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Help with my upgrade from A64 + 9800pro to Core 2 + X1xxx

After reading around a little more, it looks like I may want to get 800mhz DDR, instead of 667. Surprised no one pointed that out yet. Recommendations on good, cheap 800mhz?
 
PSU will have to go. 18A is pretty sad for a 400+ watt PSU but then again it's Thermaltake.

I would suggest the Seasonic S12 (380-430 watt), other good options are Enhance, Forton-Source, and Zalman.
 
I notice the Seasonic S12 series has two 12V rails. How does that work in terms of deciding which components use which rail? Will CPU and video card be drawing from the same rail? Each 12V rail itself is <= 18amps.
 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I notice the Seasonic S12 series has two 12V rails. How does that work in terms of deciding which components use which rail? Will CPU and video card be drawing from the same rail? Each 12V rail itself is <= 18amps.
Click to expand...
CPU and maybe a few misc. MB components on one rail while the GPU and everything else on the other.
 
Also updated the ram to G.Skill 2GB DDR2 800 HZ PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS4 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ). Looks like people are able to overclock the Core 2 Duo well with this memory. I'm hoping to overclock to the 3.2 - 3.4GHz range at least.
 
How is the stock cooler on the E6400? Should I go OEM and get a 3rd party cooler? Are these even sold OEM? I only saw retail on newegg. Actually, newegg's price seems a little high, I will shop around for a better deal.
 
Is there any cable management system that I should be aware of?

This "upgrade" is ending up costing > $1,000. Anywhere I can cutdown on price without losing too much performance/quality?
 
I would advice against SLI or Crossfire as an upgrade option. By the time you would want to add a 2nd card you can usually find a newer card that will give you better performance to dollar ratio. You also won't need a monster 500-600 watt PSU to run your system properly. DX 10 hardware is just around the corner so I wouldn't invest too much in current generation cards.

Regarding the FSP units, that is the max 12v current that can go over any one of the three rails not the actual 12v power that is available. For that you'll have to dig around on FSP's site.

Also this may be personal preference but I would stick with the bigger names in RAM such as Crucial, Kingston, Corsair, and Mushkin.

 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
How is the stock cooler on the E6400? Should I go OEM and get a 3rd party cooler? Are these even sold OEM? I only saw retail on newegg. Actually, newegg's price seems a little high, I will shop around for a better deal.
Click to expand...

The stock Intel heatsink basicly sucks. I'd go with an OEM cpu and get a scythe ninja.
 
Don't know if this is much help or not, but I run a 24inch 1920x1200 Acer LCD with an AMD64 X2 4200. I use a Radeon x1800xt and Battlefield 2 gives me a VERY smooth framerate (all settings set to high, no AA enabled.)

In WoW and Doom 3, I am able to run 1920x1200 with 4x AA.


I imagine Crysis at that resolution may require a bit more power than say, BF2, however, that won't be known until it comes out.
You should be able to score an x1900xt for under $300 now, and SLI shouldn't be necessary unless as a means to "futureproof" yourself. And even then, you're probably better off buying a $250-$300 video card now, and then buying something more than twice as fast in a couple of years .... It usually will either save you a bit of money or allow you better performance over the long run.

 
Originally posted by: Operandi
I would advice against SLI or Crossfire as an upgrade option. By the time you would want to add a 2nd card you can usually find a newer card that will give you better performance to dollar ratio. You also won't need a monster 500-600 watt PSU to run your system properly. DX 10 hardware is just around the corner so I wouldn't invest too much in current generation cards.

Regarding the FSP units, that is the max 12v current that can go over any one of the three rails not the actual 12v power that is available. For that you'll have to dig around on FSP's site.

Also this may be personal preference but I would stick with the bigger names in RAM such as Crucial, Kingston, Corsair, and Mushkin.
Click to expand...
Any suggestions for bigger-name RAM that have comparable price and proven to run over 400mhz with Core 2 Duo? I chose the one I did based on reports that that memory has been successful in overclocking C2D setups to 3.2 - 3.4 ghz range on the popular overclocking mobos.
 
Originally posted by: Operandi
Regarding the FSP units, that is the max 12v current that can go over any one of the three rails not the actual 12v power that is available. For that you'll have to dig around on FSP's site.
Click to expand...

So for the FSP, am I incorrect in assuming that 12V * 15A = 180Watts per rail? Would I be able to actually use 720watts... crap, that's over the 600w rating of the PSU. So there must be a max combined draw on the 12V rails, that's smaller than 600W....

 
Taking your advice, you're right, I will probably never go Xfire or SLI. Switched to a cheaper PS, which happens to be considered better than the FSP FX600 I originally listed, saving 4 bucks there.
 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Taking your advice, you're right, I will probably never go Xfire or SLI. Switched to a cheaper PS, which happens to be considered better than the FSP FX600 I originally listed, saving 4 bucks there.
Click to expand...

four bucks is nothing. don't think that a cheaper PSU will help you save your wallet from breaking the bank in the future. it could trash your system. you want the highest quality PSU you could get for the money you have, that will fully support your rig. it's not a bad idea to go above specifications just in case you feel like upgrading to something.

i've learned that you don't settle with a rig's politeness if you are building it by yourself, you always want to keep something in line just in case something needs to be replaced or upgraded right away.
 
The Enhance PSU is supposed to be very good, and high powered, it's 600 watts. And I had a typo there, it's $40 cheaper, not $4. It's the same PSU as the Silverstone ST06F, which is $140.
 
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