Critique my build...$1500 budget for college. Thanks!

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Bona Fide

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Aug 26, 2005
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CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6550
Mobo - Gigabyte G33M-DS2R
RAM - OCZ Platinum 2GB DDR2-800
Graphics - XFX 8800GTS 640MB
HDD - Seagate 320GB w/ 16MB cache
Optical - Lite-On 20x DVD-RW
Monitor - Samsung 206BW 20" LCD
OS - Vista Home Premium 32-bit OEM
Audio - Sennheiser PC150 Headset
Case - Coolermaster Centurion 541
PSU - Corsair 520HX 520W

Total is $1420 after MIRs. Is there any room for me to upgrade any specific component while staying under $1500, or is this a good setup? I chose microATX for the sake of space, which will be at a premium in my dorm.

Thanks for your help, guys! :)
 
If you went with an micro-atx board, why not go with an mico-atx case like the SG-01 or XQpack?

Also are you planning to OC? Oh and can you please link to that RAM? Can't remember which one that is.
 
Danny Bui said:
If you went with an micro-atx board, why not go with an mico-atx case ...
Click to expand...

The C541 is mATX... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119088

and if you wanna try and play that off as if you meant why not get a cube mATX case instead of a mATX tower, the answer is cuz those cubes suck. :p j/k

I think the P5K-VM is cheaper, if its in stock, so thats a good alternative.

I hope that RAM can OC. The low multiplier of the E6550 makes it a bit harder to OC.

E6550: 7 * 333 = 2.3Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK speeds
E6550: 7 * 400 = 2.8Ghz, DDR2-800 << Easy OC
E6550: 7 * 465 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-930 << Good OC
E6550: 7 * 533 = 3.7Ghz, DDR2-1066 << Great OC, near max on good air

You'll need a good aftermarket Heatsink/fan to get above 3Ghz. So, go for the Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B, Tuniq Tower 120, or the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme + S-Flex fan if you want a good OC.
 
Danny Bui said:
If you went with an micro-atx board, why not go with an mico-atx case like the SG-01 or XQpack?

Also are you planning to OC? Oh and can you please link to that RAM? Can't remember which one that is.
Click to expand...
Actually, the 541 is mATX. It's a tower though, which I'd prefer to one of those boxes.

I'm hoping for a mild OC...maybe 3GHz at most. Here's a link to the memory on OCZ's site:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_6400_platinum_revision_2_dual_channel

enginurd said:
The C541 is mATX... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119088

and if you wanna try and play that off as if you meant why not get a cube mATX case instead of a mATX tower, the answer is cuz those cubes suck. :p j/k

I think the P5K-VM is cheaper, if its in stock, so thats a good alternative.

I hope that RAM can OC. The low multiplier of the E6550 makes it a bit harder to OC.

E6550: 7 * 333 = 2.3Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK speeds
E6550: 7 * 400 = 2.8Ghz, DDR2-800 << Easy OC
E6550: 7 * 465 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-930 << Good OC
E6550: 7 * 533 = 3.7Ghz, DDR2-1066 << Great OC, near max on good air

You'll need a good aftermarket Heatsink/fan to get above 3Ghz. So, go for the Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B, Tuniq Tower 120, or the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme + S-Flex fan if you want a good OC.
Click to expand...
I'd heard that the DS2 was an excellent overclocking board, though I'm not aiming for much. I might just run the FSB up to 400MHz to get a 1:1 ratio for the RAM. 2.8GHz is plenty for me. Also, a larger heatsink like the Ninja or Zalman 9700 might have trouble fitting in the case.

Assuming I'm content with 2.8GHz, will I need anything more than the stock HSF?
 
I tried to check in advance, but are there any compatibility issues with any of the parts I've selected? I'm 95% sure everything will work together, but I'd love a second look.
 
and if you wanna try and play that off as if you meant why not get a cube mATX case instead of a mATX tower, the answer is cuz those cubes suck. j/k
Click to expand...

LOL!

Anyway, OP, Your build looks pretty solid to me. The DS2R is a great overclocking mobo. The stock HSF should be good enough for a 2.8Ghz OC but any higher and you'll need a better HSF.

You can get the Corsair power supply for cheaper here:
Corsair HX520 520W PSU - $105
 
The 541 is big enough... looks like you'll have around ~2cm clearance:

Dimensions 15.4" x 7.1" x 16.6"
Click to expand...

So, you could fit a Tuniq Tower ($47 @ svc.com) or Scythe Ninja plus Rev.B (36 @ jab-tech.com) should you ever feel the need to pickup a more quiet cooling solution. I'd go with the Ninja if I were you, just because its so damn quiet and cools so damn well -- at least for me, anyway, lol.

Both the P5K-VM and DS2R are good G33 OC'ing boards. Though, I think the DS2R has a bit of an edge, IIRC. Danny had a nice link to a huge thread on that board from the mobo subforum; maybe he can post it again.
 
can you show how much you are paying for each part so maybe we can find a cheaper deal for you?
 
enginurd said:
Both the P5K-VM and DS2R are good G33 OC'ing boards. Though, I think the DS2R has a bit of an edge, IIRC. Danny had a nice link to a huge thread on that board from the mobo subforum; maybe he can post it again.
Click to expand...

I was going to post it earlier but the gorram forum kept going down. Anyway the DS2R has a pretty extensive thread here:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1191867

Whatever question you have about the board, I'm betting it's has already been answered in that thread.
 
jtdaman said:
can you show how much you are paying for each part so maybe we can find a cheaper deal for you?
Click to expand...
Sure. All the parts are from Zipzoomfly, so while certain parts may be individually more expensive than on Newegg, no tax and free shipping makes it cheaper overall.

CPU - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005520 - $175.90
Mobo - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005399 - $142.25
RAM - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85264 - $59.90 ($40 MIR)
Graphics - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=321103 - $349.99 ($30 MIR)
HDD - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=101457 - $89.88
Optical - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005077 - $37.99
Monitor - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=233606 - $254.99 ($20 MIR)
OS - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=604699 - $99.99
Audio - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=286030 - $44.99
Case - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=141796 - $45.99 ($10 MIR)
PSU - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=373100 - $95.00 ($10 MIR)

All the prices are shown AFTER potential rebates. :)
 
Alright guys, thanks a lot for looking over this. I think I'll stick with the stock HSF unit for now, and down the road if I feel more adventurous I'll buy a new HSF.

Do I really need any Arctic Silver?

Edit - Also, if I wanted to go full ATX, would you guys recommend the Gigabyte DS3R or DS3P motherboard?
 
Bona Fide said:
Do I really need any Arctic Silver?

Edit - Also, if I wanted to go full ATX, would you guys recommend the Gigabyte DS3R or DS3P motherboard?
Click to expand...

Its good to have some AS5 layin around in case you need to re-seat your CPU/HSF. Also, its only 6 bux for a 3.5g tube that should last you at least a couple years.

DS3R if you don't need a 2nd PCI-E 16x sized slot (4x bandwidth) nor firewire. If you do, then the DS3P or P5K-E. If you need something cheaper, go with the DS3L if you don't need raid nor 8 SATA ports. The IP35-E has a nice rebate right now, too.
 
Yeah I was also looking at the P5K-E and the P6N Platinum. Both of them look nice, so I think I'll switch the case to a Centurion 532 and get one of those two boards. :)
 
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