PC I'm gonna build for University

[SoCalian]

wish list.I am saving up my money to buy this rig. It will be the first PCthat I am going to build, and I want to make sure everything is compatable, and if there is any thing I am missing.

 

[SoCalian]

Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update Rosewill TU-155 Black 0.8mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Rosewill ATX12V 400W with P4 support Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TU-155

In Stock
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$52.99 $52.99

Update ABIT Fatal1ty AN8-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: Fatal1ty AN8-SLI
** This item is warranted through the product manufacturer only. what's this?
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ETA: 11/28/2005 10:47:00 AM
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$202.00 $202.00

Update eVGA 256-P2-N376-AX Geforce 6800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: 256-P2-N376-AX

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$284.99 $284.99

Update AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA3800BVBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3800BVBOX

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$322.00 $322.00

Update CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail
Model #: VS1GBKIT400

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$72.00 $72.00

Update Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD740GD

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$161.00 $161.00

Update Western Digital Caviar SE WD3000JD 300GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD3000JD
** This item may only be returned for a replacement of the same make/model within 30 days only. what's this?
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$136.50 $136.50

Update Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
Model #: PZ30AU

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$47.00 $47.00

Update DCLCD DCL9C Black 19" 12ms LCD Monitor - Retail
Model #: DCL9C
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**Dead Pixels Policy: Replacement or Refund for 8 or more dead pixels only.
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$239.99 $239.99

Update Logitech MX518 931352-0403 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1x Wheel USB + PS/2 Optical Mouse - Retail
Model #: 931352-0403

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$38.88 $38.88

Update PLEXTOR Black IDE DVD Burner Model PX-740A/SW-BL - Retail
Model #: PX-740A/SW-BL
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$79.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.98

Update CHAINTECH AV-710 8 (7.1) Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Model #: CT-AV710

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$25.00 $25.00
Subtotal: $1,722.33

 

[Speedo]

Update Rosewill TU-155 Black 0.8mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Rosewill ATX12V 400W with P4 support Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TU-155

Not familiar with that case, so I can't comment. With a dual-core CPU and a power hungry gfx card though, you're going to want a power supply better than the cheap one that comes with that case. The PSU in a computer is one place you absolutely can't afford to skimp out - it will save you many headaches. I would look at something like a Antec Neopower 480W.

Update ABIT Fatal1ty AN8-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: Fatal1ty AN8-SLI

Any particular reason you want that mobo? If you don't have plans to do SLI, then you could most likely get an Asus A8N-E or something similar and save yourself about $100. If you do want the SLI capability, I would recommend an Asus A8N-SLI Premium, for about $40 less. It's the board I use, and I wouldn't swap out of for anything else.

The only real reason to spend that much on the Abit board is if you want to overclock... there, it does have a slight edge over Asus.

Update Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD740GD

Don't burn your money on a Raptor, especially if you're only going to do single drive. It will only make a difference in load times of games, but it won't make all that much of a difference in single drive.

If you want performance in your main HDD, I would get a pair of 40 or 80GB SATAII drives and stripe (RAID0) them. Such a configuration won't have the seek times of a Raptor, but the transfer rate will blow a single Raptor out of the water, and should only cost $100 or a little more, total.

I'm using a striped pair of Samsung HD080HJ drives (SATAII, 80GB), which cost me $60 per drive back in September.

Other than that everything looks good to me. What about an OS? I would get a floppy drive also, it's nice to have for BIOS upgrades and the like, plus you'll have to have one if you're going to do a RAID array.

Anyway, happy building

 

[CruddyLeper]

I agree with Speedo about the PSU - 60 dollars for a PSU and case isnt' going to get you a very good PSU.

I'd go Hiper 580 (what I have in my computer) - guaranteed SLI compatible. Expsenive but worth every penny. If you NEVER plan to do SLI, they do a 480W version.

Good PSUs have PFC (Power Factor Correction) - they constantly monitor what they are putting out and adjust it a thousand times a second or so. Active PFC is best, passive PFC is OK, but a non-PFC power supply with a high end system is asking for trouble.

Speedo has much more experience with SLI boards than me, so I defer to his greater experience here.

Hard drives are much of a muchness really unless you spend silly money - it's good advice he's given, as per practically every post I've seen him make.

Just thought an explanation might be a good idea.

You can get grades of hard drive performance here - just choose the comparison method from the top menu and press Sort.

http://www.storagereview.com/comparison.html

Raid 0 systems add 15% on the average to single drive speeds, so his RAID 0 SATA IIs give my non RAID Fujitsu MATs a good run for the money. And cost Speedo less! Although I've twice as much storage space, which is some consolation to me, I guess.

EDIT: Why people buy sound cards when there is onboard sound built into the motherboard, I'll never know.

 

[Speedo]

I'd go Hiper 580 (what I have in my computer) - guaranteed SLI compatible. Expsenive but worth every penny. If you NEVER plan to do SLI, they do a 480W version.

Funny, you almost never see Hiper on this side of the pond. If they hadn't been in THG's PSU stress test a few months ago I wouldn't have even heard of them. IIRC, that unit actually didn't do so well in the test.

Personally I'm running a Seasonic S12-600W. It's a very good unit, highly efficient, quiet, and rock solid. Cost me $150. Unless you have plans to do SLI, you really don't need a PSU that hefty, though.

Raid 0 systems add 15% on the average to single drive speeds, so his RAID 0 SATA IIs give my non RAID Fujitsu MATs a good run for the money. And cost Speedo less! Although I've twice as much storage space, which is some consolation to me, I guess.

Well, I have 300GB in my server so I don't worry about that for my main box

EDIT: Why people buy sound cards when there is onboard sound built into the motherboard, I'll never know.

It actually does make a difference, since onboard sound eats CPU cycles. I've seen claims of up to a 10% performance hit with onboard sound vs sound card. And of course, I've yet to hear onboard sound that could rival a good sound card for audio quality

 

[CruddyLeper]

Funny, you almost never see Hiper on this side of the pond. If they hadn't been in THG's PSU stress test a few months ago I wouldn't have even heard of them. IIRC, that unit actually didn't do so well in the test.

http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/200507111/index.html

Yeah, it failed their test because the -12V line was too low.

DO you know why? Because nothing uses -12V anymore. Had they actually put all of them under -12V load, I wonder how many would have passed?

Or indeed regulated properly. The OCZ didn't pass their tests, but they just put up a notice for that so they wouldn't get all their free memory modules withheld. This is a fair review? I don't think so.

PSU's are my speciality. I build them for fun. It's a dangerous hobby and for the most part very tedious, but I like it.

Personally I'm running a Seasonic S12-600W. It's a very good unit, highly efficient, quiet, and rock solid. Cost me $150. Unless you have plans to do SLI, you really don't need a PSU that hefty, though.

Hmm... I recommend biggest, most stable people can afford. That way when (not IF, when) there's a problem they can't blame their PSU.

Well, I have 300GB in my server so I don't worry about that for my main box

Ach! Latency all over the shop.

I'm joking.

It actually does make a difference, since onboard sound eats CPU cycles. I've seen claims of up to a 10% performance hit with onboard sound vs sound card. And of course, I've yet to hear onboard sound that could rival a good sound card for audio quality

Depends on the onboard sound really.

And what sort of a difference? 2%?

If you've CPU cycles to spare, then none.

 

[SoCalian]

Thanks for the info guys, for the record, I do want to do SLI eventually, I would like to Raid, and I couldn't find a floppy drive on newegg. My biggest problem now is finding a job, I've been trying since june, and I can't find one.

 

[Speedo]

Floppies:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ice=&MaxPrice=&SubCategory=13&Submit=Property