About to pull the trigger on this build...

S

Soodey

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Messages
150
Any recommendations on anything I should change, remove, add?

COOLER MASTER RC-690
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000)
ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB w/ GRID (yay free game I was actually planning on buying!)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775
ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA


I've heard the rumors of the Q9550 dropping in price but I'm heading off to College August 20th, so I'd like to have this build done before then.
I already have AS5 for the heatsink.
I'm picking up a Velociraptor at the best buy I work at. $220 w/ discount :cool:
And I'd toss my X-fi into here as well.

Also in my Newegg Cart:
Logitech 967740-0403 Black USB Standard Internet 350 USB Keyboard
A new MX518, my dad wants my old one (with max DPI 1600)
steelseries 63004SS QcK Mouse Pad

Also I might pick up the case at my local microcenter because its cheaper + no shipping, but tax is a bummer.

So?
 
I recommend getting this better HSF for less:
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle HSF - $37 & Retention Bracket - $7

Other than that, looks good to me. Do note that you can get the Corsair PSU for cheaper here:
Corsair 620HX 620W Modular PSU - $140

The Q9550 price drop is to coincide with the release of the Q9650 CPU, which is during the second week of August IIRC. Not really worth waiting for IMO. So just go ahead and buy the Q9450.
 
edit: urgh, and danny beats me by 2 mins!
build looks pretty good!

the Zalman CNPS9700 its really nice looking... and its a decent performer, but at the sacrifice of led fans and cool heatpipes, you can pick up a much more efficient block cooler which will do a better job. The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme springs to mind, as, iirc, its one of the best out there, but its expensive. Theres also the Xignate... Xgna... Xig Ikea? ... theres also an X cooler which is really popular, but the mounting hardware is apparently a little difficult. I cant think of proper spelling or the model right now, sorry, someone will tune in with what I'm trying to think of.

I've been trying to get someone to do this for ages now and I dont have any guinniea pigs, care to be one? 4 WD 320GB drives in Raid-5. Just under 1TB of backed-up capacity. If ICH10R does its job well it should give you some impressive read speeds as well, with an increased CPU overhead unfortunatly (but on a quad core? meh...)

And that Samsung drive is loud. You might want to get slow and quiet 16X drive for movies because when its reading a DVD I find it to be unbareable.

Q9550 will be replacing the Q9450 at the exact same price point, making the Q9450 EOL, in Q4, IIRC. Intel has recently bumped there schedule up so perhalps that will happen sooner rather than later, but I don't think it'l happen in time for aug 20.
 
VisionTek is my brand of choice for ATI cards, but you could save $30 with the Asus combo:

# ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45
# ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ubCategory=280&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

MrWizard6600 said:
I've been trying to get someone to do this for ages now and I dont have any guinniea pigs, care to be one? 4 WD 320GB drives in Raid-5. ...

And that Samsung drive is loud. You might want to get slow and quiet 16X drive for movies because when its reading a DVD I find it to be unbareable. ...
Click to expand...

If you can guarantee I'll get the 320GB/platter version, and find those drives for around $55, I'll buy 'em and run 'em on my ICH10r w/ RAID5. :p

My Samsung is pretty quiet... new firmware?
 
Well the way I see it, I honestly was going to end up buying Grid for $40 so it really does save me $40.

Yeah I have the scythe Ninja on my current build, wasn't too happy with the temps. I think it has to do in part with it doesn't seem to be held on very well for its weight. If I went with the Xigmatek, that $7 bracket is optional? Even if it was optional, I'd still probably get it to help give it more support and hold it on tighter so as to avoid my current problem.

I just didn't want to go with another giant heatsink, but heck, I might as well. I've seen what I guess is the Xigmatek on a lot of rigs posted here. So I take it its really good?

Any other alternative Heatsink recommendations?

Also the read speed of that Samsung for DVDs is x16, its only the burning thats x20, so it should be fine hopefully. I probably won't be watching too many DVDs on my pc anyways.
 
The Xigmatek HDT-S1283 has been recommended often here because it cools just as well as the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme yet costs much less (as the TRUE 120 costs around $60, and you have to purchase a separate fan for active cooling). The mounting bracket, which (IIRC) uses screws instead of push-pins, makes mounting the HDT-S1283 much easier. Other CPU coolers to consider are the Thermalright Ultima 90 (which requires a separate 92mm or 120mm fan), the Noctua NH-U12P, and the Tuniq Tower 120.
 
If you'd like to save $44 and continue using the Ninja, do what many others did and pickup this bolt-thru kit from Thermalright (its universal, so it'll work on the ninja -- I'm using it with my ninja and it improved temps).

$5 - Thermalright LGA775 Universal Bolt-Thru-Kit
 
Yeah I'd consider just keeping the Ninja, but its actually staying on my current build and this whole current PC is remaining at home and I'll take my new build with me. Its kind of overkill for my parents/family, lol, but at least when I come home with my PC, i'll have instant LAN abilities for 2.

So the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 would fit fine in the Coolermaster 690 with both side fans on?


One more question:
Does anyone have a good recommendation for a good keyboard? I don't want to spend a lot on it and it doesn't have to be that fancy. I just want a standard keyboard with media keys (play, pause, next, previous, volume up/down/mute). Backlight is cool, but those end up being more expensive. And i like a good hefty feel to the keys and a nice upward tilt when the legs are extended on the back.
 
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