$2700 gaming tower

J

junglicious

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 24, 2007
Messages
474
So after a little more reading and review I have changed out some parts. One of the big changes are going from a GTX to a GTS G92. I figure this would be best if later on Nvidia does not release a card in the time frame of my step up program (Jan-Mar) and I would not be "stuck" with a $500 card when I could get the same performance for around $100 less. Also as of now I only plan on gaming at 1900x1080 if I get an HDTV, around 30". Hopefully by Jan there will be some IR and MIR on some of the stuff that I want. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.

Here is the 4th revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC24G6400ELK

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (raid0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

AuzenTech Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

CorePad C1 XXXL improved premium cloth mouse pads

Subtotal: $2,279.83

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9564387&WishListTitle=highend+build+4


Hello [H] members :D

I would like some input on this build. This build will not happen most likely until the end of Dec 07 or in Jan 08. I might be switching out some components when they become available the time of the build, like CPU and GPU. Could you point out the weakness or a different components that would better fit this build. What I mean is I don't want to spend an extra $100 on a product that I could get for less at no cost in performance. For the sound card and speaker setup, should I get the Fatal1ty without the remote and control system since the Z-5500 speakers has a remote and control system already? Also consider the new products that are coming out that would benefit this build. I am thinking of running Vista 64 for DX10 and the use of 4gb memory. Is Vista 64 a good option or should I use 32 instead?


Here is the 1st revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

GIGABYTE GA-X38-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra Cooling Intel

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

ZEROtherm BTF95 CPU Cooler

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP

CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

GIGABYTE ODIN GE-S800A-D1 ATX12V / EPS12V 800W Power Supply Software Control

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (for raid 0)

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185

Creative 70SB046A00003 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series Sound Card

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker


Subtotal: $2,617.87

I have a Logitech MX518 mouse and Saitek Eclipse keyboard. My new monitor will be either a 24" or a 30" or bigger HDTV. I am currently running a VG2030wm monitor.

Thank you for any suggestion and your time.

Here is the wish list for easy lookup and specs:
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...istNumber=7763188&WishListTitle=highend+build



Here is an update list from the suggestions so far, please give input.

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6850

2x - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model (4GB)

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard (Raid 0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Subtotal: $2,340.86

Here's the wish list for easy lookup and specs:
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=7205506&WishListTitle=highend+build+2


Here is the 3rd revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

2x - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 (4gb)

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (raid0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Subtotal: $2,396.84

Here a like for easy lookup and specs:
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9282667&WishListTitle=highend+build+3

I'm am not sure why but one of their EVGA 8800GTX was taken out of the database so I replace it with the superclocked ver. for the same price.
EVGA 768-P2-N835-A3 GeForce 8800GTX Superclocked 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
 
You have to hunt around for prices... Quad core is kind of expensive.

I mean I got my z-5500 for $300... 2 years ago. I am sure other places will have it for cheaper.

Vista 64 is nice and so is 4 gigs of ram.
 
Most likely to keep everything organize and simple I will order most if not all of my parts from one vendor (newegg or zzf). With all the s/h and price searching, I don't feel that I will save much or if any money. 2 years is a long time in computer tech terms. Thanks for the reply.
 
i would look for a cheaper x-fi card, im pretty sure the fatal1ty series is just a waste of extra $
 
I would look at different speakers, yes logitech has decent speakers, but look into some klipsch so that with every engine rev, and bullet fired you feel it more and clearer.
 
Blind Man said:
i would look for a cheaper x-fi card, im pretty sure the fatal1ty series is just a waste of extra $
Click to expand...

I would agree with Blind Man. You can get the X-Fi Gamer for $79 and save some money. Are you really going to use the live drive or remote? All I use mine for is to plug headphones into...

You could also save over a hundred bucks by picking up a less badass power supply. Do you really need to monitor the wattage and connect through USB on that thing?
 
do you really need the machine right now? i would wait for the new penryn quads to come out before building the system, because of the likelyhood of a faster, more efficient processor coming out in about 2-3 months.
 
Personally, I would ditch the Gigabyte motherboard and go with an Asus P5 platform. Aren't Gigabyte motherboards pretty expensive compared to other brands? I have a P5-B Deluxe/Wifi and I love it!

Unless you have your heart set on that mobo or something...
 
w/ that much on the rest of the components, why not go for the ultra-120 extreme?
also agree to ditch the fatality. also ditch the logitech speakers. i have that set and while they're OK, you can do better in a klipsch set as mentioned.

also i would wait to get one of the new nvidia cards like the new 8800gts or something.
 
Dominators are a waste of money. If you go with a Q6600, all you need is DDR2-800. Since you want to wait for the new CPUs, you'll most likely be gunning for the Q9450. Even then, all you need are the Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800, since they have the same ICs and can OC to DDR2-1066, if you need them to.

Also, ditch the Gigabyte Odin... its WAAAY overpriced. But, it does have that nice software... but I still don't think its worth its pricetag.

PSU Suggestions:
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showpost.php?p=1590883&postcount=193
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1460
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103
PSU FAQ: http://www.jonnyguru.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1036

[Tripod]MajorPayne;1031734485 said:
Personally, I would ditch the Gigabyte motherboard and go with an Asus P5 platform. Aren't Gigabyte motherboards pretty expensive compared to other brands? I have a P5-B Deluxe/Wifi and I love it!

Unless you have your heart set on that mobo or something...
Click to expand...

Asus tends to overprice their boards more than Gigabyte. Every manufacturer has an expensive flagship board, and the DQ6 is Gigabyte's.

If you don't need crossfire, don't bother with the X38 chipset. It will be time for a new board/cpu/etc when PCI-E 2.0 cards are severely limited by the lower bandwidth of PCI-E 1.1.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll look into the suggestions. I wanted DDR2 1066 to go with the Gigabyte board since that's what it supports. I also wanted the option to be able to upgrade my cpu if there is a new one coming out soon. I am aware of the penryn and the new GTS. I want to see the benchmark on the new GTS first. I put the GTX in list as it is the best one right now. As for the PSU I will look for an another option, any suggestion would be appreciated. I will look at the links you gave me for PSU.

All the hardware I have list are not intended for OC...yet. So I would like to have all the hardware work close to maximum performance (no bottleneck) as I can without OC.

Thanks for the sound setup, I will diffenently look into that. I would like a remote either with the sound card or the speaker setup.

Thanks for the reply.
 
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.

Also, is there any reason you picked that Heat Sink? I think there are some better options out there. Also, I wouldn't recommend a passive solution for a quad core, they can get pretty warm.
Thermalright Ultima-90/Ultra-Extreme 120 are good choices, among others.

Good Luck.
 
Scouras626 said:
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.

Also, is there any reason you picked that Heat Sink? I think there are some better options out there. Also, I wouldn't recommend a passive solution for a quad core, they can get pretty warm.
Thermalright Ultima-90/Ultra-Extreme 120 are good choices, among others.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I seen a review on it and though I give it a try (heat sink). Its pretty huge (size of your hand) and supposly there's coolant in the pipes that dispense the heat to the copper fins. Of course its will also be more quiet than one with a fan. I was having seconds thoughts on the heat sink so I'll go ahead and look at your recommendation. My other option was the Tuniq Tower 120 or a Zalman 92 or 120. So should I ditch the x38 board and get a 680i?
 
specs look really good, by the way which display are you going to buy?
 
with that big a budget and spicifically aimed around gaming i think you need to hack at the budget of everything else and get yourself two 8800 GTX's.

1- your spending far too much on that ram. With that high a multiplier theres no reason to go with DDR2 1066, and certainly not overpriced Dominators. get something else.
2- 680i comes with pretty damn fine sounding HD 8 channel 24bit decoding ready audio. I suggest you get a 680i board.
3- the gigabyte odin is only nice because of the software which has been looked at by jonny and is somewhat inaccurate. The PSU itself is nothing better then average. I suggest maybe the thermaltake toughpower 750W... or Corsair VX 750W.... or the PC P&C silencer 750W. Any of those will save you a couple bucks.
4- 500 gig barricuda 7200.11 (with 32mb cache) are available now, you might look at those. Of course it looks like the non-volitile memory revolution is primed, so you might consider jumping on that bandwagon (ie get a hold over HDD)
5- and I have those speakers, and I gotta tell ya, when they get the type of high quality output they like, they're awsome.
 
i have the X-530's and they are fine for me, i would stay with those...

i would love to be able to afford that sound card, especially since i do recording and am looking into midi...

i am probably going to get 1066 for my new computer since it will require less of an OC (and i'm a noob at OC'ing)
 
madgun said:
specs look really good, by the way which display are you going to buy?
Click to expand...

MrWizard6600 said:
with that big a budget and spicifically aimed around gaming i think you need to hack at the budget of everything else and get yourself two 8800 GTX's.

1- your spending far too much on that ram. With that high a multiplier theres no reason to go with DDR2 1066, and certainly not overpriced Dominators. get something else.
2- 680i comes with pretty damn fine sounding HD 8 channel 24bit decoding ready audio. I suggest you get a 680i board.
3- the gigabyte odin is only nice because of the software which has been looked at by jonny and is somewhat inaccurate. The PSU itself is nothing better then average. I suggest maybe the thermaltake toughpower 750W... or Corsair VX 750W.... or the PC P&C silencer 750W. Any of those will save you a couple bucks.
4- 500 gig barricuda 7200.11 (with 32mb cache) are available now, you might look at those. Of course it looks like the non-volitile memory revolution is primed, so you might consider jumping on that bandwagon (ie get a hold over HDD)
5- and I have those speakers, and I gotta tell ya, when they get the type of high quality output they like, they're awsome.
Click to expand...

jcmuse said:
w/ that much on the rest of the components, why not go for the ultra-120 extreme?
also agree to ditch the fatality. also ditch the logitech speakers. i have that set and while they're OK, you can do better in a klipsch set as mentioned.

also i would wait to get one of the new nvidia cards like the new 8800gts or something.
Click to expand...


I am not sure. I do know that I want a either a 24" or 30" monitor. Anything bigger than 30" I would like to do the HDTV option. Model and brands I been considering are Viewsonic, Dells, samsung, Sony xbr series, and Sharp.

I looked at the Klipsch speakers and I couldn't find any 5.1 options for the PC? Do they have a 5.1 option because that is what I'm currently running now and I do like it for games and movies.

Those 2 SG drive i was planing on using for raid 0 since I already have 3-4 other drives for storage options. Do you think they would not be good for raid 0? Its been 4 years since I built a computer and I haven't kept up with any of the technology. Guess I have some catching up to do.

Thanks everyone again for the input, much appreciated. If you have more, please feel free to give your input. Being blunt is fine.
 
Here is an update list from the suggestions so far, please give input.

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6850

2x - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model (4GB)

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard (Raid 0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Subtotal: $2,340.86

Here's the wish list for easy lookup and specs:
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=7205506&WishListTitle=highend+build+2
 
Get the E6750 instead; it has the same overclocking threshold as the E6850, but it costs nearly $100 less.

It would make more sense to get two 2GB sticks than four 1GB sticks (... especially when you can get them for $110). Additionally, some motherboards can't handle all four RAM slots being filled. I don't believe that the motherboard you chose is one of the "bad" ones, but you also gain the advantage of adding more RAM later on, should you feel like doing so.

The last thing I'll add on is that you should look at shopping from two or three places. It could save you money in the long run, with items with reduced prices and/or free shipping.
 
make sure you stay with the 64bit vista, otherwise youll be disappointed that your system only appears to have aboutr 3.3-3.5GB of ram.
 
eth3ton said:
get this cooler : http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5...A_Universal_CPU_Heatsink_Socket_AM2_775_.html
Click to expand...

tiraides said:
Get the E6750 instead; it has the same overclocking threshold as the E6850, but it costs nearly $100 less.

It would make more sense to get two 2GB sticks than four 1GB sticks (... especially when you can get them for $110). Additionally, some motherboards can't handle all four RAM slots being filled. I don't believe that the motherboard you chose is one of the "bad" ones, but you also gain the advantage of adding more RAM later on, should you feel like doing so.

The last thing I'll add on is that you should look at shopping from two or three places. It could save you money in the long run, with items with reduced prices and/or free shipping.
Click to expand...

Sharaz Jek said:
make sure you stay with the 64bit vista, otherwise youll be disappointed that your system only appears to have aboutr 3.3-3.5GB of ram.
Click to expand...


Yea I looked at reviews on that cooler and many more like it. That one seems to be the "best" one out right now. I was thinking about getting the ultra 120 or the scythe ninja .

Thanks for the ram suggestion, I'll look into that. If I do not stick with 64bit then I will just opt for 2gb. I'm reading more on the vista and even with the sp1 coming out it doesn't look that promising against the xp. I would however like dx10 and vista is the only way to get dx10 setting without file tweaks.

I'm still undecided if I wanted to stick with the Q6600 or not. I'm reading that ocing the q6600 you can match the 3ghz e6850 and get better performance. I added the e6850 to the list to see what people would say. I will look into the e6750.

thanks for all the replies.
 
If you are leaning towards the Q6600, make sure that you get one with a G0 stepping (aka SLACR)... but you can't use a 680i board with it (due to stability issues). Choose a P35 or X38 board -- but honestly, go with the P35-based board, which performs and overclocks better than the X38 boards right now. (P35 boards accept the 45nm Penryn processors, and PCI Express 2.0 cards are backwards compatible with PCI Express 1.0 -- eliminating the two "reasons" to choose an X38 board. And DDR3 memory is very expensive, especially compared to the prices of DDR2 right now....) Popular P35 motherboards include the Gigabyte GA-P35 series and the Abit IP35 series. Those boards will work just as well with the E6750/E6850, or whatever processor you end up choosing.

Other good CPU coolers include the Tuniq Tower 120 and the Thermalright Ultima 90 (with a 92mm Panaflo fan). The Ultima 90 performs as well as the Ultra 120, but is lighter, easier to mount (into the motherboard), and cheaper than the Ultra 120.
 
tiraides said:
If you are leaning towards the Q6600, make sure that you get one with a G0 stepping (aka SLACR)... but you can't use a 680i board with it (due to stability issues). Choose a P35 or X38 board -- but honestly, go with the P35-based board, which performs and overclocks better than the X38 boards right now. (P35 boards accept the 45nm Penryn processors, and PCI Express 2.0 cards are backwards compatible with PCI Express 1.0 -- eliminating the two "reasons" to choose an X38 board. And DDR3 memory is very expensive, especially compared to the prices of DDR2 right now....) Popular P35 motherboards include the Gigabyte GA-P35 series and the Abit IP35 series. Those boards will work just as well with the E6750/E6850, or whatever processor you end up choosing.

Other good CPU coolers include the Tuniq Tower 120 and the Thermalright Ultima 90 (with a 92mm Panaflo fan). The Ultima 90 performs as well as the Ultra 120, but is lighter, easier to mount (into the motherboard), and cheaper than the Ultra 120.
Click to expand...


Thank you for a very helpful reply. The Tuniq Tower was also a consider compare to the Ultra 120.
 
Here is the 3rd revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

2x - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 (4gb)

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (raid0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

Subtotal: $2,396.84

Here a like for easy lookup and specs:
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9282667&WishListTitle=highend+build+3



I had some questions regarding some of the parts. Has anyone experience any sag from the ultra 120 because of its weight and size, what about long term? I picked the sflex 1200rpm fan at around 20dba and was wondering if this is going to be enough if I intend to oc without being noisy. They had a 800rpm and a 1600rpm (28dba) but was not sure if the 1600rpm one would be a little noisy.

For the people that recommend the Klipsch. I checked out their promedia 5.1 ultra. I have not read much about it yet but so far I do like them. I am not sure if I like them more than the z5500. I wish they had a wireless controller and I do like how the wires are not permanent so you can choose your own length. I have heard that sometimes they do not last long but that could be just a bad batch or the old promedia 5.1 non ultra. It is also $60 if not more than the z5500. Can anyone give me some feed back who have these or heard the two for comparison. Please, no fanboy talk.

I'm am not sure why but one of their EVGA 8800GTX was taken out of the database so I replace it with the superclocked ver. for the same price.
EVGA 768-P2-N835-A3 GeForce 8800GTX Superclocked 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
 
looking good pretty much the same build i got :)

also as of about 5 minutes ago newegg the video card is back at newegg, i dont know what is going on with it they made a new page for it or something as all the reviews are gone :confused:
 
zmjone2992 said:
I would ditch the gtx for sure. Go with the 8800gt. Amost as fast @ half the price. If you get an evga card then you may even be able to step up to the 9xxx series in feb. if the rumors are true.
Click to expand...

So after a little more reading and review I have changed out some parts. One of the big changes are going from a GTX to a GTS G92. I figure this would be best if later on Nvidia does not release a card in the time frame of my step up program (Jan-Mar) and I would not be "stuck" with a $500 card when I could get the same performance for around $100 less. Also as of now I only plan on gaming at 1900x1080 if I get an HDTV, around 30". Hopefully by Jan there will be some IR and MIR on some of the stuff that I want. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.

Here is the 4th revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

2x - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 (4gb)

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (raid0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

CorePad C1 XXXL improved premium cloth mouse pads

Subtotal: $2,279.83

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=9564387&WishListTitle=highend+build+4
 
Since you want 4GB, I'd strongly suggest going with a 2x2GB DDR2-800 config. If you want high speed, go for the G.Skill 4GB DDR2-1000 kit.
 
enginurd said:
Since you want 4GB, I'd strongly suggest going with a 2x2GB DDR2-800 config. If you want high speed, go for the G.Skill 4GB DDR2-1000 kit.
Click to expand...

Why would using 2x2gb instead of 4x1gb be better beside upgrade ability in the future? Some suggestion on here said I would do fine with the 800 and anything higher would be a waste since my cpu could not keep up? Are you preferring g.skill over cosair? Also which specific g.skill are you referring too?
Thanks for the input.
 
Boards tend to have problems powering high voltage sticks when there's 4 of them. So, if you want 4x1GB, stick to some 1.8v - 2.0v sticks to minimize your chances of problems. Though, to be save, a 2x2GB config would be better. These are $105 - $20...

$85 - G.Skill 4GB(2x2GB) DDR2-800 F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ ($20 off code: EMC1213SYME01)
 
With all the rumors of the new intel CPU and Nvidia GPU being delay, now I'm not sure if I should postpone this build for another month. I was going to do the build somewhere around mid to late Jan. Hopefully when Jan comes we will get some concrete info on what is going on with the CPU and GPU.

Any suggestions?
 
Jan is here now and the build is coming closer. I pretty much have all the system parts picked out. One of the thing that I am still debating about is which ram I should go for, 2x2GB. In consideration are from highest to lowest, Patriot Extreme, Corsair XMS2, G'SKILL, and Muskin. Any other suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.

Here is the 4th revision of the gaming tower

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600

Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC24G6400ELK

2x - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (raid0)

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B

AuzenTech Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speaker

CorePad C1 XXXL improved premium cloth mouse pads

Subtotal: $2,300+ (not including tax or s/h)
 
well I've said my bit but I really think you should try lopping off the price of everything else and getting yourself 2 8800s. Its certainly going to perform better in 90% of games then a single with a decked hard drive system and 16gb of ram. 2 8800s + 4 gigs 800 + no raid + E6750 (or even E6550) > single 8800 + 4 gigs 1000/1066 + raid 0 + E6850 (or Q6600).

also the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme looks like its the best CPU cooler. I'm running the Ultra 120 non-extremeon an antec tri-cool @ high speed and managing no more then 62C @ 1.52V C2D
 
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