time to update the gaming pc!

H

Harkwind

n00b
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
7
Hi.

I am interested in building a new system for gaming and internet browsing. Here is what I currently use.

amd 64 x2 3800+ cpu
2 gigs ram
Geforce 6800 XT
250gb hd
Xp pro
SB XFI card
20" widescreen dell 2005FPW (1680 x 1020 Desktop Resolution used)

I am looking forward to playing games like Crysis,Conflict of earth and other more modern games. I plan on keeping my current Monitor and xfi card to use in new system. My buget is 2,000 or less. I am not update to on latest and greatest of computer hardware but i have some ideas. I also think it is the time to move to Vista 64.


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120
Motherboard ???
Videocard ???
2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
PSU ???
4 gb ram ???
Case Antec P182 or Antec 900 (undecided)
Logitech MX518
Vista 64bit Home premium

I leave the videocard, mb and PSU area blank simply because I am wondering if SLI is something I should invest in with my current Monitor.

any other suggestions are always welcome.
 
You won't see a noticeable difference with SLI at that resolution. In fact, at that resolution, SLI is total overkill. A single 8800GT or 8800GTS 512MB should do you well.

Some PSU recommendations:
Corsair 550VX 550W PSU - $89
Corsair 520HX 520W PSU - $106
Corsair 650TX 650W PSU - $140
Corsair 620HX 620W PSU - $139
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $156
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad - $162

Some mobo recommendations:
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 ATX Motherboard - $119
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $127
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $151
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $176

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports or legacy ports, then the DS3L is a good choice. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. 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, 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.
 
8800GTS, its up to 10% faster than the 8800GT at same clocks and they clock higher too on average.
The GTS also has a better cooler that feeds the hot air out of the back of the case.
If I was buying now thats what I would get.
 
Nenu said:
8800GTS, its up to 10% faster than the 8800GT at same clocks and they clock higher too on average.
The GTS also has a better cooler that feeds the hot air out of the back of the case.
If I was buying now thats what I would get.
Click to expand...

I'd say that the 8800GT runs crysis pretty well too and its far cheaper than the 8800GTS, I see no point for shedding $100 away.
 
The price difference isnt as big as that in the UK and is even less in the US.
 
updated shoping list

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB
2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU
4 gb or ram (need suggestion on speed brand)
Case Antec P182
Logitech MX518
SAMSUNG Black SATA 20X DVD burner
Vista 64bit Home premium


Thanks so far for the good suggestions. Above is revised list of what I want to purchase. I still need some help with Ram (4 or 8gb?),case suggestions and an optical drive. Also any thing else i might need to add to this build so far.
 
For gaming there is no need for anything more than 4GB at the moment but if its cheap enough you might as well get it.

2 sticks only though, dont get 4 sticks as it can limit parts of your overclock.
If you are going to use 4 sticks, you might as well get 4GB (2x2GB) now and 4GB later when/if you need it and when its even cheaper.

The PSU you have chosen I consider to be inadequate if you want it to last!
Get at least a 600W decent brand, well reviewed PSU.
 
Its a big topic (and argumentative) but the short of it is that it is a lower power PSU will have to work harder.
The harder a PSU has to work, the hotter it gets and heat is not a PSU's friend especially if being pushed hard in hot weather.

A PSU has an efficiency rating that varies with temperature and load.
Ideally at your PCs max load you want to be running the PSU around its mid load range where it is normally most efficient.
In its good efficiency range it will also produce less heat per Watt used.

The hotter a PSU gets, the faster its components wear.
A PSU is constantly wearing which does reduce its max load capability, a PSU that is pushed harder will wear faster.
Once it has worn a bit, its max load is lower and the same load on it pushes it even harder raising the rate of wear further, so you really want to delay this for as long as possible.

When a PSU fails, it can fail quietly but it can also go with a bang.
I have seen many PCs in my workshop that have suffered PSU failure and taken out other components and in one case, nearly the whole PC was dead, only the floppy survived!

Most of the time when a decent PSU cant handle the load any more, the PC will become unstable and you can then determine easily enough that the PSU needs replacing.
There is a risk it wont alert you before dieing though.

To some extent you get what you pay for as a very cheap PSU is always a risk.
This doesnt mean that higher priced ones are better though, some are.
[H] does excellent (among the best) PSU reviews, choosing one they have reviewed positively gives you a good chance of getting a decent one.
 
Nenu said:
The PSU you have chosen I consider to be inadequate if you want it to last!
Get at least a 600W decent brand, well reviewed PSU.
Click to expand...
Nenu said:
[H] does excellent (among the best) PSU reviews, choosing one they have reviewed positively gives you a good chance of getting a decent one.
Click to expand...
You need to practice what you preach, Nenu. The HX520 was reviewed positively and received a Gold Award from [H]. :p

To stay on topic:

Regarding the P182 vs the 900... If you want a quiet as hell case with excellent cooling and plenty of space, go with the P182. If you want a flashy case with horrible cable management and cramped work areas that will accumulate dust like you would never believe, then go with the 900. :D

And on a DVD Burner... Right now the burner of choice is of the Samsung variety.
 
I am going to add this one to the shopping list Corsair 750TX 750W PSU.

One more question about the Corsair TX vs HX. What is the difference?
 
You'd best check reviews for an assured answer, I dont know about specific ram modules.
The speed and mfr are good though and they wont restrict your overclock :)
 
Harkwind said:
and now for the memory. need suggestions.

G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

How is the above? I would like to OC my system.
Click to expand...

Good set of RAM, but absolutely unnecessary for overclocking the Q6600. Intel C2D systems do not benefit much from having the RAM faster than the FSB or having the RAM and FSB at anything other than a 1:1 ratio. So if you keep to a 1:1 ratio, ANY cheap set of DDR2 800 RAM will do:

Q6600:
Multi x FSB, RAM Speed = Clock Speed
9 x 266Mhz, DDR2 533 RAM = 2.4Ghz <== Stock Speeds
9 x 333Mhz, DDR2 667 RAM = 3.0Ghz <== Good OC
9 x 400Mhz, DDR2 800 RAM = 3.6Ghz <== Excellent OC, About the Max

So I recommend getting this set instead:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $90

As for differences between the HX and TX, the HX is modular and the TX isn't. The TX series also has more amps on the +12V rail than their HX brothers.
 
The 520W Corsair HX is MORE than enough for the system you're building, even with an OC'd CPU. If you want more headroom, then go for the 620W instead. Most of the time, theres no need for a 750W PSU in a single vidcard system, and yours is no exception. Your system won't even reach 400W, even if you OC to 3.6Ghz.
 
Thank you all for the great sugestions on system parts. I am about to put the finishing touches on my order. Below is the final purchase list. Did I leave anything? Any final suggestions?

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB
2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
Corsair 520HX 520W PSU
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM
Case Antec P182
Logitech MX518
SAMSUNG Black SATA 20X DVD burner
Vista 64bit Home premium
Logitech G15 keyboard (have)
Soundblaster X-Fi music (have)
Dell 20" Widescreen 2005FPW (have)
 
enginurd said:
The 520W Corsair HX is MORE than enough for the system you're building, even with an OC'd CPU. If you want more headroom, then go for the 620W instead. Most of the time, theres no need for a 750W PSU in a single vidcard system, and yours is no exception. Your system won't even reach 400W, even if you OC to 3.6Ghz.
Click to expand...

What PSU's are you using in your E2200 and E6750 systems?
I bet they are bigger than 520W.

I know this is a very argumentative topic but I am also an electronic engineer and have watched the lifecycle of PSU's a lot.
I wouldnt use a PSU designed to only give 520W (even a well reviewed one) on the system he is buying for more than 1/2 a year.
They dont remain a 520W PSU their whole life and the harder they are pushed, the faster the max output power diminishes.

If you can bring any good reasoning to the topic it will be appreciated as I have tried very hard to give the OP the best advice so his system lasts.
600W upwards is better suited to his system as stated in a previous post in this thread.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a 750W PSU for this build, I would highly recommend it over the 520W PSU.
 
Nenu said:
What PSU's are you using in your E2200 and E6750 systems?
I bet they are bigger than 520W.

I know this is a very argumentative topic but I am also an electronic engineer and have watched the lifecycle of PSU's a lot.
I wouldnt use a PSU designed to only give 520W (even a well reviewed one) on the system he is buying for more than 1/2 a year.
They dont remain a 520W PSU their whole life and the harder they are pushed, the faster the max output power diminishes.

If you can bring any good reasoning to the topic it will be appreciated as I have tried very hard to give the OP the best advice so his system lasts.
600W upwards is better suited to his system as stated in a previous post in this thread.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a 750W PSU for this build, I would highly recommend it over the 520W PSU.
Click to expand...

I'll take that bet... ;)

E6750 system, with an 8800GT: Corsair HX 520W
E2200 system, with an 8600GT: Antec Earthwatts 380W

You also have to look at how the PSU was designed. Modern system draw power mostly from the +12V rail(s). The Corsair PSUs' power is heavily skewed to those rails. Also, if I recall correctly, the Seasonic-built units' capabilities are understated by Corsair (Seasonic gives it a 550W rating while Corsair uses 520W). Even with aging, the PSU will still remain powerful enough for the system he's building. These units were designed to be 80+ efficient for at least 5 years. His system won't even touch 400W, even with OC'ing. So even if its capability diminishes, it won't diminish enough to the point where it can no longer power his system -- nor will it do so in half a year. Are you saying a 520W Corsair PSU won't be capable of powering his system after half a year? I find that VERY hard to believe.

Sure, its good to have more than enough, but 750W is just overkill for his system, IMO. Take a Kill-A-Watt and measure how much power your system draws at full load... I bet its a lot less than you thought it would be. If you don't have such a device, just look at the power consumption charts of all the reviews. AnandTech's entire system, at full load with the 8800GTS G92 was still under 300W!
 
Fair enough Enginurd your money is where your mouth is :)
You are right about most of the power on the HX520W being on the 12V rails, 480W max is a lot of power on 12V for such a low power unit, I am quite surprised by that.

My system is using a dual core 45nm CPU, a single 8800GT, both clocked but not to the max and my system uses 285W load with a 630W 85% efficient PSU.
His CPU is 65nm with double the number of cores and should push his max power well over 300W (2/3 of the 520W PSU's max load approx) when clocked too.

I want my 630W PSU to last me 3 years, after that if it is in good shape still I will give it away.
I upgraded it a few weeks ago from a 1 year old 580W PSU to be absolutely safe.
If I was to get a 520W PSU and run it on my system, after 1/2 a year I would scope it out and make sure it was still as capable.
Call me cautious if you wish but I have seen too many failures, even from the top brands.
No matter what I read in a PSU review, unless the PSU has been demonstrated to be stable at highish loads for a long period of time in an equivalent environment, I have to err on the side of caution.
Sadly, I have only seen this kind of long term environmental testing on industrial PSU's.

Note I didnt ever recommend a 750W PSU but there is nothing wrong with using a good one.
If the cost isnt much different, I would take that over a low power unit any day.
I would still buy at least a good 580W minimum for my system and recommend 600W + for his :)
Simply because of what I have seen, I couldnt give any other advice and have a clean conscience.

OP by all means take Enginurds advice, my advice comes from my own experience.
 
Who is the manufacturer of your 630W PSU? And the maker of your 580W PSU? And what are these top brands of PSUs that have failed in your experience?
 
I am using Hiper PSU's.
I dont recommend them to clients though, I act as my own guineau pig and monitor my own PSU regularly.
Call it an interest :)

I have seen failures from many PSU's less than 2 years old, some of them are Enermax, Corsair, Enlight...
Not all the failures I see are using top brands, I would say around 30% are though.

After questioning my clients, most failures are from running them in high temperatures/limited airflow or if they are loaded to around 70% or higher.
I have hardly seen any failures when the max load is only 50% of the PSU's rated output which is quite striking and has made me cautious about about recommending higher loads long term.


If the PSU is going to be replaced every year, I would relax my view a bit but nobody expects a PSU to last 1 year only so I am cautious on my clients behalf.
After all it hardly costs anything extra to have peace of mind.
 
Harkwind said:
Thank you all for the great sugestions on system parts. I am about to put the finishing touches on my order. Below is the final purchase list. Did I leave anything? Any final suggestions?

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB
2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
Corsair 520HX 520W PSU
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM
Case Antec P182
Logitech MX518
SAMSUNG Black SATA 20X DVD burner
Vista 64bit Home premium
Logitech G15 keyboard (have)
Soundblaster X-Fi music (have)
Dell 20" Widescreen 2005FPW (have)
Click to expand...

looks like you guys got a bit off topic from the OP. I like his setup. any other suggestions for the Harkwind?
 
I also updated my rig last weekend..

I also got Q6600 and ZEROtherm NV120.. Seems to be very good cooler and installation was easy..

For PSU I got Seasonic M12-500 Silent.. At first I also considered Corsair for PSU but changed my mind after reading forums. And seasonic is also supposed to be quality brand.

For memory I got Mushkin 2 x 2Gb XP6400 DDR2 800MHz (4-4-4-12).

Motherboard: Asus P5E WS Pro.

Ati HD 3850. (I don't game so much anymore so it's good enough for me.)

2 pcs Samsung 500GB for raid. (+ I allready had 4 HD's from old rig)

Stacker 831

and Vista 64bit..

Benq G2400W

+some old stuff from old rig..
 
Zakter said:
looks like you guys got a bit off topic from the OP. I like his setup. any other suggestions for the Harkwind?
Click to expand...

He has a PSU in that list, doesnt he? Then we were very much ON topic. ;) :p

ana said:
For PSU I got Seasonic M12-500 Silent.. At first I also considered Corsair for PSU but changed my mind after reading forums. And seasonic is also supposed to be quality brand.
Click to expand...

Seasonic makes the Corsair HX 520W. ;)
 
Backing up enginurd on this one in saying the 520HX is enough.

Taking up my usual position as king of excess and tempter of all builders by suggesting the 620HX instead, because I like having huge power reserves.
 
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