Need some general help on a system build

[dot.]

Case - ($169.99 / $109.99) [N82E16811119103]

Case Fans {x7} - ($45.43) [N82E16811998122]

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Power Supply - ($129.99 / $79.99) [N82E16817171024]

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Motherboard - ($159.99 / $129.99) [N82E16813188015]

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CPU - ($279.99) [N82E16819115017]

CPU Cooler - ($21.99) [N82E16835186134]

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Video Card - ($289.99) [N82E16814130303]

VGA Cooler - ($43.99) [N82E16835109135]

VGA Cooler Fan - ($10.99) [N82E16811999613]

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RAM - ($42.99 / $32.99) [N82E16820211066]

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IDE controller ($9.99) [N82E16816132004]
IDE Cables (x3) ($11.97) [N82E16812104202]

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I'm going to keep my current Hdd's (both IDE) monitor (DVI), kb/m, optical drives (3 IDE) speakers etc. What I'm asking here is

1) Is everything compatible?
2) Will everything physically fit in the case? (I'm most worried about the CPU cooler touching the fans on the door panel)
3) Am I forgetting something? As far as installation goes or otherwise?

Thanks!

 

[engiNURD]

Please list parts so we don't have to click on a dozen links. Thanks!

ps: and no, we haven't memorized the entire newegg inventory according to newegg item numbers.

Since you didn't mention more info...

What size monitor do you have?
What games do you play and at what settings?
What else do you do with your system besides game?
What's your budget?
What does that budget include?
Do you plan on OC'ing?

 

[dot.]

What size monitor do you have?

22" [1680x1050]

What games do you play and at what settings?

Right now? Next to nothing . My aim is the new crop, stuff like Crysis, CoD, The Witcher..etc

What else do you do with your system besides game?

Some minor graphics editing, movies and music.

What's your budget?

I don't have a firm "budget" -but I don't want to get absolutely carried away either.

Do you plan on OC'ing?

Probably both the CPU and GPU, at least a little.

 

[tiraides]

I have a couple of questions myself:

- What hard drives do you have?
- Why do you need three optical drives?

Now, for my suggestions (though enginurd's suggestion to write out the acutal parts names is a good one):

- Get a Q6600 with a guaranteed G0 stepping from ClubIT. The G0 stepping uses less voltage, which allows it to run cooler and gives it greater OC potential.

- With prices as low as they have been, now's a good time to purchase 4GB of DDR2 800 memory. I personally recommend this set of G.Skill DDR2 800 memory.

- I'd also recommend one of these CPU coolers instead:
Cooler Master GeminII RR-CCH-ANU2-GP HSF & 120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12 Case Fan
Scythe SCNJ-1100P Ninja HSF
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan

- If you're getting that many fans, choose Yate Loons. They range between $3-$6 each (check out SVC, Jab-Tech, and/or Xoxide) and perform just as well as the more expensive types.

- You may also want to consider the 512GB (G92) 8800GTS... its performance is really good, even compared to the 8800GTX.

 

[Dangman]

1) Yes.
2) The AC7Pro is a relatively small HSF. However, I would not recommend going with one for a Q6600. Any of the ones that tiraides listed are far better choices than the the AC7Pro.
3) Not that I can see.

For your resolution, you do NOT need an SLI motherboard, You only need SLI if you're gaming at a resolution of 1920x1200 or higher with max settings. Also, by the time you're ready to buy that second card, there will already be a single card that can perform on par or better than your SLI setup at the same or even cheaper price.

So go with a P35 motherboard instead. They're a bit cheaper and they perform and OC just as well or even better than some 680i motherboards. Here's a few recommendations:
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $86
Abit IP35-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $145
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $168
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $175

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports or legacy ports, then the IP35-E is a good choice. If you but want 8 SATA ports, RAID, and legacy ports and high overclocks, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire, then go for the DS3P. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high, than the IP35 Pro.

 

[engiNURD]

c'mon... there's a dozen links there! plz list them?! lol

eh, no point now, though... since i'll just agree with tiraides and danny, lol.

he posted a dozen nameless links~!!!!

 

[dot.]

My original plan was to go with the Tuniq Tower, but I was just really concerned with the height issues, if it'll fit without any problems then it's definitely the cooler I'd want to go with.

I'm also unsure what the G0 stepping is - but it sounds cool!

Thanks for the tip on the mobo, my buddy has that same board and it works/has worked really well for him, but if I can save a few bucks with the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L (I couldn't find the IP35-E on Newegg? ) then I'm all for it, thats why I had intentions on using it. But both the IP35-E and DS3L seem to be very reliable from what I read.

I was originally going to go with 4GB of RAM, but I heard that XP only reads (can use) just a shade over 3GB of it, sort of seems like a waste? (I have absolutely no desire to move to Vista)

I use all the optical drives

Thanks for all the help guys

 

[engiNURD]

Yes, XP 32-bit will only see around 3.5GB, but RAM is so cheap that if you want 4GB, now is a good time to get it. If you want to OC and have 4GB, you'd be best served by a 2x2GB config.

G0 is the latest stepping from Intel. It requires less voltage and therefore runs cooler -- which is a good thing whether or not you plan on OC'ing. Newegg does not guarantee the G0 stepping, so get it from clubit.com instead, since they guarantee it.

You can't go wrong with the DS3L or the IP35-E -- both are good boards, IMO.

The Tuniq may hit one of the sidepanel fan mounts of the stacker. A good alternative to the Tuniq, as far as cooling performance goes, is the Ultima90 + Panaflo fan. Its also smaller, lighter, and easier to install.

 

[tiraides]

This is me being nice (for you, enginurd)...

NOTE: All items come from NewEgg

Cooler Master Stacker 830 case - $169.99 (with $60 mail-in rebate)
7x APEVIA CF12SL-UGN 120mm green LED fans (for CM Stacker 830) - $45.43 (@ $6.49 each)
Cooler Master Real Power Pro 750 watt power supply - $129.99 (with $50 mail-in rebate)
EVGA 122-CK-NF67-T1 680i LT motherboard - $159.99 (with $30 mail-in rebate)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - $279.99
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU cooler - $21.99
EVGA GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB video card - $289.99
Thermalright HR-03 Rev A VGA cooler - $43.99
Vantec 92mm fan (for VGA cooler) - $10.99
A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 dual channel kit - $42.99 (with $10 mail-in rebate)
Rosewill RC-200 IDE RAID Controller PCI card - $9.99
3x Vantec 18" round IDE cable - $11.97 (@ $3.89 each)

Total (not including taxes/shipping) - $1217.00 (with $150 in mail-in rebates)

While still being nice, I'm going to answer your (dot.'s) questions...

What I'm asking here is

1) Is everything compatible?
2) Will everything physically fit in the case? (I'm most worried about the CPU cooler touching the fans on the door panel)
3) Am I forgetting something? As far as installation goes or otherwise?

1) Yes, everything is compatible.
2) The CM Stacker cases are larger than the average mid-tower case; everything should fit without any problems.
3) A lot of people would recommend Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound, but truthfully, all retail parts come with all of the materials needed for assembly. (OEM or used/refurbished parts usually don't, but I don't see any of those in your setup).

And now, no more Mr. Nice Guy... you never really answered my questions -- and no, "I use all the optical drives" doesn't help us in any way.

I'm going to keep my current Hdd's (both IDE) monitor (DVI), kb/m, optical drives (3 IDE) speakers etc.

Please be specific and tell us the name and model of all of the items you plan on reusing. The reason why I asked about the optical drives is because I believe that you can save yourself some headaches (and some money) by purchasing an SATA optical drive (for most tasks, you only really need one drive) so you could free up your IDE ports for your hard drives. (Most of the motherboards that Danny recommended only have one IDE port that supports up to two IDE drives.)

The IP35-E can be found elsewhere, but none of the major retailers (NewEgg, ZipZoomFly, ClubIT) seem to have it. Also, the video card (and the VGA cooler) you've linked to is out of stock. You can find a cheap 8800GT (or a G92 8800GTS) at ZipZoomFly.

Also, you want a power supply that provides a lot of power on the 12V rail. The CM power supply you've posted generates 19A... a Corsair 550VX, for example, produces 41A. (Also, shop around: using Google Product Search and/or Pricewatch, you could find a Corsair 550VX, which works just as well as -- if not better than -- the CM PSU for around $83 -- at Buy.com, with a $15 mail-in rebate. And while we're on the subject, don't subtract the prices from mail-in rebates from your costs, as it's not 100% guaranteed that you'll even see the rebate. That, and you have to pay the full retail costs up front before even receiving the rebate.)

 

[Dangman]

Also, you want a power supply that provides a lot of power on the 12V rail. The CM power supply you've posted generates 19A... a Corsair 550VX, for example, produces 41A.

Actually, that CM PSU has 54A on the +12V rail since it has 648W available on the +12V rail, divide that by 12 and you get the true max amperage: 54A on the +12V rail. And it also got a pretty decent review other than the fact that it was pretty noisy:
http://hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTM2MiwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

While something I personally wouldn't get since I prefer a bit more quality and 80+ efficiency in my PSUs, I wouldn't recommend against it. Unless there's a Corsair thats about the same price as it.

 

[tiraides]

Actually, that CM PSU has 54A on the +12V rail since it has 648W available on the +12V rail, divide that by 12 and you get the true max amperage: 54A on the +12V rail. And it also got a pretty decent review other than the fact that it was pretty noisy:
http://hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTM2MiwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

While something I personally wouldn't get since I prefer a bit more quality and 80+ efficiency in my PSUs, I wouldn't recommend against it. Unless there's a Corsair thats about the same price as it.

Ouch... I deserve that... especially since the "equivalent" Corsair 620HX/650VX power supplies retail for at least $140 each.

 

[dot.]

Please be specific and tell us the name and model of all of the items you plan on reusing.

Uhm, 2 el-cheapo CD burners and an el-cheapo DVD burner. Nothing special.

So what was the result on the PSU?

The one I picked would work, but the Corsair is better/cheaper?

 

[engiNURD]

why in the world would you need 3 optical drives? and you want to use the same 3 optical IDE drives in the new system, too? make sure that RAID card supports ATAPI, since most dont.

thanks tiraides!

 

[dot.]

I don't like swapping CD's

But that card does support ATAPI.

 

[engiNURD]

But that card does support ATAPI.

Are you sure about that?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132004

Silicon Image SiI 0680
Compliant with UltraDMA6 ATA/133 specifications
Compliant with PCI v2.2 Plug-n-Play
Provides two independent Ultra ATA channels
Full ACPI power management support
Supports Ultra DMA 0-6 and Multi-word DMA 0-2
Supports hard drives larger than 137GB
Supports RAID 0(Striping), RAID1(Mirroring) and RAID 0+1 (Mirror+Striping)
CRC(Cyclical Redundancy Check) error-checking provides data verification and achieves flawless data transfer
Achieves burst data transfer rates up to 133MB/sec
Works with various brand of Ultra ATA 133/100/66/33 hard disk drives

Warning:RC-200 is design for hard drive only and can't work with DVD ROM. If you want to plug a DVD ROM, please consider RC-208.

Did I miss something or did you just assume they would work?

 

[tiraides]

Please be specific and tell us the name and model of all of the items you plan on reusing.

Uhm, 2 el-cheapo CD burners and an el-cheapo DVD burner. Nothing special.

Save yourself the trouble and get a SATA DVD burner, such as a Samsung SH-S203B or a Lite-On LH-20A1S. And just suck it up and swap out discs -- you don't really need more than one optical drive anyways.

Now, what hard drives do you have again? And are you really planning on using RAID?

So what was the result on the PSU?

The one I picked would work, but the Corsair is better/cheaper?

Danny said that the one you chose (the Cooler Master 750 watt) is acceptable for its price ($130 with a $50 MIR), while I made the suggestion of a Corsair 550VX ($83 with a $15 MIR). The Corsair can power all of your stuff just as well as (and is cheaper than) the Cooler Master PSU, but the CM generates more power (and is cheaper than the two Corsair "equivalents" I mentioned earlier).

 

[dot.]

The 550w Corsair 550VX will be sufficient power for my planned system?

 

[engiNURD]

more than sufficient.

 

[dot.]

22" LCD (1680x1050)
Gigabyte DS3L mobo
Q6600 (G0 Stepping) with Tuniq Tower
4GB (2GBx2) G.Skill RAM
EVGA 8800GTS (G92)
LG DVD Burner (SATA - OEM)
Corsair 550VX PSU

All inside the Coolmaster Stacker 830 with 7 of the APEVIA 120mm green LED fans.

Seems solid, Crysis and games of the sort should run reasonably well?

 

[Dangman]

Yeah it should as long as your definition of reasonable means a few setting can be turned down or even off.

 

[JamesGold]

Crysis should run around medium - high with those specs.

 

[engiNURD]

In case you missed it...

...
The Tuniq may hit one of the sidepanel fan mounts of the stacker. A good alternative to the Tuniq, as far as cooling performance goes, is the Ultima90 + Panaflo fan. Its also smaller, lighter, and easier to install.

Though, if you stick with the Tuniq, its a simple fix to your case.

 

[dot.]

Thanks a lot for the help guys, I'm in the process of ordering everything up.

Flight Sim X and Crysis are first up in the queue.