Desktop Build... Input welcome!

[bigred76]

Well, I have decided to build a desktop. Since this place is so dead, why not open a... what was it? "Happy" thread? Meh, whatever Marv. Contribute your thoughts here!

I decided to go with AMD for the first time in my life based on their shockingly cheap prices. Like, I picked up an AMD Phenom II X4 925 (2.8ghz quad core) with an MSI 785GTM-E45 motherboard for $160 with a $10 rebate... basically a mobo for $5 after paying full price for the processor! I also picked up some Corsair DDR2 800mhz RAM, 2 DIMMs of 2gb (on a budget).

Then I had the joy of finding a case... I went in, having done my research and soon found the case I was looking at. They didn't have any more in stock, just one on display. Totally sucked, so I went to find another one. I was thinking about Taco's build and remembered he had gotten the CoolerMaster HAF 932 full tower case, so I checked that out. $140, bit out of my budget, and MUCH too big for my tastes. The sonuva***** was the biggest case there! Then I saw the CM HAF 922... the Mid Tower version. Still just as big as all the other full towers, but it was $90 with a $20 MIB... Dope. Right inside my price range! And, it comes with fans... just as much fans as it's bigger brother!

Went on home with all the goodies to lay it all out, and review the manuals for it all, and that's where I am now.

Parts I have:
AMD Phenom II X4 925 (CPU) (http://www.frys.com/product/6084468?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG)
MSI 785GTM-E45 (Mobo) (http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1883)
CoolerMaster HAF 922 (Case) (http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6606)
Antec 430W (PSU -- to tide me over)
80gb Hitachi (HDD -- for OS and programs, should be plenty)
9.10 Ubuntu 64bit (OS to start with, will end up with W7 Ultimate 64 bit as well in the end) (http://www.ubuntu.com/)
Cables, zipties, etc

Parts I want:
ATI Graphics card. I've always liked ATI's, and my mobo supports CrossfireX. Thinking about the MSI version of the HD5770. I know I want at least a GB of flash on the card, and I want something of decent speed (the 5770 is a 750mhz core clock). The mobo I have will support a PCI Express X16 card.

Power Supply... I need a more powerful one, badly. Keep in mind I haven't been inside a desktop for, ****... 4yrs? 6yrs? 650W seems to be the standard now, so I think I might just get one of those. I do not plan on SLi in the future, so the capability to do so is negligible. I love Antec, but Corsair is also a good brand. I think Antec is a bit cheaper, which is better for me (when it doesn't sacrifice performance and quality).

Storage HDD. 1TB from Hitachi or WD, whichever I can get a deal on. Those are the only two manufactures I trust, Hitachi more so than WD.



That's all I've got going on my mind right now, what do you fellas think?

[battlechaser]

I'm going to have to start one of these builds soon, I'm bored with the lappy, not to mention I know I'll be MUCH happier with a Desktop.

[VS2 King]

Hey glad to hear it red. It is the best feeling in the world when you finish and boot it up for the first time. I am i big computer nerd even at age 16 and i just finished building an i7 rig during the summer.

I know what your gunna say "this kid is spoiled", not even close lol I have worked my butt off for a year and a half making 9.25 and using your own money means so much more.

This thing cost me 1300 but it was totally worth it.

My parts list is.

Cooler Master 690 Nvidia Edition Case
Intel Core i7-920
EVGA X58 SLI LE Motherboard
Cooler Master V8 CPU Cooler
6 Gigs of Corsair DDR3 1600 Memory
BFG 9800 GT OC Graphics Card
500 GB WD Green Hard Drive
80 GB SeaGate Hard Drive
Corsair 750 Watt Modular Power Supply
2 X Lite On Dvd Burners
6 X Cooler Master Green LED Fans

Here are some pics:

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00739.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00742.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00743.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00744.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00745.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s182/rplatt/Computer/DSC00746.jpg

Picture quality is a little bad and that is when i first put it together so cable management looks like sh*t.

[VS2 King]

When choosing a power supply go with corsair. I'm a member of the EVGA forums and alot of there members have had bad experience with ANTEC. I personally would only go with corsair.

[DFSniper]

tim, you already have my two cents and then some. :p but seriously, 80gb isnt gonna be enough for programs.

[bigred76]

What do I do that needs more than 80gb for program files? Not much, to be honest. Most of my drive space has been pictures and other related material. I'm having fun already trying to get it to turn on.... hopefully will have better luck tomorrow!

[DFSniper]

youll be surprised how much space updates and programs take up.

[oldironmudder]

What do I do that needs more than 80gb for program files?

Go big or go home you sissy!! :p

[bigred76]

youll be surprised how much space updates and programs take up.

Sascha.... >.< I've been doing this "computer" thing for quite a while now, and for the last year have been able to keep EVERYTHING on a 160gb HDD on my laptop. 40gb is more than enough for each drive, especially since I'll be able to store everything on another drive.... or three... or a RAID array.... ;)

[bigred76]

Logged in for the first time on my new desktop using Ubuntu 9.10 64bit. :D This thing's pretty fast, after I get all the drivers installed it should be really ****in' quick... :D


I still have to put in a video card, working with the stock integrated graphics right now. Cables are all a mess, but at least it's together and working. I have space on the side for another fan, so I was thinking about picking up an LED 200mm simply because I can. It's already so well cooled it doesn't need anything else until I begin to overclock it, but It just feels barren on the side. I think some light would do it good.

[DFSniper]

cold cathodes.

which, coincidentally, get very warm!

[Muddytaco]

I vote ditch everything and get i7 920 with atleast 6GB of ddr3 triple channel:p

[UKwithPride]

Didn't read anything after I read you went ATI. Ditch it and go for nvidia and pick up 2 8800 GTS' . Prices are super low on them now.

[bigred76]

I vote ditch everything and get i7 920 with atleast 6GB of ddr3 triple channel:p

This is a rather tight budget build... If I could have gone i7 I woulda. :( Also woulda gone with DDR3, but the mobo was a killer deal I couldn't pass up and only supports DDR2 1066mhz (which I don't value that much over 800mhz for the prices). Later on I will pick up a DDR3 board.


Dan... I only need one GPU. And if I get the right one, I can run Hybrid CrossfireX with my IGP. Sorta like SLi with two cards and a bridge between them, but I only need one card that is the right kind and to enable it in the BIOS. Since I don't do much that requires the GPU (the editting programs I use don't utilize GPU as much as they do the RAM), I don't need an extremely powerful card(s).

[Muddytaco]

If you want storage drives I would go for the WD 640GB black.....They have benchmarks close to that of the 10K rpm drives at a fraction of the cost and much more space.

I think I got mine for like $70 on newegg.

I have been running 3 of them for like 8 months now with zero issues.

[bigred76]

I might just do that Dave... 640GB should be more than enough to start with. Who knows, I could pick up a couple and run RAID... ;)

Ubuntu 9.10 was breaking itself and wouldn't boot after updating the graphics driver, so I decided to try Mint so see if it's just the straight Ubuntu that is having issues. It's now fully updated and is running smooth as a baby's ass. Pretty cool distro too. I'd almost dare to say better than Ubuntu for those used to Windows.

[durrell]

It's really a great idea to run a small drive with only programs and your OS. It minimizes the chance that you will lose anything important and will result in speedier boot times. Although, for ultimate boot speed you should install all of your programs on a separate HDD and the OS on a SSD. :D

Build looks good, Tim. I want to build a desktop soon.

[bigred76]

Thanks Doc! I was actually considering SSD until I saw the prices... still out of my reach for the time being. If I do end up needing more program room, I can always mirror the drive and expand the partitions onto a new drive. But... when I already had an 80GB inside an externally removable drive bay, why not use what I have? This way, I can lock down the computer almost entirely while I'm building it so noone else can **** with it (like what happened to my last desktop, long story short). I think that anything above 500gb is just fine for internal storage for anything else that I do, as I export everything off to a NAS anyways.

[bigred76]

Here's a question... I want a new monitor for this build. Not something insane, just something around 20" that has a high resolution and not too expensive on my wallet.

[DFSniper]

how high? 1440x900 is normal. granted that your gpu goes up that high.

[bigred76]

The onboard gpu on my mobo goes up to 2550px I believe.

[bigred76]

I just stopped by Frys since they usually have good deals and walked out with a Viewsonic 1080P 23" monitor. It cost me all of $160 after I send in the rebate.

[bigred76]

Jesus christ... this thing is HUGE! I was *****ing and complaining about the monitor I was borrowing with it being such low resolution, so it's REALLY nice coming over to even a decent resolution screen. 1980X1080 is really sweet on a 23" 16:9 screen. :D

[leed]

The worst part about computers is, you'll need to upgrade in two years. -sigh-

[DFSniper]

if your parts last that long...

i need a new mobo. took me 8 months, but i narrowed down the problem!