Noobie needs help deciding what parts to build my computer with.

[4thgenlude]

Well Im a total n00b. lol.

Anyways I plan on building a computer in the near future, and was wondering what components you guys would recommend. I definitely wont be doing any hardcore gaming, but I do play a few games every now and then. I'm mostly concerned about the engineering programs I have to use for school, (I can get you more details on them if necessary).

Currently I have an older laptop and I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate (got it for free from school!) and its getting a little laggy. So ill probably stick with Vista for the new comp and switch my laptop back to XP.

I was thinking of using:

-E6600 processor, seems like a decent deal
-I hear Asus makes a good MB
-Not sure on video card
-22" Sceptre monitor (ill use the audio that it has since im not too picky about sound. Only reason im thinking of using this one is because i found one on craigslist for $200)
-2GB of RAM depending on MB
-not sure of power supply yet
-Not sure on HD yet either


As far as budget goes Ive got just under $2k, but i would really like to spend about half that, because I do need to survive till Dec. I live with mommy and daddy still so survival is pretty cheap.

What do you guys think?

Any brands I should avoid, or any brands I should seek out?

Thanks alot guys!

-Charlie

 

[A True Folder]

What country do you live in?

 

[TRDCorolla1]

Man, I just had a nice configuration and then my stupid laptop shut down for no reason. My first major glitch with the new Dell laptop. Unbelievable. All me Newegg tabs are gone, lol. It's almost 1am and I'm dead tired. Can't post anymore. I'll have to check back tomorrow....

But consider quad core, Q6600. Just $50 more. For graphics card, consider the Geforce 8800GTX. As for the motherboard, yes, Asus makes one of the best motherboards around depending on chipset. I like their Intel P35 Asus boards. Hard drive, any will do. Doesn't matter. I prefer a Western Digital or Seagate hard drive 7200 RPM or higher.

Power supply, try to get at least 500watts with dual 12V rails that meet or exceed at least 30amps. RAM, 2GB is good. Consider Crucial Ballistix, G. Skill, OCZ, and Corsair. If you can afford it, get 4GB.

All this should be under 2 grand. For PC case, I strongly suggest Lian Li cases. Air flow and material is high quality. That's it in a nutshell. Sorry I can't post links. Everything was gone when my laptop shut down. If you have any questions in regards to these parts, let us know.

 

[ssc456]

ok here goes.

i love these build threads.

now im assuming your in the US so here goes.

Motherboard : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131142

Processor : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

Memory : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227030

Graphics Card : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130062

Hardrive : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136075

DVD RW Drive : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827136118

Case : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

PSU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152022

Heatsink & Fan : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134


and thats about it.

obviously if u wonna bigger hardrive you can.
different case if you want but thats an outline for people to work off of

Edit: and id get 1 of these too http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815106505

you can never have neough USB ports

 

[4thgenlude]

What country do you live in?

Im in the US.


Thanks for the replies!

You guys are awesome. Wow after looking through some of the specs on the Q6600 vs the E6600, I'm definitely going the quad core route, I never realized that the quad core was that cheap.

Also is it a real bad idea to get one stick of 2 gb RAM, and then ad another later if I feel like it needs it?

thanks again folks!

 

[Zer0Cool]

If you going to get the Q6600 get it from here:
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1938452

They guarantee a G0 step, if u order from newegg u might get the G3 step:

G0 is better! It doesn't get as hot as the G3

Cheers.

 

[gplpark92]

ssc has the right idea, his product selection is quite good

 

[TRDCorolla1]

If you going to get the Q6600 get it from here:
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1938452

They guarantee a G0 step, if u order from newegg u might get the G3 step:

G0 is better! It doesn't get as hot as the G3

Cheers.

YES!!! ClubIT is awesome. The GO is clearly labeled on their website while Newegg is a 50/50 chance on getting either a B3 or SLACR.

As for the RAM question, I prefer you get two all at the same time for dual channel. Or get four for "quad channel", hehe. It's a little performance increase. This reminds me a lot of the car's exhaust system. It frees up the exhaust or in computer terms, it frees up more lanes for data throughput which can enhance performance.

Should you get 2GB now, just get the exact same 2GB RAM for next time.

 

[4thgenlude]

Should you get 2GB now, just get the exact same 2GB RAM for next time.

But nothing will be hurt if I only have one stick right?

Also why did you choose that motherboard? (I'm trying to educate myself a bit and build a computer at the same time )

Thanks again folks, I really appreciate the help.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

Oh yeah, it will work perfect with just one stick. No problem.

The reason why I like Asus is because they have proven track record. They make very stable boards and high performance boards as well. The Intel P35 chipset is fairly new and very affordable. They offer fast system bus and quad core support. The P35 also support DDR3 on select motherboards including faster memory controllers. It's popular too. Whatever is popular has got to be good.