Critique my Q6600 build

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NleahciM

2[H]4U
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Aug 2, 2002
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Hi there - I'm looking at putting together this system:

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...ber=7462628&WishListTitle=Potential+ATX+build

Intel Q6600 G0 $280
EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB $550
Abit IP35 Pro $178
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $99
HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 1TB 7200 RPM SATA $360
ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA $33
ENERMAX Noisetaker II 600W PSU $126
LIAN LI PC-G50B Black Mid Tower Case $90

These are my purposes for it:

  • eCAD
  • SPICE (electronics simulation, the most CPU intensive thing that I do)
  • 3D CAD
  • programming
  • movies/music
  • maybe occasional gaming - I haven't gamed in years though so that's at the bottom of my priority list


I already have the hard drive and mouse. I actually have two of the hard drives - haven't decided if I'm going to raid them, or use one as a external storage/backup solution, or something else. Still need to select a keyboard (I'm swithing over from a laptop). Also, I'll be adding in one of these bad boys: http://www.lavalink.com/index.php?id=232 (already have it as well).

I also will need to get a TV tuner card - haven't selected one.

The case and PSU were fairly random. I have used Lian-Lis in the past and have liked them. If there's something cheaper I would love to hear about it. Years ago (6-7ish) I used an Enermax that looked nearly identical to the one I have selected, which is why I have that one selected. But now I'm thinking that maybe I should go with a modular supply like the Corsair HX Series CMPSU-520HX 520W $108. It's a little wimpier but I would think that 520W would still be enough, right?

Haven't chosen my monitor yet - will probably be a 24" and there's a good chance I'll get two. I haven't decided on XP vs. Vista yet either, but probably Vista.

DVD burner was random - it was the cheapest with SATA and lightscribe.

I'm planning on buying the CPU from somewhere that guarantees G0 stepping. I'm initially just going to use the retail heatsink as I don't plan on initially OCing.

The video card is probably massive overkill. My CAD stuff runs ok on my little Radeon 9000 card on my 4 year old laptop. But with a much bigger monitor and the potential of gaming it seemed like a good (but expensive) idea.



So - how does it all look?

Thanks!
 
Looks good.

If going Vista, make sure your apps will run in it.

Theres a 24" LCD on sale at Costco for $350, btw. Dunno how good it is. I usually go with Samsung or Dell when it comes to LCDs.
 
So would it make sense for me to get a faster hard drive for just my OS/software/games? Maybe a 36GB WD Raptor for $100?

Any suggestions for how I can bring down the price of this system?

Also - so this system can use a 32b or a 64b operating system, right? Any reason to go 32b? I mean - would going 64b mean that I could then only run software designed for 64b?
 
78MB/s: WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB, $160AR
65MB/s: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB, $80
65MB/s: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3300620AS 300GB, $60
52MB/s: WD Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB, $70
112MB/s: RAID0 'cuda's, 600GB total, $120 (ICH9R on P35-DS3R)

As you can see, the 'cuda is twice the size and half the cost, for nearly the same performance. Stick them in RAID0, and you've got an even more cost effective solution. Though, the seek time of the Raptor can't be beat. If you have cash to burn, do so on a Raptor if you really want it. Otherwise, there are more cost effective solutions.

To lower cost, you could get two 500GB drives for much less than that single 1TB drive.

I'd go for the Corsair 620W PSU over the Enermax. I like the modular cables, and they're great PSUs. For more PSU insight, check out jonnyguru.com.

The only other way I can see to lower cost is buy downgrading the vidcard, but you'll need that GTX if you get a 24" and want to do any 3D rendering/gaming.
 
How about you buy a beefier PSU and replace the 8800GTX with two 2900PRO's, then overclock them to XT frequencies? This will offer much better performance for almost the same amount of money.
 
enginurd said:
78MB/s: WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB, $160AR
65MB/s: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB, $80
65MB/s: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3300620AS 300GB, $60
52MB/s: WD Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB, $70
112MB/s: RAID0 'cuda's, 600GB total, $120 (ICH9R on P35-DS3R)

As you can see, the 'cuda is twice the size and half the cost, for nearly the same performance. Stick them in RAID0, and you've got an even more cost effective solution. Though, the seek time of the Raptor can't be beat. If you have cash to burn, do so on a Raptor if you really want it. Otherwise, there are more cost effective solutions.

To lower cost, you could get two 500GB drives for much less than that single 1TB drive.

I'd go for the Corsair 620W PSU over the Enermax. I like the modular cables, and they're great PSUs. For more PSU insight, check out jonnyguru.com.

The only other way I can see to lower cost is buy downgrading the vidcard, but you'll need that GTX if you get a 24" and want to do any 3D rendering/gaming.
Click to expand...
So regarding storage - do you think the RAIDed 300GB drives would offer better performance than a single raptor? I thought for most things it was the seek times that mattered. I could always RAID two raptors though - but that's getting spendy. Also, unless things have changed (haven't built a system with a raptor in about 5 years) - raptors are loud as all hell. I would really like this system to be as quiet as possible.

I already have two of the 1TB hard drives. I got them in external enclosures from Best Buy on the annual no tax day here in Boston for I think about $250 each. One of them I've been using as an external for my laptop, the other is still sealed in its packaging. I could sell it I guess.

So do you think I need a 620W PSU? That just seems like so much to me. The last computer I built for myself had a 350W Enermax in it - and that was more than enough. That was, again, like 5 years ago though...

So the GTX is a must if I want to go with a 24" and be able to do any gaming? I'm going at least 24" for sure...
 
Abu Som3a said:
How about you buy a beefier PSU and replace the 8800GTX with two 2900PRO's, then overclock them to XT frequencies? This will offer much better performance for almost the same amount of money.
Click to expand...

Would I be able to get that stable with stock cooling? Also, wouldn't I need a different mobo?
 
NleahciM said:
Do I really need 620W, or could I get away with 520?
Click to expand...

The 520W will be more than enough for any single vidcard build. I have an HX520W powering my main rig, with 4 SATA drives, 2 opticals, and a 7800GT - works great.

$108 - Corsair CMPSU-520HX 520W PSU ($20MIR) (Free Shipping)

NleahciM said:
So regarding storage - do you think the RAIDed 300GB drives would offer better performance than a single raptor? I thought for most things it was the seek times that mattered. I could always RAID two raptors though - but that's getting spendy. Also, unless things have changed (haven't built a system with a raptor in about 5 years) - raptors are loud as all hell. I would really like this system to be as quiet as possible.
Click to expand...

Seek times matter, but not enough to warrant such a price premium for the raptor in a desktop environment, IMO. I have both a raptor and a single 'cuda, and I'm happy enough with the speed from a single 'cuda that I wouldn't buy another raptor (first one was a gift anyhow, lol).

I got two 'cudas on sale at Fry's, so I decided to throw them in a RAID0 array. The performance I get out of this array is better than the raptor, imo, since it serves my needs better. My xp.sp2 boot time is under 30 seconds. I do a lot of drive-to-drive transfers with video encoding, media ripping, etc. Of course, with or without a raid array, a good backup solution is always needed. So, I have external HDDs for backups.

Yes, the raptor is loud. So are several of my 'cudas. Though, my newest ones are rather quiet compared to the ones I got about a year ago.

NleahciM said:
But running stock speeds it would be slower than a GTX? Couldn't a GTX also be overclocked?
Click to expand...

Yes, a GTX could be overclocked. Though, an Ultra OC's better, and is only about $80 more... oh wait, you're trying to lower the price... sorry, hehe.
 
Abu Som3a said:
We are talking about two 2900PRO[>XT] cards in crossfire
Click to expand...

Can you give an example of the model of card I would get? I've never heard of anybody going this route as an alternative to the GTX, so this is a bit new to me...
 
enginurd said:
The 520W will be more than enough for any single vidcard build. I have an HX520W powering my main rig, with 4 SATA drives, 2 opticals, and a 7800GT - works great.

$108 - Corsair CMPSU-520HX 520W PSU ($20MIR) (Free Shipping)



Seek times matter, but not enough to warrant such a price premium for the raptor in a desktop environment, IMO. I have both a raptor and a single 'cuda, and I'm happy enough with the speed from a single 'cuda that I wouldn't buy another raptor (first one was a gift anyhow, lol).

I got two 'cudas on sale at Fry's, so I decided to throw them in a RAID0 array. The performance I get out of this array is better than the raptor, imo, since it serves my needs better. My xp.sp2 boot time is under 30 seconds. I do a lot of drive-to-drive transfers with video encoding, media ripping, etc. Of course, with or without a raid array, a good backup solution is always needed. So, I have external HDDs for backups.

Yes, the raptor is loud. So are several of my 'cudas. Though, my newest ones are rather quiet compared to the ones I got about a year ago.



Yes, a GTX could be overclocked. Though, an Ultra OC's better, and is only about $80 more... oh wait, you're trying to lower the price... sorry, hehe.
Click to expand...
Well one way I'll probably be lowering the price is by going to an IP35E. Also I may be able to find a cheaper case - I would love to hear recommendations for that. Would it make sense for me to go to an Ultra? $80 is fairly insignificant compared to $550... I mean that's less than 15% of the total cost...
 
Personally, I would make the $80 jump. There aren't really many cases that you could save money on, but the Antec P182 should be about right to fit two hard drives and the Ultra.
 
lamboman said:
Personally, I would make the $80 jump. There aren't really many cases that you could save money on, but the Antec P182 should be about right to fit two hard drives and the Ultra.
Click to expand...
But that's $60 in the wrong direction!
 
Intel Q6600 G0 $280
EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB $550
Abit IP35 Pro $178
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $99
HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 1TB 7200 RPM SATA $360
ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA $33
ENERMAX Noisetaker II 600W PSU $126
LIAN LI PC-G50B Black Mid Tower Case $90
Click to expand...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revised


Intel Xeon X3220 Kentsfield 2.4GHz $299 Worth it though

EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB $550

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $99

Deskstar 7K1000 1TB 7200 RPM SATA $299

ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA $33

Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 $90 after MIR

CM case 690 @ ZZF ($39.99 After MIR)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But personally, I would spend the extra cash no matter what and get a top of the line PSU.
I would look into something like this myself...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

That's my input...
Hope it helps you some at least...
 
I'm not so sure the $20 extra is worth it for the Xeon, despite it being a server-grade CPU. Its not like the desktop variants are unreliable.

NleahciM said:
But that's $60 in the wrong direction!
Click to expand...

Look at the case The One recommended. Its also a favorite case of mine, and at a great price right now, too!

NleahciM said:
Well one way I'll probably be lowering the price is by going to an IP35E.

Would it make sense for me to go to an Ultra? $80 is fairly insignificant compared to $550... I mean that's less than 15% of the total cost...
Click to expand...

I agree, if you don't need all the features of the Pro, go for the E instead.

Thats exactly my point; 80 more isn't much when you look at the overall cost of the card. The Ultra is a revised core, so you can OC it better, too, if you need to. Yes, the Ultra would be your best single card choice for a 24" monitor. The only worry I have is that the next gen cards will come out and blow the Ultra away for much less money. Though, those cards are while away, I believe. Just know that vidcards are the fastest depreciating component in a gaming PC.
 
The-One said:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revised


Intel Xeon X3220 Kentsfield 2.4GHz $299 Worth it though

EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB $550

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $99

Deskstar 7K1000 1TB 7200 RPM SATA $299

ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA $33

Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 $90 after MIR

CM case 690 @ ZZF ($39.99 After MIR)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But personally, I would spend the extra cash no matter what and get a top of the line PSU.
I would look into something like this myself...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

That's my input...
Hope it helps you some at least...
Click to expand...
Yeah I had heard it was a good idea to go Xenon. Is there any place that sells a G0 stepping Xenon though?

That case looks ok - but it doesn't seem to have a removable mobo tray which to me is just such a basic thing... But now I'm realizing that the case I chose might not have one either (can't tell) - so I'm starting to think about a PC-61 instead...
 
enginurd said:
I'm not so sure the $20 extra is worth it for the Xeon, despite it being a server-grade CPU. Its not like the desktop variants are unreliable.



Look at the case The One recommended. Its also a favorite case of mine, and at a great price right now, too!



I agree, if you don't need all the features of the Pro, go for the E instead.

Thats exactly my point; 80 more isn't much when you look at the overall cost of the card. The Ultra is a revised core, so you can OC it better, too, if you need to. Yes, the Ultra would be your best single card choice for a 24" monitor. The only worry I have is that the next gen cards will come out and blow the Ultra away for much less money. Though, those cards are while away, I believe. Just know that vidcards are the fastest depreciating component in a gaming PC.
Click to expand...

Is there a specific Ultra that I should be looking at? Also, what exactly is the difference between an Ultra and a GTX?

I can handle these components getting old - that is inevitable.
 
Yah, but GPUs get old the fastest, hehe.

Any Ultra will do. The difference is a higher stock clock, due to the revised core. The revised core actually runs cooler than the GTX, so it OCs better than a GTX.

I think silent-circuit is selling his GTX, if you're interested. I haven't seen him around lately, though.

Removable mobo trays are nice, but if you're using a tower cooler, you'll have to install it after you slide it back in, lol.
 
Why are you guy's trying to have him get the best video card when he specifically said he MIGHT be gaming and its at the BOTTOM of his priority's.
 
dirtychavez said:
Why are you guy's trying to have him get the best video card when he specifically said he MIGHT be gaming and its at the BOTTOM of his priority's.
Click to expand...

Because its still a priority, and he asked about it. We didn't force him to get it, we mentioned it, and he asked about it. If it wasn't on the list at all and if he didn't ask about it, then there would be no need for a good card.

Sure, you can game with a GTS, but it won't be pretty at native resolution. Its all up to you. Many would recommend at least a GTX for a 24" monitor. If you absolutely need to save money, go with a lower end card, like the GTS or HD 2900Pro.
 
dirtychavez said:
Why are you guy's trying to have him get the best video card when he specifically said he MIGHT be gaming and its at the BOTTOM of his priority's.
Click to expand...


I didn't recommend a lower priced video card for because I thought he needed a powerful video card for 3D-Cad . 3D-Cad is something I know nothing about.

So if he doesn't need the power and barely games then he would be foolish to buy a top of the line video card.


NleahciM

8800 GTS 320

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9641 106791921 1068327613&bop=And&Order=PRICE

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082

maybe this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229


:D
 
May I suggest waiting for 2-3 weeks to see where the GPU market is at? If nothing changes based on the 8800GT release then pull the trigger.
 
enginurd said:
Because its still a priority, and he asked about it. We didn't force him to get it, we mentioned it, and he asked about it. If it wasn't on the list at all and if he didn't ask about it, then there would be no need for a good card.

Sure, you can game with a GTS, but it won't be pretty at native resolution. Its all up to you. Many would recommend at least a GTX for a 24" monitor. If you absolutely need to save money, go with a lower end card, like the GTS or HD 2900Pro.
Click to expand...

An 8800 GTS wouldn't be pretty at native resolutions? What are you smokin?
 
FoxhoundOp said:
An 8800 GTS wouldn't be pretty at native resolutions? What are you smokin?
Click to expand...

It'll be fine for non-FPS games, or older ones. If you're tryin to play any newer FPS game at 1920x1200 with high quality settings, you won't be getting good, constant fps. You'll most likely be getting around 30fps. Whether thats playable or not is up to you. I can't stand anything below 60fps in an FPS game... and yes, I can tell the difference between 100fps and 60fps when playing FPS games... its just hard to explain what that difference is, lol.

So, if you don't mind, go for the GTS. If you want something that'll play the newer and future games better, the GTX or Ultra will serve you longer than a GTS would, especially at 1920x1200.
 
dcschess05 said:
May I suggest waiting for 2-3 weeks to see where the GPU market is at? If nothing changes based on the 8800GT release then pull the trigger.
Click to expand...

The 8800GT is suppose to perform somewhere between an 8800GTS 320MB and an 8600GTS. So for the OP, the 8800GT won't affect him much since he needs/wants a card more powerful than the GTS 320 for his monitor.
 
Hi - thanks everybody for continuing to try to educate me. I've put alot of thought into it and the Ultra is just too much. Also, I only want one video card, for various reasons. I'd like to stick with 8800 series. Probably just because it sounds nicer, I'm not sure :)

So - if I want to game full screen with a fairly recent game (I only play FPSes, if that matters) - I need a GTX? That's fine by me. Can somebody recommend one?
 
Any eVGA should do, since they will still honor the warranty if you OC it and/or change the cooler... plus, its a lifetime warranty.
 
Same recommendation as above. Though if you don't feel that you need to play games at max/high settings at native resolution right now or plan to upgrade your video card after a year or so, then drop down to the 8800GTS 640MB instead. Though the GTX will probably last you a bit longer though.
 
RAID0'ing the raptors won't do much, performance-wise. A single raptor is just as good for loadin game levels and starting windows. Check out the Anandtech review (while its a bit old, it still holds true). Its more cost effective to RAID0 a couple 7200RPM drives instead. But, if you have cash to burn... burn away!

Is that Xeon a guaranteed G0? If so, not a bad deal. However, if its not a guaranteed G0, I'd get the Q6600 from clubit instead.
 
enginurd said:
RAID0'ing the raptors won't do much, performance-wise. A single raptor is just as good for loadin game levels and starting windows. Check out the Anandtech review (while its a bit old, it still holds true). Its more cost effective to RAID0 a couple 7200RPM drives instead. But, if you have cash to burn... burn away!

Is that Xeon a guaranteed G0? If so, not a bad deal. However, if its not a guaranteed G0, I'd get the Q6600 from clubit instead.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it is. Does anybody sell a guaranteed G0 Xeon?

What exactly is the difference between the two?

Also - should I be going for a 64b OS? Do games come in 64b versions, or do gamers have to stay 32b?
 
NleahciM said:
I don't believe it is. Does anybody sell a guaranteed G0 Xeon?

What exactly is the difference between the two?

Also - should I be going for a 64b OS? Do games come in 64b versions, or do gamers have to stay 32b?
Click to expand...

First, I would Assume G0 means higher OC...

Second, I don't know, but I assume not many games are 64 bit..
 
clubit sells the g0 xenon but it will be the same price as the g0 q6600 probably.
 
The difference between G0 and B3 stepping is mainly the lower voltage requirement. Since its lower voltage, there's less heat (it runs cooler). Since there's less heat, it can OC higher. Trust me, you'll want the G0 stepping CPU.
 
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