computer build

[tofuguy]

I'm looking to build my first computer and looking for suggestions or comments on if I might have any compatability issues.

Tower: Antec 902 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058
[s:d68950b07a]
Hard drive: WD Caviar Black 640GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319[/s:d68950b07a]

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 275 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475

[s:d68950b07a]PSU: Corsair 850W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009[/s:d68950b07a]

RAM: Corsair 6gb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236

[s:d68950b07a]Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375[/s:d68950b07a]

OS: Win 7 Home Premium http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116716

Processor: Core i7 920 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

[s:d68950b07a]CPU fan: Dark Knight http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029[/s:d68950b07a]

I would appreciate feed backs.
I would also like to know what the difference between a 32bit and a 64bit os is.

[zoobie]

how much is all that crud?

[Dv8ted2]

The difference between 32 bit and 64 bit is the ability to address more RAM.

[redwudz]

A 32bit OS can only address a bit more than 3.5GB RAM. Adding more is just a waste of money. A 64bit OS can use a whole lot more. But you should also be aware that W7 64bit may have a few software compatibility problems. But with some DDR3 MBs, you don't have many options for RAM sizes, so if you can only get 6GBs, not really a problem.

You only list one hard drive. It's much better to have two or more HDDs. The boot drive is constantly accessed by the OS, so not very efficient for fast access and file transfers.

850W for a PS is a bit overkill unless you are running a dual SLI video card system.

The big question is: What do you plan to do with the PC? Gaming? Encoding? Video editing?

[tofuguy]

Thanks for the replies.

zoobie: it's around 1.4g+

redwudz: Alright then i guess i'll go with the 64bit. Is it better to have the os on a smaller and faster rpm hdd?

As for the psu i guess i'll go with a 650 then.

And this build is for all of what you mentioned.
And thanks for the help.

Edit: Oh and where is the arctic silver exactly used on the cpu?

[redwudz]

Many CPU heatsinks come with a 'tape' type thermal compound. I usually wash that off with 99% isopropyl alcohol and use Arctic Silver or Ceramique thermal compound. You use it between the CPU heatsink and the CPU to fill in microscopic voids and help to transfer the CPU heat to the heatsink. Some instructions: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_route_step2intelcmq.html I still use a credit card to spread around the thermal compound, but there are other methods. Main thing is to not use too much.

I tend to use a smaller HDD for the boot drive, mainly as it makes it easier to back up the boot and defrag than a larger drive. Most of my PCs for video use a 80 - 150GB boot drive and two or more 500GB edit and archive drives. I use a 150GB WD Raptor 10K RPM boot drive on my encoding PC. I've tried a SSD (Solid State Drive), but I find them a bit limiting unless you can afford a really large and $$ one. The Raptor is quite fast enough.

Unless you are dealing with raw AVI video, not much use for Raptors or RAID systems for editing or encoding, JMO.

EDIT: My old build guide in .PDF format should be available for another month or two before Rapidshare pulls the plug on it: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic315746.html?highlight=build%20basic%20computer

[budz]

Another suggestion is to use Artic Cooling MX-2 thermal paste for your cpu.
http://www.petrastechshop.com/arcomxthco.html

As redwudz mentioned there are other ways to apply thermal paste. One method is to make a line of thermal paste on to your dark knight cpu cooler. Do a google search on it. Supposedly applying that way evens out the thermal paste on the heat pipes of the cpu cooler.

[tofuguy]

I will look up on that pdf. Thanks, you've been a big help redwudz.

budz: Alright I'll look up on that also, thanks for the advise.

[budz]

I will look up on that pdf. Thanks, you've been a big help redwudz.

budz: Alright I'll look up on that also, thanks for the advise.

do a search at this site:
http://www.overclock.net/

[Nelson37]

The possibility of software compatibility problems needs to be greatly emphasized for the 64-bit OS. I would upgrade that to an absolute certainty. Add to that a very high probability of some drivers simply not being available. Meaning that some of your chosen hardware may be unusable.

Personally, I would not touch a 64-bit OS with a ten-foot pole, unless it was absolutely necessary for a given application which was certified to work with it, and then each and every piece of the build would have to be researched to ensure that the 64-bit drivers actually exist, and then further research to determine that they actually work, and yet more research to determine if the bugs they contain are liveable. Low usage numbers on these OS, meaning low priority for development. All this for minimal benefit.

Also, your chosen heatsink does not seem to be getting good reviews, I would look into some alternatives. Not a fan of Xigmatek, Cooler Master or Zalman would be my choice.

[ocgw]

The possibility of software compatibility problems needs to be greatly emphasized for the 64-bit OS. I would upgrade that to an absolute certainty. Add to that a very high probability of some drivers simply not being available. Meaning that some of your chosen hardware may be unusable.

Personally, I would not touch a 64-bit OS with a ten-foot pole, unless it was absolutely necessary for a given application which was certified to work with it, and then each and every piece of the build would have to be researched to ensure that the 64-bit drivers actually exist, and then further research to determine that they actually work, and yet more research to determine if the bugs they contain are liveable. Low usage numbers on these OS, meaning low priority for development. All this for minimal benefit.

Also, your chosen heatsink does not seem to be getting good reviews, I would look into some alternatives. Not a fan of Xigmatek, Cooler Master or Zalman would be my choice.

Minimal benefit?, w/ a 32-bit OS rather than 64-bit OS he would end up settling on 3GB of mem rather than 6GB w/ that i7 cpu, I wouldn't define that as minimal

In the wildest stretch of my imagination I don't see a brand new Gigabyte i7 mobo, or a higher-end evga gfx card not having 64bit full support

just my 2 cents

ps. I had full 64-bit driver support for my new Gigabyte mobo, 3 year old evga 8800GTX gfx card, 4 year old Creative Labs SB Audigy 2 ZS Platinum, and 2 year old Hauppauge PVR-1600 HDTV Tuner card early in the Windows 7 RC stage

I also just installed Windows 7 64-bit on a 4 year old Acer craptop, and it had chipset, Lan, and bluetooth, 7000m Windows 7 drivers, and I successfully installed the webcam, IR, cardreader w/ Vista 64-bit drivers

btw I have Windows 7 64-bit on all 3 of my PC's in my gigabit home network (and a 4th but it is already sold waiting to be picked up)

I would agree however that you could find a better hsf, read some reviews

ocgw

peace

[redwudz]

I don't think 64 bit OS/MB drivers are much of a problem with most newer motherboards, but some software programs may have issues with 64bit OS's. I base that mostly on 64bit problems reported in our forums. I have my favorite video software and I found more than a few programs that were incompatible with a 64bit OS. True, most were older programs that hadn't been updated. But I needed those programs more than I needed a 64bit OS.

You can install insane amounts of RAM in a 64bit OS. But take a look at how much is actually being used. Most encodes I run use maybe 300 - 400MB of RAM. Encoding is CPU intensive, not RAM intensive. Editing- Depends on the program used. I do have programs like Photoshop that can use all the RAM you give it, but it holds images in RAM for easy manipulation. It works fine without lots of RAM.

I ran both Vista 64 and Vista 32 on one of my newer MBs and I didn't see enough improvement in performance to justify moving up to a 64bit OS, especially when some of my software wouldn't run on it. I settled on a 32bit OS. But I admit 64bit OS's should be more efficient and productive.

This is all just my opinion. But give the 64bit OS's a try. If they work for you with your software, great.

[Jim44]

Main thing is to not use too much.

I'll re-iterate this, as it's a key point if you're going to not use the pre-applied compound.

As mentioned, there's a host of info about this on the web. One article I like because it showed how different application methods actually spread is:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1

I've been happy with the the stock HSF and pre-applied compound for my AMD-based systems, but then I don't overclock or game, and my video encoding has been reduced of late, so YMMV. But for a first build, that would be the easy approach.

In any event, good luck and have fun.

[budz]

Also, your chosen heatsink does not seem to be getting good reviews, I would look into some alternatives. Not a fan of Xigmatek, Cooler Master or Zalman would be my choice.

IMHO I wouldn't touch a Zalman for the newer Intel processors. The leading cpu cooler right now is the Prolimatech Megahalems Rev. B Heatpipe CPU Cooler and close second is the Scythe mugen 2. Another favorite is the Thermalright Ultra 120.

To the OP: For me I like a cpu cooler that is not difficult to install. As long as it's able to have decent cpu temps that's fine with me. I like certain CM cpu coolers because they are not difficult to install compared to others. Their newest CM Hyper 212 Plus is very good as well. I own (2) CM Hyper 212 cpu coolers that keep my overclocked E8400 wolfdale and Q9550 yorkfield cpu's very cool. I use a CM GeminII S cpu cooler on my overclocked wolfdale e6300 cpu along with a Scythe S-Flex G fan with low cpu temps as well.

The latest Thermalright Ultra 120's have a fan shroud that is much easier to attach the 120mm fans.

Prolimatech Megahalems Rev. B Heatpipe CPU Cooler
http://www.svc.com/megahalems.html

Scythe mugen 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093

Thermalright Ultra 120
http://www.svc.com/u120e-rt-775.html

CM Hyper 212 plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

[tofuguy]

Budz, your post made me look for more reviews on cpu fans and I came to conclude with the Noctua NH-D14: http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D14-Heatpipe-CPU-Cooler/dp/B002VKVZ1A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UT...0229887&sr=8-2
or Noctua NH-U12P http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608014

And I've decided that I'm going to take a little more time on deciding on parts since I'll be keeping this set up for a while.

And I would appreciate more advice on the parts (particularly the ones with the strike and my replacements/potentials for them).

Video Card: Radeon HD 5850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150442
or (b/c cheaper) [s:b5f5b78ab3]Radeon HD 5770 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447[/s:b5f5b78ab3]

Mobo: ASUS P6T http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359
or [s:b5f5b78ab3]EVGA X58 SLI LE (cheaper) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049[/s:b5f5b78ab3]

HDD: Western Digital VelociRaptor 150GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296

Monitor: P2570 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001331

I am not really sure about the mobo and video card because I don't know much about them but considering them since some of the positive feedback and the time I'll be keeping the build. Suggestions are welcome

[budz]

^^^ As for the video cards if you don't game at all I see no need to buy the ATI 5000 series video cards. IMHO the Noctua's are overated and over expensive. There are better cpu coolers out there to choose from. Your hd selection is fine...get a second hd like a 640gb WD Black or the 750gb version.

[tofuguy]

I game from time to time. I know that gtx and radeons have their pros and cons but is there be a general way to tell which is better (or a site that does comparisons with rival models)?
And since I'm a new builder (know little) all I can do is rely on reviews/people's opinions...heh. This is harder than I'd thought it'd be. And I guess I'll look at more reviews on cpu fans then. As for the 2nd hdd I might get a samsung f3.

Edit:
I'm going to stick with the Radeon HD 5850, but going to wait it out till next year to see if the prices drop.

[usually_quiet]

Given that they have 3 or 4 slots for video cards, and the user comments at NewEgg, the motherboards you selected are definitely geared towards fairly serious gaming. You said you game from time to time, but is that what you will be doing with this build most of the time? Since you are posting at this website, that suggests you also have an interest in video.

Maybe you should spell out exactly what tasks you want this machine to perform for you, and their relative importance. If you aren't building it primarily to game or really don't need a board with more than 2 slots for video cards, perhaps you would be better off buying a different motherboard and to have more to spend on software or the monitor(s), speakers, etc.

You are right, you should take your time to think about this build and read reviews at some of the hardware-oriented sites. There's a lot to learn and there's always something new on the horizon. 6-core desktop processors are supposedly arriving some time next year.

[ocgw]

I game from time to time. I know that gtx and radeons have their pros and cons but is there be a general way to tell which is better (or a site that does comparisons with rival models)?
And since I'm a new builder (know little) all I can do is rely on reviews/people's opinions...heh. This is harder than I'd thought it'd be. And I guess I'll look at more reviews on cpu fans then. As for the 2nd hdd I might get a samsung f3.

Edit:
I'm going to stick with the Radeon HD 5850, but going to wait it out till next year to see if the prices drop.

I am using a Samsung F3 1TB for my OS, it is even faster than that Raptor in sustained transfer rates, but w/ slower seek times

$80USD for the 1TB and $55USD for the 500GB make them the price/performance leaders

ocgw

peace

[tofuguy]

usually_quiet: I would say I would play games on it on a fairly moderate level. Yeah, I probably won't go 2x video cards. So, then is there a motherboard that you would recommend? I don't really focus more on any one or the other.

[ocgw]

usually_quiet: I would say I would play games on it on a fairly moderate level. Yeah, I probably won't go 2x video cards. So, then is there a motherboard that you would recommend? I don't really focus more on any one or the other.

+

I have had much success w/ and highly recommend the Gigabyte "Ultra Durable 3, 2 ounce mobo's", any 5 star rated mobo @ newegg such as MSI, Asus, Gigabyte , or DFI is nice, but I am returning to Gigabyte w/ their new "server heavy" mobos

Just bought the Gigabyte MA785G-UD3H for my 2nd PC

I am sure they have equivilant mobos for Intel cpus

ocgw

peace

[tofuguy]

Isn't the ASUS P6T a good choice even though I'm just using 1 video card. Or the EVGA 141 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049

[budz]

IMHO why spend extra money on a mobo that you won't make use of if it has more than one video card slot. ASUS quality has gone downhill from their old P4 days. GIGABYTE is the leading mobo to use these days. If you've got tons of money to burn then buy it. But as already mentioned use the extra money on getting a good quality LCD monitor. Hardcore gamers use more than one video card.
Just my 2 cents!

[tofuguy]

I would go with the gigabyte ud3 but the odd colors throw me off (I kind of go for looks)... eh... I do have money but I don't intend to use loads of it for the sake of being a spendthrift. I'm just getting parts that are quite expensive because I don't see myself doing this again or replacing parts in the near future (I'd like to stick with the build if at all possible and not waste more money). I do play some games as I do have some but probably not buy many new ones as I am not a fanatic. But I guess for the mobo I can be seen as just throwing money away since I won't be doing multiple vid cards, then should I wait longer... I want to build this set up before I move next yr to college... ><

[ocgw]

I would go with the gigabyte ud3 but the odd colors throw me off (I kind of go for looks)... eh... I do have money but I don't intend to use loads of it for the sake of being a spendthrift. I'm just getting parts that are quite expensive because I don't see myself doing this again or replacing parts in the near future (I'd like to stick with the build if at all possible and not waste more money). I do play some games as I do have some but probably not buy many new ones as I am not a fanatic. But I guess for the mobo I can be seen as just throwing money away since I won't be doing multiple vid cards, then should I wait longer... I want to build this set up before I move next yr to college... ><

The 3 most important desired qualites of a mobo are reliablity, reliabilty, and...................reliability

That in my humble opinion is worth a few extra $

See, if a mobo has features you don't use (like tri-SLI, quad X-fire, or 16GB mem support), then it has a massive power supply to run them, and may tend to run more reliably and overclock better for you

btw, my new mobo UD3 can overclock a quad core individually on each core, Muhuhahahahahaha!!

ocgw

peace

[budz]

I would go with the gigabyte ud3 but the odd colors throw me off (I kind of go for looks)... eh... I do have money but I don't intend to use loads of it for the sake of being a spendthrift. I'm just getting parts that are quite expensive because I don't see myself doing this again or replacing parts in the near future (I'd like to stick with the build if at all possible and not waste more money). I do play some games as I do have some but probably not buy many new ones as I am not a fanatic. But I guess for the mobo I can be seen as just throwing money away since I won't be doing multiple vid cards, then should I wait longer... I want to build this set up before I move next yr to college... ><

There's always going to be faster hardware whether you like it or not. The odd colors with the GIGABYTE UD3 series has NO EFFECT on the reliability of a motherboard. I own a GIGABYTE UD3P which is the best overclocking mobo for Intel 45nm Quad core cpu's. Check out overclock.net and extreme systems & you'll see huge threads on this mobo. I know you're looking at I7 cpu's but I think reading those or scanning those threads you'll see how good GIGABYTE mobo's are very reliable and popular. Feel free to check threads on I7 mobo's at those websites.

http://www.overclock.net/intel-motherboards/415077-gigabyte-ep45-ud3-series-owners-guide.html

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=205132

[ocgw]

Look @ the reviews @ newegg

My 2nd PC for example

GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128395

Review Summary (read all 95 Reviews, write a review)

Product Rating

5 73% -excellent
4 16% -good
3 4% -average
2 4% -poor
1 3% -very poor

Total Reviews: 95

Main PC

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387

Review Summary (read more reviews, write a review)

Product Rating

5 76%
4 11%
3 5%
2 3%
1 5%

Total Reviews: 492

ocgw

peace

[usually_quiet]

We have members here who built i7 systems for a purpose other than gaming, but all of the motherboards for core i7 appear to be very gaming oriented.

Taking a quick look at NewEgg, there were no socket LGA 1366 motherboards listed in NewEgg's online catalog with only one slot for VGA cards. MATX form factor boards generally do, but not in this case. There were not many with only two slots either, the usual number for ATX form factor motherboards. Most had 3 or 4 slots for video cards. These were the most promising ones I saw with 2 video card slots.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135243

Do some research these boards and compare their strengths and weaknesses. Look at the product information and manuals at the manufacturer's website and their supported CPU and memory lists too. There was a board from Intel too, but it was comparively high-priced and Intel has the reputaion of being hard to deal with if a board dies under warranty, and the boards support fewer choices when it comes to memory.

Newegg's reviews indicate that the Gigabyte could have some quality control issues, but problems are more heavily reported than successes and it's a fairly popular model. Try to find out if the problem is real (as opposed to stupidity on the part of the owner) and if it has been resolved.

I ought to tell you that I have only built one system, in September, and my total budget was $450. I initially looked at Intel but did not spend much time looking at higher-end Intel CPUs and motherboards for obvious reasons. I quickly decided that AMD would give me more for my money, and built an MATX system with a socket AM3 motherboard for general purpose computing, watching video, plus a little MPEG-2 editing and DVD authoring.

Though I can understand why you have your heart set on an Intel i7, I would suggest you look at AMD's AM3 quad cores too, just for the heck of it. Socket AM3 will not go away soon and will give you the ability to upgrade if you want to. While they don't quite equal Intel's quad cores in performance, they are close in most respects, and there is a big difference in the price of both motherboards and CPUs.

Look at these CPUs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674

...and these ATX motherboards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128415

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128377

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131392

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130224

There are some good combo deals available at NewEgg. Read reviews at hardware sites and at NewEgg. Read the user manual and CPU/memory support lists. Study the layout of the board and see if it poses any problems with the case you want. For the newest AM3 processors, you may need to flash the motherboard's bios if you get one that was made before the CPU was released.

[ocgw]

My new mobo for my 2nd PC took a Athlon II Regor 245 right out of the box

ocgw

peace

[tofuguy]

Alright, I'll check up on them. Thanks for the responses.