Refining my new PC build

[TroyTalksNoMore]

Hey guys... This is my "proposed" build list.
- I want a 3-4 year PC lifespan.

I want to keep costs reasonable so a few things are just OK for now.
- I will be buying this stuff one paycheck at a time thru January.
- - the only things I will move forward is my current monitor & mouse.
- - - some of this stuff has rebates too...

That all being said... what do you think?
==========================================

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $69.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply - Retail $169.99

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra Cooling Intel Motherboard - Retail $144.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6850 - Retail $279.99

Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler - Retail $64.99

Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM $4.99

Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan - Retail $59.96

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail $114.99

XFX PVT88PYDD4 GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail $309.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $69.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3750640AS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $194.99

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM $35.99

Rosewill RCR-FD200 All-in-one USB 2.0 Black 3.5" Card Reader with 1.44MB Floppy Drive - Retail $25.99

Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - Retail $19.99

Logitech Extreme 3.5mm Connector Supra-aural PC Gaming Headset $12.89

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail $29.99

Logitech Z-2300 200 watts RMS 2.1 Speaker System - Retail $105.99

Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM $139.99

Patriot X-Porter 2GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model PSF2GUSB - Retail $14.99

Subtotal: $1,870.68

 

[tiraides]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you buying everything from NewEgg? You can cut several dollars (even possibly a hundred, or more) from your overall costs if you're willing to shop around and cut a few corners.

First, the E6850 is not worth its price. If you plan on overclocking, the E6750 can reach the same levels as the E6850 yet costs nearly $100 less. Or, for around the same amount, you could get a Q6600, which is considered a better choice for the long-term (as more games and programs start to take advantage of multiple cores in the future).

You do not need more than DDR2 800 (PC2-6400) RAM right now. If you want 2GB cheap, go with the G.Skill set; if you want some of the best RAM around, get the Crucial Ballistix. If you want 4GB of RAM, get a 2x2GB set from G.Skill -- and also purchase a 64-bit version of Vista Home Premium so you can use all 4GB.

The case is fine -- cases are really a matter of personal taste -- but you don't need to spend that much money on case fans. (Save an S-FLEX fan for your CPU cooler.) Purchase some Yate Loon fans; at Xoxide, they're only $4 each (plus shipping). You also don't need to spend over $170 on the 620HX power supply; you can find it at Buy.com for $140 (plus free shipping). You can also downgrade to the 550VX (non-modular) power supply, which can be found in many places for under $100.

Speaking of which, the cooler you chose is fine... but the Thermalright Ultima 90 is lighter, cheaper, and works just as well (so I'm told... pair it with a 92mm medium-speed Panaflo fan). Other good choices for heatsinks include the Tuniq Tower 120 and the Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B (with S-FLEX fan).

Onboard sound has improved a lot... enough that you don't really need a sound card. If you still want one, though, it's best to get an X-Fi card. (As a warning, Creative's drivers are still a crapshoot, but it's on a case-by-case basis.) The cards to get are Creative's X-Fi XtremeMusic (which is discontinued, but can be found in the FS forum here), the X-Fi XtremeGamer Fata1ity (don't get the plain XtremeGamer card -- it uses software emulation that is no better than onboard sound), or the Auzentech Auzen X-Fi Prelude.

I think I know why you bought two different-sized hard drives; I'm guessing that the 250GB is going to be your OS drive and the 750GB is going to be the storage drive. I'm not going to touch this... but I personally have two 500GB drives, so I'm going to chalk this up as personal preference.

The only thing I'm going to say about the card reader/floppy combo drive is make sure that the card reader can read and support the SDHC (4+GB SD) cards (or, that there are drivers available that can make the card reader read/support SDHC cards). This is the only 3.5 inch card reader that I know that supports the SDHC format.

I'd suggest shopping around for the 8800GT as well... not just for a lower price, but to also find one in stock. Then again, this will be a hard item to find this holiday season, so if you really need a card, grab one if/when you find it.

 

[Markyip1]

I agree with Tiraides on all points, but especially about the processor, and especially about the RAM. An E6850 is a waste of money when an E6750 offers nearly the same performance at stock and has the exact same OC headroom. Furthermore, there is absolutely no need, as Tiraides explained, for anything faster than 800mhz RAM. The extra speed will go utilized with a high-multiplier proc like the E6750 or E6850 and is therefore just a waste of money.

Mark.

 

[engiNURD]

I, like Mark, agree with tiraides.

My E6750 is at 3.8Ghz (1.55v) idling at 28°C and reaching 52°C during ORTHOS with an ambient room temp of 22°C. I'm using an Ultima90 + $3 Panaflo fan for cooling (replaced my Tuniq, which performed the same, btw). For RAM, I have Ballistix DDR2-800 @ DDR2-950 speeds (2.2v).

If you go Q6600 and want to push it to 3.6Ghz, stick with the Ultra120extreme.

Formulas for Intel platform @ 1:1 settings: (base FSB speed is SDR, or single data rate)
(CPU Multiplier) x [Base FSB speed] = CPU Clock speed
2 x [Base FSB speed] = RAM speed (DDR: double data rate)
4 x [Base FSB speed] = Effective FSB speed (QDR: quad data rate)

On Intel platforms, running the RAM higher than a 1:1 ratio with the CPU is, for the most part, useless, so don't bother trying to do so. If the BIOS does it for you, just let it. All you need is a 1:1 config, though. Here's some possible clock speeds (as always with OC'ing, your results will vary):

E6750: 8 × 333 = 2.6Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK speeds
E6750: 8 × 400 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 << Easy OC
E6750: 8 × 450 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-900 << Good OC
E6750: 8 × 500 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-1000 << Great OC

Q6600: 9 × 266 = 2.4Ghz, DDR2-533 << STOCK speeds
Q6600: 9 × 333 = 3.0Ghz, DDR2-667 << Nice OC
Q6600: 9 × 378 = 3.4Ghz, DDR2-756 << Good OC, near max for B3 stepping
Q6600: 9 × 400 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-800 << Great OC, near max for G0 stepping

Since the DDR2-800 Ballistix use the SAME ICs as the DDR2-1066 sticks, there's really no need to buy any RAM faster than DDR2-800 unless you want 2x2GB sticks and a dual core with high OC.

 

[TroyTalksNoMore]

I really appreciate your input guys!

Yes, I made the entire list at new-egg.com for simplicity.
- there are a bunch of rebates I can use too... so these aren't really the final prices.

As far as the CPU, HS, fans, ram, etc.
- I guess if can shave off $400-500, I will be gaming that much sooner!

HOWEVER - I read the E6850 oc'd as well as the E6750 but IDK?
ie - start @ 3ghz + 600mhz = 3.60
vs. start @ 2.66 + 600mhz = 3.26

If that isn't true, I may just start w/ a E6750 w/ a retail heatsink & cheaper ram.
- at least I can get it all - sooner!

I will probably go to a single 500 HD for now too. I was planning the 250 / 750 split as for a smaller OS+Apps drive (more frequent defragging) and the 750 as the data, movie & music - rip / dump drive which won't get defragged as often.

Anyway... thanks again!
Your intelligent, polite replies have been very helpful.
If you have anything more to add, it will also be greatly appreciated!

 

[engiNURD]

Both the E6750 and E6850 are binned the same, so they both have the same OC potential... the only difference is the stock max CPU multiplier. While both chips can reach 4Ghz, the E6850 will do it with a lower FSB, making it easier to OC. But the E6750 is so easy to OC that the E6850 just isn't worth the extra ~$100. You're basically paying $100 for 333Mhz.

E6750: 8 × 333 = 2.6Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK speeds
E6750: 8 × 400 = 3.2Ghz, DDR2-800 << Easy OC
E6750: 8 × 450 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-900 << Good OC
E6750: 8 × 500 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-1000 << Great OC

E6850: 9 × 333 = 3.0Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK
E6850: 9 × 400 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-800 << Nice OC
E6850: 9 × 445 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-890 << Good OC