Building a PC - please review specification

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Ouranos

118 posts

Master Geek

#42994 14-Oct-2009 19:07

It’s been a while since I built a PC, so I’d appreciate a review of the proposed specification.

What I’m looking for is a general purpose home computer that is used for a variety of applications, including being able to run recent games at reasonable quality. A key requirement is that it is quiet, for which I’m prepared to spend more money and trade-off a bit of performance (but not too much).

Proposed specification:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz E8400 (socket 775)

Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems + quiet 120mm fan

RAM: 2x2GB DDR3 1333 MHz 9 DIMM Memory (dual channel)

GPU: Asus EN9600GT SILENT/2D/512MD3 Video Card, GeForce 9600 GT

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M600, 600W ATX

HDD: 2x320GB Samsung HDD SATA RAID 0 (reuse from old PC, with XP installed)

With a passively cooled GPU and minimal case fan air flow, this system relies primarily on the PSU’s fan to extract hot air from the case. This is the reason why I’ve selected the 65W Core 2 Duo rather than the 95W quad core CPU, on the basis that the lower power CPU puts out less heat.

Questions:

1. Are there any problems with this specification?

2. Any suggestions for improvements?

Adamal

544 posts

Ultimate Geek

#263932 14-Oct-2009 19:18

I see a problem. None of this will work without a motherboard :P

The E8400 is a good CPU, but I don't think you'll reap any benefits from having DDR3 over DDR2, and DDR3 is more expensive and DDR3 LGA775 motherboards are not in as pleantiful supply as DDR2 ones.

It really depends on what your definition of "recent" and "reasonable quality" is in terms of games. For me, that card wouldn't cut it, however it may be fine by you.

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Ouranos

118 posts

Master Geek

#263934 14-Oct-2009 19:39

Adamal: I see a problem. None of this will work without a motherboard

Oh yeah:
MB: Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3LR

The DDR3 RAM is much the same price as DDR2, so I didn't see any harm in going with DDR3.

As for the GPU, I previously had an nvidia 7300GS, which was fine for most things, but blew up after only 18 months. It was replaced with an nvidia 6200 - which is rubbish, but there aren't many AGP cards around anymore. I'm assuming that the 9600GT will be better than the 7300GS - if so, then that would be fine.

vectran

59 posts

Master Geek

#263937 14-Oct-2009 19:58

Would you have any interest in buying my PC? It seems surprisingly similar.

Specs are as below:
- CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad Core 2.83ghz
- RAM: G-Skill 4x 2GB = 8GB Total
- HD: 3x 500GB SATA = 1.5 Tb Total (ie 1500GB)
- CD: DVD writer with LightScribe
- Motherboard: GA-EP45-UD3L
- Case: Lian Li V2100 (RRP ~$600)

The motherboard is a Gigabyte EP45-UD3. Has a E-VGA 8800GTS (320mb Ram) video card, with dual DVI outputs. Powering it is an (almost silent) OCZ power supply (~450w). The CPU is cooled by an aftermarket Zalman cooler, to keep the noise down to a minimum. It also keeps it very cool.

The case is incredible, completely aluminum to keep weight and sound down. The inside panels are lined with foam to dampen sound. The power supply is mounted at the bottom (to help air flow) and has 12 hard drive bays (includes a 5.25" rack at the front for another 4 hard drives). Also has two 120mm fans in the case (not currently used) and space for more.

Swop the graphics card and maybe the CPU and you should be fine :)

Ouranos

118 posts

Master Geek

#263940 14-Oct-2009 20:06

vectran: Would you have any interest in buying my PC?

I already have a case, HDDs, and DVD drive. I suspect it would also be difficult to keep your CPU and GPU sufficiently cool at the level of quietness that I'm looking for.

Ragnor

8085 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#263943 14-Oct-2009 20:15

Looks pretty good, I'd go for a better graphics card though.. but it probably depends what size screen you are going to use this with.

Make sure you get a price for those parts as a system or combo deal from the guys at Computer Lounge, maybe Playtech too. I personally think Ascent is overpriced for for an etailer that doesn't have a physical/retail store.

Ouranos

118 posts

Master Geek

#263949 14-Oct-2009 20:35

Ragnor: Looks pretty good, I'd go for a better graphics card though.. but it probably depends what size screen you are going to use this with.

I hate the noise made by video card fans, which is why I've chosen a card with no fan.

If there are more powerful cards available that are also passively cooled, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Another option is to fit an after-market quiet cooler to a more powerful video card. However, it is difficult getting a combination of card plus cooler that is both quiet and sufficently cooled.