My Smoking New Multipurpose PC!

Before Black Friday, I was studying the possibility of making a good cheap mATX computer for video processing and data storage. I wanted to use Vista 64 bit and 8 GB of memory. So I was initially looking at a Foxconn $98 MB, a $140 Video Card, a big hard drive for storage, and I already had some parts.

A year ago in December 2007 I was already willing to buy a new computer, and get the new Intel Quads coming in December and the Nvidia 9800 x2. But I was so busy after work I figured I didn't need a new computer so I waited so long! Sales came along the way and I got an Antec 900 case, Antec Truepower Trio 650 PS, a Kworld HDTV PCI card, a Gateway 24” LCD Monitor with Sound Bar, and a MEMOREX EIDE 20X DVD Burner – all on sale.

But it was Newegg's Black Friday email that suddenly got me to buy my new computer!
Got these on sale prices -

Newegg Order 1 -
Seagate 1.5TB Barracuda - $119.95
Vista Premium 64bit SP1 – 79.99 !
i7 Core 920 & Asus P6T Deluxe Motherboard combo – 579.98 !
Wrong memory of 4GB DDR3 1.95V – 175.99 [returned for 100% RMA Refund]
XFX GTX 260 Core 216 Black Edition [with Far Cry 2, 3dmark Vantage Professional, and $30 rebate] – 279.99
Nippon Labs eSATA Cable $7.99

Newegg Order 2 -
3 Channel DDR3 6GB OCZTechnology Memory, not XMP so I can max my system to 12 GB!
$245 shipped

Additional from Fry's -
Arctic Thermal Paste – 8.99
Kingwin KF-2000-BK - $29.95
EDIT: KWorld Plus TV PCI 120 on sale, forgot price.

MicroCenter -
Level1 USB Wireless G Vista64 capable plug $24.95 - $10 Rebate
Sandisk Cruzer 16GB - $34.95
Inland 1600dpi wire laser mouse $9.99 [for my laptop, laptop wireless mouse went to my desktop to avoid a long cable]]


Office Depot -
Sandisk Cruzer 8GB - $14.95

MWAVE.com
Samsung 22X Sata2 DVD Burner with Software for $22 shipped!

Looking at prices 15 days later, I saved $80 from Black Friday Sales! But looking back, I realized it's best to buy everything all at once then purchase sales and wait, as my Memorex DVD Burner was too outdated to use in my new computer!

Ok, I didn't burn too much money because I'm unemployed now! But my last Desktop build was back in 2001 – 7 years wait for a new Desktop! [My 2005 laptop extended the wait 3 years!]

FUTURE UPDATES -
Might get 2 same Hds for a RAID data storage array.
Will get a 1TB or better SATA HD for running Windows XP Pro SP3, as only older games will run on this!
My 750GB Freeagent Pro bought 1.5 years ago doesn't work with Vista 64!
When 6gb of same DDR3 get below $140, will max system to 12GB of memory!

I used the spare MS Ergonometric 4000 USB Keyboard and Logitech VX200 Wireless Mouse for my laptop.

The Build and Run -

It was easy to build up the computer, even though I left my PC Assembly toolkit in Chicago. Vista formats and partitions a 1.5TB HD very quickly, but I mistakenly put the OS on a 500GB partition instead of a 300GB one.

Then I put several games on it, but some old games say on install that they won't work properly with this OS, like Age of Empires 3 and Civilization 4.

Ran Crysis and Crysis Warhead – smooth and no stutters at 1900 x 1200 Max settings but no AA.

Disappointment – my KWorld PCI TV doesn't download and work through EPG TV Listing data, for convenient recording. Sometimes the TV picture stutters, and if I frequently switch recoding TV off and on the TV window sometimes crashes and the only way to get out of this is to reboot.

It's so totally awesome for web browsing, as I opened so many IE7 tabbed browsers and it never hiccuped like it couldn't take any more! Crysis + multiple web browsers + 2 downloads = 3gb of system memory. 6GB is awesome!

Office 2003 wouldn't install on my Vista 64, so I'm using Open Office 3 on it because I can't afford buying Office Professional 2007 for 3 pcs! The Academic versions – they require Academic Proof at registration by Microsoft!

Ok, it'll take some time. Gotta process the pics on my E1705, and I haven't used Imageshack in a long time!

I'm really happy with a G260 since it's so cheap and blows away a 8800 Ultra and probably a 9800 X2 so easily and it didn't cost much.

It seems like 6gb is adequate for now, and my Sandisk Cruzer USB Sticks add only 4GB of memory as Readyboost. I'm pissed - I wanna Readyboost 12gb of memory!

How do I get my screen frame rates in Oblivion, Crysis, and Company of Hereos?

My Gateway Monitor is so smokingly beautiful and the sound is so awesome! But it seems like the sound quality is better from my Dell E1705 than my Asus P6T Deluxe!

Here's some pics. More better pic later!

Will 3dmark 05 and 06 run on Vista 64?

Why would I lie about my computer?

OK, here are some benchmarks. Gonna get 3dmark 05 and 06 too!

Ok, I downloaded and installed 3dmark06 but it didn't run becase of a missing 32 bit dll. Maybe it don't work with Vista 64 or I had a bad download?

Now, maybe Windows XP 32bit SP3 won't work with this new computer. The CPU is 64 bit! Guess I gotta use a "test" copy of this OS!

Ok, I downloaded that Fraps thing -

1900x 1200 - Crysis Warhead 34 fps, COD4 77 to 110 fps
1600 x 1200 - Crysis Warhead 40 fps

Gee, I didn't know 34 fps was good playabilty. But now I see there is room for improvement. COD4 make me know what 77 to 110 game play is!

My Media Center 11 can't pick up the signal from my pci tv card; my Kworld TV software can't use epg data for recording setups, Magix Movies on TV and DVD records TV well without stuttering but doesn't stop and restart recording to avoid commercials while watching and recording TV. - You have to record straight then edit out commercials later. But this software is good for combining several quicktime videos recorded on my Casio Exlim ZX80 camera for youtube.