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Finalizing New Rig

C

cjv4

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
88
Looking for some help on finishing up my choices on a new rig.

Here are the parts that I know I want:

Case- Coolermaster 690
CPU- q6600
HDD- Seagate 7200.11 500 GB
GPU- EVGA 9800GTX (and step up when the new cards come out).
Heatsink- Xigmatek HDT-S1283
Fans- Yate Loon D12SH-124UB
OS - Home Premium x64

Here are the parts that I can't really decide on:

Ram:
G.SKILL F2 PC8000 4 GB http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26456&vpn=F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ&manufacture=G.SKILL
or
Mushkin XP PC2-8000 Redline 4 GB http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=28269&vpn=996593&manufacture=MUSHKIN

Motherboard:
EVGA 780i or EVGA 750i FTW
Between these boards, I am really leaning towards the 750i FTW since I doubt I will ever need tri-sli, but I am still open to getting the 780i.

PSU:
I really am not sure here. Right now, I am looking at the
OCZ GameXStream 700w http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18185&vpn=OCZ700GXSSLI&manufacture=OCZ Technology
Silverstone Zeus 650w http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19648&vpn=SST-ST65ZF&manufacture=Silverstone Technology
Silverstone Strider 600w Modular http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19645&vpn=SST-ST60F&manufacture=Silverstone Technology

I am open to suggestions on other power supplies though.

So, any opinions on which of the choices to get, or complete changes of hardware choices?
 
Which mobo:
If Tri-SLi support is un-needed, i personally wouldn't worry about it. Just get a new card that would be faster/asfast as your old one's in SLi.

RE: RAMs

Well they are basically the same as far as i can see. Go for the cheapy Gskills. I'm considering such a set to complement my D9's when i change to Server 08.

/edit; the OCZ psu is probably the best there.
 
Will the OCZ psu be enough to power 2 9800GTX's in SLI (or the GT 260 if I step up to that)? Or should I find one with 4 PCI-E connectors?
 
You only need DDR2 800 (aka PC2-6400) RAM for use with the Q6600, so get a 4GB kit of that instead. Also, there's no noticeable difference performance-wise between CL4 and CL5 memory, so don't spend extra for lower latency.

All of the OCZ ---XStream line of PSUs are based off the FSP Epsilon PSU, which is known to produce out-of-spec fluctuations, or ripple, during high loads. Since ripple kills/degrades your system over time, it's not worth buying a PSU that generates it.

Either of the Silverstone PSUs would work for you, though with an SLI setup, you may want a bit more power in reserve.

Unless you're gaming at a 1920x1200 or greater resolution (or, a 24" or larger widescreen LCD), then SLI is not needed. Even then, there are several high-end cards available now (and are coming soon) that perform well on a 1920x1200 resolution by themselves. Switch to a P35-based motherboard with the features that you want. (The following links are provided as a reference.)

Danny Bui said:
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5K-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, slightly better overclocking, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking options and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability and options, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, legacy ports and high overclocks and optional eSATA, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you like the DS3P but need 3 PCI slots instead of the DS3P's 2 PCI slots and like having non-optional eSATA, go for the Asus P5K-E. If you like the P5K-E but need wifi, then go for the P5K-E/Wifi-AP. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with RAID, eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. If you like the DS3P but want better cooling for overclocking, then go for the DS4. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.
Click to expand...

If stability is an issue, any Intel-based motherboard will be much more stable than an NVIDIA-based board. However, if you must have SLI, I haven't heard many complaints about the EVGA 750i FTW.

Since you intend on stepping up to a new video card in the summer, save yourself some money and go with the (G92) 8800GTS instead -- it offers near-9800GTX performance at a lower cost.
 
Yeah, for the memory, I didn't know whether it would be better to go with PC6400 or go with the PC8000 and downclock it to 800MHz but see if I could tighten the timings up a bit.

For the PSU, I was looking on another board and will be changing it probably. I am looking at the Corsair TX750 as well as a couple PC P&C power supplies.

I game on a 22" monitor (so 1680x1050) but I like the option of having SLI. For example, the 8800GT was a solid card when it came out. It has started to show its age a little bit, but if you throw in a second one, you get a major bump in performance.

I was considering an X38/X48 board and going with a new RV770 ATI card when they come out, but I don't want to wait until July or whenever they become readily available, so I would rather go with an EVGA card and step-up.
 
 
You don't need SLI for a 22" monitor. The (G92/512MB) 8800GTS is actually enough (though you could always step up if you feel otherwise). I suggest getting a P35-based board as well.

As for power supplies, all you need is a quality 500-600 watt PSU for your system. (Again, don't get SLI -- you don't need it.) Anything from the Corsair, PC P&C, and Silverstone lines are good choices.
 
Would it be a waste to go with an X38 board as well (the Asus P5E)?

The Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard, does the Wifi part mean that it already has a wireless card built in? Like, out of the box, without buying anything else, would I be able to use/connect to a wireless network?
 
cjv4 said:
What would you guys recommend between these different memory kits:
Click to expand...

Please list models instead of just links, unless you'd like to pay us to click on each link. ;)

You won't notice the difference between CL4 and CL5, unless you're running benchmarks (and even then, its negligible), so don't pay a huge price premium for lower latency.

cjv4 said:
Would it be a waste to go with an X38 board as well (the Asus P5E)?

The Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard, does the Wifi part mean that it already has a wireless card built in? Like, out of the box, without buying anything else, would I be able to use/connect to a wireless network?
Click to expand...

Yes, X38 is a waste unless you need dual 16x Crossfire for some ATI cards. Yes, you can use WiFi out of the box with the P5K-E WiFi-AP board. You can even turn it into an access point.
 
K, here are the models:

G.SKILL F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-12 240PIN $129.99
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN $129.99
OCZ Reaper OCZ2RPR800C44GK 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-15 $119.99
Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-12 240PIN Memory Kit W/ LED $134.99
Mushkin XP PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-12 240PIN DIMM $139.99

Also, based on the savings on the motherboard, would it be worth spending the money to bump up the Coolermaster 690 to an Antec p182 or a Stacker 830/832?
 
Cases are personal preference, so only you can decide if its worth it. If you like those cases enough to spend the extra money, then go for it.

All you need for a Q6600 is some DDR2-800. If CL4 is the same price as or cheaper than CL5, at the same speeds, then obviously, get CL4. From that list, the OCZ Reaper looks to be the cheapest.
 
Yeah, I think I will spend the money for the p182. So my build is looking like this right now:

CPU- q6600
Heatsink- Xigmatek HDT-S1283
Motherboard- Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35
GPU- EVGA 8800GTS or 9800GTX (it doesn't really matter since I will spend the money in the step-up anyway)
RAM- OCZ Reaper PC6400 4 GB (2 x 2GB)
HDD- Seagate 7200.11 500 GB
PSU- PC P&C S610EPS 610W
Case- Antec p182
Case Fans- Yate Loon D12SH-124UB
OS- Home Premium x64

Looks good? Any changes?
 
Again, since you intend on stepping up to a newer video card in the summer, go with the 8800GTS.
 
Is it worth going with the q6600 if the only intensive program (other than games) I will be using is Solidworks/other CAD programs?

There will be basically no video encoding or anything.
 
If your software isn't optimized for quad cores, an E7- or E8-series dual core would work just as well.
 
Yeah, in general, I don't think it is optimized. I was going to go with the q6600 mostly for the more future-proof it is, but the increase of performance now might sway me to the e8400.
 
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