*UPDATED* Choosing Specs for Comp

I am about to go away to college soon and I am in need of a new computer. Gaming has always been a passion of mine, but I'm not that great with hardware. Although, I do not multi-box I've always been interested in it and would like the option to be there if I ever choose to.

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UPDATED - 4:50am [GMT - 5] 12/21/08

Ok, felt the thread was getting a bit long so I decided to edit the original post as I'm getting pretty close to a decision now and am looking for some opinion.

Found this rig:

• CASE: NEW!!! CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply (Original Color)
• Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Extra Case Cooling Fan (1 x Fan)
• POWER SUPPLY Upgrade: 500 Watts Power Supplies (**Recommended** WIN-500XSPX APEVIA 500W JAVA Power Supply-Black)
• CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E8400 CPU @ 3.0GHz 1333FSB 6MB L2 Cache 64-bit
• COOLING FAN : INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
• MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/ USB2.0, IEEE1394, & 7.1Audio
• MEMORY: 4GB (4x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
• VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
• HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
• Optical Drive: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
• SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD
• NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
• USB PORT: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
• OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate w/ Service Pack 1 (32-bit Edition)

On craigslist for $850! - I sent an email to see if the seller could do $750 (much more in my price range)
If all goes well and I get good feed back from this rig I could have my new computer a few days after chirstmas.

So what do you guys think? All I really need at this point is be able to run one or two wow clients with fraps occasionally on max settings with 30+ dps in graphic intensive areas.
Meant to be a semi high end computer with room to grow that will allow me to fufill my passion of gaming while giving me the appropriate office software to get my school work done.
Thank you for all who posted and your time and suggestions. Please post what you think of this ^ rig and if it's as good of a deal as I feel it is.

Thanks Again,
Vindicated

GTX 260 Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130370

Bump your memory up to 8GB

Make your main Harddrive at least 500GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320
and use the raptor as your secondary drive dedicated to gaming.

Nitro beat me to it, i was going to recommend the gtx 260, and yeah you'll probably want more than 74GB of storage

8gb isn't necessary until you start multiboxing, 4gb is fine for pretty much anything else if you're not completely sure

Wow, that was fast. Do you guys just troll the forums all day? lol

Thanks for the recommendations - I will probably get another HD, but hold off on the 8GB of ram.
I'm at about $650 and most likely have to wait till graduation in June to do this, but I think it's really great to have it all planned out and watch the prices go down a bit over the months and perhaps pick out some upgrades.

I've been told you want to keep the Memory on the video cards 256,512,1gb - is there any truth to that? Also, what would be like 1 step down from the 260 gtx? I'd like to keep my options open incase funds get tighter. Not sure if it matters but I use a 42in TV for my monitor and I'm not sure if the video card needs something extra. I believe I use a AVG cable, not sure if all cards come compatible with this but I thought I should let you all know.

Other than the second HD, do you see any problems? The only reason I picked one HD in the first place is a barely use up any room on my current HD, ~50GB in 4+ years...
Thanks for the fast responses again, and keep em comin'

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Originally Posted by 'vindicated',index.php?page=Thread&postID=157844#p ost157844

Wow, that was fast. Do you guys just troll the forums all day? lol

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pretty much

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I've been told you want to keep the Memory on the video cards 256,512,1gb - is there any truth to that?

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never heard anything like this before, and my "old" 8800gtx had 768mb of memory, never a problem with that

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Also, what would be like 1 step down from the 260 gtx?

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look at a 9800 gt, those are good for the price, also ati's 4870 is good from what i've heard

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Not sure if it matters but I use a 42in TV for my monitor and I'm not sure if the video card needs something extra. I believe I use a AVG cable, not sure if all cards come compatible with this but I thought I should let you all know.

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What you're thinking of is a VGA cable, and almost every decent to high end video card you can buy now comes with a DVI to VGA adapter, if not you can pick one up for a couple bucks at your local hardware store.

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Other than the second HD, do you see any problems? The only reason I picked one HD in the first place is a barely use up any room on my current HD, ~50GB in 4+ years...

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i don't really see any problems, the stuff you picked out looks solid. i have that Armor case and it serves me well, also that same zalman cooler on my q9550, my mobo is one step down, i have the 750i FTW and it's a beast for overclocking :D

Very nice, glad I picked a solid spec.

Last thing pretty much is, if you know, what kind of fps could i expect with that setup running 1 client of WoW @ medium - top setting and fraps?

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Originally Posted by 'vindicated',index.php?page=Thread&postID=157865#p ost157865

Very nice, glad I picked a solid spec.

Last thing pretty much is, if you know, what kind of fps could i expect with that setup running 1 client of WoW @ medium - top setting and fraps?

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you should be able to run 1 client completely maxed out @ 60 fps at least (this is the update rate of my monitor and i have vertical sync turned on, so i never see it go higher)
might still get some slowdown in dalaran, but nothing major

here are suggestions for you, since you say you are not computer savy.

the computer are you are building is a little expensive for the parts you getting and you don't have a warrenty or tech support. for the money you can get:

a. dell
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...tudioxps-435mt
it has a warrenty, the new i7 processor and an ati 3450 video card. this system is ok....just upgrade the ram to 6gb for $150 and buy the ati 4850 from best buy for $175 and you will have a nice machine for under $1300

or
2. ibuypower
http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/c...r.aspx?mid=349
i7 processor and the ati260. configure the case and power anyway you want, but i would upgrade the memory to 6gb and do it yourself, they are a little expensive. plus you get a free copy of far cry 2.

or
c. cyberpower
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/G...reme_XT/detail
i7 processor and the ati 4870 which is better than the 260. free liquid cooling and for $20 less you can upgrade the 1tb HDD to a 1TB raid0. (much faster setup and needed with the i7)

all of these are cheaper and much faster than what you are planning to build yourself, plus they come with a warrenty and tech support.

I think you are going over kill on that MB. Unless you intend to run a Tri-SLI setup (which would require 3 nearly identical top end cards), I probably wouldn't bother with it. I remember reading somewhere about the chipset getting really hot on that MB due to a poor design on how the heatsink seats on the north bridge. Maybe they have fixed this ...

My recomendation would something along the lines of
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Or a similiar Asus or even MSI. Usually these are stable boards.

Something else I would suggest is 1066MHz memory (PC2-8500) instead of what you have. Although there have been good reviews about G.Skill I probably would suggest one of the brands that have been around for longer such as OCZ, Crucial, Corsair
I have been using the following and I have been quite happy:
OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail


One last point, which doesn't matter as much as the two above, I am not quite sold on the Ultimate version of windows - there is a premium for a couple features that most folks are unlikely to use. The Home Premium 64 bit will be fine and save you a few bucks.

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Originally Posted by 'Tsunami',index.php?page=Thread&postID=157926#post 157926

a. dell
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...tudioxps-435mt
it has a warrenty, the new i7 processor and an ati 3450 video card. this system is ok....just upgrade the ram to 6gb for $150 and buy the ati 4850 from best buy for $175 and you will have a nice machine for under $1300

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Managed to get it down to $1200 with almost minimal specs, adding ~200 for another video card and I'm already at $1400

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Originally Posted by 'Tsunami',index.php?page=Thread&postID=157926#post 157926

2. ibuypower
http://www.ibuypower.com/ibp/store/c...r.aspx?mid=349
i7 processor and the ati260. configure the case and power anyway you want, but i would upgrade the memory to 6gb and do it yourself, they are a little expensive. plus you get a free copy of far cry 2.

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Managed $1312 but I still need to buy 3-6gb worth of ram which would add ~50-100. Most appealing of the 3 choices.

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Originally Posted by 'Tsunami',index.php?page=Thread&postID=157926#post 157926

c. cyberpower
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/G...reme_XT/detail
i7 processor and the ati 4870 which is better than the 260. free liquid cooling and for $20 less you can upgrade the 1tb HDD to a 1TB raid0. (much faster setup and needed with the i7)

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$1536 with shipping

Although Dell is appealing because of the payment options I've heard so many stories about Dell that just turn me off.

Could you recommend anything for a person on a stricter budget? I like to plan ahead but realistically I may only have ~$700-$1000. Could you recommend a decent system in that range as well?
Thanks for the responses again.

bump for more suggestions :)

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Originally Posted by 'vindicated',index.php?page=Thread&postID=159684#p ost159684

bump for more suggestions :)

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ok here is one for under $1000 from HP.http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...883&pCatg=5816

the Sams Club in my area has drop the price to $949.00. the 1TB HDD is actually 2x 500GB W.D. HDD's. the video card is a little weak, ati 3650 w/512mb ddr3, and it only has room for one video card.
But it does have 6gb of ram, a blu-ray dvd w/ lightscribe, wireless mouse and keyboard and a beautiful 24" HP monitor. the monitor retails for $450. so you get the computer/wireless keyboard and mouse for $500. subtract $115 for the blue ray dvd, and -$150 for the 2 HDD's and your at $235. so for $235 you get a q6600 quad core cpu, 6GB ram, MoBo, and 3650 video card, keyboard and mouse, and a case w/ 350psu.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824176090

this monitor has an hdmi connection and can double as a 1080p t.v. when not using it to play games.

one problem is the 350w power supply. But the sum of the parts is greater than the price of the computer. This is a great starting computer to upgrade as prices come down. It may not have top of the line performance but there is nothing it cannot run, It has many good components that you will use for a couple of years, and some parts you will want to replace in 6 months. But it is usable now, or with minor upgrades.

I did look at the Sam's Club one - Looks alright, little expensive - almost $1300 without shipping and I still would need a few upgrades and I don't actually need half the stuff in there so I feel like I'm paying extra for stuff I dont need? (Monitors/keyboard/mouse/speakers)
I'm in the process of planning a "ideal" rig and a "budget" rig. Let me know what you think and if there's any corrections you think I could make.

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IDEAL RIG

1. OS - Haven't found an exact link to this, not sure which is which on newegg, there's so many of them. I think I am going to take Spannah's advice and get a Vista Home Edition 64bit
2. PSU - Corsair 650W
3. Case - Thermaltake Armor Series Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan
4. CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
5. Heat Sink - ZALMAN CNPS 9700
6. MOBO - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
7. Memory - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit
8. HD - Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
9. HD2 - Raptor 74GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 1.5Gb/s
10. Video Card - EVGA 896-P3-1260-AR GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

Grand Total is about $1110 + OS + DVD Drive + Shipping and any other parts I'm forgetting.

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BUDGET RIG
[Updating later while I look for cheaper/cost effective parts. Using same PSU, Memory, Mobo, Case and HD.]
Grand Total so far is about $870 + OS + DVD Drive and Shipping

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I know this is asking somewhat a lot of people's free time and I 100% appreciate all of your help. I'm not sure what economic situation I'm going to be in a few months from now so I would like a plan to still enjoy my hobbies without breaking the bank.

maybe you missed the part where I said the "THE SAMS CLUB IN MY AREA DROPPED THE PRICE TO $950.00" $950 is still cheaper than the rig you are pricing and yours doesn't include a beautiful 24" monitor. If you don't need the monitor, fine, sell it on ebay. It retails for over $400. reducing the price paid for your new quad core system from $950 to under $600.

you can scrap the entire system for parts and still come out ahead.

I'll break it down even more for you:

24" monitor-$450
2x 500gb WD HDD-$150
blue-ray dvd player dvd writter w/ lightscrib- $120
q6600 quad core- $180
6gb ram- $50
total value of usuable parts-$950

Bonus parts- hp case, 350 psu, wireless keyboard and mouse, 15-1 media reader, ati 3650.

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maybe you missed the part where I said the "THE SAMS CLUB IN MY AREA DROPPED THE PRICE TO $950.00" $950 is still cheaper than the rig you are pricing and yours doesn't include a beautiful 24" monitor. If you don't need the monitor, fine, sell it on ebay. It retails for over $400. reducing the price paid for your new quad core system from $950 to under $600.

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All Sam's Clubs in my area are either out of stock or cost $1,297 - I'll admit, if I lived near you that would be a very good deal and I would probably craigslist that monitor asap, but unfortunately I don't so this really isn't possible. It's a shame because I could probably live with the weaker parts and upgrade as I go for the price that I would get it for.

Really, thanks for your fast responses and information. You're offering some really nice suggestions and make this a ton easier. I'm in the process of looking for a system ~$800-900 that is probably more realistic range. If you can think of anything else, maybe similar to the Sam's Club one, feel free to post.

Zip code is 43065 so if you need to check prices or w/e it's there for you

Sorry about the double post but I just found something very intersting

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...746&pCatg=5816

5gb of ram, Q6600, 750GB HD, onboard video card(wtf), 24" monitor(craigslist = 350-400), vista home 64bit
$899 - maybe a new video card +~$200 and selling the monitor -~$250
Possible overall price of $750

I could probably live with this set up and upgrade along the way.
Post what you think of it - I think I may have found what I'm getting :D

edit: seems it is using onboard video card - /sadface, I'm gonna keep looking - still might be a possibility

edit2: found this

• CASE: NZXT Zero Aluminum Full Tower 420W Case (Black/Silver Color)
• Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Default case fans
• POWER SUPPLY Upgrade: 600 Watts Power Supplies (Nzxt PP600 Watt Power Supply-SLI Supports)
• CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E8400 CPU @ 3.0GHz 1333FSB 6MB L2 Cache 64-bit
• COOLING FAN : INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
• MOTHERBOARD: GigaByte GA-EP45T-DS3R Intel P45 Express CrossFireX Chipset LGA775 FSB1600 DDR3/1600 Mainboard w/GbLAN, USB2.0, IEEE1394a, & 7.1Audio
• MEMORY: 2GB (2x1GB) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
• VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
• HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
• Optical Drive: SONY 16X DVD-ROM (BLACK COLOR)
• SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
• NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
• Cable Wiring: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU
• USB PORT: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
• OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 (64-bit Edition)
• FREEBIES: FREE! (Halo 2) Game
• SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• RUSH SERVICE: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

$837 + 70 for another
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel
~$960 with shipping I think

Way better quality than the Sam's Club for sure but then again, no monitor to sell and just a bit out of my price range.

Thanks,
Vindicated
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