First PC Build - Opinions Please

youngpcbuilder

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Hi everyone at computerforums, it is great to be posting in this forum. This is my first post.

I have been thinking about building my own pc recently and was searching for some good value for money parts when i came across this amazon list :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Affordable-Decent-Gaming-PC/lm/R1HMN8DKELXWOY/ref=cm_lmt_dtpa_f_2_rdssss0

Basically i am thinking of everything except the monitor, hard disk, dvd drive, speakers and the keyboard and mouse. So just the bare pc but i am thinking of 2 of those corsair memory packs.

So is this good value for money? Good computer? Possibly going to overclock the cpu probably to about 3.2 Ghz, will the stock cooler and the case coolers be enough?

Please reply quickly

Thank You
 
Hi there, welcome to CF!

Most of that is very good. I would recommend the new E8200 for the CPU however. It replaces the E6750 and is one of the new "Wolfdale" processors, it has 6MB of L2 cache compared to the 4MB of the E6750 and is more energy efficient due to it's 45nm process: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=736333

I would also recommend you get 800MHz C4 RAM, like this: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/s...ca&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Think about getting 4GB if you are going to be running Vista.

You probably will be able to get that CPU to 3.2 on stock cooling, but the temps won't be very safe, and a decent after market cooler doesn't cost very much: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=340995

The motherboard, graphics card I know I great as I have the same in my build.
 
Over-clocking voids your warrantee. Your CPU will overheat due to this. This gets tricky as to the type of cooler you use, but I think stock coolers are out of the picture.
The web site you referred too shows a UK address. Do you live there?.
I think you should get some help from one of your locals. darroll
 
Yes i live in the UK but i dont know anyone who knows anything about hardware.

So maybe i should get another processor with a higher Ghz because i dont want to void my warranty. Do you think it is worthwhile to get a different cooler if you dont overclock?

What about an Intel e8400? Any Good? And i am getting 4GB Memory even though i dont think i need it because vista runs just fine on my not-so-good vaio laptop with 2GB Memory and 1.86Ghz T7100.
 
I wouldn't replace the memory.
You could upgrade your processor but I do not see much of a boost in speed.
I personally do not see a 5 or 6 second increase in speed anything to write home about.
You would use the new fan that comes with the CPU.
If you buy a new CPU, it could suck up your battery and feel warm to the touch. get a cool running CPU. dc
 
So maybe i should get another processor with a higher Ghz because i dont want to void my warranty. Do you think it is worthwhile to get a different cooler if you dont overclock?
It is very hard to damage your processor whilst overclocking unless you do something very stupid with the voltages. And even if you do, thermal throttling will slow it right down if it exceeds a certain temperature so your CPU will not be damaged. I can help you out with your overclock to as I know the P5K's BIOS very well and I can tell you what settings to select.

I think you will notice the difference with 4GB over 2 especially in Vista you are multi-tasking.

The E8400 is a great processor with fantastic overclocking potential. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, then it's a very good buy.
Here is an article about the Wolfdales: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/intel-wolfdale.html

BTW, what will you be using this PC for?
 
just using it for everything really i do programming, video editing, gaming, internet surfing everything

btw, which processor have you got? is it overclocked?

also i am not sure where to plug in the pata optical drive? can you please get a picture and mark where the input thing is please?
 
btw, which processor have you got? is it overclocked?
I have the Core 2 Quad Q6600. I would recommend it if you are doing a lot of video editing. As games benefit more from the higher clock speeds that the Core 2 Duos can reach. And very few apps are threaded for quad cores. I made a mistake when I bought one TBH. Mine is overclocked from 2.4GHz to 3.6GHz for benchmarking and 3.4GHz for general use. I am a bit limited by my cooler ATM.
also i am not sure where to plug in the pata optical drive? can you please get a picture and mark where the input thing is please?
It goes in the IDE slot on the motherboard:



The only thing I don't like about my P5K is that the IDE connector is at the bottom of the PCB, which means that the think IDE cable has to cross the whole of the case.
 
woah, overclocking voids your warranty? i didnt know that...
 
Would the average optical drive cable cross?

BTW I am making a wiring diagram to better understanding this but i am kind of stuck so could you please fill in the rest for me please?

I need my front panel connections like power, usb's, firewire etc. Also can you tell me how to properly fit the power supply to everything please?

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4145/diagramvo6.jpg

Also what temperatures are safe for the cpu?

Thank You
 
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