Critique my system before I spend $2000 to build

[StevenNT]

Just one last thing - if I go with the XPS 700 and run Windows XP Professional SP2, I'm not going to be seeing or able to use all of that 4GB of memory, will I? Not sure how Dell work with Physical Address Extension (PAE) etc...

Windows XP x86 can only see upto 2GB afik i advise go with Windows XP x64 or Vista x64 if you want to use all that RAM

[NienorGT]

Windows XP x86 can only see upto 2GB afik i advise go with Windows XP x64 or Vista x64 if you want to use all that RAM

Err... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555223

Here's a list of how much RAM the various Windows versions and editions support (as of Nov 2004):

Windows NT 4.0: 4 GB

Windows 2000 Professional: 4 GB

Windows 2000 Standard Server: 4 GB

Windows 2000 Advanced Server: 8GB

Windows 2000 Datacenter Server: 32GB

Windows XP Professional: 4 GB

Windows Server 2003 Web Edition: 2 GB

Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition: 4 GB

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition: 32 GB

Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition: 64 GB

[naT]

Thanks :)

Lets go over this one more time - right now, this is what the system is:

- Antec P180 Silver Case

- Seasonic S12-550W Energy Plus Power Supply

- Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 Motherboard

- Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU

- 2GB OCZ Platinum XTC Revision 2 Dual Channel Memory Kit

- EVGA E-GEFORCE 7950 GT 256MB Video Card

- Hauppauge WinTV 150 PVR w/MCE Remote

- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum

- 2x Seagate Barracuda 320GB Hard Drives

- 2x Seagate Barracuda 250GB Hard Drives

- 2x Dual Layer DVD?RW/CD-RW Drives

There are 2 things I'm debating on still:

- RAM. I've been hearing that OCZ has had some issues with 965P chipset based boards as far as voltage is concerned, and don't know whether to go with the OCZ stuff (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19337&vpn=OCZ2P800R22GK&manufacture=OCZ%20Technology) or a 2GB Dual Channel kit from "G.SKILL" (which I've never heard of before, but the reviews on Newegg seem to be pretty darn good... - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku...acture=G.SKILL)

- What wattage power supply am I going to need to power this rig? I've been told the Seasonic 550W should do me fine and others saying go for higher wattage.

Help! (And let this be the last time I ever stay this far behind on PC hardware!) :pinch:: :pinch::

I bought a similar system recently, and I'm really satisfied with my part choice.

From my experience, it will handle whatever you throw at it. It's price range is at something like €1200~€1400, which I belive to be similar values in USD.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600

Asus P5B-Deluxe WiFiAP Edition

TeamGroup Elite DDR2 PC5400 (667MHz) 1GBx2 Dual Channel Kit

Asus EAX1950 Pro 256MB GDDR3

Maxtor 320GB 7200rpm 16MB Cache SATAII

Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

CoolerMaster Centurion 534

LCPower Silent Giant 550w

In your case, I'd change the PSU, add some HDDs (a couple of RAIDed Western Digitals 320GB for your TV needs), add the TV card, and the DVD-RW drive pair (I already had one so I didn't mention it... but prolly Nec or Pioneer would be decent choices.) Prolly going for a $2000 price tag with at least 4 hdds (1.2TB range).

I hope I could be of some (if any) help with my first post.:pp

*edit* I forgot to add the X-Fi since I was basing it on my rig and I didn't buy one (yet). You should prolly try to get the Fatal1ty one instead, since it's the same as the Platinum but it includes 64MB X-Ram.

Edited December 23, 2006 by naT

[TEX4S]

Why all the hard drives ??

Just get to 750 GB

and as for the mobo - DO NOT GET A sh*tabyte - since they cant get stability and quality - they use gimmicky add-ons - and their drivers might be the worst there is

get an ASUS and you wont have to worry about it

...

*edit* I forgot to add the X-Fi since I was basing it on my rig and I didn't buy one (yet). You should prolly try to get the Fatal1ty one instead, since it's the same as the Platinum but it includes 64MB X-Ram.

Why in the hell spend money on the fatal1ty w/ the 64 mb of something thats isnt supported and wont be. ?

dont waste the money on the more expensive X-Fi , if youre not gonna be creating music - just get an extreme gamer, - they are all the same on the inside pretty much - that whole X-RAM was a flop

[null_]

Hmm ASUS P5B Deluxe (non WiFi) sound decent?

[NienorGT]

Weehee, old tread revival! Btw iCeFuSiOn, how is the Dell?

[null_]

Weehee, old tread revival! Btw iCeFuSiOn, how is the Dell?

Dead, and I'm extremely angry. They lied to me and then told me it would take a month to get a replacement so I told them I want a refund and I will return the system even though it's dead.

[Jeston Veteran]

Well, I just read the whole thread and was pretty excited to see the outcome until I got to the fifth page... I will never buy a Dell for that reason you just stated. It's happened again and again to the people around me who have one. I'm sorry to hear about that though, looks like it would have been a pretty screaming machine.

If you are back to thinking about building your own, I have a possible solution to your money situation; I'm not sure if you can use Newegg in Canada or not, but if so, they have a Preferred Customer credit card you could use for your system and would have no payments for 6 months. That's how I'm currently paying off my system.

[null_]

Well, I just read the whole thread and was pretty excited to see the outcome until I got to the fifth page... I will never buy a Dell for that reason you just stated. It's happened again and again to the people around me who have one. I'm sorry to hear about that though, looks like it would have been a pretty screaming machine.

If you are back to thinking about building your own, I have a possible solution to your money situation; I'm not sure if you can use Newegg in Canada or not, but if so, they have a Preferred Customer credit card you could use for your system and would have no payments for 6 months. That's how I'm currently paying off my system.

The Dell was really nice until the problems started and then the whole thing just went ape**** and died on me, screeching noises from the sound card that would deafen the dead, the system itself made rattling noises every time my subwoofer pounded, and the video card wasn't exactly the most stable I've seen. Its not so much the fact that it died that made me angry, it was their lousy customer support who lied to me time and time again and when they told me I wouldn't have a replacement until the end of February (the exchange was requested and put in on the 19th of January) I told them enough is enough I'll send it back and get a refund and have my Dell Financial account killed off.

Unfortunately, the last time I checked, Newegg doesnt ship to Canada anymore. Would have been a smarter move on their part if they did though.

Well, stay tuned if youd like because I've finally come up with a way to custom build my own system again and I plan on doing it - I just need to come up with the part list and double check everything over.

[Jeston Veteran]

Cool, good luck with the build, you'll be much happier with it!

[null_]

Cool, good luck with the build, you'll be much happier with it!

Thanks! I sure hope so... custom builds have always treated me well and lasted long. My blood is still boiling over the whole Dell situation.

I see you have the X1950 Pro, how does it perform? Its one of the cards I'm considering for the purchase.

[Jeston Veteran]

I love it! It's only going to get better as ATI starts putting out some better drivers for Vista as well. Just be cautious about which manufacturer you may consider getting it from and read some reviews for a few different ones. There are apparently a few that have problems with overheating (Sapphire). The one I've got seems to have an excellent cooling system as it hasn't overheated on me once.

[null_]

I love it! It's only going to get better as ATI starts putting out some better drivers for Vista as well. Just be cautious about which manufacturer you may consider getting it from and read some reviews for a few different ones. There are apparently a few that have problems with overheating (Sapphire). The one I've got seems to have an excellent cooling system as it hasn't overheated on me once.

I'm looking at the HIS model, 512 MB of RAM. Probably still going with the Antec P180 case as well.

[Jeston Veteran]

That's a nice one, the 512 MB version wasn't an option when I was buying mine unfortunately. I haven't seen that case before, looks good and looks like it runs nice and cool

[null_]

That's a nice one, the 512 MB version wasn't an option when I was buying mine unfortunately. I haven't seen that case before, looks good and looks like it runs nice and cool

Supposedly it cools well and keeps things pretty quiet which is what I'm aiming for. I need to get a spec list done up for when I call the local parts guy tomorrow morning and rattle it all off to him.

So far on the list:

ASUS P5B Deluxe (non Wifi) mobo

Core 2 Duo E6600

2 GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 RAM

2x320 GB Seagate 7200.10 HDDs

DVD-RW and DVD-ROM drives

Creative SB X-Fi

HIS Radeon X1950 PRO 512MB

Antec P180 Case

Antec Neo HE 550 Watt High Efficiency PSU

[NienorGT]

Dude, I'm sincerely sorry for what has happened to you, but please, permit me to roll on the floor laughing like a crazy monkey because the $3000 Dell died in your face in less than 1 month. Again, I'm not laughing at YOU, just at the scenario.

Between, I think I have waken people in my house because I really laughed up... :pinch: it's 4H AM there...

Dell = Banned from my recommendation list, I don't want to ear that damned story anymore.

Edited January 27, 2007 by Nienor

[null_]

Dude, I'm sincerely sorry for what has happened to you, but please, permit me to roll on the floor laughing like a crazy monkey because the $3000 Dell died in your face in less than 1 month. Again, I'm not laughing at YOU, just at the scenario.

Hmm, no, if you want the truth it wound up coming to like $3,800 and then Dell Financial managed to somehow screw it up when we were eligable for the 18 month no interest deal and got slapped with the insanely stupid and overpriced tag of $6,500. Yeah. I'm laughing at the scenario too.

[NienorGT]

Wait Wait Wait WAIT!, Are you telling me that this crap would had cost you a total of $6500 CAD at the end????

You go get refund, talk to your bank, do what you want but refuse this! It's pure and I say PURE stolen money!

Btw, can you find a way to wait the nVIDIA 8600Ultra?

I don't know, get a 7300 and sell it after, but the 8600s are just 3 months ahead now.

[A10]

Looks good! I think 550 PSU is a bit risky, possibly go for a 650/700 and make sure it is a good brand like Tagon. Value PSUs WILL destroy you're system (I learnt the hard way)

ehh.. you are very misinformed. That particular 550 watt power supply will power that system just fine. Seasonic is leaps and bounds better than Tagan and when was a Seasonic ever considered a value brand. I'm actually surprised our thread starter placed this on his list to start with most people here turn to the jigawatt power supplies because they think it will help with future proofing, and allow them put more stuff in their system. If you feel you need a power plant for a power supply go right ahead.

iCeFuSiOn your current list looks good the Antec case is a good choice I have the P180 as well I had some issues early on with the front door, but otherwise it's a top notch case. The power supply is good it's Seasonic based, but I would personally go back to the Seasonic you first listed it's a newer revision that's 80Plus certified and will probably be a bit quieter. I'd get dual dvd burners their aren't too many good readers left and burners in my experience read just as well.

[null_]

Here's the list as of today - I've decided to go with a mid-range video card and then upgrade when the next line of DirectX 10 hardware and software titles are available.

MSI Platinum 965 Motherboard

Intel? Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHz Processor

2x 1 GB Crucial Rendition DDR2 667 Memory Modules

2x 320 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 Hard Drives

2x 18x Dual Layer DVD?RW/CD-RW Combo Drives

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic Sound Card

ATI Radeon X1650 512MB Video Card

Seasonic 550 Watt Energy+ Power Supply

Thermaltake Tsunami Black Chassis with Side Window

Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM or Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition OEM (Can't decide, I already have a Windows Vista Ultimate license for the system but I'd like to have a Windows XP license for it)

[Jeston Veteran]

ASUS P5B Deluxe (non Wifi) mobo

Core 2 Duo E6600

2 GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 RAM

2x320 GB Seagate 7200.10 HDDs

DVD-RW and DVD-ROM drives

Creative SB X-Fi

HIS Radeon X1950 PRO 512MB

Antec P180 Case

Antec Neo HE 550 Watt High Efficiency PSU

That is a pretty good list. I know you said you didn't want to overclock, but if you got an e6400 it would be very easy to get it to speeds faster than the e6600. You'd be losing the other 2M L2 cache, but it's really not as big a deal as some people make it out to be. It would save you a bit of money. That RAM is good enough to allow you to OC your processor as well.

[DrivenDaily]

Anyone have that PSU, a P180 and a similar board. I have a P180 on a 939 board and the power cable barely reaches the top of the mobo since the psu is at the bottom. I have a OCZ powerstream 520SLI, and an A8N32-SLI fyi. Your parts list is solid, but i wouldnt want you to have to buy an extension cable for that one plug. Maybe someone has the same setup here?

[A10]

I have a P180 and an Antec Phantom 500W and yes it is a bit of a stretch for the 4pin cable to reach.

Updated list looks good I'd wrap it up soon or you'll keep revising it and never getting around to building a system at all.

[null_]

I have a P180 and an Antec Phantom 500W and yes it is a bit of a stretch for the 4pin cable to reach.

Updated list looks good I'd wrap it up soon or you'll keep revising it and never getting around to building a system at all.

Yeah I'm looking to finalize it within the next day or two after doing some more reading into reviews and benchmarks. The latest list I posted seems to be what I will be going with.

[NienorGT]

EErr dude, you will not get a MSI board right? :unsure:

If you can't go with the Asus P5B-Dx go with the Gigabyte P965-DS3