GameAmp: Help Grif Build a PC....

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Grifter0408

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Help Grif Build a PC....

Ok, so a few months back I was trying to turn my computer into a time machine but failed miserably. I destroyed my motherboard and fried my video card. So now its a ginarmous paper weight. Flash forward to now and in the new few weeks I will be able to purchase a brand new gaming PC. I have a fairly decent dollar amount to spend for this so I am looking to get some good hardware. I want this computer to be able to last for at least 5-7 years, be able to handle MMOs/PC Games (current), but also be able to handle anything that comes out in the new few years.

I will say that I favor AMD processors and Nvidia video cards but if someone can give a better reason why for others then all is welcome. So what I am looking for is what the masses of Gameamp can suggest. Many of you have some knowledge or even purchased something recently, maybe you have some wisdom to bestow. I will basically list out everything that I need or looking for and then you all can fill in the blanks. Then I will compare it to what I had put together on my own. If you can give reasons why this product is good and maybe estimated prices that would be great. If I get enough responses I will fill in the blanks each day to see what I get.

1) Case
2) Power Supply
3) Processor
4) Motherboard
5) Video Card
6) Memory
7) Hard Drive
8) CD/DVD Driver
9) Cooling Fans
10) Network Card
11) Sound Card
12) Mouse/Keyboard/Monitor/Speakers

Thank you for any responses.

01/13/08 17:38

Falcon15

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Base computer
Video Card

$1039.98, not including tax/shipping.
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01/13/08 19:36

RonJ73

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

I like it. The only issue I would have is the power supply. You MAY run into problems down the road if you start upgrading like mad. Those newer video cards have been draining a lot of juice.

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01/13/08 19:50

Falcon15

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Power supply upgrade is one of the easiest things to do. Just make sure it is compatible. I run a 500W supply and my power needs are more than met. However, the vid card and all sundry devices installed should not drain the supply bulit in the system too badly.

01/13/08 21:15

lani

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

500W...

I remember upgrading from 200W to 240W and having the hottest rig in town 9well, street).
These days, a halfway decent Videocard sucks more juice than a whole rig did 10 years ago. And yes, things look a bit better than they did then, but if I look at the enjoyment I got from a game like Dark Forces (98) and the closes thing to it these days, (Bioshock) I can't help but feel we could do with a step-in-place energy-consumption wise and let the game developers really focus on content and game-play for a while rather than energy-bill-slurping visual bling.

Sorry, off-topic.
Recommended rig and card are fine.

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01/13/08 21:42

Mech beta

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Take a hamspter, put it on a whell, and put electric wires you got from underground on the hampster. Put a typewriter on a milk crate with a mirror. Bam computer done.

**Post ends here**

01/13/08 22:52

BNC-5S

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

1) Thermaltake Soprano Mid Tower Computer Case I think this case has sexy curves...

2) Rosewill 500W PSU It glows blue!

3) AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ It's the fastest X2 processor at the moment.

4) GIGABYTE 790X ATX Motherboard It supports Phenom and PCI Express 2.0

5) Visiontek Radeon HD3850 I like ATi cards

6) OCZ 2GB DDR2 1066 RAM It's SLi ready

7) Western Digital 500GB Hard Drive It has a lot of space

8) Samsung 20X DVD/CD Burner It has lightscribe and SATA interface

9) Zalman 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler The best air cooling heatsink for the money

10) MSI 802.11b/g Wireless Adapter It's cheap

11) Huh, I'm not really an audiophile so I'm happy with just using the on-board soundcard...

12) Once again, I'm ambivalent on the keyboard/mouse//monitor/speakers thing. I bet you have a good idea on what you like with those...

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

01/14/08 00:09

Lightfoot27

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

The setup falcon suggested is almost identical to the one I am currently running. Its a gaming machine, and with the vid card (8800 gt) you'll be fine for the directx 10 switch as I believe these are the first fully compatible dx10 cards are they not? Oh well, either way... the only thing I would suggest is if you are going to stay with vista, get some more ram... vista is a hog.

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01/14/08 09:17

Electro

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

QUOTE

My son is getting ready to build his first computer, planning to use the same processor you mentioned. He is looking at a 750W Power Supply tho: Apevia ATX-LCD750W. It's around $100 from newegg after a mail-in rebate.

01/14/08 11:07

BNC-5S

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

750W...sounds like your son is going for a SLi rig

01/14/08 11:15

Electro

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

QUOTE

750W...sounds like your son is going for a SLi rig

He wants the flexibility to run 2 vid cards, but only starting out with one for cost reasons.

01/14/08 11:27

Rockshock

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

13) Cool LCD lights and fun little metal covers for your fans. Mine looks like a beast in the dark, with bight blue lights with a dark green heart!

01/14/08 13:14

Grifter0408

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Thanks for some of the replies already, I liked Falcons machine but still little unsure about prebuilt...though they look really nice. The build BNC suggested fits nearly in my range....totaled (w/o key/mouse/sound card/speakers/monitor) probably come in just under 1200. Which would be a great price.

The only thing I didnt like was ATI card but you like ATI cards so thats your reason. But prices of ATI and Nvidia are about the same. I will keep checking and reviewing the suggestions every day.

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

01/14/08 14:29

Falcon15

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Pre-built is fine, especially with warranty offers. Basically, all a pre-built is doing is saving you time(and shipping and setup and blah blah blah). Put a price to your time. Either way, you win. This way, you get everything (sans vid-card upgrade) out of the box, plug, power, load CoX, and rock on.

I built the system I am running, and after ordering all the parts, and waiting for some components like the motherboard/processor combo, which shipped 3 weeks after I ordered it (I'm sorry we re out of stock on that item, it is in back-order), I decided pre-built is the way for me. I also added the shiping costs, did not save a dime buying components, I actually paid enough in additional shipping (not to mention aggravation) to have paid for 1 gig of additional memory on a pre-built.

Hence, my suggestion.

01/14/08 17:22

Grifter0408

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

What may end up happening is that I will take the parts either I thought of or everyone suggested and head to my local comp shop. I am waiting for a call back from them to see if they can actually take parts I want and build it.

If they cant then I will go with w/ a prebuilt system. But please keep dropping the suggestions.

01/14/08 17:39

Hemlut

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Just a consept thought rather than devices, feel free to ignore or think me wrong.
I find over the years that any reasonable machine you make is going to be Kick A** for a year, good for a year, then ok followed by time for a new one. You can buy SOTA bits and keep upgrading the bits and the box to extend the good/ok zone for a year or two.
I find that getting a high middle range machine and work on replacing it every 3-4 years rather than going for a high range machine and trying to keep it going for the 5-7 years in the specs. You save on repair and/or upgrade time and cost as basic items age.

01/15/08 02:10

Grifter0408

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Ok I think I have finally decided on my computer and I think it will work.....I hope.

Case:Cool Master

HD:500gb HD

VC:Big Fat 8800GT....I splurged on this!

Power:650w of Power!

RAM: 2GB

Mobo:AMD Motherboard!

CPU:AMD Once Again!

CD/DVD:CD/DVD 1 and CD/DVD 2

Monitor:19\" of Goodness!

Vista and a new Router to add in. I decided against adding in Sound Card for now. Will about updating that later.

What we think?

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

01/23/08 19:50

Falcon15

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Very nice assemblage of "pieces is pieces and parts is parts" your "Chicken McNugget" computer is ready to roll. Nice selections. Sorry about the food references, I am hungry.

01/23/08 21:04

govtmorgue

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

nerds :P (But now I know where to come to ask about my custom made freak machine when I need it)

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01/24/08 02:54

Phedre_D

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

I think your videocard selection (8800 GT) is spiffy. But on a not of caution, have a look at this thread.

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01/24/08 02:57

Chuck Bronco

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Awww, come on Grif. Where is the "sexy see-through case" and Neon Lighting?

I know its not really necessary, but you deserve to see the hardware that you spent your hard earned $ on. I like my systems like that. It allows me to visually see when the dust starts to build up without having to bust the case open. It also helped me diagnose a cooling problem a ways back.

Its also way cool looking when you turn the lights out.

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01/24/08 06:05

Grifter0408

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

QUOTE

I think your videocard selection (8800 GT) is spiffy. But on a not of caution, have a look at this thread.

I have checked many forums and such, not really sure if this is something I should worry about or not. Maybe by the time I buy my comp pieces he will have some sort of resolution that way I can find out if it could effect me.

I have considered bumping down to the 8600GT but I figured if I am getting a comp that will last me might as well go a little extra for nearly latest card.

As for your suggestion Bronco, I may still consider it. I believe the fan...or a fan I had chosen had a blue led light but if I do get a different case I wouldn't think about extra glows till I recoup more funds. As for what I have above I am already at $1400. I tried to go for a nice case but nothing that was over $50...which I think I am just under. Rather not spend so much money on the one item that, though can look cool, isn't as important as whats on the inside. I rather drop the dough for performance and capability then looks. But you never know, I may switch.

I still have time, there may be different deals in Feb that will catch my eye.

01/24/08 17:05

deathbystupidity

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

here is what i am running now after just rebuilding my system about a week ago. I can run a mothership raid with maxed graphics and I have no lag at all.

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard link to it http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16813131013

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16819103228

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16820231087
EVGA GeForce 8600GT 512MB link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814130290

Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600A 160GB link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16822136075

Maxtor 200gb ide hdd (reused)
Asus dvd burner (reused)

Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-B Blue Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case (reused cause i love this case) link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16811166005

01/29/08 06:17

BNC-5S

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Good choice on the motherboard. However, I would suggest getting the DDR2 1066 RAM instead of the 800 ones since CoX does utilize a lot of system memory. As for the monitor, it's a good choice as well, since that's what I have :D Although, it does kinda suck because it doesn't come with a DVI cable, so you might look into purchasing one. As for the Phenom processor, I would wait until AMD improves the speed and manufacturing of their quad-cores. Whatever performance gain the Phenom currently has over the X2 can be easily overcome through overclocking. Anyways, you still have a very nice setup.

01/30/08 15:19

marinex

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

I know, I know, I guess I just like to get a warranty on the whole Horse, so check these guys out.

Seems to hit most of the hardware on the nose without a lot of screwing around and leaves tons of upgrade potential.

Marine

01/31/08 04:33

Grifter0408

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

Ok, so earlier today I received my green light to purchase my hardware for my new computer. Since my last post my specs have changed slightly and I am looking at a bit of different set up. So on the request of Lani I will repost my soon to be build.

If anyone has any suggestions, ideas, or see problems by all means let me know. I don't want to be dropping the roughly $1200 on this to end up find out that my square video card will not fit in my round motherboard (in a layman way of speaking).

*Tower
*Large HD
*Small HD
*Vid Card
*Power
*CD/DVD
*Memory
*MoBo

In Addition:
*Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit (can some explain the bits?)
*Some nice keyboard/mouse
*Wireless Router (preferably N Router)

Possible Extras:
*Sound Card: I didn't pick one out, will be last minute decision
*Speakers: Same as above
*External HD or Large Flash Drive

I think that about covers it, already have the monitor. I nice, large 20" in LCD screen. I did also consider getting some kind of multi-media capabilities because I will be getting a new TV very soon. Was thinking of some sort of function to allow me to move PC to that screen. Lets say CoH in 40"??? Huh, huh? Life-size Blackhawk, pretty kick ass.

So let me hear what the Ampers think? I believe this to a better set up. And to explain, I went with 2 HD's, larger for storing info and smaller one for OS and gaming. Does that make sense or should I go with one large 500gb?

***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***

03/17/08 21:26

RonJ73

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

I didn't look real close, but all looks fine from my standpoint. Just make sure you have an OS that will run on it and be REALLY careful putting it all together.

03/17/08 21:54

MightySmiter

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

just hit apple.com. if you play your cards right, you can spend 28000 on a single computer with 32gb of ram. too bad no one makes games for macs...

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03/17/08 23:31

lani

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

QUOTE

too bad no one makes games for macs...

Free trial for WOW for Mac.

Careful what you say :-)

03/18/08 08:06

Cr3ss3nt

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RE: Help Grif Build a PC....

QUOTE

too bad no one makes games for macs...

Free trial for WOW for Mac.

Careful what you say :-)

Also, theres nothing wrong with running windows on a mac rig, no?

Cr3

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03/18/08 11:46

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