OC'ed Gaming Build - Any improvements to this ?

[rajs]

Need to purchase a new gaming rig. Intend to Overclock using Air cooling. Will run 1280 x 1024 resolution max. Play mostly HL2 / DOD:S / BF2.

Any serious improvements on this build -- I've listed it out on NewEgg in my saved wishlist:

NOTE -- for monitor -- I'll most likely end up dropping the Hanns and putting in a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 940BF or 19" BenQ FP93GX:

New PC Build - New Egg Components - For exact items click here

Listing:
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3
RAM - G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Ultra-120 CPU Heatsink with a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Fan
Video - EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
Power Supply - XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P3 550W ATX12V 550W
Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 534
HD - RAID 0 - QTY 2 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
DVD / CD - SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe SATA
Monitor - Hanns·G HX-191DPB Black 19" 5ms DVI

 

[Late4Dinner]

Forget the monitor, get a projector (DLP is best). Mmmmm...10ft screen *gurgle*.

 

[rajs]

Late4Dinner -- More like Late4ABrain. I was looking for some constructive feedback assjack.

 

[ionoxx]

Get the BenQ, they are some of the best monitors i've ver used. They are only surpassed by NEC in my opinion. Its worth the little extra money for the reliability and panel quality. Otherwise your build looks like a sound one.

As for the DVD burner.. put this though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129009

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: rajs
Need to purchase a new gaming rig. Intend to Overclock using Air cooling. Will run 1280 x 1024 resolution max. Play mostly HL2 / DOD:S / BF2.

Any serious improvements on this build -- I've listed it out on NewEgg in my saved wishlist:

NOTE -- for monitor -- I'll most likely end up dropping the Hanns and putting in a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 940BF or 19" BenQ FP93GX:

New PC Build - New Egg Components - For exact items click here

Listing:
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3
RAM - G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Ultra-120 CPU Heatsink with a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Fan
Video - EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
Power Supply - XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P3 550W ATX12V 550W
Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UB
HD - RAID 0 - QTY 2 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
DVD / CD - SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe SATA
Monitor - Hanns·G HX-191DPB Black 19" 5ms DVI

all looks good - i have never used or even seen a hanns lcd, but more than likely they are just a re-badged other brand name.

for your gpu you are overpowered for your games and at that resolution, but that is ok for future use (my rig in sig plays the games you are talking about at at the resolutions you are talking about easily avg 60fps on high rez.

people are going to not recommend the raid0 array due to the fact that if you lose 1 drive you lose all the data and don't really get a lot of benefit unless under certain circumstances. if you do stay with the array, backup very often

 

[Late4Dinner]

Originally posted by: rajs
Late4Dinner -- More like Late4ABrain. I was looking for some constructive feedback assjack.

Rajs, you are the master of irony. Your post demontrates beyond any doubt that you haven't even the slightest grasp of the meaning of "constructive feedback". A person with any class whatsoever would have simply ignored a post they didn't find helpful.

I'm guessing you don't think having an enormous display could in any way enhance the gaming experience. Are you sure you know what gaming is?

 

[rajs]

Late4Dinner -- If your post was meant to be helpful -- thanks. I kinda of found it to be an "off" suggustion as the difference in a 19" monitor and a projection unit and the space needed for it to throw a projection and the wall needed for the projection -- seems to be quite different then someone who asked advice and stated a 19" monitor at 1280 x 1024 resolution (which I am sure projectors do also). Anytime you want to figure out what gaming is -- feel free to visit OnA Pests # 1 ranked DoD server in the world and you can discover if I know what gaming is. Also quite a few projection units and TV units (DLP or ottherwise have delays built into the circuitry that cause FPS games to be not playable - though there are some that don't have that issue. Also the screen response times are higher then the monitors I am looking at)

Bob4432 - Thanks for the constructive feedback -- appreciate it definitely. I was concerend about the RAID 0 vs a Raptor drive solution and decided I'd do RAID 0 since I've got a large external drive already that I'll drop backup images to -- and I believe that the RAID 0 will give me better performance for a similar cost compared to a single Raptor drive. In regards to the GPU -- I was thinking to just the 8800 GTS as in a month or two from now I am going to get rid of my old Dell 24" LCD and get something around that size that is better. In the meantime I need to replace an existing 17" LCD ... so I thought I'd get the 19" one and use it for gaming until then and then shift the Dell to the other machine and get a new large screen ... thus higher resolution and the better card helping out hopefully (thinking something like 1680 x 1080 or 1600 x 1200 or 1920 x 1200).

Also changed my case to a Cooler Master Centurion 534 instead of the Cooler Master Centurion 5

 

[bob4432]

between the raptor and the raid 0 array - i would say that either way we are talking seconds in difference in loading times only. the raptor will make the computer feel snappier due to the lower seek times - could you do a raptor and single 320? imho, having a fast, smaller boot drive along with a larger secondardy, storage drive is the best way. i will always, in my case have a 10-15K hdd as my boot drive - once you go 10-15k you won't go back, you will think a machine that is based on a 7.2k drive has locked up after you have used 10-15k hdds after a while - you just get use to things opening up quick and the raptor does a good job of it

 

[rajs]

bob4432 - I based my decision on trying the RAID 0 approach because I read this article. On my current gaming rig - I'm set up with a WD Raptor already as my boot drive and my data drive for other items is a normal 7200 SATA. Thus based on article -- RAID Ravages Raptor -- I thought I'd try RAID 0

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: rajs
bob4432 - I based my decision on trying the RAID 0 approach because I read this article. On my current gaming rig - I'm set up with a WD Raptor already as my boot drive and my data drive for other items is a normal 7200 SATA. Thus based on article -- RAID Ravages Raptor -- I thought I'd try RAID 0

its cool if you want to try it out, but i wouldn't do it based on toms recommendation - first off they are using 2 entirely different setups for certain tests ---- why? second, the raid 0 array is better in certain areas but by small margins - 3rd - using startup time as a benchmark - wtf??? personally i run 15k u320 hdds which means my machine when boot up goes through another bios after the main bios - who cares. i get up in the morning, start it up and turn it off when i go to bed - no bigggie. personally, i wouldn't let this test convince me to run a raid0 array. now if you want to do it for your own info/experience, then that is cool, but when a reviewer makes statements like:

The major differences compared to the 10,000 RPM WD Raptor are the drive's performance and capacity.

i tend to run for the hills. thanks for pointing out the obvios...:shocked:

when you run tests on server hardware and are doing server tests for desktop items i kind of wonder why. did this particular test suite favor their desired outcome, which is obviously to say that the raid0 array was better?

one reason a lot of people don't like toms too much, plus they are usually pretty arrogant and know it alls. just my .02

 

[rajs]

Thanks ... I'll think more about it ... also I am thinking maybe switching the XCLIO PS out for a SILVERSTONE ST50EF-Plus ATX 12V 2.2 500W Power Supply

 

[rajs]

I've made some updates from my original build -- so I am at Version 2 of it now based on feedback - THANKS! - Any changes anyone disagrees with or I should revert away from ?

I've changed the CPU, RAM, PSU, Case and Monitor:

Version 2 of the components via NewEgg - Click here for details of each

Listing:
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3
RAM - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000)
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Ultra-120 CPU Heatsink with a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Fan
Video - EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
Power Supply - SILVERSTONE ST50EF-Plus ATX 12V 2.2 500W
Case - LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower
HD - RAID 0 - QTY 2 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
DVD / CD - SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe SATA
Monitor - SAMSUNG 941BW Black 19" 4 ms (GTG) DVI Widescreen

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: rajs
I've made some updates from my original build -- so I am at Version 2 of it now based on feedback - THANKS! - Any changes anyone disagrees with or I should revert away from ?

I've changed the CPU, RAM, PSU, Case and Monitor:

Version 2 of the components via NewEgg - Click here for details of each

Listing:
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3
RAM - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000)
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Ultra-120 CPU Heatsink with a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Fan
Video - EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
Power Supply - SILVERSTONE ST50EF-Plus ATX 12V 2.2 500W
Case - LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower
HD - RAID 0 - QTY 2 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
DVD / CD - SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe SATA
Monitor - SAMSUNG 941BW Black 19" 4 ms (GTG) DVI Widescreen

:thumbsup: