Yet another build...

S

sornman

Gawd
2FA
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
848
Ok, I have been reading through all the build threads recently to try to find out what looks good, and figured I would post for additional suggestions. I haven't been keeping up with everything new that has come (and gone). My current machine is a p4 2.6 on an abit ic7 max3 w/ 1gb ram (not upgrading, new system completely).

Budget: Trying to keep it under $1000
Needed: Just the computer, no periphs/monitor (Got 2 19" CRTs that I will be replacing next year with 24"s)
Uses: Mostly code/graphics/development work, a rare game here and there
Features: Pretty vanilla, could see esata being useful
Overclocking: Nothing extreme, but maybe some
How long to last: I will probably be keeping it for several years

With those stated, I liked HardwareGuru's suggestions on a few other threads, so I will start with it as a base and add comments:

---------------------------------------
CPU – Q6600 retail for $190
-- this looks good for my purposes.

Mobo – Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L for $105 ($15 MIR)
-- gigabyte looks good, but better than the Asus P5QPro?

RAM – G. Skills DDR800 for $50
-- G. Skills I guess is ok I guess. Used to be Corsair and Kingston were king.

Video – BFG Geforce GTX 280 1gig for $405 ($30 MIR)
-- Due to my lack of gaming, a 260 would probably be better for the budget. Probably best to stick with Nvidia cards though for better linux compatibility.

HDD – WD 6400AAKS 640gig for $75
-- Sounds good.

Optical Drive – Samsung 22X SH-S223F for $25
-- Sounds good

Case/PSU – Antec 300 case + Antec Neopower 650 for $105 (Neopower 650 certified for 4870X2 video card)
-- sounds good

Heatskink – Xigmatec HDT-S1283 120mm rifle for $32 + retention bracket $7
-- Not sure here. Is the retail HSF just crappy for radical overclocks, or what is the major advantage here?

---------------------------------------

Ok, this build looks good. Other than the rare occassion that I am playing a game, I spend all my computer time in Linux, so some precautions are needed in that capacity. I will be installing Vista (32 or 64?) for gaming.

With that stated, I am still debating whether to wait for the core i7, or to go ahead with the build. The two main factors in this are price, and linux compatibility. Any comments on the i7?


Thanks for the help and suggestions!
 
HardwareGuru's "rig" is a good base to start from. However, the Asus P5Q Pro has more features than the GA-EP45-DS3L (which is a "crippled" board with its single PCI-E x16 slot, as P45 boards natively support dual x8 CrossFire) and has some of the better combo deals around.

The stock HSF isn't designed for high overclocks (of around 3.4GHz or higher). Plus, they get pretty loud when under full load. A good aftermarket CPU cooler like the HDT-S1283 solves those two problems.

So let me get this straight: You're getting TWO 24 inch monitors? When?

If you're ready to get this rig now, get it now. Core i7/X58 won't be as cheap coming out of the gate. If anything, you may see price increases due to the high (initial) demand for the new Nehalem-based components.
 
tiraides said:
HardwareGuru's "rig" is a good base to start from. However, the Asus P5Q Pro has more features than the GA-EP45-DS3L (which is a "crippled" board with its single PCI-E x16 slot, as P45 boards natively support dual x8 CrossFire) and has some of the better combo deals around.

So let me get this straight: You're getting TWO 24 inch monitors? When?

If you're ready to get this rig now, get it now. Core i7/X58 won't be as cheap coming out of the gate. If anything, you may see price increases due to the high (initial) demand for the new Nehalem-based components.
Click to expand...

As I am looking to go with Nvidia, the lack of Crossfire support won't matter too much. Are there any other major reasons to choose the Asus over the Gigabyte (overclocking/features)?

Yes, I will be going with 2 - 24" sometime this spring. Got spoiled working on 2 of them up at work, and now miss the real estate when I get home.

As I will be keeping the rig for a while, the Core i7 is tempting. I am just not sure about the linux support for it coming out of the gate. That and the price are probably going to keep me with a core 2 quad.
 
The main features of the P5Q Pro, aside from CrossFire, are FireWire 400 support and RAID. If you don't need those features, nor do you need a second Gigabit Ethernet port or plan on using more than 8GB of RAM, you could also consider the Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L.

The reason why we don't recommend Corsair or Kingston here is because (in the US) they're comparatively overpriced. Intel's Core 2 series perform well (at stock speeds and overclocked) with virtually any RAM that's certified for JEDEC specifications, so we recommend a "brand name" with excellent customer service (and a relatively low price).
 
SoRnMaN said:
As I am looking to go with Nvidia, the lack of Crossfire support won't matter too much. Are there any other major reasons to choose the Asus over the Gigabyte (overclocking/features)?

Yes, I will be going with 2 - 24" sometime this spring. Got spoiled working on 2 of them up at work, and now miss the real estate when I get home.

As I will be keeping the rig for a while, the Core i7 is tempting. I am just not sure about the linux support for it coming out of the gate. That and the price are probably going to keep me with a core 2 quad.
Click to expand...

I have the EP45-DS3L. I think its a great mobo. tiraides correctly pointed out the short comings but if you can live with those its got decent features and is a super stable base for your platform. Like yourself I was budget conscious when building my rig. In your case I don't think you need the GTX280 at all. Go with the 260 for half the $$. Also if you drop to the 260 then you could spend a bit more on your mobo if you wanted more features. IMO Crossfire is useless with x2 cards out today performing better than Xfire set-ups anyway. The rest of your build looks good and similar to what myself and countless others have selected component wise. I literally have the same mobo, HDD and ram you picked. Its all good
 
A GTX280 video card is too much in your case especially if you won't be using your pc for gaming as a primary use. When you say a rare game here an there, what would this game be? Is this all the game you play? If so, even a GTX260 is not needed as you won't be utilizing a GTX 260 gaming card to its fullest. Even I don't have one. Hehe, I'm only on an 8800GT still. But, if you want to stick with an Nvidia card, I would even go lower than a GTX260 and maybe get a 9800GT card. Save more money. In regards to your 2 x 24" lcds, since you mention graphics, you should invest in 2 good 24". What would be your budget on the 24" displays? If you get the cheaper TN panel 24", then you may be dissappointed in the image quality due to TN panels limited horizontalvetical viewing angles and color shifting. They are only 6 bit panels not true 8 bit like a Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp for example.
 
Thanks for the responses. This is what I have now:

$24.99 - SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM
$74.99 - Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$184.99 - EVGA 512-P3-N879-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3
$49.99 - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
$104.99 - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$189.99 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
$114.94 - Antec Three Hundred + NeoPower 650

Total Shipped: $753.85 (not counting the $35 MIR)

Overall this is looking good. As for the monitors, I like the Dell 2407WFP Ultrasharp's I am using at work, but will continue to monitor the Displays forum as I have been doing for a while.

Any other suggestions? How noisy/effective is the retail HSF with the Q6600? Would it make sense to get a better one?
 
The retail heatsink is quiet actually. Just can't stand the push pin design to install the heatsink. It's fine if you don't overclock the cpu. As far as the monitors, I had a feeling you had Dell Ultrasharps as most companies buy from Dell. Most of our LCDs here at my workplace are Dell Ultrasharps also. So, you should stick with a non TN 24" as you may be dissappointed in the viewing angles of a cheap 24" TN lcd. Also, if you're gonna get that EVGA 9800GTX+ video card you can get with the OCZ Fatality1 Edition 4gig RAM combo with the video card for $214.48. This would make it a bit cheaper than getting the G. Skill RAM and 9800GTX+ card separately. Save $22 here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top