Help on my Build Please

[Evylldemon]

For the video card I would recommend the GTX 260 Core 216, basically an updated version of the 260 and performs closer to the 280 than the regular 260. Best value imo. I just bought one a couple weeks ago.

NCIX's current sale has the Corsair 750W PSU on sale for $95. Can't go wrong, plenty of power.

RAM: G.skill PC2-8000 DDR2-1000 or Mushkin Redline. both are roughly $70

I also recommend the WD 640GB HDD

As for mobos everyone has their preferences. I personally like ASUS but I've also never had to deal with customer service with them so I can't comment on that. The P5Q Pro seems like a great choice to me. A friend of mine had a Gigabyte board arrive DOA so we've both steered clear of them since. I think everyone would agree DFI is top quality but tend to be a bit more pricey.

[Exmortis]

Originally Posted by carld2002

Thanks for your reply.

What do you think of this motherboard:

Gigabyte EP45-UD3P ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E SATA2 RAID HD Sound 2GLAN 1394A CrossFireX Motherboard - DirectCanada

Never had a Gigabyte and as a AMD guy not much up on Intel chipsets, so better to listen to a more experienced person here. However my co-worker sent a board into Guga for repair and got same board back unrepaired. Now they have shipped him a new board, so mistakes happen btu they seemed willing to correct and make up for it.


Will the apollo fit both the cards I listed? Is the antec nine hundred a better choice?

Apollo is small, it will fit but air flow and cramp space is an issue. The Antec 900 looks ok, but several of my co-workers have had it, both have since replaced it. I am partial to full towers and alum. But maybe look up coolermaster HAF? The Thermaltake Xaser may be ok for the money. I perosnally find mid towers confinded and cramped and prone to heat issues.


Anything really wrong with a 22? I have limited space here at university.

Nothing at all, in fact juist spec'd my Dad's new system and he went 22wide as well, it fits perfectly into his existing desk, and that is important. If space is an issue, you will be happy with a 22'.

Good luck!

[carld2002]

Originally Posted by geokilla

Following changes would be made for me:

PSU: Corsair HX620
RAM: Mushkin, Corsair, OCZ, etc. 4GB DDR-800 4-4-4-12. Can easily get to DDR 900, which means 450FSB if you run at 1:1 ratio
CPU: Q9450 or Q6600
Hard Drive: WD 640GB Black
Monitor: Acer 22". I believe it's around $180 at Staples.
CPU Cooler: OCZ Vendetta 2
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 260 or GTX 260 Core 216 or ATI 4870 1GB Those are the best bang for buck imo. No need for 4870X2 since you'll be using 1680X1050 resolution.

Don't forget to check out NCIX as well. They have weekly specials. And don't forget to use the price compare feature found at the top of the forums. Other than that, have fun gaming!

PSU: any reason to get the corsair? The 850w ocz gamexstream is the same price basically.

Ram: I am new to this, can you explain "Can easily get to DDR 900, which means 450FSB if you run at 1:1 ratio" so that I might understand the benefits?

CPU: Not plannign on doing much overclocking, and the 9550 is about the same price as the 9450.

DO I need a cooler right away that isin't the stock one or can I upgrade later if I want to overclock then?

Thanks. I was going to go ncix for a while but direct canada is cheaper in a good number of areas.

Balistx: Will a modular psu actually help a lot?

Is the drive you guys are talking about this:

Xpress Canada - Hard Drives > Desktop Drives > 3.5" SATA Drives : Western Digital Caviar (WD6400AAKS) 640GB SATAII 7200RPM 16MB Buffer (OEM).