Is this a good deal for $2000?

X-Discovery Mid-Tower Case 420W W/ WINDOW & Temperature Display, CoolerMaster Unit 600 Watts, Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 CPU @ 3.00GHz, Thermaltake V1 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan, MSI P6N Diamond nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 mobo, 2 gigs Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader, 8800 GTX 768MB, & 200GB HD.

i'm customizing my computer off of cyberpowerpc.com. i'm not very computer savy.

the problem with building my computer is that i don't know what parts i need. this way at least i know it will work when i get it.

the problem with building my computer is that i don't know what parts i need. this way at least i know it will work when i get it.

animaul

?. You just listed all the parts you need. Just go to newegg.com and lookup the same parts

[QUOTE="animaul"]

the problem with building my computer is that i don't know what parts i need. this way at least i know it will work when i get it.

Infinite-Zr0

?. You just listed all the parts you need. Just go to newegg.com and lookup the same parts

ok, so should i use those parts i listed? and if not, what should i change?

[QUOTE="Infinite-Zr0"][QUOTE="animaul"]

the problem with building my computer is that i don't know what parts i need. this way at least i know it will work when i get it.

animaul

?. You just listed all the parts you need. Just go to newegg.com and lookup the same parts

ok, so should i use those parts i listed? and if not, what should i change?

Let me give you a list of parts for my 2000 US$ system that I constantly revise: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 119.99

Good choice, happens to be the case I'm using.

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail 199.99

Never heard of that brand, and 750 is overkill for that setup. Go for this one.

ASUS P5K DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail 219.99

Good choice, very future proof.

Intel Xeon X3210 Kentsfield 2.13GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail 259.99

I'm not actually familiar with the Xeon processors, but it looks to be like a good quad core. We'll need someone elses comment on this.

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail 109.99

Good memory.

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail 534.99

Nice choice, glad to see you're going with EVGA, happens to be my manufacturer of choice.

Creative 70SB046A00003 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series Sound Card - Retail 174.99

Optional, but a nice edition. My only concern is driver compatibility with Vista.

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM 109.99

Good.

LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner - Retail 31.99

Good.

SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Model MPF920 Black - OEM 7.99

These are becoming obsolete, I wouldn't bother, but it's up to you.

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM 199.99

Good choice, it's the OS I'm using.

Subtotal: 1969.89 The only change I am sure I would make is dumping the Creative X-Fi for this Auzentech X-Fi Prelude, but it's not on Newegg yet. Never heard of the Xeon X3210? Take the Core 2 Quad Q6600, brand it a Xeon, lower the multiplier a notch, and sell it for around 50 US$ less. Ah, thanks for the explanation. Go for it. If you don't feel comfortable with that, there's enough leeway in the budget to allow for an upgrade to the Q6600 or X3220. I'm also not sure on the RAM(also considering a Mushkin 2 GB set that also has Micron D9 chips) Well, Corsair makes great RAM as well, but the Crucial you chose were fine, and I definitely won't buy that particular motherboard because I'm waiting for those bearing the Intel X38 chipset. That's a good idea. Finally, I've heard that Antec's habit of placing the PSU at the BOTTOM of the case can cause issues with cable runs. It is somewhat of an issue (look in my blog for pictures), but it's not that large of a problem. I may go with a Lian-Li PC-A16B or other one of their cases for that reason, or maybe the Thermaltake Armor. The Thermaltake is a great choice as well. Only problem is, those alternative case options are more expensive, especially now that the Antec 900 is only 120 US$. Anyway, this should give you a good idea of what 2000 US$ on a new computer can get you if you build it yourself. Tis a fine rig for the price.NamelessPlayer

The X3210 is like a lower clocked Q6600 with a 8x max multi. The X3220 is jsut like a Q6600 but is branded Xeon. The Xeon branding essentially means they are the hand picked best processors of the Kentsfield line. So the chances of getting a great OC'er are much higher with the Xeons. I've heard the X3210 which is clocked at 2.13 go from 2.9 to 3.5, I'm guessing those were B3s. The G0 steppings of these are golden, the wattage is lower and the thermal spec is 85 degrees.

http://www.tankguys.com/product_info.php?products_id=1762

They are backordered, while you would have to wait a guaranteed G0 would be an incredible CPU. Even without the 9x multi these should be great CPUs.

Regarding my PSU choice, and I'm highly surprised you've never heard of PC Power & Cooling(well, okay, I shouldn't be as surprised given that I only very recently heard of them myself). They're said to make some of the best PSUs out there, though the Silencers are reportedly based on a Seasonic design(just like the Corsair HX620W). I was thinking of going with the Corsair HX620W earlier, but the 12V+ rails are split. The PCP&C Silencer 610 and 750 have a single, HUGE rail with 49A and 60A respectively. Apparently, single-rail is the way to go, as power isn't "lost" on underutilized rails, and the likelihood of one rail not being effectively able to feed something power-hungry(like a top-of-the-line graphics card)is significantly lessened. I also was beginning to think that the 750 may be overkill for a single-graphics-card setup, but I also don't want to find out that I'm not providing enough power the hard way. I guess I should save some cash and go for the Silencer 610... And about the floppy drive, I really only have it in there for two reasons: -boot disks -any old-school games for old-school computers like the Amiga that I may come across(though in the case of Amiga games, I'll need to install a Catweasel Mk. IV card)NamelessPlayer

Go to Cyberpower and try configuring the Gamer Infinity 8800 Pro...it has free shipping and use discount code "REPEAT" and you can get a discount on it. Mine is coming out to be around 1500-1600 bucks with the Cooler Master Stacker 830 case wiich is th best there is.

Much thanks everybody. I've made 3 topics in a row and now i feel really stupid

Nameless has a nice build for the most part. Unless you plan on going with sli off the bat, personally i would stick with the p35 chipset for motherboards.The only things i would change from that build, is drop down to a x-fi gamer soundcard, and possibly get the less expensive p35 mobo from asus or another manufacturer. This would allow you to pickup a Raptor HD along with your sata drive. Personally, i cant tell the difference in sound quality for gaming from the fatality to the regular x-fi.

PCPC (PC power n cooling) along with Seasonic and Fortron are considered the top brands in PSUs. Silverstone (namely the Zeus) is also pretty decent.

X-Discovery Mid-Tower Case 420W W/ WINDOW & Temperature Display, CoolerMaster Unit 600 Watts, Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 CPU @ 3.00GHz, Thermaltake V1 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan, MSI P6N Diamond nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 mobo, 2 gigs Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader, 8800 GTX 768MB, & 200GB HD.

i'm customizing my computer off of cyberpowerpc.com. i'm not very computer savy.

animaul

Dude, Its alright but thats pretty expensive for that system. Look at my specs in my sig, i paid a little over $2000 for what i have now. Pre built is okay for normal PC use but for gaming and more, Building it yourself is a much better bet and a bit cheaper.

Nameless has a nice build for the most part. Unless you plan on going with sli off the bat, personally i would stick with the p35 chipset for motherboards.The only things i would change from that build, is drop down to a x-fi gamer soundcard, and possibly get the less expensive p35 mobo from asus or another manufacturer. This would allow you to pickup a Raptor HD along with your sata drive. Personally, i cant tell the difference in sound quality for gaming from the fatality to the regular x-fi.

boyd62

What particular motherboard would you suggest?

[QUOTE="boyd62"]

Nameless has a nice build for the most part. Unless you plan on going with sli off the bat, personally i would stick with the p35 chipset for motherboards.The only things i would change from that build, is drop down to a x-fi gamer soundcard, and possibly get the less expensive p35 mobo from asus or another manufacturer. This would allow you to pickup a Raptor HD along with your sata drive. Personally, i cant tell the difference in sound quality for gaming from the fatality to the regular x-fi.

animaul

What particular motherboard would you suggest?

It really depends on what features you want, any of these motherboards would work extremly well. if you plan on overclocking then i would suggest the abitgigabyte or msi platinum. if you want more features the abit board is nice as well, although it has an issue with the onboard lan.

Also, the new intel chipset x38 boards should be hitting the market in another month to two at most, depending on what time frame your looking to buy in.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128048

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1140&maincat_no=1&cat2_no=170

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1141&maincat_no=1&cat2_no=170

http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/DP35DP/index.htm

PCPC (PC power n cooling) along with Seasonic and Fortron are considered the top brands in PSUs.

Mr_NoName111