hear them, but with that card inside it makes quite a difference in noise levels.
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Old 2008-12-20, 23:16   Link #5
Magic Saito
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claies View Post
The System Builder's Edition only allows you to install it and the license on one computer, ever. You can move the license from one computer to another with the retail version if you call Microsoft.
Hm, I see. Thank you for the clarification.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Claies View Post
You can do away with the LightScribe feature and a couple dollars, since you need special DVDs for it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136144
Quote:
Originally Posted by problemedchild View Post
You don't need PC-8500 if you aren't overclocking, just get the PC-6400 version and save some money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227267

Overall it's a very nice build, but I would wait till the day after Christmas sale or around that to see if any special days are taking place.
All suggestions acknowledged.

Quote:
Originally Posted by martino View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claies View Post
If you're still not sure whether you want to play graphic-intensive games or not, here's that option:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102770
I'll just add that the fan on this card is rather noisy. If you like a quiet PC, better avoid it.

I have three case fans, and a CPU fan. I can barely hear them, but with that card inside it makes quite a difference in noise levels.
Hm, then I will stick to my video card selection. I would prefer a quieter computer.

Thank you all for your assistance.
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Old 2008-12-21, 04:22   Link #6
Shadow Kira01
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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Building your own computer? You are a genius..

However, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean.. To spent 900 bucks on an experimental computer is a little expensive, unless the specs are top-notch. I suggest that you make the OS as XP, since Vista is still more or less beta and is less stable. Also, many softwares are not compatible with Vista just yet.

For your dvd burner, lightscribe is not necessary as the fact that the more features it has, the shorter the lifespan of the firmware will be. On the contrary, as long as it is not an internal drive, this shouldn't matter. Or perhaps, it is a better idea to get a good internal drive without the lightscribe function and then add an external one with it. That's to be on the safe side, but the expenses might slightly increase. Perhaps, you should check out the used computer bargain shop and check stuff out, grab some spare parts just in case.

The memory looks awesome, 2x2Gb? That would definitely be great.
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Old 2008-12-21, 04:56   Link #7
Magic Saito
The Phantom Thief
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow Minato View Post
Building your own computer? You are a genius..
I can not tell whether this comment is meant to be sarcastic or not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow Minato View Post
However, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean.. To spent 900 bucks on an experimental computer is a little expensive, unless the specs are top-notch. I suggest that you make the OS as XP, since Vista is still more or less beta and is less stable. Also, many softwares are not compatible with Vista just yet.
But are there not only two options available, to build my own or buy a pre-built one? In the latter case, the price to performance ratio has proven to be quite unpleasant to me. Plus it is a rather attractive aspect for me to customize a build to my own liking and needs. And ignoring the fact that the current total price for my selection of parts only comes to about 750 dollars, I am not seeing what you mean by it being an expensive pricing. The price is determined, ideally, by the performance of the parts. As such, would not any pricing be fit so long as that ideal situation is maintained? As for it being an experimental computer, I do realize that it is so. However, would I not need to begin somewhere?

I have thought about simply using the XP OS instead, however I have been using Vista for some time now and I have not come along anything that poses a problem for me. As such, I do not see a pressing reason to change back to XP. And would it not last longer in the long run, after it becomes more stable?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow Minato View Post
For your dvd burner, lightscribe is not necessary as the fact that the more features it has, the shorter the lifespan of the firmware will be. On the contrary, as long as it is not an internal drive, this shouldn't matter. Or perhaps, it is a better idea to get a good internal drive without the lightscribe function and then add an external one with it. That's to be on the safe side, but the expenses might slightly increase.
Following a previous suggestion made, I have switched to a DVD Burner without the Lightscribe feature. I will have to amend my original post to reflect this and other changes. But thank you for the suggestions.
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Old 2008-12-21, 05:02   Link #8
problemedchild
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow Minato View Post

However, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean.. To spent 900 bucks on an experimental computer is a little expensive, unless the specs are top-notch. I suggest that you make the OS as XP, since Vista is still more or less beta and is less stable. Also, many softwares are not compatible with Vista just yet.
Uhhhh.... Vista's driver support is fully functional now. There's bound to be programs that won't work on a newer OS, but come on XP is 7 years old now.
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Old 2008-12-21, 06:38   Link #9
Sephi
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*Graphic Designer
 
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 37
Your build looks fine. But i don't understand why you need a DVD-Burner + a DVD/CD Drive.

Just something like this will suffice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106263

And a minor detail. If you don't use IDE, than don't get a IDE dvd/cd player. I think it's a waste of space inside your computer to get a IDE cabel hanging around just for ONE dvd/cd-player/burner. Go with Sata as they are small and easier to work away to improve airflow.

And i agree, there is nothing wrong with vista. I don't understand where the Vista hate is coming from. I was sceptical about it at first to. But after using it, I wouldn't want to go back to XP anymore after using Vista for almost half a year. Only downsize about Vista would be the amount of space it takes and the boot time not being as fast as i expected. But Windows 7 should be a improvement on the latter.

Edit: on second thought. The PSU could be better. I don't know that brand, but that wasn't the biggest reason to change it. It's the >72% efficiency. Go with a other brand with higher efficiency. Or spend 10euro extra and get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139003

Don't cheap out on the PSU. A faulty PSU can drag along your hardware as well when it dies.
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Last edited by Sephi; 2008-12-21 at 06:48.
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Old 2008-12-21, 08:40   Link #10
hobbes_fan
You could say.....
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
I'd spring for the ati 4830, the jump in performance is significant for not a whole lot more $. It run's quite cool so the fan spins slower and quieter.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...n=4830&x=0&y=0
Noise levels
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/P...D_4830/25.html
Anything under 40db is very quiet. It's a good tradeoff between noise and performance. The massive heatsink will also ensure that the fan is rotating slowly and if you have a good airflow case this should not be an issue. Most reviews for the 4670 indicate that it has a similar noise level at idle

Don't like the PSU. Go with something with a reputation and has high quality capacitors. Everything is connected to the PSU - if it fails it takes stuff with it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703015

The case is pretty good as is but I'd prefer either the coolermaster 690 or Antec 300 for better cooling and generally a lot better cable management options. And although the same size they have a bit better layout so it's easier to work inside.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...pk=antec%20300

64bit vista is great. I run it on my htpc and my gaming pc. Which is similarly specc'd to your suggested build with the exception of a q6600 overclocked to 3.2ghz. Although if you aren't going to be making much use of Media Centre, Home Basic 64 is more than adequate - aero glass and Media Centre are the only two things different in Home Premium. Seeing as you're not using a tv tuner or making a HTPC just cheap out here and get basic. You have no hardware on that list that will be an issue. Vista 64 is superior to xp64 for stability and driver support

Depending on how much you use photoshop a quad may be advisable but if it's more occasional stick with the c2d. I'd also wait one or two weeks. AMD will release a new CPU after xmas wich will be a direct competitor to the e8xxx series and new i7 series, so you should see appropriate price changes. I've seen wildly varying benchmarks of AMD's new processor so i could end up being a better buy as the motherboards for AMD tend to be a whole lot cheaper. Alternatively it could be a massive dud though. Also if it is to be used for mainly HD content viewing (ie 50%plus) I feel it's pretty overkill for that purpose. You could drop a lot a lot of the specs down and it'd be fine. Depends though on what games you play or other assorted tasks. You could probably save in my estimaton $100-200 depending on your usage. a drop down to an e5200 paired with a Ati 4850 will be superior to an e8400 and ati 4670 and be $50 cheaper as the vid card is so much faster in any game, as well being more than enough fo full 1080p decoding.

Don't be scared to build it yourself. It is a lot easier than it looks. It takes a little bit of patience but it's almost impossible to plug something in the wrong place. Also buy some cable ties.
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Last edited by hobbes_fan; 2008-12-21 at 09:41.
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Old 2008-12-21, 13:52   Link #11
0utf0xZer0
Pretentious moe scholar
 
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 37
Is this your first time building a computer? It's not super difficult, but it can be a bit finicky at times. Also, make your you follow guidelines on things like static when putting it together.

I will warn you that the LGA775 heatsink design used on the Core 2 Duo is pretty hard to get installed right. A friend of mine and I, both of which have built systems in the past couldn't get it on right even with the instruction, something that became apparent when his 2.4GHZ quad core kept clocking back to 1.6ghz to prevent overheating. He finally had to look up a tutorial video on Youtube to get it on right. This isn't to say it's impossible to get right, just that you need to make sure you do if you don't want your CPU throttling itself.

Regarding case and PSU designs... I actually think that for a basic dual core with a mainstream video card like the HD4670, a separate case and power supply is overkill. Newegg carries the Antec NSK4480 for $75 bucks, which has a 120mm exhaust and a good quality PSU. The 380 watt rating for the PSU may seem low, but it's sufficient for what he's planning to run. Hell, the 380 watt PSU in question actually has a 27 amp rating on the 12V rails, meaning it meets the requirements of some cards that need a direct connection to the PSU - which the 4670 doesn't.

If he does plan to go for something better than a 4670, he may of course want a beefier PSU.

The 4670 will run anything currently out, however, it may not do so at higher resolutions. So if you insist on running an LCD at native resolution, you'll want something more powerful. However, I'm of the opinion that 1280X800 doesn't look that bad for games on a 22 inch widescreen despite being lower than the native res. The biggest argument for going for a more powerful GPU would be longitivity, since in my experience GPUs are one of the big things that hold old computers back on newer games. I personally tend to go for very powerful GPUs on my computers for this reason - gaming being the one thing that really stresses my computer and all.

Edit: I believe the HD4670 is based on the rv 730 series of chips, right? In that case, you might want to consider this rumour:
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?op...11026&Itemid=1

Agreed that you don't need a separate CD burner. If you want to use backup software like Acronis True Image or Shadowprotect - something I would advise considering - you may want a second hard drive. You might be able to use these on a single drive with multiple partitions, but I imagine it would be slow.

Other than that, I might have tried to shave a couple dollars off and put them towards a cheap quad core rather than a dual core, but that's just me.
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Old 2008-12-21, 15:10   Link #12
martino
makes no files now
 
 
Join Date: May 2006
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes_fan View Post
I'd spring for the ati 4830, the jump in performance is significant for not a whole lot more $. It run's quite cool so the fan spins slower and quieter.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...n=4830&x=0&y=0
Are you sure it's quieter than the 4850? The cooler looks exactly the same as on the 4850 for the Sapphire version...

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
I will warn you that the LGA775 heatsink design used on the Core 2 Duo is pretty hard to get installed right. A friend of mine and I, both of which have built systems in the past couldn't get it on right even with the instruction, something that became apparent when his 2.4GHZ quad core kept clocking back to 1.6ghz to prevent overheating. He finally had to look up a tutorial video on Youtube to get it on right. This isn't to say it's impossible to get right, just that you need to make sure you do if you don't want your CPU throttling itself.
Errr what? The CPU throttles itself down when it is idle (once it overheats beyond safety levels, I believe it just shuts down), in other words when it isn't doing anything overly intensive. I'm not really sure why you'd want to disable SpeedStep other than to boast that your CPU is always running at x GHz when it actually doesn't have to (or some guides say that it somehow overclocks better when you disable it, although personally it sounds rather stupid to me).

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
If he does plan to go for something better than a 4670, he may of course want a beefier PSU.
Ahem... even a 400W power supply should power a mainstream/performance graphics card just fine. In fact, I'm running a 4850 on 450W, with three drives, and the usual necessities without any problems (and apparently it is even SLI certified, although I've never bothered to take a closer look or do the math). Not saying that he should get a 400W one, but I think your statement there is not exactly spot on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
The 4670 will run anything currently out, however, it may not do so at higher resolutions. So if you insist on running an LCD at native resolution, you'll want something more powerful. However, I'm of the opinion that 1280X800 doesn't look that bad for games on a 22 inch widescreen despite being lower than the native res.
22 inches with 1280x800 and you don't mind that? Wow... and I twitch horribly with 1280x1024 on 19... Oh well, differs from person to person I guess.
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Old 2008-12-21, 16:11   Link #13
0utf0xZer0
Pretentious moe scholar
 
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by martino View Post
Are you sure it's quieter than the 4850? The cooler looks exactly the same as on the 4850 for the Sapphire version...
I can't say if it would be quiet because I don't own the board, but remember that the 4830's GPU has about three-quarters the processing power of the 4850s. Even with the same cooler design, the fan shouldn't have to spin up as often because the amount of heat produced will be far less.

Quote:
Originally Posted by martino View Post
Errr what? The CPU throttles itself down when it is idle (once it overheats beyond safety levels, I believe it just shuts down), in other words when it isn't doing anything overly intensive. I'm not really sure why you'd want to disable SpeedStep other than to boast that your CPU is always running at x GHz when it actually doesn't have to (or some guides say that it somehow overclocks better when you disable it, although personally it sounds rather stupid to me).
It throttles itself back at idle, but I believe it will also throttle itself to prevent itself getting too hot. The problem wasn't that the heatsink wasn't contacting the CPU at all - that would have caused it to turn off to protect itself - it was that it was making poor contact and throttling itself. Performance increased significantly after he got it installed properly, so it was doing something.

Quote:
Originally Posted by martino View Post
Ahem... even a 400W power supply should power a mainstream/performance graphics card just fine. In fact, I'm running a 4850 on 450W, with three drives, and the usual necessities without any problems (and apparently it is even SLI certified, although I've never bothered to take a closer look or do the math). Not saying that he should get a 400W one, but I think your statement there is not exactly spot on.
If I had to guess, I would say he'd be fine running a 4850 on the Earthwatts 380 (which is included with the NSK 4480). The 4850 has similar power consumption numbers to the 9800GTX+, which they recommend a PSU with a 26 amp 12V for if you CPU is a Core 2 Duo E6750 - the 380 is a 27 amp unit, which means it should have just enough power. However, it's cutting it awfully close, so I'm not comfortable saying it WILL run, since PSUs wear out faster when heavily loaded. And clearly, he'd want to use a stronger PSU if he went with a quad core.

(For those who might object that some companies recommend like a 475 watt PSU for the 9800GTX+, I consider the 12V rating on a PSU much more important because video cards draw 12V power. They're probably just using such a high wattage rating because many poorly made PSUs have a high wattage rating but a weak 12V line.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by martino View Post
22 inches with 1280x800 and you don't mind that? Wow... and I twitch horribly with 1280x1024 on 19... Oh well, differs from person to person I guess.
Depends what I'm doing. Stuff with sharp edges like text, I insist on using 1680X1050. For games I don't find it a huge deal to run at 1280X800, although 1680X1050 certainly looks much better - and anything lower than 1280X800 looks pretty bad.

BTW, since this is an anime board, I HIGHLY recommend a 22 inch+ widescreen. The difference between that and my old 17 inch CRT for fansub watching is like night and day, and I can get an LG 22 inch in Canada for like $200 - I imagine you can get similar deals in the US.
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Old 2008-12-21, 17:36   Link #14
Magic Saito
The Phantom Thief
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephi View Post
Your build looks fine. But i don't understand why you need a DVD-Burner + a DVD/CD Drive.

Just something like this will suffice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106263
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes_fan View Post
Don't like the PSU. Go with something with a reputation and has high quality capacitors. Everything is connected to the PSU - if it fails it takes stuff with it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703015
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes_fan View Post
Although if you aren't going to be making much use of Media Centre, Home Basic 64 is more than adequate - aero glass and Media Centre are the only two things different in Home Premium. Seeing as you're not using a tv tuner or making a HTPC just cheap out here and get basic.
Above suggestions acknowledged.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes_fan View Post
The case is pretty good as is but I'd prefer either the coolermaster 690 or Antec 300 for better cooling and generally a lot better cable management options. And although the same size they have a bit better layout so it's easier to work inside.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...pk=antec%20300
I rather prefer my own selection in this regard, mainly for its appearance. As long as there is not anything that would pose a problem with this case.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes_fan View Post
a drop down to an e5200 paired with a Ati 4850 will be superior to an e8400 and ati 4670 and be $50 cheaper as the vid card is so much faster in any game, as well being more than enough fo full 1080p decoding.
I am a bit skeptical about dropping down to an E5200, however it does seem to hold validity. Though I do not think buying an HD 4850 is necessary, so how about your previous suggestion of an HD 4830? And if I change to the E5200, will my current motherboard selection still be compatible with it? On the specifications the motherboard states it supports CPUs with FSB 1333/1600 MHz while the E5200 has FSB at 800 MHz.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
Is this your first time building a computer? It's not super difficult, but it can be a bit finicky at times. Also, make your you follow guidelines on things like static when putting it together.

I will warn you that the LGA775 heatsink design used on the Core 2 Duo is pretty hard to get installed right. A friend of mine and I, both of which have built systems in the past couldn't get it on right even with the instruction, something that became apparent when his 2.4GHZ quad core kept clocking back to 1.6ghz to prevent overheating. He finally had to look up a tutorial video on Youtube to get it on right. This isn't to say it's impossible to get right, just that you need to make sure you do if you don't want your CPU throttling itself.
Thank you for the advice.

Instead of amending my original post, perhaps it would be better to simply add my updated list to this one.

CPU
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5 GHz - $82.99
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R Intel Motherboard - $114.99
Video Card
SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB Video Card - $114.99
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB SATA Hard Drive - $74.99
Computer Case
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW ATX Mid Tower Case - $49.99
Power Supply
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W ATX12V - $69.99
DVD/CD Drive & Burner
LITE-ON Black DVD/CD Drive - $23.99
Memory
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 Memory - $54.99
Operating System
Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 64-bit for System Builders - $89.99

Total: $676.91

And following suggestions, I shall wait until a few days after Christmas before deciding upon a final purchase. However, if I keep with the current configuration above, I am skeptical that anything will occur that will impact my decision.
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Old 2008-12-21, 18:42   Link #15
Claies
Good-Natured Asshole.
 
 
Join Date: May 2007
Age: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
I will warn you that the LGA775 heatsink design used on the Core 2 Duo is pretty hard to get installed right. A friend of mine and I, both of which have built systems in the past couldn't get it on right even with the instruction, something that became apparent when his 2.4GHZ quad core kept clocking back to 1.6ghz to prevent overheating. He finally had to look up a tutorial video on Youtube to get it on right. This isn't to say it's impossible to get right, just that you need to make sure you do if you don't want your CPU throttling itself.
Building on his suggestion, the heatsink comes already with a pad of thermal compound applied to it. I still strongly suggest buying a tube of the same:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

Because if your first try was anything like mine, you'll mess up the initial thermal pad. If that happens, wipe it off with isopropyl alcohol and apply some from that tube. There should be instruction online about the correct amount.
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Old 2008-12-21, 19:14   Link #16
0utf0xZer0
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Join Date: Oct 2006
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As mentioned before, the e5200 is just fine for HD video as long as the bitrate is sane. And combined with the HD4830, it should make a nice gaming rig. Although the e5200 is low end enough that I wonder if you'd hit a CPU wall with future games before a GPU one (in my experience, most computers hit a GPU wall first).

The 800mhz FSB thing should not be an issue - 1333 mainboards should support 800 and 1066 FSB CPUs just fine. As a quick side note, be aware that the FSB ratings for the Core 2 Duo are quad pumped, meaning that the rated speed is four times what shows up in the bios. So if your bios says the FSB is at 200/266/333/400, that's just fine.

I personally find I stop caring how my current computer looks after a couple months, which is why I generally buy the cheapest case/PSU combo that I think will reliably power and cool my computer. That's just me, though. On the flip side, I actually like Aero Glass enough that I'd probably shell out $10 for it (if I wasn't still running XP).

Do you have a backup strategy planned for this computer, BTW? It's generally a good idea to work that kind of thing out beforehand.
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Old 2008-12-21, 20:20   Link #17
Magic Saito
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claies View Post
Building on his suggestion, the heatsink comes already with a pad of thermal compound applied to it. I still strongly suggest buying a tube of the same:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

Because if your first try was anything like mine, you'll mess up the initial thermal pad. If that happens, wipe it off with isopropyl alcohol and apply some from that tube. There should be instruction online about the correct amount.
Suggestion acknowledged. And on the subject, would anyone happen to be able to recommend a specific guide online for building a computer? I realize that a simple google search would be sufficient enough to find plenty of guides, however it is a matter of reliability and thoroughness that I, never having done so before, would not be able to adequately judge. Unless of course it is a consensus that any would work.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
As mentioned before, the e5200 is just fine for HD video as long as the bitrate is sane. And combined with the HD4830, it should make a nice gaming rig. Although the e5200 is low end enough that I wonder if you'd hit a CPU wall with future games before a GPU one (in my experience, most computers hit a GPU wall first).
Hm, you bring up an interesting point. And thinking about it, I would rather choose a CPU that might be too much for the time being than risk choosing a CPU that may limit me in the future. Perhaps I will stick with the E8400 after all. This would bring the pricing of the computer back to the original, however the computer is better now in comparison anyways.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0 View Post
Do you have a backup strategy planned for this computer, BTW? It's generally a good idea to work that kind of thing out beforehand.
My apologies, I do not understand what you mean.
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Old 2008-12-21, 21:04   Link #18
problemedchild
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Don't bother buying thermal compound from Newegg, you'll get destroyed on shipping. Find a local B&M and buy it there.
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Old 2008-12-21, 21:07   Link #19
hobbes_fan
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Join Date: Apr 2007
The 4830 isn't that far off in performance to the 4850 so it's still ok. It's just that for the price the 4850 delivers a lot more, that's really all.

Nearly all games on the market are GPU bound. ie it's the vid card that determines how well it plays. Any recent dual core and higher is more than capable of 1080p playback. Commercial releases ie bluray are the highest bitrates available. Well above what you will find in fansubs. Yet the HTPC in my profile has had no issues and possesses a vastly inferior CPU (x2 4850e) and signifcantly inferior video card and memory. This is pretty much the standard setup for HD1080p HTPC's on silentpcreview.com

The thing is - the processor has already been superceded by the intel i7. You will not be able to move that processor any further. the LGA775 is an EOL socket and is effectively dead moving forward. I don't know whether it is worth it to spend the extra on a socket that is EOL. Considering that the standard being introduced is DDR3 memory, quad core and a completely revised socket. longetivity is already questionable IMO and this goes for any midrange-high end build over the last few months. Personally I'd go cheap and overclock to 4.0ghz + once it is no longer performing adequately to your satisfaction in order extend the lifespan which should be easy enough on your planned setup.

Edit: EOL = End Of Life
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Before you ask "How do I convert fansubs to...." see the following
MP4 - http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=47693
Convert AVI/MKV/MP4 to DVD
http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=26308

Last edited by hobbes_fan; 2008-12-21 at 21:27.
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Old 2008-12-21, 22:04   Link #20
0utf0xZer0
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 37
Overclocking the e5200 isn't a bad idea, but I don't think I'd trust a 4 ghz one as a long term setup. I imagine it would require a fairly big voltage increase, right? That would put significant wear on the CPU. Low to mid 3s with a decent heatsink might be fine though. I also think that saying he can't move the processor any farther isn't entirely accurate, since there are quad cores available in LGA775 already. I think what you mean here is not to expect new LGA 775 models.

I'm well aware that computers almost always hit a GPU limit first, however, you can often mitigate the impact some by backing off the settings.

Quote:
My apologies, I do not understand what you mean.
How do you intend to back your data on this machine up?
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