Want to build an Intel system...

[bX510]

1. What is a common socket for Intel? For ex, socket 939 is common in AMD and there's a huge variety to choose from for motherboards and cpus. I am guessing that Core 2 Duos support Crossfire and SLI too? Is ram a big factor in Intel Core 2 Duo?

2. What is the best Intel Core 2 Duo right now? What is the worst?

3. Will i need a special PSU for intel build? Whats a recommended power supply for Core 2 Duos?

4. I want to build microATX, Whats a recommended case? LIAN LI PC-V300B? Thermaltake VF1000BWS? Suggestions?

5. I want to build a system that can play games at its best. (WoW, Warcraft 3, CS) But isn't the top; less expensive.

I never overclocked before, and I hope to learn. I heard Core 2 Duo over clocking is very stable.

 

[ProSlayer]

1. LG 775

2. E6300 is the best bang for the buck

3. No specific one, just look for brand names. Your PSU depends heavily on your choice of videlo card

4. N/A

5. You don't need much to run those specific games that you mentioned.

 

[Slugbait]

Isn't the E4300 the "new" best-bang-for-the-buck processor?

 

[AstroGuardian]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
Isn't the E4300 the "new" best-bang-for-the-buck processor?

YES it IS...

Actually i think it's far better than the E6300 if you OC.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
Isn't the E4300 the "new" best-bang-for-the-buck processor?

It is indeed but it's not as widely available yet, I still see threads like "can't find any E4300 for sale".

 

[mcurphy]

1. Socket LGA775 motherboards for the Core 2 Duo's support both Crossfire and SLI. Many of the boards have been picky with the choice of RAM you put in them. To play it "safe" many builders are using RAM that is rated at 1.8v at CAS5, but there are many, many other sticks at higher voltages and tighter timings that are proven to work. Most of the motherboards are currently releasing BIOS updates to resolve the RAM issues. At least this is the case for the Intel 965 (probably the most popular) chipset. I haven't researched some of the other chipsets like the 650i or 680i so I cannot comment on their performance or compatibility.

2. As previousley stated, the E6300 was the best bang for the buck processor. Intel has since released the E4300, which will be a better bang for the buck processor. It is available NOW at zipzoomfly. The E4300 and slightly higher clocked E4400 will both offer 2MB of L2 cache. The E6300 and E6400 are also L2 cache processor. Going up higher on the spectrum, you have the E6600, which has 4MB L2 cache. In Q2, Intel will also be introducing the E6320 and E6420 that will offer 4MB L2 cache at the same price as their current counterparts. The current top processors for Intel, I believe, are the Q6600, QX6700 and X6800. I'm not positive on this, since I can't afford the top of the line Intels, I haven't researched them as much, lol.

3. Make sure you do some research and pick a quality PSU. :thumbsup: Probably the biggest difference in recent PSU and mobo's is the 24 pin connectors vs the older 20 pin connectors. I think you can use an adapter to use older PSU's with the current mobo's, but I personally wouldn't do that.

4. No idea on mATX. I think anandtech recently did an article on them and compared a few different options.

5. Make sure you get a good GPU if gaming is your primary goal. The processor and RAM will help, but the GPU is the most important piece of that puzzle.

Intel's are far supperior in OC'ing to AMD at the moment. Many of the new mobo's make it very easy for a newb to OC, but you should do some research and understand what you are doing before you attempt it.

Hope that answers a few of your questions and at least gets you started. Do some research, piece something together, and post it in the forums for some opinions and you should be on your way.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: mcurphyTo play it "safe" many builders are using RAM that is rated at 1.8v at CAS5, but there are many, many other sticks at higher voltages and tighter timings that are proven to work.

FYI: The DDR2 specification calls for sticks rated to run at 1.8V. Most high performance sticks can run in excess of 800Mhz and with low latencies because they've been tested at 2.1V, 2.2V or higher.

 

[bX510]

You know how AMD has like venice, windos, sandiego, etc... Does intel do this too? Which one is most oftenly used and why would it be the best compared to others? Thanks in advance


I found this build in another forum, how is it?

Originally posted by: Pretzel

Case:
Ultra Wizard Blue Mid Tower Case

Power Supply:
Ultra V Series 500W Power Supply
or
Thermaltake 430W $30 AR


Motherboard:
Asus P5N-E SLI nForce 650i

CPU:
E6300
or
E6400

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar SE 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
or
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

Memory:
OCZ DDR2 1GB (2x512MB) PC2-5400 667MHz
or
recommended- Corsair DDR2 2GB XMS2-5400, 675MHz

Video Card:
BFG GeForce 7600GT 256MB
or
GeForce 7900GT

edit: I am guessing Intel conroe e6300 is newer then then e4300. Why is e4300 better?

 

[Slugbait]

E4300 is newer than the E6300 by several months. It's not better, it's just the best bang for the buck. reposted link.

The "build" you list is for someone who seems confused....don't understand why he's trying to decide between a 80G WD and a 320G Barracuda, nor between a 7600GT and 7900GT. The Ultra PSU is nice to have as a test unit, but you probably wouldn't want it in your main system. The Ultra case is also nice for being free, but otherwise not special.

 

[engiNURD]

2) One would argue that none of the Core2Duos are "worse" in comparison to any current AMD CPU. Though, "worse" is a relative word. While all core2duo's are good, it's worst would have to be its lowest model. Intel's worst core2duo, the E4300, can be overclocked to outperform an OC'd FX-62.

3) Core2Duos actually use alot less power than their Pentium predecessors. Check out jonnyguru.com for a some PSU reviews and his recommended PSU list, located in his forums. I'd recommend a Corsair 520W PSU, but if that's too pricey, theres an XClio 500W GoodPower for cheap.

4) Unfortunately, there aren't any great mATX boards out right now. I don't believe any of the current boards can OC too well, which would be a waste of performance since these C2D's can OC like crazy. I'd suggest waiting for NVIDIA's IGP Intel solution for C2Ds. The current G965 Express mATX boards can OC a little, but not much... think around 300Mhz max FSB, which doesnt get you too far with any E6XX0 CPU... but with an E4300, 9*300 = 2.7Ghz (up from 1.8Ghz!).

Yes, Intel uses codenames for their cores. "Conroe" is the most popular core right now, and its lower sibling, "Allendale," is your best bang for buck. The E4300 is better for overclocking because of its higher stock multiplier (9*200=1.8Ghz). The E6300 has a stock multiplier of 7x (7*266=1.8Ghz). What is your budget? What will you be using the system for?

 

[bX510]

I am planning to save 1.5 k with monitor (maybe) for this rig. Also, I don't understand how to calculate / know how much power my rig need.

How is this build? Is that power supply enough?


Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450Watt SmartPower 2.0 Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SONATA II
Item #: N82E16811129155


$99.99 $99.99


ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5WDH DELUXE/WIFI-AP
Item #: N82E16813131025

$219.99 $219.99


eVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Model #: 640-P2-N821-AR
Item #: N82E16814130071

Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

$409.99 $409.99


Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6400 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6400
Item #: N82E16819115004

Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

$222.00 $222.00


CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail
Model #: TWIN2X2048-6400
Item #: N82E16820145590


$221.00 $221.00


2 x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD2500KS
Item #: N82E16822144701

$79.99 -$5.00 Instant $149.98


SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe Technology Black IDE Model SH-S182M/BEBN - OEM
Model #: SH-S182M/BEBN
Item #: N82E16827151136


$31.99 $31.99

Subtotal: $1,354.94