Hi,
I've been researching building a computer for about a month now (good components and how to install them, flashing the BIOS ect), and have come to the point where I think I'm ready to order my stuff. I'd like a bit of feedback first, though, just to make sure everything is fine.
I have a 22" monitor and play at 1080x1650.
My PC will be mainly used for gaming, but I also do some light VFX and graphic design work. A Quad-Core isn't really an affordable option for me now in terms of performance, so I'm sticking with Dual Core until prices comes down.
I'm buying from Ebuyer UK. Main reason for this is because they seem to have the best prices around, a good reputation (bought with them before and only had good experiences) and ordering everything from one supplier will make my life a bit easier (though I would order from another if they were cheaper and reliable).
I'd prefer to stick with Intel because I know most about them (AMD, integrated memory controllers, what?!). I'd also like to stick with an nForce motherboard because I aready have an 8800GT and would like to stick in another one, which will give me a better performance/price ratio than buying an expensive card that can beat 2 GTs in SLi.
I plan on sticking with default speeds, but would potentially look at overclocking in the future if I needed a boost, but it's definitely not the be-all end-all.
I'd like to order my parts on Monday (30th June), though I am tempted to order them now for tomorrow :
Oh, and I'll be using XP 64
Here's my spec:
ASUS P5N-D 750i motherboard
Core 2 Duo E8400
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro
Corsair HX 620W modular PSU
500GB Seagate HDD, 7,200RPM, 32MB cache
OCZ 2x2GB Platinum 800Mhz RAM 5-4-4-18 or Corsair 2x2GB 800Mhz RAM 5-5-5-18 - the OCZ has better latency, but it's at a higher voltage - which should I go for? I'm more interested in stability than overclocking, so probably the lower-voltage Corsair?
Optiarc DVD RW Drive with LightScribe
Coolermaster Dominator 690
4x 120mm Hiper Fans (Exhaust: 2 in top plus stock fan at back. Intake: 1 on side over Northbridge, 1 on bottom, plus stock front fan)
Hiytek 6 Fan Controller - only because I don't know if there would be enough slots on the PSU for 6 fans, and I don't know how to link the fans together to fit into only one PSU slot - any suggestions?
2x 8800GTs - allready have one in my current PC, love it, but would like a little extra performance (GT in SLi looks very effective), so it's more cost-effective to buy another than a single card.
Also, an anti-static wrist-band and a small tool kit, plus a cheap floppy drive for BIOS, though I'll probably just use a memory stick for convenience.
With the 2 GTs the price comes in at about £850, which is fine for my budget (£1000 max, but the lower the better. It'd like to keep it at under £900).
Any pointers or advice would be gratefully received. My main points are which RAM to go with and also how to daisy-link the fans so they will go into just one slot in the PSU - would I need to buy extra cables for that? Also, would it be worth installing the optional fan onto the Northbridge (apparently it gets quite hot)? The maunal says if you do and use a CPU cooler with a fan as well it could destabilise the CPU, so would the case fan over the Northbridge be enough? There's also the option to install a 80mm fan under the CPU but I think I'll leave that.
Cheers
I've been researching building a computer for about a month now (good components and how to install them, flashing the BIOS ect), and have come to the point where I think I'm ready to order my stuff. I'd like a bit of feedback first, though, just to make sure everything is fine.
I have a 22" monitor and play at 1080x1650.
My PC will be mainly used for gaming, but I also do some light VFX and graphic design work. A Quad-Core isn't really an affordable option for me now in terms of performance, so I'm sticking with Dual Core until prices comes down.
I'm buying from Ebuyer UK. Main reason for this is because they seem to have the best prices around, a good reputation (bought with them before and only had good experiences) and ordering everything from one supplier will make my life a bit easier (though I would order from another if they were cheaper and reliable).
I'd prefer to stick with Intel because I know most about them (AMD, integrated memory controllers, what?!). I'd also like to stick with an nForce motherboard because I aready have an 8800GT and would like to stick in another one, which will give me a better performance/price ratio than buying an expensive card that can beat 2 GTs in SLi.
I plan on sticking with default speeds, but would potentially look at overclocking in the future if I needed a boost, but it's definitely not the be-all end-all.
I'd like to order my parts on Monday (30th June), though I am tempted to order them now for tomorrow :
Oh, and I'll be using XP 64
Here's my spec:
ASUS P5N-D 750i motherboard
Core 2 Duo E8400
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro
Corsair HX 620W modular PSU
500GB Seagate HDD, 7,200RPM, 32MB cache
OCZ 2x2GB Platinum 800Mhz RAM 5-4-4-18 or Corsair 2x2GB 800Mhz RAM 5-5-5-18 - the OCZ has better latency, but it's at a higher voltage - which should I go for? I'm more interested in stability than overclocking, so probably the lower-voltage Corsair?
Optiarc DVD RW Drive with LightScribe
Coolermaster Dominator 690
4x 120mm Hiper Fans (Exhaust: 2 in top plus stock fan at back. Intake: 1 on side over Northbridge, 1 on bottom, plus stock front fan)
Hiytek 6 Fan Controller - only because I don't know if there would be enough slots on the PSU for 6 fans, and I don't know how to link the fans together to fit into only one PSU slot - any suggestions?
2x 8800GTs - allready have one in my current PC, love it, but would like a little extra performance (GT in SLi looks very effective), so it's more cost-effective to buy another than a single card.
Also, an anti-static wrist-band and a small tool kit, plus a cheap floppy drive for BIOS, though I'll probably just use a memory stick for convenience.
With the 2 GTs the price comes in at about £850, which is fine for my budget (£1000 max, but the lower the better. It'd like to keep it at under £900).
Any pointers or advice would be gratefully received. My main points are which RAM to go with and also how to daisy-link the fans so they will go into just one slot in the PSU - would I need to buy extra cables for that? Also, would it be worth installing the optional fan onto the Northbridge (apparently it gets quite hot)? The maunal says if you do and use a CPU cooler with a fan as well it could destabilise the CPU, so would the case fan over the Northbridge be enough? There's also the option to install a 80mm fan under the CPU but I think I'll leave that.
Cheers
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