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New system build - advice/feedback please

Have just bought the orange box HL2 and it keeps crashing my machine. I'm sure they'll fix the offending bug sooner or later, however am now bring in some cash and feel its time my computer system (revamped 2 years ago with new p4 3ghz and 9800 pro ) had a big upgrade. as in total.
Have some bits i'll recycle, like some big ass hard drives, and a brand spanking new monitor and 5.1 sound card, but am figuring on using the rest of my old system for a media system - or even trying to flog the bits on ebay (anyone know how much it'd bring - not alot i guess)

Anywho, take a gander at my new plans and see which bits are excessive, which will create bottleneck etc.
NB - i'm not a vista fan so am planning to avoid for another year or two, but still want bits that will support vista + directx10 when i do make the switch - this build should last 2-4 years...

Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200RPM 16MB Cache - OEM 124228
£52.98

OCZ 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 CL 4-4-4-15 PLATINUM XTC with LIFETIME WARRANTY 116755
£40.87

ASUS P5K AiLifestyle Series iP35 Socket 775 eSATA 8channel Audio ATX Motherboard 129125
£59.08

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 1333FSB Socket 775 4MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor 130484
£96.97

Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2B x32bit OEM 1PK CD 114048
£43.42

Extra Value 650W Modular 12cm Fan PSU - 20+4pin 4/8pin ATX12V, PCI-E, 3x SATA
£25.52

Casecom KB-7720BK Black ATX Midi Tower Case - No PSU 108273 £9.34 (already have an good case am planning to use)

Sapphire HD 2900 Pro 512MB GDDR3 Dual DVI ViVO PCI-E Graphics Card 132550 £133.60

Logitech Cordless Desktop EX 110 - USB/PS2 £14.40

Pioneer BDC-202 Blu-Ray Reader 12X DVD1RWDL/RAM SATA Beige - OEM £79.99

Subtotal: £556.17
VAT: £97.36
Total: £653.53

Am technically quite someway overbudget, but what the hell...
So, whats hot...and whats not...?

Reply 1

Dez

Blu-ray? Unless you really think you'll use it, don't bother. The price will half and then half again within the next 12 months. Other than that, the build seems fairly sturdy to me (though I know jack spit about ATi cards). Not a Vista advocate I'm guessing?

Reply 2

namtlade

If you put the Blu-ray in then I guess you think that you'll be using it. I'd have no use for one but maybe you will.

I wouldn't skimp on the PSU. Get a trusted brand rather than Ebuyer's "el cheapo" range. And 650W is probably a little overkill.

Other than that it all looks good to me.

Reply 3

RetiredAccount89

yeh, i was thinking the same i must admit.
have tweaked it. out goes blu-ray, in coems cheap dvd-rw, plus upgraded psu 15 quid to get a nice silenty one.

Is the Mobo, processor, graphics card combo alright tho, or is one/the other crazy crap compared to t'others.