Looking for final confirmation on new build

C

carlinra

n00b
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
3
I've been planning a new machine for about a month now, and am down to the last bits & bolts before purchasing. I'm planning to go with AVA Direct, primarily because
(a) I can configure it to my liking
(b) Everything I want fits in my budget.
and
(c) I can outsource my own tech support :)

Further context:
Usage: Primarily gaming, with some work functions as well (MS Office)
Video resolution: 1680x1050
Budget: No more than $2500
Expected lifetime: 3 years minimum; stretch goal of 5 years

I'd like to ask the folks here to please provide comment, good or bad, on the build below.
  • INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q9550 (Plan to overclock)
  • XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink
  • ARCTIC COOLING, MX-2 High-Performance Thermal Compound
  • ASUS, P5Q Deluxe
  • MUSHKIN, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Performance EM2-6400 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-18) 1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
  • VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870
  • AUZENTECH, Auzen X-Mystique 7.1 Gold
  • WESTERN DIGITAL, 640GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD6400AAKS)
  • ROSEWILL, RCR-102 Black 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive
  • SONY, DDU1615/B2S Black 16x DVD-ROM Drive
  • SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S203N Black 20x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner
  • ANTEC, Performance One P182 Black Mid-Tower Case
  • CASE FAN, NON-LED, Fans Maximum Package, Low Noise
  • SCYTHE, Kama-Meter Fan Control Panel, 4 Channels, 5.25" Bay, Silver/Black/White
  • PC POWER & COOLING, Silencer®, 80 PLUS®, 750W Quad (Crossfire Edition) PSU
  • MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit Edition w/ SP1

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

RAC
 
You should be getting Vista 64bit for two reasons...

1 i say so
and
2 your using 4 gigs of RAM so unless you only want to see 3.2gigs of it you better grab the 64bit disk.
 
Dajet24: The main reason I'm not going 64-bit currently is because none of the non-MS programs I use for work run in 64-bit. Otherwise, yes, I realize I'm only going to get ~3.2GB of value of the 4GB RAM. :)

Thanks to both you and Pnanasnoic for your comments!

RAC
 
semi curious now... I have not found any software that does not work in Vista 64 that does in 32 what type of stuff do you work with ? some sorta VPN ?
 
I recommend ditching the P5Q Deluxe. It's overpriced for a P45 motherboard considering that the slightly better performing as well as better Crossfire support X38 and X48 motherboards could be found for around the same price. So get a motherboard based on the X38 or X48 chipsets or a cheaper P45 motherboard.
 
Danny,

Would you recommend the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4? It's the closest board in price to the P5Q Deluxe at AVA, and may be slightly more "extendable" in terms of longevity. The other option you proposed - "downgrading" the P45 board - would move me to the P5Q Pro.

I've read your post on mobo recommendations here, and I wouldn't consider myself as having cash to burn; however, I'd like to have a board that will last for an extended period of time. The last box I built (in 2003) is the one I'm still using, and I'd hope that this one would last close to this long... :)

Dajet24, to answer your question: In my "real job" I'm a database marketer, and I've got an old copy of SAS that I know runs on XP. I'm hedging my bets on Vista 32-bit, assuming that 32-bit is 32-bit. Worst case scenario is that I choose to move to 64-bit at a later time.

Thanks, both of you!
RAC
 
carlinra said:
I've read your post on mobo recommendations here, and I wouldn't consider myself as having cash to burn; however, I'd like to have a board that will last for an extended period of time. The last box I built (in 2003) is the one I'm still using, and I'd hope that this one would last close to this long... :)
Click to expand...

The X48-DS4 is a good motherboard as well as the P5Q Pro. However do note that a $250 motherboard will not last the much longer than a quality $150 motherboard. So in other words: you will not get that much more longevity by going with the X48-DS4 over the P5Q Pro to warrant the extra costs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top