Gaming/Media PC build [Please Comment]

[OnePingOnly]

Hello AT forums,

CPU
Q9450 or E8400 (whichever comes in stock first)
$350 or $200

CPU Cooler
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16835186134
$26.99

Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16813128059
$89.99

RAM
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Already have it.

Video GPU
BFG 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
Got it already.

Optical
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16827135156
$38.99

HDD
Western Digital 640GB 15MB cache SATA
$129.99

PSU
Mushkin modular 580watt
$99.00
Subtotal: $1,030.92 (before shipping, before MIRs)

I already have:
Vista Business 64-bit
Logitech Z-5500s
Lian-Li A05B

This PC is being donated to family, intact. (along w/Logitech Z-5300s)

Please advise.

EDIT: Updated components based on recommendations and corrected wrong bits.

 

[chinaman1472]

-You should bump the FSB to 400mhz to keep the ratio 1:1 from the beginning. Unless you plan to run your system 24/7 nonstop for the next 5 years, it's unlikely your CPU will crap out running at stock speeds. If you're overclocking, simply taking the proper precautions will make your chip last as long as you need it to.
-No need for an extra cooler if you aren't overclocking.
-A Q6600 should last you 3 years. It's hard to advise to wait for Q9450 when we have no idea what the pricing and capabilities of it are. If you need the system now, then buy it now. If you don't mind waiting, then wait. But realize there's always something to wait for.
-What's stopping you from re-using the Audigy 2ZS?
-The PSU is enough, but I'd rather get a Seasonic or Corsair. Not saying Thermaltake is bad, but at around $85, you have lots of options. For instance, the 550VX from Corsair is 79.99 AR at newegg. I believe some OCZ power supplies have been on sale for around $50 AR, and I believe Enermax PSUs are on sale as well, check the hot deals forums.

Fine choice everywhere else.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: JRussellDMD
Should I wait for the Q9450?
I'm not into overclocking for the sake of keeping power consumption low and hardware reliability/longevity high; however, after two years I'm sure I'll bump up the FSB to 400mhz to 3.2GHz to create a 1:1 FSB/DRAM ratio.

Will the optical SP/DIF out on the mobo satisfy me?
I've been using an Audigy 2 ZS for the past two years and want would like equal or better audio quality. The mobo I've selected has the Realtek ALC888 built in.

Is the PSU adequate?
I really like modular PSU's but I'm concerned the 12V1 rail on the PSU I've specified might not be enough for the eVGA 8800GTS I've spec'd.

Should I wait for the nVidia 9800 series due around March/April?
I really want to be able to play Crysis at decent quality/frame rates without going to SLI. The eVGA Step Up program is appealing.

Please advise.

More FSB misunderstanding in this thread.

The FSB will run 1:1 with DRAM by default, and the DRAM will scale up with the FSB as you overclock, unless you change the memory ratio. There is no need to worry about the RAM and FSB running synchronously; it sorts itself out and will clock down to whatever the FSB is (therefore buying DDR2-800 right now gives you plenty of overclocking overhead in your memory).

You can later on, say, up the FSB of the Q6600 to 400MHz and that'll bring the CPU up to 3.6GHz without having to push the RAM past what it's rated.

I'd not personally wait for the Q9450; the Q6600 is fine now for stuff requiring four cores; I might even go for an E8400 but since you mentioned Crysis and ripping/encoding.

This PSU is cheaper and probably better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ec%2bearthwatts%2b500W

Get the 8800GTS from EVGA now, you can step-up within three months!

The onboard sound on that motherboard is good quality; unless you've got a seriously bitchin' speaker setup you'll notice no difference between it and a decent sound card.

 

[chinaman1472]

AH, i see.

 

[imported_wired247]

I didn't see anything in the inital post to indicate that a slower quad core would be superior to a faster dual core. But to each his own.

I would say, if you're not doing crunching all the time, for games and general computing go for the fastest dual core you can find, and with the money you saved, you can even OC the hell out of it. You will be happier for sure, unless you have a specific reason that you want 4 cores.

 

[OnePingOnly]

"This PSU is cheaper and probably better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ec%2bearthwatts%2b500W"

chinaman, I took your advice an switched to the Corsair VX550 PSU from NewEgg.

wired247, the specific reason I mentioned a quad core is for futureproofing for the next 3+ years. I foresee apps taking major advantage of multithreading within 2 years and would like to stay even, somewhat.

I guess my last remaining concern regard the choice of CPU.

 

[Magusigne]

Originally posted by: JRussellDMD
"This PSU is cheaper and probably better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ec%2bearthwatts%2b500W"

chinaman, I took your advice an switched to the Corsair VX550 PSU from NewEgg.

wired247, the specific reason I mentioned a quad core is for futureproofing for the next 3+ years. I foresee apps taking major advantage of multithreading within 2 years and would like to stay even, somewhat.

I guess my last remaining concern regard the choice of CPU.

In hotdeals forum you can...

Get a Q6600 for ~200 dollars @microcenter Q6600 @B&M microcenter

Get a 750gb Samsung Spinpoint HDD for 139.99

750gb Spinpoint
and buy another burner (I'm a big fan of having 2x optical drives for practicality)

= 250gb more storage and another burner for your same approximate cost

 

[imported_wired247]

Originally posted by: JRussellDMD
"This PSU is cheaper and probably better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ec%2bearthwatts%2b500W"

chinaman, I took your advice an switched to the Corsair VX550 PSU from NewEgg.

wired247, the specific reason I mentioned a quad core is for futureproofing for the next 3+ years. I foresee apps taking major advantage of multithreading within 2 years and would like to stay even, somewhat.

I guess my last remaining concern regard the choice of CPU.

It's typical to get a minor slap on the wrist whenever someone mentions futureproofing

I'd say that you should:

Get better performance now with a faster dual core

When you decide to upgrade to a quadcore on "the day when most apps are using 4 cores" which you admit may be 3+ years down the road, you can pick up a quadcore that is faster than the q6600 for ~$100 as a very cheap upgrade.

Let me get this straight: there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with getting a quadcore now, and you may benefit from it with certain apps, but for lite users and gamers a faster dual core generally > a slower quadcore

 

[OnePingOnly]

Wired,

Very sage advice. I'm strongly considering the E8400 once NewEgg gets them back in stock. You're right, in two years I can just upgrade it to quad core (LGA775). By that time, I'll just jump on the next big thing (Nehalem or whatever AMD has to offer).

 

[Midnight Rambler]

I'm not a big fan of certain Gigabyte motherboards right now, see my post on the DS3R in the Motherboards section of this Forum. And the board you listed has the exact same problem I detailed, ie. 4-pin ATX12V socket is waaaaaay too close to the 4 HSF mounting holes in the motherboard. This can cause problems as many aftermarket/high performance HSF's will block/partially block the 4-pin connector. As for the sound, it's not bad and does support up to 7.1.

For about $5 more, I like Asus' DVD burners better too. I paid $38 for a retail box 20X Asus DVD burner and it's the best drive I've had since switching away from Plextor (after they went south too ...). The Asus drive is very fast, extremely smooth tray action. A bit noisy but then what drive isn't these days (at these speeds ...).

As for the PSU, gotta agree with those who are recommending the Corsairs. I own three of their modular PSUs (HX 620's) and they are top flight !

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: Midnight Rambler
I'm not a big fan of certain Gigabyte motherboards right now, see my post on the DS3R in the Motherboards section of this Forum. And the board you listed has the exact same problem I detailed, ie. 4-pin ATX12V socket is waaaaaay too close to the 4 HSF mounting holes in the motherboard. This can cause problems as many aftermarket/high performance HSF's will block/partially block the 4-pin connector. As for the sound, it's not bad and does support up to 7.1.

I'm not questioning the issues you've had, but with the number of people on here who've built computers using the DS3L and Freezer 7 Pro, we'd have heard about any problems with the pair.

 

[OnePingOnly]

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: Midnight Rambler
I'm not a big fan of certain Gigabyte motherboards right now, see my post on the DS3R in the Motherboards section of this Forum. And the board you listed has the exact same problem I detailed, ie. 4-pin ATX12V socket is waaaaaay too close to the 4 HSF mounting holes in the motherboard. This can cause problems as many aftermarket/high performance HSF's will block/partially block the 4-pin connector. As for the sound, it's not bad and does support up to 7.1.

I'm not questioning the issues you've had, but with the number of people on here who've built computers using the DS3L and Freezer 7 Pro, we'd have heard about any problems with the pair.

Wow, that's interesting. It further affirms that anyone who plans to build a PC needs adequate (bordering on compulsive) research ahead of time.

The E8400 is what I'm aiming for now, however, it's out of stock (online - I have no Fry's or Microcenter nearby) and it's super close in price (retailer gouging, of course) to the Q6600. The waiting game... sigh.

 

[OnePingOnly]

OK,

This may be a question for another thread/forum but what happened to all the E8400's? I can't find them for a reasonable price (less than $210)

 

[Magusigne]

Originally posted by: JRussellDMD
OK,

This may be a question for another thread/forum but what happened to all the E8400's? I can't find them for a reasonable price (less than $210)

I don't know a solid answer, but a decent answer was that why would you buy a 6850 65nm C2D 3ghz when you could get a E8400 cheaper?

Well I think there is an intentional shortage so that retailers can sell off all their old stock. I could be wrong through.

I got mine through Tankguys.com

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: JRussellDMD
OK,

This may be a question for another thread/forum but what happened to all the E8400's? I can't find them for a reasonable price (less than $210)

Demand is currently crushing supply.

 

[OnePingOnly]

Another question,

Do you think the motherboard will be able to run the Q9450 from the start? I'm sure the mobo has been sitting in the warehouse and may be several months old so it may have an older BIOS. Can I just put the updated BIOS on a flash drive and update it if I don't have a CPU plugged into it?

 

[imported_wired247]

The answer is it depends.

My mobo did not support the e8400 out of the box. But I slapped the e8400 in there, it said "Unknown CPU detected" but still let me into the bios, I flashed from within the bios and all was good on reboot

 

[tynopik]

if you really want a modular, i would suggest the Corsair 520HX over the Mushkin, it is higher quality and has more 12V power to boot

newegg is a little overpriced for them, so shop around

 

[OnePingOnly]

Thanks for the advice! I will look around for better prices.

 

[OnePingOnly]

Good call tynopik,

I snagged the 520HX from buy.com. $99 w/ free shipping.