Looking for build advice :)

Wow, thanks for all the replies once again :) I just woke up.. at 11:30PM.. I managed to sleep 12 hours (I have a horrible cold/flu). But anyway.. I thought of a way that I can afford all of this without my father saying 'NO WAY'. I was going to buy myself this nice bedding set for about $400... I'm just going to tell him that instead of buying that, I would like to put that money towards my computer. Same with a Wii... Although I REALLY do want a Wii... I should be able to get away with not getting that comforter set, and I'll have about $3000 to spend.

I have a feeling that they wont have that monitor anymore once I go to Circuit City.. and I'll end up having to spend $600 :( At least I found it a little bit cheaper on some other sites, with free shipping also.. So I can save $50, which is better than nothing if I can't get the LG monitor on clearance.

Now, one more question ;) If I ever decide to do triple SLI, can I do that with the GTX cards? Can I put three GTX cards in that thing? (I know, why would I need three.. but who knows what the futures gaming will hold ;P).

I really can not tell you all how excited I am about all of this.. I want to buy it all now! Another frustrating thing is watching the prices raise and drop every few days on all these sites.. Then I have to redo my whole little list thing, and it bugs me ;) Just a few more days until I can make my order... Also, the 750w PSU should be good, along with the Nirvana fan, right? I would imagine that two GTX cards are going to run prettttty hot.
 
You can do Tri-SLI with GTXs in a 780i, yes. You can't do Tri-SLI with 8800 GTS 512MBs or with the 650i. The 750 watt might not be enough for Tri-SLI.

All that said... Tri-SLI is a neat idea and all, but there's really no reason for you to consider it. Selling your cards and buying something newer will be a much better plan by the time the 8800 GTS 512MBs are too slow. Thinking more and more on it, the 8800 GTX's price premium really isn't worth it anymore when the 8800 GTS 512MB is nearly as fast.
 
I should probably go with the GT cards because they're cheaper... but... After looking at the "Show your rig" threads, I got really depressed about how crappy my computer is.. and I really want to just have an awesome one..

..Even if it will be outdated pretty fast :p I can be happy for at least a few weeks hopefully. I also need to pick up some new PC games... I think I'll get COD4 because it really seems to be a pretty big hit right now with everyone :) Really want to play Bioshock also... so I may get that too. Don't know what else yet, hmm..
 
The 8800 GTS 512MB is the sweet spot in my opinion -- just wait a bit for a deal on them. They're getting down to $200 AR now.

The stock cooling on the 8800 GT sucks, it has fewer Stream Processors, and by the time you replace the cooling... it costs the same or more than the 8800 GTS 512MB. ;)
 
If you get Crysis and realize your computer isn't good enough, pickup TF2 or WoW, lol.

silent-circuit said:
The stock cooling on the 8800 GT sucks, it has fewer Stream Processors, and by the time you replace the cooling... it costs the same or more than the 8800 GTS 512MB. ;)
Click to expand...

The Galaxy 8800GT 512MB at NCIXUS.com has the Zalman cooler, and its $145 after a $70MIR, lol. Pisses me off 'cuz mine cost me $40 more a week or two ago. :mad:
 
enginurd said:
If you get Crysis and realize your computer isn't good enough, pickup TF2 or WoW, lol.
Click to expand...


lmao I think running Crysis on a brand new computer, and not being able to get really high FPS will REALLY depress me.. I'm going to stay away from that game for a long time lol.

Already have WoW ;) My current computer plays it horribly though. All settings as low as they can go, and I still get 5-10FPS, which is impossible when trying to do the 25-man raids. I get yelled at over Vent for things that haven't even shown up on my screen yet sometimes.

Oh, and TF2? I want it so badly :) I may buy the Orange Box just for that game because it looks pretty awesome. I kinda wish they sold it separately though, because I've already played Portal (Another awesome game) and still haven't even beat the first Half-Life games yet.. But I dunno, I think it would be worth it for TF2.
 
I thought it was broken up already, lol. I remember TF2 being $30 alone, but Orange Box being $50, normally. Then when they went on sale, the prices were even better, IIRC ($30 orange box @ amazon or somewhere?).
 
installing crysis / orange box / cod 4 once i get home from work in 2 more hours. how is crysis going to run at max settings for my rig in sig on the left? cpu will be oc'd to 3.0ghz before i attempt to run crysis.

by the way, i find that eating a peanut butter, bacon cooked well-done, and a grilled banana all on a panini really helps get the gears going for pc procedures.
 
Apathy said:
installing crysis / orange box / cod 4 once i get home from work in 2 more hours. how is crysis going to run at max settings for my rig in sig on the left? cpu will be oc'd to 3.0ghz before i attempt to run crysis.

by the way, i find that eating a peanut butter, bacon cooked well-done, and a grilled banana all on a panini really helps get the gears going for pc procedures.
Click to expand...

If you can find the latest Catalyst betas it should run well (for Crysis anyway...). Without them? Horribly. Sorry I can't point you the right way, no ATI parts in my machines at the moment so I dunno where to get them. Haven't kept up.
 
Still having a hard time talking my father into raising the budget on my PC... REALLY hard time. Our conversation goes like this:
Me: Hey Dad about the computer-
Dad: $2500.
Me: Yeah but I want to-
Dad $2500
Me: But I-
Dad: $2500
Me: *walks off sad*

I'm about 80% sure I can find a way to get the totally awesome SLI system... but if not, it's looking like my original build is all I'll get. But still... If I end up without the SLI, the other system is still pretty good right?, I'll post it once again for everyone, since it's pretty much finalized now ;)

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $149.99 -$20 MIR
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard - $121.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply - $138.90 (( ZipZoomFly )) -$25 MIR
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 775 Quad-Core Processor - $254.99 (( Clubit.com ))
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit - $84.99
EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $414.99 -$50 MIR
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $99.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - $33.99
Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - $135.99 -$50 MIR
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speakers - $229.99 (( ClubIt.com ))
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - $45.99 -$10 MIR
SAMSUNG 24ST-BLACK Black 24" 6ms HDMI Widescreen HSMI LCD Monitor - $659.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - $109.99
CORSAIR Flash Voyager 2GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-2GB - $14.99
Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - $4.99
BELKIN BE112234-10 10 feet 12 Outlets 4120 joule Surge Suppressor with Phone/Modem, RJ45 and Coax Protection - $34.99

Store Totals
NewEgg: $1912.87 (13 items)
ZipZoomFly: $138.90 (1 item)
Clubit: $484.98 (2 items)
Total: $2477.75

Shipping
NewEgg: $39.96
ZipZoomFly: $0.00
Clubit: $34.99

Entire Total: $2611.70

Mail-In Rebates Total: $155

Prices may change, and hopefully the price of the monitor will change.. if I find that LG one... But this system is still pretty good, right? I mean... One GTX card will at least let me play WoW on max settings I hope lol. I may not be able to play some other new games on max settings and get great FPS, but I hope that at least WoW will be fast.. considering I can even play it with my old Radeon 9700 Pro.

What about other games? Like if I get TF2... It should still look pretty nice, yes? I imagine the only games I'd have a really hard time with is Crysis (Which I already said I'm not going to even try) and COD4 (Which I heard is pretty graphic heavy also).
 
Yah, even if you don't get your SLI system, that build will still perform nicely, especially on WoW and TF2. As for Crysis, you'll just need to turn down the settings, and it all depends on what you consider playable. Personally, I can't play CS/CSS/TF2 without 100FPS, while others are fine with 60.
 
enginurd said:
Yah, even if you don't get your SLI system, that build will still perform nicely, especially on WoW and TF2. As for Crysis, you'll just need to turn down the settings, and it all depends on what you consider playable. Personally, I can't play CS/CSS/TF2 without 100FPS, while others are fine with 60.
Click to expand...

Well on that system, will TF2 even get up to 100FPS? It kinda reminds me of RTCW.. I can get so many FPS on that game even on this system (God I love that game still.. Don't care how old it is). TF2 has good graphics, but I'm happy it's nothing TOO extravagent.. Same with WoW. I can't wait to start raiding again and not be getting 5FPS :) I actually couldn't sign up for any raids until I get the new PC because it's just impossible to play on this system.

I'm going to wait probably a few years before attempting Crysis, seriously. I really want to play it once I get a really great system that will not have to skimp on settings (So I figure a few years and technology will have advanced a bit, and I'll be able to upgrade to something that can play Crysis better). What about Bioshock though? I wonder if I'll be able to play that on the non-SLI system pretty well? I've really wanted to give that game a try for a long time.. but impossible to do on this system.
 
Bioshock plays very well even on an 8800 GT at 1920x1200, so you should have nothing to worry about there.

If you do go SLI I'll go ahead and say again, the GTXs are nice, but not really worth it anymore. The 8800 GTS 512MB is nearly as fast, and even the 8800 GT 512MB is very fast in SLI. I would not recommend 8800 GT SLI, though, as more heat is not what you want with that particular card. It already runs really hot.
 
Oh yay, I talked my father into letting me get the SLI PC :D

...I have to give up buying a lot of other things though for it, but whatever. I told him I wouldn't even buy a new TV yet. I'd rather suffer with the crappy one I have, and be able to get a better computer. All I do is watch TV all day long, I don't really need HD yet (Until I decide on getting a PS3 or a 360 in a few months, perhaps). And I spend all my time on the computer, so it makes more sense to me to spend more money on the PC anyway.

I'm so excited :D And yeah, even though the GTX cards are so expensive and ridiculous.. I don't even care. I'm not going to be getting any other nice things, so I'm spoiling myself with the PC ;P Oh God I'm so excited.

Also, my father doesn't think I can put this together... I can't wait to (Hopefully) prove him wrong :p
 
God I really REALLY hope I can get that LG monitor... Bringing down the price ~$400 would be awesome. With this build, is the Samsung monitor I'm getting 100% worth it? Would it be stupid to go with the 5ms cheaper 24" Samsung LCD? Or any other LCD?

(17 items)
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $107.99 (( ZipZoomFly )) -$30 MIR
EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard -$259.99
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan -$154.99 -$25 MIR
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX TX 750W Power Supply Retail - $155 -$35 MIR (( ZipZoomFly ))
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 775 Quad-Core Processor - $254.99 (( Clubit.com ))
2x EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $830 -$100 MIR
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $99.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - $33.99
Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - $135.99 -$50 MIR
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speakers - $229.99 (( ClubIt.com ))
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - $45.99 -$10 MIR
SAMSUNG 24ST-BLACK Black 24" 6ms HDMI Widescreen HSMI LCD Monitor - $659.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - $109.99
CORSAIR Flash Voyager 2GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-2GB - $14.99
Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - $4.99
BELKIN BE112234-10 10 feet 12 Outlets 4120 joule Surge Suppressor with Phone/Modem, RJ45 and Coax Protection - $34.99

Store Totals
NewEgg: $2,390.87 (13 Items)
ZipZoomFly: $268.90 (2 Items)
ClubIt: $484.98 (2 Items)
Total: $3144.75

Shipping
NewEgg: $42.61
ZipZoomFly: $0.00
ClubIt: $34.99

Total: $3222.35

MIR: $215 (( $3007.35 ))
 
silent-circuit said:
Don't agree with the above build.

650i SLI is... blah, and at 1920x1200 the 8800 GTX is a better choice than the 8800 GTS 512MB, though there's no denying the price is good on the MSI cards, and I could probably get behind them for budget reasons.

I also am not a fan of ASUS, so their "value" brand is even worse in my eyes. No ASRock stuff.

Even at 950 watts, without knowing the OEM for that Rosewill PSU I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Click to expand...

The Asrock is a fully featured mobo that does 380FSB on a QX9650. I believe it can atleast do the same with a Q6600.
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3227&p=1

We both agree that the 8800GTS offers the best value. I also believe that 512MB is enough in most situations for 1920x1200 gaming.

$300 - MSI P7N Diamond 780i SLI
$700 - 2x 8800 GTX (AR, or used)
TOTAL= $1000

My setup:
$105 - ASRock Penryn1600SLI-110dB LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$245 ($30MIR) - MSI NX8800GTS-T2D512E GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$245 ($30MIR) - MSI NX8800GTS-T2D512E GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
TOTAL=$595-$60MIR= $535
That's alone $465 savings

Regarding the PSU, jonnyguru gave it a 9.
 
Seriously, drop the GTXs. They aren't worth the extra (the only reason I'm running two is I bought the first /long/ before there were 8800 GTS 512MBs or 8800 GTs or any of that.). The money is better spent elsewhere.
 
So there isn't a noticeable difference between two GTXs and two GTSs?
 
I agree with Silent -- thumbs down to the ASRock. Despite what AnandTech said about that board, I would be very wary about building a system around it. It's not a good option for a high end SLI setup. Also, 380FSB on a quad is quite weak. The reference 780i boards and the P7N Diamond will do 400-450mhz w/o issue.

Note that the P7N is $229 with discount at newegg. If you want cheaper SLI, a 750 board, such as the ASUS P5N-D or the MSI P7N Platinum, would be a good option.

Can't comment on the PSU since I don't know anything about it, although I too would hesitate to buy a Rosewill.
 
silent-circuit said:
Nope, not unless you're running 25xx by something on one of those 30" Dells that cost about 1/2 your budget... and even then, just barely.
Click to expand...

Haha okay. So then I'll be going with two of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130312
EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

Oh geez... It comes with a free copy of Crysis? I guess I'll be trying it out after all :(

I wonder how Crysis runs on two of the 8800GTS cards?
 
Markyip1 said:
I agree with Silent -- thumbs down to the ASRock. Despite what AnandTech said about that board, I would be very wary about building a system around it. It's not a good option for a high end SLI setup. Also, 380FSB on a quad is quite weak. The reference 780i boards and the P7N Diamond will do 400-450mhz w/o issue.

Note that the P7N is $229 with discount at newegg. If you want cheaper SLI, a 750 board, such as the ASUS P5N-D or the MSI P7N Platinum, would be a good option.

Can't comment on the PSU since I don't know anything about it, although I too would hesitate to buy a Rosewill.
Click to expand...

The Asrock is still cheaper, offers a better featureset, and offers overclockability needed by a Q6600 to reach its maximum potential. However, since it seems irreputable, I wouldn't go for it :eek:.
 
Since you're getting a nice 24" monitor, you can pickup a TV Tuner card and watch TV on your PC. ;)
 
enginurd said:
Since you're getting a nice 24" monitor, you can pickup a TV Tuner card and watch TV on your PC. ;)
Click to expand...

You know, that's a good idea since I won't be buying a TV for a little while now. But then I won't be able to play games while watching TV, which is what I do all day :D But a TV tuner would be nice... I could probably watch HD stuff on it, right? Like on Sundays when I watch NASCAR.. it would probably look pretty nice on the monitor I bet :)


Okay! So here is the final FINAL build for now (Minus the TV tuner in case I decide to go with one)

(17 items)
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $107.99 (( ZipZoomFly )) -$30 MIR
MSI P7N Diamond LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard with SoundBlaster X-Fi Extreme Audio -$259.99 -$30 MIR
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan -$154.99 -$25 MIR
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX TX 750W Power Supply Retail - $155 -$35 MIR (( ZipZoomFly ))
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 775 Quad-Core Processor - $254.99 (( Clubit.com ))
2x EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $299.99 -$30 MIR ($599.98... $60 MIR)
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $99.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - $33.99
Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - $135.99 -$50 MIR
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speakers - $209.99 (( Buy.com )) -$40 MIR
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - $45.99 -$10 MIR
SAMSUNG 24ST-BLACK Black 24" 6ms HDMI Widescreen HSMI LCD Monitor - $659.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - $109.99
CORSAIR Flash Voyager 2GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-2GB - $14.99
Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - $4.99
BELKIN BE112234-10 10 feet 12 Outlets 4120 joule Surge Suppressor with Phone/Modem, RJ45 and Coax Protection - $34.99

Store Totals
NewEgg: $2,160.87 (13 Items)
ZipZoomFly: $268.90 (2 Items)
ClubIt: $254.99 (1 Item)
Buy.com: $209.99 (1 Item)
Total: $2894.75

Shipping
NewEgg: $38.88
ZipZoomFly: $0.00
ClubIt: $4.99

Total: $2938.62

MIR: $330
Final Price: $2608.62



Please look it over ;D And let me know if there's anything I missed or still chose incorrectly. I'm pretty sure that this is final though.
 
(2X) $246 - Intel E5410 XEON 2.33GHz 1333MHz 771 12MB CPU OEM.
(2X) $30 - Kingwin Revolution H.D.T. (Heat-pipe Direct Touch) CPU Cooler RVT-12025, for Intel LGA775 and AMD Socket AM2/754/939/940 CPUs
(2X) $96 - Qimonda D2-800 2GB/256x72 ECC FB-DIMM Original Memory
$582 - Intel D5400XS LGA 771 Max-8GB ATX 1600MHz FSB 12MB Cache
(4X) $180 - GIGABYTE GV-RX387512H Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$60 - Razer Barracuda AC-1 Gaming Sound Card - RZ05-00130100-R2M1
$140 - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$34 - SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM
$120 (YMMV) - Rocketfish Aluminum Full Tower Case--BestBuy Clearance
$130 - Rosewill RX950-S-B ATX 12V v2.2 & EPS 12V v2.91 950W Power Supply - Retail (use code EMCADAEAB)
$210 ($40MIR) - Logitech Z 5500 Digital - PC Multimedia Home Theater Speaker System - 970115-0403
$$$ - Monitor
$110 - Windows
------------------------------------
TOTAL= $2850 - $40MIR
------------------------------------

You can't go wrong with a 2.8GHz octa-core + quad CF setup
Edit: It should work theoretically, but I never tried it.
 
Abu Som3a said:
The Asrock is still cheaper, offers a better featureset, and offers overclockability needed by a Q6600 to reach its maximum potential. However, since it seems irreputable, I wouldn't go for it :eek:.
Click to expand...

The ASRock is certainly cheaper, but it doesn't offer a better feature set or, by your admission, the overclockability needed by a Q6600 to reach its maximum potential.

The ASRock features 2 PCI-E 1.1 x16 lanes and 1 PCI-E 1.1 x8 lane with an older 650i chipset, whereas the 780i reference boards feature 2 PCI-E x16 2.0 lanes and 1 PCI-E x16 1.1 lane (and the P7N has an additional x16 mechanical / x8 electrical lane.) It features 4 SATA ports instead of 6 on the reference 780i boards and on the Diamond. It has only four USB ports on the back panel, vs 6 on the Diamond, and features no eSATA ports. It does, however, have legacy COM and serial ports, which is a major plus if you need them. No modern, high end board will have these.

With most Q6600s being able to easily reach 3.6ghz on air, and upwards of 4ghz on water, I'd say that a 390fsb on a Q9650 falls short, especially considering that 45nm chips tend to support higher FSBs than their 65nm predecessors.

To the OP, the P7N is the best choice at the moment, as it's currently the same price as the reference boards at Newegg. However, if you want to keep the mobo to under $200, your best bet would be a 750i board. The only two options at the 750i level (at the moment) are the ASUS P5N-D and the MSI P7N Platinum. I have no experience with either board, but would easily recommend the MSI board based upon excellent experiences with the Diamond.
 
Syribo said:
SLI Build

(17 items)
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $107.99 (( ZipZoomFly )) -$30 MIR
MSI P7N Diamond LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard with SoundBlaster X-Fi Extreme Audio -$259.99 -$30 MIR
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan -$154.99 -$25 MIR
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX TX 750W Power Supply Retail - $155 -$35 MIR (( ZipZoomFly ))
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 775 Quad-Core Processor - $254.99 (( Clubit.com ))
2x EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $299.99 -$30 MIR ($599.98... $60 MIR)
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $99.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - $33.99
Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - $135.99 -$50 MIR
Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1 Speakers - $229.99 (( ClubIt.com ))
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - $45.99 -$10 MIR
SAMSUNG 24ST-BLACK Black 24" 6ms HDMI Widescreen HSMI LCD Monitor - $659.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - $109.99
CORSAIR Flash Voyager 2GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-2GB - $14.99
Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - $4.99
BELKIN BE112234-10 10 feet 12 Outlets 4120 joule Surge Suppressor with Phone/Modem, RJ45 and Coax Protection - $34.99
Click to expand...

I'd say your good to go, although I personally would go for a different case. Of course, case preference is most subjective, so you shouldn't consider an alternative unless you aren't completely happen with the Armor and haven't yet looked at alternatives.

For a setup like this, having airflow over the graphics cards is important. The Silverstone TJ-09, CoolerMaster Cosmos (and S series,) and the Lian Li PC-A77 are just three examples of cases which have mid-case air intake mechanisms to keep the cards cool. Not sure if the Thermaltake does. I would just double check reviews to make sure that it keeps videocards from getting too warm :)

Good luck on building everything. Be sure to post pics!
 
Abu Som3a said:
I was comparing the Asrock vs 750i cards. The Asrock has Wi-fi and a better audio chipset:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2000200280&PropertyCodeValue=717%3A26983%2C717%3A33942&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16813157120%2CN82E16813130159%2CN82E16813131232
Also, the OP is buying a Q6600, so talk about Q9650 is off-topic.
Click to expand...

Gotch'ya. About the QX9650, note that I was responding to your post.

The Asrock is a fully featured mobo that does 380FSB on a QX9650. I believe it can atleast do the same with a Q6600.
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3227&p=1
Click to expand...
 
I meant that if it could do 380FSB on a QX9650, 380FSB should also be possible on Q6600.

How's my other build?
 
Markyip1 said:
I'd say your good to go, although I personally would go for a different case. Of course, case preference is most subjective, so you shouldn't consider an alternative unless you aren't completely happen with the Armor and haven't yet looked at alternatives.

For a setup like this, having airflow over the graphics cards is important. The Silverstone TJ-09, CoolerMaster Cosmos (and S series,) and the Lian Li PC-A77 are just three examples of cases which have mid-case air intake mechanisms to keep the cards cool. Not sure if the Thermaltake does. I would just double check reviews to make sure that it keeps videocards from getting too warm :)

Good luck on building everything. Be sure to post pics!
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I picked the Thermaltake armor case because it seems huge, and I figure I need a giant case for all this stuff. I will read the reviews again, and see what they say about the Video Cards heating problems.. And I'll keep those other cases in mind :)

I will be posting plenty of pictures, believe me.. And while I'm building it, I'll be posting a step by step picture log here to make sure I am doing everything correctly :)

My next step is finding some kind of desk to support both PCs and monitors now... I'm bed ridden so my computer is set up next to my bed.. Here, I'll even draw a ghetto diagram in paint :D
lolwat.jpg

So I have to find something big enough, and low enough so that I can see my monitors, that will fit all this stuff! Argh..

Also, Yay! By getting the speakers from Buy.com ( http://www.buy.com/prod/logitech-z-...heater-speaker-system/q/loc/111/10380059.html ), between the MIR and the cheaper price.. I saved a lot of money.

Final cost of system is now: $2608.62
 
Syribo said:
Isn't that monitor better than the Samsung that I'm getting?
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LG vs Samsung (greater than = better than, lesser than = worse than)
8ms < 6ms
500cd/m² > 300 cd/m²
1000:1 < 1500:1

Samsung wins 2-1.
 
How about for HDD... Now that I'm getting the GTS cards, I can afford a second hard drive, thank God. So... What should I go for (Keep in mind that I CAN afford either one)

2x : Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $104.99 each
OR
2x : Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $119.99 each

Is it worth the extra $15 each to get the 32mb cache drives? Again, I can afford it.. so which should I go with? And should I stick with Seagate for sure? I was originally going with the WD Caviar 500gb drive... Should I just get two of those? I don't know what to do :x
 
The 32MB versions are newer, and slightly faster, but not significantly faster. The extra cache helps only a little bit. Platter density would help more, but the new 320GB/platter drives for seagate aren't out yet, IIRC. My Seagate drives tend to run louder than my WDs and Samsungs. The WDs and Samsungs perform on par with the Seagates, but the Seagates have a longer warranty (5yr vs 3yr).

There are some new WD drives out, using the single 320GB platter. They're much faster than previous drives, but unfortunately, hard to find. WD mixed the old stock with new, and the only way to tell the difference is the revision number: WD3200AAKS-00B3A0. No online retailer will guarantee the B3 revision, so its luck of the draw or resort to eBay and pay a premium for such a guarantee. To give you an idea of the speed of the drives, here are some synthetic numbers:

Avg Transfer Rate, Access Time: HDD info, Price I paid (except for raptor - twas a gift)
**note, these figures come from HDTune, a synthetic benchmark for HDDs.
112MB/s, 13.2ms: RAID0 'cuda's, 600GB total, $120 (ICH9R on P35-DS3R)
90MB/s, 16.5ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS-00B3A0, $95 (NEW single 320GB/platter; tested by KenF)
78MB/s, 08.2ms: WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB, $160
76MB/s, 13.7ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB, $150
72MB/s, 15.4ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB, $65
68MB/s, 13.3ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB, $60
63MB/s, 13.4ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB, $100
62MB/s, 15.3ms: Samsung HD501LJ 500GB, $105
52MB/s, 14.0ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB, $70
 
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