Im a heavy multi tasker/gamer looking to update my old AMD 3500+ with a new C2D system.. I've been lurking around Toms Hardware for awhile now but either Im blind or I just don't see the answers..

Based on my admittedly basic knowledge and this site Ive sketched out my new system as follows

Motherboard : Asus P5W DH Deluxe Socket 775 but with recent bios changes Im starting to wonder if the Asus P5B Deluxe wouldnt be the better choice for overclocking?

CPU: Im thinking of the C2D E6600 for its price/performance however from a futureproofing perspective does anyone think its worth waiting an extra month to save up for the E6800 admittedly I haven't paid much attention to this one but some of my SEO tools take up alot of CPU power and I like to run several instances as well as play the occasional 1080p video.. Though I never do video compression or graphic design..

Memory: This is one spot where I know next to nothing.. Ive been thinking of getting the Corsair XMS 2 TWIN2X Matched Pairs 2048MB but Im wondering if for overclocking purposes I should splurge and get 2gigs OCZ DDR2-1000 PC2-8000 for $100 more

Cooling: Ive always wanted to go water cooling but the possibility of leaks makes me nervous.. I was thinking of the Thermaltake Kandalf with its built in watercooling setup Ive read a few positive reviews but id be willing to consider an air cooler to save costs on the case if theirs a really good one thats not to loud any suggestions ?

Video Cards: Not really overclocking related but Im trying to decide on dual ATI XT1950 XTX's part of my problem is I recently had to get a 42" lcd monitor for work and right now I just cant game for the life of me with my old radeon 9800 pro and the benchmarks Im seeing around this site make me nervous going with a lesser solution however with DX10 cards just a few months away Im worried about dropping so much cash on a video card setup only to have the DX10 cards come along and totally thrash the XT1950's... Should I buy a cheap $300ish card and make do or do you guys feel the difference in performance isn't going to be world changing so quickly... Of course if I want to use this platform I believe the P5B Deluxe motherboard is out of the question.. Does anyone know of another good crossfire motherboard for C2D ?

Sorry for asking so many questions but I do appreciate your help!

I'll admit that I'm not the best expert on Core Duo's, but here's my take on your plan.

1.) Can't say much about an overclocking mobo. I wish DFI would make a LANParty for intel, but I hear ASUS is not really that good for overclockers with whatever you get from them. Conclusion: none, just try doing more research.

2.) Futureproofing? Quad cores come out in a few months, so if you want to wait for them, then that's fine. The point is to upgrade when you feel it is necessary, and accept the fact that there will always be something better soon afterwards. I couldn't wait for Conroe, so I got an Opty, and I have no regrets.

3.) I can't say anything about memory, I'll leave that to an expert.

4.) Unless you want to overclock an E6600 to 4Ghz or something crazy, stick with air cooling. It's much less of a hassle an much much cheaper. Good coolers include the Thermalright 120, Scythe Infinity, etc.

5.) A video card for a 42" lcd monitor, eh? If it's for work then you shouldn't need that much power. If it's for games then I'm still not sure that you would need dual X1950XTX's. One should suffice, if that. A $300ish card will make do for now, and an X1900XT 256MB is really cheap and very powerful.

My OCing recommendations:

Asus P5W DH or Abit AW9D-MAX
The Abit has the crown in OCing but the Asus can be found at the same price in zipzoomfly.com

E6600
no comments...

X1900XT 256mb
froogle it to find it cheaper than newegg's. Itll easily OC to the X1900XTX speds without modding.

OCZ Platinum Revsion 2
OCZ2P800R22GK
This kit will OC to 550Mhz CL5.

barracuda 7200.10 360GB
If you want a Raptor, the 150GB is the only one worth the price. The other two have a very high $/GB ratio.

OCZ GameXstream 600W
Get the 700W if you want to completly ensure upgradeability even that this is already overkill.

Scythe Infinity
Pair it with a FM121 and itll run circles around every low-end liquid cooling kit.

lite-on or LG
SHM-165H6S GSA-H10N


It simply doesnt get any better than this for the $/performance. Seriously, ask around hehe