Help on New Build

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26 May 2008
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Hello,
I built my first self-build around 4 years ago, and now its too slow to cope with.
I am a moderate gamer, although recently haven't played much because my hardware is not up to scratch.
Examples of games I will be interested in playing with a new computer include Spore and Grid. I will be playing these games on a 22 inch TFT monitor with resolution of 1680*1050, but also have a secondary monitor which is 19" with resolution of 1440*900.
The PC will also be used as a HTPC. I have a TV tuner already, but this is not compatible with Vista 64 so I will be limited to Vista 32. I have a surround sound system which accepts 5.1 through the analog outputs of the motherboard.
The PC will also be used in moderation for video and photo editing.
I want to overclock it a bit, but not massively, so air cooling is fine.
I have a budget of around £600, although this is somewhat flexible if much better components are available for slightly more.
I probably don't need a new case, but might consider getting a new one if I have some spare cash as my current one is a very cheap one.

I have done a bit of research into components and have come up with the following core components which I think would be good:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo, E8400, Wolfdale Core, S775, 3.0 GHz, 1333MHz, 6MB Cache, Retail £127.59
GPU: 512MB EVGA 8800GT PCI-E 2.0 (x16), Mem 1800MHz, GDDR3, GPU 600MHz, Stream 112, 2x DL DVI-I £126.77
Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18 £58.33
Hard Drive: 1000 GB Samsung HD103UJ Spinpoint F1, SATA 300, 7200 rpm, 32MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ £99.63
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1* 32Bit 1Pk OEM (DVD) £60.50
DVD-Writer: Pioneer DVR-215BK 20x DVD±R, 10x DVD±DL, DVD + RW x8/-RW x6, DVD-RAM x12, SATA, Black, OEM £17.85

Questions I have:
What mobo and PSU should I get? What wattage PSU is sufficient, given that SLI wont be used probably. For the mobo, I don't need anything too fancy apart from 5.1 output for surround sound, and something which is easy to overclock.
I have only used ASUS mobo/GPU before, what are EVGA and the others like?
Is 800Mhz memory fast enough?
Can factory overclocked GPUs be overclocked further? If a factory over-clocked GPU is only a few pounds more than the base model which should I get?
Is this the right time to buy a new comp? Or should I wait a while for the next round of GPUs to come out?
General advice on the above components...

Thanks for your help!
 
Last edited:
Hi, welcome to the forums (and claimed).

Before we get in to the components, you have mentioned an OCUK competitor on the line "I have done a bit of research in to components"

A few points I would say, firstly, Vista 64 is the way forward. It is more stable, secure and a little faster. I know you mentioned about the TV tuner, but I would rather get a new one honestly. VIsta 32 won't even use the full 4GB of ram, and will only really use about 3.5 or so.

Next up, the new gen of GPU's will be released sometime next month, from both ATI and NV. WE aren't really sure which will be faster / how they will perform compared to each other, but they will more than likely stamp over the current gen of stuff easily.

I personally am using the Samsung F1 drive (the exact same one) and it rocks.

For CPU, I really like Quads, which I usually get some arguments over, but more and more games now are using multi core, and it won't be long before games need at least 2 cores plus (alan wake for example). The only time I would ever get a dual core CPU is something like an E2180 and overclock it. I am using a Q6600 at the moment and love it, but this is all down to preference I suppose.
 
Welcome.

Mentioning OcUK competitors is against the rules here, so I suggest that you remove it, and read the FAQ as well, as you'll get on much better with everyone =]

As you said, new cards are out soon (16th june for ati, and 18th for nvidia) Nvidia cards are going to be at the very top end of the market, and ati are entering in the midrange, so it is worth waiting if you are looking to build a pc to last a few years, as these new cards may well be better bang for buck, but, at the very least, they will push down the price of current cards.

With regards to buying a pre OCed card, I'd say just go for the cheapest card which has a warranty that you like (BFG is quite highly rated due to their lifetime warranty), and overclock it yourself.

With your mobo, at current a P35 would suit your needs well, a good one is an abit ip35 (pro or non depending on which features you want, and how much you plan on overclocking) But there is a new p45 chipset coming out to replace the p35 soon.

800mhz DDR2 can handle clockspeed of 400mhz on a 1:1 divider (remember ddr2, so it's dual pumped) until it needs to be overclocked. That would mean an E8400 overclocked to 3.6 ghz (9x400mhz)

For psu, the corsair 520W and 620W modular psus are both very highly recommended, I'd say get the 620W if you can aford it, so that you have plenty of space to upgrade. They're modular, so your cables will be nice and tidy.
 
Thanks for your help and sorry for breaking the rules - I have edited the post.

I think I am coming down in favour of a Q6600 too. What is the FSB and multiplier on this?

I have also heard good things about the Abit ip35. What are the advantages to getting a Pro version? Do you know when the P45 boards are coming out?

Do I need support for PCIe 2.0?

Also, I am considering upgrading my case to an Antec 300 - any views? I can't really afford anthing more expensive (e.g.Antec 900)
Thanks?
 
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