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Need review of this build

HorseShoe

Member
Hey guys, I need a review of this build. Its supposed to be a gaming rig, and one that has to be upgradable later on in its lifecycle, and one that can survive a pretty hot environment on air cooling. So without further ado heres my build:

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Socket LGA775

Motherboard:
This is where I'm having some trouble I truly don't know whats the best mobo for around $200-$250 that can take a nice overclock and be very stable. So far these are the ones that I was thinking of getting.

Asus P5K Deluxe
Asus P5B Premium Vista Edition
Asus P5N32-E SLI nVidia nForce 680i

RAM:
Corsair XMS2 QUAD2X4096-6400C5DHX

HD:
Seagate Barracuda 500gb

Video Card:
BFG GeForce 8800 GTX

DVD Burner:
Pioneer DVR-112DBK

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred

PSU:
Enermax INFINITI 720W ATX

LCD:
I also need some help deciding on what monitor to get. I need a 22" one, I watch a lot of movies and shows on my computer so I would tip more on color reproduction than how fast its response time is. I was interested in the Samsung 226BW, but I heard that you can end up with duds when you buy those because of the C panel, so is there a sure way to get one of those for a cheap price on the proper panel or any other monitors that can match that one?

I think thats all I need for now. It would be best if you tell me of any alternative parts to get to be from this store. I really don't want to order online but will if I have to.

Thanks for taking the time to critique this.
 
I'm a little light on the latest info about ATX mobos since lately I been concentrating on the mATX side of things but I'd guess of the three you mentioned the P5K is probably the better performance. There may be better choices than the P5K though. I'm sure others will chime in. Maybe check the mobo section to see what others are using. Everything else looks pretty good.

If you want the best 22" LCD then get the LG L226WTQ(BF). Its still the top dog for gaming/multimedia with the Samsung 226BW as a near second. Acer does have a new one out now though. I havent heard how it stacks up against the LG and the Samsung but a few people have gotten it and they like it. Read xtKnight's sticky thread in the Video & Graphics section for more info. I got a L226WTQ(BF) and its ever so lovely to look at and game on. I like it better than my ViewSonic 20" LCD.
 
Hey Skott, do you know what makes the p5k better than the other ones I mentioned?

And how does the LG L226WTQ(BF) stand up to the LG L226WTX-BF? I have looked into the ViewSonic ones, but I have heard some stories about backlight bleeding and I would like to minimize that as much as I can.
 
Last I heard (last month's info) the P5K was one of the top three P35 atx mobos to get. Like I said I'm a bit rusty on my atx info so I'll let others chime in on whats better. Its a solid performer in OCing and stability from what i have heard.

The LG L226 has had many variations since its launch. About June 07 they issued firmware v1.14 for the WTQ model that fixed ghosting issues. Not sure what the difference between the WTX and WTQ. Usually its something like bezel style or color. I think (not 100% sure) this was a recent discussion in xtKnight's stickied thread. Its a newer version far as I know. Check the stickied thread because I think it was asked there in last couple days. I havent read it yet today myself to see what new info has come out.

Edit: Okay, go to the Video & Graphics section and you'll see xtKnight's stickied thread at the top. Read pages #65 & #66 and there is discussion there that should help you. If I see any more info I'll pass it along to you via this thread. I hope this helps. 🙂
 
I would go with the P5K as the P35 is the newest and best performing chipset.

You can do better on the ram

Adata 2x2gb DDR2-800 $155
or
G.Skill 2x2gb DDR2-800 $175

Either one of these will perform just as well or better, and give you the flexibility to add more and use less power and create less heat than the 4x1gb, and it will save you $100

And the power supply is overkill, a Corsair 620 will power that system just fine and save you another $60-70 bucks

And for a monitor I would suggest the Soyo 24" at Office Depot for $299, it is the same panel type as the much more expensive 24's (not TN)
 
GD is correct about the Corsair HX620w if you plan to only run one video card. Its hands down far superior to that Enermax in quality. Even the Corsair HX520w unit will do the job but I'd go with the 620w unit just for future upgrades.

There's also a 22" Acer for $199 I hear. $299 but has a $100 MIR. Its in that thread I was telling you about.
 
I have another quick question, whats the best HF/F combo I can put to cool this rig, the room itself is quite hot and I don't want to put in a WC system in it.
 
Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
The best air cooler is the Thermalright Ultra 120 extreme, and you need to add a 120mm fan as it doesn't come with one.

Would you happen to know how easily that HS will fit this mobo.
 
the thermalright will fit just fine, the motherboard just fine, that hs isn't too wide and the board has plenty of clearance. I have that hs installed on an abit ab9-quad gt with no issues. You can orient it in any direction if necessary. Also the antec case is plenty wide for it.
 
Originally posted by: humanure
the thermalright will fit just fine, the motherboard just fine, that hs isn't too wide and the board has plenty of clearance. I have that hs installed on an abit ab9-quad gt with no issues. You can orient it in any direction if necessary. Also the antec case is plenty wide for it.

Thats good to know, but I actually changed my mind and will be getting this case, it has plenty of fans and plenty of room.

I`ll be picking up the stuff today, and will let you guys know how the build goes.
 
Well the build is done and it literally couldn't have gone any smoother unless u rubbed oil over it.

I actually ended up getting the p182, the p5k mobo, 2x500gb Seagate HDs and Raided them, the corsair PSU and the Scythe Katana-2 (this was so easy to put on that it blew my mind) and kept all the rest, and I got a Samsung 226bw B panel monitor for $300.

I haven't run into any problems so far and for anyone thinking of getting this case, its unbelievably quiet with about 5x120mm fans in there. I actually had to open up the case and see if the fans were actually spinning because I couldn't hear anything.

Thanks for all the help guys for helping me build this rig 🙂
 
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