Proposed specs for building my first gaming PC

[vegas]

These specs fit within my budget nicely, however, since I am a complete PC-building novice, I would like your opinions and help in answering some questions. Thanks!

CPU - Core 2 Quad Q6600 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H 780G http://www.ebuyer.com/product/142347...oduct_overview

Graphics Card - Saphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146415

Memory - Corsair 4GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

Artic Cooling Processor Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105994

Windows Vista Premium 64bit OEM http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123067

Artic Power 700W http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124927

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/product/115479

Case Fans http://www.ebuyer.com/product/43059

Hard Drive 500GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/115479

DVD Drive http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140649

Looking at these specs, please help me in answering the following Q's...

Q1. Will this is all connect together properly? I'm a real novice at this stuff and dont want to find I've bought incompatable pieces or something!

Q2. Can you estimate how well you think this setup will run modern games such as Crysis and Call of Duty 4

Q3. Is the motherboard good enough? I could spend a little more on this onehttp://www.ebuyer.com/product/140081/show_product_overview - but is it worth it?

Q4. What do I need to buy to be able to connect to the Internet both wirelessly, and by cable? Is this part of the motherboard or do I need another piece of hardware?

Q5. Are there any specs included here that you would change? (although keeping in mind the price difference)

Q6. Can you recommend me whatever it is I need to connect both wirelessly and via cable to the Internet from Ebuyer. I've only ever had laptops with wifi bulit in, so I dont know what I need.

[staffsMike]

1. No you've got an AMD motherboard with an Intel chip. And I wouldn't trust the PSU. You only need about 500W to be comfortable.

2. Very Well

3. No it's AMD again

4. Motherboards will come with at least one ethernet port, you will need to either buy a board with wireless onboard or get a PCI /PCIe wireless add on card.

5. The motherboard and PSU, Asus P5K-C, or P5K-E or P5Q-PRO or P5Q-E or Abit IP-35 PRO

PSU: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/114945 you don't want to skimp on this

Case: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854

CPU cooler: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127438 , the freezer will be ok but i dont like the one i have.

HDD: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/144339

6. http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=457260 not ebuyer but you can buy belkin ones from them, http://www.ebuyer.com/product/81058

[Will404]

1. IT WILL NOT WORK TOGETHER. The mobo is an AMD socket A2+ one, you need an intell LGA775 one. The CPU will NOT fit in it. Something like this would work http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145751, it is the one that I have.

2. Should play the games Ok, not full graphics though - they needed 3 280GTX in tripple SLI !!!!

3. --the mobo i recomended is.

4. The P5Q PRO has LAN built in so you can connect wired, but to get wireless, you would need to get the delux - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145748. Or you could get a usb or PCI adaptor.

5. Dont get that PSU, it will probally kill your PC, get somethink like the corsair HX520 instead it will be fine, and has a gr8 5 year warrenty. I would possibly also go for the synch mine cooler, though that one should do fine. Also not that it invalids intel's warrenty putting a 3rd party cooler on.

6. I would go wired, with an Ethernet cable between your router, and computer

Edit:Beatern

[looney]

That case is crap and that psu is rubbish too. If you dont want to spend too much on a psu, get the corsair 450 or an ocz, case antec 300 ftw, and get a p35 socket 775 mothebroard.

[vegas]

Ok, revised specs now:

CPU - Core 2 Duo E8400 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971

Motherboard - Haven't decided yet, any recommendations?

Graphics Card - Saphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146415

Memory - Corsair 4GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

Scythe Processor Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127438

Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123067

Corsair 550W http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132563

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854

Case Fans http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105137

Hard Drive 500GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124228

DVD Drive http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140649

Monitor http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132860

Looking for monitor between £60 - £90, I've found the following...
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132266...oduct_overview
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145751...oduct_overview
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140205

Any of these any good? Also, at some point in the future I would want to upgrade to a Quad-CPU as well as adding in another ATI 4870 using Crossfire - will that be possible under these specs?

[Will404]

Wat about an ASUS P5Q PRO, here is a link. I have it running a Q6600 + that RAM and its gr8.

link

[looney]

Ok, revised specs now:

CPU - Core 2 Duo E8400 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971

Motherboard - Haven't decided yet, any recommendations?

Graphics Card - Saphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146415

Memory - Corsair 4GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

Scythe Processor Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127438

Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123067

Corsair 550W http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132563

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854

Case Fans http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105137

Hard Drive 500GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124228

DVD Drive http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140649

Monitor http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132860

Looking for monitor between £60 - £90, I've found the following...
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132266...oduct_overview
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145751...oduct_overview
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140205

Any of these any good? Also, at some point in the future I would want to upgrade to a Quad-CPU as well as adding in another ATI 4870 using Crossfire - will that be possible under these specs?

Looks much better, but change the HDD and DVD to these:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139414
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130826

As for the motherboard I'm not sure, since you've stated you want to crossfire in the future, you'll need a mobo that will support it. If you wish to upgrade to Quad's in the future you'll be limited to socket 775 models, which will be old news once the nehalem comes out. Also the PSU 550w might not be enough possiblt, the corsair 650w is only £60 i beleive.

[Will404]

Looks much better, but change the HDD and DVD to these:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139414
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130826

As for the motherboard I'm not sure, since you've stated you want to crossfire in the future, you'll need a mobo that will support it. If you wish to upgrade to Quad's in the future you'll be limited to socket 775 models, which will be old news once the nehalem comes out. Also the PSU 550w might not be enough possiblt, the corsair 650w is only £60 i beleive.

Why not get one of the dual platter WD640GB drives, as they are the fastest.
Also P5Q PRO is crossfire compat

[vegas]

As for the motherboard I'm not sure, since you've stated you want to crossfire in the future, you'll need a mobo that will support it. If you wish to upgrade to Quad's in the future you'll be limited to socket 775 models, which will be old news once the nehalem comes out. Also the PSU 550w might not be enough possiblt, the corsair 650w is only £60 i beleive.

Ok cool, taken your advice with the 650W PSU. I'd never heard of the Nehalem before, but if it's going to going to perform better than the Quad, I think I'll wait for the Nehalem to come out. What type of motherboard can support the Nehalem CPU?

[SSK]

Ok cool, taken your advice with the 650W PSU. I'd never heard of the Nehalem before, but if it's going to going to perform better than the Quad, I think I'll wait for the Nehalem to come out. What type of motherboard can support the Nehalem CPU?

I dont think there is a mobo that supports nehalem im affraid as its based on a different socket in comparison to the current LGA775

Someone correct me if im wrong

[Brewster0101]

Don't play the waiting game because someone says so. Otherwise you'll be waiting for ever for the next best thing. Things are always changing and getting better, fact of the PC.

Go for your quad core if you want your computer now.
Also get a samsung F1 series harddrive. - what ever you can afford.
If you want to play COD4, you could save money and get the 4850 instead, also
consider putting the money towards the Antec 900 case instead, or 1200 if you
can stretch.

[Will404]

...also consider putting the money towards the Antec 900 case instead, or 1200 if you
can stretch.

Love the 900, great case and cool as ever.

Also about the waiting game....get core2quad6600, I did, and its great, it will last me a long time

[looney]

Why not get one of the dual platter WD640GB drives, as they are the fastest.
Also P5Q PRO is crossfire compat

Yep why not?

as for the mobo, its not a proper crossfire board as far as i know, cos the second gfx slot only supports half the speed, ie 8x

correct me im wrong on this.

Ok cool, taken your advice with the 650W PSU. I'd never heard of the Nehalem before, but if it's going to going to perform better than the Quad, I think I'll wait for the Nehalem to come out. What type of motherboard can support the Nehalem CPU?

the TX650 is nice it can actually do more then 650w.

Nehlaem is the name of the next generation intel processors which will be a compete new acritecture and platform. It will be a different socket, so it wont be on lga775 socket, and its much better then the current intel processors, the nehalems will ship out end of 2008 and beggining of 2009 iirc.

I dont think there is a mobo that supports nehalem im affraid as its based on a different socket in comparison to the current LGA775

Someone correct me if im wrong

Yes your right its based on a complete differnt socket, and since its not even released yet, there is no hardware for it.

BTW, whats your budget vegas?

[cl0ck_ed]

That is a great build. E8400 is an awesome chip, better value for money for gaming as very few games use quad core. I would go for a gigabyte motherboard, they are cheap in comparison to asus and can overclock well.

This will do fine: Gigabyte GA-P35-S3G iP35

Motherboards have very little effect on performance, this board will allow you to get the E8400 to 4ghz and will safe you some money.

The antec 300 imo is the best budget case. You can't gto wrong with that. Great air flow.

Also, if you are wanting to play some older games, they will not work on 64bit vista. I'd advise getting 32bit.

Hope this helps.

[vegas]

Ok, these are my revised specs:

CPU - Core 2 Duo E8400 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971

Motherboard - Asus P5Q Deluxe P45 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145748

Graphics Card - PowerColor ATI Radeon HD 4870 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146429

Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM http://www.ebuyer.com/product/123067

Memory - Corsair 4GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

Monitor http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132860

Scythe Processor Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127438

Corsair 650W http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135514

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854

Case Fans (x2) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105137

Hard Drive 640GB http://www.ebuyer.com/product/144339

DVD Drive http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139414

Linksys Wireless PCI Card http://www.ebuyer.com/product/63762

This PC will mainly be used for gaming and internet browsing, 3 things I'm still not certain on though...

1. I can get both the quad Q6600 and duo E8400 intel core 2 CPU's for the same price - is it still right to get the E8400?

2. I may be running some older games since this will primarily be a gaming PC - should I get the 32bit Vista? What's the difference between 32 and 64 bit?

3. Think I may be paying too much for the motherboard, although I will probably overclock the CPU to around the 4GHZ mark, and may buy another ATI HD 4870 early next year to use in Crossfire - do you still recommend the current motherboard?

Thanks.

[Will404]

1. I would get the quad, for futureproofing.

2. Why not get dual boot, vista 64, and your old xp 32.

3. Good mobo, but why not the PRO, or -E. No need for the delux really