Take a look at this rig I want to build?

[Banli]

I'm building a gaming/family computer for my friend Bon: he's looking for a computer
will be powerful to play games for a while, will require little upgrading in the future,
and will work reliably and also he does not want to spend much more than $800-1000.
He does not want to have to worry about lag or hard drive/ram issues for quite some
time. Keeping all this in mind, and I selected some components, and was hoping to get
some feedback on them.



Processor: Q6600 Kentsfield

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115017 Kents $275

Motherboard: Gigabyte Intel P35 $100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128059

Video Card: EVGA 320-bit 320mb 8800 GTS $220 or XFX 8800 GT 256mb $220

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130082

or

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...=3509851&sku=P450-8820

RAM: OCZ 2GB PC8500 1066Mhz $90 or Corsair XMS2 PC6400 800Mhz $50

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...pNo=2701646&CatId=2531

or

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...o=2206874&Sku=C13-2022

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB 7200 RPM $100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136073

Optical Drive: Samsung DVD burner $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151153

Case: Rosewill ATX case $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811147010

Power Supply: Ultra X-Finity 600W $55 or CoolerMaster Extreme Power 500W $50

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...74309&Sku=ULT31848%20K
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...=3299717&Sku=C283-1856

All in all, the price comes to around $900 without shipping.



A few quick questions:

1) Is/how much faster is the 8800 GT 256mb than the 8800 GTS 320mb?

2) Which power supply/are Ultra and CoolerMaster reputable PSU brands?

3) Is there a big performance increase between Pc6400 and Pc8500?
Will my motherboard have issues running Pc6400 if it's spec'd for Pc8500?

4) Is this good/will it work? I've not built a computer for a few months and want
to make sure I havn't made any silly errors.


Thanks for your help,
-Kevin

 

[nZone]

Your build didn't include shipping and Operating System.

My suggestion costs $1,183.35 include shipping and Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

The plus: better graphic performance, 4GB memory, better case, better PSU

***The quote does not include CPU heatsink, suggest Scythe Ninja ($35-40).

The quote comes with $40 rebate.

This configuration will get you a very silent pc. It will last 3-4 years.

==========================================================
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price

ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T OEM - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135157
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$30.99

Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129018
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant

$99.99
$79.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136073
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

-$5.00 Instant

$104.99
$99.99


EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130318
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

$269.99


CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139001
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$15.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate

$139.99
$124.99


A-DATA 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1B16K - Retail
Item #: N82E16820211188
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$40.00 Instant


$126.99
$86.99

EVGA 122-CK-NF66-T1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188017
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy


$20.00 Mail-in Rebate

$94.99


Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M - OEM
Item #: N82E16819115018
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant

$265.00
$255.00


Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116204
Return Policy: Software Return Policy

$111.49

Subtotal: $1,154.42
Calculate Shipping
Zip Code: GO
Shipping: $28.93

Grand Total: $1,183.35

 

[nZone]

How about this that is already build for you [gateway]. W/AMD Phenom Quad; 8800GT w/512MB; TV Tuner.
This is better with 1 year warranty included.

$1099

Gateway - 9600 TV Desktop

 

[Banli]

Thanks for the feedback. There won't be any problems because the Q6600 runs at a 1066 fsb while the RAM runs at 800 FSB with your suggested config will there?

 

[nZone]

There won't be any issue. I pair my Q6600 with 6400 [800mhz] RAM. If you're using DDR2 motherboard, you can opt for the lowest DDR2 speed if cost is a concern but a DDR2 6400 is a sweet spot.

one thing though, don't skimp on power supply. The CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX is an excellent PSU and it is extremely quiet.
This is a modular model.

 

[aigomorla]

omg DO NOT GET AN NVIDIA CHIPSET BOARD!

Stick with your P35 choice. Any P35 will spank a nvidia board in reliability and overclockability.

If your not an overclocker, the Abit IP35 series is a great choice. So are the Gigabyte P35 series.

ASUS P5K series are also excellent.


The PSU..... Yes... dont skim on the PSU. 520HX is nice, i like larger class psu's tho. People will say i tend to do overkill, but usually the larger ones have more stable power. More stable and cleaner power = more reliable and solid overclocking. If your not an overclocker, an Antec Earthwatt 430 should be more then enough as well. Same with the corsair VX450.

Video, get the 8800GT or the 8800GTS 512MEG. Make sure the GTS is a gen2 gts. 512meg instead of 320 or 640. G92 gpu's overclock better, run cooler, and draw less power. I would really recomend paying the extra 15-20 and getting a 512meg vs 256meg. Expecially if your a gamer.

Ram. PC6400 is also my recomendation. Why? because ram speed is more important when you factor overclocking. How high are you going to push the fsb on the processor? If your not overclocking, then get the cheapest ram you can possibly buy at 2gb. PC6400 are very cheap. I bought a pair of OCZ for 29 dollars after rebate for PC6400 2gb.

PC6400 = 400fsb x 2 or DDR2 800 ram. Now at 1:1 ratio with your FSB that = 400 x 9 or x 8 on your cpu = 3.6ghz <--- better have a uber cooler or 3.2ghz <--- moderation.

3.2ghz on a quadcore is plenty fast. 3.2ghz on kents is faster clock per clock then a 3.2ghz allendale or conroe. Also i dont think you'll need anything faster then 3.2ghz or 400fsb x 8 on a quad unless your going for xtreme overclocks like i am.

Which then you need to quadrople your budget and replan.


Lastly, i tell people this: MAKE SURE YOU SHOP AROUND! DO NOT EVER END AT NEWEGG.

Newegg has a system where the more people look at an item the price goes up. Its hella annoying so one day you could of bought something for 10 dollars more then what it was the day b4 just because 100 people looked at the item that day.

Stores I like:

TheNerds.net
Mwave.com
tankguys.com <--- gaurentee G0 stepping order section.
Ewiz.com
Directron.com
Zipzoomfly.com <--- if they mess up your order [around 5% of the time they botch up], you'll cry tho. If they dont, you'll love them as much as the egg.

Case and Cooling / Moding needs:
Jab-Tech.com <--- my favorate! owner is a good friend of mine.
Shoppts.com or Petrastechshop.com <--- another favorate. Owner is also a friend of mine.
Sidewindercomputers.com
Performance-pcs.com
Frozen-cpu.com <---- should be last place you shop at. The most expensive out of the lot.

My favorate price engines: Pricewatch.com for computer parts. Make sure you look at raiting and feedback for stores b4 u shop there!