What do ya think of the PC i am building?

[TheGeneralLee86]

I am not new to computers or building them at all though this is my first time building my own computer and first post on this site though. Here is the essentials I am putting into it and the case I am putting it all in:

Computer Case T925-2248 Thermaltake Black LANBOX Micro-ATX Case with Front USB, FireWire, Audio Ports, Clear Side and Aluminum Handle

Power Supply C13-2505 Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620-Watt Power Supply - 80PLUS, SLI-Ready, SATA-Ready

CPU: CP1-DUO-E8400 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Processor BX80570E8400 - 3.0GHz, 6MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB, Wolfdale, Dual-Core, Retail, Socket 775, Processor with Fan

Motherboard: I69-2174 Intel DG45ID Motherboard - Intel G45 Express, Socket 775, DDR2 800/667 MHz, 7.1 Audio, PCI Express 2.0 x16, HDMI, DVI, S/PDIF, SATA RAID, eSATA, USB 2.0, Firewire, Gigabit LAN

Hard Drive: M122-8048 Maxtor Basics STM305004N1AAAS-RK 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, Retail

RAM: P56-3968 PNY 2048MB Dual Channel PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)

I also plan on buying a Video card and Windows Vista Home Premium later though. Just wanting to know what you think of my build?

[TheGeneralLee86]

I bought all of it from Tigerdirect because they have 1.99 ground UPS shipping and that is always the site I've used and have had no problems with almost anything from there. Just in case anyone wanted to know where I bought everything for my system I am building.

The only thing I have had problems was more of my fault that I didn't see the no returns and the drive wouldn't fit into my Playstation 3 so I bought one from newegg and it fit it perfectly and has been working since october and still working no problems!

[TheGeneralLee86]

Hello is anyone here?

[The Wise Monkey]

Looks good, but why did you decide to go for the G45 chipset motherboard?

[TheGeneralLee86]

Thanks and it is because I couldn't find very many that had the HDMI PCI 16x 2.0 or ones that supported SLI and Crossfire X that had Micro ATX too and I got some other reasons too but can't remember them at the moment! LOL

Also forgot to add because I plan on buying a graphics card soon just wanted to wait and see if a better one in my price range was gonna come out!

[The Wise Monkey]

Fair enough. :)

Let us know how you get on with the build.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Fair enough. :)

Let us know how you get on with the build. Ok I will and I should be getting all the parts delivered this tuesday in the morning or afternoon, so that'll be real nice!

I made one sacrifice and it is that it is not crossfirex or SLi compatible though but no biggy to me.

[TheGeneralLee86]

I was just looking it and was wondering I'm pretty sure the Core 2 Duo E8400 is 64 bit but does windows automatically install the 64bit retail version if it detects the 64bit motherboard and processor? Just curious.

[The Wise Monkey]

You need to specifically purchase the 64bit version as this is sold separately to the 32bit version.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Cause I looking for a retail 64bit version cause I'd rather have Retail then OEM version anyways but I am looking through Tigerdirect.com but maybe I'm looking wrong and they have a 64 bit retail?

[The Wise Monkey]

Why would you rather have the retail version? It costs $130 more than the OEM version...

As for finding it, I've searched all over the place and the only place I could find it was as a download on the Microsoft website, so you should have a look around their store and see if you can find what you want.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Because I've read that if you buy the OEM version and have to reinstall it because you've changed the motherboard it won't let you because it will think you are trying to install it on another PC. At least that is what i've read anyways.

This is where I found the info: http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2007/01/8730.ars

[TheGeneralLee86]

I am also wondering since I have a old 128mb DDR Ram GeForce FX5500 graphics card I just found in one of my drawers do you think that will work with Vista and it is compatible from other sites but wanted to be sure though.

[RickyTick]

The FX5500 is an AGP interface video card. It will not work on that motherboard. Sorry. :(

[The Wise Monkey]

Yeah, but when are you going to be changing your motherboard? In a few years? By then, Windows 7 will be the new standard, so you could always by an "upgrade" version of that for, say, the $130 that you can save by buying an OEM version now. ;)

From the experience of most people here on the forums, changing components has never required a re-authentication with Microsoft so far, so make of that what you will.

As for the graphics card, it comes in both AGP and PCI interface, so you need to check which one it is? Only PCI cards will work with your motherboard. By the way, the integrated graphics on your motherboard is probably about the same spec as that old card. :)

[TheGeneralLee86]

Yeah, but when are you going to be changing your motherboard? In a few years? By then, Windows 7 will be the new standard, so you could always by an "upgrade" version of that for, say, the $130 that you can save by buying an OEM version now. ;)

From the experience of most people here on the forums, changing components has never required a re-authentication with Microsoft so far, so make of that what you will.

As for the graphics card, it comes in both AGP and PCI interface, so you need to check which one it is? Only PCI cards will work with your motherboard. By the way, the integrated graphics on your motherboard is probably about the same spec as that old card. :)

I know the one I found is PCI and I wasn't sure if the one on my motherboard was the same or not thanks. Good so I'm wait a while then on buying a graphics card if that is the case then :) Thanks A lot!


Edited in:
I am buying the one you reccomended and I am gonna put it on 2 day shipping so that way it will get here the same time my other stuff will be arriving hopefully. The other stuff I am ordering is a Memory card reader/ Floppy disk drive 3.5 inch and a CD/DVD Writer and Blu Ray reader too.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Most of the parts I ordered should be arriving today and the Lite On 6X Blu Ray ROM/16X DVDRW, Floppy Drive & USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader&Writer, Windows Vista Home Prem SP1, and The Thermal Paste I also ordered should be arriving tomorrow because I ordered it 2nd day air! I can't wait this is the hardest part, Waiting! LOL

[The Wise Monkey]

It will all be worth it in the end. :D

[TheGeneralLee86]

Ain't that the truth and It is very hard to wait for all the stuff to arrive and it should be mostly here this morning and tomorrow too! The major stuff is coming today and the OS, CD/DVD/BlURAY, and the Floppy Drive/Media Reader it'll be really exciting when I get it all together and find out if I put it all together correctly and everything and see that it works! It'll be the first computer I have built at home, from scratch and with almost everything I want in it.

[TheGeneralLee86]

guess what i just recieved and i am putting it all together now so when the o.s and bluray drives get here everything else will have been done already!

[TheGeneralLee86]

I can't wait to recieve the rest of my stuff so I can find out if I installed everything correctly or not Hopefully I didn't push to hard the first time I tried installing the ram before I realized that it was the wrong way and didn't hurt it or the motherboard! I have to wait till I recieve the rest of the things I ordered to install the CPU because It didn't come with thermal paste!

[lookin4grip]

Your like a kid in a candy store... lol. I hope to be just where you are in a few weeks. Let us know how it powers up.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Yeah I know I sure feel it and I should have all the stuff by thursday at the latest anyways I have it on 2 day air and ordered it sunday. I'll definitely tell ya how it powers up and updated ya as I go a long.

[TheGeneralLee86]

I have installed everything I've recieved for it so far and the only problem I have is that it fits but I can't get the screws to go in except 2 of them. the rest are off just enough so it wont go in but I checked the board and tried to push so I know it's on securily do you think I should try to get the screws in even though it is off by like a 10nth of an inch or less?

[The Wise Monkey]

Make sure that you have screwed everything in the right holes, and try putting all the screws in loosely first of all to see if there is enough play to get them all in.

If you can't fit them all in, then don't worry - as long as most of them are secure, then you will be fine.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Make sure that you have screwed everything in the right holes, and try putting all the screws in loosely first of all to see if there is enough play to get them all in.

If you can't fit them all in, then don't worry - as long as most of them are secure, then you will be fine.

Ok Thats good then cause I know it is pretty secure now then. Phew! Thanks a lot and thats what I kind of figured but wanted to be really sure about it. Thanks a lot I should be getting the Thermal Past CD/DVD/ BluRay Drive, floppy/ memory card reader and Windows Vista Home Premium Today.

[TheGeneralLee86]

It's all put together and first try she works I am so happy and it stays extremely cool and the air coming from the back fans is pretty cool too and it works smoothly and no problems that I am worrying about and installed it and everything and now just to get it connected to the internet through my laptop and because My internet is wireless and the router is down stairs so I am gonna have to connect through my laptop now on to figuring how to do that.

[The Wise Monkey]

Well, you could always buy a USB wifi device - they are fairly cheap nowadays. Or you could buy a really long network cable and run it through your house. :)

Glad you got everything sorted.

[TheGeneralLee86]

Thats probably what I am gonna do then if I can find one that supports all the different wireless connections abgn that way if I ever upgrade and change the one I have I won't have to worry about which one it supports!

[The Wise Monkey]

Check these out:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Recs=10&Nav=|c:2692|&Sort=2

[TheGeneralLee86]

I think I like the looks of the top though there aren't very many reviews of it, but the ones there all give full star review and are positive and it isn't expensive either! I also would like to know what Temperature a CPU should be at cause in the BIOS of my PC it shows the tempature at all times and was wondering what it should be at?

[TheGeneralLee86]

Also a lot of great Thanks for everyone helping me on this too!

[The Wise Monkey]

Depends on what you are doing and what cooler you have, but around 30C is normal for idle, maybe rising to 50C under load.

As for helping out, don't worry about it - just make sure you give back to the community by offering help and support to others who are building new PCs. :)

[TheGeneralLee86]

Yeah I will don't worry I will thats for sure and Yeah it's usually 32 or so when I check the bios and when running vista I'm gonna get a graphics card before I play any real high end games so that way I wont ruin my computer from trying to play one on it and I will be checking for all the latest driver for all the other stuff I bought like The CD/DVD Burner and BluRay player and the floppy to make sure I have it all fully updated and everything.

[TheGeneralLee86]

I just thought about this and was reading here: http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/intel_e8400/ that the CPU I used E8400 does come with preapplied Thermal Paste or whatever and I applied some directly to the proccesor and I didn't even know thats what the black strips were I just thought it was metal or whatever and I applied the Thermal grease I had bought for the processor and that is where I applied it ahould I worry about it especially when I start playing taxing games when I get a graphics card?