New OPT144 System, Need Some Help.

mikeytd

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Mar 22, 2004
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Hi folks!

I'm in the process of picking parts/purchasing for a new system based on an Opty 144 I just purchased from Tankguys (thanks guys!), stepping: CAB2E 0546 FPMW. I have two different goals for this system kind of... although if they end up being the same that would be even better. First, I want to really figure out overclocking, get proficient at it, and find out how far I can take this 144. Secondly, and my main aim is to build a system that is fast, quiet, and reasonably affordable.

Items I am decided on:

Thermaltake Tsunami Case - 2 120mm fans (replacing with quieter 120mm fans if the stock ones are loud), seems well constructed, and big enough for my needs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16811133137

Seasonic S-12 600W PSU - 80%+ efficiency, quiet operation, plenty of juice for many upgrades in the future.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16817151025

Opteron 144 CAB2E 0546 FPMW - Tankguys.biz has these in stock atm btw!
http://www.tankguys.biz/opteron-cac...f6b96b2fed545bd


Items I am waffling on:

MB: DFI LP NF4 Ultra-D or Epox EP-9NPA+Ultra - The DFI seems to offer better results, but the Epox sounds like it is easier to work with (and a bit cheaper). Both have chipset fans which I'm not thrilled about noisewise, any comments on how loud they are? I am a OC'ing noob, but not afraid to do my homework, and willing to do things step-by-step. I don't necessarily want to run my comp 24/7 at its max OC after I figure out what it is... a high stable OC that doesn't dramatically shorten the lifespan of my components is what I am after. Also, I am not even slightly interested in SLI. Thoughts?

Heatsink/Fan: Scythe Ninja or SI-120 - Sounds like I pick the Ninja for straight-up CPU performance and the SI-120 if I want to spread some airflow around the chipset as well as the CPU. I've never used this case/MB/HS combo before so I'm having a hard time predicting what the airflow is going to be like. The case has dual 120's, and I am going to mount a 120 to the HS; ideally I could get a good OC with all 3 of these undervolted, but I don't know. Any advice about which 120mm for the HS? Something reasonably quiet with decent CFM I guess. Any thoughts?

RAM: I want to run 2x1GB in the neighborhood of $200. I've read a lot about what to pick here, and frankly I'm still pretty up in the air about this one. Running low latency low voltage just seems to make common sense to me, but I am totally open-minded about a selection here.



At any rate, sorry for the novel, but I hope it makes clear what I am after and what I need. Any advice or thoughts are welcome and most appreciated! Thanks in advance.


- Mike


ps - I left out the rest of the components since they don't affect OCing, but can post them if desired.
 

avatar3k

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Jan 11, 2006
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for ram, get valueselect if you care about price, otherwise look at stuff like ocz platinum, etc. ram from ocz/corsair is generally great, patriot is also good - just buy in your price range

its almost a tossup between the scythe and thermal, pick the one that u think looks nicer [with imo is the scythe]