My 1st ever build, please help

[CalcProgrammer1]

I guess if you're going to use the PC for editing and not gaming an SSD would be OK. SSD's are not the way to go for gaming PC's in my opinion because games are so big these days that you could only fit a few on an SSD. For editing it would be OK to get an SSD for OS and editing software and a big HDD for the content (especially with HD video editing there's no way you're fitting all the content on the SSD, maybe clips while you edit them together but other than that you'll fill the drive up quickly).

 

[syn_sic]

I guess if you're going to use the PC for editing and not gaming an SSD would be OK. SSD's are not the way to go for gaming PC's in my opinion because games are so big these days that you could only fit a few on an SSD. For editing it would be OK to get an SSD for OS and editing software and a big HDD for the content (especially with HD video editing there's no way you're fitting all the content on the SSD, maybe clips while you edit them together but other than that you'll fill the drive up quickly).

haha you're really hellbent on the pc gaming and SSD issue. He doesn't play games, not that he could with that graphics card, so it really shouldn't matter. But yes, make sure you get a separate HDD for storage. Even if I used a normal HDD for my boot drive, I would still use another drive, or partition for files. Virus scans would take ages...

 

[Slaymate]

haha you're really hellbent on the pc gaming and SSD issue. He doesn't play games, not that he could with that graphics card

According to the final list of parts I see a Radeon HD 5770, why can't he game with that card? It's a pretty good card that should game quite impressively with his build.

While he may not play games, he certainly could if he wanted to.

 

[syn_sic]

According to the final list of parts I see a Radeon HD 5770, why can't he game with that card? It's a pretty good card that should game quite impressively with his build.

While he may not play games, he certainly could if he wanted to.

O i thought I remembered seeing a DDR3 card listed...my bad. No I agree, I have a 5770 myself

 

[cmtd1]

I do like the idea of an SSD, and you have very vaild points. I have decided to go with 2 WD, 1 TB hdd's for now. I will monitor the SSD market, and will eventually move to SSD's. A big portion of my decision to build this PC was the possibility for upgrading in the future.

The low capacity & high price of current SSD's is the big turn-off for me. I do realize the performance gains to be had with solid state drives.


On another note, I am waiting for the parts to leave the supplier! Hopefully will have everything this week. I am in the process of re-locating so hopefully assembly can begin next week. I will take some pics along the way to share.

 

[cmtd1]

Got my build completed last night! After getting everything assembeled, I went for the first power on, and got no DVI signal detected on my monitor. The LED's on my board were showing a high CPU and RAM loading. I disconnected all the SATA devices and began to trouble shoot. Tried HDMI cables for the monitor, re-seating the GFX card, booting on 4 GB of RAM, to no avail. Finally I tried plugging a 2x8 supply of power into the board, along with the main MoBo power connection. I also plugged an power supply into the GFX card. BIOS loaded up, and my fans seemed to run at a much lower speed.

I have installed Windows, and the PC is booting windows from the HD. My next mission is to find out why the GFX card is being shown as a "generic" card and not giving me the option to display in widescreen format. It got too late last night to continue on.

I took a few pics during the build, and will try to post them tonight.

Overall, I felt it went well. Thanks for all the help along the way.

 

[cmtd1]

Here is a pic of when I almost have everything installed. The wires are a complete mess!

A not-so-good pic of after I got the power turned on.

I have everything broken down as I am moving this weekend. Ill get some good shots of it with everything up and running when I get it all set up.

On a good note, everything seems to be running exactly as it should at this point.

 

[w7pro]

I have everything broken down as I am moving this weekend. Ill get some good shots of it with everything up and running when I get it all set up.

On a good note, everything seems to be running exactly as it should at this point.

CMTD1, thanks for the updates on how your new build is coming along! Windows 7 Professional is a great choice to help you save time and get more done with your new build, like automatic data backups and simplified presentation settings. You can try out the new features of Windows 7 Professional at Windows for Small and Midsize Business: Windows 7 Professional Test Drive and watch a video at Windows 7 Professional - Microsoft Showcase Videos. You can also follow us on Twitter @Win7ProSB for small business related updates, news, and contests. Hope this helps. Andrea H. Windows 7 Professional Outreach Team

 

[the_monkey_it_sings]

2 or 3 questions along similar lines here. What if that AAR2-2618CSB was on sale for, say, $950? Also, how does that Radeon HD 5870 do for 3D gaming (hooked up to a 3D-capable HDTV)? One spec sheet I read for the Alienware he referenced says that the vid card doesn't have HDMI output. Anyone know if that's true?

BTW... wtb your system!!! Looks/sounds great! Still working well for you?