Critique my build

[lorkp]

The main processor intensive tasks will be to encode audio and back up dvd's using the cinema craft encoder; I want to overclock the system, I'm not going to play games on it and I want the system almost silent. What do you think? Build

 

[LOUISSSSS]

wrong mb, that mb is full of problems and headaches. if i were you i'd get a mb with passive cooling, if u NEED nf4, get the asus sli premium, or use another NB
and that case has got some pretty bad reviews...

 

[cubby1223]

got a non-sli motherboard and save some $$

 

[lorkp]

I thought this DFI Lanparty board is good for overclocking....I don't know much about the case but I know it was highly recommended on SPCR. Any other comments, suggestions?

 

[JSFLY]

If you want silence, get water cooling. Unless your on a budget.

If you are on a budget, I would recommend a big typhoon CPU cooler since you'll be overclocking along with a replacement chipset fan for you DFI mobo. Those things get hot and thus are loud.

And yes I wholeheartedly recommend going with the DFI lanparty.

 

[lorkp]

Originally posted by: JSFLY
If you want silence, get water cooling. Unless your on a budget.

If you are on a budget, I would recommend a big typhoon CPU cooler since you'll be overclocking along with a replacement chipset fan for you DFI mobo. Those things get hot and thus are loud.

And yes I wholeheartedly recommend going with the DFI lanparty.

I'm on a $1000 budget. You think the typhoon is better than the scythe ninja?

 

[JSFLY]

Originally posted by: lorkp

Originally posted by: JSFLY
If you want silence, get water cooling. Unless your on a budget.

If you are on a budget, I would recommend a big typhoon CPU cooler since you'll be overclocking along with a replacement chipset fan for you DFI mobo. Those things get hot and thus are loud.

And yes I wholeheartedly recommend going with the DFI lanparty.

I'm on a $1000 budget. You think the typhoon is better than the scythe ninja?

Ive never used a ninja but I heard they use glue on the backplate that is hard to get off when uninstalling.

The reason I recommend a big typhoon is because my friend has one and it runs pretty silent.

Another good option is a xp120 with a really quiet fan.

 

[alimoalem]

an epox 9npa+ Ultra isn't bad at OCing. i'm sure there are other options too though. the ASUS boards aren't bad either

get an aftermarket cooler for sure. from what it sounds, the big typhoon is pretty good

i'm not sure about cases so all i can say is beauty is in the eye of the beholder...maybe you can check out anandtech's case and cooling section and see if there are any budget cases that are cool.

otherwise, your parts list looks AWESOME. enjoy your rig

 

[sgtBaker]

Chck out my rig.I have had no problems what so ever.It is also very quiet.For the cpu I used a thermalright xp-90 with panaflo fan.The loudest thing on my system is my 7800gt graphics card.I am very happy with my case,the stock power supply will be fine for you.I still have the stock power supply and my opteron 165 is running at 2.6.

This place has great deals on the xp-90. http://svc.com/

My rig:
opteron 165 @ 2.6
antec sonata 2 case
2g G.SKILL Extreme Series
dfi ultra-d mb
2-HITACHI Deskstar T7K250 in raid 0
NEC Black - DVD Burner
evga 7800 gt

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.asp?ID=1734661

 

[LOUISSSSS]

the scythe ninja can cool a p4 3.2 @ 3.5 idling at 35C in silence (not quiet, that means 0noise). if you think your kids toy TT big typhoon can do that then cool

 

[raell]

I would add a second vote for Antec sonata case. Looks good, easy to work with, and quiet.
You may want to consider the Asrock board in my sig if on a budget. It may not be the best for OCing, but my rig is very quiet, and stable (I don't OC anything).

 

[Pciber]

Overall it looks pretty good, however I might shuffle a few resources in a few different directions...

First off, the video card seems pretty unbalanced to the rest of the computer. In fact, I'de probably rate it at worse than the 9800 card it looks like you have now. Maybe after my next suggestion or two you can afford to spend more on it...

Next, the power supply is overkill. While it is true that a good power supply will keep your system running smooth, spending 4x as much on your PS than on your video card is rather odd. I'd say go with the next lower down SeaSonic, the 380w, for $77. Save $50, and it is just as good as say.. a 500w no-name... maybe even go with an Antec PSU for a bit less.. an Antec SmartPower 400w can be had on newegg for $55.

And now the ram... You know, people are funny. They think, "hey, why don't i buy faster PC4000 ram so i can overclock my system?"... but the major point in overclocking is to get your computer to go faster without spending major money. The extra fast ram is extra money. I'd reccomend some good PC3200 ram that will likely overclock farther than you could get your processor... And actually Newegg has some OCZ 2 x 1gb sticks on sale for $141 after a $50 MIR. Good stuff, too.. 2-3-2-5 timing. If not those, then maybe a Patriot 2x512mb kit. Same timing, for $72 afer a $22 MIR.

As for the motherboard and processor, they seem solid. DFI makes good nForce4 boards, and the opty 165 will do well. I do believe it comes with the new stock heatsink w/ heatpipes, in which case it will be enough to cool it, even with some overclocking.

 

[bob4432]

i would use the m/b i have in sig, your cpu, a cheap gpu and the pc4000 ram. i know it is agp, but it is very stable

 

[Bobthelost]

I've got a ninja and a BT, either is good CPU fan, but if you want low noise then you really, really don't want a DFI board because of the cipset fans. I'd go for the BT as it's impractical to run an OC'd CPU passivly with it. I've got a nexus 120mm fan strapped to mine. If you want to make the BT even quieter then swap the stock fan out for a nexus and undervolt it.

Sonata case would be a good idea, suspend the hard drives and you're looking at a very quiet machine.

 

[JSFLY]

Originally posted by: Pciber

First off, the video card seems pretty unbalanced to the rest of the computer. In fact, I'de probably rate it at worse than the 9800 card it looks like you have now. Maybe after my next suggestion or two you can afford to spend more on it...
.

He doesnt game

 

[lorkp]

Originally posted by: Pciber
Next, the power supply is overkill....I'd say go with the next lower down SeaSonic, the 380w, for $77. Save $50, and it is just as good as say.. a 500w no-name... maybe even go with an Antec PSU for a bit less.. an Antec SmartPower 400w can be had on newegg for $55.

...The extra fast ram is extra money. I'd reccomend some good PC3200 ram that will likely overclock farther than you could get your processor... And actually Newegg has some OCZ 2 x 1gb sticks on sale for $141 after a $50 MIR. Good stuff, too.. 2-3-2-5 timing. If not those, then maybe a Patriot 2x512mb kit. Same timing, for $72 afer a $22 MIR.

Thanks for your reply. I've read the silentpcreview.com board for a little and many say that large PSUs are a waste of money?a high quality low wattage supply is perfectly fine. But I've been reading the dfi-street board and they stress the importance of 480W and proper amperage on the 12V line yada yada yada. Apparently they won't give support for OCing unless those two requirements are made. And sadly, I'm starting to believe them . I'm starting to believe that the power supply will be the difference between a good and less than optimal OC.

As for the RAM, I've decided to go with 1GB because I don't game and wouldn't see any benefit. But yes, that 2GB kit is a great deal, so I may consider it. But I'm not sure if OCed 3200 RAM would be enough to support, If I'm lucky, an Opty 165 that can get to 2.8GHz.