New Core 2 Duo System Advice

[aphextwin555]

I built my last PC in 2001 and I'm in desperate need of an upgrade - I was hoping to wait out until Vista, but need something now and may build a higher-spec machine next year.

I'm looking into building a system based on the Core 2 Duo E6300 or E6400, and though I've done a fair bit of research I'm still tripped up by all of the new options since 2001!

I'm a web/graphics designer and this will be solely a budget-oriented work machine, so what's important to me is:

- Relatively low cost ($600-ish for proc, mobo, memory, HDD, video)
- Good multitasking capability (several apps like Dreamweaver, Photoshop, 4 major browsers, WinAmp open at once)
- Decent processor/system speed, nothing too intensive needed

I'm not that concerned about:

- Overclocking
- Graphics power (just need to see what I'm doing in apps and browsers, no games/multimedia)
- Extras (Wifi, SLI, Firewire, etc.)
- Upgradability (will probably hand this system off and build a faster one next year)

I'm hoping I'm not crazy to shoot for these specs in the $600 range for the core hardware:

- Core 2 Duo E6300 or E6400 processor
- 1 GB (2 x 512MB) matched pair DDR 800 (PC 6400) to run dual channel
- P965 Express Northbridge, ICH8R or ICH8 Southbridge based motherboard (or a comparable NVidia solution if recommended, not that partial)
- Powerful enough video to run Vista interface at full speed, nothing more needed there

I'm also hoping to throw in a 320GB PMR HDD for $95 to round out the $600-ish total cost.

I'd really, really appreciate any advice on these issues:

- For my purposes, would the E6400 processor really give me a noticeable performance advantage over the E6300 to justify the $40 premium?
- Is 4/4/4/12 memory timing even supported with this kind of setup? Some reviews/specs lead me to believe that only 5/5/5/12 at 1.8V should ever be used with the Intel chipset.
- If 4/4/4/12 is supported, will I see a price-justifiable difference from 5/5/5/12?
- Is integrated video with the G965 worth looking at for my purposes? I'm a little worried it won't hack it when Vista releases, then I'd have to get a new mobo. Might just be worth it to invest in a decent budget video card now.

Also, has anyone built a similar setup recently, or have any advice/recommendations on particular components, or combinations of components? I have a few favorites selected but I'm not doing too well figuring out what is compatible with what, and where I might find bottlenecks.

Thanks VERY much for any help!

 

[LittleNemoNES]

That's the way I thought when I built my first PC...how wrong I WAS!
Overclocking is fun
TEH OMGZ AWSOME GRAFIXZ is also fun to have.

GO with the 6300 and call it a day if you still want to go that route, though.
I have Corsair Value Ram 667 running @ 700 4-4-4-12. It's rated 5-5-5-15 so...take the timings with a grain of salt. Vid cards are cheap and they take some load of the rest of your system -- just get am x1300pro or something like that.

 

[UsandThem]

I know the new Core Duo 2's are the best consumer CPU, however if you are going to get rid of the system in a year, why not get a Athlon X2 setup and save some $$$?

 

[aphextwin555]

@gersson - Many thanks for the advice - I appreciate that! I am very tempted to get into overclocking, and that was one reason that I was considering the 6400 off the bat. But, I know absolutely nothing about it at this point and just need to get a system up and running quickly, on a fairly tight budget (e.g. can't afford better cooling, etc. up front). One question about memory, I'm assuming that even with DDR2 800 I'd want to opt for dual channel, since the Core 2 Duo FSB runs at 1066Mhz? Am I interpreting that correctly? Your video card suggestion looks interesting - will check that out!

@UsandThem - Thanks for your input! I'm actually not going to get rid of the system, just hand it off to my GF who does photo/graphics work, but on a less intensive scale. For that reason I figured I'd still want to build something with some longevity that's based on a fairly powerful processor, and the Core 2 Duo has really caught my eye.

Do either of you happen to have experience with, or knowledge of motherboards in this arena? From my research it looks like the P965 Express and ICH8/ICH8R are the way to go, and I've seen some tempting offers like a Foxconn in the $100 range (seems to have the features I need), but don't know if that's going to compromise anything performance-wise.

Thanks again!

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Yep you want 2GB RAM: 2x1GB

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: aphextwin555
Do either of you happen to have experience with, or knowledge of motherboards in this arena? From my research it looks like the P965 Express and ICH8/ICH8R are the way to go, and I've seen some tempting offers like a Foxconn in the $100 range (seems to have the features I need), but don't know if that's going to compromise anything performance-wise.

Thanks again!

Well, from my experience you get what you pay for with motherboards. I personally would always stay with Asus, Intel, Gigabyte, or DFI motherboards. I know people have different experiences, but my opinion is from my own experiences.

I have used Abit, Aopen, and MSI motherboards in the past and I have regretted it.

This last time I had an Aopen motherboard. It was very stable for over a year when I had a single core CPU, but when I upgraded to a X2 cpu, it was nothing but a headache. They released a BETA BIOS back in March 06 to support them, but dropped support after that. They never released a final BIOS. It would hang all the time. I tried everything to get it to work, but after a month gave up.

Ordered a Asus board and my system is nice and stable again.

 

[aphextwin555]

@gersson - Thanks! I think I've decided to go with G.Skill 2GB 533 on your advice and that of another forum member:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231044

@UsandThem - Thanks very much for your input! I'm totally with you and would have considered those manuf's more closely had I not come across some good reviews on the Foxconn motherboard. I'm completely open, though, and would also prefer to stick with one of the manuf's that you listed - do you have any suggestions based on my desired specs above? I really don't need any features but the basics (ATX, a couple 3.0GB SATAs, a couple PCIs, PCIe 16x for video, LAN). I would like a recent model if possible just to avoid any potential incompatibilities with Core 2 Duo.

Thanks again!