Custom Gaming Systems (Wow )

[drachillix]

Custom gaming systems for sale:

Thermaltake Case VJ6000
Core i5-760 2.8Ghz
Appropriate Asus or Gigabyte motherboard
4GB DDR3 Ram crucial or kingston
Western Digital or Seagate 500GB Hard Drive
Nvidia GTS450 1GB Video Card
DVD-RW drive
Media Card reader
750W Modular power supply

Any variations or customizations are easily acheived this is just a sample.

For you wow players we can preload with World of Warcraft and all updates if desired to save you a couple days of downloading

$1,149 + shipping and applicable sales taxes if any

Specced out the same system at Falcon NW and came up with $1194 plus minimum $121.36 in shipping. System is built from similar quality parts. My shipping rate will probably be more like $75-80, depending on distance per UPS.

[Gukumatz]

Will you ship internationally or is this an US-only thing? :)

(My girlfriend and me just bought WoW and are having fun, so we might need a separate gaming computer in a while.)

Andy

[Hirka T'Bawa]

Hey drachillix, you run a computer store correct? Do you assemble motherboard combos (Motherboard, CPU, heatsink, RAM, flash the BIOS)? Do you do any testing on your computers? (i.e. Run Memtest 86 or something to make sure the RAM is good, etc) And last could you get whatever parts I might want?

I'm not actually looking for something at this moment, so no rush, but one of my first purchases when I graduate (in 189 days! Woot!) will be a new desktop computer. I actually enjoy putting together my own computer, but I've always been hesitant to assemble a motherboard combo. I haven't done one since the Athlon XP days many years ago, and the heatsinks have gotten a lot more complicated to attach then a simple flat head screwdriver.

ETA: Oh, and as for shipping, where are you located so I have an idea of shipping costs? Your obviously not in my garage with my router (my 192.168.0.1 :) ) Also, do you offer any sort of warranty or is it just the manufactures warranty?

[drachillix]

Will you ship internationally or is this an US-only thing? :)

(My girlfriend and me just bought WoW and are having fun, so we might need a separate gaming computer in a while.)

Andy

I dont even want to know what it would cost to ship but I am willing to do so, just give me some time to research if we needed to do so.

[drachillix]

Hey drachillix, you run a computer store correct? Do you assemble motherboard combos (Motherboard, CPU, heatsink, RAM, flash the BIOS)? Do you do any testing on your computers? (i.e. Run Memtest 86 or something to make sure the RAM is good, etc) And last could you get whatever parts I might want?

ETA: Oh, and as for shipping, where are you located so I have an idea of shipping costs? Your obviously not in my garage with my router (my 192.168.0.1 :) ) Also, do you offer any sort of warranty or is it just the manufactures warranty?

Depending on final weight (I am in Fresno, CA), UPS charges by how far east or west you go as well as weight. So you are probably in the $80-$100 for insured UPS ground on a full system like I quoted above.

All of our systems are run for 24 hours on a stress tester once windows loadout is done. All systems carry a 1 year hardware warranty, if a part goes bad I will do my best to diagnose on the phone/remote with you and we can arrange for parts to be shipped out unless you wanna ship the whole thing back. All of our parts also still have the OEM warranties intact so if you wanted to for example you could ship a bad hard drive back to Western digital or seagate even beyond our 1 year, most of the parts individually have 3 year warranties with the manufacturer.

Last, yes I can get just about any part you might want, I do have a preferred hardware vendor so I may not have a specific brand of GTS 450 Video card but most common ones I can or if you like I can offer brand options where available.

You will probably be able to piece together systems from various vendors for less but getting a box you know worked when it left the store is nice.

[Hirka T'Bawa]

So do you do just motherboard combos even if I might not want a complete system?

[drachillix]

So do you do just motherboard combos even if I might not want a complete system?

I can yes.

[Cicero]

That would be a nice repair job if something went wrong. A trip to Norway to fix a computer :)

[drachillix]

That would be a nice repair job if something went wrong. A trip to Norway to fix a computer :)

Yeeah I can see the IRS chalking that one up to "good customer service" with the 5 day layover in London :D

[drachillix]

then again it wouldn't be my first international incident..

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=532036

[Covered_In_Bees!]

Quick hardware question about processors, if you don't mind drach:

What makes the i5/7 series of processors more powerful than an Intel dual core processor clocked at more GHz?

[drachillix]

Quick hardware question about processors, if you don't mind drach:

What makes the i5/7 series of processors more powerful than an Intel dual core processor clocked at more GHz?

i5 = quadcore
i7 = 8 core octocore

[Covered_In_Bees!]

I see. That was way more simple than I was expecting. Thanks!

[GusNSpot]

I would like you to recommend to me a MB CPU combination with this in mind:

I run XP- PRO, never have trouble & I hear the W-7 has some bad updates and or I do not like the file set up but this is all hearsay. Convince me that the added $$$ for W-7 is worth it or since I do not do games but do a lot of picture editing and want to do more video, is the way to go.... I want my Win machine in addition to my Ubuntu machine.

I have ab AN-SLI Premium that is buggy but works great as my Ubuntu machine. Really slow to boot up.

I am runing XP on a MSI P4M900m3. Works fine but will only allow 2 GIG RAM, I want 3 -4 GIG to max XP. ( 2X2 or 4X1 in 4 slots for best longevity?) Which is better? XP likes best?

I have & use a lot of hard drives. I prefer 10K RPM but still have a lot of stuff on IDE drives.
6-8 SATA connects.
2 IDE connects.
1 "A" drive connector
Nice fast FSB.

Will save 64 bit for the next one.... maybe...

Good & fast but mostly bullet proof CPU. ( I am not brand loyal. )

I do not use cases, my parts are on boards on the wall. Cooling is not a problem LOL

Is there a MB that will take my intel CPU and 1 GIG sticks (2) and I can add
LAN,
a nice video card ( You recommend me one )

Expansion slots for other stuff if I decide to.

I have medium to slow DSL ( Live out in the woods ) but I like horse power in the house. May one day want to do Flight Sims... Would be the most 'game' I would ever do. Mostly message boards & photos. I like small fast drives. I like to clone as back up, do not want a crash to take a lot with it....

PM me your number & I can call you, I have lots of minutes. ( I'm in Arkansas )
Or email
Dragon43@Gmail.com

I can send you my disk of XP if you would want that to burn in with??? My machine is up to date, or can you use my "C" drive ?

I have it cloned regularly .... I swap back and forth. Lightning don't get it if it is in a drawer. LOL

So, recommendations and opinions & tentative pricing ???

Gus

Slightly out of date but this is how I do it:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dragon43/ComputersOnTheWall#

[smoke]

That is the craziest and coolest setup I've ever seen. And yeah, that's some badass battery backup.

[GusNSpot]

Yeah, everything runs pretty cool this way... ;) he he he

[SenorBeef]

i5 = quadcore
i7 = 8 core octocore

This isn't correct. The i7 and i5 (some models) have hyperthreading which allows each core to execute two threads at once, which can boost performance somewhat for certain types of actions, but it isn't the equivelant of having double the amount of cores. Some models of the i5 have two cores like the core 2 duo, and some models of the i5 and all i7s have 4 cores, like a core 2 quad.

They're capable of performing more calculations per clock because of general advances in CPU design, a more efficient memory controller system, the aforementioned hyperthreading, and other evolutionary changes. So at the same clock, an i5 or i7 would be faster than its equivelant core 2 duo/quad. If the core 2 chip is clocked significantly faster, it may be better for most applications. But generally the stock speeds of both chips is in the same general window, so this won't happen unless you're talking about a high end core 2 vs a low end i5/i7.

[drachillix]

This isn't correct. The i7 and i5 (some models) have hyperthreading which allows each core to execute two threads at once, which can boost performance somewhat for certain types of actions, but it isn't the equivelant of having double the amount of cores. Some models of the i5 have two cores like the core 2 duo, and some models of the i5 and all i7s have 4 cores, like a core 2 quad.

I understand the difference, the multistreaming actually reads as a separate core on every machine I have built so far. So the i5/i7's we use look like and display on task manager as 4/8 processors. I know other patterns exist but we have tended to go with the beefier models since we mainly do custom work.

[SenorBeef]

It will display that way, but it isn't the primary reason i7 is faster than core 2 nor does it produce anywhere near the equivelant computing power that double the amount of actual physical cores will. It is a useful feature and does provide performance, but it's not accurate to describe those processors as having 4/8 cores.

[drachillix]

I would like you to recommend to me a MB CPU combination with this in mind:

I run XP- PRO, never have trouble & I hear the W-7 has some bad updates and or I do not like the file set up but this is all hearsay. Convince me that the added $$$ for W-7 is worth it or since I do not do games but do a lot of picture editing and want to do more video, is the way to go.... I want my Win machine in addition to my Ubuntu machine.

As time passes you will see fewer and fewer boards and components with XP drivers, win7 will give you more lifespan that way. If you tend to game, XP does not support DirectX11 which a year or so is going to lock you out of the newer games

I am runing XP on a MSI P4M900m3. Works fine but will only allow 2 GIG RAM, I want 3 -4 GIG to max XP. ( 2X2 or 4X1 in 4 slots for best longevity?) Which is better? XP likes best?

Multiple smaller sticks is usualy the way to go for speed although large fast sticks can outrun them.

I have & use a lot of hard drives. I prefer 10K RPM but still have a lot of stuff on IDE drives.
6-8 SATA connects.
2 IDE connects.
1 "A" drive connector
Nice fast FSB.


The problem here is 2 IDE, very few present day boards have 2 PATA sockets so you are probably going to start needing a controller card to accomodate the extra IDE drives.

Will save 64 bit for the next one.... maybe...

if you go win7 its silly to do 32bit unless you have specific application needs for 32 bit.

Is there a MB that will take my intel CPU and 1 GIG sticks (2) and I can add
LAN,
a nice video card ( You recommend me one )

LAN will be integrated on most boards, what model is your CPU as some boards have problem with the 65nm vs 45nm chips. I assume from the p4m board it is a socket 775.

[Cicero]

Can you move to Australia so we can do business?

[GusNSpot]

*snerk*

[N9IWP]

Just out of curiousity, could you build something similar to the Ars budget box?
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2010/09/the-ars-system-guide-september-2010-edition.ars/2
Except I'd want a quad core processor and a better video card

No need for WoW, and I can do theKB / mouse monitor myslef

Thanks
Brian

[drachillix]

only challenge with such guides is abandon the prices they quote...just for information purposes, not intending or trying to be snarky.

#1 they have not accounted for shipping (wholesaler-me, then me to you)
#2 zero build labor, they assume this is a DIY project.
#3 they have hunted down the cheapest price they could find even if the parts are sourced from 8 different places making it more expensive to ship those parts (as a bunch of parts in the same box are almost always cheaper than 1 part each in 8 boxes.
#4 Did you want windows on that? How about a PSU that isn't going to choke on anything extra..... 380W.... Really?

That said, my build for going to a quadcore version with a heftier VGA card, I stuck with AMD/Radeon since your build was an AMD/Radeon.

AMD CPU HDZ560WFGMBOX Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition 3.3GHz AM3 7MB

Sapphire Video Card 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB DDR5 PCI Express Dual DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI /
Antec Power Supply EA-650 Green 650W Earthwatts ATX 12V v2.3 APFC SATA PCI Express 80PLUS BRONZE
Kingston Memory 2GB DDR3 1066MHz PC3-8500 Non-ECC CL7 240-pin DIMM Unbuffered
Seagate HDD 1TB ST31000528AS SATA 3Gb/s Desktop Storage 7200 rpm 32MB Cache Bare Drive
Standard Case Mid Tower 3238 4/1/6 Drive Bays
Gigabyte Motherboard GA-MA78LMT-S2 AMD AM3 760G/SB710 PCI Express DDR3 microATX Retail

Samsung DVDRW SH-S223C/BEBE 22X SATA

about $925+shipping.

[Palooka]

Might as well drop the 650 W PSU and Nspire case then pick up a Sonata III case + 500W PSU combo instead. That's more than enough power and you can sink the $20 you save into moving up to 4 GB of RAM. Plus you can still find 5850s priced under the 6850, which is a smarter way to spend $180. A SpinPoint F3 greatly outperforms the Seagate 7200.12, despite costing the same amount.

/better build at the same price.

[N9IWP]

Thanks. I might still build myself - just wanted to how much I have to value my time. (I did do a price check at one place)

Brian

[drachillix]

Might as well drop the 650 W PSU and Nspire case then pick up a Sonata III case + 500W PSU combo instead. That's more than enough power and you can sink the $20 you save into moving up to 4 GB of RAM. Plus you can still find 5850s priced under the 6850, which is a smarter way to spend $180. A SpinPoint F3 greatly outperforms the Seagate 7200.12, despite costing the same amount.

/better build at the same price.

a clarification that ram should be 2 sticks of the item mentioned, the price quoted is 4GB

[Telperion]

That said, my build for going to a quadcore version with a heftier VGA card, I stuck with AMD/Radeon since your build was an AMD/Radeon.

AMD CPU HDZ560WFGMBOX Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition 3.3GHz AM3 7MB

Don't you think it would make a much better quadcore system if it had a quadcore CPU?

[Quasimodem]

MOM!!!!!!!!:)

Jesus, I'm just glad I came out of this thread with what little brain I still have!

I saw the "WoW" reference and decided to see what it was about. The only term familiar to me was "motherboard".

BTW, I know this is buy and sell. Just couldn't help myself and had to post.

Thanks

Q

[snowmaster]

$1,150 ?! You're ripping me off. I can buy all those parts online fro only $600!:mad:

If anyone hasn't seen the other thread, I'm just kidding. Rumor is Drach puts out good stuff at a fair price.

[Blood]

The "on wall" system is quite fascinating. I've never built a system but have been itching to do so as of late and I've often wondered why a person couldn't fabricate his/her own box or mounting system. I understand the need for dust and debris protection, which I'm not sure this particular system addresses," but it does seem to me that this approach would keep a system running cooler much easier. As far as ever having to move it, either for a LAN party or whatever, I'm sure that it would be a pain. However I think I'm going to give it a go.

Any other reasons why this wouldn't be good?

[Zeriel]

Any other reasons why this wouldn't be good?

For an "on wall" system?
High sensitivity to ambient temperature, primarily. It's been my experience that if you buy a cheap case, taking off the sides and/or exposing it to still ambient air will generally cool it a bit--but if you have a case with any halfway decent design, cooling will be more efficient than "exposed to ambient air" due to the ability to create thermal zones and areas of much greater airflow.

As for building one's own case in general? The biggest consideration is not grounding anything that's not supposed to be grounded, and vice-versa. Most of the custom-case builders I see at LAN parties work in plexiglass, but I've seen some who work with wood. Keep in mind when selecting materials that you're dealing with potential temperatures of 95C+.

[Shot From Guns]

I may be in the market for a new box soon. I'm comfortable doing a lot of assembly on my own, but like Hirka, getting the processor and fan on the mobo tends to make me a bit paranoid. (Last time was a huge wrestling match until I thought I had it secured--as did the person who was helping out--only to find out later that the fan and heatsink worked itself loose, which probably caused some kind of damage to the processor and/or mobo that's manifested as a habit of randomly freezing and/or resetting.)

How would you feel about someone coming up with a build, having you verify that everything will work properly together, and then that person purchasing those parts and shipping them to you for assembly? Would you have any interest in negotiating a fee just for the assembly and shipping of the completed unit? I assume a warranty for the work would still apply, then, as well?

[Zeriel]

I may be in the market for a new box soon. I'm comfortable doing a lot of assembly on my own, but like Hirka, getting the processor and fan on the mobo tends to make me a bit paranoid. (Last time was a huge wrestling match until I thought I had it secured--as did the person who was helping out--only to find out later that the fan and heatsink worked itself loose, which probably caused some kind of damage to the processor and/or mobo that's manifested as a habit of randomly freezing and/or resetting.)

If you're dealing with Intel stock coolers (or cheaper aftermarket ones) I feel your pain. The solution is aftermarket coolers with a backplate and screws.

[Shot From Guns]

Yyyyyyyyyyyyup. Stock cooler on a Core 2 Quad Q9550 ("Yorkfield") (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041).

[drachillix]

How would you feel about someone coming up with a build, having you verify that everything will work properly together, and then that person purchasing those parts and shipping them to you for assembly? Would you have any interest in negotiating a fee just for the assembly and shipping of the completed unit? I assume a warranty for the work would still apply, then, as well?

I have no problems with the idea of doing an assembly with customer provided parts however I would not warranty those parts against failure (you didn't buy them from me after all) part of our markup on a part is that we assume that liability. You would be warranted against any failure in craftsmanship on my part, like I ship it and the whole thing arrives destroyed because I didnt screw in the hard drive and it bounced all over the inside of the case smashing stuff, or I cut a power supply wire trimming a wire tie. Anything like that is gonna be extremely rare. Its kinda tough to screw up hardware assembly at our level. If the machine fires and runs long enough for a windows install, its probably fine.


Just as a hypothetical, what happens if a part dies in the middle of the windows install? If its my board, its my problem, I grab another part off shelf, swap it out, get back to work. IF your part blows, do I have another one? Will you want me to ship it back to you or RMA it to the manufacturer? Who is paying for that shipping? Alot of uncomfortable questions that no customer is ever going to like come up doing this. I have no problems doing this for one of the dopers, because its right here in the open for anyone to read what my policy is on the matter.

Price to build with your parts $150-200 +shipping depending on complexity (do you want things like RAID, SLI, additional sound hardware, specialized software or hardware setup).

By the time you buy it, they ship it to you, you ship it to me, then I ship it back to you, there is a decent chance it would be cheaper to just have me provide the parts.

[China Guy]

What do you think of the MSI motherboards versus ASUS or Gigabyte?

[drachillix]

What do you think of the MSI motherboards versus ASUS or Gigabyte?MSI makes a solid board but I use them as a 3rd choice behind Asus or Gygabyte. Of the 3 machines we built this week, all had ASUS boards.

[Shot From Guns]

Just as a hypothetical, what happens if a part dies in the middle of the windows install?

Good question--I'd already thought that if a part were defective after I'd received it, I'd just handle the RMA, but I didn't think about something being DOA to you.

By the time you buy it, they ship it to you, you ship it to me, then I ship it back to you, there is a decent chance it would be cheaper to just have me provide the parts.

Well, there's an extra layer of shipping in there--I'd have it just go straight to you from the vendor.


Welp, one way or another, I strongly suspect that you'll be hearing from me in the next few months, unless I run across a ridiculously good deal on a prebuilt box.

[choie]

I dunno if this is kosher but I'd like to put in my recommendation for drachillix and his work / expertise. He put together a custom system for me that's very similar to the above offer (mine has more memory/hard drive space but a smaller power supply), and now that I've had it for about six weeks I can safely say how thrilled I am with it. Runs games smooth as butter and multitasks graphic design programs without missing a beat. Very quiet, too.

Not to mention that he handled my silly questions along the way with patience and wisdom. So you can add great customer service as well.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank him in public and add me as a reference. :) Thanks!

[heavyarms553]

Quick question, do solid state drives dramatically improve load times?

[Shot From Guns]

Depends on your setup. (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=644&q=solid+state+drive+load+times) There's definitely going to be an improvement, but how much depends on what exact hardware you're comparing, as well as other factors that may affect boot and load times.

[drachillix]

Quick question, do solid state drives dramatically improve load times?

Yup and there are fun new toys in the form of Hybrid SSD's that combine an 8GB SSD with a 500GB standard hard drive. They shift the most commonly used files to the SSD portion.