Good Winter break project? (case/cooling upgrade)

[tboneDX]

Hi all!

I have been around the world of DIY computers for a while, and I'm finally wanting to do some upgrading and possible modification to my PC. I got the computer a few months back from a local custom PC shop, and they did an excellent job with it. However in my rush to get it as soon as possible, I neglected to hand pick everything that went into it so now it is missing some things that really make it my own:

1) The case is some crappy inwin with minimal cooling (though it does alright with stock components)

2) The cpu (e6600@2.4gHz) and gpu (PNY nvidia 8800gts 320mb) have stock cooling on them, which kind of rules out overclocking in my book...

I'm considering getting a new case (Antec p182 looks nice) and/or a new cpu cooler (the zalman 9700nt is sweet looking, is getting good reviews, and matches the gunmetal finish on the case ).

Here is my system, let me know if this upgrade would be a good idea, or if there is anything else that jumps out at you.

case: in-win Z583 (the black one, with just the included fans)
e6600@2.4ghz (stock)
asus p5b deluxe wifi-ap
2GB samsung pc-5300 ram
antec truepower psu?(not totally sure about this, was 550W or so)
pny 8800gts 320mb (not OC'd)
soundblaster x-fi fatal1ty championship edition (or whatever it is )
200gb sata hd (its either WD or seagate)
lite-on dvd burner
floppy drive (for those pesky firmware upgrades)

Thanks for your time.

 

[Arcygenical]

Get a nice heatsink on that CPU... Like the thermalright 120 Ultra extreme. The 9700 is alright, but it's yesterday's technology really... If you can get it for a really good deal (like, 30-40$ less than the Ultra extreme) then I'd grab it at that price... But you're sacrificing around 5-8c. The Tuniq tower is a great heatsink too, better than the 9700 in my books... And you can get it for a good price these days.

Definitely get a new case. The P182 is a good option, but I'm impartial to Lian-Li cases... They really are the best, if you can spare the cash.

That 8800GTS is made to hit at least 650mhz core, even on stock cooling... so don't be afraid to push her a little bit

 

[tboneDX]

I'll look into that cpu cooler, thanks. I have read on some threads that it is worth it to remove the gpu cooler, clean of the mess of thermal compound there, apply my own, and then reinstall it. Or should I just leave it stock?

By the way, here are my temps (off the top of my head)

Cpu: idle: ~32C load: ~45C
Gpu: idle: ~50C load: ~60-70C

These gpu temps are with the gpu fan manually cranked up to 100% via the nvidia control panel.

My cpu gets cooler than this, but only if I let it idle for quite some time...

 

[Arcygenical]

I've seen reapplying the thermal paste go both ways... Improved or worsened temperatures...

I'd keep it stock.

You could easily bump your CPU to about 3.0ghz with those current temperatures.

 

[tboneDX]

cool, I'm glad to hear that, but I will wait for a new heatsink just to play it safe.

I took a look at Lian Li cases, and one that stood out to me was the PC-V1100B PLUS II (in black ofc)

Is this case comparable to the antec p182? I would love to have a good balance of airflow and sound dampening. Pretty much I'm looking for a case that would allow me to use big fans that move a lot of air, and not the little screamers that I'm used to (my old pc was really annoying).

How is this case? If its not for me, then what Lian Li (or other make) would you recommend? I like my pc cases looking clean (especially the front) and a window is not necessary (though they look nice on some cases).

thanks for the feedback so far