Finally building that machine! Input requested before ordering!

I

itzhobbes

Weaksauce
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
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Hey guys, so in approximately 2 weeks I'm gonna be ordering these parts to build my new computer. This new computer will be used for gaming(CoD4, BF2142, CS:S, TF2, WoW and hopefully SC2 when it comes out), internet browsing, music playing and some minor graphics editing. I've done my research by going through tons of threads here(this forum is what keeps me sane at work, lol) but would just like some final input. Giving myself 2 weeks to gather input from you guys to make any final adjustments but I think what I compiled might be a solid build.

Case: Cooler Master 690
PSU: Corsair 520 PSU
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L Rev. 2.0
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2
VCard: EVGA Geforce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256bit GDDR3
DVD: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/

This is the stuff I already have:
Samsung 204bw 20in Widescreen LCD
Logitech Z680 speakers (which I love)
Logitech wireless Keyboard/Mouse forgot the model number

Also, for christmas my friend bought me a set of the RAM that I mentioned above so I will most likely buy another set to run 4GB. I have XP64, is Vista64 worth getting? Honestly. I'd like to not spend more then I have too. So I think what I have here is a solid build but I'd like to ask the more experienced builders what they think. Are there any known compatability issues with the hardware I've chosen? Any weird mobo issues? Anything better then what I have for the same price or reasonably higher price? Will my PSU be able to handle the system? Also one last note, I'm not really into overclocking. I may try with this build but I prefer rock solid stability over raging speed. Thanks in advance and can't wait till I order it!
 
I chose that PSU because it's modular and it seems to be quite a favorite on this forum. From what I've read on alot of threads, it seems it can handle a system similar to mind. Is there any other PSU's that are modular like this one with a higher outputs?
 
Well with only one HD and a single video card I would say that 520HX will work fine in your system, but for furture-proofing like Monkey God suggested you might want one with a bit more head room.

Here is the big brother of the one in your list
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA6200027

Also I didn't see a heatsink listed and while the E6750 does come with a retail heatsink they leave alot to be desired, you might want to look into a replacement. I would suggest a Thermalright Extreme Ultra 120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109140

And last but not least is there any special options that the gigabyte board has your looking for? Have you looked into the Abit IP35 Pro at all? It's a great motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030&Tpk=abit+ip35+pro
 
itzhobbes said:
I chose that PSU because it's modular and it seems to be quite a favorite on this forum. From what I've read on alot of threads, it seems it can handle a system similar to mind. Is there any other PSU's that are modular like this one with a higher outputs?
Click to expand...

When it comes to power supply getting something that can "handle" is not always the best solution. Get something with some headroom for expansion or whatever. PSU problems can cause weird issues that will take ages to figure out.
 
dearkook said:
Well with only one HD and a single video card I would say that 520HX will work fine in your system, but for furture-proofing like Monkey God suggested you might want one with a bit more head room.

Here is the big brother of the one in your list
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA6200027

Also I didn't see a heatsink listed and while the E6750 does come with a retail heatsink they leave alot to be desired, you might want to look into a replacement. I would suggest a Thermalright Extreme Ultra 120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109140

And last but not least is there any special options that the gigabyte board has your looking for? Have you looked into the Abit IP35 Pro at all? It's a great motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030&Tpk=abit+ip35+pro
Click to expand...

I hadn't given much thought about a retail heatsink. I've never actually ever used a retail one. I think for now I may use the one that is provided and once I save up some more will get what you suggested. Question though, once you place the stock heatsink, can you remove it to place retail heatsink like the one you mentioned? If i'm not gonna overclock do i need a retail heatsink? Also, the motherboard you mentioned is twice the price of the one I choose. =)
 
Monkey God said:
When it comes to power supply getting something that can "handle" is not always the best solution. Get something with some headroom for expansion or whatever. PSU problems can cause weird issues that will take ages to figure out.
Click to expand...

I'm curious what you are recommending if you seem to disapprove of the Corsair 520HX so much. Although given that he has just the e6750 (not even a quad) and the 8800GT (about as low a good graphics card's power consumption has been in a while) his system honestly doesn't use that much power that the 520HX should ever be under heavy load. It's also has exceptional build quality, good voltage regulation and DC output quality, is efficient, and has some nice features like modular cables, quietness, and it looks pretty nice too I guess. While it is true that PSU problems can have weird issues and take ages to figure out, buying a better quality PSU is more likely to minimize those issues than buying a higher wattage PSU. Although you are correct having more headroom isn't *bad* but it may not be needed if he doesn't even hit high loads for the PSU, and I just don't see it on this setup, with no SLI, no quad, and a rather lower power consumption (for gaming at least) graphics card.
 
The price of the current build I have is roughly around $950. I'd like to keep it at that price which is why I may hold off on the retail heatsinks. Will this graphics card be able to keep up with the games I listed? I may not upgrade this system for at least another year with the exception of adding some case fans and that heat sink. Keep the suggestions and advice coming guys! Thanks in advance. :)
 
"Also, the motherboard you mentioned is twice the price of the one I choose. =) "

Well the reason I asked what features you were interested in on the Gigabyte board is the IP35 comes in 3 different flavors, IP35, IP35-E & IP35 Pro. The IP35-E is a great board and if you don't need raid you might want to look into it.
 
Hey Deth, can I remove the stock heatsink once I put it on? Because the one you suggested looks good but I might not be able to get it at the current moment. So when I do get it, I dont' want it to be like i'm ripping something off the processor. LOL.

I do not plan on using Raid but will look into those boards. Just seems that Gigabyte was mentioned alot more then the other one. Time to search. =)
 
Great list of parts.

That system won't even touch 450W, even if its OC'd to 3.8Ghz... so don't bother with a different PSU. Even if you uprade to a new power hogging vidcard in the future, the 40A on the +12v rails is more than enough to handle it and then some. As Anchen mentioned, the 8800GT consumes less power than its predecessors, so no real need for a much higher unit. Since you don't have cash to burn, don't bother changing this.

The IP35-E and the DS3L are comparable, so either one will work great for your build. I prefer the DS3L because it saves BIOS profiles, which come in VERY handy when OC'ing. Though, I hate the PCB size.

As for cooling, I highly suggest the Ultima90 + Panaflo fan if you plan on OC'ing. If you don't plan on OC'ing, you should really look into it, lol. Though, even with the stock cooler, you can reach around 3Ghz. If you still don't want to OC, then no need for an aftermarket HSF unless you want something more quiet.

My E6750 @ 3.8Ghz (475x8; 1.55v; VID: 1.35v) stays nice and cool (22°C ambient; AC MX-2 TIM):
27°C, 52°C: Tuniq w/ stock fan
28°C, 52°C: Ultima90 w/ 92mm Panaflo Hydrowave FBA09A12M

I didn't even try it with the stock HSF since I planned on OC'ing from the beginning.

$46 - Thermalright Ultima 90 CPU HS + Panaflo Hydrowave Fan, FBA09A12M - Z ($3)

Also, if you can, get it now instead of adding it later. Its a hassle to install the Intel stock cooler and its also a hassle to have to remove it later along with the motherboard to install the backplate of any good cooler.

Its good to have a tube of AS5 or MX2 around, in case you need to reseat the HSF. So, pickup a 3.5g tube if you can.
 
Wow thanks Eng and everyone. The fan, what kind of tail should I get, the 3 pin or 4 pin? Also, where do I pickup AS5 or MX2? Does any general hardware store have it or do I need to order it online from like one of the pc vendor stores?
 
AS5 and MX2 are thermal compounds (or Thermal Interface Material), aka thermal paste. AS5 is arctic silver 5 and available at most computer etailers -- its probably the most popular aftermarket thermal paste. MX-2 is from Arctic Cooling and isn't as widely available as AS5, but it just as good as it in terms of performance. The good thing about MX-2 is that its non-conductive, whereas AS5 is conductive.

$6 - Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound
$6 - Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound - 3.5g

The 3 pin tail is for hooking it up to the motherboard. The 4 pin tail is for hooking it up to a PSU molex connector. That fan doesnt support RPM sensing, so the 3 pin doesnt help much as far as mobo RPM control of the fan. The 4 pin would help if you thought the fan was too loud and wanted to volt mod it.
 
MX-2 compound is getting more popular, it performs ever so slightly better with 'standard' cooling methods. AS5 is easier to spread.

Another great cooler is the Coolermaster Hyper 212, which is cheap, and has great performance (on par with TT at least, most of the time a hair better).

There aren't really any changes to be made on that setup, if you want a quiet hard drive, get a Samsung, and if you want a faster hard drive, but more noise, get the 7200.11 Seagates, they are the latest version, and really fast.

Depending on how much cheaper it is, it might be a better idea to get the standard clocked 8800GT from EVGA.

Finally, the power supply. A great choice, I wouldn't change it. I don't have a clue what people are saying about needing more in case. That supply easily supports SLI 8800GTs.

If you are patient enough, you could wait until next year for new processors and graphics cards to come out, otherwise, you're good to go.
 
Any particular reason why I should get a lower clocked card? As for waiting, my computer is like 4+ years old. The only upgrades I got for it was a 6600GT card and getting it from 512MB to 1GB of RAM. LOL....so I'm pretty much set on getting it in about 2 weeks. How are the Zalman heatsinks? Also, do all heatsinks require a fan? Now I gotta save more for the Heatsink fan.
 
itzhobbes said:
Any particular reason why I should get a lower clocked card? As for waiting, my computer is like 4+ years old. The only upgrades I got for it was a 6600GT card and getting it from 512MB to 1GB of RAM. LOL....so I'm pretty much set on getting it in about 2 weeks. How are the Zalman heatsinks? Also, do all heatsinks require a fan? Now I gotta save more for the Heatsink fan.
Click to expand...

You can overclock the stock 8800GT to the levels of the more expensive cards without paying extra for the speed increase. Zalmans are OK heatsinks, buy they aren't the best when it comes to cooling overclocked Core 2 Duo/Quad processors. And yes, a fan is required for the heatsink... the fans are used to either cool the processor directly or push the heat (coming/drawn from the heatsink) away from the processor.

Other heatsink/fan combinations you could look at -- and all three are around the same price as the Ultima 90/Panaflo 92mm combination -- are:

Cooler Master Gemini II ($30) with two Yate Loon D12SL-12 120mm fans ($7)
Tuniq Tower 120 ($40)
Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B ($36) with Thermalright LGA775 Bolt-Thru kit ($7)

You can also buy the Yate Loons to use inside your case -- they work just as well as the more expensive types.
 
So all heatsinks require some form of a fan to move the heat? The first two you listed, do they require the fan to be on them or can the case fans move the heat? I might be leaning towards the Tuniq but anyone know if it fits in the CM690?

Plus do I have to drill any holes int he mobo for the back mounts or whatever? Never installed or used a heatsink before. Thanks in advance.
 
I think the list looks great, although as others have said I'd recommend an aftermarket heatsink.

Your build is a lot like mine and I have no issues and I get great performance.

I think you'll enjoy your new computer a lot :)

The Tuniq Tower will fit in the 690 and no you don't have to drill holes in the mobo, they're already there. I almost bought the Tuniq but went with the Artic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro because its A) easier to install and B) a lot cheaper. I'm not overclocking very much and the Freezer 7 Pro does fine by me.

I'll back up the Corsair HX520 being a great power supply and more than enough for your needs.
 
itzhobbes said:
So all heatsinks require some form of a fan to move the heat? The first two you listed, do they require the fan to be on them or can the case fans move the heat? I might be leaning towards the Tuniq but anyone know if it fits in the CM690?

Plus do I have to drill any holes int he mobo for the back mounts or whatever? Never installed or used a heatsink before. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Yes, all heatsinks needs some form of a fan to move the heat. The Two HSF that Tiraides listed needs the fans to be on them. However, the Ninja can be run passive, ie. no fan at all, provided that you have a decent amount of airflow inside your case. And yes the Tuniq can fit inside the CM690.

And no, you don't have the drill any holes. The holes are already there.
 
OpStar said:
I almost bought the Tuniq but went with the Artic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro because its A) easier to install and B) a lot cheaper. I'm not overclocking very much and the Freezer 7 Pro does fine by me.
Click to expand...

Do you need the thermal paste for the Arctic Cooler Freezer? I may or may not try to overclock for the first time. Even if I do I probalby wont' be trying to put it to the max. So keeping that in mind, I guess the ACFreezer will do.
 
Freezer 7 Pro comes with adequate thermal paste already on it.

If you've never messed with installing heatsinks/thermal paste before its something to consider. It installs just like the Intel stock heatsink but offers better performance.

My E6600 is at 3.2Ghz with one and I'm at 35c idle / 50c load with around 65f ambient temps.
 
Case: Cooler Master 690
PSU: Corsair 520 PSU
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L Rev. 2.0
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2
VCard: EVGA Geforce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256bit GDDR3
DVD: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/

So this was my original build guys but due to some unexpected expenses popping out of left field(gRrRRr...) I may need to try and cut down some costs.

1. If I downgrade my PSU to a Allendale E4500 will this processor bottleneck the graphics card?
2. Anyone heard of Xclio PSU's? I really want my PSU to be modular and they have a 500w PSU that is modular. Would like to hear some other forum members that may have this PSU or can give some feedback to its quality.
3. Any other things I can do to cut costs? I would prefer a P35 board so I can upgrade to either the Quad series or the new upcoming .45 Yorkfields when they come out.
 
Looks a LOT like the parts I just ordered for my new build, except I went Corsair 620HX. I only have the case so far (CM 690) and I can't wait to put everything inside of it, looks so nice. I'm glad I found that DS3L Rev 2 on ClubIT and I think I picked a different brand for memory. I want a 8800GT but going to use 8600TS for now, waiting for Gigabyte 8800GT to come in stock.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820146565
 
1. I doubt it will, but its easy to OC to 3.0Ghz, so you'll be fine.

2. AFAIK, XClio uses CWT and Enhance for their PSUs. Both are well known in the PSU industry and make good units. I'm not sure who makes the Greatpower modular units and havent been able to find any reviews on it, but it should be good.

3. CPU and PSU were the two things I would have mentioned, along with the case. If you got a good deal on the case ($20AR), then you're good. If you didn't get in on that deal, then you might want to consider one of CM's Centurion cases, either the 532 or 534. Also, check out what shipping would be like from svc.com and zipzoomfly for those cases.
 
Awesome, thanks Eng. Was gonna pm you to take a look at the thread. I will most likely get the Allendale and when the Quads come down in price just upgrade to one of those. Not sure when though, =(. By the way, can the Allendale support a 64bit OS? I think on newegg it said it can support 64bit software so I just wanted to make sure since I'm relatively new to this stuff. Also I'm pretty much gonna take yours as well as the other posters advice on getting a HSF but I think I'm set on getting the Arctic Cooler 7 as its the cheapest and seems to work.

Yar, I choose to get the EVGA card b/c of their step-up program. You may want to at the very least read up on it. Could possibly save you money when you want to upgrade the next time. Thanks for the suggestion though. =)
 
Yah, the allendales are just conroes with less L2 cache and lower FSB speeds. They all support intel's EM64T.
 
Current list looks great. A few suggestions -

1. Start with the 2gb of RAM you currently have, it'll be plenty most likely.
2. Start with a stock HSF, they are good for 700-1000mhz overclocks and are actually pretty ok. I ran an E4300 at 3150mhz with one.
3. I'd still consider E6x50 cpu's, less hassle to get a similar end overclock speed.
4. I've used a few 550w Xclio psu's, seem good to me and I think they had $30 rebates at the time bringing them to around $50.

Here's my PSU buying experience:

A. I dismiss sub $30 units usually. Heavy = good. Troubleshooting PSU's is a headache as things can be intermittent.
B. Look for names that I've heard of, or have a bunch of reviews on Newegg. I take the reviews with a grain of salt, however.
C. I think PSU's are the latest thing to be overpriced after the "extreme" motherboards.
D. I don't need 800 watts. 90% of the time I buy in the $50 range and get around 400-500w.
E. The most expensive PSU I've bought was a $90 380w Seasonic. It's almost dead silent and the most hardware I've run on it (for nearly 2 years) was 4200+ X2, 2gb ram, dvd, 8 hard drives, floppy drive, 6200 video card, two PVR-150, three 120mm case fans in my media system. So a modest but quality PSU can handle quite a bit.
 
I've read on the forums that its best to have the FSB of your CPU and RAM to have a 1:1 ratio. If thats correct, the Allendales have a FSB of 800 and the RAM that I have and also want to get another pair of are DDR2 800. So would that be considered good or if I choose to overclock the CPU will overclocking change the FSB of the CPU so it doesn't match the RAM and that is bad?

I'm considering getting the Allendale first and once the new Yorkfields come out I'm hoping that the Q6600 might go down in price and just upgrade to that. Would that make sense?
 
Snagged from Junglicious's thread in this forum -

Yeah, the Gigabyte board supports DDR2-1066, but that Q6600 only runs at a fsb of 266, or DDR2-533. So you only need DDR2-533 to run the memory 1:1 with the processor at stock speeds. Need DDR2-666 to run 1:1 with the upcoming Penryn. (Remember the FSB rating on processors is quadrupled, and for DDR memory, it's doubled.)
So even with DDR2-800, you have headroom for overclocking, even with running the memory at stock speeds.
I'd recommend this memory. It has what are widely considered the best DDR2 chips on the market, and you can easily run this memory at DDR2-1066 speeds if you have the urge to do some crazy overclocking. I have the 1066 version of this memory, just because it was cheaper than the 800 when I bought it. My friend has the 800 version, and they perform the same, there is essentially no difference. Particularly for somebody who doesn't plan to OC.
Click to expand...

The Allendale only needs DDR2-400 actually.
 
If you get the mobo and CPU from mwave.com, it might be cheaper with their bundle pricing. Though, shipping may kill the deal, so check it out for yourself.

/*------------- <cut n paste> -------------*/

Formulas for Intel platform @ 1:1 settings: (base FSB speed is SDR, or single data rate)

c x [Base FSB speed] = CPU speed (c = CPU Multiplier)
2 x [Base FSB speed] = RAM speed (DDR: double data rate)
4 x [Base FSB speed] = FSB speed (QDR: quad data rate; Effective FSB speed)

On Intel platforms, running the RAM higher than a 1:1 ratio with the CPU is, for the most part, useless, so don't bother trying to do so. If the BIOS does it for you, just let it. All you need is a 1:1 config, though. Here's some possible clock speeds (as always with OC'ing, your results will vary):

E4500: 11 × 200 = 2.2Ghz, DDR2-400 << STOCK speeds
E4500: 11 × 266 = 2.9Ghz, DDR2-533 << Easy OC
E4500: 11 × 333 = 3.3Ghz, DDR2-667 << Great OC, near max with good air cooling

E6750: 8 × 333 = 2.6Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK speeds
E6750: 8 × 400 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 << Easy OC
E6750: 8 × 450 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-900 << Good OC
E6750: 8 × 500 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-1000 << Great OC, near max with good air cooling

Q6600: 9 × 266 = 2.4Ghz, DDR2-533 << STOCK speeds
Q6600: 9 × 333 = 3.0Ghz, DDR2-667 << Nice OC
Q6600: 9 × 378 = 3.4Ghz, DDR2-756 << Good OC, near max for B3 stepping with good air cooling
Q6600: 9 × 400 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-800 << Great OC, near max for G0 stepping with good air cooling

/*------------- </cut n paste> -------------*/

On a sidenote, P35 Express doesn't support DDR2-400 nor DDR2-533. You'll need at least DDR2-667. With RAM prices so low, you might as well get DDR2-800, though. You can actually lower the multiplier if you want, to make it easy to OC with DDR2-800:

E4500: 8 × 400 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 << Good OC
 
I was reading the overclocking guide on the forums and thought if the mulltiplier was locked you couldn't change it. Guess I was wrong. The RAM that I said I wanted to get, I already have 1 set at my house. Got it as a christmas gift since my friend knew I was gonna build a new computer. Whew, thanks for the post Eni b/c I was thinking I already have a set of this DDR2-800 RAM, can I overclock the FSB on an Allendale to 400. But if I could reduce the multiplier hopefully it will work. Thanks.
 
They're locked to a limit. Most can be lowered to 6 (for EIST, IIRC), but the max depends on the chip. Extreme edition chips have no max, but for a huge price premium.
 
So do you think a Allendale chip will be able to handle games like Call of Duty 4, World of Warcraft, Counter Strike Source and possibly Starcraft 2 with the other component I listed working with it? I eventually will upgrade to probably a Q6600 and am hoping when the new .45 chips come out the prices on those will go down as well.
 
The Allendale will be enough, especially since most of the graphical workload will be handled by the 8800GT.
 
Which C2D, the E4500 or E6750, do you guys think will have a greater chance to hit that 1:1 FSB ratio with the RAM that I'm going to buy?

This might sound noob but here it goes. Currently the RAM I have and will get more of is DDR2-800. So from what I recall the FSB on those ram is 400. Now this may sound stupid but can the RAM run at a lower FSB to try and achieve that 1:1 ratio if lets say I get the E4500 and the FSB can only be overclocked to say 367mhz. I know it would be a waste for the ram to not achieve its full potential but when I upgrade to the Q6600 later on I can run the RAM at 400mhz FSB then.

On a side note, lets say I use the stock HSF. If i add some AS5, will I still see the temps drop a little? Does the stock HSF have something like AS5 already on it that I have to remove?
 
itzhobbes said:
Which C2D, the E4500 or E6750, do you guys think will have a greater chance to hit that 1:1 FSB ratio with the RAM that I'm going to buy?
Click to expand...
With which multiplier? If you look at the table above, you'll notice that 8x400 should be possible on both chips. However, 3.2Ghz is closer to the E4500's avg limit, whereas the E6750 can reach nearly 4Ghz as an avg limit. Therefore, it would be easier to OC the E6750 to 8x400. Though, I imagine it shouldn't be too hard to hit 8x400 with the E4500 with adequate cooling.

itzhobbes said:
This might sound noob but here it goes. Currently the RAM I have and will get more of is DDR2-800. So from what I recall the FSB on those ram is 400. Now this may sound stupid but can the RAM run at a lower FSB to try and achieve that 1:1 ratio if lets say I get the E4500 and the FSB can only be overclocked to say 367mhz. I know it would be a waste for the ram to not achieve its full potential but when I upgrade to the Q6600 later on I can run the RAM at 400mhz FSB then.

On a side note, lets say I use the stock HSF. If i add some AS5, will I still see the temps drop a little? Does the stock HSF have something like AS5 already on it that I have to remove?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can run RAM slower than its rated speed -- underclocking it. I don't consider running DDR2-800 RAM at a slower speed a waste because the price difference between the two is negligible.

The stock HSF has some thermal compound already applied. I tried it, and its not bad. The only reason I removed it was because I removed the stock HSF, lol. AS5 should drop the temps a tiny bit, but not by much because its still stock cooling. You can probably reach around 3Ghz with the stock cooler. Keep your load temps under 60°C and keep the voltage under 1.5v, and you'll be fine.
 
Thanks everyone for all your advice, suggestions and input. Much appreciated. Now I'm off, hope this thing will be a monster!;)
 
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