Recent content by litlrabi

I had hoped you would have had more success by now, but let's look. I agree, skip the 780i. ASUS support may not be the best (but remember you only hear the bad stories), but their product is very solid and you'll most likely not need support. Like I've said before, go with the 1066 RAM. You...

Look at this case, the Antec NSK4480. It comes with a 380W Antec PSU. For a single GPU, this should hold you for a while. Also, if you want to overclock, get an aftermarket cooler. You can do low level overclocks with the stock cooler, but stability and reliability are much improved with a...

I agree with changing the PSU to the Corsair 550VX - $100. It's not modular, but will help save money. The E8400 is also a good choice. If you're overclocking (and I assume you are since you have an aftermarket cooler listed), you can go even cheaper and still have great performance. The...

Hmm.... I'm guessing you're still with the P5K, since I don't recognize the FSB to Northbridge strap from the DS3L. From what I've read, leave it auto. It apparently helps set up your memory multipliers. Don't change it. Hmm...what are your other voltages? I realize hardware differs, but I...

I would change out the case/PSU. Well, PSU mostly, but a combo tends to be cheaper overall. The Antec Sonata III has a good PSU and is nearly the same size as the box you've chosen. Price is $130, so $55 more (more like $40 if you include shipping - the Sonata is free). To save some of the...

Looks like a solid build to me. If you want to check out coolers, go to frostytech.com, they have a list of the top 5 hsfs, with noise information as well.

Drop down your multiplier. I'm running an E2160 at 3.2, using 400x8. Voltage is set to 1.4 in BIOS, more like 1.36 - 1.39 after vdrop and vdroop. Also, for cpu stability testing, make sure your ram is not running above rated. Going to a 1:1 ratio is your best bet for stability. It shouldn't...

They are all free. Memtest86 is a utility that runs at boot (so you'll need to make a boot disk or burn it on a CD). I don't know about Vista capability for the others, but I believe they are fine.

I don't know much about that case, but the case does not have to be a big deal. What hard drive are you planning on using? The Seagate 7200.11 500GB (ST3500320AS) or the Western Digital 640GB (WD6400AAKS) are both excellent choices. For video card, check out this article. Great listing here...

Prime95, Memtest86 are two of the biggest stability / part tests. SuperPI is another common test used, also a performance indicator.

Excellent, and have fun with the build.

I wouldn't worry about a 64-bit OS. You'll only lose 512MB of your RAM, and won't have to worry about compatibility issues. There may not be many, but none is better than few. I would also go with the 8800GTS 512. Great card, and you'll save a chunk of change. Also, go with the 610W PSU...

Ok, sorry I forgot to link the chart. It's actually from one of the stickies over in the OC forum. Here it is. Just for the record, I love my Xigmatek. However, I've only had it a month, so I don't know about the long term reliability of the clips. If you don't mind a little more effort...

There are changes on the horizon, but they will most likely be beyond your budget. The newest hardware has premium pricing, and you'll be part of the group giving the hardware its primary shakedown. Early adoption is for people who need the latest and greatest, or who have the money to not...

The memory speed is the memory multiplier times the FSB, similar to the CPU speed. Memory is usually listed as a ratio, but the principle is the same. For example, a memory ratio of 1:1. If your FSB is 333 (the default for the E8400 I believe), then your ram is running at 333 x 2 (because DDR...