Best P35 System for non-overclocker

[ajschmitt]

I have not built a machine in over 12 years but have decided to do so and replace my home office PC. My last build was a 50MHz 486. It rocked. The new machine will also be a home media server.

My Guidelines:

1. Quiet as possible.
2. No overclocking. Rock Solid Reliability. No hacking.
3. P35 Motherboard for future Penryn upgrade
4. 4G Ram. 800MHz. No overclocking.
5. RAID protected dual 500G drives. Maybe even 4x500G at a future date
6. 8800GTX to drive dual 30" monitors (already have)
7. Windows Ultimate 64
8. Case Aesthetics Suitable for office environment. Lockable faceplate would be bonus.
9. SATA Everything
10 E6600 C2D

I'm going to do a build from NewEgg and am looking for build suggestions. My big concern is a Case, MoBo, Memory, and 8800GTX compatibility so I don't have issues in the build. These are the key suggestions, hopefully someone else out there had a flawless combo.

I also need guidance on whether an Aftermarket cooler would help quiet things down. No water cooling as that would violate rule #2.

Like I said, I am not looking to squeeze tons of performance out of the machine. I just don't want a generic Dell and I want 64 bit Vista. As with many things in life, if you want it done right you do it yourself.

This forum is an incredible resource I I feel like I am in good hands. Thanks for your time.

 

[Roguestar]

Don't consider RAID-1 as "protected". RAID-1 is for if you need a immediate hot replacement for when one drive dies, but it is not a data backup plan. If the RAID controller dies you're out of luck for both of them. Use an external drive and image the first to it. RAID is for redundancy and not always security.

You don't need DDR2-800 if you're not overclocking. DDR2-533 will do, but if you get a good deal on DDR2-800 for a low price then you may as well.

SATA everything - no probs, getting a SATA DVD drive is simple.

The 8800GTX will work with any motherboard with an appropriate PCI-E slot.

 

[ajschmitt]

Yes, I use an external drive to back up crucial files and put it in my safe deposit box. The Raid is there primarily to let me contiue working if a drive were to fail.

FYI I have put this case in my basket. I have no idea if it is a good choice.

Antec Performance One P180B Black - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16811129017

 

[Jaanpunjab]

30" monitors require dual-dvi to run at native resolution (at least all the ones I've seen), so unless you plan on using a much lower resolution,
that GTX alone doesn't have what it takes to run two of them.

 

[ajschmitt]

The EVGA 8800GTX supports two dual-link DVIs. Thanks for bringing it up though as I had not checked that.

 

[Jaanpunjab]

Alright cool, I did not know that it did.

Go for an aftermarket CPU cooler if you want to quiet things down a bit. The thermalright ultra 120 can go without a fan I believe as long as you've got decent case ventilation. Pretty much any high end cooler will be very quiet though because it can run at the lowest possible fan speed. The ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro is less expensive and relatively quiet from what I've read (http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16835186134).

I've never been a fan of the P180. Lian-Li's are my favorite when you're looking for a great case that isn't flashy. Here are a few you might consider:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112107
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112121 (also available in black)

It would be a good idea to replace the case fans no matter what case if you want it as quiet as possible. The best fans you can get are Noctuas but you'll have to do some searching on the internet to find those. They're bout $20 per fan. Yate Loons aren't quite as good but are far less expensive (only a few $ per fan), I believe you can get those at Jabtech.

 

[ajschmitt]

Thanks!

I switched my case. I like the ones you pointed out more. I also am getting an Arctic 7 Pro cooler. I'll see how loud the stock fans are before replacing them.

 

[Old Hippie]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811112121 (also available in black)

I just finished a build with a Lian Li PC-A10B. She's a beauty!

 

[acityDweller]

I am a fan of the P180 case myself but opted to get the Antec Sonata III. The build and the bundled 500W supply for under $100 allowed me to bump up the other specs in my pc. ie. Geforce 8600 gtx to geforce 8800GTS 320mb (EVGA overclocked version).

I also second the notion to get an oversized heatsink if you are planning to build a pc for the long term as they have been proven to dissipate heat both at idle and in full load leagues above the standard heatsink. Spending $55 here is very worthwhile imho.

I have an Asus P5K3 for the same reasons as yours when envisioning future upgrades (to 1333mhz fsb, DDR3 or Quad Core).