Going to build...

[GeneralSnatch]

Hey, I know you probably get a lot of questions from newbie asswholes like me, but I've been reading this forum for quite some time, and have actually decided to build a computer from the parts given in this setup:

$850 to $1000 gaming PC build:

This is the budget most people will be building around. Here we can play around a bit and build a very good computer with this budget. Please remember when leaving feedback that this is the non-overclocker's $750 to $1000 build. This is a gaming PC and will therefore be built around the GPU.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115029
This was a difficult choice. I did a lot of reseach before picking this CPU. It was tough choosing it over the 6400+ X2 which performs at a similar level, but comes at a slighly cheaper price. I recommend the E6750 because it is more energy efficient than the 64 X2 and has lots of overclocking potential should the user wish to try their hand at it in the future. The reason I do not recommend a Wolfdale for this particular build at the moment is because of the high demand and pricing.

Motherboard: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-T1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813188012
I would normally recommend a P35 board but as this build is not built for overclocking, I picked the 680i as it offers the luxury of having SLI support with dual 16 lanes.

Memory: OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227139
OCZ offer brilliant price to performance memory and the 800MHz rated speed is the best choice for a mid-range gaming PC.

PSU: OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341010
This build will include a decent GPU and this will require a power supply capable of powering it. OCZ PSUs are manufactured by the FSP Group who are a very reputable brand. The PSU features over 50A spread over quad 12V rails and an 80%+ efficiency rating.

HDD: Here it is entirely up to the user's storage requirements, there are a few things to look out for though:
-SATA 3.0GB/s interface. This is the new interface standard and is a lot faster than the older PATA/IDE connection.
-Brand, I recommend either Western Digital, Samsung, or Seagate hard drives.
-Cache, even with a low capacity hard drive, I would recommend at least a 16MB cache for a build like this.
As for the space, that is entirely dependant on the user's requirements.
Here is just one small suggestion: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152054
A Raptor drive is not really an option with this budget.

Disk drive: Sony NEC Optiarc Black 20X DVD+R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827118002
There is no need to change anything here and we can use the same drive as the low-cost build.

Case: Here it's up to the person's taste but keep in mind that the chassis will have an impact on cooling and noise. The case needs to support an ATX form factor motherboard.
Here are a few suggestions:
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119137
Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000BNA Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811133137

GPU: BFG Tech BFGE88512GTOCE GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143118
The most important part of a gaming PC, this is where the most money needs to be invested. The 8800GT 512MB uses Nvidia's new G92 core and brings 8800GTX level performance to the masses.
Price: (at time of writing)
CPU: $180
Motherboard: $180
Memory: $47
PSU: $90
HDD: (suggested) $70
Disk drive: $27
Case: ~$80
GPU: $200
TOTAL: $868 with out rebates. Price including rebates: $818

I play the online game Eve, and because I've upgraded my internet to Verizon FIOS, I wanted to upgrade my computer. Its a POS dell from 5 years ago, so I won't shock and disgust you with the specs.

My questions are, I have a little room under the belt with price, what should I upgrade?

What OS should I use?

Any suggestions to change for my general usage? (gaming).

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[worshipme]

Yep, as it hurts me so much to tell you to buy an Nvidia motherboard, I'm going to suggest you go with a P35 and a HD 3870 X2. With RV770's launch being so close, you can get an X2 for almost $300 which is a great price for a monster of a card.

And seeing as the E8400 has come down in price so much, it would be good to go with that.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121247

And I'll just get that guide updated.

What OS should I use?

I suggest going with Vista 64 bit. That way you can make full use of 4GB of RAM. 32 bit OS's only address 3.5GBs max.

 

[GeneralSnatch]

So, the card you listed is better than the 8800 in the guide? Also, I heard Vista is a son-of-bitch... I haven't bothered to get it because I only have 2 GB of RAM in this PC atm, and didn't want to deal with the hasle. All the new updates make it work better?



Thanks again!

 

[LukaszR1]

@GeneralSnatch
The vista updates i think mite actually have an impact on the performance. Example, when i bought my laptop last year it came with vista, and it'd use over 50% of my ram (2gigs). Right away i uninstalled it and ran XP. Then about 2 months ago, i re-installed vista, and about a week ago i installed the service pack 1 for vista, along with all the other updates, and i idle at 35% of my ram. So i think it mite actually have an impact on vista...the updates that is.

 

[worshipme]

Vista runs fine. I run it with two gigs ATM becuase I was working on my E8400 OC, it ran nice. I wouldn't willingly go back to XP.

So, the card you listed is better than the 8800 in the guide?

Yes!! The HD 3870 X2 is a monster, especially with the new drivers. And that ASUS at almost $300 is a great buy. A standard X2 at launch was about $450.