Midrange performance system - Possible config:

[ninjahedge]

Opinions? Iam not looking for TOTL, but I am looking for modest OC, decent performance, and the most bang for the buck.

Lifespan should be about 2 years before replacement/shuffle down the line.

Here it is:

Just thinkin...

Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1 LIAN LI PC-60APLUSII Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: PC-60APLUSII
Item #: N82E16811112069

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$129.99 -$10.00 Instant $119.99

1 MSI 975X Platinum Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: 975X Platinum
Item #: N82E16813130051

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$169.99 $169.99

1 eVGA 512-P2-N635-AR Geforce 7950GT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: 512-P2-N635-AR
Item #: N82E16814130061

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$295.99 -$10.00 Instant $285.99

1 Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TPII-550
Item #: N82E16817103931

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$89.99 $89.99

1 Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6600
Item #: N82E16819115003

Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

In Stock
$315.00 $315.00

1 CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail
Model #: TWIN2X2048-6400C4
Item #: N82E16820145034

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$302.00 -$20.00 Instant $282.00

1 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3320620AS
Item #: N82E16822148140

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$94.99 $94.99

1 Logitech G15 2-Tone USB Wired Standard Keyboard - Retail
Model #: 967599-0403
Item #: N82E16823126179

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$71.99 $71.99

1 Logitech G7 097855033710 Black 6 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB RF Laser Mouse - Retail
Model #: 097855033710
Item #: N82E16826104209

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

Out Of Stock Auto-Notify
$67.97 $67.97

1 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Model #: 70SB046A00000
Item #: N82E16829102005

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$145.99 $145.99

1 Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM
Model #: E85-04741
Item #: N82E16832116059

Return Policy: Software Return Policy

In Stock
$139.99 $139.99

Subtotal:$1,783.89

 

[XataX]

Instead of 7950 GT...might I suggest an alternative GFX card ...X1900XT 256 MB. It outperforms the 7950 GT in all departments and costs less too...about $250 with shipping costs added.

Also let us know the resolution you game in?

Everything else in your config looks spot on...enjoy

 

[WR2]

I like your motherboard choice - and so did the THG reviewers who gave it an Editors Choice award during a review against 3 other 975X main boards.
MSI 975X Platinum Power Up Edition: MSI's Come-Back

Nice list.
Check out this forum thread for a list of recommended aftermarket CPU coolers: Core2Duo Overclocking Guide v1.1

 

[4745454b]

I second the x1900xt idea. (although I don't believe its better then the 7950GT all around. They are equals.) The motherboard you picked supports CF, not SLI. (if it supports multi cards at all.) If you ever choose to go multi card you'll want to buy a ATI card now, not Nvidia.

In addition, you said you were looking for a modest overclock. What do you mean by modest? The stock base frequency of that C2D is 266MHz. DDR rate would be twice that, so 533MHz. Buying the cheaper DDR2-667 would allow for a stable overclock to 333MHz. (quad pumped, Your FSB would be 1333MHz. Your 6600 would now be running at 3GHz.) Unless you are looking for a higher overclock then this, save yourself the dough and get DDR2-667 memory.

 

[ninjahedge]

I know, where do you think I got it from!

I have been reading around a bit to try to shoot the curl on this. The 1900XT was the other possibility, but due to the reviews here I was starting to lean to the 7950GT as another sweet price point.

I heard about the 6300 and 6400 OC possibility, but I am not sure if you can beat the 4M cache on the 6600. I heard that OCing the 6600 is a little difficult, but not impossible.

I have swapped heatsinks before (Vornado anyone?) but I would like to maybe keep stock if possible and moderately OC (I would like to see 5 years at least out of the CPU, and I also do not want a space heater or vacuum cleaner in my room ). Aftermarket coolers might actually work better for this (less noise) but I would be worried about fitting it in the case (you see the CPU airflow director thingie?).

I also like the programmable keyboard, but I am sad to see it is not ergonomic/split. Any word on one coming out soon?

I forgot to put down a 2L-DVDR, but that is minor.

Thanks for the input guys, keep it coming!

 

[ninjahedge]

I second the x1900xt idea. (although I don't believe its better then the 7950GT all around. They are equals.) The motherboard you picked supports CF, not SLI. (if it supports multi cards at all.) If you ever choose to go multi card you'll want to buy a ATI card now, not Nvidia.

In addition, you said you were looking for a modest overclock. What do you mean by modest? The stock base frequency of that C2D is 266MHz. DDR rate would be twice that, so 533MHz. Buying the cheaper DDR2-667 would allow for a stable overclock to 333MHz. (quad pumped, Your FSB would be 1333MHz. Your 6600 would now be running at 3GHz.) Unless you are looking for a higher overclock then this, save yourself the dough and get DDR2-667 memory.

I was hearing that 3/3.2 was stable for some of the 6600's out there, so that sounds reasonable.

I will have to brush up on clock speeds again before I start tooling with the bios, but from what I heard the multiplier is locked on the chip? Only thing that is changable is the bus speed? (Forgive me if I am wrong). I can see where the 800 might be overkill, but I was just going on what I was reading as a "safe" bet for performance.

So you would recommend Corsair 667 at 4-4-4-? timing? (I do not have the #'s in front of me, so forgive me if I misquoted...)

Thanks for the help guys! Like I said, keep it coming!

(I forgot how much I liked putting these thnigs together... )

 

[WR2]

I have swapped heatsinks before (Vornado anyone?) but I would like to maybe keep stock if possible and moderately OC (I would like to see 5 years at least out of the CPU, and I also do not want a space heater or vacuum cleaner in my room ). Aftermarket coolers might actually work better for this (less noise) but I would be worried about fitting it in the case (you see the CPU airflow director thingie?).

The stock HSF is no slouch at cooling and certainly acceptable for light overclocking.
A happy medium between stock HSF and the top of the line aftermarket air cooling would be the ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro $30 for excellent cooling, lower noise and ease of installation. Here is a good AC Freezer 7 Pro review
The CPU multipliers are locked. So overclocking by bumping the FSB is the norm. The 6600 is multi 9 (9*266~2.4Ghz stock speed). A 333FSB would get you 9*333 or 2.997Ghz. The C2D like having the extra bandwidth of the faster DDR2 and with the relatively close prices of 667 and 800... usually the 800 gets the nod.

 

[4745454b]

DDR2-677 4-4-4-? was what I was suggesting. You only need the DDR2-800 stuff if your using an AM2 socket for AMD, or you are planing on raising the base frequency to 400MHz. There are a few motherboard that can do this, but I think most people overclock their base frequency to the high 300s. (375-390) Again, if your looking for just a modest overclock from 266 to perhaps the low to mid 300s, save the dough and get 667 ram.

 

[purdueguy]

The X1900XT 256MB and the 7950GT cards are very close in performance with the X1900XT winning by a slight margin. Video Card Price/Perf Analysis. But in price/performance, the X1900XT wins hands down.

Ninjahedge:

You can pick up this card here for $255.

With the new price of the X1900XT 256MB, the price/perf is now 3.82. On Monday, it was selling for $244.

The other card I would recommend is the 7900GTO as you can OC this card very well and sometimes even to 7900GTX speeds. A BIOS update might be necessary.

I would look at some benchmarks and see which card is right for you.

If you are planning on OC'ing then get some DDR2 800 2x1GB sticks like in your OP. You could save $16 and get some Patriot DDR2 800 2x1GB sticks but you'd have to mess with a MIR, so it might not be worth it.

And if you plan on getting into the OC'ing groove, then I'd recommend getting an E6400 and save 95 bucks. Look here.

 

[ninjahedge]

Perdue, what is your take on the heat coming from this sucker. I am reading that some peeps are getting 70 degrees plus during heavy loading or having to crank the cards fan to max (noise).

Is the 7950 any better in that regard?

Also, will my 550 PS shown be able to handle all of this? How about another HD or two in the future?

Thanks all!

 

[TSIMonster]

I second the AC64. The MOBO choice is the same one I would make, but consider the e6400 instead though. Should net you near the same performance or greater on the AC64, or even the stock HSF. DDR2 800 isn't much more then DDR2 667 and would allow a better overclock. If you are set on going 667, might I suggest this RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820161662, it is great for OC'ing, and doesn't need many volts at all!!!!

Conside the 7900GTO or the x1900xt 256 as your two GFX cards, both are great from what I hear.

 

[ninjahedge]

AC = Arctic Cooler?

Me confused on that...

Also, I read the article here about oc'ing the 6300 and 6400 and though that they were great, even with stock fans, but I have heard that the 6600 also does well on this newer batch (rather than the pre-release chipset).

I just do not know where the extra cache would come in handy. Would this enable larger memory access? I seem to remember that either the dual core OR the larger cache would allow more system memory to be used, but I forgot which....

I also do know know if that was a 2G->4G or a 4G->8G difference and whether or not I wold even need more than the max during the lifespan of the system.....

 

[WR2]

I think he said AC 64 when he meant AC 7. The AC64 is the AMD version of the AC Freezer Pro 7 (7-775 socket).

As far as I know the 6300/6400/6600 perform equally well with moderate overclocking. With extreme overclocking the 6300/6400 can pull out a larger percentage increase (as in 25% over stock for example). If you overclock a 6300/6400/6600 equally (say 333 FSB) you'll end up with 2.33Ghz, 2.66Ghz and 2.99Ghz.

While the effect of the larger cache can be measured in synthetic benchmarks in actual real world usages it would be tough to notice the difference when a 6400 was clocked the same as a 6600 for example.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

 

[ninjahedge]

Interesting info, but it does the classic avoidance of direct comarison.

Using stock heatsink/etc, how high can the 6600 go and how does that compare to the 6300 and 6400?

They always like to compare the OC to the standard clock speeds, but they never really compare max feasable OC of one chip to another (although they sort of did that here between the 6400 and 6300...).

I am starting to lean to the 6400 now, but I would like to know if an extra $120 will get me more if I am willing to do the same to it as I would the 6400......

 

[purdueguy]

Yes, the card does get hot when you stress it. If you don't have enough fans in your case then opt for the 7900GTO and overclock it.

The PSU is more than adequate. For the same price you might want to consider the Hiper 580W. Molex cables. One word. Sweet.

Btw, Perdue is the chicken and PURDUE is the school. Cluck, cluck. 8)

 

[WR2]

Using stock heatsink/etc, how high can the 6600 go and how does that compare to the 6300 and 6400?

You can expect roughly the same percentage increase on the 6300/6400/6600 with stock HSF - roughly 40% plus or minus a few percent based on differences in CPU robustness, motherboard and memory. Or 6300 @ 2.6Ghz, 6400 @ 3.0Ghz and 6600 @ 3.4Ghz.
If you looked close at the THG 6400 overclocking article you noticed that the aftermarket cooler barely raised the max OC of the 6400. But it did lower the CPU temps (+longevity) and lowered the noise level.
On a friends E6300 system anything above 2.4Ghz OC with the stock HSF started to be annoying (part of that was his case choice).
Your mileage may vary.

 

[DiverDave]

If you looked close at the THG 6400 overclocking article you noticed that the aftermarket cooler barely raised the max OC of the 6400. But it did lower the CPU temps (+longevity) and lowered the noise level.
On a friends E6300 system anything above 2.4Ghz OC with the stock HSF started to be annoying (part of that was his case choice).
Your mileage may vary.

This is just the kind of information I've been looking for.

So to summarize, an aftermarket cooler won't make O/C better but quieter and possibly cooler (at higher O/C levels)

That might be enough to make me get one

 

[ninjahedge]

I guess that is something to take into consideration.

Any recommendation on that front? Thermaltake? Artic cooler? Zalman?

Also, how do the passive coolers hold up (heat pipes/etc)? I can see how they might be a good silent alternative for coolnig non-oc, but I have not heard of anyone even trying them for more than playing minesweeper...

Also, how are space requirements on the aftermarket coolers recommended? Some might require removal of the air flow directors in the case....

Keep the suggestions coming guys!

 

[ninjahedge]

The X1900XT 256MB and the 7950GT cards are very close in performance with the X1900XT winning by a slight margin. Video Card Price/Perf Analysis. But in price/performance, the X1900XT wins hands down.

Ninjahedge:

You can pick up this card here for $255.

With the new price of the X1900XT 256MB, the price/perf is now 3.82. On Monday, it was selling for $244.

The other card I would recommend is the 7900GTO as you can OC this card very well and sometimes even to 7900GTX speeds. A BIOS update might be necessary.

I would look at some benchmarks and see which card is right for you.

If you are planning on OC'ing then get some DDR2 800 2x1GB sticks like in your OP. You could save $16 and get some Patriot DDR2 800 2x1GB sticks but you'd have to mess with a MIR, so it might not be worth it.

And if you plan on getting into the OC'ing groove, then I'd recommend getting an E6400 and save 95 bucks. Look here.

Bump


Looks liek the XT went back up in price (to about $275 before shipping and tax) so it is neck-and-neck with the 7950GT 512...


I have no idea why. Aside from crossfire (motherboard compatibility?) is there any reason not to spend an extra $10 for more memory on the card?

Oh, any answers on cooling would also be appreciated!