New build - Suggestions?

S

StudioXcel

n00b
Joined
Aug 23, 2006
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18
I'm putting together a rig that will last me for a few years (with minor upgrades) and I want to check with you guys on the parts before I purchase it. Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

1 x Antec P150 (430W Neo PSU)
1 x Asus P5B-E (may go with the P5B Deluxe if I have a few extra dollars)
1 x E6400
1 x Scythe Infinity
1 x OCZ Platinum XTC DDR2-800 2GB 4-5-4-15 Dual Channel kit
1 x EVGA 7900 GS
1 x Zalman VF900-CU
4 x WD Caviar SE16 250GB (possibly cut back to 2 drives) (running in RAID 0)
1 x Lite-on DVD burner (black)
1 x Hauppauge PVR-150 OEM

Well, that's it. As is, it totals around $1960 (Canadian) after shipping and taxes. I plan on OCing this guy to around 3.5Ghz, memory at DDR2-900 (approx), and OCing the 7900 GS a little bit. The VGA heatsink is mostly for noise reduction.

My biggest worry is with the power supply. Will it be enough to provide the power for 4 hard drives, the 7900 GS, and OCed proc and memory? If not, will it be fine with only 2 hard drives? Voltage stability is very important for pushing CPU to the max (not that I'll run it that high all the time). Or should I sell the PSU and get something a little beefier?

Again, all suggestions are welcome, as I won't be ordering until around boxing day or a little later. Thanks!!
 
That PSU won't work for all that. Defintaly not. Go with something at least 550-600 watts.
 
No, the PSU will be fine. it's a high quality unit. It's perfect.

If you do intend to replace it though, I recommend a Seasonic S12-EP.
 
Thanks for the suggestion Bbq. I am most concerned about the PSU, but I would also like to know if that should be my mobo choice (or should I splurge and get the P5B Deluxe?). Any opinions on RAM?

Also, does anyone know if the P150 comes with extra "normal" 5.25" face plates, instead of the optical and floppy drive style (which I still like). Or should I just go with the Antec Solo (or some other case) and get a good PSU right away?
 
Well, thanks for the suggestion Rockjay420, but as it turns out that RAM is $309 CAD, and the RAM I chose is only $267.99 (after $32 MIR). So the Platinum is still $9 cheaper before rebate.

I did however check price matching on the RAM you said, and I found the PC2-5400 version for $256. So should I go with the Gold series, or stick with the Platinum. Also, you said I should get better timings than speed? Why do you say that? If I want to OC my processor to around 3.5 Ghz, my ram will have to be close to DDR2-900. Will either of these have an issue with that? I know my friend's Platinum (same RAM I chose) hit DDR2-920 stable.

EDIT: Also, I have read countless times that the speed has greater impact than tighter timings with DDR2 memory especially. DDR2-533 just seems really light and I would have to loosen the timings a lot just to get it near the DDR2-900 I need for a good E6400 OC.
 
aye, missed the part about oc, ddr2 800 should be good, just get some better timings is all
cheers mate ;)
 
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