Help with my rig config

[aaronm04]

All,

Like most, I'm seeking some advice on my rig. I had been planning a new rig for months now (I'm funny that way) and was going to buy in a few months until my old rig, after 4.5 years of great service, died unexpectedly.

Using the boilerplate from the sticky ....

1) I'll do moderate gaming and all the usual web/email stuff. Been out of gaming for a while and want to get back into it.

2) My budget is around $900. There is some flexibility there (fortunately), but I'd like to keep it under that if I can. I've already put $85 ($65 after MIR) into a PSU.

3) Buying in US

4) Preferred brands? GPU: I'd like to stay with Nvidia since I'll be running Linux and they have better driver support. Processor: I've been a long-time AMD user but I think I'd like to give Intel a try. HDD: I'm a long time Western Digital user and would prefer to stay with that brand. They've been good to me so far.

5) I will be using the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and case of my current rig. I ordered a PSU as I initially thought that was the problem with my current rig so I'd like to stick with it. The only thing I'm uncertain about is the power.

6) I've read some threads on the forums here (for a while now) and have based my selection on reading throughout.

7) No overclocking. All stock speeds.

8) I plan to build it ASAP (been down for almost a week now).


What I have currently and will be using:
19" 4:3 Monitor (will be replaced within 6mos. with 24" 16:9)
Keyboard
Mouse
Case
Speakers
PSU: Corsair 550W CMPSU-550VX

Looking at:
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R ($120 + MIR)

CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q8300 ($190)
-This is 64-bit right? Don't see anything on the specs that indicate such. I'd like to go with a 64-bit CPU.

GPU: EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR, GeForce GTX 260 ($230 + MIR)

RAM: GSkill 4Gb (2x2) DDR2 1066 PC2-8500, F2-8500CL6D-4GBNQ ($50)

HDD: Western Digitial 750Gb Caviar WD7501AALS ($90)

DVD: LG Black Blu-Ray/HDDVD ROM SATA Burner GGC-H20LK ($105)
-If I don't play movies on my PC, do I even need this? Will they start to put games and other data-type media on Blu-Ray DVDs?

Sound: Onboard ($0)

Total: $785 (a little less with the MIRs)

From what I've gathered, stock cooling should be okay with the CPU since I'm not OC'ing. I'd like to future proof as much as a I can so I thought Quad would be the way to go. From what I gather, 550W should be sufficient to power me (at least that's what I've gathered to this point), but that's why I'm posting here.

Thank you for your time.


Aaron

 

[Slugbait]

Originally posted by: aaronm04
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q8300 ($190)
-This is 64-bit right? Don't see anything on the specs that indicate such. I'd like to go with a 64-bit CPU.

Yeah, it's 64-bit

HDD: Western Digitial 750Gb Caviar WD7501AALS ($90)

Hmmm...I'm also a longtime WD fan (my first was a 400M drive), but I'd spend another $10 for a slightly faster drive that has another quarter-TB of capacity. In fact, I have both the 750 and 1TB versions of the F1, and was kinda surprised when F.E.A.R. said my 750 outperformed my 80G Raptor.

DVD: LG Black Blu-Ray/HDDVD ROM SATA Burner GGC-H20LK ($105)
-If I don't play movies on my PC, do I even need this?

No. A Samsung S223Q would save you some cash. I even left a review at the 'egg on this drive, it's quite nice. Of course, I paid more than $27, but whatever...

Will they start to put games and other data-type media on Blu-Ray DVDs?

Haven't heard of any plans to do so by any software company. It will probably be at least a couple of years before you see more than a couple of titles on BR discs, and by then recordable BR units will cost less than $50.

I'd like to future proof as much as a I can so I thought Quad would be the way to go.

If you plan to render or compress, yes. If only gaming, web and Office-type apps, you could save a few bucks going with a Duo and not miss anything.

From what I gather, 550W should be sufficient to power me (at least that's what I've gathered to this point), but that's why I'm posting here.

That PSU should be sufficient.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Intel isn't a bad choice, but it's worth at least giving the Phenom II a look. For $190, the X4 920 is generally faster than the Q8300 which costs the same. Meanwhile, AMD motherboards are usually cheaper than Intel ones.

You should read the AnandTech article (with comparisons!) here: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...ts/showdoc.aspx?i=3512

I've also always bought AMD but mostly because of my budget. I'm not exactly an AMD fanboy - the later X2s and the original Phenoms were pretty poor offerings in the face of Intel's outstanding Core 2 lineup. Had you posted this six months earlier, I would have said to go Intel and don't look back. But with Core 2 reaching the end of its life and i7 still out of reach, Phenom II is a good midway point.

Also, don't count out a quad for gaming. Some newer games make good use of the extra cores, and it'll just get better with time. A few years ago, people were saying the same thing about dual-core vs. single-core ("don't bother with dual core, it's more expensive and games don't use two cores").

 

[batuchka]

I agree with Astroman - that and with some nice bundles for Phenom 2 floating around NewEgg hehe Have a look here: $701.95, $12.18 shipping and $35 rebates
Phenom 2 bundle
I know you are on a 19" but like you said a 24" later and that 1GB video RAM on the HD4870 will do you good ^^

 

[aaronm04]

Thanks a bunch for the feedback!

I'm pretty well convinced to go quad, but I have a few follow-up questions...

1) If I went with AMD, would the PSU I have suffice? Or is the AMD more power hungry than the Intel?

2) My plan with the Intel spec was to stick with stock cooling on the retail version. Could I get by with this for the AMD chips too?

In the past AMD's chips ran a lot hotter and I wondered if that's still the case with their new line of CPUs.

 

[AstroManLuca]

The stock cooler for the Phenom II is pretty nice; it's got a couple of small heatpipes. Obviously aftermarket ones always offer more and better options, but it shouldn't be a problem to use the stock cooler even for overclocking.

The power supply should be fine as long as you're not planning on running dual 4870X2s.

 

[aaronm04]

Thank you so much to those who posted! I really appreciate you helping get through this.

What I wound up going with was the Intel after all that. I was close to pulling the trigger on the AMD. It came down to the motherboard, as I was concerned about Linux support for the newer mobo options. While it may have been okay, I was in a bit of a time crunch and didn't have the time to dedicate to finding this out definitively. So I went the safe route.

I was also able to find a bundle on NewEgg with my video card and CPU selections which saved me an additional $15.

Here is the final spec I just ordered (abbreviated since specifics are also listed above). It also includes the PSU I ordered last week:

CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q8300 ($190)
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R ($120)
RAM: Gskill 4Gb DDR2 ($50)
GPU: EVGA Nvidia GTX 260 ($230)
HDD: SamSung Spinpoint F1 1TB ($95)
DVD: Samsung DVD Burner ($27)
PSU: Corsair 550W ($85)

These prices include current instant discounts, but do not include MIRs and bundles. I saved $15 for the CPU+GPU combo and there are $65 worth of MIRs on the table too. Total after MIRs/bundles comes to $717. Not a bad deal at all.

Thanks again everyon!


Aaron

 

[xSauronx]

where the hell is the "dont use a quad for gaming" crowd today?

 

[yh125d]

For the $310 you spent on a Q8300 and a P45 motherboard, it would have been better spent on a PHII + 780g

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
where the hell is the "dont use a quad for gaming" crowd today?

Playing games on their OCed C2D systems?

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: betasub

Originally posted by: xSauronx
where the hell is the "dont use a quad for gaming" crowd today?

Playing games on their OCed C2D systems?

Guilty

COD 4 for me

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
where the hell is the "dont use a quad for gaming" crowd today?

they got owned when more stuff started coming out for quadcores. And also when higher end gpu's started playing nicer with them.

Now there making the threads asking us which quadcore is the best value.

Originally posted by: betasub

Originally posted by: xSauronx
where the hell is the "dont use a quad for gaming" crowd today?

Playing games on their OCed C2D systems?

More like browsing though newegg on the price drop of a Q9650 or Q9550.


OP, DS3P > DS3R FTW!!

Not overclocking your processor to at least 3.2ghz is a sin on this forum.
With your setup, a simple FSB boost wouldnt hurt anything, and would hold merit and you'd see a performance bump from it.