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Need Advice on system build

C

Croyd

n00b
Joined
Nov 5, 2004
Messages
40
Hi folks,

I ordered the following parts;
1) ASUS PK5-E with wifi
2) XFX 8800GT
3) Q6600 CPU

I'm interested in getting 2GB of ram and I will probably be running Vista.

Questions:
1 ) Is that enough memory? The most intensive thing I'll probably ever do is play some FPS games.

2) Also, what memory should I get? I was thinking of getting: G.SKILL DDR2 PC2 6400 2GB Kit (F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK) Is this memory good? I'm not sure if I plan to overclock but I may consider it later.

3) Do I need a HSF? I ordered the retail Q6600. Does it come with a HSF? If not, what are your suggestions? I may overclock later.

4) This is the first system I will build from scratch. Any tips when putting this together? Do I basically just hook up everything, turn it on and hopee everything works or do I really need to fiddle in the BIOS settings to set up the CPU and memory?

One other thing, I have a PK5-E with Q6600, 1 DVD burner, 3 HDs (1 SATA, 2 IDEs)..
I don't plan to add any more drives so I don't really need a case with like 10-12 drive bays ;-)


Thanks,
Croyd
 
The ram is good i have it but for vista the 2x2gb gskill for 85 would be better. the q6600 comes with stock hsf but a better one would overclock better
 
1) 2GB of RAM is enough for many games out there.
2) With the Q6600, you do not need to OC the RAM. ANY DDR2 800 RAM will work fine even with overclocking in mind. That G.Skill set is a good choice but I recommend getting this other G.Skill instead due to it's free shipping and lower price:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ 2 x 1GB DDR2 800 RAM - $44
3) The retail Q6600 comes with a HSF. However if you're planning on overclocking, I recommend getting a better HSF like this one:
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle HSF - $37
4) Check the FAQ and look for the MechBGon guide to building a PC. One of the most thorough guides out there for building a PC.

Also, what power supply are you going to be using with this new PC?
 
Cool. Good luck with this rig! Post some pics if you can!
 
Croyd said:
2) Also, what memory should I get? I was thinking of getting: G.SKILL DDR2 PC2 6400 2GB Kit (F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK) Is this memory good? I'm not sure if I plan to overclock but I may consider it later.
Click to expand...

Hi folks,

I just read the following on another board:
"just bought a pair of Mushkin HP-8500 for a PK5-E wifi board. I've read that DDR2 default volts are 1.8 but this RAM needed 1.85v to "boot" according to Mushkin HP2-8500 2GB Memory Kit Review. Will I need another set of DDR2 to post and set the correct volts. in the bios?"

Will this be an issue if I bought the G.Skill memory I mentioned above? On the G.Skill website, it says the test voltage is 2.0 ~ 2.1V.

Will I run into any issues or have to buy another set of DDR2 to get it to post?

Thanks!
Croyd
 
As onedestinazn2 said, you should be fine. Get the kit Danny linked to instead if you're worried about anything. The lower timings don't do much. You won't notice the difference between CL4 and CL5, unless you're running benchmarks (and even then, its negligible), so don't pay a huge price premium for lower latency. While the extra $5 isn't much, the cheaper kit does operate at 1.8v.
 
roarsoar said:
ddr2 ram is dirt cheap right now, i would just max it out
Click to expand...

Bad idea. Most people won't see much benefit beyond 2GB of RAM in their system -- though we have been recommending 4GB due to its (relatively) low prices. And 8GB is only need for programs that would actually utilize all of that memory, like Photoshop or Maya.

If all the OP is going to do with this system is play games, then 2GB is fine for him.
 
Hi folks,

Another question, originally I wanted the P5K-E/wifi motherboard but now I've noticed there's a new board called the Asus P5Q-E. Since I have a PCI-E 2.0 XFX card, do you think it's worth the money to purchase the Asus P5Q-E? It's about $20-$30 CDN more but I'm not sure if I get a lot of benefit out of it. Also, everyone states the P5K-E is a rock solid board but I haven't heard much about the P5Q-E.

Any thoughts? Also I heard the P5K-E wifi is not that good. Is there one without wifi? I haven't noticed any stores selling a P5K-E without wifi.

Thanks!
Croyd
 
The P5Q-E is the P5K-E's replacement. You haven't heard much about it because it just came out within the past week. So, if you like the possibility of having to deal with BIOS issues and waiting for new BIOS updates to get things stable, go for it. Otherwise, the P5K-E is still a good choice. $30 price premium for PCI-E2.0 isn't worth it, IMO. Current PCI-E2.0 cards don't saturate the PCI-E1.x slot, so you should be fine for the next couple years or so, until PCI-E3.0 comes out.

Yes, there is one without WiFi, but I havent heard much of a difference between the two. I've used the WiFi one and it worked well.
 
microcenter always has 15+ open box Asus P5K, sales dude tells me lots of people return them cause they don't like them or something. Not to sway your decision cause i know jack about Mobo cept my own. Just an fyi
 
Rydawg5143 said:
microcenter always has 15+ open box Asus P5K, sales dude tells me lots of people return them cause they don't like them or something. Not to sway your decision cause i know jack about Mobo cept my own. Just an fyi
Click to expand...

By that logic, don't buy any board Fry's sells, since they have a ton of open box ones for each model, lol.
 
I was planning to pick up a P182 case for my DIY but it's a bit hard to find where I am. Is there any Thermaltake or Cool Master cases which someone could recommend which is roughly the same price? I'm looking for the following:

1) fairly quiet
2) comfortable amount of space to do work in the case
3) some type of cable management would be preferred.
4) exterior looks ok (black)
5) removable hard drive compartments and tooless installs
6) external eSata (nice to have)

Thanks!
Croyd
 
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