new gaming PC advise

[smorik]

My current wish list or build http://tinyurl.com/26wzc2

Looking forward to Quake Wars, STALKER, Crysis, and other PC only games.

I want to build an SLI-ready rig but have some questions.
How much power do i need to run 2 8800gtx's?
Do I just need an ATX12V PSU? What's EPS for?
Also, do the two cards have to be the same brand?

Later on I want to upgrade my monitor to a 24" lcd wide along with another 8800gtx.

What's a good budget HSF to OC a e6600?

My budget is ~$2k. Got any suggestions or advise?

thanks

 

[lmimmfn]

My current wish list or build http://tinyurl.com/26wzc2

Looking forward to Quake Wars, STALKER, Crysis, and other PC only games.

I want to build an SLI-ready rig but have some questions.
How much power do i need to run 2 8800gtx's?
Do I just need an ATX12V PSU? What's EPS for?
Also, do the two cards have to be the same brand?

Later on I want to upgrade my monitor to a 24" lcd wide along with another 8800gtx.

What's a good budget HSF to OC a e6600?

My budget is ~$2k. Got any suggestions or advise?

thanks

ive just bought a similar setup to yours, i got an e6400, asus p5n32-e sli instead of the evga 680i( because it was a lot cheaper ), 2 gigs corsair xms2 6400C4 ( because of the 4-4-4-12 timings ) and a scythe mine CPU cooler

Apparently with what ive chosen i should be able to overclock to 3-3.5Ghz, i have everything apart from the damn ram so i cant give you any info on how my system fairs

So based on your build the only fault i can find is the memory is kinda cheapskate for such a good build, make sure the timings are 4-4-4-12 if you plan to overclock

You might also consider adding a seagate barracuda 7200.10 drive, as only the raptor with 150Gig is way too small a drive, if youre worried about cost, you could replace the raptor with 2 western digital cavier 160 gig drives( astest SATA 2 drives and very cheap ) and the seagate

 

[smorik]

ive just bought a similar setup to yours, i got an e6400, asus p5n32-e sli instead of the evga 680i( because it was a lot cheaper ), 2 gigs corsair xms2 6400C4 ( because of the 4-4-4-12 timings ) and a scythe mine CPU cooler

Apparently with what ive chosen i should be able to overclock to 3-3.5Ghz
So based on your build the only fault i can find is the memory is kinda cheapskate for such a good build, make sure the timings are 4-4-4-12 if you plan to overclock

hmm, according to the specs on newegg the timings are 4-4-4-12. I checked out the article on the dominator RAM and saw there wasn't much of a gain for the extra cost, 3%?

A lot of people say the raptor isn't really worth it for the cost/size but I just want to use it for OS and games. No RAID 0 either.

 

[lmimmfn]

hmm, according to the specs on newegg the timings are 4-4-4-12. I checked out the article on the dominator RAM and saw there wasn't much of a gain for the extra cost, 3%?

A lot of people say the raptor isn't really worth it for the cost/size but I just want to use it for OS and games. No RAID 0 either.

I must have missed the timings, if theyre 4-4-4-12 you should be fine, i only went with the 6400C4 cos it was used on most of the 3Ghz+ overclocks, so for me its a better the devil you know kinda thing and i thought if im spending a good bit may as well get the best parts i can afford. See if you can find good overclocks with that ram

Raptors generate a lot of heat also, so keep that in mind if youre planning a good overclock, 160gig is fine for OS and a few games, i find myself constantly running out of room though so im getting a 400gig seagate 7200.10 for now, and might stick 2 western digital cavier 160gig drives later

Oh and as far as i am aware both cards have to be the same brand, but i could be wrong( i know they would definately have to be same core and timings )

 

[glowinggreenlemming]

for power supply questions I suggest reading the psu sticky in that forum in which has links to good reviews and tiered lists of powersupplies. Then you probably want to see which power supplies are Nvidia certified for 8800 gtxs in sli. After that find a high quality power supply from the tiered list that is in your budget and supports your configuration.

 

[smorik]

I think i'll go with this one for my future dual 8800gtx and OC'ing the e6600 to 4Ghz.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817256011

 

[lmimmfn]

I think i'll go with this one for my future dual 8800gtx and OC'ing the e6600 to 4Ghz.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817256011

I doubt youll manage a 4Ghz overclock, best case scenario 3.5Ghz

 

[smorik]

what do i need besides liquid nitrogen to max OC ?

 

[lmimmfn]

lol, aa 4Ghz OC, probably some dark matter if youve got some handy

Otherwise, i did some research myself and compared those air coolers that i could actually get my hands on and the Scythe Mine and Ninja ones were the only options recommended for a 3.5Ghz OC that i could actually find conveniently, others may have other suggestions. Or you could go with a water cooling solution, again for me, one step at a time , maybe later