SLI Build (ready to be ordered)

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https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...tNumber=10720807&WishListTitle=NAOT4RCOMPUT4R

I'd like your comments and critiques on this build. This was set up by me for my cousin, and he is ready to order it when I give him the green light. I just want to make sure everything is compatible and worth it for the money. Another concern is the amount of fans available in the case (CM 690). Am I ordering too many fans or in the wrong size?

Thanks for any help.
 
Silent-circuit would say, and I would agree with him, that the Cooler Master RC-690 case is not worth $100 shipped. You may be better off by using the Lian Li PC-7B. If you go that route, you may also want to pick up the Lian Li side fan mount accessory, but you may not need it.

As for case fans, you're better off going with Yate Loon low-speed or medium-speed fans. (The Lian Li PC-7B also has a spot for a top-mounted 80mm fan, and the side fan mount supports a 120mm fan.) For most cases, all you really need are one front fan (pulling air in) and one rear fan (drawing air out).

May I ask which games are you (planning on) playing? With the monitor that you've chosen, you're better off getting either a single 8800GTS or an HD3870X2 video card.

If you don't need SLI, and I believe that you don't, here are some options for P35-based motherboards:

Danny Bui said:
Abit IP35-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $112
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $122
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $151
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $180

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports or legacy ports, then the IP35-E is a good choice. If you like the IP35-E but need legacy ports, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking abilities and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, and legacy ports and high overclocks, 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 want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. Note that the IP35-Pro seems to have problems with the Wolfdales CPUs
Click to expand...

If you plan on overclocking the E6750, it's better just to get a different CPU cooler now:

Danny Bui said:
Scythe SCNJ-1100P Ninja HSF - $36
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm HSF - $46
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $57 & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan - $14
Click to expand...

Another consideration, on the hard drive front, is the Western Digital Caviar 750GB HDD... it's over $50 cheaper.

For the same price as the Crucial Ballistix Tracers, you could buy 4GB of DDR2 800 memory. In most cases, that's all you'll need, even for overclocking.

Here are two better power supplies available for under $100 (with free shipping): the VX550W and the TX650W, both from Corsair.

You didn't list an operating system... I take it that you don't need one? If you take my advice and go with 4GB of RAM, you'll need a 64-bit OS in order to fully utilize all 4GB of memory.
 
1. The MSI P7N Diamond is a better motherboard than the evga 780i. It OC's just as well, but uses far better materials (such as solid state caps) and a better power phase design. As such, it should prove to be far more reliable over the long term.

2. The E6750 is an obsolete chip. While OOS at most places and overpriced at others, the E8400 is a better option. If you can't find an E8400, the Q6600 still represents the best chip from a price / performance perspective at the moment. Either of these chips are better choices than an E6750.

3. Assuming you step up to a Q6600 or an E8400, you should consider getting 4 gigs of PC-6400 instead of two gigs of those Ballistix Tracers. PC-6400 (800mhz) RAM is all you need to max out the OC headroom of both the E8400 and Q6600. Any additional speed will result in no noticeable performance benefit. (If you keep the E6750, which has a lower multiplier, PC-8500 RAM becomes more useful, but it is still not necessarily for a successful OC.) Search other posts for Enginurd's great cut-and-paste explaining the math behind this.

4. Not too sure about the PSU. I don't know any details about that particular model, but I wouldn't necessarily consider Thermaltake when PSU shopping. They don't have the best reputation for quality.

Good luck with the build.
 
Tirades is absolutely correct, of course, about the SLI argument (and about the case too.) If you don't need SLI, then there is no reason to get an SLI motherboard. Consider one of the P35 board's recommended instead.
 
Pretty much all Thermaltake PSUs other than the Toughpower line are... flaky at best, trash at worst.
 
While the E6750 is an obsolete chip -- the E8400 is its replacement -- it is a good choice if you can't spend a lot of money on a high-end CPU. Since you can, however, I second Mark's recommendations for either an E8400 or a Q6600.

If you have a store nearby, you could find either processor at a Microcenter for around $200... that is, if they still have those chips in stock (and/or on sale).
 
I've taken into account everything that has been said and here is the updated config:

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...?WishListNumber=8449366&WishListTitle=updated
+$99 and free shipping PSU from Buy.com

I've decided to stick with the case and ultimately go with the DFI LanParty. However, I don't really have a preference, nor do I know the market for P35 motherboards. I also managed to find 4GB of RAM from G.Skill for under $100 but I'm wondering if it will work with the mobo or if it is overkill.

I'm also looking for an aftermarket HSF. Is there any place I can order the Q6600 where it would be guaranteed G0 SLACR? I plan to game at 1680x1050, so the 8800GTS is perfect for that role, correct?

Thanks for the help again.
 
I'll reiterate: the RC-690 for $100 shipped is a huge ripoff. It was a great case at $20 AR, it is a horrible deal at $100 with no rebate.

You don't need DDR2-1000 with a Q6600. Only DDR2-800. Save your money.

$60 for the G11 is... a bit much. A lot much.

$320 is a lot for a 22" TN panel. Look around a bit more.

Buy a second-hand Soundbaster X-Fi Xtreme Music (full height, not half height) for $50-60 instead. It's not like sound cards wear out, really. Also, what kind of speakers are you running? You may find that the onboard Realtek HD Audio is enough.

Nearly $100 on fans? WTF man. Yate Loons at $4-6 each are your friend, ok?

Yes, the 8800 GTS 512MB is what you want. ClubIT.com guarantees G0 stepping Q6600s.

As for HSF, I recommend the ZeroTherm Nirvana NV120.
 
The G.Skill DDR2-1000 RAM you chose is overkill. Even with overclocking in mind, all you need is DDR2 800 RAM:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $80

HSF recommendations:
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm HSF - $46
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $57 & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan - $14

To get a G0 Q6600:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping CPU - $254

Oh and link to the Yate Loon fan:
120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12 Case Fan - $3.50
Also, drop the sound card. Onboard sound has gotten pretty good these days. If you don't have a pretty high end speaker setup, onboard sound should suffice. Also, what's the 80mm fan for?

Oh and you can get the RC-690 for cheaper here if you're dead set on it:
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $62 ($82 shipped to California)
 
On your setup, my biggest gripe on your setup is since you have a small 22" LCD with only 1680 x 1050 res, you should just get a P35 single slot PCI-E mobo as what was mentioned above, get 1 x 8800GT or 8800GTS video card, ditch those 2 x 1gig memory for 2 x 2gig G. Skill DDR2 800 for $80, A 500gig SATA 300 is good enuff, upgrade that E6750 to a Q6600 quad and get a Corsair VX550 PS from Buy.com for $65. So, I would change these

CPU - Q6600 cpu instead of E6750
Mobo - P35 mobo for $150 or less instead of that $260 EVGA mobo
RAM - 2 x 2gig DDR2 800 G. Skills for $80. For the same price of your Crucials you get 4 gigs with the G. Skills!
HDD - 1 x 500gig WD SATA 300 drive - $100
PSU - Corsair VX550 for $65 on Buy.com or if your ordering the PSU from NewEgg the Silverstone ST50F 500 watt for $70 before rebate or Seasonics SS-500ES for $70

Your saving a good $300 on these parts and you get a Quad CPU and 4gig of RAM also. An 8800GT or 8800GTS is more than enough for your 22" LCD. Eventually, you can upgrade to a faster card.
 
The motherboard is fine, but if you're going to insist on keeping the RC-690, then listen to me on this:

You DO NOT need NINE fans to cool your case.
You DO NOT need to spend OVER $100 on CASE FANS.

Buy three Yate Loon 120mm fans for your case. Place one in the front and use it to bring cool air into the case. Place the second fan near the expansion card area and use that as an intake fan. The third fan, for the rear of the case, will be used as an exhaust fan. (You already have a second exhaust fan... the one on your power supply.) If you buy the low-speed or medium speed fans from Jab-Tech you would only spend $9 plus shipping on fans.

There's no guarantee that the 140mm fans will all fit together in the RC-690... they are slightly larger than the average 120mm fan (hence the two sets of screw openings), and they will overlap when placed together. The Yate Loon fans will perform just as well yet cost much less.

ClubIT is the only place that guarantees a G0 revision Q6600, but the DFI DK P35-T2RS is not available there. You also receive a $20 discount if you buy the Q6600 with a Socket 775 motherboard (with a promotion code). The GA-EP35-DS3R is a good alternative to the P35-T2RS, features-wise.

Here's my advice:
  • Get the retail Q6600 and the GA-EP35-DS3R from ClubIT (and use the promo code to take $20 off).
  • Buy three Yate Loon fans from Jab-Tech or Petra's Tech Shop and use them to replace the stock case fans.
  • Get a better CPU cooler, like the ZEROtherm Nirvana HSF. It's available at NewEgg.
  • Go ahead and get everything else from NewEgg, but DON'T BUY ANY FANS.
Now, do you have an OS for your system? If you do, is it 32-bit or 64-bit?
 
_casino said:
I'm guessing that 64-bit Vista [and 64-bit XP are] the only [non-server version of Windows] capable of recognizing all the RAM?
Click to expand...

corrected again :) But to be super-technical, XP 64 is a server version of Windows, and isn't usually a good idea for a home / gaming environment.
 
...and for 99% of the people out there using XP, 64-bit XP isn't recommended.
 
silent-circuit -------Our power supply customer reviews from newegg and other online vendors show a big difference in this opinion. While some PSU may occasionally fail, most do not. Also many of the PSU companies have the occasional PSU fail. None have ever had none.
 
TTjd said:
silent-circuit -------Our power supply customer reviews from newegg and other online vendors show a big difference in this opinion. While some PSU may occasionally fail, most do not. Also many of the PSU companies have the occasional PSU fail. None have ever had none.
Click to expand...

:confused:
 
TTjd said:
silent-circuit -------Our power supply customer reviews from newegg and other online vendors show a big difference in this opinion. While some PSU may occasionally fail, most do not. Also many of the PSU companies have the occasional PSU fail. None have ever had none.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for you, customer reviews from newegg are taken with a grain of salt here. A good majority of newegg reviewers don't really know that much about PC hardware. If it works, then hey!, it gets a good review. This is an PC enthusiast forum. We do scrutinize hardware a lot more than the average user. We also have significantly higher standards for quality.

For example, it's been shown that Thermaltake has over-rated their PSUs:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/thermaltake-psu-roundup_24.html

Most likely when silent-circuit was making his statement, he was thinking of the Purepower line of PSUs. I don't think he was saying that all TT PSUs, except for the Toughpowers, had a high death rate. I think he was saying that the quality of non-Toughpower (and now non-Purepower RX) line of PSUs were pretty crappy. And I happen to agree in accordance to the review above. Any PSU that's been over-rated, IMO, should not be considered for use. If you're going to pay for a 450W to 500W PSU, you might as well be able to use 500W of it, right? Not 400W to 450W.

Not all PSU companies consistently make bad power supplies (like Apevia, Deer, Allied, and Powmax). Some companies make both bad and excellent quality PSUs. Prime example of this is Ultra. Their X3 1600W and X-Pro 750W PSUs has been properly reviewed and shown to be excellent PSUs. However, their X2 750W and X3 600W PSUs were shown to be pretty bad PSUs, especially the X2 750W which couldn't even provide 400W of power.

Another example is Rosewill. They did have the reputation of making ok to crappy PSUs. But their Extreme Power line of PSUs showed that they could make excellent PSUs.

I say your company is like Ultra and Rosewill, you make both poor and excellent PSUs. And that's fine. Your Toughpower line of PSUs are some of the best PSUs out there but your Purepower line of PSUs are pretty crappy in general. However, your Purepower RX line of PSUs are also pretty good.

Not every PSU company can consistently make excellent PSUs. (Like Corsair :))
 
So what would the ideal OS be for a home/gaming environment? If it doesn't recognize all 4GB of RAM, is it still utilized or just totally ignored?
 
totally ignored.

The best OS for home / gaming with four gigs of RAM is Vista x64 Home / Premium Edition.
 
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