Help Would be greatly appreciated

Stevenpfo

Emperor
Joined
Dec 27, 2001
Messages
1,206
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
Hey everybody. I'm looking to order a new computer today or tomorrow and would love some feedback. I was hoping to only spend around $2,500.00 (2,250 USD) Canadian on it.

Here's what I have so far (all prices are CAD):

Case - $123.03 - Thermaltake Armor JR. Tower Case Black ATX
CPU - $326.89 - Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Dual Core Processor
OS - $176.35 - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM
Motherboard - $231.42 - MSI 975X Platinum V.2 ATX LGA775 Conroe 975X
RAM - $395.50 - Corsair XMS2 6400 TWIN2XP2048-6400C4
HD - $394.31 - Western Digital Raptor X 150GB 10000RPM NCQ
Video Card - $501.72 - Sapphire Radeon X1900XT 625MHZ 512MB 256BIT
PSU - $190.43 - OCZ GameXStream 700W ATX12V 24PIN SLI
Sound Card - $139.15 - Creative Sound Blaster X-FI Xtreme Music 24BIT
DVD Burner - $69.34 - NEC ND-3520A DVD+RW 16X8X16 DVD-RW
Mouse - $91.84 - Logitech G7 Laser 2.4GHZ Cordless Mouse USB

Equals - $2,245.67 CAD ($2,026.00 USD).

Before I carry on i'd like to mention something. I've been out of the loop computer wise for around 7 months now. I've attempted to keep up on it but i've been overseas in Afghanistan so i'm kinda clueless to some things. I'd also like to mention that I know some new things are coming out in due time but I want my new computer now (yes, i'm greedy). I want it for my leave break and Christmas break coming up before work picks up again.

So my question is this: Do I need all of that? Should I change any of it? For instance. The 10,000 RPN HD. Would it be worthwhile to get a cheaper/bigger HD that was only 7,200 RPM? Should I get an Nvidia video card? I've heard good things about some of their new cards.

Thanks to anyone who even read this far. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I already have a new monito (Dell 24 inch widescreen) and i'll buy the speakers from a store around here because i'm not sure about any of the ones i've seen so far. I also have a new keyboard (Logitech G15). Thanks again.

ncix.com is where i'm planning on getting it. From all the price comparisons i've done for Canadian stores it seems to be the best all around.
 
Weird setup. I suggest you get a bigger, and slower, hard drive. One at 7200 RPM that is 200 or even 250 GB. 10 thousand RPM isn't going to give you much of a boost, unless you're a server, but the extra 50/100 GB will be useful.

Why do you need a 700 W power supply? I realise this PC needs a lot of power, but I would think 500 W would be certainly enough for it, no?

Video cards are personal preference. I use nVidia exclusively, personally.

What are you going to use the computer for mostly, anyway? Unless you are going to do intense gaming with the most graphically intensive games, or video editing, you can buy a 256 MB video card. Hardly anything really makes use of 512 MB now.
 
Thanks for the reply solver. I did switch up the HD in the end and went with a 7200RPM 500 GB HD and it even saved me a bit of money.

The PSU is larger in case I decide to upgrade later on down the road. I'm hoping to spend a little more now to save a lot later. If that makes sense,

Thanks for the reply.
 
500 GB? That would be a SCSI disk, I assume? I can't imagine what you can fill such a hard drive with, at the moment.
 
no, it wouldnt be scsi...they have 750 gig sata's now. plus scsi disks are expensive little _____.
 
looks good to me. Would suggest getting a secondary hard drive, for storage, sometihng like a 320 gig, they are pretty cheap these days
 
It's probably too late, what you have is good, but I have a few suggestions:
Unless you are networking several computers, there is no need for windows/professional. The home version is just fine, and will save you $100.
I am a fan of fast disks, and the WD raptor 10k drives are good. The ADFD models have a 16m cache. The X models have a window which is useless and adds considerable to the cost. You could get a 36g model for $105, 74g for $160, and 150g for $200, depending on your storage needs now. If backup is important,(and it should be) get an external drive.
I like corsair memory, but I would get the non-C4 memory for $100 less and spend it on a core-duo e6600 instead
Look at the Antec solo case, at $90, it is very quiet, and is large enough for your needs.
Lastly, see if there is room in your budget for a second small monitor. I use mine to keep e-mail open and for the hut-finder program.
 
I would have stuck with the 10,000 rpm drive, but gotten a smaller version. I've got the 36gb one, and it really does make a huge difference to loading times, and windows booting up. It improves speed in areas where faster processors, memory and graphics cards don't make any difference.

Thats all I need for windows and games, and all my music and videos and stuff goes on a pair of slower 250gb drives.
 
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