New Build Suggestions

[[H]unter]

Hi
Looking for some ideas on a new build.
Here are the parts I'm looking to get so far:

CPU Q6600 $209.99
CPU Q9450 $339.99


GFX XFX GeForce 8800 GT $159.99 $(30.00)


RAM 4GB DDR2 PC6400 $79.99

MOBO ASUS P5N-D $149.99 $8.00



PSU S61EPS 610W $109.99 $(20.00)
PSU Antec earthwatts EA500 $59.99

FAN XIGMATEK HDT-S963 $24.99 $(10.00)

Already have case and HD's

I'm iffy on the Mobo. If anyone has suggestions for a SLIable x16 2.0 Mobo around that price point please let me know (can go up another $50 or so). Also and thoughts on the over all build.

Thanks guys

 

[StuckMan]

Can you please have links to the actual products? That would help out a bunch. Thanks

 

[Dangman]

What size monitor do you have? Good quote on SLI:

Just some info on SLI / Crossfire: It's absolutely not worth considering if a) you're gaming at a resolution under 1920x1200 (as you'll see no performance benefit over a single card,) and b) if you plan to buy one card now and another later. SLI / Crossfire as an upgrade path is usually a very poor idea, as by the time you're ready to get that second card, a new single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, there really is no cost benefit to the SLI Upgrade Route, as any additional cost in getting the new card can be easily mitigated in most situations by selling the original. By avoiding an SLI / Crossfire solution when it will not be of benefit, you gain a cooler running, simpler to maintain system and more importantly, access to a much better (and broader) selection of motherboards.

So if you don't plat at 1920x1200 and cannot buy both cards right away, forget SLI altogether and go with a mobo based on the P35 chipset. Or P45 if you can wait. I recommend these P35 mobos:

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $115
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5K-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, slightly better overclocking, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking options and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability and options, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, legacy ports and high overclocks and optional eSATA, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you like the DS3P but need 3 PCI slots instead of the DS3P's 2 PCI slots and like having non-optional eSATA, go for the Asus P5K-E. If you like the P5K-E but need wifi, then go for the P5K-E/Wifi-AP. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with RAID, eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. If you like the DS3P but want better cooling for overclocking, then go for the DS4. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.

If you do game at 1920x1200 and can get both cards right away, I recommend this SLI mobo:
eVGA 123-YW-E175-A nForce 750i FTW SLI Motherboard - $190

OH and I recommend going with this PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $99

 

[Dan_D]

What size monitor do you have? Good quote on SLI:


So if you don't plat at 1920x1200 and cannot buy both cards right away, forget SLI altogether and go with a mobo based on the P35 chipset. Or P45 if you can wait. I recommend these P35 mobos:

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $115
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5K-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, slightly better overclocking, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking options and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability and options, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, legacy ports and high overclocks and optional eSATA, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you like the DS3P but need 3 PCI slots instead of the DS3P's 2 PCI slots and like having non-optional eSATA, go for the Asus P5K-E. If you like the P5K-E but need wifi, then go for the P5K-E/Wifi-AP. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with RAID, eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. If you like the DS3P but want better cooling for overclocking, then go for the DS4. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.

If you do game at 1920x1200 and can get both cards right away, I recommend this SLI mobo:
eVGA 123-YW-E175-A nForce 750i FTW SLI Motherboard - $190

OH and I recommend going with this PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $99

I agree with this post. Even though the latest crop of NVIDIA chipset based reference/semi-reference designs are quite a bit better than previous efforts I'd still recommend an Intel chipset based board for everyone not looking to go with an SLI based system.

The post you quoted earlier about SLI and its' value in sub-1920x1200 gaming is right on the money. I'm a large supporter of SLI in general but I think its' an unrealistic upgrade path and most people would be better served by a more powerful single video card. So again I completely agree here.

With all the problems I've had with NVIDIA chipset based boards I just don't generally recommend them when an Intel chipset based board will do. So if you aren't going SLI you'll be doing yourself a favor by going with an Intel chipset based board.

 

[Dangman]

With all the problems I've had with NVIDIA chipset based boards I just don't generally recommend them when an Intel chipset based board will do. So if you aren't going SLI you'll be doing yourself a favor by going with an Intel chipset based board.

Note that his problems also include 12 dead 680i motherboards.

 

[Dan_D]

Note that his problems also include 12 dead 680i motherboards.

Also I'd like to point out I've had a whopping 2 dead motherboards in my own systems in 12 years. (Excluding 680i SLI motherboards.) I know I've had a bad run with 680i SLI boards and I am overclocking the piss out of them but I've had boards run overclocked for years without trouble. So I do put a large amount of blame on the design or at least the QC of the boards coming out of the factory. I am not totally off the hook for the failures myself as I said before I am overclocking the piss out of them but with that said I do believe I know what I'm doing and I've got a ton of experience with computer hardware even outside of HardOCP. So while I do not completely eliminate myself as a cause of some of these issues I do not believe it is me that is the primary reason why these things have such a high failure rate. I've got several friends with similar problems who do not overclock and use dual core processors instead of quad cores.

To be fair the 680i LT, 650i SLI and 650i Ultra boards I've worked with never gave me a problem. The only problematic 600 series chipset based boards I've experienced were all 680i SLI chipset based boards specifically. To date the 700 series has worked well for me excluding the 780i SLI chipset which truth be told is just a re-badged 680i SLI chipset with a companion chip added to it for PCI-Express 2.0 support. I've given both the 790i Ultra SLI and the 750i SLI FTW high marks as both worked very well for me.

However Intel boards produced by good manufacturers (ASUS, Gigabyte, etc.) are bullet proof and virtually problem free. They are the pinnacle of stability and while the last two NVIDIA boards I reviewed were as good as I've ever used I still tend to recommend Intel chipset based boards because their reliability and drivers are nothing short of absolute excellence in computing hardware and are a safe bet. I do have concerns about the 790i Ultra SLI reference boards' longevity based on the design of their voltage/electrical subsystem. It still is largely unchanged from the 680i SLI reference design. The boards still use traditional capacitors and a 6-phase power design. I will say from what I was able to learn about the 790i Ultra SLI reference boards electrical components I'm somewhat confident in their longevity but I still see a few coners being cut there. 6-phase power isn't a bad thing if its' implemented well but NVIDIA's 6-phase power design has fallen short of what I'd call a "good implementation" in the past. Most companies are already using or are moving to an 8-phase setup (with admittedly varying quality) and ASUS is even claiming 16-phase power on some new models.

 

[AndonSage]

GFX XFX GeForce 8800 GT $159.99 $(30.00)

The next generation of video cards from nVidia will be released next week, and from ATI the week after. I suggest waiting to see how these cards perform, before purchasing a video card this close to the new releases.

 

[Dan_D]

The next generation of video cards from nVidia will be released next week, and from ATI the week after. I suggest waiting to see how these cards perform, before purchasing a video card this close to the new releases.

Agreed. Even if you don't want to spend a ton of money on a new card your options will be greater when the new cards come out because guys like me will be looking to dump 8800GTX's, 9800GX2's and who knows what else for a really good price. So that's something to consider.

 

[StuckMan]

When that happens, what's a good place to buy used cards?

 

[onedestinazn2]

When that happens, what's a good place to buy used cards?

the for sale forums here lol

 

[engiNURD]

Like Dan, I agree with Danny, as usual.

For $100, that PSU Danny recommended is a steal. Though, since you don't need 750W, AND since the Earthwatts is on sale for such a nice price, go for the EA500 instead if you want to save a few bucks. It has more than enough power to run the rig you're planning on building.

So, what resolution do you plan on gaming at?

 

[Dan_D]

When that happens, what's a good place to buy used cards?

The FS/FT forums here on the [H].

 

[[H]unter]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I have two 21" CRT's that i'm not planning to replace. I currently play at 1280 x 720...

I would like to go SLI/CF because so far I have been playing with a X850XT and would really like to try out newer games at 1080p (possibly get a 42" at later stage too).

Thats a nice list of Mobo options, but as I said I am looking to go SLi/CF...
Anyone have any recommendations on good boards for the $100-$150 range that can go SLi/CF. Also want the boards to have Two PCIe x16 2.0 (both x16). on the P45 flavor I found this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299
But it is CrossfireX, which i would consider if someone can sway me to ATi

Looking for someone to tell me that the new 4xxx ATi is releasing will be superior in price/performance over NV.

BTW, Thanks for the PSU heads up.

I am going to get the Q6600. Can't see I should spend another $100 on the 45nm yet...

 

[engiNURD]

...I have two 21" CRT's that i'm not planning to replace. I currently play at 1280 x 720...

I would like to go SLI/CF because so far I have been playing with a X850XT and would really like to try out newer games at 1080p (possibly get a 42" at later stage too). ...

Until you get that 42" 1080P, a CF/SLI setup would be a waste of money, IMO. You don't start noticing the benefits of SLI until you reach the 1080P mark. Why push those CRTs that high if you could save money by playing at a lower resolution while it still looks good? The reason people don't play at lower resolutions on LCDs is because it doesn't look good. So, if you seriously want to plan to game at 1080P, get a SLI/Crossfire board but only stick with a single card for now, until you get that 1080P.

To prepare your system for SLI or Crossfire, look into either the nF 750i SLI FTW board or an X38 Crossfire board. You won't find a good SLI/Crossfire board under $180, so either increase your budget, or drop SLI/Crossfire. P45 is only dual 8x Crossfire. X38/X48 is dual 16x Crossfire.

And yes, the rumors are that ATI's new cards will deliver better performance for the money.

 

[AndonSage]

Looking for someone to tell me that the new 4xxx ATi is releasing will be superior in price/performance over NV.

The best I can do is point you to this article on Tweaktown: How nVidia Stuffed the GTX 280

He basically says that CrossFired HD 4850's > GTX 280. The appropriate paragraphs are here:

The thing is though, I’ve tested the HD 4850, and what’s interesting is that the card is going to be a mid-range solution. But in Crossfire? - Wow! - With the amount of people who have CF boards as well, thanks to the Intel CPU and chipset being the products of choice, this is going to be a great solution.

With that said though, it’s not ground breaking performance in the sense that it’s pushing out numbers we haven’t seen before. See, I’m probably not allowed to say this, but it helps me put my point across a bit better. The GTX 280 is slower than a pair of CrossFired 4850s for the most part; it’s also $250 AUD dearer. The price on the HD 4850 in AUD is around $250, so $500 for a pair while the GTX 280 is starting at $750. So, a pair of 4850s isn’t enough to drag me away from my consoles, but the 4870s should if the 4850 is anything to go by. The best thing about them however is that the value these cards will offer is nothing short of astonishing.

...

As frustrated at NVIDIA as I am, who has really annoyed me is ATI. The fact that the NDA has been pushed back is just killing me. Knowing the results on the HD 4850 has completely changed my outlook on the GTX 280. At the moment, a lot of review websites have compared the GTX 280 to the 9800 GX2 and they see the performance being similar with a single core, then they see the new technology that’s implemented into the card and find it all to be pretty amazing. Performance talks though, and if these people had seen the HD 4850 run in CrossFire, I don’t doubt that their opinion on the cards would have likely changed.