New gaming rig. Second time building, advice please =D

[crazlunatic]

this is my second time building in 3 yrs. A lot has changed and I want to make sure I make the best possible use of my money and the parts that I buy. You might have seen my previous post. My specs have changed which is why im makin another post. so w/out further ado, my specs
(Btw, I won't be buying from Newegg, I'll be buying from www.canadacomputers.com but for the sake of all the americans on here, I'll post newegg links)

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz - $220 CAD
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115029
Notes: Will be overclocking to near 4GhZ

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R -$155 CAD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050
No support for DDR3

Graphics: EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 - $323 CAD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130038

RAM: OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) 4-4-4-15 $74.99 CAD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139&Tpk=OCZ2P800R22GK

I got a few questions =D.
first, i want your guys advice on this build. is it good? should i change some parts, etc, etc. The build is about $920 CAD including tax. Basically I don't want to spend more than 300, but if it's REALLY worth it I can.

Second, i've yet to pick a case and PSU. Looking towards a 600 PSU or a Sonata III. Please help in this area. I will be OCing the CPU and possibly the vid card. I got an IDE, a S-ATA, and usually at least 2-4 USB devices connected w/ a DVDRW drive.

3rd - am i kicking myself by spending 330 on the 8800 GS. Is it better to just wait till price drop and get sumthin like the ati x1950 XT since TOP stuff is usually overpriced, and in terms of the hierarchy chart, 8800 GS is pretty much sumwhere near 2nd place.

thanks guys. I appreciate it and looking forward to all the responses.

 

[monst0r]

personally, i would wait for the next generation of graphics cards, supposedly 2x more powerful, and even if their not, a price drop would be in order. right now, if i were you, i would go for either a x1950pro, x1950xt, or 7950gt, maybe even a 7900gt/gs. this would just be a hold over card for about a half year and should run most games on max saving you a few $.

for a case, what are you looking for? a flashy, gaming case w/ lights etc. or a more uniform, inconspicuous case. if the latter, i would go with a Centurion 5. a nice gaming case would the the antec 900 (i might get it soon, i don't like my ultra case lol..)

also, i personally give the mobo a thumbs up, as i am running it right now. its not too big, has amazing OCing features, passive heatsink on NB, and well, it quite stable as far as im concerned. good luck

 

[crazlunatic]

I'm looking mainly for a quiet case with at least 2 USB ports in the front. Case should be as quiet as possible. Wouldn't hurt to have some LED or a glass side panel but those aren't musts.

what about the protection i get with eVGA's step up?

 

[emp]

personally, i would wait for the next generation of graphics cards, supposedly 2x more powerful, and even if their not, a price drop would be in order. right now, if i were you, i would go for either a x1950pro, x1950xt, or 7950gt, maybe even a 7900gt/gs. this would just be a hold over card for about a half year and should run most games on max saving you a few $.

for a case, what are you looking for? a flashy, gaming case w/ lights etc. or a more uniform, inconspicuous case. if the latter, i would go with a Centurion 5. a nice gaming case would the the antec 900 (i might get it soon, i don't like my ultra case lol..)

also, i personally give the mobo a thumbs up, as i am running it right now. its not too big, has amazing OCing features, passive heatsink on NB, and well, it quite stable as far as im concerned. good luck

The whole 2x more powerful thing probably came out of the 1Tflops statement by nvidia (and im not even sure they were referring to the G92 or the Tesla, however I could be wrong), but it is still a moot point, since Tflops have nothing to do with gaming at all. These are just baseless rumors from theinq and some idiotic post on xbitlabs that have gone too far (Seriously... People have got to stop believing this), for all we know it could be a refresh of the 8800 to fall in between the 8600 and 8800GTS (Yes, that's another rumor) or it could be a 9800GTX, truth is, we know nothing.

I think you should just get a 8800GTS 320 (eVGA) and have fun with it, upgrade when you have to later on, because your list looks pretty solid, and I concur with the Centurion 5 or 534 case suggestion, well built, roomy enough, good airflow for $50 USD. Also Im linking you to one of the best PSUs out there for single graphics card setups.

Cooler Master Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP (Black) no PS

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013012&cid=CS.664

Corsair HX Series CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX Triple Power Supply 120MM Fan 12V 50A Continuous 24PIN ATX Modular

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013410&cid=PS.808

 

[gpippas]

3rd - am i kicking myself by spending 330 on the 8800 GS. Is it better to just wait till price drop and get sumthin like the ati x1950 XT since TOP stuff is usually overpriced, and in terms of the hierarchy chart, 8800 GS is pretty much sumwhere near 2nd place.

Whats a 8800GS? At first I put it down to a spelling mistake but you've written it twice.

 

[gpippas]

I agree with emp.

To everyone on THG stop talking about a card that doesn't exist!

That also goes for Crysis stop asking whether a graphics card will play it and on what settings. Its driving me crazy reading post after post "will this play Crysis on max detail".

I've had my little rant I'm over it now.

 

[crazlunatic]

I meant 8800 GTS. Lol... I"ve always used it and no one corrected me until I noticed it yesterday when I couldn't find it on newegg.

Lol gpippas, ppl just wanna know. I'd want to know too although I didnt ask =P

So what you guys are telling me is that the G92 might not even be the card w/ 1TFlops?

Also, I'm looking to get 600-650 W PSU. The Corsair 650 is at 160! Way too much for a PSU when I could use 160. Are there any other good ones?

 

[gpippas]

Thats alright I was just confused for a moment their.

The Corsair HX 620W is a very good PSU. With your build I wouldnt go with much less. The PSU is a vital part of the system I would never recommend to anyone to buy a cheap PSU. If you must go with less then I recommend the Corsair HX 520W.

Think of it this way. It seems expensive now but for a little extra you save yourself a lot later when you find yourself having to scrape the melted plastic of your new parts off the side of your new case.

 

[gpippas]

As for the 8800gts its a good buy I wouldnt worry about it. Is that the 640mb or 320mb version?

 

[leecreek]

I do not see that ram that is linked on the approved list for the mb. Might want to recheck.

good luck

 

[crazlunatic]

Ya I just noticed it. The difference is only in one letter, a G instead of a P and I can't find that RAM on newegg at all

A pity since it was good RAM. I'm thinking of getting another mobo with not so many RAM restrictions. Any advice on my setup will be appreciated.

Thx leecreek for the heads up

 

[emp]

I don't know who was the one who originally mentioned that the 1Tflops might have been a reference to the Tesla (which makes more sense than the G92 in my opinion, since I don't think a gaming card can do better than a GPU worth thousands of dollars made especially for that purpose) unless nvidia explicitly said it was the G92, then I stand corrected. But either way, Tflops have nothing to do with gaming at all, people that keep quoting that trying to indicate gaming performance are just clueless to say the least.

 

[crazlunatic]

I see emp. What do you guys think of my motherboard? I read a few reviews on Newegg and there were quite a few cons. It's also very limiting in terms of memory choice. Should I get a different one? My budget for a mobo is 200-250.

 

[emp]

No don't get another one, that motherboard is most likely the BEST P35 motherboard in the market.

 

[leecreek]

The second set of ram I got was on the approved the list. Crucial. Working fine at the minute @ 1600. Your mileage may vary..

good luck

 

[crazlunatic]

Great. All I need is some other RAM that will be compatible, a case and PSU.

Is the Centurion good in terms of quietness? I'm not too worried about sturdyness since I don't LAN a lot. The Sonata III has an air filter, cushioning around the hard drives which I really like, but too bad it comes with a PSU that I don't want.

As for the PSU, a Corsair 600 W for 155 CAD is just too much.

 

[emp]

Corsair HX Series CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX Triple Power Supply 120MM Fan 12V 50A Continuous 24PIN ATX Modular

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013410&cid=PS.808

That PSU can do all single card setups, and I doubt you are planning on using SLI/Crossfire.

Patriot Extreme Performance DDR2 2GB PC2-6400 Eased Latency DIMM Kit (PDC22G6400ELK)

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013918&cid=RAM.835

Antec P182 Advanced Super Mid Tower Case- Gun Metal Black

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013501&cid=CS.664

Can't believe you canadians get the P182 for so cheap, in newegg it's going for $170 USD.

 

[leecreek]

Are you going to use the stock cooler on the processor? The attachment of the stock unit can be a source of headaches....

 

[deusex]

Heard good news on the new thermalright ultima 90

 

[crazlunatic]

The Canadian newegg is www.tigerdirect.ca

It's we Canadians know which shops to go to instead of just going to one jk

I would love that 77 dollar 4-4-4-12 RAM but Gigabyte can't run on ANY patriot RAM =(. Go here:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2626&ModelName=GA-P35-DS3R
And click on Meomry Support List. Only those types of RAM are supported.

LeecreeK: Thers no way I'm using the stockcooler. On my current p4 3.2ghz, idle temperatures dropped by 10-15 after switching from stock to artic freezer pro 7.

the case is kind of expensive (antec p182) and especially w/ the 100dollar corsair PSU, thats 230 alone for the case and the PSU. Is there a cheaper PSU I can go for, and will 520 W be enough? I used the express power calculator and got 370 W. Plus I will be overclocking, and keeping in mind of resistance and other factors such as fan and external devices, I'm not sure if 520 will be enough. 600 W will guarantee me average usage of 70-75 percent which is best for efficiency as well

 

[crazlunatic]

also, good to have a bit of extra in case I upgrade =D

 

[emp]

Can't check the chart, I don't have acrobat reader on my PC

anyway, the 520HX outputs constant 40A on the 12V+ rail, that's nearly enough to power SLI 8800s, so you have nothing to worry about the upgrade path on the PSU front. And I dont know how you get the 370W reading is because you chose to have everything under MAX load, which is something that almost never happens, your system idles at about 170W-180W. Wattage is not too important these days.

I only suggested the P182 because I read somewhere it had noise insulation, however I feel that the Centurion 5 or 534 will be a much better choice overall.

What about this memory?

OCZ Vista Upgrade Edition Dual Channel 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3079598&CatId=2368

OR

Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz E.P.P. Memory (2 x 1024)

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2206874&CatId=2368

 

[crazlunatic]

why would the centurion be better? It only costs about 40 percent of what the p182 costs.

i got 370 becuase I chose to overclock my c2d to 4ghz but thats only the CPU. I also plan to OC my RAM and videocard, and there is the likelihood of purchasing an 8800 GTX in the future.

I just don't want to buy a 500 W and find out that it's not enough... but if you are certain, I shall trust you on this one. It's just that with a 600 W, it will be better to always use 70 percent of the watts, instead of w/ a 520 where I could be reaching 80 or even 90 percent all the time. I'm not too sure about PSU though, still learning about it.

Also, if I do end up sticking with 520W, are there other brands that are good other than corsair. corsair is quite pricey.

I'll probably just get the 5-5-5-12 RAM instead of the 4-4-4-12. I get my stuff at Canadacomputers and the OCZ costs only 69 there. Any 4-4-4-12 RAM that is compatible costs at least 90 and above.

 

[emp]

One word of advice, don't ever skimp on the PSU, you can find cheaper 500W units that actually provide less than half of the power of the corsair! That's why wattage is not important anymore, it's only a nice trick to fool people into buying low quality, underpowered units. Same kind of marketing scheme like the 1GB 8600GT.

More than brands, what you have to pay attention on is the model, Corsair HX, Antec NeoHE, Seasonic S12, Seasonic M12, PC Power & Cooling Silencer, PC Power & Cooling TurboCool, and maybe OCZ GameXStream (However to match the power of the aforementioned 500W units you'll need a higher wattage unit of maybe 600W).

I just don't see a point in spending too much money on a case unless sound is really an issue, that's why I'd go with the Centurion, to save money. If I had to spend money on a case it'd be the Antec Nine Hundred, but you're not going to like that one It's like a jet turbine.

As I said earlier, I cannot think of a single card setup that the Corsair 520HX can't power, however I can think of a myriad of 600-700W units that couldn't possibly power your system properly.

 

[crazlunatic]

I know that the Corsair can handle any single card setup, but keep in mind I will be heavily overclocking and would like a bit of room space for upgrading as well =D.

If the 520 can handle that, I have no doubts in purchasing it.

Btw what's the difference between these 2 and are they good?
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013680&cid=PS.808
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010075&cid=PS.808