New rig: cheap, DDR3, 'future-proof' - comments?

[imported_Geddeth]

I'm building a gaming rig for a friend (again), and he specifically mentioned the old system-builders' hate-phrase "make it future-proof". In his case though, it does have some merit, as the last rig I built for him (the one now gone out of service) had a motherboard from 2001 (Soltek SL-75DRV2) ..! So I am now considering how he can use this new rig I'll build for a good while, and only upgrade minor components in the coming years, e.g. RAM and graphics card.

It's going to be used primarily for gaming and he asked me to hit around ?700 EUR (USD $900). The hardware is being purchased in Denmark. It will most probably not be overclocked - at the most, any automatic OC features may be activated.

Here are the parts I have picked out right now (case, floppy, secondary IDE drives and optical drives are being reused):

• Motherboard: Asus P5Q PRO (was MSI P45D3 Platinum)

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 - 3GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2, 45nm, 65W, LGA775, sSpec ?SLB9x?

• HSF: ZALMAN CNPS8700 LED - low 32.5 dB, high 48.1 dB

• RAM: Corsair XMS2 Dominator 2 x 2 GB - DDR2, PC2-8500, 1066MHz, CL5 (was Corsair XMS3 DHX 2 x 2 GB - DDR3, PC3-12800, 1600MHz, CL 9-9-9-24)

• Graphics: Gainward HD4850 Golden Sample - 512MB 1100MHz GDDR3, 700MHz GPU

• Harddrive: Samsung SpinPoint F1 Desktop Class HD753LJ - 750 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA 300MB/s, 32 MB, 4.17 ms seek

• PSU: Corsair VX550W - 550W

Price for the above: ?733 EUR/$930 USD.

My major consideration is in regard to DDR3. I don't believe that current DDR3 RAM speeds and timings alone justify going for DDR3 right now, but in a few years' time much better sticks will be available, and I'm thinking the P45-based boards will still be up to snuff then. So I'm going for cheap DDR3 now (the Corsair XMS3 2x2GB kit is ?150 EUR/$190 USD where I am).

I'm considering the MSI P45D3 Platinum for the above scenario, but have also looked at the Asus P5Q3. Any thoughts?

Also, I read something about PWM necessary for the CNPS8700?

Thanks for your input.

/Geddeth

 

[krnmastersgt]

What you say about DDR3 improving in the future does have some merit, however I still think DDR2 is more than sufficient for gaming for at least a few years. The extreme gaming market segments have moved to DDR3 already but at least 80% of gamers will be running DDR2 over the next few years (or DDR if they still have a system with it like me). Could save you quite a bundle which would be better spent on a better vid card, assuming he even needs one for the resolution he plays at. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MarcVenice]

Erm, why don't you go with ddr2 800mhz instead, which gives EXACTLY the same performance as ddr3, unless you run synthetic benchmarks all day ? Tell him that, and don't mention future proofing. People who mention future proofing are like rabid dogs, they can't be convinced, so don't bring up the subject !

I'd also get a cheaper mobo, asus p5q pro sounds good. Can do crossfire if needed. Also, get a corsair 550vx or even a 650tx. That's REAL and DOABLE future proofing. That way, you can throw in another HD4850 from gainward. I have the exact same videocard btw, and I love it. One is pretty much enough for 1680*1050, two of them just make things fly. ( rest of my rig is e7300 @3.8ghz on a x48 ds4 ) Gluck.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Geddeth
I'm building a gaming rig for a friend (again), and he specifically mentioned the old system-builders' hate-phrase "make it future-proof".

It's going to be used primarily for gaming and he asked me to hit around ?700 EUR (USD $900)

/Geddeth

Simply tell your m8 that he can't "future proof" on that budget.
Besides the budget issue, socket 775 has come to the end of it's life.

 

[DSF]

Agreed with all of the above. The easiest way to get closer to the budget is to go with DDR2, and you won't lose any performance. Whether or not P45 boards are up to snuff in a couple years is irrelevant, since no new CPUs are being made for them.

 

[theAnimal]

Unless things are different in Denmark, Zalman coolers are way overpriced for their performance. Get an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro, Xigmatech HDT-S1283, or OCZ Vendetta 2.

 

[Blain]

 

[BladeVenom]

Just get DDR2, and get a quad core since that may make the system usable a little longer.

You could opt to go AMD. Their current motherboards are suppose to be able to use their next generation of CPU. Socket 775 has reached the end of it's life and is already being replaced.

 

[imported_Geddeth]

Thanks for the replies folks.
So what I'm hearing is that DDR3 is not worth it (yet) and LGA775 is dead in a few years anyway (hadn't thought of that), so go for a straight up DDR2-based build within the budget?

I can dig that.

I'm liking the C2D E8x00s though, so I'll probably return with a cheaper DDR2 build based on that.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Geddeth

I'm liking the C2D E8x00s though, so I'll probably return with a cheaper DDR2 build based on that.

Just read some of the other threads in this forum.
There are like 47 that are the same as yours. :laugh:

 

[imported_Geddeth]

Originally posted by: theAnimal
Unless things are different in Denmark, Zalman coolers are way overpriced for their performance. Get an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro, Xigmatech HDT-S1283, or OCZ Vendetta 2.

The Arctic Cooling HSF is actually 1/3 of the price, but the other two are priced the same here. I don't particularly care for the design of that type of HSFs though, and since it most likely won't be OC'd, I'll probably stick to the Zalman.

 

[DSF]

If it's not going to be overclocked, why spend so much on a cooler?

 

[imported_Geddeth]

Originally posted by: DSF
If it's not going to be overclocked, why spend so much on a cooler?

It's low noise, which I think is nice. And as it seems to be quite efficient, too, I'm happy to spend a bit more on that so I wont have to worry that he fries his CPU if he does decide to OC a bit.

 

[imported_Geddeth]

I've updated the top post, and am now going for a DDR2-build instead. Also, I've spent a bit extra on a 550W PSU, hoping that it'll last if the rig is going to support two HD4850's in the future. Also, he has a few older HDs that need some juice too.
Not too sure whether to go for 800MHz CL4 or 1066MHz CL5, but in any case, I'm pretty satisfied with the build right now.

Thanks to you all for helping out!

 

[DSF]

The difference between the two types of RAM is going to be meaningless, especially for a computer that is going to be mildly overclocked if at all.

 

[Rebel44]

change CPU to Q6600 - its IMO better option if he want to use that PC for 3+ years.

 

[Blain]

X-bit Labs did a comparison of...
"Inexpensive Quad-Core Processors"

They also used a C2D E8600 (3.33GHz / 6MB L2), in the testing. There are plenty of benchmarks for you to figure out which CPU option is a better fit for the type of applications you're running.

Out of the 21 benchmarks in which the dual core E8600 was included, it came in 1st or 2nd place in 11 of them.
The Q6600 came in 1st or 2nd place in none of the benchmarks.