Need a good setup, please suggest.

[keichan82]

I am planning to build a new setup and planning to OC.
So far ..
DFI LanParty SLI-D http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813136158
ThermalRight SI-120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835109123
SilverStone 120MM 110CFM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811999344
Artic Silver 5 Thermal Compound http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835100008
Aspire X-Navigator http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811144089
Im using the OCZ 520W PowerStream
OCZ Titainium 2x 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820227056
7800 GTX
Any suggestions are welcomed. Please also suggest a Processor. Thanks in advance.

 

[biostud]

seems fine

X2 3800+
X2 4400+

Opteron 165, 170

 

[keichan82]

Thanks. As for the OCZ Titainium, should I get the PLatimun instead? Any comments/suggestions for the case? Thanks

 

[Indred]

if your getting the 7800 GTX are you getting 1 or 2 because SLI board you have chosen. If you plain on getting one and don't plain on upgrading later to purchase another and go SLI then you could probly get a diff board. You are asking on suggestions on CPU's are you looking at x64 or X2 cpus?

 

[potato28]

If ur gonna shell out for the DFI, get the EXPERT version of the SLI-D.And the X2 3800 is good for cheap. Titanium ram is more for the servers, best to get the Platinum...

 

[RussianSensation]

1) You can get 2 gigs of ram (4x512 for $160). Performance difference between this and the best ram will be 5%-10% (2T penalty hit isnt that severe anyways and timings dont matter much). Even if you get the worst 2x1 gig sticks, dont spend more than $200 since performance increase in memory is only valid for those chasing benchmark records.

2) Take those $100 savings on ram + $150 you save on getting 1 7800GT vs. 7800GTX you planned on getting and you have to spend $250 + add another $50 to get 2 x 7800GT that will smoke your original setup.

3) Get Opteron 165 if you plan on overclocking

4) Get X2 3800+ if you dont plan on overclocking since 200mhz extra > 1mb cache advantage over 512kb

 

[keichan82]

First, Thanks for the suggestions.
I am planning on getting the expert, after reading the reviews but what is the difference between the -d and -dr?
As for the ram, I read that 2x1GB has less problems and more efficient. So if the Titainium does not show a great improvment then I will get the 2x1Gb OCZ Platnium. Any suggestions on either Platnium or Platium Rev 2?
As for the video card, I am planning on getting 2 but waiting for the price to drop to get the secon one.
As for now I am getting the Evga 7800 GTX. I am buying it used from a friend for $300.
Any suggestions on the hsf I choosen?
As for CPU I am still debating on the 64 and X2. I read about the opterons but still unsure.
Any advice would be welcomed. Thank you.

 

[keichan82]

Any suggestions will help. Thanks

 

[secretanchitman]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation
1) You can get 2 gigs of ram (4x512 for $160). Performance difference between this and the best ram will be 5%-10% (2T penalty hit isnt that severe anyways and timings dont matter much). Even if you get the worst 2x1 gig sticks, dont spend more than $200 since performance increase in memory is only valid for those chasing benchmark records.

2) Take those $100 savings on ram + $150 you save on getting 1 7800GT vs. 7800GTX you planned on getting and you have to spend $250 + add another $50 to get 2 x 7800GT that will smoke your original setup.

3) Get Opteron 165 if you plan on overclocking

4) Get X2 3800+ if you dont plan on overclocking since 200mhz extra > 1mb cache advantage over 512kb

totally agree with you RS! i would also go for the opteron 165 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+/4200+.

your setup will kick some serious arse. make sure to get the dual-core fixes from AMD and microsoft.

 

[Indred]

I personaly having a x64 wished i had got a X2. But also not able to compare the two the grass is always greener on the other side...

 

[gplracer]

Here is a good comparison between the DFI boards. One has a 8 channel audio chip and EZ-on / EZ-touch onboard switch button nVIDIA nTune(embedded overclocking solution) CMOS reload.

Newegg comparison

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: keichan82

As for the ram, I read that 2x1GB has less problems and more efficient. So if the Titainium does not show a great improvment then I will get the 2x1Gb OCZ Platnium. Any suggestions on either Platnium or Platium Rev 2?

G.SKILL Extreme Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Dual Channel Kit System Memory 2-3-2-5 timings = $185
Not much more than corsair and rosewill value 3-4-4-8 or 2.5-3-3 ram. I think this is a good price performance ratio for 2 gigs. If you on a budget and want 2 gigs you can get A-DATA for $155 after MIR on Newegg

As for the video card, I am planning on getting 2 but waiting for the price to drop to get the secon one.
As for now I am getting the Evga 7800 GTX. I am buying it used from a friend for $300.
Any suggestions on the hsf I choosen?

I'd probably go with Zalman VF700-ALCu since it's cheaper than NV silencer I believe and should fit ATi videocards and future Nvidia cards (or more likely to fit). With NV Silencer, every new card requires a new revision.....not very practical. And performance between the 2 is basically similar.

As for CPU I am still debating on the 64 and X2. I read about the opterons but still unsure.
Any advice would be welcomed. Thank you.

Forget about my Opteron 165 advice. The prices recently went up to $360 or so and X2 3800+ is about $315. If you do not plan on overclocking, x2 3800+ is better since it has 200mhz extra per core vs. the opteron but 512kb x 2 cache vs. 1mb x 2 in opteron (cache basically benefits in games and not much more). Again X2 is a long term investment. If you want to save some money just get A64 3500+ for $200 and save the extra $100. You can always upgrade to dual core later. If you perform heavy multitasking and dont upgrade too often (ie. once a year), I'd probably recommend getting the X2 3800+. If you overclock it to 2.4ghz (easy), you'll be at x2 4600+ speed for free.

Edit: Also for cpu heatsink , if you are going to spend $60 + $15 on a fan, just go with $60 Zalman 9500 cpu heatsink. Currently its one of the best cpu heatsinks, probably even better than the thermalright you posted. 9500 Review


Try SVC.com since they sometimes offer lower prices on cooling products such as NV silencers for videocards and CPU coolers.

Also for the case, I just noticed you are paying extra for the power supply yet you said you are going to be using Powerstream 520. Why pay extra $$$ for something you wont use? STill a case is a personal preference item. I like Coolermaster praetorian and wavemaster in your price range. I also like traditional looking cases like KINGWIN KT-424-BK.