E4300 based system, opinions please

[CarlosDK]

Been reading the boards on and off for a few years, and figured this would be the perfect place to post - so here we go.

Im building my first new system for a long time, and haven't really payed attention to hardware in a while - So i more or less wanted, some opinions if this looks like a decent system, or if i chose some parts that makes no sense at all - As for prices, well i live in Denmark and stuff is a bit more expensive here, but i found the cheapest place here where i could get all the stuff that i (think) i want - So this is about as far as my budget goes.

The goal is, to get a reasonably modern PC, i would like to overclock it to around 3ghz. I do play games, but im by no means a hardcore gamer, and i don't care about a game running 4-5FPS faster - The system will be used more for Photoshop/work than games. Currently im on a 19" screen (1280x1024) but might upgrade to one with 1680x1050 or 1600x1200 within a year or so - And i would also like to keep the system relatively quiet, since it will be in my rather small livingroom - Stability is ofcourse very important too.

The parts i picked out myself are:

CPU: Core2Duo E4300
Motherboard: Gigabyte 965P-DS3 or Biostar TForce 965pt (depending on availability)
Cooler: Scythe Infinity or Ninja Rev. B (again depending on availability)
Case: Antec P180
PSU: Antec NeoHE 500W
Ram: 2x1gb Kingston pc6400mhz CL4
HD: WD 320gb 16mb Cache
Video: Sapphire X1950pro Ultimate with Zalman cooler

Questions:

Im aware that nothing with overclocking is certain, but would it be within reason to expect that system to run around 3ghz stable?

Would cheaper RAM (still rated at 800mhz/PC6400) work just aswell for overclocking? since if i understand it right - im not looking at overclocking the ram anyway - I saw some sticks, think it was called A-data or something like that, that was quite a bit cheaper here in Denmark. And will i notice any difference between CL4 and CL5?

I thought about getting a Geforce GTS8800 320mb, but i don't play THAT much, and i figured i'd rather wait for more direct X10 cards/games before i make that move, is the 1950pro an OK choice for my system? Also, does anyone know the card im talking about? Will i notice any difference in the noise, compared to a cheaper X1950pro with a stock cooler.

Finally on a sidenote, will i notice any difference between a Creative X-FI Music, and a onboard soundcard (running on a set of above average speakers with seperate amp.) - its mostly for Music and will never run any kind of surround.

I know it's a lot of questions, but if someone would take the time to answer atleast some of them, it would be greatly appreciated, since this is quite a bit of money for me, and i want the system to be as good as it can for the money - Thanks in advance.

 

[jeff_2087]

:trophy:

I wouldn't absolutely count on it running 3GHz, but it's not unreasonable. Some people run them stable at 3.5GHz.

Cheaper RAM would probably work, but I've always felt safer paying a little more for the well known brands. You can always just google reviews of those RAM sticks though.

The 1950pro is a good card. Unless you play new games on very high settings, it'll do you fine. At 1280x1024, it'll be good enough for now.

I'm using the X-Fi music, and I find there's a noticeable improvement over onboard sound. If you've got good speakers, go for it.

 

[Bobsama]

I'd definitely say you should get DDR2 667 if you intend to hit 3ghz but no further. You don't need DDR2 800... 333*9=2997... 400*9=3600... if you don't intend to go much further, go with DDR2 667.

I would recommend you go with a GeForce 7900GS for the next 2-3 months; get one from EVGA so you can upgrade to a GeForce 8600 Ultra. Remember Step-Up only applies to registered cards purchased within 90 days. You'll want to select your card and trade it in; your computer will be out-of-commission for a short time, however.[/quote]

 

[NamelessMC]

There's a huge misconception that the Allendale is as reliable at over-clocking as the Conroe, which is widely false.

Sure, the 4300 has a higher multiplier, meaning theoretically since it runs at E6300 speeds, you should be able to over-clock it as fast as the Conroe, but with cheaper ram.

That's if you get a processor with good stepping. Check the Biostar forums as a lot of people who buy the E4300, update their bios and use quality DDR2-667 ram have trouble posting past 2.7 GHZ.

I don't really like that reviews of the E4300 claim it can easily hit 3 GHZ, because it's not ideal. They had to give over 1.5 voltage to post past 3 GHZ and they used VERY high end quality ram and motherboard.

I wouldn't recommend BETTING on a sure-fire 3 GHZ over-clock with the E4300 and at least expect to run it at 2.4-25 GHZ at the most, so you can be tolerant of failure.

If you want a guaranteed 3 GHZ over-clock with a C2D, you have to start at the base with an E6300, sorry.

 

[CarlosDK]

Thanks everyone, as for trade ins deals on a 7900gs, it's not worth it for me since i live in Denmark, i can imagine all kinds of stuff going wrong, especially some heavy taxing if it gets picked up in customs.

I might get the E6300 instead then, they cost about the same. Will good DDR2 800mhz ram, be sufficient to reach 3ghz with that one, or do i have to get 1066?