I need a pat on the back :)

P

PhlegmMaster

n00b
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
Messages
58
I did my homework like the stickied thread asks us to, but, well, I haven't built a PC since 2002, so I just want to make sure that everything looks OK.

Basically, I want to know if there are any compatibility issues, if I could get some better quality parts (maybe a different brand?) for the same price or cheaper (or even a little bit more expensive!), and anything else you guys can think of.

This PC is going to be used for everyday work but mostly for gaming. I intend to overclock it (veeeeeeeery carefully) to 3.2ghz or something. And I guess I'll have to buy a new monitor (I'm using a 21 inches Trinitron right now), probably a 22 inches or 24 inches LCD (I hope the 8800gts is powerful enough to play games on the latter). I won't actually buy everything right away, I'll wait until my exams are over in three weeks, so if anything good is about to come out and I should wait an extra week or two, please let me know. Oh yeah, and since I live in Canada I'll be ordering everything from a Canadian site; the prices are in Canadian dollars and they're from directcanada.com.


Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Quad Core Processor LGA775 2.66GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB OEM No HSF
$351.52

XFX GeForce 8800GTS 650MHZ 512MB 1.94GHZ DDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDCP HDTV Out Retail Video Card
$321.36

Abit IP35 Pro ATX LGA775 P35 DDR2 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI SATA2 RAID Sound GBLAN 1394 Motherboard
$189.30

OCZ Platinum XTC PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL5-4-4-15 DDR2 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit
$115.50

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR Mfr Warranty
$57.88

Pioneer DVR-115DBK DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL 12X Black OEM IDE DVD Burner No Software
$30.24

Antec P182 Atx Black Mid Tower Case 4X5.25 1X3.5 6X3.5INT No Ps Front Usb Audio Firewire
$125.08

Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX Triple 12V 50A 24PIN ATX Modular Power Supply 120MM Fan 2X PCI-E
$151.20

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
18.38

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
$109.01


Total: $1,469.47




Thanks for your help.


EDIT: After re-reading the relevant part in the stickied thread, it looks like I need a pat on the butt, not on the back. Sorry about that.
 
yep, that looks fine for a setup like that...

you've chosen some nice parts there, and the corsair PSU is gonna be great in the system...
 
Thank you for reading the sticky. You get a pat on the back and butt.:)

Anyway, your build looks good to me. Though I would swap out the IDE burner for a SATA burner if possible. Also if you're planning to OC past 3.2Ghz, you might want to get DDR2 1000 RAM if its not too much extra money.

In addition, double check to make sure that IP35 Pro is compatible with that CPU. There were some issues with Penryn CPUs on that mobo a few months back. Most likely those issues have been resolved but make sure just in case.
 
you might want to re-examine your gpu choice, the g92 8800gts have really come down lately, i.e.
EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB $259.99 - $30 mir $229
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130325

Also the ram,

A-DATA Vitesta 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 $77.99 (cas 4 timings)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211282

or

G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 $79.99 - $10 mir $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

gl!
 
Sorry hoss, but the OP is Canadian; NewEgg won't work for him. (Plus, Canadian prices are different compared to U.S. prices.)

I agree with Danny, especially on checking the compatibility of the IP35 Pro with the Penryn CPUs.
 
Looks good to me. Make sure you have that in a fridge. That combo is going to keep you warm in the winter.
 
Danny Bui said:
Thank you for reading the sticky. You get a pat on the back and butt.:)
Click to expand...

:cool:

Anyway, your build looks good to me. Though I would swap out the IDE burner for a SATA burner if possible.
Click to expand...

Okay. How about this one?

Samsung SH-S203N Black SATA DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL18X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer OEM W/ SW
$33.55

Also if you're planning to OC past 3.2Ghz, you might want to get DDR2 1000 RAM if its not too much extra money.
Click to expand...

Well, it's unlikely I'll go above 3.2. I'd rather play it safe. Also, I remember reading somewhere that it's a better idea (not necessary, but better) to buy RAM that has exactly the right speed to get a 1:1 ratio. Is that just a myth? 'cause if it is a myth I don't mind spending a few extra bucks to be future-proof. I'd get exactly the same RAM except DDR2-1000:

OCZ Platinum XTC PC2-8000 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1000 CL5-5-5-18 DDR2 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit

In addition, double check to make sure that IP35 Pro is compatible with that CPU. There were some issues with Penryn CPUs on that mobo a few months back. Most likely those issues have been resolved but make sure just in case.
Click to expand...

From what I've read, there were some problems with version 1.4 of the bios, but they were fixed with the beta version of 1.6. However, I've read many reports that the official, non-beta version of 1.6 has a few bugs that the beta version doesn't, if you can believe that! Now they've just made version 1.7 beta available, I haven't seen any reports on how well that works. How long do you think it will take for the official version of 1.7 to come out (I know you don't know, but how long do these things usually take?)?

Should I just get another mobo?

Or actually, should I get the Q6600 G0 instead of the Q9450? My goal was to get to 3.2Ghz on stock voltage, which AFAIK should be easier on a Q9450; I want to OC but I don't want to shorten my CPU's lifespan, and I was under the impression that getting a Q9450 was my best bet for that purpose.

However, it seems that the Q9450 isn't quite as good for OCing as many people had hoped, because of the low multiplier. What should I do?



Thanks a lot for your advice, I really appreciate it.
 
The Samsung DVD burner you chose is an excellent choice. It's also relatively quieter than some other DVD burners. Still kind of loud but not that bad.

And no, the 1:1 ratio is not a myth. It is a good idea to buy RAM that allows for a 1:1 ratio with your RAM and FSB. Some math:

Stated FSB/4 = Actual FSB
Multiplier x Actual FSB = CPU Speed
2 x Actual FSB = RAM Speed

Q9450:
Multi x Actual FSB, RAM Speed = Clock Speed
8 × 333Mhz = 2.6Ghz, DDR2-667 <<== Stock speeds
8 × 400Mhz = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 <<== Easy OC
8 × 450Mhz = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-900 <<== Good OC
8 × 500Mhz = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-1000 <<== Excellent OC

Choose whatever RAM you want that matches the OC you want.

If 3.2Ghz is your goal, then either the Q9450 or Q6600 is a a good choice since either CPU can hit that speed pretty easily. However, do note that the Q6600 is around $250 here in the U.S, probably the same price up in Canada, and the Q9450 is $350. If you OC both CPUs to 3.2Ghz, the Q9450 will be only 7 to 10% faster than the Q6600. Judge for yourself whether or not that 10% performance increase justifies the extra $100.

As for motherboard choice, it's up to you. Dunno how long it takes for a BIOs update to hit non-beta status. Really depends on the company and product.
 
Hi Phlegm I am in Canada too and have found several good suppliers for these types of things. www.shopbot.ca is an outstanding resource.

here are some suggestions for ram

OCZ DDR2 4GB D/C Kit PN - OCZ2P10004GK PC2-8000 4GB Platinum Edition
$104.99 - $20 mir $84.99
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=352357

OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 SLI-Ready Edition 4GB $95.99 - $30.00 mir = $65.99
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=350952

OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) PC2-6400 Dual Channel Gold $55.00 - $20 mir $35!!
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=17721

A-DATA DDR2 800 240pin 4GB Kit (2x2GB) $76.99
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=016576&cid=RAM.346.307

Mushkin EM2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2x2GB) EM Series CAS 5-5-5-12 $86.89 - $10 mir
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013938&cid=RAM.346.307

GPU:

ASUS EN8800GTS/HTDP/512M,PCI-E GEFORCE $274 after mir
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=351492

EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GEFORCE 8800GTS 512M $299
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=351537

BFG GeForce 8800GTS OC nVidia GeForce $269.99 - $30 mir = $239.99!
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=016621&cid=999.243.390

good luck!:D
 
Hello. I said in my OP I'd order everything after my exams were over, and they are, so I will. Only problem is that I have a lot less money than expected, so I can't afford to buy the most expensive stuff. The bolded parts below are the parts I had to change.


Evga E-GEFORCE 8800GT 600MHZ 512MB 1.8GHZ DDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I Hdtv Out Video Card
Price: 166

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor LGA775 Kentsfield 2.40GHZ 1066FSB 8MB Retail Box
Price: 230

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L ATX LGA775 P35 1333FSB 1PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 3PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN Motherboard
Price: 88

G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ PC2-6400 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit
Price: 81

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR Mfr Warranty
Price: 56

Samsung SH-S203N Black SATA DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL18X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer OEM W/ SW
Price: 33

Thermaltake VA8000 Armor Super Tower Case Black 10X5.25 2X3.5 6X3.5INT W/ Window
Price: 147

Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX Triple 12V 50A 24PIN ATX Modular Power Supply 120MM Fan 2X PCI-E
Price: 151

Sunbeam Tuniq Tower 120 S754 S939 S940 S478 LGA775 Heatpipe Cooler 120MM Fan CPU Heatsink
Price: 59

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64BIT
Price: 110


Adds up to about a thousand Canadian dollars. Much more reasonable. :)



I have a few questions:

1) Does this still look OK? Any issues with combining those parts that some of you may have heard about?

2) Even though I'm not buying the q9450 anymore, I still want to OC to 3.2Ghz. Should I buy more fans or will the Freezer 7 Pro be sufficient?

3) Keeping the above in mind, is it a good idea to buy the Antec P182? I know there are cases out there that are better suited for OCing because they have more fans (or room for more fans).

4) While I'm at it, is there anything else I should order, like cables? I think the HDD is OEM, for example, so it may not come with a sata cable.

Thanks a lot.
 
I personally like the Antec 900. It has 3 120mm fans and a 200mm fan. It isn't as nice looking as the P182, but I think it has a lot better airflow personally. I think it is a few dollars cheaper also. I haven't heard much about the Arctic Freezer 7, but if you have plenty of cool air in your case, it shouldn't be too hard for the Freezer Pro to keep that CPU cool. I have a thermaltake crap cooler and my OC doesn't have trouble cause there is so much air flowing through my case. It was a completely different story when I was using the Centurion a few months back.

The P182 to me was a little cramped inside for my liking. But it is all personal preference and experience, so don't just take my opinion on it.
 
1) Yes
2) More fans does not mean you'll have a better chance of an OC. The AC7 Pro, IMO, is not good enough to OC a Q660. Go with this HSF instead (Try to find it in Canada):
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle HSF - $37

Or:
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45

3) If you like the P182, then keep it. Like I said earlier, a large number of fans does NOT mean that it'll better suited for overclocking. A good airflow layout can alleviate or compensate for more fans. Though if you want other alternatives:
Cooler Master Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $45
Cooler Master Centurion 534 ATX Case - $50
Cooler Master Centurion 532 ATX Case - $55
Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $60
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $70
Antec Solo - $72
Cooler Master Mystique RC-632S-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $85
Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case - $90
Lian Li PC-7B Plus II Silver ATX Case - $90
AeroCool Masstige ATX Case - $100
Gigabyte Aurora GZ-FSCA1-ATB ATX Case - $110
Antec P182 ATX Case - $110
Rocketfish Aluminum Full-Tower Case - $120
Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS Full Tower ATX Case - $140
Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS Full Tower ATX Case - $150
Lian Li PC-A16A ATX Case - $150
Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $155
Lian-Li V1000A Plus II ATX Case - $180
Cooler Master Stacker RC-832-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $192
Cooler Master Cosmos S 1000 RC-1100-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $198
Lian Li PC-V1200 ATX Case (Silver) - 180
Lian Li PC-V1200 ATX Case (Black) - $214
Lian Li PC-V1200B Plus II ATX Case - $215
Lian-Li PC-V1100A PLUS II ATX Case - $220
Lian Li PC-A71B ATX Case - $240

4) The motherboard should come with all the neccessary cables
 
Okay, I ordered everything. The final list is in my previous post (switched in a Sunbeam Tuniq Tower, a Samsung SATA DVD burner, and a Thermaltake VA8000).

I hope

a) It gets here soon.

b) I don't screw up when the time comes to put everything together.


Thanks for the help everyone, especially Danny.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top