The (new) Official PC building thread!

Thanks rick!

Ok, I went to another shop today and here's what they recommended:

Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0 GHz SKT-775 CPU
Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2 SKT-775 MATX Motherboard
2 x Rambo 1024 MB PC-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Memory
Seagate 3.5" SATA 500GB 7200 RPM HDD
Liteon 20 x SATA Dual Layer DVD(+-)RW Drive
ECS GEForce 7200 GS 256 MB PCI - E Video Card
Thermal Take Soprano case with window 430W Black MIDI Case
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OEM
Microsoft CA9-00002 Basic Desktop Bundle OEM
V7 R19W12-A1 19" Widescreen 5MS LCD Monitor

This is the quote they gave me, word for word and it's gonna cost around $1599 Australian Dollars (roughly $1350 US)

Also, would it be wise to use a smaller hard drive, say 80 GB, for Windows Operation System to run on while the other big hard drives for storage?

 

popol24,

I'll start with the CPU. A better choice would be the E6420. The E4400 has a higher multiplier but that doesn't seem to have worked out that well for most that have tried to overclock it! You would benefit much more from the extra 2 MB of L2 cache with the 6420, and it overclocks well!
Motherboard is a terrible choice! the 945 chipset doesn't work all that well with C2Ds, and has only 2 stage power regulation. A couple of better choices would be The GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 v1.33 or v3.3. I have the V1.33 and it was the easiest OC of my life!

Your hard drive choice is OK

If you are springing for new memory then go with PC6400 (800MHz) Corsair, G.Skill, any of the better brands. make sure it's cas4 or better. It's not that expensive!

DVD Burners are kind of a subjective thing. I prefer the Sony Optiarcs for the same money as they have a larger 2 MB cache and are available in both Sata and IDE!

Video card is a poor choice as there are much better choices available at low prices, than the 7200. I have an XFX 7600GT and they can be had for around $100 (USD)!

Your case choice is both good and bad. The Case itself is fine but the power supply is a bit short on wattage. I don't recommend anything less than 500 watts these days, preferably with a 70% or higher efficiency rating. Window cases are all nice and pretty, but I don't know that I've seen any with static air vents to help move cool air inside the case. I went from a window to a non window case, and I can say honestly that the non window case keeps things much cooler and lets less noise out.

Your choice of Vista has me completely puzzled. From what I've read, here and in other forums, Vista is a horror show! It's bugs have bugs! XP-Pro SP2 would be a far better choice, especially since I'm not sure if all of the components you list are Vista compatible!

Your monitor is not a great choice either as the resolutions on a 19" widescreens are not that great. Look around at the 20" or larger ones as you get 1680x1050 rather than 1440x900, or even less with some brands!

I fully realize that someone is hoping to sell you all of this, so they have their interests at heart, not yours. Some of the choices they offered you are poor, at best!

Best Regards
theone :>}

 

@popol24
I second everything theonejrs said about the local shops choices...not very good...

You shouldn't be afraid to build it yourself...You should be able to build something much better for the same price...with a little help...
It is not that difficult...and you can get the help you need...Online...

I like the Idea of seperate HD for the OS...I would recommend something bigger then 80GB tho...

Go with at least 2Gb of Ram...It's cheap right now..and its not going to stay that way...

What's your Realistic Budget on the build?..

 

LOL

First off, that had way too much jargon for me lol and I do appreciate your feedback.

Ok, where to begin...

CPU: I don't plan on overclocking anything, because that is way out of my league. And I really didn't understand much about what you said lol
All that "extra 2 MB of L2 cache with the 6420", "highier multiplier" stuff didn't really make sense. (I am an absolute ignorant fool when it comes to this and I'd really like to have a general knowledge so I don't make a fool of myself next time and also because this is highly interesting for me LOL) So, if I'm not going to overclock the CPU I mentioned, does that mean this will suite me just fine?

Motherboard: "the 945 chipset doesn't work all that well with C2Ds, and has only 2 stage power regulation" No idea what's going on here as well lol Again, I'm not into overclocking

Memory: "make sure it's cas4 or better" No idea what all that means lol (I'm sorry for my ignorance again) Are you saying to just get a good brand?

DVD Burner: "larger 2 MB cache" What does that mean and how does it benefit a DVD Burner?

Case: "short on wattage. I don't recommend anything less than 500 watts these days, preferably with a 70% or higher efficiency rating" So I need a better power supply to power up the whole thing? I did like the look of the case. It looks really flashy lol

Vista: Screw it, I'll go with XP SP2. Vista just looked cool, hence I liked it. I also heard that you can't get viruses with Vista, like a Mac... Not sure about this tho

Monitor/Video Card: I won't be playing much games, mainly video editting. I do like playing counter strike and battlefield lol

Thanks for your feedback again, appreciate it

My budget would be around $1500 - $1800 Australian dollars. $2000 would be really pushing it tho. If it's in the price range I mentioned, then it'll be out the door lol

 

popol24,
I just did a little on line shopping and came up with a much better system for $1069 (USD). I priced everything from newegg.com.
$100 GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 v3.3 Motherboard. The 945 chipset is at best a kludge as it was never intended for the C2Ds and works poorly with them!
$100 G.Skill F2-6400CL4D 2x1GB cas 4 memory
$186 Intel E6430
$107 Thermaltake Soprano Case. I know the window looks flashy, but it's strictly a case of form vs function! I'll take function any day having had it both ways with the same components!
$ 70 Thermaltake 500 Watt Dual Rail PS
$ 54 Seagate 160 GB Sata 3.0 HD
$120 Seagate 500 GB Sata 3.0 HD
$ 90 Evga 7600GT 256 GB PCI-e x 16 vid card
$ 33 Sony Optiarc 18x Sata DVD Burner
$ 20 Asus DVD Rom Drive
$179 Sceptre 20.1 Naga 1680x1050 LCD monitor
This all comes to $1069 (USD) and would be a much better system than some of the junk they are offering you.

You would come away with a far superior MB, CPU, memory and PS. You would also have a larger Primary hard drive (160 vs 80 GB) as well as your desired 500 GB, a much better video card, a better DVD Burner and a DVD Rom drive. I own a Sceptre 20.1 and at $179, it's a bargain. For your purposes, it would be a fine machine! As far as overclocking goes, it's not that difficult, particularly with the suggested MB and the other components. Even at a comparitively mild overclock, this would be an excellent machine for video editing!

Trust me when I say that you can build it yourself and everyone here will be more than willing to help if you have any problems. In this day and age, it's an easy thing to do and not complicated at all! The above is just a suggestion to show you what you can get for your hard earned money. If you do plan on leaving it stock, then you won't even really need any better cooling than the CPU cooler that comes with the CPU, although I would still recommend an Arctic Freezer 7 Pro or a Zalman 9500, either way. Add another $50 or so for that

Best Regards,
theone

 

popol, i believe the smaller HD to put your operating system to run on would be a raptor drive...a fast harrdrive that runs at 10kRPM i THINK, and they are often much smaller.

SO yeh, if you ran your OS on that, and then had a big SATA or something for storage.

 

@popol24,
Lp531 and theone are spot on here. I would at least look at building the thing yourself. It's not that difficult and it's fun if you like that sorta thing.

I thought you were looking at TB's of storage. If so you can add 500GB drives all day long for $110USD each. Just a thought.

If you're not confident enough to build this thing yourself then ask a computer "geek" friend how much they would charge to build it for you, while you watched. That's what a buddy did with me but I didn't charge, I'm of the old school; What are friends for? right???

If you want some help choosing components then link us to the sight that you would use for purchasing. Like theone said we would be more than willing to help you in any way that we could.

Best regards,

.....gm

 

Does anybody here use Acronis Image for their backup or restoration for your PC? If you guys do, please tell me how to use it.

 

WOW!!!

First thing I have to say is, thank you guys so much!!! You guys have tremendously helped me with this, and it is very very very much appreciated!!! Not only have you guys saved me time and money, you guys have inspired me to actually build it myself lol. So I think I'll start surfing Australian websites where I can buy the stuff that theonejrs listed there, unless someone else suggests better.

The only thing that I fear is that some of the things listed might not be available here in Australia, or even worse, might not ship to where I live (I live in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; a very very remote capital city and perhaps the most un-advance place in Australia lol). I'll post the webpages where I might potentially buy. I'm open to suggestions on how to get parts to make the PC run better (my limit is around $1300 US).

As for building it, I will get a mate to help me out, so I don't blow it up LOL.

Also, if anyone knows a good Australian website to buy the cheap stuff, posting it here or sending me a pm would be great. I would look around in computer shops here in Darwin, but I doubt I'll find cheap stuff here. They bloody overcharge here!!!

Another question: How many hard drives can that case hold? And how many SATA ports does that motherboard have? And what does C2D and cas4 mean? Cheers

Anyways, thanks again guys and keep in touch

 

@popol

http://www.pcbudget.com.au/contact_frameset.html
http://www.pcparts.net.au/

Theres just 2....ill have a better look later mate.

 

c2d: core 2 duo (type of CPU made by INTEL, one of the best right now)
CAS 4: I will keep it simple: How fast the memory can access something, lower is better.

 

I use it what do you need, and what version do you have?

 

theonejrs..I stand corrected on my mobo,I was thinking of the secondary for DVD Drives.I had a plextor that I was going to
use,but couldn't.Had to order a SATA Drive
Really didn't pay attention.But I am happy with everything.I'm liken Sata a lot better


popol24..Even if U don't understand the JARGON..Just remember to buy what is suggest by all these helpful people their suggestions are for improvements & better Products.U will learn jargon as U go.When U do learn.it will be easier to look back & remember that U did heed this advice instead of regretting
Just don't forget to buy a Mid to Max tower..U can have upwards of 10 bays for HDD or xtra burners..
Pretty sure they also cool better
I bought this case & am really happy with it..Looks classy & is roomy
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208019
Specs are great,so are the customer revues

 

@rick5446
How many CD/DVD Drives do you have?..

@popol24
You might look at MWave.AU...I have been looking at prices...almost double the =USA=...
http://www.mwave.com.au/newAU/mwave...OHUOIRYNME4N3CL8RIL3USO1YFTCFDKNWCDJQM7IU8MIB

If you are set on Vista...I would go with a 8600 video card...over the 7600GT...for the direct X10...

I like the Enermax Chakra Case for Cooling...Noise...and Quietness...It is hard to beat in its price range...

@theonejrs
What do you think of the GA-P35-DQ6 Motherboard?..

 

Lp531..I've got 6 DVD RW's..2 in ea computer
Its just as cheap to buy burners as it is to buy DVD Drives,also they read faster.I like 1 for reading & 1 for writing..2 is always better then one..Had just one for the longest time,way back when they were still 100bucks +.When it went tits up I bought 2.Old school has definetlly taught me never to burn over 4x no matter what

 

LP531,

I looked at it when it first came out and it looks like a terrific MB. I was kind of leery of the huge northbridge heatsink as I felt that it would be trouble because of too much heat around the CPU and the possible difficulty in mounting some CPU coolers. I guess I was right as they have changed it to a much smaller one. The MB you get now, is not the same as the one shown on Newegg. If you click on the manufacturer's product site you will see the difference. My best guess is that the large one was transfering too much heat to the CPU cooler, as I encountered pretty much the same problem with my DS3. I added a Silenex 6 cfm 40x40x20mm fan to my NB heatsink, blowing down, away from the cpu cooler and my temps came down a good bit. 10-13C on the MB temps and dropped my CPU temps as well.

I'm pretty well set for now with the GA-965P-DS3 v1.33, and if I ever decide to go Quad Core, my DS3 has the 1333 fsb for it. The prices will have to drop a lot on the Quads before I would even consider it though!

rick5446,

Depends on the burners. I use an Asus E616A2 DVD-Rom, as they have a 2MB cache. Much better player than a DVD Burner. I've been using A Sony/Optiarc AD-717A DVD burner with the same 2 MB cache. I find the pair work very well together. I use them in all my customer builds!

As far as burning speed goes, I find that the quality of the Discs to be the main factor when it comes to speed in burning them. I have stuck with the Ridata (Riteck) 16x and mostly burn at that speed. I've made 2 coasters in the last 400+ burns, and both were my fault as I tried to burn them when it warned me not to! I stick with the Ridata 16x and Sony/Yuden 8x and have no problems at all. (Don't yell at me DocTY! LOL!!)

Clock On,
theone :>)

 

theonejrs..B4 Ben-Q quit I bought 2 burners from Newegg for my old computer both work really well for reading & burning.The only Discs I find problems with are the Verbs.I end up with bad sectors on quite a few Discs.Bought LiteOn 20x SATAs for my others as they were the best price at the time W/Good ratings.Only time will tell

 

popol24,
Have a look here and do some homework.
http://www.umart.com.au/newindex2.phtml?bid=2

This store is as cheap as you will find anywhere and they have an extensive range of stock.
One important point(and I can't stress the importance of this enough),is the power supply(psu). Don't think that for $39 for a 500watt power supply is going to do the same job as a $130 power supply.I can promise you it will fail and that's guaranteed.Don't be tempted to buy a case/psu combo,your asking for trouble.As you live in Darwin,I know things can get pretty warm up there so look for a case with good ventilation and lots of fans(or the option of adding more should the need arise).The stock cpu cooler will do you if your staying at stock speeds.
If your like most of us,curiosity will get the better of you and you will try to get your pc running faster than stock.If you think that is a possibility in the future then go with a motherboard that gives you those options in the bios or you will be stuck at stock speeds..(ask on this forum for some recommendations.)Then an aftermarket cpu cooler will have to be a consideration.
Rambo memory is at the lower end of the quality spectrum so I would avoid it.Corsair is probably the best value for money as far as quality/performance/reliability go.It is available in various configurations,again ask here for advice.
I have only ever used seagate drives and have never had one fail on me yet so I can highly recommend them.
As far as graphics cards go,there are more knowledgable people on this subject than me so just ask.Just make sure when choosing a card,go for a well known manufacturer like Asus.There is more support available in case you have any issues.
Hope this helps and don't forget to ask for opinions/advice if you see something you like and want to know more.
Regards,Crowy.

 

Ok, I done some online homework and here's what I've found

Motherboard:

Option 1

Memory:

Option 1
Option 2

CPU:

I'm not sure if theonejrs meant an Intel E6430 or an Intel E6420 and I've searched Australian websites on the Intel E630 and I can't find any.

Option 1
Option 2

Case:
I'm not sure whether the case that theonejrs recommended should come with a power supply. I assumed that it won't come with a power supply, seeing that he recommended a power supply on the list.

Option 1
Option 2

Power Supply:

Option 1

Hard Drives:
I can buy hard drives here at a decent cost so I won't bother looking for this on the internet

Video Card:
I can't find a 7600GT, or maybe it was meant to be 7600GS???

Option 1
Option 2

DVD Burner/Drives:

I'm pretty sure I can get some decent ones here and also I can't find the stuff that theonejrs listed on Australian websites. ALso, why would I need a DVD Rom if I've got a DVD-Burner?

Option 1

Monitor:

I don't think Sceptre is available here in Australia. I googled it and the only place where I can find it that'll ship to Australia is on ebay lol I'm not really fuss about the monitor, as long as it's flat panel (I've had to use those big box monitors for like 3 years lol)

So there's the list. What do you guys reckon??? I've found a great search engine for all the parts:Shopbot. Scorptec is the site that my friend recommended mainly due to their "exceptional custumer service". But they overcharge too much! Anyways, thanks again guys!

Ok, I done some quick calcs on the items, and used the lowest price

$162 Motherboard
$193 Memory
$213.61 CPU
$135 PSU
$129 Case
$150 Video Card
$100 Hard Drive
$60.5 DVD Burner
N/A DVD Rom Drive
$260 Monitor
$1403.11 Total

Add another $100 - $150 for shipping and I'll hit my budget

 

popol24,
The price difference on the case is amazing. $60 difference. Go for the less expensive one!

Good choice on the motherboard. It's the next step up from mine!

The first memory choice is best. The PC2667 is a misprint as it's actually 800MHz not 667. Again, it's what I'm using. Very good memory!

The E6420 is the best choice it's pretty much the current low price champ right now. I want one to replace my E4300! I do a lot of video too and would enjoy the extra 2 MB of l2 cache memory! Not a bad price for your part of the world!

Power supply is a good choice!

Video card, I would recommend the GT over the GS as you plan on doing video work. It's a much better and faster card.

As far as the monitor goes stay with 20" or above in a widescreen. The resolution is much better! 1680x1050 vs 1440x900 or lower! With the GT and a 1680x1050 monitor you should have outstanding video!

Put all these components together and you should have an excellent computer that will be very versatile. Should be outstanding editing video!

Best Regards,
Russ