Buying a new pc

[CyberFly]

I want to buy a new computer with a small budget, € 1000. I have picked a few things but I'm stuck at this point. I do not know which CPU and GPU to buy.

I want to be able to play new/future games on this machine, medium detail levels will do. There is no need for a ''omg teh 1337!'' € 300+ GPU.

I still have € 500~ to spend on a CPU and GPU.


The system:

PSU: OCZ Modstream 450 Watt

CPU: List from the webshop (http://www.sallandautomatisering.nl/?catId=455)

Mainboard: Asus A8N-SLI SE

Memory: Kingston HyperX 1024 MB, PC4000, 500 MHz, 3 (Two of them)

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 532

HHD: Seagate HDD 7200.9 250 GB, 7200 Rpm, 8 MB, Serial ATA II/300

GPU: List from the webshop (http://www.sallandautomatisering.nl/?catId=376)

A little help for the webshop.
Merk = brand
prijs = price, van = from, tot = up to. (Useful at the GPU section)

[CtrlAltDestroy]

You shouldn't go cheap on the CPU, it's important. :p The GPU can be upgraded later.

If you want to spend much of that 500 (no Euro key) then consider:

AMD Athlon64 4000+ San Diego* - 249.89
Asus VGA GeForce Extreme N6800GT - 219.75

*Single-core- does that matter?

Then you'd have a bit left over for spoiling yourself. :)

Anybody correct me though, I'm kinda new to hardware.

[Kingster]

Well, I'd try and get yourself into a dual core CPU... But you're going to have a hard time doing so. Future games are going to use those second cores, but the way UT (if you'll want to play 2K7) you'll want top of the line stuff (non-SLI) today, which will give you decent framerates at medium levels.

As a side note, you've bought an SLI mobo, but the PSU you've bought won't support it, it's off by at least 100 watts, and most likely closer to 200 shy.

All that being said? CAD is right... Drop the cash on the CPU, and get yourself up and running with something like a 6800. Later on, you can get a new PSU and a second 6800. After that, you can bump your vid cards again when you top out. With what you've selected for your hardware, and the budget you have, I see no other route.

[faet]

7600GT
costs a lil less than a 6800GT and works better.
~200
that and later you could just buy another once it got cheaper and do sli with it.

but yea i agree. i'd go with a dual core even something like the 3800 x2.

[CyberFly]

*kick the thread up*


I made a new list of hardware. Hope I did a good job picking the right stuff. If not, please tell me what I should or shouldn't get.

PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 600 Watt (http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Power/ToughPower/W0103/w0103.asp)

Mainboard: Asus A8N-SLI SE (http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=148&model=789&modelmenu=1)

Memory: Kingston ValueRam (http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator/partsinfo.asp?ktcpartno=KVR400X64C3A/1G) (two of them, total 2048 mb)

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Dual Core (Socket 939)

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 320 GB (http://www.seagate.com/products/personal/barracuda.html)

GPU: XFX 7900 GT (http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurationDetails.jspa?productConfigurationId=186018)

[elwood]

If the exchange rate is what I think it is, it shoudn't be impossible to build a pretty awesome computer for 1,000 euros. More ram is better, but at the moment, you could probably get away with just 1gb, and then get more later. I'm in agreement with everyone else who said splurge on the CPU. I'd also just get a power supply now that can support future upgrades, because there's no sense in planning on getting a new one later, especially considernig thats not one of the high-dollar components of a computer. Also yeah, SLI is a good choice, you can get one video card now, and if you feel you need more performance later, just get another one for pretty cheap.

[Kingster]

Get the AM2 version (not the 939) of that chip if there is one...

Also, I would look for a mobo other than Asus... They have gone way down in quality lately. You might want to wait just a bit - the new NVidia chipset should be out shortly.

[CyberFly]

Get the AM2 version (not the 939) of that chip if there is one...

Also, I would look for a mobo other than Asus... They have gone way down in quality lately. You might want to wait just a bit - the new NVidia chipset should be out shortly.


Why should I get AM2? Is this better for future cpu upgrades or...?


Think I'll stick with Asus for the mainboard. I have good experience with Asus hardware.

[radio667]

1 word ...AlienWare ;)

[Dorkorama]

1 word ...AlienWare ;):hammer: Sure, if you love overpriced computers.

[Moot]

Why should I get AM2? Is this better for future cpu upgrades or...?

AM2 is to replace 939 and support DDR2. AM2 will also be forward compatible with AM3 packages.

[Duesy]

Get the AM2 version (not the 939) of that chip if there is one...

Also, I would look for a mobo other than Asus... They have gone way down in quality lately. You might want to wait just a bit - the new NVidia chipset should be out shortly.
I've heard the same thing about asus... I can remember a time when thats all I'd buy.

[CyberFly]

I'm having a little trouble picking the mainboard, I'm looking for AM2 now. Here (http://www.sallandautomatisering.nl/content/catproducts.php?catId=466&newcat=0&wizard=) is the list of mainboards from the webshop. Hope you guy's can help me pick the right one. (max. price 130)

I found the K9N SLI (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=732), from MSI. It has everything I'm looking for and the price is nice too. But is MSI a good brand, I never had any MSI hardware and can't find any reviews on this mainboard.

[Lunarbunny]

All of the motherboards I've worked with are MSI because the first one I used was extremely reliable, so I continued to buy their stuff. Definitely a brand I would recommend.

[Kingster]

MSI is good stuff, but they are having probs with this mobo.

Can you wait at all? If you can, I would suggest you wait a couple of months. AM2 is new, the Nvidia 5XX Northbridge's are new, DDR2 with AMD is new... It's all very new.

That being said, the price point that you have set (about $130US) doesn't give you much of an option. If you must buy now, then pay a bit more and go with Gigabyte's 590 board - http://www.sallandautomatisering.nl/?catId=466. That will allow you to add in a physics board when they become necessary.

That being said, it is very VERY important that you check the manufacturer website for memory compatibilities... Otherwise, you could be left holding some useless RAM, if it won't work in your mobo.

[CyberFly]

@ Kingster's reply.

Okay, that is to bad. This board really is the thing I'm looking for. I'm going to need those 3 pci slots.

I would like to buy a new pc, I don't need to replace a broken machine or something like that. So yes, I can wait if that is the smartest thing to do.

I can't get that kind of board, I need those 3 pci slots. And I wasn't planning on buying a physics card anyway. :p

Yes, I always check the best I can to make sure that everything can work together.


BTW, if you want to show a product please give the Art.nr. The links you see in your address bar don't work.

[Dorkorama]

I can't get that kind of board, I need those 3 pci slots.If you list what you need those 3 PCI slots for, perhaps we could come up with alternatives.

[CyberFly]

If you list what you need those 3 PCI slots for, perhaps we could come up with alternatives.

One slot for the wireless internet card, one slot for the tv-tuner card and the last slot will be taken by the gpu cooler. I'm placing a Zalman cooler on my gpu(s).

[Kingster]

Unless you are overclocking your GPU, there should be no need for a cooler.

The motherboard I was trying to link you to was Gigabyte's M59SLI-S5, Art.nr 25019.

[overrandom]

:hammer: Sure, if you love overpriced computers.

...and absolutely terrible support :blah:

[Dorkorama]

Unless you are overclocking your GPU, there should be no need for a cooler. *cough*
I'm placing a Zalman cooler on my gpu(s). Zalman coolers are designed for quiet / noiseless operation, Kingster. Overclocking is typically out of the question with them.

[CyberFly]

Unless you are overclocking your GPU, there should be no need for a cooler.

The motherboard I was trying to link you to was Gigabyte's M59SLI-S5, Art.nr 25019.

Most small fans make a lot of noise. That is why I'm going to install an other fan on my gpu. I would like my new pc to be as silent as possible, the one I have now sounds like jet! :blah:


Thanks, I found the same one when I was looking for it.

[faet]

*cough*
Zalman coolers are designed for quiet / noiseless operation, Kingster. Overclocking is typically out of the question with them.

they are only quiet because they have a 90/92mm fan. they do a good job disipating heat, specialy with a half pound of copper.. mine gets 4-8C lower temps than stock.

[Kingster]

So, looking at the way that the GPU is cooled on the card you're looking at (internal ducting - no ducting reaching outside the case) if it is still the XFX 7900 GT... You shouldn't need to worry about your sound levels that much.

I can't hear my 7900 over the PSU fan in my case... Though I will say that I spent a fair amount on my case... It's the Antec P180 (http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=81800). It is product number 13070 on your PC shop's site. Get yourself a good PSU as well, a quiet one... Something like Enermax's Noisetaker... Item 11060 at your shop's site.

The noisiest things in PCs I find are PSUs, case fans, and hard drives. The case I'm directing you to has big slow 120mm fans (quiet) and the Enermax is known for it's silence. The case I mention also comes with rubber drive mount bushings, thereby making the drives quieter. I am quite pleased with the silence of my rig. It's quieter than the flourescent lights in the room where it is located.

[CyberFly]

Thank for the help Kingster! Those parts your showing me look really nice, to bad they are over my price-range.

The standard cooler on the GeForce 7900GT has a really annoying fan. When the system boots, there is this loud whine and whistle. The only way to get rid of the noise is to turn the system off. - Toms Hardware

That is about the XFX 7900 GT, I'm planning on buying that card. That is why I'm going with the Zalman. And also because of most small fans that I have heard make a lot of noise.

The case I'm buying is the Centurion 532 (http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RC-532&other_title=+RC-532+Centurion%20532). After reading a few reviews about it, I picked it out as the best case for me. I'm going to place two 120 mm Zalman case-fans in it. I know, I'm a Zalman-fanboy. :p

The PSU I want to have is the Toughpower 600w (http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Power/ToughPower/W0103/w0103.asp) from Thermaltake. The efficiency looks good to me, +80%. That is very important to me. Using less power is better, save the happy little tree's! :)
I'm also getting the 'special' 65w version of the AMD 64 x2 4200+. It costs a bit more but it is worth it.

I want my pc to be dead silent too. I'm also planning on making my own sound pads. I bet the DIY-center has some nice sound pad making stuff.


I got some information about the problem with MSI mainboard. The systems reboot at random and crash wile handling large files.

[Lunarbunny]

If you use case fans with Molex connectors, I recommend the Antec TruePower series. They have dedicated fan Molex connectors, and adjusts fan speed according to the temperature of the air the PSU is exhausting. It cut the noise of my fans in half, especially the 120mm I have on the front, with no real temperature increases.

http://www.antec.com/us/pro_powerSupply.html
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=23650

However, that Thermaltake monster you linked to doesn't look all that bad.