Finally building new computer (is serious now o.o)

[WTF Joel]

Ok guys, I got my check for 1800 and Im right anxious to spend it. I need you brilliant minds to help narrow down a parts list for me.

As always, a few guidelines. For starters, please use newegg.ca and not .com

I would like an Nvidia card over ATI, which is what I have been using. I'll be hooking this to my TV for a monitor, it can be HDMI or VGA, prolly the first would be best, but in case the TV doesnt work out, I'll prolly be resorting to my current monitor, or maybe down the road I'll buy a new widescreen one. So no need to include a monitor in the list.

I figure 1TB sounds good for HDD space. Caff suggests 3 drives. o.o You guys can debate that one.

I would like a gaming keyboard and mouse for this rig. Wireless is a plus, but you guys do what you think is best for that.

Surround sound will be applied to this at some point. I assume a good sound card would be nice.

And that's all I can think of right now. Don't let me down boys

[Scary Womanizing Pig Mask]

I would like a gaming keyboard and mouse for this rig. Wireless is a plus, but you guys do what you think is best for that.

I have a wireless mouse myself, but I'm nor sure I would recommend it. It is more convenient, but it has this nasty tendency to occasionally lose the signal, which leads to it spazing out on screen when you try and move it. Might just be cause mines a cheap version though.

[Eschatos]

[quote author=Metal Lemur Solid link=topic=1802.msg50233#msg50233 date=1226972782]
I would like a gaming keyboard and mouse for this rig. Wireless is a plus, but you guys do what you think is best for that.

I have a wireless mouse myself, but I'm nor sure I would recommend it. It is more convenient, but it has this nasty tendency to occasionally lose the signal, which leads to it spazing out on screen when you try and move it. Might just be cause mines a cheap version though.
[/quote]

Yeah, I hate wireless mice.  They're a waste of batteries as well. 

[CaffeinePowered]

Don't get a wireless mouse, like ever, unless you plan on actually using the mouse from across the room IMHO, even a short distance the corded has better response.


Ill make some sort of part recommendation this weekend. Just remind me on Saturday or something otherwise i might not do it.

[Versus]

joel, what mouse are you currently using?

also, good luck sniping on a fuckin' tv

[IdiotWithGuns]

http://umlan.com/

E mail me your options and i ll give you a good advice
(by options i mean the hardware you have picked)

[WTF Joel]

joel, what mouse are you currently using?

also, good luck sniping on a fuckin' tv

Im using a 10 dollar POS from the local store o.o

[WTF Joel]

That is a screen shot of the order, that is what I bought, with some assistance from other users. (Moof, fuckduck, Ain, IdiotWithGuns)

[Blues]

*facepalm*

But what's extra money if you don't need it I suppose.

[CaffeinePowered]

*facepalm*

But what's extra money if you don't need it I suppose.

IMO its not the money, but how its allocated, for that money the HDDs, you should have one main drive for windows, than 3 smaller ones for a RAID 5 for data.

Instead of a quad core Id go with a dual with much faster cores, like 3.5 ghz+

And I'd bump the graphics up to a GTX280 if you are going for broke.

[Wedge]

Yeah, I was wondering who thought it was a good idea to put two terrabyte HDDs in RAID1...

[WTF Joel]

Order has been canceled... so.. let loose with a better option when ya guys can, I guess.

[IdiotWithGuns]

you also might want to enter in the drawing for the thermal paste if you planning to build anything.
i am very much surprised why no one here is really interested in the give away

[CaffeinePowered]

you also might want to enter in the drawing for the thermal paste if you planning to build anything.
i am very much surprised why no one here is really interested in the give away

Well for me at least, that would require that I remove my heat sink, clean both it and the processor, then replace. At least in my case my thermal paste is just average, and I get 35 - 38C on the processor and I dont overclock, its just not worth the effort 

Joel on the other hand, with a new build  :

[HeK]

IMO its not the money, but how its allocated, for that money the HDDs, you should have one main drive for windows, than 3 smaller ones for a RAID 5 for data.

I'd highly advise against raid 5 unless you had a dedicated controller card with a write back cache. The parity calculations are *very* intensive during a write. On top of that of all the failed raid 5 arrays I've seen, less then 2/3 have been rebuilt successfully.  In most cases another drive fails during the rebuild, due to the similar age of all the drives.

If you are interested in redundant storage you are better off building a mirror. You can do this with the software raid controller on your mobo, and it will have minimal performance hit. Drives are cheap enough now that you can do it affordably.

[CaffeinePowered]

While I agree HeK that a hardware controller is generally better, wouldn't it also depend on the quality of the controller on the motherboard?

Either way, Id never install windows to a RAID...

[Vlambo]

May I suggest using NCIX. I used them for my new computer and they were cheaper than Newegg.ca

[ScottyGrayskull]

May I suggest using NCIX. I used them for my new computer and they were cheaper than Newegg.ca

Or at least do a price comparison. Might get some things cheaper at one store.

[rumsfald]

Firstly, Joel, I suggest that you might get more concrete suggestions if you have a list of what you looking at. (i saw an image yesterday but it is not displaying for me now). It's easier for people to give an opinion based on a mock-up rather than out of thin air. Sure, some of the things you pick may get bad reviews from some of the folks here, but for me, I would rather know before I made a purchase. This is from someone who *just* had to rma a $250 dollar psu (noisy as fuck - pc cooling and power).

Secondly, to the Americans in the group, I suggest you confirm that the prices Joel posted are in US or CDN $ before saying anything is overpriced. 

RE: RAID
I had windows installed on a raid 0 for over 4 years with no probs, only had an issue when I tried to upgrade the cpu and fried the mobo. It didn't affect the raid array, but did take down the hardware controller on the mobo (nvidia n-force mobo ). Something I did not know, not all hardware RAID controllers are interchangeable, which meant that when i went to upgrade, I was limited to an nvidia n-force mobo (which are not as reliable as intel, or as many choices, for the past 1+ year) if I wanted to ressurect that RAID array. Now, fortunately, once I got the new n-force mobo it recognized my old RAID without a hitch, but this is not guaranteed with any mobo raid. See http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/RAID...640.html.  On my new config, i am running windows on a raid 1 (i figure if the controller goes on me again, i have a better chance of doing some MBR kung-fu and getting the data, even if i don't have a compatable controller).

[Master Shake]

Suggestion: SSD