Uber-Computer: new pc build from scratch but with a few problems

python911

python911

python911

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16 Jul 2006
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Hey, I'm tired of buying pre-configured computers so I've decided to build one from the ground up. I've modded and upgraded mobos, cpus and the likes before so I'm not a complete novice yet I'm having big problems speccing the machine and getting the right water cooling. Here's what I've got so far.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 FX62 (AM2) - CPU
Thermaltake PurePower 680W ATX2.0 - PSU
ATi Radeon X1900 XT 512mb (CrossFire Edition) - GPU 1
HIS Excalibur X1900 XT-X 512mb - GPU 2
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB - HDD
Asus DRW-1608P3S - Optical DVD/CD drive
CoolerMaster Stacker 830 Silver - Case

I've got a spare Raptor 10,000 RPM HDD ready for the system files and a floppy for booting into DOS to use good ol' FDISK. I'm ignoring the keyboard, mouse, monitor etc here. My main problems are what mobo and memory to get and also what cooling rig to buy. I'm looking around £300 tops for cooling. I'm interested in the ASUS M2R32-MVP Deluxe or the DFI Lanparty UT CFX3200-M2 but I've seen no sign of them anywhere yet! And with AM2 I've heard it's best I stick to DDR2-800 to get any noticable speed increase.
Someone please give me a hand with the mobo, memory and watercooling. I plan to order everything in two weeks.

Cheers
Py*
 
You want to take a look at a core 2 duo based system.
I wouldn't bother with a floppy either, i've never had to use one on any of my new systems.

Within about two weeks amd processors will be getting massive price drops.

Welcome to the forums btw. :)
 
Whatever you do just don't buy an Amd until after the pricedrops, although i can't see the fx 62 coming down to e6600 prices, its going to come down an awful lot and so are the rest of the range.
 
You mentioned £300 on the cooling, that'll be easy what are you intending to cool? Say.. just the CPU... or the CPU/GPU/Chipset?

If its everything, i'd suggest:

Can't mention competitors and i don't have access to PM's fo some odd reason but they are easy to find via Google.

*1/2" TDX AM2 CPU Block @ ~£40
*1/2" EK-FCX1800 GPU Full Cover Block @ ~£45
*1/2" EK-NF4 (rev1.1) Chipset Block @ ~£22
*DDC & Plexi Res Top Pump and res @ ~£65

*1/2" Steath GT240 @ ~£55 or 1/2" Steath GT360 @ ~£56

or ThermoChill PA120.2 @ ~£51 or ThermoChill PA120.3 @ ~£58
(depends on the case and whether modding will be done for the Radiator)

*Danger Den 1/2" ID Clearflex Tubing @ ~£1.60 each..... X6ft @ ~£

*Zerex 25ml Super Coolant @ ~£3

Total with 1/2" Steath GT240 @ ~£257

Total with 1/2" Steath GT360 @ ~£263

Total with ThermoChill PA120.2 @ ~£253

Total with ThermoChill PA120.3 @ ~£265

You haven't mentioned a budget on the mobo and the ram also :p
 
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB - HDD

I'd go for the 7200.10 if I were you - perpendicularly stored bits for increased performance and it's not much more expensive. Also, you might want to think about getting 2x250gig rather than 1x500gig as it's much cheaper!
 
Carbine said:
Can't mention competitors and i don't have access to PM's fo some odd reason but they are easy to find via Google.
Click to expand...
OT, it was disabled to reduce server load, now that theres a new server they could probably turn it back on if enough people want it.
 
i wouldn't build an amd system from scratch at the moment, intel are cheaper and better performing (though it pains me to say it :( ).
you want to build something around the e6600 or the e6700 both are a lot cheaper than the fx-62 and offer better performance

also speaking from personnal experience the new stacker is a big dissapointment, you would be better off with a Lian-li
 
Wow, 2h later and I have a mass of golden responses. I was expecting to wait till Monday for only a couple of replys :p
There is no budget for a mobo and memory - I'll max out the memory capacity on the mobo and I've never really seen a mobo going for more than £150.

Thanks for the advice on the case, I'm looking for a HUGE case. I hate small machines. I like big, obtuse and stylish. It's going to be on display and I'm quite a big fan of the Lian LI V2100. Didn't like the Silverstone Temjin TJ07, hated the curvey top. So I guess no curves for me. Just had a drool over the Coolermaster Stacker 810 but Overclockers dont stock them and I'm trying to avoid shopping in multiple stores since I want a single delivery. Yes, I'm picky like that. I've also heard good things about the Antec P180 because of it's chambered design... any comments?

So ok, if I go with the Intel *shudders* the X6800, pricewise it's on par with the AMD AM2. :confused: I havn't a clue about the sockets for Intel processors. Went off them back when the AMD FX-53 came out :D so could use some advice. What about mobos for the Intel chips? Are they as overclockable as the AMD's? Also are there any Xpress 3200 (RD580) boards for the Intel X6800 (Conroe)?

Use my origional spec at the start and fill in the gaps for me guys! Thanks a lot. I'll post a piccy when it's built :p
 
python911 said:
{snip}Thermaltake PurePower 680W ATX2.0 - PSU{snip}
Click to expand...
Ehhh, not to sure about that PSU also. I'd go with a more reputable brand, e.g. Tagan :D

Everyone's suggesting Conroe (A.K.A. Intel Core 2 Duo) & so am I (it would be silly not to go that route) :) Here's an example...
  • Intel Core 2 DUO E6700 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.67GHz (1066FSB) - Retail (CP-129-IN) £349.95 - @ stock should outperform an FX62!
  • Intel Extreme D975bx-304 975X (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard - OEM (MB-010-IN) £129.95
  • G.Skill 2GB DDR2 HZ PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS4 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ) (MY-013-GS) £147.95
  • ATI Radeon X1900 ***Crossfire Edition*** 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-045-CO) £254.95
  • Sapphire ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-112-SP) £219.95
  • Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB ST3250620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-079-SE) 2 £105.00
  • NEC ND4570 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM (CD-030-NE) £21.95
  • Scythe Ninja Plus Heatpipe CPU Cooler (Socket 478, 754, 939, 940, LGA755) (HS-003-SY) £26.95
  • Lian-Li PC V2000B PLUS Black Aluminium Full-Tower (No PSU) (CA-029-LL) £138.00 - see here!
  • OCZ GameXStream 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply (CA-019-OC) £94.95
  • Subtotal £1,489.60
  • VAT £260.68
  • Total £1,750.28
 
hp7909 said:
Ehhh, not to sure about that PSU also. I'd go with a more reputable brand, e.g. Tagan :D

Everyone's suggesting Conroe (A.K.A. Intel Core 2 Duo) & so am I (it would be silly not to go that route) :) Here's an example...
  • Intel Core 2 DUO E6700 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.67GHz (1066FSB) - Retail (CP-129-IN) £349.95 - @ stock should outperform an FX62!
  • Intel Extreme D975bx-304 975X (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard - OEM (MB-010-IN) £129.95
  • G.Skill 2GB DDR2 HZ PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS4 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ) (MY-013-GS) £147.95
  • ATI Radeon X1900 ***Crossfire Edition*** 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-045-CO) £254.95
  • Sapphire ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-112-SP) £219.95
  • Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB ST3250620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-079-SE) 2 £105.00
  • NEC ND4570 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM (CD-030-NE) £21.95
  • Scythe Ninja Plus Heatpipe CPU Cooler (Socket 478, 754, 939, 940, LGA755) (HS-003-SY) £26.95
  • Lian-Li PC V2000B PLUS Black Aluminium Full-Tower (No PSU) (CA-029-LL) £138.00 - see here!
  • OCZ GameXStream 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply (CA-019-OC) £94.95
  • Subtotal £1,489.60
  • VAT £260.68
  • Total £1,750.28
Click to expand...

Looks great!

Still check out the Stacker 810! Its worth odering from another site (Whats the harm :P).

That is a great spec- But please tell me your running a 24 inch panel, as something other than that means the GPU's immense power will go to waste!
 
Right. I think I'm close to the final build now. Tell me what you think:

Intel Core 2 DUO Extreme Edition X6800 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.93GHz (1066FSB) £666.00
Asus P5W DH Deluxe WiFi (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-152-AS) £149.95
OCZ GameXStream 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply (CA-019-OC) £94.95
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS5 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR) (MY-014-GS) £114.95
ATI Radeon X1900 ***Crossfire Edition*** 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-045-CO) £254.95
HIS Excalibur ATI Radeon X1900 XT-X ICEQ 3 SILENT Heatpipe 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-052-HT) £299.95
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB ST3250620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-079-SE) £52.50
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB ST3250620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-079-SE) £52.50
NEC ND4570 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM (CD-030-NE) £21.95
OcUK Value Floppy Drive - Black (HD-001-OK) £5.95
Akasa Eclipse 62 Aluminium Case (CA-005-AK) £129.95
Akasa Eclipse 62 Thermally Advanced Side Panel (CA-016-AK) £19.50

Logitech G15 Gaming-Grade Illuminated Keyboard - Retail (UK Layout) (KB-077-LG) £59.95
Logitech Cordless G7 Gaming-Grade Laser Mouse (KB-070-LG) £41.95
Steelpad S&S Mouse Pad (GS-006-IC) £12.50
Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers - OEM (SP-057-CL) £56.95
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition inc. SP2 - OEM - 1Pk (ZAT-00054) (SW-022-MS) £79.95
Viewsonic VX922 19" LCD Monitor - Black/Silver (MO-046-VS) £229.95

WATERCOOLING
DD 1/2" TDX Intel 775 £32.73
DD 1/2" Tyee X-Fire Kit £125.99
XSPC 5.25 Bay-Res £17.01
1/2" NexXxos Xtreme III £31.48
1/2" Mag II LE Pump £29.99
Tygon 1/2" ID Hose 1ft *6 £13.74
Zerex 50ml £3.40
UV Blue Revealing 25ml £4.25

TOTAL
exc VAT= £2,595.29
inc VAT= £3,049.46

Well... kinda pricey and any cash saving tips would be ace. Almost there. Looking forward to OCing this baby! :D :D :D
 
the graphics cards are a waste with only a 19inch screen, and you have mispriced the case its only 82 or 97 with the window, and the 2nd gpu.

your pricing is inconsistent stating in some cases inc vat and others ex vat

the build looks ok apart from that, though i'd still get a Lian-li

also think about getting the e6700, saving a couple of hundred which you can spend on a better screen. by overclocking you will still get the same performance
 
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Asus P5W DH Deluxe WiFi (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 motherboard (MB-152-AS) £149.95
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 HZ PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS4 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ) (MY-013-GS) £147.95
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB ST3250620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-079-SE) £52.50 £105.00
ATI Radeon X1900 ***Crossfire Edition*** 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-045-CO) £254.95
Connect3D ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (3056) (GX-047-CO) £219.95
OCZ GameXStream 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply (CA-019-OC) £94.95
Lian-Li PC V2000B PLUS Black Aluminium Full-Tower (No PSU) (CA-029-LL) £138.00
Pioneer DVR-111DBK 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter - (Black) OEM (CD-038-PO) £21.95
OcUK Value Floppy Drive - Black (HD-001-OK) £5.95
Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Midnight Grey (MO-009-DE) £649.95
Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) - Retail (CP-128-IN) £214.95

Subtotal £2,003.55
VAT £350.63
Total £2,354.18

assuming other prices in your spec are ex vat

Total £2953
 
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python911 said:
Right. I think I'm close to the final build now. Tell me what you think:
Click to expand...

Don't bother with the X6800, waste of money, get the E6600. Spending the extra £400 on a better (or 2nd) monitor would be a far better idea imo. I also wouldn't bother with all that water cooling gear!
 
python911 said:
Intel Core 2 DUO Extreme Edition X6800 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.93GHz (1066FSB)
Click to expand...
TBH, OTT :) If overclocking, then it makes more sense to go for something that will gain more e.g. the E6600 or E6700.
python911 said:
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS5 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR)
Click to expand...
You want the faster HZ sticks.
python911 said:
HIS Excalibur ATI Radeon X1900 XT-X ICEQ 3 SILENT Heatpipe 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)
Click to expand...
The extra X is not really worth it if you ask anyone here. Again, if overclocking/watercooling plain XT will do.
python911 said:
OcUK Value Floppy Drive
Click to expand...
If you really need a FD (which are hardly needed anymore), then why not get something more practical like the Mitsumi FA 404M 7in1 USB 2.0 Floppy & Media Drive?
python911 said:
Viewsonic VX922 19" LCD Monitor
Click to expand...
Like mentioned before, that's an insult to the X1900. Using this, recommend the Viewsonic VX2025wm 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Silver/Black (MO-052-VS) £259.95
 
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Python

save the £300 by getting the E6700 rather than the X6800. Add that to your moniter budget an buy a nice 24" one :D (Search the forums if you'd like but unless your a hardcore overclocker with the budget to match, the X6800 is nowhere near worth the extra £300 over the excellent model below)

Currently the Dell 2407FPW and the upcoming BenQ 23" look promising

Cjay
 
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