New computer parts ordered - what do you think

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116758

$139.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231311

$89.99

MSI P55-GD65 USB3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813130272

$109.99

GIGABYTE GV-N460OC-1GI GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814125333

$189.99

XIGMATEK BALDER SD1283 120mm Long Life CPU Cooler I7 i5 775 AMD compatible, w/ bracket ACK-I5361
Item #: N82E16835233040

$39.99

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98
Item #: N82E16827106334

$21.99

Antec EarthWatts EA750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V version 2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC ...
Item #: N82E16817371026

$84.99

Acer G235HAbd 23'' WideScreen LCD monitor
Item #: N82E16824009266

$139.99

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I5750
Item #: N82E16819115215

$184.99

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119196

$59.99

Subtotal $1,061.90
Tax $0.00
UPS 3 DAYS $0.00
Order Total $1,061.90

Big sale today at the egg so I pulled the trigger after telling my wife how good a deal it is and it's just for today. Also more than 100 bucks of rebates so the cost is around 900 really. I love no tax and no shipping charges.

I built several systems and used to work on computers so I love building them, especially for myself since I only build a new one every once in a great while. Also I'm an overclocker too. I have this system running at 3.9Ghz for the last year.:smile:

 

It has a couple of extra networking things built in. Backup to network is also something I might use.

I probably don't need it, but for 40 dollars more, I figured I might need those extra features. Also the max memory for Premium is 16Gb. So you never know. With 8Gb of memory selling for 90 bucks, who knows how low memory prices can go. I play several flight sims like FSX which eat CPU speed and memory like it's nothing. After I read the Tom's Hardware article on memory the other day, more memory is good especially if it can be bought cheap.

Memory Upgrade: Is It Time To Add More RAM? : Introduction

After working on computers for a few years and preaching to people about how their previous computer builder had shafted them with a bogus copy of windows and how I could not help them without them buying a legit copy, I generally practice what I preach. I have used this Windows XP home OEM copy on three different computers, although only installed on one at a time as I upgrade my system. The OEM copies are not that bad, it's the retail copies which are just crazy expensive.

 

That's a nice case, but it's too expensive for me and too big also. What a monster.

 

I've used the backup to an external drive before. It works just like Ghost. I imaged a RAID 0 array to a file, then did away with the RAID array, making it just two separate drives, C and D. Then restored the image and it worked perfect.

 

Yeah, it's a budget monitor for sure, but it was on sale and so on.

No I had a RAID 0 array, two 320GB Seagates running on a 650i Nvidia mobo. The speed of the RAID 0 array was much faster than no RAID, but I was constantly worrying about one failing and losing everything so I abandoned that strategy and got a 750Gb WD Black which was close to the speed of the two old Seagates running in RAID 0.

RAID 0 is when the data is split or striped between two drives. If one dies, it's adios to all your data.

RAID 1 is two drives that are mirrored. If one dies, you can rebuild the array, but it's not as fast as RAID 0. Read speed is good on RAID 1 though because it reads from both drives at the same time.

 

The thing about SSD is the cost now. I think in five years, they will replace mechanical drives. But with 1Tb mechanical drives going for 59 dollars, it could take longer for costs to come down on SSD drives.

Plus with all the simulations/games I have, I would have to run a SSD for my OS and a HD for my sims anyway. FS9 takes up 16.2 GB and FSX takes up 24.4 GB. IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 takes up 8.83 GB. These items are no big deal on the WD Black 750Gb I have them installed on.

We have 640Gb platters in these new drives and soon we will have 1Tb platters. I remember my first computer was a Dell with a 13Gb IBM Deskstar/deathstar.

 

I know several guys running two SSDs in RAID 0. SSDs would makes sense for a person that money is no object. Like someone running GTX 580 3-way SLI.