New Build + Advice needed

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baumaxx1
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New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

Hey,
My Bday's coming up, and Grandma offered to pay for part of a new computer, so I wanted to start fresh as my current PC is 5 years old... heavily upgraded of course, and having an OS on for 5 years is starting to be annoying due to degradation.

) I need something pretty powerful as I'm an engineering student and will be doing CAD, Simulation, Maths and Coding on it.

) Media Server duties, HD Video Playback, HD TV, Music Management and basic Video Editing also to await the PC.

) Photoshop + Photography work. I've worked with very large Photoshop files and the E2180 chugs a fair bit, and the 2GB RAM runs out, lol. It's not a matter of chucking in a better CPU and RAM... my cheap Mobo doesn't support all that much, lol.

) Gaming of Course. I really have no doubts that this will perform well in that area. My current set-up runs games on high. It's CPU really screws the 3D mark over, but I can play all my games on it fine, lol.

++ It's in the study, so I want it to be fairly quiet so it doesn't annoy me when doing work, run pretty cool... and of course I want reliability!

The Parts: (buying from www.msy.com.au)

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP43 UD3L $155
=> I don't think It's worth extra money for a P45... isn't it just the ram speed you can run? Won't bother with SLI. Is there another alternative with the same specs that's cheaper? I wanted the DS3L, but they've been replaced.

CPU Intel E8500 $282
=> I've seen that the E8500 is very quick. I can get a Q8200 for $5 less, but I'm better off with the E8500 because of the extra power right?

RAM 4GB G.Skill - NT DDR2 RAM 800 $74
=> Need 4GB obviously. Don't need to spend too much. Easily upgraded when need be.

Master HDD WD SATA 500GB $86
=> For system + Programs. Will try and set-up dual-boot with XP and Vista.

About the dual boot... is 64-bit Vista worth it? What will I get out of it apart from more RAM, and what issues will I have? I can compensate for those by running 32-bit XP though on another partition right?
Seems worth it so I can use all the RAM that the system will have (Close to 5GB with graphics), especially with some of the stuff that requires a hefty PC.

Now that I've said that... what's a good partition arrangement? 250GB each system? or Get a 640GB and have 320 for each? Otherwise I can do a Vista 340 - 160 XP split.
What do all you guys do?

Secondary HDD WD SATA 500GB $86
=> For Documents, Music, Movies, Downloads, Pictures etc.

GFX Card Nvidia GTX 260 896Mb Gigabyte $315
=> Cheaper than a Gigabyte HD4870 now by $20, runs cooler, quieter than a generic HD4870, similar performance... marginal difference most of the time. Both do well enough at 1080p lol.Has PhysX. Better 3D mark Vantage scores.
However... I still am open to the HD4870 though.

DVD Burner Liteon DVD Burner $28
=> It reads and writes dics... Good enough.

Case Antec 900 $193
=> Good case. Does the 902 have filters though for the dust?

PSU Seasonic M12 700W $189
=> Overkill or not? Not sure if I can save money here by decreasing wattage, but I want enough for this setup.... + a bit extra if I add another HDD and upgrade graphics a couple of years down the track.

Audio Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio $72
=> Not strictly necessary, but I like my sound quality. I have good headphones so it won't be a waste I think.

OS Vista Home Premium 64-Bit $183
=> Mentioned before... already have 32 bit XP

Box 1464
Box + Windows 1647

Thanks.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by boganbusman »

baumaxx1 wrote:Case Antec 900 $193
=> Good case. Does the 902 have filters though for the dust?
That is going to be a noisy mutherf-kkin case. I would know, since my Thermaltake Armor+ is a similar design (lots of holes). Even with the 23cm side fan turned off it sounds like a hurricane.
Look for something more closed if you want less noise.

Regarding the PSU, you can never go overkill imo. 700w will be more than what you need, but it can run at lower loads/temps and you have room for expansion. It sucks when you want to add new drives but then realise you have no spare power cables left!

Also I wouldn't bother with the sound card. Most mid- and high-end motherboards have pretty good HD sound these days, I doubt you would get any noticeable improvement for less than $200, at least.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

Ok, the case... what are some alternatives?

PSU... How about the M12 600Watt? Is that still plenty? or the PSR 650+?

Soundcard... I've only heard good things: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/pc ... dio/221136 + there's mp3 restoration. It's not that much too.

I've decided to pull the PSU back a bit and get a 640GB secondary HDD.

I have a thread here too: http://www.gamearena.com.au/forums/564/ ... hp/4944401
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by boganbusman »

baumaxx1 wrote:Ok, the case... what are some alternatives?
Antec P182, but that is all I know of really. I'm sure someone else can chime in here.
Actually jump on irc/msn and see if you can get a hold of Paul (The_Gravedigger). He seems to know his cases.
baumaxx1 wrote:PSU... How about the M12 600Watt? Is that still plenty? or the PSR 650+?
Yeah 600 should still be enough. Google a power-supply calculator to help you out.
baumaxx1 wrote:Soundcard... I've only heard good things: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/pc ... dio/221136 + there's mp3 restoration. It's not that much too.
The quality of the amp and speakers (or headphones in your case) has a much bigger impact on sound quality. Trust me, current-gen intergrated sound is really not bad at all. Unless you need specific line in/out features, a sound card shouldn't be on your list of priorities. Besides, you can always add one later if you feel the need. It would be better to inject the money somewhere else.

edit: the X-fi Xtreme Audio isn't a proper X-Fi card anyway
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

THis is pretty much what I've decided on... and the case shouldn't be too bad as it's in a cabinet. It's also somehow ended up being cheaper than the original plan and is a better build.

Motherboard
Gigabyte EP43 UD3L 155

CPU
Intel Q9400 339

RAM
4GB G.Skill - NT DDR2 RAM 800 74

Master HDD
WD SATA 640GB 98

Secondary HDD
WD SATA 640GB 98

GFX Card
ATI HD 4870 1GB Powercolor 295

DVD Burner
Liteon DVD Burner 28

Case
Antec 300 107

PSU
Seasonic PSR 550+ 125

Audio
Asus DX PCI 105

Box 1424
Box + Windows Vista 64 bit 1607

Right on target!

!!! Just need some info on the case... I'm aware it's not the biggest out there so how would I go fitting the GFX in? It should be fine right? And I'm even considering just going with a Seasonic PSR 550+ PSU for $125... save a bit more over a 650W earthwatts which is probably overkill. However, I do plan to hang onto this PC for 3+ years and Hopefully there's plenty of HDD space so I won't have to add those, but yeah, GFX will be swapped over once games start getting unplayable, lol.

!!! And P45 vs. P43... it's really down to performance and the RAM I can run right? The P45 isn't DDR3? Both can support the same CPUs?

!!! Aaand! The HD4870... cooling issues still there? I really don't want it overheating! I don't really care about a few more FPS... I want reliability. That's why I was leaning towards the Nvidias.

I run 2 screens... a 1080p BenQ E2200HD, and a 17" BenQ FP731.

But... this is exactly what I want. Just need confirmation on the case and PSU combo.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by boganbusman »

I don't think the ThreeHundred is going to be any quieter than the NineHundred. It's still full of holes . . .
anyway besides that, I should let you know that the 4870 is a MASSIVE video card. It wouldn't fit into my Thermaltake Soprano mid-tower case, which is one of the reasons why I bought a full-tower. It might fit into the ThreeHundred but you will be taking a risk so Google it first.

And the 4870 doesn't have any overheating issues as far as I know, but it does run hotter than most other cards. Mine sits between 45-65C depending on what I'm doing (constant 35% fan speed). Some people don't like it that warm, but it's still not close to overheating. Very bad card for overclocking though, I get artifacts all over the place when I try to push mine even a little bit. See if you can find one with an upgraded (non-reference) cooler.

I see you still decided to get a sound card, well at least you chose a half-decent one this time.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

I won't over clock... so not an issue. As for case size... I will make sure it fits, otherwise I'll look for a different case. Maybe the Solo is the next step up.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by boganbusman »

If you can find an internal measurment for the case, I could measure the length of my 4870 for you.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

Unit dimensions:
• 18" (H) x 18.3" (D) x 8.1" (W)
• 45.8 (H) x 46.5 (D) x 20.5 cm (W)

Another guy's recommending the Sonata 3... but that only has a 500Watt PSU. Apparently still enough though. Cheaper too.
Package dimensions:
- 19.5 " (H) x 10.5" (W) x 21.5" (D)
- 49.5cm (H) x 26.67cm (W) x 54.61cm (D)

The case looks fantastic, but I'm weary of the PSU.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by boganbusman »

Nonononononooooo don't buy a case that comes with a PSU. It will be junk.

And the measurement you need is from the back of the case to the hard drive bays (since that is where the card goes). Overall depth doesn't help much.

edit: ok the card is 9.5" long, and then add another 1 to 1.5" for the power cables on the back. So you need at least 10.5" of depth available.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

It's not a junk PSU... it's an Antec Earthwatts. I was going to get the 650W ($158) for the 300, or the solo if I need it bigger.

Here's the Antec solo specs: http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/specs/Solo_spe.html

I'm thinking that and 650W... Unless I can get a Sonata without a PSU... or the 650W earthwatts.

I might just go the GTX260 given that I've read about Nvidia being more widely supported for some applications... and mainly about the fact that HD4870 coolers are loud and don't cool too well. Could be issues.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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boganbusman wrote:
baumaxx1 wrote:Soundcard... I've only heard good things: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/pc ... dio/221136 + there's mp3 restoration. It's not that much too.
The quality of the amp and speakers (or headphones in your case) has a much bigger impact on sound quality. Trust me, current-gen intergrated sound is really not bad at all.
Bogan is right about the sound QUALITY; for improvement you'd need proper sound system aswell (amp+speakers). BUT, we are talking gaming here right?

Forget quality. Where the X-Fi really truly shines is real-time sound effects (EAX 4.0 and OpenAL) and positional audio (even with 2 speakers). The integrated cards can't even touch the stuff the X-Fi does as far as game effects go. I highly recommend you get this, even though it is the entry level X-Fi card.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by Pabl0z »

I have Antec 300 and an HD4830 card, which is the same size as an HD4870.
No problems in getting the card to fit.
The case is good for its price, but it certainly isn't the quietest.
It's somewhat quiet otherwise, but sounds from the dvd-drive and hdd working make a bit of a noise sometimes.
I guess those problems could be fixed with some rubber thingies to reduce the resonation.

As for the X-Fi cards.
I regret I ever bought mine.
I have one of the most expensive models and I've had a lot of problems with it especially on my new vista system.
On my old pc which had XP the card worked ok most of the time.
Of course you could be one of the lucky ones and experience no problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Fi#Sound ... nd_Popping

The card is good for gaming of course when it chooses to work properly, but these days a lot of integrated soundchips support EAX as well.
lol wut
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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Pabl0z wrote:Of course you could be one of the lucky ones and experience no problems.
So it seems. I think we discussed this earlier on some other thread, and came to no particular conclusion other than the fact that I use digital out ONLY (that is, I don't use the DAC on the X-Fi card at all. I use the one in my sound system, thus eliminating one possible source for popping (the internal dac).
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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About teh case not being the quietest... http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/specs/Solo_spe.html I'm thinking the solo. A silent series one.
vellu wrote:
boganbusman wrote:
baumaxx1 wrote:Soundcard... I've only heard good things: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/pc ... dio/221136 + there's mp3 restoration. It's not that much too.
The quality of the amp and speakers (or headphones in your case) has a much bigger impact on sound quality. Trust me, current-gen intergrated sound is really not bad at all.
Bogan is right about the sound QUALITY; for improvement you'd need proper sound system aswell (amp+speakers). BUT, we are talking gaming here right?

Forget quality. Where the X-Fi really truly shines is real-time sound effects (EAX 4.0 and OpenAL) and positional audio (even with 2 speakers). The integrated cards can't even touch the stuff the X-Fi does as far as game effects go. I highly recommend you get this, even though it is the entry level X-Fi card.
I've heard about various issues with the X-Fis... and now PabloZ has brought them up... so I went with the DX.
I am aware the speakers and headphones make more of a difference, but I still know I can do better than on-board, and it's a cheaper upgrade than replacing a $200 set of headphones. + Anything else that you buy and plug in will benefit.

And here, we're actually talking about Sound Quality. I want my music to sound fantastic and the On-board sound is nowhere near as good as the hi-fi amp or the Zen Vision. Considering I can't fit all my music on the Zen anymore... Oh, I also want to be able to listen to my HD audio NIN CD.

http://techreport.com/articles.x/14500/21 =-D
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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This is what I've decided to get...

Motherboard Gigabyte EP43 UD3L 155
CPU Intel Q9400 339
RAM 4GB G.Skill - NT DDR2 RAM 800 74
Master HDD WD SATA 640GB 98
Secondary HDD WD SATA 640GB 98
GFX Card Nvidia Inno3D GTX 260 896M 275
DVD Burner Liteon DVD Burner 28
Case Antec 300 107
PSU Antec Earthwatts 650W 158
Audio Asus DX PCI 105
OS Vista Home Premium 64 bit 183

Box 1437
Box + Windows 1620

Cabinet should keep the noise down =-) All fits in that case. Will be a good all-round PC. GFX is good enough... not a hardcore gamer.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by vellu »

Looks like a solid build, nothing missing or wrong with it.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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That is traveling to be a blatant mutherf-kkin case. I would know, back my Thermaltake Armor+ is a agnate architecture (lots of holes). Even with the 23cm ancillary fan angry off it sounds like a hurricane.

Look for something added bankrupt if you wish beneath noise.

Regarding the PSU, you can never go abstract imo. 700w will be added than what you need, but it can run at lower loads/temps and you accept allowance for expansion. It sucks if you wish to add new drives but again realise you accept no additional ability cables left!


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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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Ok... Antec 300, with a Seasonic PSR 650+, GTX 260 and a core i7 isn't that loud with fans on medium... you can get away with them on low too and you can barely hear it. The sides ate quite closed... Oh... on high, it sounds like a strong wind though, lol.
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

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boganbusman wrote:That is going to be a noisy mutherf-kkin case. I would know, since my Thermaltake Armor+ is a similar design (lots of holes). Even with the 23cm side fan turned off it sounds like a hurricane.
Look for something more closed if you want less noise.

Regarding the PSU, you can never go overkill imo. 700w will be more than what you need, but it can run at lower loads/temps and you have room for expansion. It sucks when you want to add new drives but then realise you have no spare power cables left!
jrsReign wrote:That is traveling to be a blatant mutherf-kkin case. I would know, back my Thermaltake Armor+ is a agnate architecture (lots of holes). Even with the 23cm ancillary fan angry off it sounds like a hurricane.

Look for something added bankrupt if you wish beneath noise.

Regarding the PSU, you can never go abstract imo. 700w will be added than what you need, but it can run at lower loads/temps and you accept allowance for expansion. It sucks if you wish to add new drives but again realise you accept no additional ability cables left!
lolwut
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by Koenigsegg_Rox »

Yeah I was wondering why he was practicing his plagiarism skills here rather than somewhere else, you know, far away from the forum that doesn't require the same facts told twice...
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Re: New Build + Advice needed

Post by baumaxx1 »

Lol... What the hell?
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