an idiot building a computer

Hi,

I am getting a system together. It's my first computer in many years
and I decided to build it myself. For convenience's sake, I'm getting
everything from Newegg. So, since I don't know as much as I should to
pull this off, I was wondering if some of you who actually know what
they're doing could take a look at my list of components and tell me
if I can do better, within a 1500 budget. Any input or help will be
very much appreciated.

Here's a link to my "wishlist." Thanks.

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...Title=inamonth

What's the system for?

If it's to be a gaming system, consider an alternative:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2273762,00.asp

(Intel Core2 Duo CPUs seem to be favored by gamers at the moment. The Athlon
64 X2 was the favorite a couple of years ago.)

Note that your wishlist doesn't include an operating system, so unless
you're using Linux, add some expense for that.

The 8800GT is a much more powerful graphics card than the 8600GT. You can
get a good one for less than $200, if you can tolerate rebates:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130318

The 8800GT may be a long card. A quick check suggests that it'll fit in the
Lian Li case that you've chosen, though. (Some people run 2 in SLI.)

Why the 80GB second HD? It's inexpensive, but it has a relatively poor
price/capacity ratio.

I suggest a SATA DVD burner:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151153

(This is a Samsung drive. I've had a couple of LiteOn drives die young.)

I don't know about the Samsung 226BW monitor that you list, but I have a
245BW (24"). It's a TN (twisted nematic) type. It was relatively
inexpensive, and I like the image quality and speed, but TN monitors show
some viewing angle effects (color shifts, for example). Some people can't
tolerate them. There are other LCD types that don't display the shortcomings
of TN displays (like the Samsung units with a T suffix), but they may cost
more.

If you're going to be running Windows XP, I'd recommend a floppy drive on
the off chance that you'll need to F6 some drivers. (Vista permits other
media.)

Enjoy your new system.

Return address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

"guy" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I am getting a system together. It's my first computer in many years
and I decided to build it myself. For convenience's sake, I'm getting
everything from Newegg. So, since I don't know as much as I should to
pull this off, I was wondering if some of you who actually know what
they're doing could take a look at my list of components and tell me
if I can do better, within a 1500 budget. Any input or help will be
very much appreciated.

Here's a link to my "wishlist." Thanks.

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...Title=inamonth

On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 13:00:01 -0800 (PST), guy
wrote:

Hi,

I am getting a system together. It's my first computer in many years
and I decided to build it myself. For convenience's sake, I'm getting
everything from Newegg. So, since I don't know as much as I should to
pull this off, I was wondering if some of you who actually know what
they're doing could take a look at my list of components and tell me
if I can do better, within a 1500 budget. Any input or help will be
very much appreciated.

Here's a link to my "wishlist." Thanks.

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...Title=inamonth

Isn't the SLI mobo designed for 2 video cards?

guy wrote:
Hi,

I am getting a system together. It's my first computer in many years
and I decided to build it myself. For convenience's sake, I'm getting
everything from Newegg. So, since I don't know as much as I should to
pull this off, I was wondering if some of you who actually know what
they're doing could take a look at my list of components and tell me
if I can do better, within a 1500 budget. Any input or help will be
very much appreciated.

Here's a link to my "wishlist." Thanks.

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...Title=inamonth

Are you buying two 2x2GB memory kits, for a total of 8GB of RAM ?
Verify the memory is the amount you want to buy. A single
kit of two sticks (4GB total), would likely be plenty.

For a gaming machine, you could put more of the money into the video
card. You've got $85 back, from the memory you don't need. You
could shave a few dollars off the computer case selection. And
then go for an 8800GT of some sort. Just make sure the case is
big enough, to hold the video card. Some video cards now, are
long enough that they can bump into the back of a disk drive.
Examine the location of the 2x3 PCI Express power connector,
as it could bump into something if it is put on the wrong
spot on the video card.

For the power supply, I think the specs listed for the supply,
are good for a gaming rig with a single good video card. The
trick is, to figure out who actually makes the supply, and whether
that manufacturer is reputable or not. There are so many (bogus)
brands created, to move the cheap stuff, that threads like
this cannot hope to keep up with it.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=108088

Supplies are reviewed with a proper PSU tester here. Anandtech
has also been trying their hand at power supply reviews. The
kind of reviews I don't like, are the two page ones, where the
technical input amounts to "oooh, shiny". For a power supply
review, you want something that resembles an attempt at a
technical analysis. The reviews on Newegg can also help, as
long as you can separate some of the erroneous statements
from the useful feedback. (For example, a low household AC
voltage, does not cause low DC output voltage. Supplies are
regulated after all, and have line and load regulation, meaning
they resist things like the effects of low AC voltage, or the
effects of video or CPU variable loading.) You shouldn't pay
attention to all the Newegg comments. But reports of DOA or
early failures, are useful info.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/

Have fun,
Paul

Hi,

Thanks for all your responses.

I will be looking at the Intel chip you recommended. I am getting the
smaller drive to install the operating system. I read that that using
a second hard drive for storage and another for the operating system
and installations will help maintain long-term performance.

I have a choice of running xp and vista. I will probably stick to xp
because of all the horror stories I have heard about vista...so I
guess I will be adding a floppy.

For the most part, I will be using this computer for sound and image
editing with some light gaming.

I have a couple of techie friends who swear by the amd chips. Do you
all feel intel to be better overall?

On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 15:45:05 -0800 (PST), guy
wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for all your responses.

I will be looking at the Intel chip you recommended. I am getting the
smaller drive to install the operating system. I read that that using
a second hard drive for storage and another for the operating system
and installations will help maintain long-term performance.

I have a choice of running xp and vista. I will probably stick to xp
because of all the horror stories I have heard about vista...so I
guess I will be adding a floppy.

For the most part, I will be using this computer for sound and image
editing with some light gaming.

I have a couple of techie friends who swear by the amd chips. Do you
all feel intel to be better overall?

My nephew is so good at screwing up my machine, I have adopted the
second drive option as well.

What I have done is made a 10 Meg partition for XP. This is so I can
keep the backup pretty small. I put apps on the another partition.

I then use Acronis to make a copy of my OS regularly, like just before
he comes over to visit.

I can then just make it like he was never there.

I put the backup file on the other partition. I also have a copy on a
network drive.

Vista isn't all that bad, if you can get drivers for all your peripherals,
and all of the software that you need is supported by Vista.

I've been running Vista X64 Home Premium for some months. The main
unanticipated expense was Photoshop CS2: it didn't run quite right. I ended
up upgrading to CS3 (= Photoshop 10). None of my software is 64 bit, but I
have 4 GB of RAM.

AMD CPUs are good. I used an Athlon 64 3500+ and an X2 4400+. The latter
soldiers on in a hand-me-down system that I built for a friend. However, in
the current generation, Intel is supposed to be the unambiguous performance
leader, even when price is considered. I believe that's supposed to be true
for CPU intensive tasks like video editing.

I think that some people like AMD CPUs because Intel is regarded as the evil
empire, like Microsoft. I hope that AMD continues to thrive, because I
believe that they create price competition with Intel. They also provide
technical competition; I doubt that Intel would have supported the EMT64
instructions (64 bit desktop) on the current schedule in the absence of
AMD's success with their version.

"guy" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Thanks for all your responses.

I will be looking at the Intel chip you recommended. I am getting the
smaller drive to install the operating system. I read that that using
a second hard drive for storage and another for the operating system
and installations will help maintain long-term performance.

I have a choice of running xp and vista. I will probably stick to xp
because of all the horror stories I have heard about vista...so I
guess I will be adding a floppy.

For the most part, I will be using this computer for sound and image
editing with some light gaming.

I have a couple of techie friends who swear by the amd chips. Do you
all feel intel to be better overall?

"guy" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Thanks for all your responses.

I will be looking at the Intel chip you recommended. I am getting the
smaller drive to install the operating system. I read that that using
a second hard drive for storage and another for the operating system
and installations will help maintain long-term performance.

I have a choice of running xp and vista. I will probably stick to xp
because of all the horror stories I have heard about vista...so I
guess I will be adding a floppy.

For the most part, I will be using this computer for sound and image
editing with some light gaming.

I have a couple of techie friends who swear by the amd chips. Do you
all feel intel to be better overall?

Right now, yes. Intel is on a real hot streak with it's Core 2 Duos and
Quads. They run cooler and overclock very easily with little hassle. A lot
of the "techie" types go AMD just because it isn't Intel.....:-). I always
go with what happens to be the best at the time so right now that happens to
be the Intels.

Ed

On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 13:00:01 -0800 (PST), guy
wrote:

Hi,

I am getting a system together. It's my first computer in many years
and I decided to build it myself. For convenience's sake, I'm getting
everything from Newegg. So, since I don't know as much as I should to
pull this off, I was wondering if some of you who actually know what
they're doing could take a look at my list of components and tell me
if I can do better, within a 1500 budget. Any input or help will be
very much appreciated.

Check mwave. They offer testing of mb bundles for $10. Well worth
the $10 to know the thing worked at least once.

"Ed Medlin" wrote in message
...

"guy" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Thanks for all your responses.

I will be looking at the Intel chip you recommended. I am getting the
smaller drive to install the operating system. I read that that using
a second hard drive for storage and another for the operating system
and installations will help maintain long-term performance.

I have a choice of running xp and vista. I will probably stick to xp
because of all the horror stories I have heard about vista...so I
guess I will be adding a floppy.

For the most part, I will be using this computer for sound and image
editing with some light gaming.

I have a couple of techie friends who swear by the amd chips. Do you
all feel intel to be better overall?

Right now, yes. Intel is on a real hot streak with it's Core 2 Duos and
Quads. They run cooler and overclock very easily with little hassle. A lot
of the "techie" types go AMD just because it isn't Intel.....:-). I always
go with what happens to be the best at the time so right now that happens
to be the Intels.

Ed

Ed,

You forgot another big reason why many of us "non-techie" (or "semi-techie"
; ) types go AMD: They're less expensive.