Time to build... a few first-timer questions :-)

[tensim]

Hi Guys,

Well, my laptop is simply driving me nuts as I try to use it to edit my photos, so the time has come to bite the bullet and try to build my first ever PC (how exciting! ) Here's what I'm going with:

Antec P182 + Enermax 525W MODU82+ PSU
Abit IP-35 PRO Motherboard
Intel Q6600 CPU + Xigmatek S1283 Cooler
2 x 2GB Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400C5 RAM
640 GB Western Digital WD6400AAKS Hard Drive
HP 1070i 20x DVD±R
Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit OEM)
Dell 2408WFP monitor

I haven't chosen a graphics card yet, simply because I know that new models are due for imminent launch... Is it possible to build this PC without a graphics card for the moment? Will it be usable? Or should I just make a choice out of what's available? I'm budgeting around £200-£250 for a GPU...

PC will predominately be used for image editing (Photoshop CS3 & Lightroom) and web browsing, it will however be getting a gaming workout I'm sure; the only reason I haven't bought Crysis or Supreme Commander is that my laptop just can't run them!! It struggles with C&C 3 (which I play slightly obsessively )

What are your thoughts on the above build? Anything you'd change? Thoughts on my graphics card conundrum would be appreciated as well, thanks! I guess I'm trying to avoid paying for something that's going to be obselete in a months time (and may well drop in price considerably to boot!)

On the build side... I've never done this before so am slightly apprehensive, any advice you can give for me? Mistakes that everyone makes that maybe I can avoid? Also, what tools will I need (I don't have anything, so will have to buy a couple of things I suspect?) I will of course be logged into this forum for the entire weekend as I build, so expect 1.8 million posts from me I'm sure

Cheers Chaps, appreciate your time as always!

[Fraz]

Looks pretty solid to me. Did you see the thread on the Dell 2408WFP for ~£390?

The IP35 pro does not have any on-board graphics capability, so you'll need to buy some sort of graphics card. I guess waiting for the new GPUs from ATI and Nvidia would make sense, especially if you're going for something in the £200+ range.

[ikix]

With your GPU budget the new ATI cards may definately be a worthwhile wait and should be better than anything you can currently get in that budget, the new nvidia ones are likely to be too expensive with that cash.

Make sure you put the I/O panel on before you put the motherboard in, has caused me so much hassle forgetting that little thing. Don't forget the motherboard standoffs aswell or you will have a lovely short circuit.

[BUFF]

Originally Posted by tensim

On the build side... I've never done this before so am slightly apprehensive, any advice you can give for me? Mistakes that everyone makes that maybe I can avoid? Also, what tools will I need (I don't have anything, so will have to buy a couple of things I suspect?)

a good basic guide.
The Beginners Guide to Building a Computer - Universal abit USA Forums

[tensim]

Buff, thanks for the link (it's loading very very slowly though, is the abit-usa website typically snail paced?)

Aret the new ATI cards expected to be markedly better than say a 9800GTX (or even an 8800GTX)?

Cheers

[Salazaar]

You could buy a very cheap (<£30) graphics card for now and see what comes out in the next few months. The problem with waiting is that there is always something newer and better coming just around the corner. You're probably better off buying established technology which has had a drop from the initial release pricing, like an 8800gts or similar.

[staffsMike]

Scan actually sell a single DVI card for about £10 which will tide you over.
EDIT: Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK here is the link.. useful little spare if anything goes wrong

I would certainly wiat for the new ATi card as it sounds as if it will be better than the GTX by some way and be around the same price

Otherwise thats almost exactly what I would build, I wouldn't let anything HP in my PC though.. yuck!!

[tensim]

Hi Staffsmike, thanks for the link to the £10 GPU, I think this might be the way to go to get me up and running temporarily (will this be able to run C&C 3 I wonder?)

I've just noticed that pretty much everywhere has the P182 out of stock... I really want to build this PC this weekend (don't have another 2-days in a row off till July!!), what other case could I go for?

Maybe I should go the Sonata III with it's 500W PSU... saves me £70-£80, are there any downsides to it?

Any other cases people might suggest for around £100 or less (with or without a PSU)?

cheers

[staffsMike]

Everything in the antec sonata III is fine but very average.

If you want to go the sonata route, the sonata plus is fantastic and comes with a 550W modular PSU, all for £100
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK - also on pre order.. doh!

You can buy that case seperately for £60 under the name antec solo.
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

OCUK have the P182 in stock. EDIT: not anymore lol

There is also the coolermaster CM690 which is one of my new favourites. It's got great cooling like the antec 900 and has the cable management system of the P182, it's slightly less polished in the coolermaster but it's there

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK - again on pre-order but available at ebuyer for £50

Coolermaster CM690 Dominator Black Mid Tower Case - No PSU - Ebuyer

[BUFF]

Originally Posted by tensim

Buff, thanks for the link (it's loading very very slowly though, is the abit-usa website typically snail paced?)

no, & it's running fine here.
lots of pics though & they are hosted by 1 of the moderators on his server but they are also fine here.

[tensim]

What's happened to the P182 stocks!!? Nobody has it :-(

Typical, it was in stock everywhere all throughout May, now when I'm ready to buy everything it's no-where to be found... Oh well... I guess I'll just have to wait :-(

[staffsMike]

One of the amazon market place people seems to have them, NorsKitUK.. probably better to wait though.

Amazon.co.uk: ANTEC P182 EU PC CASE BLACK: Antec: Electronics & Photo

As much as I like the case (have one myself) I'd be tempted by the solo which is famed for it's quietness and maintains effective cooling or the coolermaster for it's great cooling and price. I've heard it in operation (without the side fan) with an 8800GTS and the xigmatec HSF and it was very quiet anyway

[tensim]

OK, you've convinced me... I'll go for the Solo with an Enermax 525W MODU82+ PSU. Should I buy any extra fans to go with this case? I'll probably be overclocking the Q6600 to 3.0Ghz eventually, so I guess cooling will be important?

With the motherboard, I think I'll save £30 and go with the ominously named 'Dark Raider' version of the IP-35... What exactly am I giving up by doing this?

Also, do you reckon the cheapo graphics card will manage to run C&C 3 while I wait for my new whiz-bang card to appear? Though, as long as I can edit photos and surf the web, this is most important I guess :-)

[staffsMike]

The £25 jobbies would probably do it.. not sure about the little 310 thing though. It might..

The dark raider is a decent board. You lose

The LED error code thing
CMOS reset Switch
Angled SATA ports
Slightly better chipset cooling
eSATA port
all solid capacitors

Think thats it.

I would get a couple of decent 92mm fans for the front of the solo yeah, should give it some decent cooling

Read some reviews first, see what you think.

[tensim]

Sounds like the extra £30 would be well spent, especially if I'm intending on overclocking a little bit? Plus, I seem to remember seeing the Pro version for around £69 + VAT on the Today Only page occasionally?

After reading a few reviews (from 2006!! is this the same case?) the Solo looks fine to me, I was really drawn to the P182 due to it's reputation for quietness (and I liked the all-black finish of it!)... I still do like it, but if I want to build this PC over the weekend, I can't have it can I :-(

Maybe I should wait another couple of weeks.... then I'll know what's going on with these new cards as well... Also, looks like Dell is releasing a new revision of the 2408WFP that fixes a few issues (apparently), so that's probably worth waiting for as well (though that won't be till July. aaargh, I'll never replace my laptop!!)

cheers

[staffsMike]

The solo is supposed to be quieter providing you choose your other components carfeully (which you have) It will run silent as best as I can tell. The only noise will come from what ever gfx card you eventually pick.

There's plenty enough air flow in it to overclock to 3.0GHz nicely.

Yep the PRO pops around £80 now so it's probably worth picking one up at that price but the dark raider can handle 3.0GHz no problem. Technically it won't even go over it's rated 1333MHz FSB anyway so it itself wouldn't be overclocked