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Gaming computer - first build

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - Gaming computer - first build

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Hi, this is going to be my first ever build, so just wanted to get some advice/suggestions from you guys. Thanks

CPU: Intel Core2Duo E6700 - £334.28

Mobo: EVGA NF680i - £187.40

GPU: XFX GeForce 8800 GTX - £416.98

RAM: 2X 1Gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 PC5400 (667) - £75.83 x2 = £151.66

HD: 160Gb Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 - £39.89

PSU: Etastis 850W - £128.65

Soundcard: Creative Xi-Fi XtremeMusic - £58.74

DVD-RW: LiteOn DVDRW Ivory - £20.32

Case: Gigabyte 3D Aurora -
£82.24


Managed to find a deal on the PSU, GPU and MOBO to save me £52.70 (about 5th one down on the list - not too shabby!)

TOTAL = £1367.46 (plus £15 shipping)

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Got a few specifc questions, but any general points / tips are welcome :D

1) What's the best CPU cooler for me to buy with this build? Zalman 9700 looks good, but seems a bit pricey compared to the competition. I was also looking at the Tunic Tower 120, and the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 looks excellent value, but i'm not sure which is the best and more importantly, which will/won't fit in my case.

2) Case - will the 8800 GTX fit inside? I found a thread on HardForum the other day, but couldn't find it again. I was also considering the Antec Nine Hundred, which would save me about £15, but this review put me off somewhat. I also considered the Coolermaster Wavemaster. Is the 3D Aurora the best for my build, or are there any better cases for similar price (can go another £20-30 higher at most)?

3) RAM - is it worth spending an extra £30 to get DDR2-800? I was thinking of upgrading my RAM 12-18 months down the line anyway.

4) Hard Drive - Really don't think I will even use 160GB to be honest, would a Western Digital be better than a Seagate? I looked at the Toms Hardware benchmarking, but they seemed almost identical.

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