Building a new e8400 rig need massive advice!!UPDATE!!!

[oneofusjustin]

ok so im building a new rig and im very "bang for the buck" orientated.. thay being said here is what i think im gonna go with

CPU: E8400 (non negotiable)
GPU: msi 8800GT $229 w/ after market cooling (new egg)
power supply: logisys 650watt $64 (new egg)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2 X 1GB DDR2 800 pc26400 $65 (new egg)
MOBO: 780I EVGA ( up in the air on this)
Cooler: nirvana 120mm

NOW heres where i need help

1. is 650watts gonna be enough for sli?
2. will my ram play nice and overclock well with the E8400 or should i step up to faster ram?
3. im gogin with 780I for the fact that it can do sli and pci express 2.0 in hopes of getting a next gen GPU in a year or so.. is this a good choice? like i said im bang for the buck


thanks so much for your help guys

 

[GuitarDaddy]

SLI is almost always a horrible upgrade option, go with two highend cards right off the bat or don't go SLI. Almost always by the time you get around to adding a second card there is a single card out that is a better upgrade.

And SLI has never been a good "bang for the buck", the gains of adding a second card vary greatly by game and are generally not worth twice the price plus an SLI mobo, plus the extra heat and energy. I would recommend going with the best single card solution and replace it when something better comes out.

If using less than a 24" monitor the 8800gt should be all you need, if using 24" or larger I would go with the 3870x2

 

[jameswhite1979]

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

This will give you lists of supported PSU's in different SLI configs. Hope it helps.

 

[jameswhite1979]

I built my system for SLI and agree with GuitarDaddy not a good reason it was not long till a single GPU was faster and loads of issues with games I sold my second card in the end...

 

[DSF]

If you're truly bang-for-the-buck oriented, you don't want SLI.

1) It requires a more expensive power supply than a single-card setup.
2) It requires a more expensive motherboard than a single-card setup.
3) It requires, obviously, the expense of a second graphics card.
4) The performance increase is low when you consider all of this extra cost.

If you're really looking for bang for your buck, get the E8400, a P35 motherboard, any 8800GT, a quality 450-500W PSU, and less expensive RAM. Ballistix is not bang for the buck when 2GB of decent RAM can be had for $40-50 or less:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820211066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231098

 

[oneofusjustin]

well i guess my sli plans were getting an 8800gt now and then picking a used one up for cheap when the 9 series come out...

and dsf i know the ballistix isnt bang for the buck when it comes to normal use but when it comes to ram im looking for OC potential thats why im asking if the ballistix will be good to OC with the e8400...

ok so if i forget about sli should i go x38? or wait for x48? i dont wanna go p35 because i got a feeling the next gen GPU;s are gonan take advantage of the pciexpress 2.0

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: oneofusjustin
well i guess my sli plans were getting an 8800gt now and then picking a used one up for cheap when the 9 series come out...

and dsf i know the ballistix isnt bang for the buck when it comes to normal use but when it comes to ram im looking for OC potential thats why im asking if the ballistix will be good to OC with the e8400...

ok so if i forget about sli should i go x38? or wait for x48? i dont wanna go p35 because i got a feeling the next gen GPU;s are gonan take advantage of the pciexpress 2.0

Thats a pretty expensive bet! Thats betting $100 that the next gen GPU's will show a significant increase when going from a PCIe 1.0 to 2.0 board when current gen cards don't. Not a good bet IMO, and it's already known that the next gen CPU upgrade will require a new skt 1336 mobo anyway.

Spend the the extra $100 on a better GPU or towards your next upgrade, get a P35 board

 

[RussianSensation]

Get a quality PSU like Corsair 620 Modular for $110

Also I'd get P35 over X38/X48 which run hotter with no clear benefits and much higher prices.

 

[oneofusjustin]

ok so say i go with a p35 what specs do i need to look for to make sure it will work with the e8400... if any one has any good recommendations link me.. and remember im gonan try and hit 4 ghz with this thing

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Mobo

PS

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Mobo : Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R (unless you still go SLI)

PSU : Corsair, Seasonic, or PC Power & Cooling. Size doesn't quite matter as much as quality (of design and/or manufacture). IIRC, the Corsair 620 is quite capable of SLI even.

 

[oneofusjustin]

k but what specs do you need to look for to see if a mobo is e8400 (45nm) compatible in the p35

 

[Tempered81]

I would vote p35, 1066ram, and why the aftermarket gpu cooler? do you plan to volt-mod the 8800gt?

edit: or do like guitardaddy said and go 2x or 3x sli with top of the line cards right off the bat. It would be better than gettting 1 gt and a 780i right now and saying, "ill upgrade later down the road"

 

[RussianSensation]

Although I own DS3L and it's a great motherboard on a budget, I primarily got it because my quad core doesn't need high FSB overclocking. However for E8400, you'll be aiming at 450+FSB. This mobo only has a 3-phase power design IIRC and I'd spend a little more when considering such high FSB goals.

For instance:

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R - $125
ASUS P5K-E - $140

Both of these boards should be more comfortable with 450FSB.

For cooling I'd get XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 - $37

Another good PSU i'd recommend that is reasonably priced is OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W = $100

Although for $10 more I'd for sure get the Corsair modular (and that one has 5 year warranty).

Don't get SLI imo. You can always upgrade to GF9. Also ATI will release new cards this year; so it's hard to predict whose will be faster => but both will most likely outperform 8800GT SLI setup.

Since ram prices are so cheap now, and I am sure at one point you'll get Vista, I'd get 2x2gb setup so that you later as opposed to 2x1 gb now.

A-Data (2x2gb) DDR2 800 5-5-5 @ 1.8V - $70
Since this ram runs DDR2 at just 1.8V, while most 2x2gb kits need 2.0V, you know there is some overclocking room in this bad boy with 2.0V-2.1V (and best of all it's cheap!)

 

[oneofusjustin]

Originally posted by: jaredpace
I would vote p35, 1066ram, and why the aftermarket gpu cooler? do you plan to volt-mod the 8800gt?

edit: or do like guitardaddy said and go 2x or 3x sli with top of the line cards right off the bat. It would be better than gettting 1 gt and a 780i right now and saying, "ill upgrade later down the road"

the newer version of the msi 8800gt comes stock with aftermarket style cooler and its cheaper for some strange reason.. but i think i may soft mod the card i dont wanna to that solder intense version

 

[x2 3600 rules sazakky]

1066 ram. thats for sure. makes big difference

 

[Build it Myself]

how can you be going for "bang for your buck" with an 8400, a 8800GT, DDR2-800ram and talking about SLI? You might as well not try and save, you're spending more than 2x I did and I'll run anything you can run.

Now that the 8series CPU's are out go cash in on the reduced prices in other markets. that 2200 series is under $90 at clubit, pick it up and OC it to 3ghz-3.4ghz and you'll roughly match that 8400 and save yourself $150.

Don't even consider SLI for a budget, if you're gonna piss money go with that new ATI card, 3870x2 or something, that's running like $450 and you'll still save money on buying the MSI cards and you don't have to worry about added power consumption, upgrading PSU's, specialized EVGA mobo's, etc.

Just my 2cents, but you won't notice a difference going with the parts I just recommended compared to what you're talking about, but you will have more money left over for other things.

 

[j0j081]

If you get Ballistix and oc at all be prepared to be RMAn them every other month for a new set.

 

[v8envy]

Originally posted by: Build it Myself


Now that the 8series CPU's are out go cash in on the reduced prices in other markets. that 2200 series is under $90 at clubit, pick it up and OC it to 3ghz-3.4ghz and you'll roughly match that 8400 and save yourself $150.

Not really. A 3.4 ghz on an E2 series is hardly a guarantee, and to have a chance at hitting that you'll need a higher end motherboard and a $50 cpu cooler. Call it a $100 savings on the CPU, $100 extra for mboard & cooler.

An E8400 with stock cooler at stock clocks on an e.g. DS3L or P35-E will match or outperform across the board for the same $ while still offering a bit of headroom to OC. And it'll save a few bucks each month on the power bill.

BTW, I also have an E2180 clocked to 3 ghz, so I also buy into the 'get the cheapie CPU and clock it till it bursts' viewpoint. But the E8400 can also offer highly compelling performance/$ and performance/watt when we're talking more performance than a 3 ghz E2 series.

 

[oneofusjustin]

OK UPDATE GUYS
i really listened to what you guys had to say and i def changed my mind so here is the new direction of my rig

CPU:e8400
GPU:8800gt
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA500 watt
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400
MOBO: ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35
Cooler:.. up in the air between the nirvana 120mm or the xigmatek 120mm rifle cooler

with the money i saved i picked up
Soundcard: x-fi xtreame gamer 7.1 (overkill i know but i love sound and expensive headphones so its a must)
hard drive: seagate barracuda 7200 sata 250gb for 69.99



OK so now I NEED TO FOCUS ON RAM!!!!!!!!! i going to be over clocking this cpu to 4ghz (hopefully) im willing to spend 80 bucks on ram!! so please help me if you dont think my crucial ballistix 800 will do the job

 

[Scottae]

Just my two cents.... I am very pleased with the p35 chipset.. And if your going vista and plan on gaming I strongly recomend 4gb. of ram if your sure your going to stay with XP for a long time 2Gb should be fine. I do like your proc choice and that GPU is really good for the money. Russian Sensation pointed you toward a very good heatsink for the money.. Looks a lot like a thermalright.(good design ) if coupled with a good fan and it look to be one. But for OCing I cant tell you how easy it was to get my OC on my DFI P35 into the 3.6-3.8 range and all the tweaking options make 4ghz possible. So I will say Im a DFI fan boy so here is my mobo and PSU recomendations...

Mobos:
DFI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136039
Gigabyte
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128087

PSU:
PC power and cooling 750
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817703009
If your space limited Silverstone OP750
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817256016

or the OCZ gamextreme previously mentioned is an ok option.

just a hint for memory.
high speed 4GB kits

OCZ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227280
Mushkin (the price is falling fast)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146755

stay away fromt he g.skill (i have it) doesnt like to OC much at all and compatability probs)

So GL! and happy building

OPPS posted right after your last comment hadnt shown up. Well guess my suggestions are out of your budget... G/L or save a bit more

I dont mean to be rude... but you keep aiming for 4ghz and while it is a possible number it seems you keep trying to down grade everything except the proc and gpu. you might want to save a bit more and get a bit higher quality components up front so you dont need to replace when you go in a little bit different direction.. what i mean by this is yes that earth watts is a good psu for 55$ but I thing looking ahead you would be better off with the highter wattage offerings from previously mentioned makers like Corsair, OCZ, PC&P . However, it is your PC and your money so make the best you can on the budget you set. and again Good Luck.

 

[RussianSensation]

Scottae, that's a mighty overclock on the Q6600 there I think the highest on these boards even.

Oh just found an even better deal on the Corsair PSU that beats the 620W version - Corsair 750 with 60A 12V rail - $113 after MIR

 

[Tempered81]

no, don't get 800mhz ram. Get 1000mhz or 1066mhz or higher speed ram.

I would buy the cheapest 2 gb set of 1000 or 1066mhz ram. But either 2 of those suggested ram kits by Jag87 are great. You will want a comfortable fsb above 400mhz when you go to overclock the cpu.

Also I would take the nirvana 120, it gives the TRUE a run for its money. the xigmatek 120mm hdt-s1283 is on par with the true too.

 

[aigomorla]

Rofl... i dont understand how you went from this:

Originally posted by: oneofusjustin
ok so im building a new rig and im very "bang for the buck" orientated.. thay being said here is what i think im gonna go with

CPU: E8400 (non negotiable)
GPU: msi 8800GT $229 w/ after market cooling (new egg)
power supply: logisys 650watt $64 (new egg)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2 X 1GB DDR2 800 pc26400 $65 (new egg)
MOBO: 780I EVGA ( up in the air on this)
Cooler: nirvana 120mm

NOW heres where i need help

1. is 650watts gonna be enough for sli?
2. will my ram play nice and overclock well with the E8400 or should i step up to faster ram?
3. im gogin with 780I for the fact that it can do sli and pci express 2.0 in hopes of getting a next gen GPU in a year or so.. is this a good choice? like i said im bang for the buck


thanks so much for your help guys

to

Originally posted by: oneofusjustin
OK UPDATE GUYS
i really listened to what you guys had to say and i def changed my mind so here is the new direction of my rig

CPU:e8400
GPU:8800gt
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA500 watt
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400
MOBO: ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35
Cooler:.. up in the air between the nirvana 120mm or the xigmatek 120mm rifle cooler

with the money i saved i picked up
Soundcard: x-fi xtreame gamer 7.1 (overkill i know but i love sound and expensive headphones so its a must)
hard drive: seagate barracuda 7200 sata 250gb for 69.99



OK so now I NEED TO FOCUS ON RAM!!!!!!!!! i going to be over clocking this cpu to 4ghz (hopefully) im willing to spend 80 bucks on ram!! so please help me if you dont think my crucial ballistix 800 will do the job

The classes in hardware minius the PSU is all mixed up.

How about listing how much your budget is.. how much you expect to overclock it, and how long you expect to keep the system. Also what you expect to do with it as well.

I think we need to start up. At this point, you went from a highend uper tier, to a middle/lower tier. Doesnt add up at all.

Ignore the people saying budget this budget that, higher end hardware lasts longer, and performs better. So how about listing a budget?

 

[FormulaRedline]

Originally posted by: Build it Myself
Now that the 8series CPU's are out go cash in on the reduced prices in other markets. that 2200 series is under $90 at clubit, pick it up and OC it to 3ghz-3.4ghz and you'll roughly match that 8400 and save yourself $150.

Good call, because the E8400 doesn't overclock at all.

Gotta love apples and oranges.