New Build!

[Number1]

Hi, this is an exiting time for me.
I am finally replacing my old trusted 6 years old computer. Currently I am running a XP2500+ @ 3200+ on an Asus A7N8X-X motherboard. GEForce 6600, 2G of RAM, 256G HD with Vista Home premium. Useless to say the system is quite sluggish.

I don?t do gaming and I will be using the system for browsing, photo editing and organising with Photoshop Element 6. I have over 40 Geg of family pictures on my hard drive. My goal it to get a lightning fast PC that I will be able to upgrade and keep running at a reasonable level for at least 5 years. I will be using my existing 19 in LCD for now and I also plan on hooking up the PC to my 42 in HD Plasma TV via a HDMI cable. I am going for an Intel processor this time because of the performance advantage. So here are the components I plan on getting:

Core 2 Quad Q6600
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...ctid=1377&cat=0&page=1
$299.00
This is a best selling CPU and should perform quite well for what I want to do.

Asus Maximus Formula Special Edition Socket 775 Motherboard
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...tid=1757&cat=23&page=1
$281.00
Mostly for future proofing my system. X38 chipset, 1600 MHz Front Side Bus, 45nm support, good overclocker, Crossfire.

OCZ EL Platinum XTC 2GB PC2-8000 1000MHz DDR2 Dual Channel Memory (2 x 1GB)
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...id=1534&cat=101&page=1
$122.00
Good quality RAM.

Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 512MB DDR2 PCI-E 2XDVI-I TV-OUT DIRECTX10.1 Lite Retail Video Card
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...L&manufacture=SAPPHIRE
$94.00
Inexpensive, should be good for playing HD DVD movies once I get a Blue ray or HD DVD drive. I might do very light gaming if any so this card should be OK.

Seagate Barracuda / 500GB / SATA/300 / 32MB / 7200RPM / OEM / Hard Drive
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...tid=1747&cat=14&page=1
$133.00
Large drive, should get good performance with 32MB buffer.

Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gamer Case
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...ctid=1478&cat=4&page=1
$119.00
Cool case, I like the 8 inches fan on top. Already purchased this unit. It is surprisingly quiet.

OCZ GameXStream 700-Watt Power Supply (SLI Ready)
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...tid=1540&cat=40&page=1
$145.00
Good reviews on the web. Already purchased, should be more then enough for what I plan to do.

LG GH20-LS10 20x Dual Layer Black SATA DVD Burner With LightScribe
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...tid=1784&cat=10&page=1
$37.00
Generic SATA drive available at my local computer store.

Window Vista Home Premium 32 bit
http://www.robotnik.com/produc...tid=1385&cat=32&page=1
$137.00
Should run VERY fast on this hardware.

Total:$1367 canadian, plus taxes (13%)

Any suggestions, thought? I will be purchasing the rest of the components in a couple of weeks.

MOD EDIT: Seems to be a better fit in General Hardware, as it was posted under SFF, Notebooks/Pre-Built/Barebones PCs. This is a custom build and pretty much all the "suggest/rate my build" threads are in General. - Zap

 

[Rockinacoustic]

New Built? As in you bought and put this thing together already? If not, you can surely get a 2GB kit of RAM for much cheaper than that- just look Here. I'm not up to date on the latest Intel Motherboard but that seems an awful lot for a MB- I've heard the Gigabyte DS3 is a great overclocking MB (though I'm not sure on 45nm support).

Otherwise every other component looks great, or you've already purchased it Nonetheless, good luck with your build!

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: Rockinacoustic
New Built? As in you bought and put this thing together already? If not, you can surely get a 2GB kit of RAM for much cheaper than that- just look Here. I'm not up to date on the latest Intel Motherboard but that seems an awful lot for a MB- I've heard the Gigabyte DS3 is a great overclocking MB (though I'm not sure on 45nm support).

Otherwise every other component looks great, or you've already purchased it Nonetheless, good luck with your build!

BUILD, forgive me but english is a second language for me and I screw up sometime.

All prices are canadian. I will be building this in the next few weeks.

People are recomending crucial memory for this board. I am considering this module now:

Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 DDR2 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit
$134.99

I might also substitute the Asus Maximus Formuls for the Asus P5E motherboard. It is essentialy the same and is $45.00 cheaper.

 

[chinaman1472]

No reason to get DDR2-1066 memory unless you plan on doing some real overclocking. DDR2-800 should be fine. I suggest getting 4GB memory instead as well (along with Vista 64bit).

 

[DSF]

Honestly, for what you're doing, I don't see any reason to be using an X38 chipset. Since you're not into serious gaming, Crossfire isn't going to help you. You're better off saving a significant chunk of change and buying a good P35 motherboard. They overclock quite well, even with quad-core chips.

This motherboard should do everything you need, unless you need onboard firewire:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...L&manufacture=Gigabyte

If you need firewire, then consider this one:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...n=P5K&manufacture=ASUS

Also, DDR2-800 will take that Q6600 all the way up to 3.6GHz if you so choose. No need to overpay for DDR2-1066. If working with your photos eats up a lot of RAM, you'll be better off with more RAM, not faster RAM. You can get 4GB for right around $100 after rebates:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...cture=OCZ%20Technology

If you're going to get 4GB though, you might want to get Vista 64-bit.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: chinaman1472
No reason to get DDR2-1066 memory unless you plan on doing some real overclocking. DDR2-800 should be fine. I suggest getting 4GB memory instead as well (along with Vista 64bit).

Well I do plan on overclocking the system so I will stick with the 1066 memory. It is not that expensive anyway. As for Vista 64 bits, I considered it but the lack of drivers and the fact that there is no 64 bit version of Photoshop Element that I know of would only complicate things. I want ot be able to use my existing scanner and printer.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: DSF
Honestly, for what you're doing, I don't see any reason to be using an X38 chipset. Since you're not into serious gaming, Crossfire isn't going to help you. You're better off saving a significant chunk of change and buying a good P35 motherboard. They overclock quite well, even with quad-core chips.

This motherboard should do everything you need, unless you need onboard firewire:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...L&manufacture=Gigabyte

If you need firewire, then consider this one:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...n=P5K&manufacture=ASUS

Also, DDR2-800 will take that Q6600 all the way up to 3.6GHz if you so choose. No need to overpay for DDR2-1066. If working with your photos eats up a lot of RAM, you'll be better off with more RAM, not faster RAM. You can get 4GB for right around $100 after rebates:
http://www.ncix.com/products/i...cture=OCZ%20Technology

If you're going to get 4GB though, you might want to get Vista 64-bit.

Thanks for the sugestion but the main reason I want a high end board is for future proofing. I want to use this system for at least 5 years so a good platform is needed so I can upgrade when new technology comes out. X38 supports 45nm processors and PCIe 2.

Braging rights is also part of it and I got the money.
As for getting more RAM, currenty, I have 2G RAM with Vista32 and I only use 60% of the memory with the photoshop element organiser and editor loaded plus MS Word, 3 instances of IE7, WIndows Mail, windows live messenger and windows task manager. I think 2G of RAM is enough for what I do.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: Number1

Thanks for the sugestion but the main reason I want a high end board is for future proofing. I want to use this system for at least 5 years so a good platform is needed so I can upgrade when new technology comes out. X38 supports 45nm processors and PCIe 2.

Braging rights is also part of it and I got the money.
As for getting more RAM, currenty, I have 2G RAM with Vista32 and I only use 60% of the memory with the photoshop element organiser and editor loaded plus MS Word, 3 instances of IE7, WIndows Mail, windows live messenger and windows task manager. I think 2G of RAM is enough for what I do.

"Future proofing" is a bit of a myth. The P35 boards I listed also support the 45nm processors, and their PCI-e slots are fully compatible with PCI-e 2.0.

No motherboard is "future proof" for five years. This is especially true considering that in one year's time, Intel is migrating to a completely different socket. We're at the end of the road for Socket 775.

That said, it's your money, and if it makes you happy to have an X38 board, then it makes you happy.

 

[jdkick]

^ Indeed.

IMO, in 5-years time, I don't think an X38 will have proven to be any more "future proof" then a good P35 board... and I never had much use for bragging rights.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Number1
As for Vista 64 bits, I considered it but the lack of drivers and the fact that there is no 64 bit version of Photoshop Element that I know of would only complicate things.

You can run pretty much all "normal" 32-bit programs under Vista x64. I run Photoshop CS2 all the time and it's fine.

 

[chinaman1472]

Future proofing is a terrible idea in general. It sounds like a great money saver, but really, if buying a $100-$200 motherboard every 2-3 years is putting a cramp in your budget, then the PC you're building is probably outside your budget. But if the idea is to future proof for 5 years, might as well get a board with DD3 memory right?

 

[VirtualLarry]

"Future Proof" is a very poor investment indeed.

 

[Number1]

Thanks for all the inputs so far. I ordered and received my RAM:

Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 DDR2 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit.

I have been reading about the new Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB and it looks like a very fast processor.
Reviewer have been able to overclock this thing to 4.4 GHz on air and it is cheaper then the Q6600 quad core.

Any opinions on the E8400?

I think it is the one to get now.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Number1
Thanks for all the inputs so far. I ordered and received my RAM:

Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 DDR2 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit.

I have been reading about the new Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB and it looks like a very fast processor.
Reviewer have been able to overclock this thing to 4.4 GHz on air and it is cheaper then the Q6600 quad core.

Any opinions on the E8400?

I think it is the one to get now.

getting a 8400 to 4.4 on air isnt exactly easy and i wouldent count on it
the 8400 is a great chip and can easily get to 4GHZ but getting alot past that is more based on luck and how far you are gonna push your hardware

you still dont need PC 8500 ram to do it, most of us eaisily get to 4GHz with PC 6400 ram

 

[VirtualLarry]

Getting an E8400 to 4Ghz is almost guaranteed. It's up to you whether or not a 4Ghz E8400 or a 3.6Ghz Q6600 G0 is going to be better for your tasks. It all depends on wether your apps are multithreaded or not.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

there are better, cheaper power supplies. but that one is fine, just overpriced for what its worth

 

[engiNURD]

In 5 years, you'll need a new motherboard anyhow, so ditch the X38 for a P35, like everyone else said. The only reason to buy an X38 board is for Crossfire, and you don't game much, so you're paying for something you'll never use. If you want bragging rights, buy a SkullTrail board when they come out. If you want bragging rights right now, ditch the X38 for a 780i SLI and go TRI-SLI w/ 3 8800Ultras instead -- then you'll need a 30" monitor to make use of it all. Now THOSE would be bragging rights.

Well, since you already bought the RAM, good luck with it. I just paid $80USD for 4GB of OCZ SLI DDR2-800 that can reach DDR2-1000. Oh, and I also get $30USD back in the mail in about 6-8 weeks, too. Something tells me you overpaid for your RAM.

I would have suggested ditching the GXS700 as well, since it has ripple at high loads. While you may never load the PSU enough to invoke such ripple, there are still better choices. But alas, you already bought it... oh wells. Just know that you can't max it out, or the ripple may kill your components over time.

/*------------- <cut n paste> -------------*/
Formulas for Intel platform @ 1:1 settings: (base FSB speed is SDR, or single data rate)
c x [Base FSB speed] = CPU speed (c = CPU Multiplier)
2 x [Base FSB speed] = RAM speed (DDR: double data rate)
4 x [Base FSB speed] = FSB speed (QDR: quad data rate; Effective FSB speed)

On Intel platforms, running the RAM higher than a 1:1 ratio with the CPU is, for the most part, useless, so don't bother trying to do so. If the BIOS does it for you, just let it. All you need is a 1:1 config, though. Here's some possible clock speeds (as always with OC'ing, your results will vary):

E8400: 9 × 333 = 3.0Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK
E8400: 9 × 400 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-800 << Nice OC
E8400: 9 × 445 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-890 << Good OC
E8400: 9 × 500 = 4.5Ghz, DDR2-1000 << Great OC
/*------------- </cut n paste> -------------*/

You'll need a good HSF to make use of that DDR2-1066 kit. So, go with the best:
$55 - Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme CPU HS + Scythe S-Flex Fan SFF21E ($15)

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: engiNURD
In 5 years, you'll need a new motherboard anyhow, so ditch the X38 for a P35, like everyone else said. The only reason to buy an X38 board is for Crossfire, and you don't game much, so you're paying for something you'll never use. If you want bragging rights, buy a SkullTrail board when they come out. If you want bragging rights right now, ditch the X38 for a 780i SLI and go TRI-SLI w/ 3 8800Ultras instead -- then you'll need a 30" monitor to make use of it all. Now THOSE would be bragging rights.

Hummm, P35 don't support PCI E 2 so Asus Maximis Formula SE will be my next motherboard. If I ever decide I want to play games, I have to option with this motherboard.

I decided to go with and ordered the E8400 CPU. For what I do, I don't need the quad core Q6600. The E8400 is $80.00 cheaper and it is faster. I also ordered the Thermalright ULTRA-120 Extreme cooler and I plan on lapping it and the CPU.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: engiNURD

Well, since you already bought the RAM, good luck with it. I just paid $80USD for 4GB of OCZ SLI DDR2-800 that can reach DDR2-1000. Oh, and I also get $30USD back in the mail in about 6-8 weeks, too. Something tells me you overpaid for your RAM.

Good for you. My RAM should be good for the life of the system.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: engiNURD

I would have suggested ditching the GXS700 as well, since it has ripple at high loads. While you may never load the PSU enough to invoke such ripple, there are still better choices. But alas, you already bought it... oh wells. Just know that you can't max it out, or the ripple may kill your components over time.

I have read some very good reviews on the net about this PS.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Artic...CZ_GXS_700W_PSU/5.html

http://www.bigbruin.com/reviews05/gamexstream_7

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/14/

Last, but certainly not least is the OCZ GameXstream 700W power supply. When picking up this power supply for the first time it felt light, but damn did this power supply ever pack a mean punch. The GameXstream 700W is priced on the high side at $146.99 after a mail-in rebate, but still cost less than the Mushkin XP-650 and Thermaltake ToughPower 750. The OCZ GameXstream 700W power supply features Active PFC and high efficiency components and as a result was the second most efficient power supply of the group. During voltage testing of the power rails, it was found to be the only power supply in the group that had all of it's 12 volt rails stay above 12V during idle and load testing on both platforms. The OCZ GameXstream 700W proved to be stable and efficient and was physically one of the smallest power supplies in the group. The OCZ GameXstream 700W passed testing with flying colors and shows that the GameXstream further advances OCZ's market share in the power supply market with another strong series to follow after the powerstream line. The only thing that was missing from the GameXstream power supply was a modular cable management system. Maybe once OCZ phases out the PowerStream series they will release modular GameXstreams to fill in the gaps in their procut line.


What are your sources?

 

[jdkick]

IMO, quite a few of the selected components are overkill, but that's your choice. I suspect everything will run fine once assembled.

As for Vista x64, WOW64 seems to work quite well for running 32-bit applications. I have not had a single problem.

 

[MarcVenice]

Number1, you shouldn't worry about the PSU. I would have suggested something else as well, but fact is, you could do FAR worse on a picking a PSU. The OCZ still is a qaulity PSU, and should work fine for several years. And yeah, 700w is a little overkill, but if it's within budget, there's nothing wrong with a little overkill. You've got the new rig up and running yet btw ?

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
Number1, you shouldn't worry about the PSU. I would have suggested something else as well, but fact is, you could do FAR worse on a picking a PSU. The OCZ still is a qaulity PSU, and should work fine for several years. And yeah, 700w is a little overkill, but if it's within budget, there's nothing wrong with a little overkill. You've got the new rig up and running yet btw ?[/q]

Not yet, it will be ready next week and I will post pictures and benchmark results for those interested.
I can't wait to see all this stuff running together...