Legit Reviews

Good morning guys,

I'm starting to order parts for my second build. The case and PSU should be here today, the rest I have yet to order as I've been sharing the specs with people to get some feedback.

Here's the list so far:

PSU:
Antec NeoPower 650 Blue 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817371010

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128358

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115054

OS:
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2C 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116378

RAM:
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145215

Video:
Was hoping you guys could recommend a card. Will be doing some moderate gaming and video editing.

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129021


Any comments, suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated. This is only my second build so I'm not even sure all the things I have listed are compatible (besides the mobo/cpu).

thanks guys.

I dont know how 64 bit drivers are now but it seems like most video cards are supported. For your needs i'd go with something like a GeForce GTX 260 or a GeForce 9800, even a 9600GT, something that gives you good value since you said you dont play many games

I would be careful with windows xp x64. there was never alot of driver support for that os. You may want to consider Vista 64 or 32 bit xp. As far as a video card it depends on what res you will be gaming at. I am currently running a 9800gtx (sometimes in sli sometimes not) and it eats up everything I throw at it fine at a 1920x1080 res. It is a bit older now so a gtx 260 may be a bit better for future proofing.

Personally I'm going to recommend an ATi card if you're going to be doing moderate gaming as they tend to be better in the 2D arena and have typically superior hardware acceleration for DVD playback and such.

As far as OS I'm going to go with everyone here and say get Vista just for support. X64 XP is being phased out soon and there is minimal drive support for it at current time.

Everything else sounds great. I have the Antec 1200 (your cases big bro) and love it. I know you'll love the 900. I've considered getting a 900-2 for my server here recently.

I'd get a Corsair PSU instead of that Antec. Here's one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139005

I am running a similar setup. Since the UP3D supports crossfire you might want to consider an ATI card since it would give you the option a second card in the future. 4830, 4850, and 4870 have all come down in price. I have seen 4870's for $175 with rebates. If that is too much you might want to consider getting the Intel E8500 instead of the E600. There isn't much difference between these two CPUs and you'll see a bigger performance increase by investing more in your graphics card.

I second avoiding the xp 64bit. I am running Vista x64 now, and it has never been too hard to find drivers and such.

I would mostly agree with the above posts:

1) If not doing serious gaming an AMD/ATI card may be a good choice. Even if considering serious gaming in the future you can't go wrong with a 4870 1G.

2) Avoid WinXP 64 at all costs! If you absolutely HATE the idea of Vista then go with XP Pro, take the RAM hit, and be done with it. In my, not so slight experience, any of the horror stories you have heard about Vista don't hold a candle to XP 64.

3) The Antec PSU is good but Corsair rocks.

4) The E8600 is fast but you could probably get the same out of the 8400 with a moderate OC for less $$

On a side note I would probably get a different case. The problem is cases are so subjective and fixed to the need. Want big and quiet get a P182, want flashy get,,, see where I'm going. The 900 is kinda' noisy from what I've heard and I like quiet. I also like "simplistic no bling" but just ordered a CM Sniper which is a bit over the top for me but I'm holding out hope !

Was going to recommend an i7 rig but the GPU kills the budget there.

Enjoy the new rig whatever you choose