HELP!! First Time Builders PC Components

APEVIA X-Dreamer ATXB3KLW-BK/420W Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX 420W power supply for AMD/Intel Power Supply - Retail
$59.99+$15.99shipping
$75.98
(ordered)

Intel BOXDP965LTCK LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$109.99

EVGA 128-P2-N441-LX GeForce 7300GT 128MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
$59.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6400 - Retail
$218.00

A-DATA 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
***this ram is 1.8v so i think i shouldnt have a problem if i do go with that intel motherboard*** i can always get more later so this will do to start with
$62.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
***should i get a smaller one for just the os and programs or would this one drive be ok for putting everything on.***
$84.99

Hanns·G HW-191DPB Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
***im not sure if i will get this one or not***
$174.99

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2b - OEM
$109.99

APEVIA CF12SL-UBL 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - Retail
$6.99

SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
$7.99


all these prices are from newegg i have never built a computer but i am pretty confident that i can putt it together im just not sure about it starting up right and working when i put everything together and installing everything on it. i was going to use the PSU that comes with the case so i dunno if i need another one or not any advice would be helpful i just want to make sure im getting something i can upgrade later on. i wont be able to buy all the parts at once i was going to order parts as i have the extra money. all i need a computer for is dvd encoding and music and surfing the web and maybe some online flash games and sometimes Age of the Empire or other older games. this seems like it would be more then what i need so i think it should last a while for the stuff that i would use it for.

all i have now is an old HP thats not expandable and i think the motherboard is going out on it but its still working ok for the time being.

please give me some advice on if this would be a decent system for a first time builder im a fast learner so i think that i should have no problem putting it together as long as everything works good without a bunch of complicated setup or updates needed.

 

ehhh no--in fact; there's no way in hell that that will be a 'quality' power supply--If I were you I'd shell out some money for an Ultra Power Supply---that's what I got in my budget rig and every review I've ever read about them has been positive--they've been shown to have the best bang/buck from my experience when building a low budget comp.

 

do you think that i could use that stock PSU to get everything setup then later on get a better name brand one because i dont think that that case is a bad price even if it didnt have a PSU. are the other components i have decent enough for a good easy first build i want to stick with the intel core 2 duo for sure but im just wondering about how well everything else will work

 

the stock psu would be okay to use as you get the machine up and running, but you don't to max out your power needs or run it a long time by any means. that's an upgrade ASAC (as soon as convenient) piece.

 

thats pretty much what i was figuring with the power source but i like that case and its a plus that it comes with one. what do u think about the other components any other suggestions that would be better and around the same price range as i have already???

 

I have to agree with the concern about the power supply. It won't be long before you'll have all kinds of issues. Think of the PSU as the backbone of your system. When it starts malfunctioning you'll have a heap of trouble because the rest of the system will be adversly affected.

I would also say for you to learn how to install Windows on a SATA drive (you have a good choice by the way). One of the things to be aware is that your harddrive must be the First Bootable in your BIOS.

Good choice on having a floppy. Some argue it is old tech, but I still find many uses for it.

Is the $ figure you listed the maximum amount you can budget? Have you taken into account shipping costs?

 

yea that total is without shipping on newegg but since im going to be ordering components as i can the total isnt as big of an issue. i thought that i could build a really nice computer over time rather then dumping a bunch on a prebuilt HP or something just to have it outdated and not upgradeable soon after i buy it. im only going to have the one hard drive so i figured sata would be the best since i want just the dvd burner on the ide cable. is it that much of a problem installing windows on it because thats the only thing im worried about when i do get everything put together. im not sure exactly what i would use the floppy for but i thought it would be easier if i did have to do some updates or something.

 

btw since im not going to be doing any OCing or any other super fantastic power needs what would be a reasonable wattage and price for a PSU that would do everything i need. also how do u tell which device uses a certain rail voltage :\ i have the basic idea of how all the rails are in the PSU. i think im going to buy everything from newegg they seem to be the best most everyones reviews say that newegg rocks and their prices are reasonable for what i have seen.

 

A floppy drive is good for the MemTest86+ that tests your memory to see if it has any errors. It is a valuable little tool.

I really like a few of your choices, particularly your motherboard, cpu, and harddrive though I am not familiar with Seagate's harddrives that perpendicular recording technology. However, I do have a Seagate Barricuda in a Sata and it has been good.

Kingston does make good RAM and if you can save up a little more cash I would definitely look for 2 gigs in a 2x1 Kit. Consider Corsair's ValueSelect as well. Crucial, too, makes excellent RAM. Heck, there are tons of great RAM manufacturers!

Again, if you save your money you can buy a very good power supply that won't break the bank. And you can get some very nice Cooler Master cases for $50 at NewEgg that are excellentfor your needs.

The video card, next to that psu, is the weakest part to your build. My suggestion would be, HRJustin, is continue to discipline yourself of saving and buying good parts. make a wish list and shoot for that list, but don't become inflexible. That is how I did it with my newest build.

I would also suggest looking at ZipZoomfly for your parts especially since they have free shipping. The only thing I would caution is that NewEgg has the very best customer support -- period. ZZF is harder to deal with on that aspect. Still, I have purchased from both and I haven't had a problem. Good luck and keep asking questions if they arise.

Edit Update: 480 to 550 watts in a reputable psu manufacturer like Enermax, Forton, and Seasonic should be considered. if you are going to do serious gaming a good PSU is importan; if not, it still is there if you need it.

 

i like the APEVIA X-Dreamer II case it looks the best and i like the digital temperature readout on the front of the case. it seems like a decent price for just the case and i figured it would be just a junk thrown in power supply. theres so many different power sources to pick from and i dont know what would be the best one to choose. the most popular one on newegg is the Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply - Retail but its only like 40 bucks so i dont know if its a good one or not any other suggestions?????

 

so does anyone else have some suggestions about what i could change or what power source i should buy i dont want to cheap out or anything but i dont need anything really special im not a hard gamer or anything like that.

 

i just want some advice on what sound card and power source to get i think everything else is good for what i will be using it for.

 

Well I am a little disagreement with everyone here. Yes there are better power supplies, but for what you have mentioned you do this one will most likely work just fine for you and if not you can get one at a later date.
The motherboard is good, but as was already mentioned if you haven't ever installed a system with just a SATA hard drive it can be tricky. I have found that Gigabyte boards seem to play with SATA the best as far as initial loading goes.
Decent enough video card...., Nice processor....., Very good hard drive......, Nice RAM, I like you can go up to 8GB with this board......, Not sure about needing the floppy I find the all in one card readers are much more usefull for the 3.5" slot...., The board already has 6 Channel audio built in so give it a try and see how it sounds before purchasing a sound card. Most on board audio is good enough for the average user. You could save a few $$ on the operating system by going with just XP instead of media center.

All in all this system will be just fine and still better than any HP, Compaq, Dell or any other brand you can find. Good luck and post back if you need some help getting her going.

 

sweet thanks thats what i was hoping as long as i can get some help installing everything when i get it all put together i should be good. anyone elses advice would help me. i dont listen to alot of music on my computer or watch movies so i think the built in audio would suit me just fine and i can always get something better later on

 

let me start by do u guys own sata drive that isnt in a raid slot?

if thats the case then u really gotta b a newb if u dont know how to install windows on it, the only way people have problems with them is beacause they put them in raid slots which is y windows needs a diskette to read the drivers b4 installing it if u dont put it in a raid slot then u will have 0 problems with it

 

i dont think ill have to much of a problem i just havnt ever installed windows this computer came with windows already on it. once i get everything put together ill have to see how hard it will be lol. btw im not using a raid setup or anything just one sata drive and ive never used a sata drive anyways just ide so ill just have to wait and see

 

i see nothing about an audio card...

 

i dont really have a need for a sound card the built in one on the motherboard should suit me fine. i can always buy one later on i just gotta get the main parts first. lol

i was wondering can anyone recommend a good cpu heatsink or is the stock one that comes with an intel core 2 duo fairly decent

 

what will you be using the pc for? that should be the question you ask then pick parts that are best suited to that.

gaming will need a better graphics card, and if you want to use it as media center you might want to look for a case and psu that is very quiet, a well as a quiet cpu heatsinkfan.

if you only have 1 harddrive then installing windows is easy, its easy fullstop, just make sure you have all the right things in your bios set right. mainly your ram voltage and timings other wise you will get lower performance than you should. raid/parralel/legacy options off (as most people dont use them any more) as well as any other ports and drives dissabled that you wont be using.

if you have any trouble ask in the sticky at the top of the threads "officlal pc building"

 

In case you haven't noticed he is a newbie at this and all boards do not load SATA drives the same! Of course it dosen't take a floppy to load the drive (thats why I suggested an all in 1 card reader instead of the floppy) but you will more than likely need to get into your BIOS and configure it to boot from the SATA at least with the Intel MB you will. Some boards don't need any messing with the BIOS that is why I recommended the Gigabyte it would just be an easier intial setup. I have installed plenty of MB with SATA only drives and I believe Gigabyte would be the easiest for a newbie to use, and thats just my opinion of course those of us that have built thousands of computers will think this an easy set up, but again this is HRJustin's first build so I wouldn't go confusing him with too much right now.