noob to sff help?

badbadtz560

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 20, 2004
Messages
440
I'm looking to build a new system.. maybe dual or quad core.. can I get suggestions? I am a silentpc enthusiast.. but I do want some decent gaming components

1)case and Heat sink - $200
a) should fit standard PSU.. i'd like to put a corsair unless there's somethin quieter
b) I'd like something that is tall and slender as I don't have the space for a wide system.

I've been looking at the sg03, but there's some antec NSK3480? that seems to have a better layout (psu seems to be isolated and cpu gets its own fan). Is there anything w/ that layout but isn't as ugly as a glock? I do like the looks of a silverstone or lian li and want to make sure the case is sturdy enough to move around.

Hell, I've seen standard atx cases that were around the size of the two above.. that would work for me too...

c) What would be the best heatsink configuration I could install in the case above? Once again I'd prefer the heat from the cpu to be isolated from the psu if possible.

mobo: $150 limit
a) How's the onboard sound nowadays? I just need somethin that will give some good 4.1 sound as I'll be using an emu-0404 for music listening. My concern would be if the drivers can be compatible w/ my emu. I know creative sound cards work well with it
b) needs to support whatever vid card I'd get... hd4870 or gts260? from nvidia?
c) It'd be nice if it had space for a tv tuner with the vid card w/o ruining airflow

cpu? - $200 limit
where's the sweet spot for dual cores? or quad cores? Lookin for somethin that will work well w/ teh vid card.. If there's a bottleneck, i'd rather it be the video card than the cpu though

oh.. and any heatsink recommendations for the vid cards above? hd4870 or gts260 (might've gotten the letters or numbers wrong)
 
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Please answer the following questions so that we can help you better:
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4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
6) Will you be overclocking?
7) What size monitor do you have or plan to have?
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
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By answering these questions you help us help you build a PC that's of better quality, better performing, cheaper or all of the above.


Oh and I've never seen an ATX case as small as the SG03. It's pretty small case, man.
 
1) gaming, music listening, downloading, movie watching (by hookup to a big hdtv). and thinking about having a tv tuner in it.
a) my emu-0404 + audigy 2zs was workin will up until the audigy2 broke. It was a good combo - one for gaming, one for music listening
-if you know of a sound card that can handle both (suspecting auzentech prelude), please let me know. the only thing about gaming performance that concerns me is that I know where people are coming from. that being said, I've never used anything worse than a creative sound card.
2) total budget? I'd like to stay under 1.5k total
3) I live in GA
4) for the 1k budget I'd like it to be everything. This is a totally new build w/ no old parts being put in as of now. I mainly just want help with case, mobo and matching heatsink selection.. but I could use help in choosing a cpu and QUIET video card configuration as well.
5) Not reusing any parts so far, but I'm quite partial to the corsair and seasonic power supplies right now as I've used them in full atx builds. They're def up to my standards in quality and quietness. but u never know - silentpcreview may have somethin better for me to look at
6) I typically don't overclock until it gets old.. but If the chip is cool enough such taht I can OC it and keep it cool'n quiet, I will do so.
7) typically my lcd setup will be 24" for main, 1600x1200 for backup. But I'll hook it up to a 1080p hdtv in the future
8) Plan on building the pc before the end of august
9) not looking to do raid or more than one video card.
10) I'm set w/ xp and vista home.. but I'm still waiting on some more info with windows 7. If I get a tv tuner i'm likely to use vista home unless it encounters issuse w/ my games.

I'm looking for 1) quality of parts + durability (also means quiet system)
2) aesthetics - I'm done buying cheap plastic. I love the p180 but I want some brushed metal this time around
3) well i'm asian.. so cheap is understood

I'm a practical person, so extra LEDs are not my type of build. I just want something simple and sturdy.. and I guess looks are very subjective =\
 
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3) well i'm asian.. so cheap is understood

LOL! I understand: I'm Asian too :D. Hence all the questions so I could get a good idea of what you want and how much you actually need to spend. Now is there anyway you can be a bit more specific about when you plan on building the PC? Planning more than two months in advance is a bad idea considering the rapid change in PC hardware and prices. A month at most IMO.

Also do you already have the monitors or are they part of the $1000 to $1500 budget?

Anyway, highly recommend getting the Corsair 620HX ASAP. This is probably the lowest price I've ever seen it at without a rebate:
$120 - Corsair 620HX 620W Modular PSU

Video card wise, I highly recommend the GTX 260 since it's been found to be a quiet video card even by SPCR standards:
$170 - BFG Tech BFGEGTX260896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB PCI-E Video Card

HDD wise, I highly recommend this hard drive due to this SPCR review:
$70 - Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

The NSK3480 is a good case but the fact that more than likely you will be ditching the PSU for a higher wattage and better quality one means that NSK2480 isn't really worth it at $92. The SG03 is a better quality case. It's a good solid case at $120:
$120 - Silverstone SG03-B mATX Case

CPU wise, I highly recommend the AMD Phenom II 940 CPU for your needs:
$190 - AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition CPU

Mobo wise, I think this mobo will fit your needs:
$90 - Biostar TA790GX XE AMD 790GX mATX Motherboard
 
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any recommendations for the cpu heatsink? I assume the video card's heatsink will be adequate for an SFF build? I'm thinking silentpcreview's setup is going to be more airflow friendly than mine =\ But I do see that the thermalright hr-03 is avail for it... hoepfully it'll fit :D

Any chance someone can throw in a competing intel setup at that price? I'm more familiar right now w/ intel.. but I do have a lot of old socket939's from the good'ol x2 days.

oh and thx a bunch :D that mobo looks like it has the expandability I want

and .. yes I'd rather build it before I change my mind.. my current PC is huge and not able to handle l4d on my preferred settings... and mobility is a biggy
 
any recommendations for the cpu heatsink? I assume the video card's heatsink will be adequate for an SFF build? I'm thinking silentpcreview's setup is going to be more airflow friendly than mine =\ But I do see that the thermalright hr-03 is avail for it... hoepfully it'll fit :D

Any chance someone can throw in a competing intel setup at that price? I'm more familiar right now w/ intel.. but I do have a lot of old socket939's from the good'ol x2 days.

The video card's HSF will be adequate for a SFF build. But like you said, there are 3rd party HSF available for it. Still working on the CPU HSF.

Well due to your budget and specific requirements means that you'll stuck with an Intel socket 775 build. Intel's socket 775 is pretty much a dead end at this point since there will be no new worthwhile CPUs for socket 775 for the foreseeable future. AMD's Phenom II 940 CPU is on par with many Intel C2Q CPUs but AMD's socket AM2+ has more longevity in it.

Anyway, here's a competing Intel setup for the hell of it:
$220 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 CPU
$119 - Asus P5Q-VM G45 mATX Intel Motherboard
---
Total: $339 plus tax and shipping.
 
p180 mini is too big unforunately. what'd u put in your sg03? I'm currently looking at e7400 and e8400 as they seem to be quite low on the watts. If I dremel a hole in the top of the case that should allow me to help with quieting the power supply's fans. The video card will be an issue... which would be why I have to put a massive heatsink on it =\

I need it to be quiet only during idles. I won't care how loud it is when I'm gaming. But I do need it to be small and mobile... I did get a quiet system w/ a microfly so I'm sure I can do it with an sg03. It'll just be a bit more work.
 
I cannot stress enough, do not get an SG03 if you are an enthusiast of quiet computing. Try the Antec Mini P180. I had the SG03. I speak from experience. When you put hot components in there it gets noisy quick.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129041&Tpk=mini p180

I completely disagree the SG03 is noisy. I have a SG03 and its pretty quiet. If you get some good quality components (and they dont have to be expensive) its pretty quiet. If you use the fan that comes with the case you may have a noise problem. Ditch it I say. Get good fans like Scythe or similar quality and you wont have noise there. Get a good hd that doesnt click (Like some Seagate models) and you wont have noise there. A hsf like the NT06 is silent. A psu like the Corsair 520 or 620 is pretty quiet as well or try one of Silverstone's short cable units. The noisiest component is most likely going to be the video card you choose. I have a 8800GT in mine and its not that bad actually. Again, choose some good quality components over cheap quality and your SG03 can be pretty unobtrusive from a noise standpoint.
 
ya.. I am considering that antec one that seems to have similar dimensions but a much better layout. only problem is that case is just so damned ugly... so so ugly compared to the silverstone. And they're priced similarly too >_<

atleast with that one the psu is isolated (should stay pretty quiet), cpu can have some massive heatsink that uses the 120mm exhaust... and then video card.. that's the hard hitter....

I know I'm gonna have to put an aftermarket heatsink on it ... but what type can i put that can run quiet when idle, can handle games w/o overheating... AND can leave me a pci slot for a sound card or tv tuner
 
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ya.. I am considering that antec one that seems to have similar dimensions but a much better layout. only problem is that case is just so damned ugly... so so ugly compared to the silverstone. And they're priced similarly too >_<

atleast with that one the psu is isolated (should stay pretty quiet), cpu can have some massive heatsink that uses the 120mm exhaust... and then video card.. that's the hard hitter....

I know I'm gonna have to put an aftermarket heatsink on it ... but what type can i put that can run quiet when idle, can handle games w/o overheating... AND can leave me a pci slot for a sound card or tv tuner

In the Antec (I personally like its utilitarian look), you can put almost any heatsink. The silent crowd like the HR-01 PLUS from Thermalright which excels with a low-speed fan (like a Nexus or Noctua).

I would recommend against picking the AMD 940 for CPU: even though I like the fact that AMD is now a serious alternative (unbeatable price/performance) to Intel, I don't think it's a good idea to have a 125W CPU in a case this small (in a miniP180, it would be a different story). It's probably just about OK in the Antec (just barely) but I don't know how you are going to cool it efficiently in a SG03, where heatsink options are limited.
If you use a Core2Duo (maybe, just maybe, even a Quad) you will probably get away with keeping the 380W Earthwatts for PSU, if your card is a 55nm GTX260 or lower. Only problem is the number of PCIE connectors, but most cards include at least one MOLEX->PCIE adaptor.
 
alright.. I'm not sure if I should edit the original post or make a new one.. just to keep the original one there:

I'm looking to build a new system.. maybe dual or quad core.. can I get suggestions? I am a silentpc enthusiast.. but I do want some decent gaming components

1)case and Heat sink - $200
a) should fit standard PSU.. i'd like to put a corsair unless there's something quieter
b) I'd like something that is tall and slender as I don't have the space for a wide system.

- looks like nsk3480 right now. Question is if they have a case just as small that cools better or looks better? sg03 seems to lose out w/ that psu in the way and being the same size

mobo: $150 limit
a) any onboard sound that's good for gaming? I only use 4.1 but I want it to be accurate as the audigy2zs that I used. What exactly do these onboard sound cards lose out on when compared to a creative anwyay?
b) looks like gtx260 216 right now for video card in it.. is the ati or nvidia easier to cool? so ya.. mobo and case have to be able to fit this
c) It'd be nice if it had space for a sound card or tv tuner incase I need it

cpu? - $200 limit
where's the sweet spot for dual cores? e7200, e7400, e8400-e8600?

oh.. and any heatsink recommendations for the vid cards above? hd4870 or gts260 (might've gotten the letters or numbers wrong)
 
I think the sweet spot for 775 dual cores is the new e6x00 or the e7x00
Maybe the lian-li PC-Q7 and Zotac 9300 ITX will fit your needs (it´s slender and a bit tall)

All the 45nm Wolfdales are fairly similar in with the only differences being features (like virtualization support) and FSB/cache size.

That said I think the best current options are the e6300/e7400 both fairly similar and at a good price

- E6300 = $91.99
- E7400 = $114.99
- E8400= $169.99

For the price difference you can get a decent sized CPU cooler and overclock the e7400, even the intel stock cooler will allow mild overclocks. I don't know if the GeminII fit's, but I have an e8400 with a GeminII without fans and a 12cm fan in the front of the case directly in front of it and it's all It needs.

As for the GPU cooler, I use the GTS250 with it's stock cooler, it's pretty silent unless gaming, and when you´re gaming you can't really hear it. If you want really silent, there is an MSI 9800GT passive cooled available.
 
A Core2Duo is a good alternative for gaming IMHO. It's not as cutting edge as a quad or a corei7 but then if you look for quiet that's not bad: even in a SG03, you should be able to cool a Core2Duo efficiently, even overclocked (using the NT06-E IIRC). Speaking of looks, you might want to look at the SG04 (I dunno if the model without a handle is available) which is identical to the SG03 inside but much nicer outside.
In the E8xxx series, no need for anything higher than the E8400.
The E7400/7500 is also a good alternative.
 
I think the sweet spot for 775 dual cores is the new e6x00 or the e7x00
Maybe the lian-li PC-Q7 and Zotac 9300 ITX will fit your needs (it´s slender and a bit tall)

All the 45nm Wolfdales are fairly similar in with the only differences being features (like virtualization support) and FSB/cache size.

That said I think the best current options are the e6300/e7400 both fairly similar and at a good price

- E6300 = $91.99
- E7400 = $114.99
- E8400= $169.99

For the price difference you can get a decent sized CPU cooler and overclock the e7400, even the intel stock cooler will allow mild overclocks. I don't know if the GeminII fit's, but I have an e8400 with a GeminII without fans and a 12cm fan in the front of the case directly in front of it and it's all It needs.

As for the GPU cooler, I use the GTS250 with it's stock cooler, it's pretty silent unless gaming, and when you´re gaming you can't really hear it. If you want really silent, there is an MSI 9800GT passive cooled available.

now you got me wondering.. My current system is using an e6300 w/ 8800gts 320mb ... and just playing l4d can cause the fps to drop significantly... is it the cpu or graphics card? b/c I blamed it on the cpu... if an e8400 or such isn't going to be much of an upgrade, i might just migrate the system to a smaller case....
 
To answer the questions up there, I had a Q9300, 8800GTS, and 2 Noctua 120mm fans. I got the higher rpm ones because it was way too hot for low RPMs. So maybe you can get away with quieter fans. That big mesh grille up front lets all the noise out though. Just FYI.

I like it, it's pretty compact yet not TOO hard to work on and it looks real cool, but I'd look elsewhere. I do like the new handle-less SG04 that they have now (according to their site) as well, maybe that's an option? It probably has the same amount of noise though with possibly worse airflow however. But like I said if you are going dual core instead of quad, it may be a viable option.

My heatsink was the original NT06 (not the Evolution which has more heatpipes I think). I tried using a passive cooler for the video card, but it let it get too hot, and I didn't have room for fans on the passive cooler.
 
now you got me wondering.. My current system is using an e6300 w/ 8800gts 320mb ... and just playing l4d can cause the fps to drop significantly... is it the cpu or graphics card? b/c I blamed it on the cpu... if an e8400 or such isn't going to be much of an upgrade, i might just migrate the system to a smaller case....

He was talking about the new E6300. Not the old Core2Duo 65nm. The new Pentium Dual-Core E6300 45nm (2.8GHz). And in my opinion, even though the Pentium Dual Core overclock well and represent excellent value for money (you might as well go for a E5200/E5300), they don't bring the same level of performance as a Core2Duo E7xxx, or even better, a E8xxx.
 
ok so this is what I'm looking at right now:
cpu: e8400
case: uglybutt nsk3480
video card: gtx260 216 of some sort
psu: corsair 620hx
cpu heatsink: thermalright hr01

so right now I could use help on:
1) which motherboard for e8400?
Probably can't get wifi, so I'd like it to be able to handle the e8400+gtx260 and have good onboard sound.. or be able to fit a sound card in it w/ an aftermarket heatsink on the vid card
2) any other suggestions for cpu heatsink? silentpcreview is quite outdated in this regard.. I'd like to get some shorter options... I don't like the idea of a tall, heavy heatsink in the system when I'll be moving it around a lot.. but of course using the exhaust in the back of the nsk case would be beneficial
3) If using my old CORSAIR XMS2 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 won't affect anything, I'd love to reuse that.

I guess the ugly case wins over sg03 right now.. any other cases to consider?
 
You can always go with a Noctua heatsink if you want. Their fans are good, although I don't know how heavy their heatsinks are. They have a 90mm and 120mm version (NH-U12P and NH-U9P respectively).

As for a motherboard I have kinda had my eye on the XFX MI93007, although I don't know if it is actually any good or not. Big plus is the SATA ports being positioned the way they are, because no video card will block them.
 
ok so this is what I'm looking at right now:
cpu: e8400
case: uglybutt nsk3480
video card: gtx260 216 of some sort
psu: corsair 620hx
cpu heatsink: thermalright hr01

so right now I could use help on:
1) which motherboard for e8400?
Probably can't get wifi, so I'd like it to be able to handle the e8400+gtx260 and have good onboard sound.. or be able to fit a sound card in it w/ an aftermarket heatsink on the vid card
2) any other suggestions for cpu heatsink? silentpcreview is quite outdated in this regard.. I'd like to get some shorter options... I don't like the idea of a tall, heavy heatsink in the system when I'll be moving it around a lot.. but of course using the exhaust in the back of the nsk case would be beneficial
3) If using my old CORSAIR XMS2 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 won't affect anything, I'd love to reuse that.

I guess the ugly case wins over sg03 right now.. any other cases to consider?

One important point to consider: the length of the PSU.
It is so tight in the NSK3480 that you want to have a very short PSU. The Earthwatts 380 it comes with is 14cm long and already difficult to work with. The 620HX is 15cm long IIRC and it is going to be very very tight in ther. Plus you might have to mod the holes to pass the cables. Enermax's Modu82+ PSUs are 14cm long so that might be a tad easier. (525W will be plenty by the way. I run the exact same config: E8400 + GTX260). Even better in terms of PSU size: the Nexus Value 430. It is 12.5cm long. It has 2 PCIE connectors, and should be enough for your build. Although most people here will recommend a 520 or 620W PSU.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131288&nm_mc=AFC-Bensbargains&cm_mmc=AFC-Bensbargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA

how will that mobo work?

the nexus value sounds like a good deal to me. I'm going to take a risk w/ these gtx 260 power draw tests and assume that 65W (cpu) + 340ish watts (vga) should be covered by the quality nexus.. based upon its power load tests.

Still looking for mobo recommendations tho. I don't get what the different ddr2 (insert number here) ratings will do to performance tho. should I get a faster 2x4gb ram than ddr2-800? I don't intend on overclocking, but I dont' want the e8400 to be bottlenecked by mobo or ram selection
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131288&nm_mc=AFC-Bensbargains&cm_mmc=AFC-Bensbargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA

how will that mobo work?

the nexus value sounds like a good deal to me. I'm going to take a risk w/ these gtx 260 power draw tests and assume that 65W (cpu) + 340ish watts (vga) should be covered by the quality nexus.. based upon its power load tests.

Still looking for mobo recommendations tho. I don't get what the different ddr2 (insert number here) ratings will do to performance tho. should I get a faster 2x4gb ram than ddr2-800? I don't intend on overclocking, but I dont' want the e8400 to be bottlenecked by mobo or ram selection

The card doesn't draw 340W. Nowhere near. It's more like 200W. It's the full system who could draw at the socket up to 340W (about 280W PSU output) worst case scenario (In my rig, I draw about 310W worst case scenario at the socket). Tell you what, I don't have the Amp numbers for the Earthwatts 380 included with the NSK, but it might even be enough.

About the RAM. 2*2GB is more than enough. DDR2 800. If you want a bit of flexibility when you overclock, you will have to pick certain kits.
 
I don't get what the different ddr2 (insert number here) ratings will do to performance tho. should I get a faster 2x4gb ram than ddr2-800? I don't intend on overclocking, but I dont' want the e8400 to be bottlenecked by mobo or ram selection

C2D based systems do not benefit from faster RAM outside of overclocking. So any set of DDR2 800 RAM will be enough.

Tell you what, I don't have the Amp numbers for the Earthwatts 380 included with the NSK, but it might even be enough.

The EA380 has 27A on the +12V rail. So 324W available. The GTX 260 uses up about 182W. The E8400 uses up around 65W. So you'll have roughly 77W leftover for the mobo, HDD, and fans. You would basically run the PSU at near full load, which doesn't help the longevity, cooling or the noise level of the PSU.
 
I take it that you're also saying that the 430watt nexus won't be much better since it's pretty close to 380? I honestly never intended on using the antec PSU anyway as I had a few bad experiences with their noise levels as it is. I guess it's a nexus vs corsair at this pt.

So.. I'm still lookin to get a nice mobo... unless the lack of recommendations is really saying that it doesn't matter that much at all what I get.

BTW. I am looking for a one time build. I dont' typically upgrade my computers... I build'em and if they become inadequate, I build another one. Only upgrades that happen are when the build is failing from the start. I will be hookin up an old raptor 74gb and a 200gb WD hd to it via SATA I believe... and a dvd burner... and probably some form of an undervolting device for the fans.
 
I take it that you're also saying that the 430watt nexus won't be much better since it's pretty close to 380? I honestly never intended on using the antec PSU anyway as I had a few bad experiences with their noise levels as it is. I guess it's a nexus vs corsair at this pt.
Actually the Nexus 430W would be a good choice since it has 33A on the +12V rail. That's significantly more headroom than the EA380. Unlike the EA380, you would have roughly 149W free on the +12V rail.

So.. I'm still lookin to get a nice mobo... unless the lack of recommendations is really saying that it doesn't matter that much at all what I get.
The lack of recommendations is mainly due to the fact that many people have switched to AMD Phenom II or Core i7 based SFF systems. As such, people tend to forget which socket 775 mobo was good for the C2D/C2Q based setups.

Anyway, the Asus G31 mobo you selected is all right but it only has two RAM slots and severely limited overclocking capability. As far onboard sound goes, you're gonna have to listen to it yourself and then decide if it's neccessary to get a secondary sound card.
 
The EA380 has 27A on the +12V rail. So 324W available. The GTX 260 uses up about 182W. The E8400 uses up around 65W. So you'll have roughly 77W leftover for the mobo, HDD, and fans. You would basically run the PSU at near full load, which doesn't help the longevity, cooling or the noise level of the PSU.

True but we are still talking about worst-case-scenario numbers like when you test the overall stability of an overclock with Orthos AND Furmark. Real-life usage, even with 3D gaming, is somewhat lower. But I agree (especially considering the Amp numbers) that the Nexus would give some useful headroom.

Mobo-wise, still with the G31 chipset, the Gigabyte G31M-ES2L is supposedly a very good cheapie board. Yeah you are limited to 2 slots, but that's enough for 4GB. But it doesn't have Firewire (which is on the NSK front panel). I don't particularly care for Firewire myself, but leaving a front panel port disconnected is something I don't like.
Maybe the EG41MF-S2H? I don't have any experience myself. Still a cheapie board.
Or a EG45M-UD2H. A fully featured board.
None of those will provide the same overclocking experience as the now discontinued P5E-VM HDMI, but even then that might still be enough.
 
If you aren't worrying about overclocking you can always go for an Intel board. Those aren't generally the cheapest, but very stable. I was happy with mine, although they generally don't allow custom voltages for RAM which means you're stuck with 1.8V for the DIMMs (I got bit by that).
 
ya no overclocking is gonna be done unless i get super bored one day... I'm reading these wattage charts on these vid cards.. and it seems like the gtx260 will suck a lot more power than the 8800gts that i'm using right now.. which makes me think that the 8800gts is a much cooler card ... I might just have to stick w/ what I have.

Any comments on that? Looks like the rest of my build is pretty much complete.. just looking towards where to buy the parts. Thx guys
 
which makes me think that the 8800gts is a much cooler card ... I might just have to stick w/ what I have.

Any comments on that?

Just because a video card uses more power doesn't necessarily mean that it will run cooler than a lower power video card. However, haven't seen any direct comparison between the temperatures of the GTX 260 or 8800GTS. But yes, the GTX 260 does use more power (about 40W more) than the 8800GTS 512MB:
http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=568&card2=548
 
For a E8400 CPU wouldnt one of the G41, G43, or G45 series be a better choice of a mobo? Especially if he intends to OC at some point? Some run under $100 and some over $100.
 
if it OCs and doesn't cost much more.. I'm game.. but I really could use a start on what mobos to look at... newegg has a couple hundred to look through as far as motherboards that'll support an e8400... oh where to start >< I do like the ones where the pci-e x1 is above the video card tho.. and I would be willing to pay extra for a mobo w/ decent onboard sound (that supports 4.1 gaming) :D oh.. and wifi would be nice to have just incase... lol
 
if it OCs and doesn't cost much more.. I'm game.. but I really could use a start on what mobos to look at... newegg has a couple hundred to look through as far as motherboards that'll support an e8400... oh where to start >< I do like the ones where the pci-e x1 is above the video card tho.. and I would be willing to pay extra for a mobo w/ decent onboard sound (that supports 4.1 gaming) :D

The decent onboard sound and wifi doesn't narrow things down. It would help if you told us what's the max amount of RAM you want (4GB or 8GB+), whether or not eSATA is needed, how many SATA ports you want, whether or not you want firewire, etc. Answering all of those questions would help out a lot.

Here's a list of mobos to start with based on criteria I think are important: Gigabit NIC and PCI-E 2.0 support just in case for that future video card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ption=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=
 
ya no overclocking is gonna be done unless i get super bored one day... I'm reading these wattage charts on these vid cards.. and it seems like the gtx260 will suck a lot more power than the 8800gts that i'm using right now.. which makes me think that the 8800gts is a much cooler card ... I might just have to stick w/ what I have.

Any comments on that? Looks like the rest of my build is pretty much complete.. just looking towards where to buy the parts. Thx guys

The GTX260s that I have both run cooler than my 8800GTS was.
 
The decent onboard sound and wifi doesn't narrow things down. It would help if you told us what's the max amount of RAM you want (4GB or 8GB+), whether or not eSATA is needed, how many SATA ports you want, whether or not you want firewire, etc. Answering all of those questions would help out a lot.

Here's a list of mobos to start with based on criteria I think are important: Gigabit NIC and PCI-E 2.0 support just in case for that future video card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ption=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

hmm more ram slots would be nice, but 2x2gb is fine too. I'd like more than 2 SATA ports if possible.. firewire is not needed. esata - I forgot what it is.. but if it's that thing I can use to plug in an SATA hd from the outside w/o anything else.. then that'd be a plus.
 
hmm more ram slots would be nice, but 2x2gb is fine too. I'd like more than 2 SATA ports if possible.. firewire is not needed. esata - I forgot what it is.. but if it's that thing I can use to plug in an SATA hd from the outside w/o anything else.. then that'd be a plus.

Well look through the 16 motherboard in the newegg link I provided and see which ones fit your needs now.
 
Well look through the 16 motherboard in the newegg link I provided and see which ones fit your needs now.

Like I said before: for fully-featured, EG45M-UD2H.
Cheapie: EG41MF-DS2H (PCIE 1.1 though)

On a side note, I know that newegg shows the G41M-ES2L in your list but G41 doesn't support PCIE 2.0
Intel G41 Product Brief

The budget will decide.
 
hopefully a last question.. but what if i wanted to output to my home theatre via hdmi... but I didn't want the vid card to put out all that heat... there's no easy way to swap to the motherboard onboard graphics to do that is there?

Even if I had a second operating system that used onboard video... just having the vid card plugged in would have it pumpin out heat? or would it be much much less?

if this were a viable option, which chipset has the better onboard hdmi support?
 
hopefully a last question.. but what if i wanted to output to my home theatre via hdmi... but I didn't want the vid card to put out all that heat... there's no easy way to swap to the motherboard onboard graphics to do that is there?

Even if I had a second operating system that used onboard video... just having the vid card plugged in would have it pumpin out heat? or would it be much much less?

if this were a viable option, which chipset has the better onboard hdmi support?

IIRC, the Intel integrated graphics does not allow you to use the onboard graphics when a video card is installed or at the same time with a video card. I know AMD's IGPs can do so. I think Nvidia's latest 8200/8300/9300/9400 IGP is capable of doing that as well.

Yes having the video card plugged will still be pumping out heat no matter what or how many OSes you install.

Oh and the IGP with the best support for HD content through HDMI are Nvidia's chipsets. Nvidia's 8200/8300/9300/9400 chipsets supports 7.1 LPCM audio through HDMI and can offload most, if not all, of HD decoding meaning low CPU usage.

Nvidia's 8200/8300 chipsets are AMD CPUs only while the 9300/9400 chipsets are for Intel CPUs only. However, only the 8200/8300 chipsets support Hybridpower. That's a feature that will let you literally turn off a supported video card (like the GTX 260) and switch to HDMI/DVI at will.

@ NichoTL
Thanks for the heads up! Wouldn't be the first time that Newegg fucks up on the specs.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131353

k mobo chosen maybe.. any gripes w/ that one? I think i'll take the advice on the pci 2.0 and use my 8800gts until somethin more efficient comes out

probably e8400 unless somethin else goes on sale

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233014
good heatsink? seems cheap and has good reviews. I'd get the retention bracket for it for another 5.50

and got the antec nsk case.

guess my only question left is.. how's that mobo? seems to be the cheapest one for the options I care for (pcie-2.0, lots of usb connectors and lots of SATA)
 
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