Intel Conroe-ready build

[soydios]

So, the Asus P5W DH Deluxe just arrived at Newegg.com today. This is the motherboard I was waiting for to complete my Conroe-ready build. My plan is to buy the aforementioned motherboard and a Pentium D 805, and overclock the snot out of that processor. Sometime in September I will probably upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6600 (Conroe 2.4GHz 4MB). Once Vista comes out I will then add in another 2x1GB kit of RAM (DDR2 should be cheaper by then).
Below is the exact parts list from Newegg. I'm looking to order the parts within the next 72 hours. If you have any advice, suggestions, or known issues, please inform me of them.
So, here's the gritty details:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Case: Antec ATX Mid Tower w/o PSU "P-160W"
PSU: Antec TruePower2.0 EPS12V ATX12V 550W "TP2-550 EPS12V"
Case Fan 1: Vantec Stealth 120mm 2-Ball "SF12025L"
Case Fan 2: Vantec Stealth 120mm 2-Ball "SF12025L"
Motherboard: Asus ATX Intel 975X w/ WiFi "P5W DH Deluxe"
CPU: Intel Pentium D 805 2.66GHz 533MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache Socket LGA775 Windsor "ADA4200BVBOX"
CPU Heatsink: Zalman Copper Wind-Tunnel w/ 92mm fan "CNPS9500 LED"
Thermal Grease: Arctic Silver 5
RAM: OCZ Platinum XTC Dual Channel 2GB(2x1GB) DDR2-800 CAS4 240-pin DDR2-SDRAM w/ mesh heatspreaders "OCZ2P8002GK"
HD 1: Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA3.0GB/s 7200RPM 16MB Cache "WD2500KS"
HD 2: Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA3.0GB/s 7200RPM 16MB Cache "WD2500KS"
VGA: Sapphire ATi Radeon X1900XT 512MB 48 Pixel Pipelines PCI-Express x16 w/ VIVO "100149"
VGA Heatsink: Zalman Copper Flower-Type w/ 96mm fan & Heatpipes "VF900 - Cu"
Monitor: ViewSonic 20.1" LCD Silver/Black 1680x1050 8ms DVI "VX2025WM"
Removable Disc Drive: NEC IDE DVD Burner Silver "ND-3550A"
Round IDE Cable: Thermaltake 18" Black ATA66/100/133 "A2049"
Floppy Drive: <none>
Round Floppy Cable: <none>
Sound Card: <motherboard integrated>
Keyboard: Saitek Eclipse Wired Silver USB w/ Blue LED Backlight "PZ30AU"
Mouse: Logitech MX1000 Wireless Laser USB "931175-0403"
UPS: Belkin Enterprise 900VA 540W "F6C900-UNV"
OS: Windows XP Professional w/ SP2 OEM
Productivity Suite: <none>
Security Suite: <none>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Antec Performance I P-160W Silver 1.2mm Anodized Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129173
$93.99

Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550 EPS12V ATX12V 550W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, TUV, CB, FCC CLASS B, CUL - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103932
$99.99

VANTEC SF12025L 120mm 2 Ball Case Cooling Fan - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999614
$11.99 x 2 = $23.98

ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131025
$234.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 533MHz FSB 2 x 1MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core,EM64T Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116001
$108.99

ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Blue LED Light Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118223
$52.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835100007
$5.99

OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model OCZ2P8002GK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227089
$214.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144701
$89.99 x 2 = $179.98

SAPPHIRE 100149 Radeon X1900XT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102003
$389.99

ZALMAN VF900 ? CU 2 Ball VGA Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118001
$36.99

ViewSonic VX2025WM Black-Silver 20.1" DVI 8ms gray-to-gray (avg.); 16ms white-black-white (typ) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381
$329.99

NEC Silver IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152060
$34.99

Thermaltake 18" Black IDE(ATA66/100/133) Round Cable Model A2049 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812183033
$4.39

Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823175103
$39.99

Logitech MX1000 931175-0403 Blue/Black 8 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB + PS/2 Fast RF Laser Mouse - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826104158
$56.99

BELKIN Enterprise F6C1100-UNV 1100VA 660W UPS - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16842101218
$109.99

Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102062
$137.99

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

subtotal: $2127.20
grandtotal (w/ tax & shipping): $2360.98

 

[secretanchitman]

that setup looks nice! im planning to get the same mobo, different memory (g.skill 2x1GB 4-4-4-12 because the 4-4-4-5 timings are EXTREMELY expensive), and prolly will go straight to core 2 duo E6600.

im sure people will comment on your psu and tell you to get something else. im fine with antec as ive used their psus for years without fail, both smart and truepower ones.

once again, nice system!

 

[soydios]

Bah, I'll research that famed Seasonic 600W. But I put that PSU in a friend's computer, and it's running like a charm (the friend's computer consumes about 2/3 of the power that mine will, but whatever).

 

[Howard]

The following parts I would replace:

Antec PSU - you can find better quality, probably at a lower price
Vantec fans - you can find better quality at a lower price
Zalman 9500 - you can find equal or better performers at a lower price, but if you like the looks, keep it
Round IDE cable - you can just fold the flat ones against the side

Seasonic S12-430 will do for your rig as long as you don't add a second X1900XT. Yate Loon D12SL-12 fans are $3.99 at Jab-tech. The VX2025WM is ~$3 cheaper at ZZF after shipping. The Scythe Ninja Plus is $32 before shipping at Jab-tech, and is a better performer at all noise levels but especially at low noise.

 

[soydios]

@Howard:
thanks for the recommendations
I would like to keep my CrossFire upgrade options open (which is why I chose the 975X chipset), so I would like to get an SLi-capable power supply.
I'm using all Zalman cooling, because they perform well, look good, and are quiet.
I would like to order all my parts from Newegg. It just makes things simpler, especially with returns (their customer service is good).
I'll look into the Yate Loons, as I've heard a lot about them on these forums.

I did look into the Seasonic 600W power supply, and it seemed to be about the same as the Antec (oh the blasphemy!). The Antec also has very stable rails, even at high loads (at least that's what I read in a review somewhere).

 

[Smartazz]

Thanks for the list, if Conroe isn't availble I'll probobly make a system similar to yours.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: soydios
@Howard:
thanks for the recommendations
I would like to keep my CrossFire upgrade options open (which is why I chose the 975X chipset), so I would like to get an SLi-capable power supply.
I'm using all Zalman cooling, because they perform well, look good, and are quiet.
I would like to order all my parts from Newegg. It just makes things simpler, especially with returns (their customer service is good).
I'll look into the Yate Loons, as I've heard a lot about them on these forums.

I did look into the Seasonic 600W power supply, and it seemed to be about the same as the Antec (oh the blasphemy!). The Antec also has very stable rails, even at high loads (at least that's what I read in a review somewhere).

To be honest, the Scythe Ninja performs better than the 9500 no matter what the noise output is, but I can understand wanting to stay with Zalman (or at least I try to ).

Unfortunately, I don't know of any quiet, high-quality PSUs that'll be able to handle two X1900XTs for ~$100. The TP2-550 will probably work, but they've been found with low-grade capacitors that tend to fail early.

 

[Henny]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: soydios
@Howard:
thanks for the recommendations
I would like to keep my CrossFire upgrade options open (which is why I chose the 975X chipset), so I would like to get an SLi-capable power supply.
I'm using all Zalman cooling, because they perform well, look good, and are quiet.
I would like to order all my parts from Newegg. It just makes things simpler, especially with returns (their customer service is good).
I'll look into the Yate Loons, as I've heard a lot about them on these forums.

I did look into the Seasonic 600W power supply, and it seemed to be about the same as the Antec (oh the blasphemy!). The Antec also has very stable rails, even at high loads (at least that's what I read in a review somewhere).

To be honest, the Scythe Ninja performs better than the 9500 no matter what the noise output is, but I can understand wanting to stay with Zalman (or at least I try to ).

Unfortunately, I don't know of any quiet, high-quality PSUs that'll be able to handle two X1900XTs for ~$100. The TP2-550 will probably work, but they've been found with low-grade capacitors that tend to fail early.

Scythe Ninja is good for passive. Scythe Mine III is better for active and so much easier to install and remove!!

I'd get a Fortron Blue Storm vs the Antec.

I have a P5W DH due in tomorrow. My "tide me over" CPU is a D930 until my Conroe ships.

I swear that Intel is selling a boatload of "tide me over" CPU's while poeple prepare new builds for Conroe.

I'd get a Raptor for the HD. (or Raptors for RAID)

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Henny

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: soydios
@Howard:
thanks for the recommendations
I would like to keep my CrossFire upgrade options open (which is why I chose the 975X chipset), so I would like to get an SLi-capable power supply.
I'm using all Zalman cooling, because they perform well, look good, and are quiet.
I would like to order all my parts from Newegg. It just makes things simpler, especially with returns (their customer service is good).
I'll look into the Yate Loons, as I've heard a lot about them on these forums.

I did look into the Seasonic 600W power supply, and it seemed to be about the same as the Antec (oh the blasphemy!). The Antec also has very stable rails, even at high loads (at least that's what I read in a review somewhere).

To be honest, the Scythe Ninja performs better than the 9500 no matter what the noise output is, but I can understand wanting to stay with Zalman (or at least I try to ).

Unfortunately, I don't know of any quiet, high-quality PSUs that'll be able to handle two X1900XTs for ~$100. The TP2-550 will probably work, but they've been found with low-grade capacitors that tend to fail early.

Scythe Ninja is good for passive. Scythe Mine III is better for active and so much easier to install and remove!!

I'd get a Fortron Blue Storm vs the Antec.

I have a P5W DH due in tomorrow. My "tide me over" CPU is a D930 until my Conroe ships.

I swear that Intel is selling a boatload of "tide me over" CPU's while poeple prepare new builds for Conroe.

I'd get a Raptor for the HD. (or Raptors for RAID)

Does a Scythe Mine require a backplate?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: soydios
So, the Asus P5W DH Deluxe just arrived at Newegg.com today. This is the motherboard I was waiting for to complete my Conroe-ready build. My plan is to buy the aforementioned motherboard and a Pentium D 805, and overclock the snot out of that processor. Sometime in September I will probably upgrade to a Core 2 Duo E6600 (Conroe 2.4GHz 4MB). Once Vista comes out I will then add in another 2x1GB kit of RAM (DDR2 should be cheaper by then).
Below is the exact parts list from Newegg. I'm looking to order the parts within the next 72 hours. If you have any advice, suggestions, or known issues, please inform me of them.
So, here's the gritty details:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Case: Antec ATX Mid Tower w/o PSU "P-160W"
PSU: Antec TruePower2.0 EPS12V ATX12V 550W "TP2-550 EPS12V"
Case Fan 1: Vantec Stealth 120mm 2-Ball "SF12025L"
Case Fan 2: Vantec Stealth 120mm 2-Ball "SF12025L"
Motherboard: Asus ATX Intel 975X w/ WiFi "P5W DH Deluxe"
CPU: Intel Pentium D 805 2.66GHz 533MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache Socket LGA775 Windsor "ADA4200BVBOX"
CPU Heatsink: Zalman Copper Wind-Tunnel w/ 92mm fan "CNPS9500 LED"
Thermal Grease: Arctic Silver 5
RAM: OCZ Platinum XTC Dual Channel 2GB(2x1GB) DDR2-800 CAS4 240-pin DDR2-SDRAM w/ mesh heatspreaders "OCZ2P8002GK"
HD 1: Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA3.0GB/s 7200RPM 16MB Cache "WD2500KS"
HD 2: Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA3.0GB/s 7200RPM 16MB Cache "WD2500KS"
VGA: Sapphire ATi Radeon X1900XT 512MB 48 Pixel Pipelines PCI-Express x16 w/ VIVO "100149"
VGA Heatsink: Zalman Copper Flower-Type w/ 96mm fan & Heatpipes "VF900 - Cu"
Monitor: ViewSonic 20.1" LCD Silver/Black 1680x1050 8ms DVI "VX2025WM"
Removable Disc Drive: NEC IDE DVD Burner Silver "ND-3550A"
Round IDE Cable: Thermaltake 18" Black ATA66/100/133 "A2049"
Floppy Drive: <none>
Round Floppy Cable: <none>
Sound Card: <motherboard integrated>
Keyboard: Saitek Eclipse Wired Silver USB w/ Blue LED Backlight "PZ30AU"
Mouse: Logitech MX1000 Wireless Laser USB "931175-0403"
UPS: Belkin Enterprise 900VA 540W "F6C900-UNV"
OS: Windows XP Professional w/ SP2 OEM
Productivity Suite: <none>
Security Suite: <none>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Antec Performance I P-160W Silver 1.2mm Anodized Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129173
$93.99

Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550 EPS12V ATX12V 550W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, TUV, CB, FCC CLASS B, CUL - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103932
$99.99

VANTEC SF12025L 120mm 2 Ball Case Cooling Fan - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999614
$11.99 x 2 = $23.98

ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131025
$234.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 533MHz FSB 2 x 1MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core,EM64T Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116001
$108.99

ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Blue LED Light Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118223
$52.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835100007
$5.99

OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model OCZ2P8002GK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227089
$214.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144701
$89.99 x 2 = $179.98

SAPPHIRE 100149 Radeon X1900XT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102003
$389.99

ZALMAN VF900 ? CU 2 Ball VGA Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118001
$36.99

ViewSonic VX2025WM Black-Silver 20.1" DVI 8ms gray-to-gray (avg.); 16ms white-black-white (typ) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381
$329.99

NEC Silver IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152060
$34.99

Thermaltake 18" Black IDE(ATA66/100/133) Round Cable Model A2049 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812183033
$4.39

Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823175103
$39.99

Logitech MX1000 931175-0403 Blue/Black 8 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB + PS/2 Fast RF Laser Mouse - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826104158
$56.99

BELKIN Enterprise F6C1100-UNV 1100VA 660W UPS - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16842101218
$109.99

Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102062
$137.99

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

subtotal: $2127.20
grandtotal (w/ tax & shipping): $2360.98

are these new m/b definately conroe ready? are they the ones that have fixed the vrm issue with the "older" conroe ready m/bs that aren't?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: Henny

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: soydios
@Howard:
thanks for the recommendations
I would like to keep my CrossFire upgrade options open (which is why I chose the 975X chipset), so I would like to get an SLi-capable power supply.
I'm using all Zalman cooling, because they perform well, look good, and are quiet.
I would like to order all my parts from Newegg. It just makes things simpler, especially with returns (their customer service is good).
I'll look into the Yate Loons, as I've heard a lot about them on these forums.

I did look into the Seasonic 600W power supply, and it seemed to be about the same as the Antec (oh the blasphemy!). The Antec also has very stable rails, even at high loads (at least that's what I read in a review somewhere).

To be honest, the Scythe Ninja performs better than the 9500 no matter what the noise output is, but I can understand wanting to stay with Zalman (or at least I try to ).

Unfortunately, I don't know of any quiet, high-quality PSUs that'll be able to handle two X1900XTs for ~$100. The TP2-550 will probably work, but they've been found with low-grade capacitors that tend to fail early.

Scythe Ninja is good for passive. Scythe Mine III is better for active and so much easier to install and remove!!

I'd get a Fortron Blue Storm vs the Antec.

I have a P5W DH due in tomorrow. My "tide me over" CPU is a D930 until my Conroe ships.

I swear that Intel is selling a boatload of "tide me over" CPU's while poeple prepare new builds for Conroe.

I'd get a Raptor for the HD. (or Raptors for RAID)

Does a Scythe Mine require a backplate?

I don't think so. It just clips onto the plastic bracket.