Help me build a rig

[lollybo]

Hey guys, I am planning on building a new rig soon. I am going to recycle a 7900gts from my old PC because I don't think there are that many dx10 games out right now to buy a dx10 card. Also, I don't want to upgrade to vista yet.

However, I would like to get an amazing CPU, ram, and motherboard combo.

Right now, I already spent around 130 on:
-Coolermaster centurion case (nothing special here, it was cheap, got good reviews, and it works)
-2 gigs crucial ballistix ram 800 ddr2 (again, heard good stuff about it. 50 bucks with MIR)
-Rosewill 500 W PSU ( should satisfy all my needs, I don't plan on using a power-hungry SLI setup)

So, now the video card, case, RAM, and PSU is out of the way, I need a good motherboard and processor.

My main questions are:
1. Why is the e6750 cheaper than the e6600?
2. Is quad core worth it? Should I wait for penryn(sp) or buy a core 2 duo quad core?

3. WHICH MOBO! This question buggered me the most. I am having trouble deciding between a gigabyte p35 D3R or the cheaper D3L variant, or the Abit Ip35 or the cheaper ip35-E variant. Are the "premium" models usually worth it? I don't really need extra USB/SATA spots, and I would rather save some money than get good, but totally luxurious features.

Thanks for the help.

 

[hokiealumnus]

I'm a total IP35-E fanboy now. It works great and overclocks like a dream. All for $70 AR. Pro boards are only worth it if you're going to use all of the features. I have no use for RAID and don't have anything that uses firewire.

$500 was my breaking point too, and I had to buy a GPU. With an existing case, 80Gb HDD (for backup) and optical drive, I built what's in my sig for almost exactly $500 after rebates. Since you have the GPU, spend that extra on a better processor.

Oh...and the e6750 is cheaper because it has a lower multiplier, putting more strain on the MB because it has to run at a higher FSB to obtain the same clock speed.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Go with the Abit. Gigabyte has been biting off more then they can chew, with few/far between driver/BIOS updates and not fulfilling posted specs (i.e. the whole 1333 Quad Core fiasco with the N680SLI-DQ6, where the box itself even states 1333 bus and Quad core ready, but can't handle a 1333 Quad core....)

 

[buddhatb]

Go with the Abit IP35-E and use the money saved with that decision to spend on other parts of your build.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Abit IP35-E used to be the KING of value/performance ($61 AR). I'd wait for another $20 rebate to show up at MWAVE or NEWEGG before pulling the plug. Clubit has the same board with $20 rebate right now. We should see the same rebate for the other two retailers in a week or two.

 

[tno]

If you're not interested in high end features (ie extra USB, fancy RAID, dual gigabit etc) then spend extra money on a better chip. Plus, consider when you might upgrade again. If you think you'll upgrade within 12 months, then get a newer mobo (P35). If it's going to be a longer time then you might be able to get a good deal on a solid older board (Gigabyte 965P-DS3) and spend all the rest of your budget on the proc. Either way you go, you'll be getting the most out of your $500 as consumers have ever gotten.

The only other thing you should consider is that 80% of the chips intel sells right now will be powerful enough for 80% of our needs. So if there's some other area that you might need to spend money (cooling, TV tuners, software, more HD space), do so. And if the proc you end up with isn't enough at stock, crank it up.

tno