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Need advise on build

I

ios_rules

n00b
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
14
Hey all. First let me say that this is by far the best computer forum I've been to. Now on to the reason for my post.

I am in need of a new computer. I am in the IT field but don't necessarily work with PCs. I know enough to build one but don't have the time or patience. I have been looking at Puget, AVAdirect, VM, & Dell. I currently own a Dell that is about 7 - 8 years old. I bought it back when there was still a debate on memory (DDR vs. RAMBUS) & bus architecture (PCI vs. AGP). Ok, so I lost on both accounts ( I chose RAMBUS and AGP). I am not a gamer but need some horsepower for photo and video editing. Plus, I want to maximize my money.

Here is what I've spec'd out from AVAdirect. I'd appreciate it if the someone could critique my specs and choices of hardware and vendors.

# INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q6700 Quad-Core 2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 8MB (2 x 4MB) L2 Cache, 65nm, 65W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
# ARCTIC COOLING, Freezer 7 Pro Quiet CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775, Ceramic Bearing, Retail
# SERVICE, Do Not Overclock
# ASUS, P5KC, LGA775, Intel P35, 1333MHz FSB, DDR2/DDR3 1066MHz/1333MHz 8GB/4GB 4/2, PCIe x16 CF, SATA 3Gb/s RAID /5, HDA, GbLAN, FW, ATX, Retail
# G.SKILL, 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL4 (4-4-4-12) SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
# ASUS, EN8800GT/HTDP/1G/A, GeForce® 8800GT 600MHz, 1GB GDDR3 1800MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, DVI /2, HDTV-Out, Retail
# SEAGATE, 320GB Barracuda 7200.10, SATA II 300MB/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
# SEAGATE, 500GB Barracuda 7200.9, SATA II 300MB/s, 7200 RPM, 16MB cache, NCQ
# RAID, No RAID, Independent HDD Drives
# LINKSKEY, LKA-CR15BW Black/White 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, Internal USB
# LITE-ON, LH-20A1L Black/Beige 20x DVD±RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, Retail
# SILVERSTONE, Temjin TJ10 Black Tower Case, EATX, No PSU
# CUSTOM WIRING, Standard Wiring with Round Cables
# SEASONIC, M12-600 Power Supply, 80 PLUS®, 600W, 24-pin ATX EPS12V, Dual +12V, Active PFC, SLI Certified

TIA,
Chris

I forgot to mention that I already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, DVD and CD burners.
 
You have chosen some nice components.
Just go with a good mid-range price board save your big expentature on a good graphics card & cpu also try a WD Raptor Hard drive for your main system drive.
 
Seagate performance has not been on par with the latest WD drives like the RE2 or Raptor so I'd switch those out for Western Digital. The freezer 7 heatsink was a super easy install, but the XP90 I believe would keep things cooler, but you have to use special mounting. I have had no issues with my freezer 7 though. I am just doing a mild overclock.
 
Why pay the price premium for a Q6700 over a Q6600? 260mhz hardly seems worth the extra $300 AVA charges you.

I assume you will be going with a 64 bit version of XP or Vista, since you are going with 4gig of memory.
 
I may change the processor to the Q6600. I will probably use 32bit version of Vista. I know that it will only recognize only 3G of memory but I thought since the prices for memory is not high, might as well go ahead and make an even 4G for when I do upgrade to 64bit Vista. Plus, I do not like odd numbers. I'm OCD. LOL. I would go with 64bit Vista but afraid of not being able to run my current software.
 
I would get the Q6600 for sure. Also, you don't need a Raptor. Just get a decent sized HDD with a lot of cache. I don't see a problem with the one you chose.
 
Don't forget to leave something in the budget for back-up (on-site and off-site).
 
AgentZap said:
Seagate performance has not been on par with the latest WD drives like the RE2 or Raptor so I'd switch those out for Western Digital. The freezer 7 heatsink was a super easy install, but the XP90 I believe would keep things cooler, but you have to use special mounting. I have had no issues with my freezer 7 though. I am just doing a mild overclock.
Click to expand...

Freezer 7 cools better than XP90. I've used both. Pretty much any rear blowing upright HSF with heatpipes will beat out a down blowing HSF. The difference is probably minimal though...3-4C at most.
 
ios_rules said:
Thanks for the info about the Seagate Drives. I never knew that.
Click to expand...

You might want to check out the Western Digital Caviar drives. Tom's Hardware recently did a review on the new Caviar drives, and the drives did very well and were fast. I'm not sure if the Caviar drives were included as a choice in your particular spec, but AVA Direct sells them, so you can always ask Misha to use them. Here's a link to the WESTERN DIGITAL, 320GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD3200AAKS), SATA 300MB/s, 7200 RPM, 16MB cache.
 
kirbyrj said:
Freezer 7 cools better than XP90. I've used both. Pretty much any rear blowing upright HSF with heatpipes will beat out a down blowing HSF. The difference is probably minimal though...3-4C at most.
Click to expand...


I would take a Freezer 7 over almost any other CPU cooler, including peltier units...I've been able to do modest overclocks using this heatsink with no problem.
 
Heather Taylor said:
I would take a Freezer 7 over almost any other CPU cooler, including peltier units...I've been able to do modest overclocks using this heatsink with no problem.
Click to expand...

You have any experience with other clones like the Coolermaster or the Rosewill varieties?
 
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