New PC Question

I am going to build a budget PC with the following components. I need a new PC for a better SL experience. Does anyone see any conflicts or does anyone have any suggestions?


Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

EVGA 01G-P3-N870-AR GeForce 9600 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Windows XP pro

thanks for any input

Are you going to save much putting all those expensive sounding bits together rather than having someone else do it ???

Doesnt sound very 'budget ' to me .....

So. . .what's the bottom line?

I think you can probably get a 9800GT for about the same price as this card. The 9800 is faster, and will be a better value.

Windows XP won't be able to use all 4GB of that memory. You will need Vista x64 to take advantage of the full 4GB.

Did not see mention of a budget cooling system.
Ensure your UPS has more power than your PC.

Milla, your recommendation for the graphics card may be spot on, and dual cards are not all they are cracked up to be. [Have phone # of tech support handy.]

RAM: Aye, there's the rub. Does SL run on x64? Or maybe there is an OS that will take advantage of 4GB other than MS? Hmmm . . . wonder what that might be . . .

Windows 7 will be released, sometime, and then you will need to upgrade equipment again. BTW, even the Beta is better than XP, and I'm now using it as the primary OS [but i already have a super computer ]

This post must be related to running SL. No?
If so, go with at least 32GB RAM.
7200 RPM is a bit slow to keep SL running properly.
What is the broadband speed? Since most folks use computers for Internet access, a super computer is still dependent on access speed and related server connectivity. 100gps might be sufficient.
Don't load any unnecessary programs other than the OS and SL
Don't use the standard LL viewer, find one that works.

I admire the home tinkerer, and am one, but unless one has the know it all of parts compatibility, then it is wise to to take it to someone who does. Or, do some research and buy off the shelf, and ensure you can switch out components to upgrade later.

How many times does someone, in a similar "build it myself mode," end up cursing what seems like what should have been a good idea, and paying someone to fix it? Not a budget computer then.

One last word of caution, why the need to build one's own? At some point even if everything works out, there may not be a noticeable difference in speed depending on your application usage.

I am buying all the parts from NewEgg which is having some very good deals now


Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300 ...120.00

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard ... 105.00 after rebate

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM... 70.00

EVGA 01G-P3-N870-AR GeForce 9600 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card ...134.00

PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply 95.00 after rebate

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ...55.00

I will be using my present 24 inch LCD as well as my old optical drives.

I have made my last 2 computers and have had no problems with those builds.

I am not looking to make a super computer. Just something that can deal with my 24 inch screen and make SL more enjoyable than it is now.

I don't have a super connection..DLS with download speeds around 350 Mbps

I'll check out the 9800

You could build the supercomputer of your dreams, but that DSL with 350mps is going to be a constant source of frustration for you

Yes, scrap that 9600. Even a 9800 is a bit outdated (relabled 8800), still way better than a 9600 card. There are some pretty good deals on 4800 series ATI cards these days that are superior to Nvidia's 9xxx. But I'm still not sure if I'd buy one if the primary use is SL. Too many issues with ATI in the past.