Getting New Custom PC: Need Help...
 

Hello computer-fanatics,

After 3 years, it is time for me to get a new PC. Since I am not really the type of guy who knows his hardware, I could use the help of you guys (if possible). I am building my own PC on a Dutch website (I'm from Holland), which they assemble for some extra costs. I think this is in my advantage because their hardware is pretty cheap compared to other companies in Holland and I can use their total catalog so I can choose from pretty cheap products.
I will use this new PC to do some gaming (not really into much games, however, I play Football Manager very often (got my own site about it as well) and FM needs a good processor and memory to run fast), work on my website (Photoshop and some developing programs) and do some video converting/editing every now and then.
I would like to request some expertise for the hardware that I have selected. Perhaps you see some components that don't work well (or not at all) together or you know a better option for the same price. My budget is max 700-800 euro's. I hope someone has some spare time to help me out here. I am not an expert when it comes to hardware but I don't want to buy something and hear that it could have been better afterwards. Many thanks in advance.


1. Case: Cooler Master CM 690 - €69,-
Having some problems when it comes to selecting the right case. I selected the Antec Nine Hundred before this one but heard it's too big for my kind of PC-using. Other cases I have in mind are the Cooler Master CM 690, Sharkoon Rebel9 Value, Enermax Chakra ECA3052 and GigaByte Poseidon 310 (last one with dusk filter). Perhaps you guys know some more about cases and which one is good for me?


2. Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 - €159,-
Changed the processor choice from E8400 to Q6600. A lot of people on another site recommended the Q6600 for my activities on the PC. If you think I should go with the E8400 please reply. If some other components aren't compatible with my new choice of processor, please let me know as well.


3. Motherboard Socket 775: GigaByte EP45-DS3R - €119,-
Knowledge about motherboards is almost zero hehe. I have chosen this board coz of the good reviews I've read about it. If you know another gem, please let me know ;)


4. Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650 Watt - €79,-
I've heard that this Corsair power supply is a really good one, enough watt and a nice price. Are there better power supply units like Zalman or another type of Corsair?


5. Memory: OCZ 4 GB DDR2-800 Kit (OCZ2T800C44GK, XTC Titanium) - €79,-
The site where I'm going to buy the PC was promoting this memory on their frontpage. Timings for this one are: 4-4-4-15 (2x2GB identical modules). If anyone has a better suggestion please let me know!


6. Graphical Card: ATi Club 3D HD4850 512MB - €149,-
Changed the 8800GT with this ATi card by request of many people. Price stays the same...


7. Hard Disk: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 €59,-
Changed my previous choice to this Barracuda drive. 500GB is more than enough for me and I heard some good stories about it.


8. HSF: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro €19,-


Total: €732,-

I know I said max 700-800 euro's but this price is without a dvd-writer and warranty (3 years at house warranty for €89,-).

I hope you guys can help me out with this purchase. Many thanks in advance!

Take care,

Bozza

First, welcome from across the Pond!

Second, comments.

Case: definitely the CM690.
CPU: definitely the Q6600, for your applications.
Board: the Asus is a good board; questions though: will you overclock? RAID setup? Firewire required? If so, a cheaper board could fit your bill, like the Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L.
PSU: good choice. Plenty of stable power for the Quad. The 550W could also do the trick.
Ram: good choice, though pricey for 4Gb. Then again, you're in Holland and prices may be different from here ($70 CAD: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...Z%20Technology).
GPU: 4850 is fine, don't worry.
HDD: you could also go for the Seagate 7200.11 320Mb if you can find a better deal.
DVD burner: here in Canada, it's about $30 CAD.

Now, don't forget a good HSF for that Quad, to keep it cool.

Thank you for your quick reply Charlie and thanks for the warm welcome!

Case: I kinda like the look of the CM690 and it seems to have enough fans in it lol (3x 120mm). Also, I read some good reviews. However, I heard someone about a case with dusk filter. Is a dusk filter good to have? And if I take a case without a dusk filter, how many times should I clean the PC from the inside?

Board: I don't think I will overclock my PC since I wouldn't even know how to haha. RAID setup is something with the hard disks right? :bleh: I don't think I will ever use FireWire. It's just an alternative for USB isn't it? For what can I use FireWire and why can it be handy to have it?
A cheaper board could be nice but I don't want to be a cheap-ass and take a cheaper board while it's not such a good one.

RAM: All the 4GB modules are priced like that. Perhaps it's because the dollar has dropped so immense?

HDD: Is that drive better than the one I have selected at this moment? It's only €4 more expensive and 500GB (they don't have a 320GB disk). Windows Vista 64bits will be ran on it so it better be good! :whistle:

HSF: What would you recommend for the HSF? I can choose between 100 HSF's lol. Btw, where stands HSF for? Since you said that it is to keep the Quad cool, I thought you meant a CPU. :haha: Perhaps I am mistaking hehe.


Thanks for your help mate! Appreciate it. If anyone has some tips, don't be shy! :thumb:

Bozza

Case: there are a few members here that swear only by the CM690. It's a very good case, well laid-out and cheap. Dusk? You mean Dust. The necessity of dust filters depends on the environment where the computer is located. I never used a dust filter before; but I do clean my rigs monthly.

Board: no oc'ing, no RAID, no Firewire? Then go for the board that I already mentionned: the Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L - you won't be disappointed.

Ram: Dollar value might just be the case; though your selection is just fine, being 2x 2Gb sticks.

HDD: both the WD and the Seagate are good, reliable performers. Choose the one that has the cheapest price.

HSF: Heatsink Fan. Yes, it's for the CPU. Now, if you don't oc, you could choose the Arctic Cooling AC7 Pro; the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is a solid performer too, for a great price.



Don't worry about the other members, others will chime in and reply with their own opinions. Usually the end result meets / exceeds the OP requirements, usually for an even lower budget...

Antec 300 is another nice low priced case you could look at, and it comes with the dust filter. Doesn't look fancy but I'm not into neon so it doesn't bother me. Think of it as a mini version of the 900 with the filter but without the bling.

HSF = HeatSink Fan to keep your processor cool. Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is a popular one and for only around $30 Canadian performs as well as many twice it's price. Arctic Freezer Pro is another popular economical choice

Welcome to HWC Bozza. I would have to agree with everything that 3.0 Charlie has said. One thing you haven't told us though. Do you want any room for upgrading and how long do you want the current build to last you? That might change some of the ideas.

:canadianwave:

I'm using the coolermaster centurion 5 and its a good case with nice airflow. Some of the front connectors gave me a hassle but other then that its alright. However the CM690 would be the better choice :)

Thanks again for the lovely replies guys!

Board: If you say the motherboard is a good one I believe you! Let's hope it's one to keep me satisfied hehe.

HDD: Well, the 500GB is just a bit more bucks so if they are both good/great, I will go for the 500GB. The 500GB has 32MB cache and the 320GB has 16MB. Another thing, the 500GB has a ms-value of 8,5 and the 320GB has 8,9. So is the 500GB a better choice to go for when looking at the numbers and the price?

HSF: They don't have any Xihmatek HSFs. Is the Arctic Cooling AC7 Pro really decent? I came across the following site and it's almost at the bottom lol:
Arctic Cooling Intel LGA775 Heatsink Temperature Comparisons - Alpine 7 Pro FrostyTech Review

I will change the case in the first post to the Centurion CM690 and update the total price.

Are you talking about the Arctic-Cooling Freezer 7 Pro? I read some reviews and it seems that it is pretty huge and takes up a lot of your case. Is that a problem?

Lovely smiley haha! And a great question which I am more than willing to answer hehe. I don't know exactly if I need room for upgrading. I might want to replace some components in the future, like a better processor or gfx card. Extra hdds are always needed so that's indeed the room I need. For the rest, what kind of room do you need for upgrading?

Thanks for the comment mate. I think I will go with the CM690 for now. Untill someone convince me to grab a different case hehe.


Waiting anxiously for your replies! :canadianwave:

That review is of the Alpine 7 Pro. Totally different and crappy heatsink. The one we're talking about is the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro.

Another decent choice would be the Noctua NH-U12P.

As others have replied, we are talking about the AC7 Freezer Pro. It's rather a nice size and fits all cases that I know of. Highly recommended, though I have never tried to cool a Quad with one. Here's a review that our own sswilson did last year: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum...er-review.html. Other models to consider, depending on availability: Noctua NH-U12P (http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum...er-review.html), OCZ Vendetta 2 (http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum...er-review.html).

For the DS3L board, I had 2 once and both performed flawlessly with a Q6600 and an E6400. Great, cheap little board. You'll love it for the price.