Something Different for a Change - MoBo/System Recommendations

[Splotto]

Hello:

As an ex-hardware junkie from years ago I haven't really kept up with the 'must have' 'most bang for the buck' information as I used to.

Of course, now that I need a new PC I am going to build one as I always did (running a p4 2.6 on an Asus P4C-800e).

I have recently upgraded my case and PSU so I am pretty well set there.

I have been reading the forums here and a few other places where I respect the people posting and while my reading continues I would like to start getting opinions.

As for a budget, it's not a major issue. While I have the leeway, I still don't need to spend the most on the top of the line. I am still a bang-for-the-buck enthusiast.

Generally I use the PC for gaming, surfing and working at home. I will certainly want to OC any rig as much as I can but I won't be going hardcore with wild cooling to get a few MHz. I will be happy to take what the cpu and memory will give me.

All that said, here is what I have gleaned so far (and please correct me, direct me or educate me as you see fit):

CPU

It looks like the Q6600 is the preferred CPU offering the most headroom and the most power for the $.


Video

After reading all the reviews, the 8800 GT seems to be a great buy and will deliver as much as I will need.

I have an old Westy 42w2 LCD as my monitor so any card just needs to drive that.


Mobo

Here is where it gets tricky. After all my reading I flip-flopped between the Asus P35's, the GigaByte DQ6 and then back to the Abit IP35 Pro.

I am more then willing to spend money on an X38 board if it is the best choice right now allowing for future 45 nm cpu's. However, I see no reason to spend money on DDR3 as it seems wildly over-priced right now compared to the performance it delivers.

Is there a P35-killer out there I should get or just be happy with the IP35 Pro?

Memory

And we come to memory. Wow. So many brands these days and so many flavors. Used to be that RAM was ether ecc or not....end of story. Crucial and Corsair were always solid standbys. They still seem to be.

OCZ seems to get used alot in the reviews here so I was also considering that.

OS

Finally it's the OS.

I have played with Vista over the past few months and my impression may be tempered by my weak hardware.

Vista vs XP

64 vs 32 bit?

Thank you in advance for any advice. I appreciate your taking the time to help.

I continue my reading......

Splotto

 

[o1die]

I'd go for the abit ip35 in whatever flavor you need. The q6600 is a good value. Some folks expect it to drop in price, but it will be discontinued by Intel soon, so supply may actually dry up. The cheapest I've seen is $243 for a bare oem cpu in the old "b" stepping. The "go" stepping is preferred, ending with "slacr" on the serial number. I would get the retail boxed version just for the 3 year warranty. I've used Intel's warranty once for a p4, and they delivered a new cpu in just 6 days. I tried vista in the 32 bit variety, but it was a beta version. The 64 bit is preferred if you want to use 4 gigs of memory. Speaking of memory, Fry's has 2 gigs of patriot pc6400 for $59 in today's ad (no rebate). And some cheaper brand for $34 after rebate for 2 gigs. If you live near one, I would wait for black friday, when some stuff may be free after rebate. I just got the rebate for a pci-e card, which cost me $2. I only had to pay the sales tax.

 

[Splotto]

o1die:

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the advice.

I will probably be ordering everything online (newegg or MWave) but I don't live near a Fry's anyway.

Splotto

 

[hokiealumnus]

Looks like a great build to me. abit is a good choice IMO. I don't need the features on the pro / vanilla versions so I went with the -E. It is a very solid board and overclocks like a dream.

I like OCZ, some people (cough...Serpent...cough) hate them. Their customer service was quite helpful & quite speedy when I needed them. Like most problems, it was user error anyway. RyderOCZ is a poster here and has posted on the abit forums in the past, so they go out and about in search of problems with their products, which is over and above what most do.

Be careful which RAM you get though. Make darn sure it will post at the JEDEC standard of 1.8v and 5-5-5-18 timings. The abit boards are great, but if you get RAM that requires more voltage just to boot into BIOS, you'll find yourself needing a cheap stick of RAM that will boot at that voltage, going into BIOS to set a higher Vdimm and then installing your RAM. This is rare, but better safe than sorry.

If you really want an x38, abit has quasi-released their X38 Quad GT board, but no one knows when it'll hit store shelves. They've been spotted in stores but only as display/demo models and mostly in Europe.

 

[Denithor]

RAM:
Corsair XMS2 2GB PC6400 dual channel kit -- $46 after $30MIR
Buy two sets if you want Vista 64-bit, one for XP 32-bit. I wouldn't mess with Vista 32-bit (no real advantage over XP) or 64-bit XP.

Motherboard:
Most (if not all) P35 motherboards should support the coming 45nm Penryn chips, just make sure they can handle your quad. The abit IP35 series has gotten lots of attention recently for solid overclock results with quads.

 

[Splotto]

Hokie & Denithor:

Thanks for the feedback.

Splotto

 

[Splotto]

Hello:

A follow up question(s) on the memory - is PC6400 (800) the consensus on which speed to get?

Why not go with faster DDR2 then the 800?

Splotto

 

[o1die]

DDR2 pc6400 is the standard. Any 1066 ram is overclocked by the manufacturer, and will require 2.0-2.3 volts to run properly. I would try overclocking the 800 by setting the voltage at 2.1.

 

[Splotto]

Originally posted by: o1die
DDR2 pc6400 is the standard. Any 1066 ram is overclocked by the manufacturer, and will require 2.0-2.3 volts to run properly. I would try overclocking the 800 by setting the voltage at 2.1.

Great. Thanks for the advice.

I am looking forward to getting the new system up and running.

Splotto

 

[jonmcc33]

I'd suggest against the Q6600 unless you do heavy multimedia encoding. If you still want quad core, wait till the Penryn comes out (Q1 08).

 

[buddhatb]

If you really want best bang for the buck, get the E2160 for around $85. It can be overclocked to 3+ Ghz easy.

 

[Splotto]

Hello:

Thanks for the advice on the CPU's. I am working on reading up on them today.