Quote: Original post by daviangel

Also, as other's have suggested I recommend holding off on building your own rig until you do more research since just from the above and question #7 shows that you have no idea that the i920 is optimized for triple channel memory unlike the older cpu's like my quadcore 9550 or the new cheaper i5 processor that were just released. People that buy an i920 usually buy 6GB or even 12GB not 4 or 8.
Another obvious mistake is getting a 260 for a i920 processor. That is way to much processor for that card. You need at least 2 275 cards in SLI to take advantage of that cpu which your research should've told you. If you are just going to stick with one card one of the new i860 would be good enough.

I'm not sure I agree with that. Suggesting he not do it because he isn't fully aware that he should be tricking out his system with tri-channel support or buying an obscene amount of RAM is fairly ludicrous. Especially given that by most accounts I've read tri-channel provides technical but largely imperceivable gains, which could be upgraded for at any given moment. That by no means is cause for not building the system. As for 12GB of RAM the last RAM usage test I read showed zero current advantage running anything more than 4-6GB unless your doing something specialized. At this point 12GB is just bragging rights a 6GB is a very comfortable amount for anyone with padding to boot.


I see no reason he isn't ready to take this step. If he was talking about sticking screwdrivers into a PSU or how his has lucky fuzzy slippers to wear for the assembly then I might feel different. On the whole I think the plan is a solid one and a system I would envy. Building your own system is a wonderful experience that has its advantages. I say go for it and try not to fry or drop anything important.

Quote: Original post by Funkymunky
I'm surprised by the replies suggesting you not do this. I've built two computers from parts ordered online, and I pretty much just dove in and did it. It isn't too complicated, as long as you makes sure everything you're buying is compatible/sufficient (CPU socket type, strength of PSU, etc.) which it appears you're capable of doing as well.

It's cheaper to build your own system component by component, especially since you can reuse stuff in future builds (like the operating system). Furthermore, as a tech enthusiast, it really is pretty cool and gives you a sense of pride when you're new rig shreds through the latest games.

Well it helps if you already have spare pc parts or a friend that can help you if you get stuck or need to troubleshoot something.
I've seen too many people sending back or RMA'ing perfectly good parts because they didn't have a spare power supply, video card, etc to rule out the correct part that was malfunctioning. You just have to check newegg to see that it's not rare to recieve a DOA(dead on arrival) pc part and if that happens on your first build I think that's the worst case scenario.

it's like building a lego set. The problem is when it doesn't go as smoothly as planned (crashes, no boot, ect...). To find the fault can be a pain. But, it's quite fun in itself.

How would you feel about a SSD drive for (almost) instant booting? They are still quite expensive though... But that's something I'b looking in a future upgrade.

Quote: Original post by oliii
it's like building a lego set. The problem is when it doesn't go as smoothly as planned (crashes, no boot, ect...). To find the fault can be a pain. But, it's quite fun in itself.

Was that supposed to be an analogy? How do you mess up a Lego set? The instructions are built for a 7 year old.

I've only helped to build one computer. It was very straight forward though. I mean I had played those shape matching puzzles in kindergarten so the processor and video card and such were pretty easy.

// edit: Legos :P

[Edited by - Sirisian on October 15, 2009 1:46:03 AM]

Quote: Original post by Fiddler

Quote: Original post by DevFred

Quote: Original post by Fiddler
No, it won't cost you more than a comparable pre-built system (it will cost you *less* if anything, provided you have some time to spare).

If you use Windows, building a computer yourself is almost always more expensive, because you have to buy it seperately.

Not if you have access to MSDN/MSDNAA or if you upgrade your hardware regularly (buying OEM licenses is more costly in that case).

Even if you don't, you'll make up the difference through better prices on individual components. For example, Apple is charging $200 for 4GB RAM - which I bought for roughly $60 a few months ago. That's the cost of a full-blown Windows license.

In the link you've posted, Apple is selling 8 GB of memory for "just" $1,200. WTF? I hope this is just a typo or something. I know Apple hardware is waaay overpriced, but this is just ridiculous... I bought a whole system (including case and PSU) with 8 GB RAM, C2Q, and 9800 GTX for less than that over 1 year ago...

Quote: Original post by Fiddler
Not if you have access to MSDN/MSDNAA or if you upgrade your hardware regularly (buying OEM licenses is more costly in that case).

Microsoft is very lenient when it comes to upgrading your PC running an OEM license. Most of the time the online activation will just work, unless you upgrade your PC a a month after you installed the license. And if it doesn't, it's almost certain that MS will give you a new activation over the phone, if you quickly explain the situation and if you don't do that every two weeks.

Guys, thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate all of the comments.

I actually have someone who will be helping me assemble the parts together, so I don't think there will be a problem in that regard. He'll be walking me through everything he's doing, so I'll still hopefully learn from this.

Also, I am a comp sci major and my school does provide me with MSDNAA membership, so I'll be able to get Windows 7 for free.

Here are some significant changes I've made:

I'll be getting the Radeon HD 5850 card as per Fiddler's suggestion. I also opted for a slightly different motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe v2. This is only because there was a promotion for it that made it equivalent in cost to the EVGA board I picked, but this one seems to have a few more capabilities. Next, I also went with a WD hard drive instead of the Seagate. Also, the RAM jumped up in price from $110 to $150, so I opted to go with Corsair RAM instead. I won't be getting the Antec Cooler, but I haven't decided yet what I will be getting instead. Research is pointing me toward the TRUE cooler, but it's kind of expensive so I'll have to think more on this one.

I'm also going to spend some more time researching a power supply - I'll try to find something that's modular and more power efficient. I also don't want to get one yet because I don't feel like I understand them well enough. So the wattage requirement of each component adds up, and the PSU wattage must be greater than this sum? But for amperage, you only need to get a power supply that has a 12V rail that's rated at whatever amount of amps that's equal to the most demanding component?

Once again, I appreciate all the helpful comments!

Yes if you are planning on multi-gpu setup you need to make sure your power supply provides sufficent rail power.
Personally, the last power supply I got was this one and it seems to be quite popular and a quality PS:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
Okay, it's a power supply. Not much excitement there unless it starts smoking, right? 750 watts DOESN'T excite you? Maybe the 60 Ampere +12V rail (and there's just the one +12V rail, so you don't have to balance your power needs by hand.)
Modular Power supplies are nice and my older Antec one is but they are a luxury item IMO like SSD drives. Also a quality PS like the one I mentioned is actually better than some 1000Watt PS of inferior quality so I think 850 is overkill unless you are planning quad-sli.
That's good you have someone to help you because I was about to suggest going with a barebones system. They cost a bit more because they are a burned in combo of motherboard, cpu and memory that has been tested and guaranteed not to arrive dead on arrival but may be worth the hassle if you've never troubleshot a dead mobo or cpu which are the most difficult to diagnose IMO. This also brings up another point of why I prefer EVGA motherboards even though they may cost a bit extra is that they come with onboard diagnostic LED that may troubleshooting a breeze.