PC Noob- Ordering soon, pls comment!

Hi, I've been a console gamer all my life, and after 41 years... well it's time to see what I've been missing! I am placing an order for my first custom gaming rig, and cannot wait to build it. Please excuse my ignorance, I am not up to speed with all the PC lingo and terminology, I have just been lurking for awhile. Anyway, my goal is to order a system that can run most any game right now at high settings.. and will be solid for the next couple years in the upgrade department. I would like your input on anything you might change, compatibility issues, etc... Of course i would like to spend a minimal amount, but am prepared for spending about $1700-$2000. If I have missed anything, please let me know, or if you have any other recommendations. Thanks to Staryoshi for getting me started with all this..

Case: Antec 900 Black Steel ATX MidTower $119

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX $119

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $99.99

HD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s HD $69.99

Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2X2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit $39.99

Drive: LG Black 22X $24.99

PSU: Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V/EPS12V $99.99

Graphics Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1281-AR GeForce GTX285 $354.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 $280.00

Keyboard: Saitek PZ30AU Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard $34.99

Mouse: Logitech G5 2-Tone 7 buttons 1xWheel USB Laser 2000 dpi Mouse $49.99

Monitor: Samsung 2433BW Glossy Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD 20000:1 (1000:1) $299.99

This is what I am looking at, falls somewhere around $1700... any other recommendations? How is this looking? What other supplies will I need to do this build, it is my first (cables, etc..) and it's my first order off newegg.com. I am trying to avoid numerous trips to my local PC shop. Also, could anybody recommend a solid speaker system... it will be in a smallish room, don't need anything overly powerful, but would like a good sub and speakers because I want to "feel" these games. Thanks for the help

I would suggest getting a razer lachesis or deathadder. At buy.com they are 50 and 60$ respectively. And they are definently worth it. Maybe switch to a razer keyboard. A headset would be good and get some of the logitech speakers they got good ones on newegg :D And one last thing antec 900 is 85$ at microcenter.com which is alot cheaper. Hope i helped :)RedxSniper

For a newbie that is exceptionally good, you picked great parts, even a corsair PSU. One thing is you might want to get an xigmatek HDT-S1283 cooler, for overclocking the processor.ferret-gamer

I would suggest getting a razer lachesis or deathadder. At buy.com they are 50 and 60$ respectively. And they are definently worth it. Maybe switch to a razer keyboard. A headset would be good and get some of the logitech speakers they got good ones on newegg :D And one last thing antec 900 is 85$ at microcenter.com which is alot cheaper. Hope i helped :)RedxSniper

[QUOTE="RedxSniper"]I would suggest getting a razer lachesis or deathadder. At buy.com they are 50 and 60$ respectively. And they are definently worth it. Maybe switch to a razer keyboard. A headset would be good and get some of the logitech speakers they got good ones on newegg :D And one last thing antec 900 is 85$ at microcenter.com which is alot cheaper. Hope i helped :)DGFreak

I think I'm gonna go with G5 and that Saitek, since they've got solid reviews and I'm a PC gaming n00b

[QUOTE="RedxSniper"]I would suggest getting a razer lachesis or deathadder. At buy.com they are 50 and 60$ respectively. And they are definently worth it. Maybe switch to a razer keyboard. A headset would be good and get some of the logitech speakers they got good ones on newegg :D And one last thing antec 900 is 85$ at microcenter.com which is alot cheaper. Hope i helped :)DGFreak

Rayvin, a 41 year old man driving a lowered Eclipse lol.. Problem is I still feel like I'm 25! No seriously, just because I'm 41 doesn't mean that I need a very subtle and conservative case. I have two young teens that are console gamers, and I'm thinking of them as well, plus I kinda like the flashy look. Thanks for taking the time to respond with that very detailed post, I really appreciate it. I haven't placed the order yet, and you bring up some good points. I will investigate cases a little further and make my choice. As far as another hard drive, I don't really think I'll need it.. I have several other computers in the house, and this is a strict gaming rig.. only game saves on it, and probably my kids porn collection lol, nothin catastrophic.

Graphics card- I will look into that also.. I see the point you make from an investment standpoint, taking into account what I might need to do in a couple years. I was also looking at those exact speakers you mentioned- Although was also considering I think its the Z4, a step down.. the room is extremely small, like a converted laundry room dedicated to gaming, I'm thinking the Z2300 might be overkill. That being the case, I haven't been actively looking for a sound card, I was going to give the standard a shot first. Like I said, I'm new to PC gaming, its a small room, and it might be ok. Card reader, don't need it, have them in my photo printers and other machines CPU cooler, wasn't planning on it.. would that be strictly for noise control? And tools, zipties, etc, got 'em.. you know, in 41 years, you acquire alot of stuff, since I'm so ancient Rayvin! I'm sure I was playing Intellivision when you were in your dipeys lol. One more thing, a good quality mid priced headest? Hey thanks for all the help ;)

Hi, I've been a console gamer all my life, and after 41 years... well it's time to see what I've been missing! I am placing an order for my first custom gaming rig, and cannot wait to build it. Please excuse my ignorance, I am not up to speed with all the PC lingo and terminology, I have just been lurking for awhile. Anyway, my goal is to order a system that can run most any game right now at high settings.. and will be solid for the next couple years in the upgrade department. I would like your input on anything you might change, compatibility issues, etc... Of course i would like to spend a minimal amount, but am prepared for spending about $1700-$2000. If I have missed anything, please let me know, or if you have any other recommendations. Thanks to Staryoshi for getting me started with all this..

Case: Antec 900 Black Steel ATX MidTower $119

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX $119

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $99.99

HD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s HD $69.99

Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2X2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit $39.99

Drive: LG Black 22X $24.99

PSU: Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V/EPS12V $99.99

Graphics Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1281-AR GeForce GTX285 $354.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 $280.00

Keyboard: Saitek PZ30AU Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard $34.99

Mouse: Logitech G5 2-Tone 7 buttons 1xWheel USB Laser 2000 dpi Mouse $49.99

Monitor: Samsung 2433BW Glossy Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD 20000:1 (1000:1) $299.99

This is what I am looking at, falls somewhere around $1700... any other recommendations? How is this looking? What other supplies will I need to do this build, it is my first (cables, etc..) and it's my first order off newegg.com. I am trying to avoid numerous trips to my local PC shop. Also, could anybody recommend a solid speaker system... it will be in a smallish room, don't need anything overly powerful, but would like a good sub and speakers because I want to "feel" these games. Thanks for the help

greggr107

Didn't mean to make you feel ancient or anything (I'm 25 myself, but it's more about the mileage than the years). If you really like the styling of the Nine Hundred, I'd get the Nine Hundred II instead. It has at least solved the cable routing issues that plagued the original Nine Hundred. The NZXT Tempest is another reasonable alternative, and the Thermaltake V9 might also be worth considering. The Z2300 isn't all that big (well, the sub is, and if that's the area you need space, then you might do well to consider the Z4), it shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Well, an aftermarket CPU is mainly used for lowering CPU temperatures, but the noise benefits are definitely a nice aside. I'd say it's up to you, if you think you can live with some slight fan humming you'll be fine (it's not horribly loud just idling, and while you're gaming you shouldn't need to worry about noise much). As for the headset, I'm using the Plantronics GameCom 367, which is a very good set for the $40 price tag if you ask me. There are certainly better headphones out there (and as a DJ I own a few, but they all use 6.3mm jacks), but for the price, I'm very happy with the Plantronics set. And yes, Intellivision was definitely before my time. But at least I remember greyscale gaming on the family Macintosh 512K (or maybe 512Ke, I was pretty young and don't remember much of it) - nothing like trying to play After Dark games where you had to avoid touching the mouse for fear of turning off the screensaver that the games were running in.RayvinAzn