my new build? comments/suggestions please

[grant8844]

I am working on a new build and have it almost complete.
see below

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=3497911&WishListTitle=system1

The use for this system is:

Financial planning busines with large files, mostly excel
Digital photo files
Music files
Gaming, mostly Flight Simulator FSX

I want to run FSX with most sliders maxed out and drive a large monitor or LCD TV

The reviews on this mobo show some difficulity in overclocking the E6600/ E6700 and have better luck with the the E6400/E6300?

I selected the E6700 because I want the highest multiplier with or without OC. Will the OC issues on this CPU be solved with bios updates?

will my PSU handle this system?

Other??

Thanks for your thoughts

Grant

 

[Doughbuy]

The 8800GTX can't even run FSX with all the silders maxed out... so you should give that idea up...

Also, you might want to get the eVGA 680i mobo, it's cheaper and I think marginally better than the Asus variety. However, if you wait, there are sure to be more 680i choices from other major mobo manufacturers.

C2D e6600 would be a better choice, save you 200 bones and you can OC that little sucker like crazy... and I don't know why you want the highest multiplier... it really won't give you better performance, especially for the price you pay.

Corsair is good for memory, but overpriced. You might want to look at G. Skill. They use similar Micron D9 chips, but are quite a bit cheaper. Here is a review:

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2867

Everything else looks fine. Yeah, there has been some issues with OC'ing anything with a 4mb cache, don't know if a bios revision will catch it or not. Your choice on that matter... a 4 mb cache will only net you an average of 3.5% performance gain.

PSU should be fine, can probably even handle SLI without too much of a problem.

 

[grant8844]

Hi Doughbuy

Thanks for your comments!

I checked out the link on the G. Skill memory. very interestings, looks like a class company. Also compared their pricing to Cosair for 2 gigs
Cosair DDR2 800 C4 $275
G. Skill DDR2 800 C5 $205
G. Skill DDR2 800 C4 $305
From the review, I understand that G. Skill rates their memory conservatively. So, their C5 memory is really more like C4 memory. Is that correct?

On the multiplier question. I thought that for any given OC FSB I would have a mutiplier of 10 for the E6700 instead of 9 for the E6600. So my 10 multiplier CPU would run faster?

Also, I was hoping that getting a CPU from the E6700 "bin" would give be better OC potential than getting one from the E6600 "bin. Is that true?

Grant

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

Awesome rig. The only suggestion I have is to consider the E6600 instead.

The only difference between the two is 2.66 ghz VS. 2.4 ghz. Is 260mhz really worth the difference in price of $200?

The E6600 is only $311 on NewEgg.

 

[ben_the_man]

I really like your build... very sinilar to mine except I used the P5B-delux board (cause of the overclocking issue I read about), tighter timmed RAM and the e6600. With the money you'd save switching to the e6600, you could get a better mobo and RAM, or the 8800GTX, which is a much faster card.

On the multiplier question. I thought that for any given OC FSB I would have a mutiplier of 10 for the E6700 instead of 9 for the E6600. So my 10 multiplier CPU would run faster?

Also, I was hoping that getting a CPU from the E6700 "bin" would give be better OC potential than getting one from the E6600 "bin. Is that true?

Grant

Having a higher multipyler is good.. but it only affects the CPU's processing speed, and so will only improve CPU intensive tasks. When overclocking, most people will drop the multiplyer as low as it will go to maximize their FSB, which has a much larger effect on system performance. Its like RAM timings: having low timings is good, but most of the time these are sacrificed to run the RAM at a higher clock speed, which usually has a greater effect.

For example, think of 2 computers, 1 with a multiplyer of 8 and and FSB of 333MHz and the other with a multiplyer of 10 and an FSB of 266MHz. Both are rated at the same speed of 2.6GHz, but the first one will preform much better in most tasks.

What "bin" the CPU comes from has an almost negligable effect imo. Its just the distribution of quality peaks slightly higher for the e6700 then e6600. Most of their probablility curves overlap tho, so it is quite likely that an e6700 may not overclock as well as a e6600 (although i guess the opposite is more "likely" to be true). For $200 that could be well spent other places, I would recomend against the e6700.

Ben

 

[Doughbuy]

Another thing about the memory... You probably won't hit your memory ceiling before your cpu ceiling, so the C5 would most likely be fine. The Corsair has actually dropped a bit down in price, especially after rebates, so it's not looking all that bad of a deal now either.

The E6700 bin might get you a higher OC since it's supposed to be a "better" cpu, but a lot depends on the individual model itself more so. Either way, all Conroe's are great OC'ers, and the 6700 isin't worth the added price... Not to mention gamings not CPU limited these days, and other programs will probably see only a marginal difference at best.

 

[grant8844]

Hi Ben

You are the man!

Thanks so much for your explantion of FSB speeds versus CPU clock speeds.
This is a whole new world for me.

I think I will save $200 by going with the E6600
Now, which is a better 'buy'?
Upgrade the video or mobo.

I am wondering if the 8800 gtx will fit in my case?
Will my PSU handle this card?

I assume my memory is fine?

Thanks

Grant

 

[Doughbuy]

Haha, I saw there:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145168

I might get them just for the spiffy heatspreaders, only 15 more... nickels and dimes... shrug, but they might interfere with larger coolers and HSF's...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813188009

Get that mobo, just as good if not better than the one you have now, and it doesn't need an audio riser card, saving you an extra slot. With all that money saved, get the 8800GTX and you're in buisness. (Get the DHX memory!!!! GO GO!!!!)

22.4" long... I'd say front bezel and fan is about 2-3 inches, HDD cage is about 6-7 inches, so you should still have about 12 inches left... it should fit...

And...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817341002

Get that PSU, much better than the Antec, and it will definitly be able to handle that, even should be able to do SLI...