First build need advice

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dropoflove

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I am building my first computer and I want to make sure I have the best for the money before I buy.

This is the mobo I picked.

BIOSTAR 945P-A7A (8.0) LGA 775 Intel 945P ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - BIOSTAR 945P-A7A (8.0) LGA 775 Intel 945P ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

The requirements I have are:
at least one pci-e slot
Holds 4 gigs memory in 4 slots
Cpu type Core 2 Duo
Socket 775
and onboard sound

So if anyone knows a cheaper one let me know.

Case
Linkworld B319-C9928-P4 WNDW Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 400W Power Supply
Newegg.com - Linkworld B319-C9928-P4 WNDW Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 400W Power Supply - Retail

Only requirements there are good reviews, higher than 350 power supply and good cooling (more than one fan)

Memory
OCZ Gold Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Newegg.com - OCZ Gold Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Might get two of these.

Cpu
Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E4500
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

I needed to go cheaper on this one becuase I was originally going to use my Pentium D 3.0 Ghz, but decided as long as it wasn't to bad a price I should go ahead.

Video Card
Still haven't decided between these two. I haven't really got into the big time games but I play Sims 2 with all exp and I do alot of graphics work.

MSI NX8600GT-T2D256E OC GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported
Newegg.com - MSI NX8600GT-T2D256E OC GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

and

EVGA 512-P2-N548-TX GeForce 7600GS 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P2-N548-TX GeForce 7600GS 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Will keep my current hard drive and both disk drives I have as they are fairly new.

PLease give me advice on if all of this will work together and if it will do what I need it for.

Thanks!
 
I forgot to go back and look at different motherboards after I decided against staying with my Pentium D. That one does look better.

Are you sure I can't get away with the psu it comes with at least for a few months? Money is kind of maxed right now.

I won't be overclocking or anything else fancy.
 
The reason you should not use the power supplies that come with cases is that when a psu fails it can damage other components and the psu's included with cases are usually very low quality.
Since money is an issue you could go with this psu instead of the Corsair I posted earlier. It should still be enough power for you system but if you decide to upgrade to a more powerful graphics card in the future this psu might not be sufficient.

Newegg.com - FSP Group SAGA+ 400R ATX12V 400W Power Supply 120/220 - 240v NEMKO, TUV, CSA, IEC, UL, CE - Retail
 
Also are the hard drive and optical drives you already have IDE or SATA? The reason I ask is the Abit IP35-E only has 1 IDE port.
 
Hi dropoflove. I just finished piecing together my own rig and I can offer you some suggestions from what I've learned.

I did a lot of research on cases but finally fell in love with the Ultra m998. I've had a Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU for some time now and have never had an issue with it, so it stood to reason they knew how to make awesome cases as well. I was right. It is a beautiful case. What guy doesn't love brushed aluminum - in black, no less! All the metal is polished to a chrome shine as well. HUGE. Plenty of room for whatever you need, and an excellent cable routing system. What I liked was the fact that the mobo tray slides right out the back and that the top and the sides of the case are removable. Everything is put together with large thumb screws so it's very easy to take apart. You can read a review about it here.

I don't know a lot about video cards, but everyone recommends the EVGA 8800GTS. EVGA makes really good cards, judging by the number of positive reviews and user comments. Myself I got a Diamond X1650 at an awesome deal of $34 - of course this isn't a gamers card, but perfect for what I needed it for.

I spent a little extra and got the Intel Quad Core (Q6600). My original choice was the E8400, but then a lot of people told me that because I'm a graphic designer and run large programs and multitask with other apps at the same time that I would be better off with a Quad. I figured for 20-30 bucks more this made the most sense. If you decide to get a Q6600 then I suggest buying it from ClubIt. They have the version with G0 stepping which I've read is a more advanced chipset than the other B3 version. I also saved a few bucks and bought the OEM since I was getting a HS and fan for the CPU.

NOTE: Be aware that ClubIt has a very incompetent staff. They sent me the wrong motherboard and it took me three hours on the phone just to get a return shipping label. In the end the sale guy (Jeff) got me on a three-way with FedEx and asked the lady there to send me a return lable. She told him that was ClubIt's responsibility, not FedEx. I had to laugh out loud at this. Finally the FedEx lady was kind enough to send a truck to my house to pick up the package, since obviously ClubIt was too inept to do it themselves.

The best heat sink I found is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, paired with a Scythe S-FLEX 1600 RPM 120mm Fan. I bought both of these from the Heatsink Factory, because they had the lowest price on both.

As for the PSU I had many people link me to this Official XS Tiered PSU List. Unfortunately, according to the list, my X-Connect PSU was Tier5 - not recommended. Fortunately, I had the list, so I was able to pick a better PSU. I opted for the PCP&C Silencer 610 because it was the best fit for my needs and one of the most powerful PSUs recommended (Tier1). If you're into gaming then you may want to check out the PCP&C Silencer 750 Quad, which supports SLI (Dual 8800 GTX and below).

Anyway, that's about all I can offer. Hope it helps in some way. Enjoy building your new rig. I know I am. :)
 
I have no idea how can I tell?

IDE or ATA cables are flat ribbon cables.

12-200-039-01.jpg


SATA cables are round.

12-123-163-02.jpg


I do not know of a way to tell other than looking at the drives. If you do need more IDE ports than the motherboard has you can get pci IDE cards.

Newegg.com - MASSCOOL PCI Card, 2 internal IDE Model XWT-RC020 - Retail
 
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