Help an old man (me) build a computer!

[June.H]

I haven't done any real computer shopping for years (like, 1998), so I'm looking into either building or buying a new computer for general purposes of audio, video, browsing/office work, multi-tasking with a lot of various apps, and gaming. I'm already aware of most of the ups and downs, but what I'm looking for:

-Price next to quality; this thing is going to last me for years
-Intel, preferably Core i7 (unless someone can convince me otherwise, but not AMD)
-Looking into a nice GeForce card that doesn't suck (8800GT came to mind), do I need this SLI stuff?
-My price range is under $1000.
-I really can't migrate much from my old computers, esp. since my HDD's are all PATA, the only 7200RPM drives are Maxtor pieces of crap that continually fail and the RAM (PC2100) is far too old to reuse.

I know it's hard, but I've tried building a few computers online and have hit pretty darn close near that price range.

Any suggestions/help or ideal configurations? Thanks!!

[dieKatze88]

Originally Posted by June.H

I haven't done any real computer shopping for years (like, 1998), so I'm looking into either building or buying a new computer for general purposes of audio, video, browsing/office work, multi-tasking with a lot of various apps, and gaming. I'm already aware of most of the ups and downs, but what I'm looking for:

-Price next to quality; this thing is going to last me for years
-Intel, preferably Core i7 (unless someone can convince me otherwise, but not AMD)
-Looking into a nice GeForce card that doesn't suck (8800GT came to mind), do I need this SLI stuff?
-My price range is under $1000.
-I really can't migrate much from my old computers, esp. since my HDD's are all PATA, the only 7200RPM drives are Maxtor pieces of crap that continually fail and the RAM (PC2100) is far too old to reuse.

I know it's hard, but I've tried building a few computers online and have hit pretty darn close near that price range.

Any suggestions/help or ideal configurations? Thanks!!

well for that price range, it might be better to go Core 2 Duo. I have a first generation Core 2 chip and I have absolutely no problems abusing the multitasking domain. A later Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad series would probably far out preform anything you want to do, and leave more cash available for ram.

You don't need this SLI stuff. However, the budget minded consumer may consider the Radeon HD 4800 series, as some of the budget cards in that line actually do a good job.

Just remember to buy a name brand power supply. Cheaping out on a power supply results only in pain/failure/suckage/theterroristswinning.

[helix eternal]

Do you need to purchase an operating system with it? If so that could hinder what you get a little bit, but so far I've a wishlist built on Newegg that has everything you want for about $870.

Also, do you want a multimedia card reader?

We could chat on AIM about this, I'm bored.

[WiLLiSTER]

Like Katze said, you're not gonna need to go i7 and you won't really be able to with that kind of budget. SLI isn't needed unless you're playing at high resolutions and want to crank up settings in games

If I had a grand sitting here, this is a build I would go with (based on what you said you'll be doing with it).
Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
Mobo: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Desktop Memory
HD1(os drive): Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
HD2(storage drive): Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
Optical Drive: Newegg.com - LG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - CD / DVD Burners
Graphics Card: Newegg.com - EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies

Why I chose these parts:
Case: Cooler Master makes some fantastic cases for the price. This one is simple, clean, and does what it's supposed to do.
Mobo: I used to have this board and it was phenomenal. Simple setup, easy to config/overclock/etc and it worked out great.
CPU: Also used this cpu with the previously mentioned mobo. It's a beast. Don't hop onto the i7 bandwagon just cause it's new. Yeah, it already phased out the socket 775 chips, but that doesn't mean they're bad. With the right after market cooler, you can push these chips pretty hard.
RAM: Once again, something I used in the build with the cpu/mobo mentioned. GSkill makes great ram at amazing prices. They can take quite a beating too. OC'ing with these was great, plus they look/feel very nice and durable.
HD1: Well, WD has yet to fail me and I'm a fan of using two drives (os/storage), so I chose a smaller drive. This will allow you to still keep a good amount of stuff on your main drive if needed.
HD2: God I loved having this drive. I haven't had a chance to test the newer version of it, but it has great reviews (and it's $10 more, thus why I chose this one).
Optical Drive: Meh, you don't have to use this one, it's just the first one I clicked. They all do the same shit.
Graphics card: I'll admint, I'm an nvidia fan boy, so I didn't even bother browsing through the ati cards. Yes the 48xx+ series cards are great, but I have yet to be disappointed with the GTX260/280/290 cards. For the price, I think the core 216 cards are awesome.
PSU: Once again, somewhat biased, but believe me when I say Corsair PSU's are AMAZING. And with PSU's you pay for what you get. The price seems a little high, but one, its modular, so you wont be running all of the cables a normal psu has. Two, it's an extremely well built and sturdy power supply. And three, Corsair has great, helpful customer service. Sometimes on hardforum corsair reps will find people who lost a cable or something and tell em they can pm them for a free replacement. Win.

You might be wondering where the OS is. Well, I didn't put one in the build. This is sort of a base design if you will. You can go for some lower priced items and fit the os in there, use one you already have, borrow one, etc. My grand total for the build (with shipping/no tax since I'm not in cali) was $978.43. With cali tax it was 1071.05 Also, there's $70 worth of rebates in there. And like I said, you can modify it a bit to get the price a bit lower, watch for deals, etc, I'm sure you can get a better price if you wait/shop around.

[dieKatze88]

Originally Posted by WiLLiSTER

Like Katze said, you're not gonna need to go i7 and you won't really be able to with that kind of budget. SLI isn't needed unless you're playing at high resolutions and want to crank up settings in games

If I had a grand sitting here, this is a build I would go with (based on what you said you'll be doing with it).
Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
Mobo: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Desktop Memory
HD1(os drive): Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
HD2(storage drive): Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
Optical Drive: Newegg.com - LG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - CD / DVD Burners
Graphics Card: Newegg.com - EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies

Why I chose these parts:
Case: Cooler Master makes some fantastic cases for the price. This one is simple, clean, and does what it's supposed to do.
Mobo: I used to have this board and it was phenomenal. Simple setup, easy to config/overclock/etc and it worked out great.
CPU: Also used this cpu with the previously mentioned mobo. It's a beast. Don't hop onto the i7 bandwagon just cause it's new. Yeah, it already phased out the socket 775 chips, but that doesn't mean they're bad. With the right after market cooler, you can push these chips pretty hard.
RAM: Once again, something I used in the build with the cpu/mobo mentioned. GSkill makes great ram at amazing prices. They can take quite a beating too. OC'ing with these was great, plus they look/feel very nice and durable.
HD1: Well, WD has yet to fail me and I'm a fan of using two drives (os/storage), so I chose a smaller drive. This will allow you to still keep a good amount of stuff on your main drive if needed.
HD2: God I loved having this drive. I haven't had a chance to test the newer version of it, but it has great reviews (and it's $10 more, thus why I chose this one).
Optical Drive: Meh, you don't have to use this one, it's just the first one I clicked. They all do the same shit.
Graphics card: I'll admint, I'm an nvidia fan boy, so I didn't even bother browsing through the ati cards. Yes the 48xx+ series cards are great, but I have yet to be disappointed with the GTX260/280/290 cards. For the price, I think the core 216 cards are awesome.
PSU: Once again, somewhat biased, but believe me when I say Corsair PSU's are AMAZING. And with PSU's you pay for what you get. The price seems a little high, but one, its modular, so you wont be running all of the cables a normal psu has. Two, it's an extremely well built and sturdy power supply. And three, Corsair has great, helpful customer service. Sometimes on hardforum corsair reps will find people who lost a cable or something and tell em they can pm them for a free replacement. Win.

You might be wondering where the OS is. Well, I didn't put one in the build. This is sort of a base design if you will. You can go for some lower priced items and fit the os in there, use one you already have, borrow one, etc. My grand total for the build (with shipping/no tax since I'm not in cali) was $978.43. With cali tax it was 1071.05 Also, there's $70 worth of rebates in there. And like I said, you can modify it a bit to get the price a bit lower, watch for deals, etc, I'm sure you can get a better price if you wait/shop around.

Well. I can vouch for that motherboard, however, it is worth noting that I just lost the primary ethernet port on mine yesterday :-/

[DeusExMachina]

i7 isn't worth it. I have a core 2 duo E8400 and that has not failed me yet, and its half the price.

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by DeusExMachina

i7 isn't worth it. I have a core 2 duo E8400 and that has not failed me yet, and its half the price.

For those who want and have money for bleeding edge top-of-the-line stuff, then yes. However, even if one is low on budget, then even current Core 2 systems would suffice and in many cases is already sufficient even in today's tasks.

@June.H
If you could wait though, the first Core i5 processor (Lynnfield-based) is coming out next month. If I remember, the first Core i5 product will come in the form of "Core i5 970" and has 2.66 Ghz, support for the latest SSE instructions, low TDP (of around 85 Watts) and is priced below 200 American dollars. I'm not sure though (if like i7) will utilize the Integrated Memory Controller (which if memory serves me right replaces the previous Northbridge-Southbridge setup......or something like that).

Anyways, those are just some suggestions hehe

[WiLLiSTER]

Even with the i5's, he'd be moving up to triple channel ddr3 and a more expensive mobo, pushing him above the 1k mark.

[June.H]

Yeah I'm getting feedback that SLI is worthless unless I plan on using multiple displays or something, so don't bother.

I'm also leaning back towards the Core 2 Quad Q9xxx (not sure which one yet) as I'm reading the i7's just aren't quite worth the price difference for power, but I can probably wait for the i5's to see how they do.

The reason I was leaning towards the GeForce 8800GT, I keep hearing despite the age, it's still a great card and that the 9xxx aren't all that spectacular...

I appreciate the input, I definitely would like to hear more opinions, thank you!

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by WiLLiSTER

Even with the i5's, he'd be moving up to triple channel ddr3 and a more expensive mobo, pushing him above the 1k mark.

Perhaps

However, do note that the socket type used by the i5 would be cheaper than the ones used in the i7 units (LGA 1366) so that kinda provides some relief. Besides, it's kinda hard to be tempted and thus ignore the fact that it even beats the Q9650.

Lynnfield tested: Intel Core i5-750 and Core i7-860 benchmarked in Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery - Lynnfield, Test, Intel Core i5-750, Core i7-60, Anno 1404 - PC Games Hardware

Anyways, like I said, these are just some suggestions anyways

P.S.
According to reports, Lynnfield i5 processors will not use triple channel but instead go for double channel memory and DMI (Direct Media Interface)

[WiLLiSTER]

The difference between the 8800 to the 9800 was retarded. It was more of a slight revision and a rename. If you move up to the 260/280/290 cards, that's where the real boost in performance is.

Also, Oh, I thought they said i5 was still going triple channel. Guess I was wrong :p

[Blackraven]

Also, Oh, I thought they said i5 was still going triple channel.

Nah, that's alright

P.S.
In any case, you are right that like i7, you need a new motherboard. Be advised though that the motherboard must match with i5 specifications (which I think uses the upcoming Intel P55 chipset which uses DMI interconnect instead of Quickpath Interconnect).

Guess that's it