First Build - specs ... Opinions

mordeith · 10-01-2006 2:34pm #1

I realise all the experienced heads out there are probably sick of these types of threads but I was hoping ye could cast a critical eye over the following shopping list.
Now I realise the HD isn't the best but I'm looking more at storage than seek speed. The PC will mostly be used for gaming and music. I intend to install XP Home on it and try out Linux on my (soon to be) old PC. I have a budget of max €1000
Thanks

angelofdeath · 10-01-2006 2:44pm

decent mid range rig, what about case/optical/monitor/keyboard etc?

mordeith · 10-01-2006 2:48pm

The case I'm looking at is this. It comes with a fairly decent PSU according to some reviews. I have a keyboard and an MX510 mouse. Monitor is also sorted.

angelofdeath · 10-01-2006 2:53pm

don't see any obvious problems so, nice build for the price

ShiverinEskimo · 10-01-2006 2:53pm

If it were me i'd run with the onboard sound and wouldn't bother with such good ram. I'd get twinmos or corsair ram around 100 euro and use the spare 70 from these two to get a 3800+ at 2.4GHz as that graphics might be CPU limited with a 3700+

Or even think about this for the extra 70 odd - the card below would be 330 odd delivered so your 270 for your 6800 plus the 70 you save on ram and sound card = 340 and you've a better gfx card.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html#aGX_2d069_2dLT

mordeith · 10-01-2006 3:00pm

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

If it were me i'd run with the onboard sound and wouldn't bother with such good ram. I'd get twinmos or corsair ram around 100 euro and use the spare 70 from these two to get a 3800+ at 2.4GHz as that graphics might be CPU limited with a 3700+

Or even think about this for the extra 70 odd - the card below would be 330 odd delivered so your 270 for your 6800 plus the 70 you save on ram and sound card = 340 and you've a better gfx card.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html#aGX_2d069_2dLT

The processor suggestion sounds good. On the sound front, I use Fruity Loops and Reason a fair bit so I'd need a PCI card. I have an SB Live! at the moment which is fine but I though the Audigy would prove an ok upgrade. I don't reckon I'd be prepered to spend the extra dosh on a 7800. It just pains my wallet to spend so much on one (albeit important) component.

ShiverinEskimo · 10-01-2006 3:13pm

Welcome to my world - it killed me forkin out 400 odd for my graphics and then 500 for my CPU - but now that I've really got stuck into overclocking its all come good. My CPU overclocked is basically an FX-60 (Dual core FX due out in a month - runs at 2.6).

Its so easy to overclock the 7800 GT's too. I flashed my bios just this morning and went from a 425 core to a 480 with room left (waiting on better cooling btu those figures are using stock).

Another option for you is to save some money on the ram and buy a decent CPU cooler and got about overclocking it. Easily done and can save you €€€'s.

Supposedly this is the deal of the decade for CPU cooling right now - I forked out 70 quid on mine and this one below is supposed to be just as good.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html#aFG_2d000_2dAR

Anima · 10-01-2006 3:19pm

I have an SB Live! at the moment which is fine but I though the Audigy would prove an ok upgrade

Don't bother, its not a good card for audio editing. Get an m-audio card when you get a bit of cash, the jump from SB Live! to Audigy isn't really that much when it comes to this.

mordeith · 10-01-2006 3:19pm

ShiverinEskimo: I commend your skills on the OC front. Unfortunatley I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to oc'ing

. I don't know near enough about it. I'm happy if my PC runs games smoothly with little slow-down. I don't mind if the settings aren't maxed out and if I got the worst mark ever in Aquamark or the likes I reckon I'd get over it

. Hee he.

Anima: Cheers for the heads up on the M-Audio card. One question; do M-Audio cards support 5.1 as I have a set of speakers?

RuggieBear · 10-01-2006 3:20pm

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

3800+ at 2.4GHz as that graphics might be CPU limited with a 3700+
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Are you sure about that bit....? I was under the impression that a game like FEAR will run almost exactly the same on an amd 3000 with a 6800 as it will on a fx series with a 6800...as the gfx card does tha bulk of the processing. Or am i just talking crap?:D

ShiverinEskimo · 10-01-2006 3:23pm

its something (perhaps should have mentioned this) that i've only ever heard - people told me that getting a 7800 GT with an X2 @ 2.2 would be CPU limited. So its either people trying to rain on everybody's parade or there is some truth in the matter.

I have seen some frame rate increases since I overclocked my CPU but now I can't test as I've also just overclocked my graphics card (would take another BIOS flash to adjust back so eh, no).

This kind of think has to have been tested and benchmarked on the net somewhere.

WizZard · 10-01-2006 3:23pm

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

My CPU overclocked is basically an FX-60 (Dual core FX due out in a month - runs at 2.6).

Congrats ShiverinEskimo, Didn't realise you'd got it that far. Fair play to you.
See, burn-in does still exist

ShiverinEskimo · 10-01-2006 3:24pm

Thanks wizzard - this was complete deal for what I paid you for the CPU.

Good news aswell is that I didn't like the voltage up at 1.65 with air. I have stepped it back to 1.58 and she's still seems stable at 2.620. So I can prob get a good bit more if I manage to stop worrying about having 1.65v going through it and the temp at 55. (so, yea, i'll be leaving it the way it is now!)

I owe you mucho pintage if we ever meet again.

First Build - specs ... Opinions

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