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About to pull the trigger...final things/tweaks to consider?

B

Blakestr

[H]ard|Gawd
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This build is for gaming mostly although moderate video encoding will occur. I realize a C2D would be faster and better for gaming but I am running at 1680 x 1050 and I like the multitasking ability of the quads (I do a lot of alt-tabbing as it were.) This is my first time overclocking so I am making sure I have a good cooling setup and easy to OC motherboard.

I am trying to optimize this as much as I can...ideally I would like it cheaper than it currently is but I am willing to pull the trigger once I am sure I have chosen the best possible bang for buck assembly...I should also mention that I'll happy if this thing is futureproof for 18 months...and considering my current setup I have used for 4 years, I should be able to pull that off. I have a list of twenty games I haven't played (released within a year or two) because I wanted the best experience possible...couldn't play them at 10 fps and wasn't going to...(I was busy with paramedic school so it was no big deal, chilled with my ps3 for the time being)

Like any gamer, I want the best bang for my buck...this has been a LONG time coming and I have been patient and waited long enough...I'll be stocking up on food and be gone for 5 days straight on a gaming binge :) I just wanted to make sure there aren't any small things I'm missing...I think I need to go swap these items out for their retail counterparts so I have all the cables because I'm not taking anything from my current setup...

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Was tough on deciding between this and the 900...I may still change my mind...I'm not a crazy overclocking and I've heard awesome things about both...I just love the look of this one...

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail Best bang for buck right now, I'll be happy if I can overclock it to 3.0 ghz, which seems very possible on air for what I have heard.

VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail best warranty/support, free game, MIB...I was torn between this and two 4850 CF but decided to go with this based on my playing resolution and possibly adding another 4870 later down the line. As I have said, the most I could see myself going resolution wise is 1920x1200 but that is wayyyy down the line...(I'm a few years behind everyone else in picking up my Westy37, this Dell2005fpw works just fine however)

ASUS P5Q-E LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Seems to have more overclocking options and is very popular...wasn't sure between this and a Gigabyte but leaned with this...20 dollar between this and pro I decided to go with this...


CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Retail$20 MiR should be more than enough for a 4870 CF setup; I don't use that many devices...only have two harddrives as it is...

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail I paid 100 for these in 2x1 config and they have served me well...

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Seems to be popular and I have always used WD, rma'ed one once but got it back quick

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail Seems to be good, I am getting the retention bracket as well. Haven't installed a heatsink before but I buitl my current setup with this forum helping 4 years ago so I'm sure there is a sticky somewhere for me :)

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM Well I guess it's time to make the jump to both Vista and 64 bit...from what I have heard they finally worked most of the bugs out...

SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM 26 bucks...geez, remember when a 2x cost several hundred dollars and it was just a CD burner?

Any current deals that I could substitute on? I want an easy setup with no hassles, where I can overclock to 3.0 ghz and play everything on full settings with minimal framerate of 30 fps, average 60 whenever possible...excluding Crysis...(who needs to optimize more)

Total price is $1244 as it stands at Newegg...
 
Depending on the severity of your 'multi-tasking' then the core 2 IS your best bang for the buck. Considering it's faster and cheaper. I think people under estimate 'multi tasking' of core 2's and over estimate their need for quad core. A quad core for multi tasking is 'needed' when your compressing a 6 GB file, Ripping a DVD, rendering a video scene and have a game level editor open ... all at once. Why you would do such a thing, I have no clue. Nobody has that much going on that has to all be done at the same time, unless your at work or something, and your on a deadline.

95% of multitasking you will be doing at home, a core 2 is more than enough. And you can get 4ghz on air.
 
Nooo...stop...tempting me....can't...decide...arghhhhh

I mean I am never in a hurry to encode video, it can go overnight for all I care...I just thought the multitasking ability to never feel the computer hang ever would be a sweet bell/whistle...now you have got my fickle ass leaning towards the core 2 duo...I am a gamer at heart
 
Ah, but keep in mind there is the future possibility of games coming out that take advantage of the quad core such as Supreme Commander. Supreme Commander may be the first game to take advantage of the quad core but it sure as hell won't be the last. Besides, if you are going to overclock, the quad core's 3.2-3.6 Ghz will be enough to run the best of games AND it will have the flexibility of utilizing future software developments as well as the multitasking beast that it is.
 
The OEM stuff in this build...which comes with cables and which don't....it's been four years since I've done this so forgive my ignorance....basically I want to make sure that everything I have above is all I need to order and can build the system as soon as it arrives...

Also...it's my understanding that only the retail version of Vista comes with both 32bit and 64bit....does it really matter if I decide to stay with 64 bit? The price difference is notable and I don't care about not being about to call Microsoft directly for help...lthere is google and forums for that
 
Between the retail case and the retail motherboard, you should have most (if not all) of the cables and screws that you need to assemble your system. The retail HSF on the Intel processor comes with a layer of thermal compound already on it, and the Xigmatek CPU cooler comes with its own tube of thermal compound (that works just as well as the more recommended types). You should be set in that regards.

Because you're getting 4GB of RAM, stick with the 64-bit version of Vista. The long story short is that with the 32-bit version of Windows (regardless of the "version") can only read a total of 4GB of system memory, and it subtracts the amount of "usable" RAM by the amount of memory taken up by the rest of the system components (including, but is not limited to, the video card).

As for dual-core versus quad-core, all I'm going to say is this: Get what you want. If you consider yourself more of a multitasker, than the Q6600 may be better for you.
 
One last bump and I'm doing it ...anyone got any final thoughts?
 
Looks good. That build will rip a new a**hole in pretty much anything current for the most part.

Vista is MANY times better now that SP1 dropped. I run Vista 64 ultimate and even device drivers have caught up nicely. It runs stable and fast.
 
It is done. And now we play the waiting game. Any tips how to keep my sanity or preparations I should make? I think I will definitely notice some improvement....upgrading from a socket 754 AMD 3000+ with x800xtpe AGP....what do you think? :)
 
DL drivers, browse through the mobo manual, plan your cable management, and don't forget to post pics of the build. :D

Uh... yah, you'll notice a huge improvement, especially with multi-tasking.
 
just good stuff to have on hand when you work on your own computer.

I think we forgot to mention, get some aftermarket thermal compound. I love my TX-2.
 
Rydawg5143 said:
just good stuff to have on hand when you work on your own computer.

I think we forgot to mention, get some aftermarket thermal compound. I love my TX-2.
Click to expand...

You may have forgotten, but....

tiraides said:
Between the retail case and the retail motherboard, you should have most (if not all) of the cables and screws that you need to assemble your system. The retail HSF on the Intel processor comes with a layer of thermal compound already on it, and the Xigmatek CPU cooler comes with its own tube of thermal compound (that works just as well as the more recommended types). You should be set in that regards.
Click to expand...
 
yeah i forgot. my lil tube of xigmatek goo is still in the plasic baggy. I didnt know at the time it was above par stuff.
 
yeah, though i found TX2 to be a few degrees cooler in my system, but i had as5 and was fine
 
Strangely enough, I'm upgrading from a PC with an X850XT PE myself...was a pretty nice card at the time...
 
Yeah...I paid like 400 dollars for it...I suppose 4 years from now I'll be laughing at my pathetic 4870...
 
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