Building new rig

[G.hOst666]

so far i was thinking about these parts

1 x eVGA - nForce 780i SLI w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Dual GB Lan, 1394, PCI-E 2.0, 3-Way SLI ($279.99)
1 x OCZ - 4GB PC2-6400 SLI-Ready Edition Dual Channel DDR2 Kit (2 x 2GB) ($109.99)
1 x OCZ - 700W StealthXStream Power Supply ($99.99)
1 x Zalman - CNPS9700 NT Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler for Socket 775, AM2 / 754 / 939 / 940 ($84.99)
1 x Intel - Core™2 Duo Processor E8400 3.00GHz w/ 6MB Cache ($219.99)
1 x Aspire - X-Cruiser Mid Tower w/ Side Window, Blue ($99.99)
XFX GeForce GTX 295 GX295NHHFF Video Card - Retail

How do u think the temps and the air flow are gonna be?
will that monstrous vid card fit into that mid tower case?
also is that a good enough build or should I add or subtract something?

 

[Hal Emmerich]

if i'm honest i'd lose the 295 and get a 280. that's just personal preference and my view on price/perf. but i'm not too hot on nvidia cards so someone might disagree with me on that one (don't take it as gospel, basically)

if you're worried about the size of the case maybe look into some Lian Li cases? they tend to be pretty spacious inside, and of a better quality.

other than that, the build is pretty good. it'll easily handle games like Far Cry and Crysis at max graphics and should be able to handle games that will be released.

also i prefer the Freezer 7 Pro to your cooling system.

 

[rowdypixel]

Since you don't seem to be going for SLI, you can ditch the SLI compatible board and go with a cheaper motherboard, such as the Asus P5Q Pro for $130. You're also completely overpaying for that memory. Save $70 and get this G.Skill kit for $40. I don't know where you're ordering from, but the E8400 is only $165 at Newegg.

Also, that cooler isn't as efficient as the cheaper Xigmatek HDT-S1283 w/ mounting bracket for $42 from Newegg.

Answer the questions in the sticky marked ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST, and we can give you better help.

 

[Freynk]

I completely agree with the G.Skill kit, I'm quite happy with mine and bought it for twice as much about 10 months ago, looks like it's time to bump up to 8GB.

I'm not so sure you need all of that GPU power. What type of display is this powering, for what use? I'd consider stepping down to the GTX 260 or GTX 280 (or 285) if they're not going to be powering a 30" LCD.

Be sure to shop around, or at least start at Newegg for prices. They're usually pretty damn good.

 

[Rage_3k_Moiz]

Are those Canadian or Australian prices? They look quite high to be US ones.

I agree with DanW, the HDT-S1283 can be had cheap and is a lot better than the Zalman cooler you have picked. I would also ditch the PSU and case and go for a Corsair 650TX PSU and either an Antec Nine Hundred or a Cooler Master 690 case.

 

[Dangman]

Answer the questions in the sticky marked ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST, and we can give you better help.

+1 to this.

There are severe problems with your build, especially in the PSU and HSF section.

 

[engiNURD]

Avoid NVIDIA chipsets for Core2 platforms if at all possible -- they're less stable/reliable than their Intel chipset counterparts. You only need SLI if you're gaming on a 30" monitor at a native resolution of 2560x1600 on high. Even for a 24" monitor, a single vidcard solution can still handle that res very well.

If that PSU is based on the FSP Epsilon, as most OCZ's are, ditch it since it has out of spec ripple at high loads. Granted, you may or may not load it enough to invoke such ripple, but why pay for something then not be able to use it to its full potential? There are much better choices out there, namely from Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic, Antec Earthwatts/Neopower, BFG LS/ES series', etc. A more detailed recommendation will be made once the sticky questions have been answered.

The Zalman coolers are typically overpriced for their meager performance. There are much better cost effective solutions, like the aforementioned HDT-S1283, which performs on par with the TRUE120 yet costs nearly half as much (typically, in the US).

So... pls answer the sticky questions.