New PC build ... please help

[jcastilho]

Hi everyone, I'm currently checking reviews and articles about the latest in computer world and I made this picks and i really need your opinions.
The budget is 1000$ (*edited*) more or less. (less is good ), I'll use it primarily for photo editing and a little gaming.

CPU: Core 2 Quad Q6600

Motherboard: Abit IP35-E or Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R - Which of these should I choose?

Memory: Corsair 2GB PC2-6400C4 XM2 DHX (edited after MarcVenice opinion)

Cooler: TUNIQ TOWER 120 - Is this a good cooler?

Power Supply: Corsair HX-520W Modular - Do I need more power?

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon X1950Pro 256MB PCI-E (edited after MarcVenice opinion)

Storage: Western Digital 250GB SATAII 16MB RE (edited after MarcVenice opinion)

Display: LG Flatron L1970HR (fast and accurate for what I found out)

Please give me your opinions.
Oh and this is a thing for Christmas time so if you think something better is being released until that time tell me .

Thanks everyone!

Joao Castilho

 

[MarcVenice]

You should get 4gb of ddr2 800, 64$ or so for 2gb of corsair 4-4-4-12 on newegg.com after rebates. That will be easier to overclock with.

I'd also get a 16mb cache HD, And if you're into photo editing it wouldn't be unwise to spend 20$ more and get double or more then 160gb. What's 20$ more for a HD that should last years on a budget of 1500$?

Not sure how good the PSU is, you could also get a cheap antec earthwatts 500w or a corsair 450vx for 60$ or so AR.

Videocard is okay, if you really do little gaming you could even go with a x1950pro 256mb for 120$ or so AR.

 

[jcastilho]

Thank you for your help.
Hope I get more opinions to make some decisions.

 

[jcastilho]

Can anybody else give me their opinion please?
Really appreciate that.
Thanks

 

[Drexl]

If it isn't going to be built/used until Christmas, I would wait a bit and see how the x38 motherboards turn out. Even if they're too expensive, there's always the chance that some P35 boards will come down in price. The IP-35 pro is already cheap enough so I don't see that changing much, but some of the higher ones might come down so you can get more features for less. I would wait on most of the stuff, really, since there's always the potential for price reductions or just more for the same amount of money.

One thing you could go ahead and buy now is the memory, as there are some great deals to be had with the rebates (and the prices may even go back up again). However, it is risky since you can't return it after 30 days, and once you file for the rebate you can't return it anyway. So you may want to see if you can line up a way to test it when it arrives. I went ahead and took the chance of ordering it a few weeks early and it worked fine, but it's up to you.

 

[jcastilho]

Thanks for the reply!
Will this system overheat with overclocking or it's a stable system?
What about the PSU, will it handle the task well?
Is there any difference between Sapphire or GeCube x1950Pro 256mb?
Thanks again!

 

[MarcVenice]

At 3.0-3.2ghz it shouldn't overheat, at 3.6ghz things might get hot. The PSU is up to the task just fine. And no, there isn't.

 

[jawknee530]

i like the gigabyte boards better than the abit ones. i have to admit that my only reason for that is that i think that the gigabyte boards look better. so you can go ahead and ignore my opinion if you want

 

[jcastilho]

MarcVenice: does the Thermalight Ultra 120 Extreme do a better job if I want to overclock to 3.6ghz? which one should I buy for that kind of overclock?
Thank you for the replys .