New Computer build - Please review!

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Leaderz0rz

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Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115054&Tpk=e8600

ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 X2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003&Tpk=Xigmatek HDT-S1283

XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019

Corsair 750TX 750W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=Corsair 750TX 750W PSU

Two sets of G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

2x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS in Raid 0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218&Tpk=Western Digital WD6400AAKS

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

SONY 22X DVD Burner w/ LightScribe Black SATA Model DRU865S
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827131059


I think that is my final build, any more comments on it would be appreciated.

I know the Asus is more expensive and I am probably wasting some money but I have used Asus in the past and have found their products to be well made so I will probably stick with them.

Operating System: Vista 64bit Ultimate
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
 
1) Definitely G.Skill since you can get 4GB of it for only $50 with no rebates:
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $50

2) Corsair 750TX 750W PSU should be enough

3) None that I'm aware of.

4) Just hit up the Overclocking and Cooling subforum. Should be a guide there. Oh and get this retention bracket for easier installation:
Retention Bracket - $7

A couple of questions and recommendations:
- Ditch the E8600. It's only 170Mhz faster than the E8500 but costs $80 more. Totally not worth it. Go with the E8500 instead.
- Why did you go with the Rampage formula over motherboards half the price? In other words, what features/setup did the Rampage Formula have that made it worth the price for you?
 
Make sure you get the retention bracket for your HSF. Since you have some cash to burn, I'd reccomend getting 8gb of ram instead of the 4, it really helps. You might also want to check out the CoolerMaster HAF 932 case, if you don't get a modular power supply..has some *great* cable management. Looks like you're missing a cd drive and hard drives?
 
You should look into grabbing something along the lines of my rig. Plus or minus some parts like the PSU, CPU, Motherboard, etc.
 
Danny Bui said:
1) Definitely G.Skill since you can get 4GB of it for only $50 with no rebates:
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $50

2) Corsair 750TX 750W PSU should be enough

3) None that I'm aware of.

4) Just hit up the Overclocking and Cooling subforum. Should be a guide there. Oh and get this retention bracket for easier installation:
Retention Bracket - $7

A couple of questions and recommendations:
- Ditch the E8600. It's only 170Mhz faster than the E8500 but costs $80 more. Totally not worth it. Go with the E8500 instead.
- Why did you go with the Rampage formula over motherboards half the price? In other words, what features/setup did the Rampage Formula have that made it worth the price for you?
Click to expand...

Just from reading the forums and other sites I found the rampage formula to be a really stable board. I liked the separate soundcard that came with it as well. I don't think there is any real defining reason other than I saw it popping up the most as one of the boards to buy.
-----------------------------------------

I have a 24inch monitor.
 
MightyDiomed said:
Make sure you get the retention bracket for your HSF. Since you have some cash to burn, I'd reccomend getting 8gb of ram instead of the 4, it really helps. You might also want to check out the CoolerMaster HAF 932 case, if you don't get a modular power supply..has some *great* cable management. Looks like you're missing a cd drive and hard drives?
Click to expand...


Yea i added 8 gigs of the g-skill memory that was suggested since it is such a great price. I will look into the case you suggested as well. For harddrives and cdrom drive I figured I would just pick up a few raptors in raid 0 and a nice big drive for other stuff. Cdrom probably just your standard dvdrw.
 
I would suggest getting 4x WD 640GB and get some RAID 5 loving... Raptors are waste.
 
Leaderz0rz said:
Just from reading the forums and other sites I found the rampage formula to be a really stable board. I liked the separate soundcard that came with it as well. I don't think there is any real defining reason other than I saw it popping up the most as one of the boards to buy.
Click to expand...

Well here are some other motherboards to check out, all of them pretty stable mobos:
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L Intel P43 Motherboard - $87
MSI P45 Neo3-FR Intel P45 Motherboard - $110
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Intel P45 Motherboard - $120
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R Intel P45 Motherboard - $120
Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 Motherboard - $135
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Intel P45 Motherboard - $137
Biostar TPower I45 Intel P45 Motherboard - $150
DFI Lanparty DK X38-T2R Intel X38 Motherboard - $185
Asus P5E Deluxe Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
DFI Lanparty DK X48-T2R Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
Gigabyte GA-EX48-DS4 Intel X48 Motherboard - $225

Just to help you out: All of these motherboards have PCI-E 2.0 which may be useful for future GPU upgrades. If you don't need RAID, more than 6 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 8 SATA ports, RAID, 4 PCI slots, and legacy ports, then get the Neo3-Fr. If you don't need more than 6 SATA ports but want RAID, firewire, a second PCI-E x16 port, a second gigabit port, support for 16GB of RAM, optional eSATA, x8/x8 Crossfire, and great overclocks, then get the DS3R. If you like the DS3R but want better overclocking capability and 8 SATA ports, then get the UD3P or the UD3R if you don't need that second PCI-E x16 slot. If you like the DS3R but need 8 SATA ports, want an onboard pre-installed fast booting Linux setup, just support for 8GB of RAM, and don't need a second gigabit port, get the Asus P5Q Pro. If you want a motherboard with excellent overclocking capabilities above all else (feature wise), go with the I45. If you want Crossfire with full x16/x16 bandwidth, get the Lanparty DK X38. If you have cash to burn, need x16/x16 Crossfire, and don't give a damn about getting the most value for your money, get the Asus, DFI, or Gigabyte X48 motherboards. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.
 
I agree It_shiro that Raptors are fail. WD6400AAKS in RAID 0 will be plenty fast enough and at much cheaper AND with more storage capacity.
 
Alai said:
I agree It_shiro that Raptors are fail. WD6400AAKS in RAID 0 will be plenty fast enough and at much cheaper AND with more storage capacity.
Click to expand...

That WD 640 is a great value; there's a reason so many of us have it
 
I've been trying to find out but I can't get a clear answer, does anyone know if I will have clearance issues with my heatsink in the Antec Twelve Hundred case?
 
You should have no problem. The Xigmatec 120mm fits in an Antec 900 and LIAN LI PC-7B plus II cases. They both are only mid-tower cases. The Antec 1200 is a full size tower case and the case width is wider than the Antec 900 or LIAN LI PC-7B plus II cases.


Leaderz0rz said:
I've been trying to find out but I can't get a clear answer, does anyone know if I will have clearance issues with my heatsink in the Antec Twelve Hundred case?
Click to expand...
 
I did have another question, what is the best method for controlling the speed of my case fans?
 
*jealous* nice build
wink.gif
 
maybe wait a bit and get an P6T deluxe when they restock ^ ^, other then that +1 on p5q pro.

Also do you have a special preference with sapphire or, is it all the same to you, because if so i would recommend VisonTek's 4870x2 since it comes with a lifetime warranty over sapphire's 2 year.
 
Leaderz0rz said:
I did have another question, what is the best method for controlling the speed of my case fans?
Click to expand...

I actually don't bother controlling mine. I buy fans that run quietly even at max speed, so I don't have to worry about fan noise.
 
Yeah same here. The fans nowdays are low RPM and not loud so.. the sound factor is not much an issue even at max speed.. The bigger 120mm fans, due to its size, does not need to spin as fast as a smaller 80mm fan. I remember those 60mm Delta fans spinning at 6,000 rpm. Now those are deafening!
 
Ah yes. The old Delta fan on an Alpha heatsink. I wanna say I used that combo both for my 533a@900+ celery and my p3 733@1.1Ghz. Or maybe it was my first t-bird, kinda all muddles together in the ole mind
 
Quick stupid question, what is the difference between an OEM version of Vista and the retail version besides 100 dollars?
 
OEM version of Vista is designed for "System Builders" who build PCs to sell. Typically they are not intended for the end users, and often in the past you could not buy a copy with out also purchasing some piece of hardware along side it.

OEM versions tie themselves to your hardware profile and the key will not work on another machine at a later date. If you change parts down the road, windows will compare the new profile to the recorded one, using a preset point system, as long as the points are below the set threshold, the profile is updated with the new hardware and you can continue using windows. However, if windows sees too many hardware changes at the same time, you will have to obtain a new key. Also, microsoft considers a new motherboard a "new machine" so if you ever have to replace your motherboard you will have to contact microsoft to obtain a replacement key.

That's about the long and short of it.
 
Leaderz0rz said:
so save 100 dollars or have to call microsoft...that's a tough decision
Click to expand...

Not really. If you're going to keep this system for a long time, and only make a couple of upgrades (like, say, video card and RAM) during that time, the OEM copy is worth the effort. However, if you're planning to constantly upgrade your system, it's better (read: less headaches) to spend the money up front for a retail copy. You can reinstall it on multiple systems as long as there's only one running copy at one time (the rest will have to have the OS removed beforehand).
 
Yes and no. Yes, you should get a 64-bit version of Vista so you could fully utilize all of your (4+GB) RAM. No, Vista Ultimate is not worth the money, especially if you don't need the BitLocker Drive Encryption or the security/networking features that Vista Business (which features are integrated with the features of Vista Home Premium) provides.

Stick with Vista Home Premium if you want to go the OEM route. It's priced comparatively better than the other versions. However, if you're a college student with a valid .edu web address, you could get an upgrade copy of Vista Ultimate for around $65 (through Microsoft's The Ultimate Steal promotion).
 
tiraides said:
Not really. If you're going to keep this system for a long time, and only make a couple of upgrades (like, say, video card and RAM) during that time, the OEM copy is worth the effort. However, if you're planning to constantly upgrade your system, it's better (read: less headaches) to spend the money up front for a retail copy. You can reinstall it on multiple systems as long as there's only one running copy at one time (the rest will have to have the OS removed beforehand).
Click to expand...

I think his comment was tongue in cheek ;) Which is to say calling microsoft is really not that big a deal to save $100. I always get oem. I had to call them recently after a massive upgrade. This might not the norm but it was a 4 minute call and I had my new key up and running.
 
tiraides said:
Yes and no. Yes, you should get a 64-bit version of Vista so you could fully utilize all of your (4+GB) RAM. No, Vista Ultimate is not worth the money, especially if you don't need the BitLocker Drive Encryption or the security/networking features that Vista Business (which features are integrated with the features of Vista Home Premium) provides.

Stick with Vista Home Premium if you want to go the OEM route. It's priced comparatively better than the other versions. However, if you're a college student with a valid .edu web address, you could get an upgrade copy of Vista Ultimate for around $65 (through Microsoft's The Ultimate Steal promotion).
Click to expand...

Agreed. 99% of us only need Home Premium. So now the OP is saving even more coin :)
 
I decided to go with Home Premium, after looking over the difference I think I can live without drive encryption and a poker game.
 
just to double check the antec 1200 case comes with fans for all slots right? or do I need to purchase them?
 
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