Building a new system- Need advice

B

beers

n00b
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
9
Hey guys, sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I am building a new rig very soon. I have put some parts together on a 1.5k budget. I would really apreciate any feedback or advice you guys can give. I plan to play most of my games @ 1920 x 1200. Hopefully, that will include Crysis (I can dream), but if not I would like to come close.

GPU - 2x ATI HD3870 Crossfire -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814241067

CPU - Intel Q6600 OEM -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018

Heatsink - Thermalright Ultra-120 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109125

Motherboard - Asus P5E x38 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219

Case - Antec 900 (already purchased) -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec+900

PSU - OCZ 700W -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

RAM - 4GB DDR2 800 OCZ Reaper -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

HDD - WD Caviar 500GB 16mb cache -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073

OS - Windows Vista 64bit home premium OEM-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116204

Questions:
-Is the PSU enough?
-Is the P5E a decent mobo?
-Is Crossfire support good on the p5E?
-Do you think Crossfire is the right way to go in gaming above 1080p?
-Is the Thermalright Ultra-120 I selected the right heatsink to get? (Isn't there some sort of extreme version? It does not say, but the dimensions match up. Can someone confirm that this is the extreme version?)

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: It turns out that the above heatsink is not the extreme version. So, I guess I am going to have to get it at Frozencpu.com:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5...20_eXtreme_CPU_Heatsink_-_Socket_775_AM2.html
However, does anyone know of a reliable site I can find it pre-lapped?
 
1. the psu is enough, but I don't suggest that one for the reason of out of spec ripple at high loads. Try the Corsair HX 620 instead.
2. It's a decent board.
3. Yes.
4. I like SLI more than crossfire. I don't think it's a Requirement, but it's a great thing to have if you have a resolution of more than 1680x1050.
5. TR Ultra Extreme seems to be the way to go, but you have to provide your own fan. Jab-Tech sells the Yate Loon D12SL12 for around $4 each. Very good deal. Avoid SilenX fans (overpriced crap) and you should be good to go. There are no places to buy it pre-lapped.

I also like your username, and the format you used for posting the stuff.
 
First of all, I recommend ditching that OCZ GameXStream PSU. It's based off the FSP Episilon PSU design which has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that can damage or kill your system. Granted, you may not reach such high loads but why pay for PSU that can kill your system?

So I recommend getting any of these other PSUs instead:
Corsair 550VX 550W PSU - $95
Corsair 520HX 520W PSU - $109
Corsair 650TX 650W PSU - $143
Corsair 620HX 620W PSU - $147
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $160

Anyway to answer your questions:
- Check what I said above about the PSU
- Yes
- No idea
- Depends on whether or not that game actually supports Crossfire. Unfortunately, there are mnay games out there that do not scale well or scale at all with a Crossfire setup. An SLI setup yes but not a Crossfire. From my research, the following games do support Crossfire very well:
* Bioshock
* Company of Heroes: Opposing Front
* Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
* Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
* Oblivion
* Prey
* Team Fortress 2
* Unreal Tournament 3

Haven't seen any results with the Crysis patch and the supposed improved Crossfire support so can't include it just yet. So one of the major problems with Crossfire is if the game supports it or not. The second problem is that current ATI cards aren't as fast as current Nvidia cards. If absolute performance in games is your goal, then go with an SLI setup and two 8800GT cards.

However, there are caveats to SLI as well. For Intel CPUs, Nvidia's SLI mobos aren't as stable, cool running or overclockable as current Intel chipset motherboards or their AMD counterparts. Yes SLI would be better for 1920x1200 gaming BUT you do have to factor in the above caveats.

Personally, I wouldn't bother dealing with any dual card setup and stick with a single card setup. Less of a hassle, cooler running, less power draining and support by every single game out there are the main reasons for a single card setup. Though if I had to choose, I'd go with a Crossfire setup. Yes less performance but I'd rather have a bit more stability and overclock ability in my motherboards.

- Yes there is an extreme version. And it does cool better than than the standard Ultra 120 and costs about the same:
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $57 & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan - $14

If you are planning on overclocking, get the G0 stepping Q6600 since it runs cooler and therefore OC higher than the B3 stepping still found at newegg.com. Yes people have been getting G0 Q6600 from newegg but many are still getting the old B3 stepping as well. So get the G0 stepping from ClubIT.com since they guarantee it:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping CPU - $278
 
Thanks for the feedback, it was very informative. The Q6600 on newegg is the G0 stepping version, I recently built my friend a rig, and the model was SLACR at the end (I'll double check the one I get from newegg, I had no idea they would still even ship the B3 version).

Also, I am thinking about the 8800GTS (G92), but I keep reading that 2x hd3870's performs better than a GTX. But, you said that it only works with games that support crossfire. I actually prefer one GPU, but the performance gains with 2x HD3870s are really tempting. I am a bit confused as to which one I should get. I am still leaning a bit towards the crossfire build.

As for the PSU, I will have to look into that bit more. I just got my friend a rig with that PSU, I didn't think that it would be that unstable. I guess I might as well go with the one you guys suggested.

EDIT: Okay, I decided to go with a single 8800GTS (G92), and go with the 620W (Corsair 620HX) PSU you recommended.
 
Go with an eVGA branded card, so you can step up to the GTX replacement if it comes out within 3 months.

If you don't need Crossfire, ditch the X38 board for a P35 board instead and save some cash. Check out the Asus P5K-E or P5K, the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 (or DS3P, DS3R, DS3L), and the crowd favorites, Abit IP35 Pro (or IP35, or IP35-E).
 
If you are gaming at 1920x1200, then a multicard solution will serve you well if you have the cash for it. However, as far as multicard solutions go, SLI trumps Crossfire in scalability, compatibility, and in the simple fact that the 8800 GT / GTS 512 series outperforms the HD 3850/70 series, especially with AA enabled.

The only plus on the Crossfire side is being able to use a motherboard with an Intel chipset. Many have found that Intel motherboard are easier to work with (and overclock) and are more reliable than nForce boards. The 680i has had its share of issues, and while the 780i does seem to be off to a better start, they are quite difficult to find at the moment.

If you decide to go with a 680i setup, consider the EVGA NF-68-A1 model. Likewise, EVGA seems to be the vendor to consider for 780i as well -- however, EVGA is releasing an upgraded 780i board (the 780i FTW) featuring better electrical components such as solid state voltage regulators in the next month. This board, which will likely compete with the Striker II formula as an "upgraded / modified" 780i solution, is quite compelling, as many of the issues people found with the 680i series were due to poor electrical components used on the reference design. (The Striker series, btw, has always had its own problems.)

If you do decide to go SLI, consider two GT 512s or two GTS 512s. Be sure to buy them from EVGA so that you can take advantage of the step up program, should you decide that the 9800GX2 or 9800GTX are worth the upgrade (although I'm not sure if the 9800GTX will be out in three months.)
 
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