Hello all,

I am planning to get a new computer soon and want to build it myself. I've never actually built one from scratch before, but I have a bit of experience with upgrading/changing/swapping components. I plan to use either Ubuntu or Kubuntu (I'm not sure yet if I like Gnome or KDE better). This will not be my first experience with Linux as I currently use Xubuntu on an older PC.

I plan to use this new computer for general purpose stuff (OpenOffice, web browsing, email, video/music, etc) as well as a very low usage server (my Xubuntu box is currently my server). Unfortunately, I'll still have a Windows computer but only because I enjoy playing some games that won't work through Wine.

I basically want to make sure I am aware of all the components I need. I know there are tons of sites out there about building a computer but thought I'd like some personalized suggestions. Here is my list of parts needed. Please suggest parts you think would be good for my computers purpose and be relatively inexpensive (I'd like to have the computer build for about $500 or less - I already have the monitor/keyboard/mouse). Also suggest extra parts if you think they are missing from my list (like any cables I might need that won't be supplied with the components). I would also like this computer to be relatively quite and low power as it will be left on 24/7. Thanks for any help!

The List:
Computer Case
Case Fans (if needed)
Power Supply (if not supplied with case)
Motherboard
LAN Card (if not on motherboard, want 1000 Mbps)
CPU w/ Cooler
RAM
Video Card (I would like an external one)
Sound Card (not required)
Hard Drive
Floppy/DVD/CD Drive(s)
Anti-Static Wrist Strap

Here is a list of components I already have:
Speakers
Keyboard and Mouse
Monitor (though I eventually want a second)

Hi -

Certainly sounds reasonable. A couple of notes (all pretty obvious, probably):

1. don't scrimp on your power supply - it's important!

2. Odds are pretty good you'll find video, sound, etc on-board

3. Make sure your CPU matches your motherboard. Make sure your RAM is compatible with your CPU and motherboard.

4. If your board has fewer h/w slots (many new motherboards only have a single PCI expansion slot!) ... make sure you've got plenty of USB ports to make up for the difference.

5. If you want to install your own video card, make sure the motherboard supports it (AGP, PCI-Express, etc)

6. Does anybody really use floppy anymore? But make sure you've got CD/DVD read and write.

7. Your PS/2 mouse and keyboard may or may not be compatible with your new motherboard.

8. You'll need lots of cables ... but odds are good they should be included with your case, motherboard and peripherals.

9. Memory is cheap (especially DDR2). Make sure you've got plenty of room for more (*don't* buy the motherboard if it maxes out at 2GB or something ridiculous like that)

10. CPU is cheap. Make sure you get *at least* a dual-core, and *at least* 64 bits (even if you're planning on installing a 32-bit OS).

11. Disk is cheap. Make sure your motherboard is SATA-capable (SATA 3Gb/s or better).

12. It wouldn't hurt to Google and insure each component you purchase is Linux-capable.

'Hope that helps.. PSM

Make sure to get multiple USB drive ports too.

Thanks for the quick input and helpful notes. Most of these are points I am already aware of. I won't scrimp on the power supply and I know the video/sound/lan usually do come on the mobo (but I still think I want an external video anyways, but I'm fine with the on-board sound and lan).

I do know that the CPU must match the mobo (socket, type, etc) and same with the RAM. Also, the computer case must support the size of the mobo.

If I get an external video card, I would get a PCI-e one. You're right about the floppy drive - I don't need it.

I want to have at least 2 GB of memory - maybe 4 (is 4 needed/helpful for my computers purpose?). For the CPU I want to get an Intel dual or quad core and I want it to be 64 bit (I'll install a 64 bit OS too).

I have a question about the RAM...if my mobo can support ram of DDR2 PC1333, then does that mean I can use any ram that is PC1333 or lower? For example, this board <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358> says it can support DDR2 1333, but when I search for memory on newegg, I don't even see a section for DDR2 PC1333 RAM, so what would be the best memory for this mobo? Would be be DDR2 1200?

I suggest stay away from Marvell/Yukon storage and NIC, Silicon Image storage controllers, Promise storage controllers, and JMicron storage controller.

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K7B $80
SeaSonic S12 II SS-430GB 430W $70 or SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-550HT 550W $90
Any ASUS optical drive (quietest and most reliable optical drive brand that I have used) ~$24
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500AAKS 250GB (quieter than its 320 GB version) $53
MSI K9N2 SLI Platinum $138
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e $60 or AMD Phenom II X3 710 $120
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (F2-6400CL4D-4GBPI-B) $50

All components are high quality. Sure cheaper components can be selected, but that will hurt quality and in many cases hurt stability. Selecting high quality power supplies should always be done or else the computer will have stability and reliability issues. The motherboard comes with on-board graphics that has only DVI-D or HDMI connectors. If your monitor does not support DVI-D or HDMI then you have to look for a different motherboard and also a dedicated video card. It also comes with a JMicron storage controller as a secondary storage controller, so it should not bother your installation too much. The RAM capacity is probably far from what you might expect for your budget. All parts are retail prices except the optical drive which is OEM pricing. Prices are extracted from newegg.com.

Linux uses OpenGL, so a high end graphics card is require to get good 3D performance. Cedega is easier to install and run Windows games compared to WINE.

You might consider

Before you buy or order, google that piece of hardware looking for its performance, or problems, with linux. You can spend time checking for compatability in the beginning or risk spending more, and more frustrating, time fighting for it in the end.

I built one; it was fun. Good luck with it.

I have not gone through and checked that these parts are Linux compatible yet, but here is what I'm thinking about getting at the moment. See the bottom for some questions that I still have. All prices are from Newegg (I would probably shop around a little bit to see if the parts are cheaper at Frys or elsewhere).


----- Case:
$55
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

$60 (Plus $20 off if bought with the second motherboard, a slightly different version is $20 off with the first motherboard)
Rosewill R5604-TBK 0.8mm Japanese Cold Rolled Steel Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

----- Power Supply:
$80
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

----- Motherboard:
$115 after $20 Mail-in Rebate
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

$99
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

----- CPU:
$198
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail

$165
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

----- RAM:
$40-$60
Various G.SKILL RAM Kits (4GB)

----- Video Card:
$135 after $10 Mail-in Rebate
EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

$98 after $30 Mail-in Rebate
XFX PVT98GYDLH GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

----- Hard Drive:
$80
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

----- DVD/CD Drive
$25
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X
DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

----- Anti-Static Wrist:
$3.50
Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail



--------------------------------------
A few questions:

1. What is the difference between the various G.SKILL ram modules? Which is the "right" one?? What is the difference between the G.SKILL regular ones and the G.SKILL PI Black ones (of equivalent speed)?

2. Is it worth the extra $10 to get a 32MB cache on that hard drive (it would be $70 for an identical hard drive with only 16 MB cache). How much difference will this make?

3. What is your opinion on the two video cards? Is the 9800 series that much better then the 9500 series? I've seen that I can get a 1GB 9500 series video card for about $55...much, much cheaper!

4. Any opinions on the two processors I listed?

5. Any opinions on the two cases I listed?

6. Would someone suggest a different power supply? Does this one seem pretty good (if not a bit on the expensive side)? I figure I should get 500W.

7. The cost for this system is more in the $650 - $800 range depending on which components are selected...so a bit above my original goal of $500. I just don't want to get something that will be obsolete in a year or two. If people suggest that the 9500 graphics card is good enough (compared to the 9800), then that would save about $75+. But from what I've read online, it sounds like the 9800 is that much better than the 9500. Also, all prices are from Newegg (I would probably shop around a little bit to see if the parts are cheaper at Frys or elsewhere).


As always, thanks for all the help!

Please excuse my ignorance, but how do I know if the motherboards I suggested have any of these storage controllers or NIC's? I guess I would assume that the full product specification on the manufacturers website would have this, as newegg's specs do not.

You can find out

You can go to the mother board manufacturers web site and download both the specification sheet and the mother board manual. Read what controller chips , lan (NIC), sound chip, etc. are on the board.

For linux it is the chip or the device equivalent that is critical to linuxs function. Google for linux and the mother board model, and for the components linux has to work with. I have a Gigabyte board in my system and I am satisfied with it. You can start here.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/...ype=socket+775

One of the boards you listed will accept two video cards with sli. Are you going to game? If not why this board ? If so, and with sli, you have only one card? Maybe a stronger PSU than 500w would be a good idea if you are thinking of sli with two cards. It costs to play. If you are not going to game, you won't need a CPU with more than two cores. If this is not to be a machine to work station specifications and demands, the other two cores will always sit idle.

The difference in memory is probably because one model can be overclocked for gaming.

The difference in the cards and their cost is the chip capacity. With Nvidia, the even numbers are usually indications of a different chip, and the 9800 has the better, and more expensive G92 chip. Do you need the 9800, or would a 9600GT card be enough? Note that GT is the full version while GS is the limited.

Note also that higher end graphic cards are marketed to gamers, with Windows drivers, and an Nvidia linux driver doesn't quite do the same job for gaming use. In addition, some graphics cards are noted for their good gaming performance because of their Windows driver. You might look at the linux driver page at Nvidia to see which chips the Nvidia linux driver presently supports.

You might also think of what kind of work this system is supposed to do for you, gamer, or media system, or home machine for the internet, e-mail and watching DVD films.

This link might give you some idea of linux hardware performance.

http://www.ocforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Choices, choices. Good Luck

Check http://www.phoronix.com for motherboard reviews for Linux..

Why do you want a video card instead of integrated video on the motherboard?

1) I'm well aware of the significant performance difference in some games in Windows from having a video card. But what do you expect to run in Linux where you could even tell the difference? That video card adds a lot to the cost, increases the minimum specs for the power supply, and adds complexity in determining whether the power supply has the right extra connector and whether the motherboard has the right type of slot.

Also, why Intel instead of AMD? I think you can save in both CPU cost and motherboard cost without loss of performance by using an AMD dual core.

2) Unless you have a real good understanding of why you want quad core, you don't.

Most programs you might run are still single threaded, so they can use only one core, and they will run faster in one of the 3.0GHz cores of the Duo than they will in one of the 2.4GHz cores of the Quad.

There is enough independent processing for the network connection, display, mouse, background programs, etc. that the second core makes a significant contribution even when running single threaded programs. So even if you could buy a single core CPU 25% faster than each core of a dual core choice, I wouldn't recommend it. But one extra core is more than enough for all of that. In a typical system there just isn't enough independent work for a third core to help.

3) I really regret my decision to get a Gigabyte motherboard for my own Linux system. The BIOS is a nightmare. The BIOS upgrade instructions totally depend on Windows and are beyond confusing even for Windows. The FAQ and forum and other resources on the web site are filled with misinformation and don't usefully address any of the reported problems.
I have no idea whether other GigaByte motherboard models have similar problems. I'm never going to find out first hand, because once was enough for me. (I have built computers in the past with other brands of motherboard, so I don't think my issues come from beginner ignorance).

An actual video card would be non-negotiable in my home PC. I DO game on Linux and there are several native Linux games that won't run on my hardware due to the specs (Geforce6800) (savage2 from S2 games). I certainly wouldn't fault he OP for wanting a real video card in his box rather than some wimpy integrated card that will just get you by.

The SLI Motherboard is probably overkill though, it does nothing more than push up the price point of the motherboard. I would bet there is a comparable Motherboard without the SLI that costs just a bit less. One decent card would be much easier to work with than multiple cards in SLI, and SLI Doesn't double the performance of the cards used in the pair... so what you save on the motherboard and second video card you can put towardss buying a faster single video card. just my opinion, I would pass on the SLI.

To johnsfine

Gigabyte now uses an automated BIOS flash, Q-Flash, that is very clear and easy to use and is independent of Windows.

It is hard to build a computer at your budget that will not be obsolete when you finish building it. I suggest go with AMD such as the setup that I provided. It provides equal performance as Intel for daily tasks, noiseless, does not consume too much power, and best of all complies with your budget. Like I said in my previous post, the components in my list are higher quality compared to what you select.

In Linux, a high end video card should be bought if you want good performance in games. If you play games sparingly and not at high resolutions with high details, a high end video card is not require. A low end can do just fine. I have a nVidia GeForce8 8400M GS which is a low end that does fine in UT2004 at low details at 1440 by 900.

If you do not mind some criticizing, the power supply from Antec is usually not constructed well. At a cheap price range a Seasonic power supply is better. Costlier Antec models are better but stay away from cheap models. I do not recommend LG optical drives for your first build or for any future builds. They are not constructed well. They are also noisy. ASUS drives are close to noiseless and they work reliable.

The processors at that price is too much for you are doing. It seems a lot of people are still hard headed that thinks that they do not need quad core or multiple processors for multitasking. Linux is a multitasking OS, so more processors is better. Intel Core 2 Duo processors needs to have its memory controller clocked at 1333 MHz to really provide the performance, so DDR3-1333 is not cheap. AMD systems does not need very fast RAM because its memory controller easily out does the throughput of Core 2 Duo systems that are using DDR3-1333. AMD systems can use DDR2-800 with out a lost of performance. IMHO, AMD total setups are cheaper. For example, look at the list that I provided in previous post.

The case is OK, but I think you will have problems with its tool-less setup. A tool-less setup is not always easy for some components. In some cases something may not align up right. The case that I suggest is easy for any builder. It has a mixature of tool-less and manual, so you can choose which one works the best. The hard drive bay should dampen some sound. Also has enough fans to keep enough air flow with out making too much noise.

Do you really need a hard drive with that much space. My 160 GB hard drive is not even close to full with data after making a few VMware machines. You do not need a lot of space for Linux. Usually larger capacity hard drives are noisier. A large cache for hard drives does not always help in performance.

G.Skill, OCZ, Kingston, Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, Patriot are just memory brands and they are good brands. The difference is some memory models from these brands are over clocked and others are not. A way to tell of an over clocked version and none over clocked version is look at the voltage. DDR2 normal voltage is around 1.8 to 1.9 volts. DDR3 is around 1.5 volts. Over clocked version are over 2 volts. If this is your first time build, it is better to look for ones that can work with normal voltage that will be clocked at the desire speed.


The following is my system list that I am thinking of building.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...Number=7802805

All the components should work. I spent time by looking at the kernel and Xorg to find out what NIC, sound card, storage controller, and graphics card are supported, so this how I know it should work. My goal or budget is $1000 which I am under and there is plenty of room for shipping and handling fee. Coincidently, it comes with a on-board video like the one I suggest in my previous post, but it is a different graphics brand. You can always add a video card to get better performance. I suggest a GeForce GTX 285.

I am not pushing you to select an AMD system. I am just showing you can get more at a cheaper price when selecting AMD based systems.

Wow, thanks for all of the replies/information! As always, so many choices!

To all that responded -

First off, I've heard a lot of good things about gigabyte which is why I wanted to go with one of their motherboards. Specifically, I choose that first one because it had such good reviews/ratings at several different sites and I want to make sure I get a quality motherboard as I know that a bad mobo ruins the entire system. I am NOT planning to use SLI, so obviously I don't need it.

I won't be playing serious games on this machine, it will be mostly for normal computer use and programming, and will replace my current (very old) server (I'll sadly have to get a windows computer down the line for real gaming). I'll be the first to admit that the 9800 is probably overkill, but with that said I want a good graphics card that won't fail me down the line in another few years (I plan to have this comp for awhile). I want to make sure I can watch movies and seamlessly use semi-intensive graphics apps like Gimp. As farslayer said, a discreet video card is non-negotiable for me (though it doesn't have to be top end either).

I've looked a bit into Intel vs AMD. It is interesting that people on this board seem to be suggesting AMD over Intel because I have generally heard a LOT more good about Intel over AMD (lately). Nearly every recent review/comparison has said that Intel is much better than AMD, so that is why I choose Intel.

I'll have to keep investigating a little more and look deeper into all of your comments, thanks again!