My first build...looking for advice on rig and parts

[freeflyer750]

This is my first build and it will be used for gaming, also want to OC, I have a friend to help. I'm trying to get the best performance for about $2000.

CASE - GIGABYTE 3D Aurora 570 GZ-FA1CA-ASB Black 1.0 mm Aluminum body ATX Full Tower

PROCESSOR - E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz

GRAPHICS CARD - EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB

MOTHERBOARD - EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel

MEMORY - Patriot eXtreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 SDRAM (PC2 6400) - 139.99

HARD DRIVE - Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

Edit: POWER SUPPLY - PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad

Edit: HSF - Thermalright Ultra 120/Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm

OPTICAL DRIVE - LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner

The case, hard drive, hsf and power supply are the ones I'm not too sure about. Memory was chosen based on price. All suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

 

[AeroB1033]

Not bad. Few things I'd like to mention:

-I wouldn't get Patriot memory. If you need budget RAM I'd get G.skill, but you can also have 2gb of cheap Kingston DDR667 for under $140 right now, and that would work fine with your build (depending how much overclocking you plan on doing).

-I don't like the case that much, but cases are mostly a matter of personal preference. Still, you could probably get better airflow from something else.

-That Thermaltake PSU would probably be okay, but you could do better for your money; anything with enough power from SeaSonic, Corsair, Silverstone, or PC Power & Cooling would be your best bet. Ignore the overall wattage and try to figure our how many amps they have on the 12V rails. (That system would require at least 32 amps I suspect).

-Thermalright Ultra 120, Tuniq Tower, and Zalman 9700 are pretty much the three best coolers out there right now. Scythe also makes some good stuff but I forget which specific model is best.

 

[alcattle]

How much was the HD? I saw the Seagate 320 at Outpost for $99, free shipping

 

[proof]

The TT is a good HSF. I love the case. I got one for my brother's AMD build and it looks great.

 

[proof]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[freeflyer750]

Thanks for the help so far I greatly appreciate it.

I plan on eventually running 2 graphics cards so what would be a good quality PS able to power a couple GTXs?

What case would have better air cooling and be able to handle the GTXs and a good HS?

What's wrong with patriot ram? Also I am willing to spend a little extra to get a better quality item.

The WD HDD was 89.99. If there is a better performing one for about the same let me know.

 

[proof]

Power Supply: (SLi Support)
Thermaltake Tough Power
Enermax Infinity

Case: (Good air flow)
Antec 900

HSF:
Tuniq Tower
Scythe Infinity
Noctua NH-U12F

 

[freeflyer750]

I will probably go with the Ultra 120 with Scythe S-Flex SFF21F fan.

 

[freeflyer750]

Would this be a better HDD Seagate Barracuda ES ST3320620NS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s?

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad would this be able to power 2 GTXs in SLI?

Proof: Does the EVGA 680i board work well? And which model do you have the A1 or T1?

Is this memory better - G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ

 

[proof]

The Barracuda is very good. Stable, fast, reliable.
The PCP&C PSU is incredible.
The eVGA board is also incredible. I have the A1. The only difference is that the A1 comes with accesories that the T1 doesn't.
The RAM is good.

 

[alcattle]

Agreed, a good name PSU with 750W and 40-50 on the 12v rails. PP7C are the cadillac of PSUs, 750W Quad, NP!

RAM pretty equal, go by the price of the two.

That is a good drive, but the wrong model, ES is a hard core drive for servers, enterprise level stuff.
The WD at $90 is decent, no problem.

Heard good things about the eVGA 680i MB, make sure you get a newer model.

 

[Lazarus7]

Second the Noctua HSF.....I think I'm a Noctua junkie

 

[freeflyer750]

Thanks for catch on the HD and info about the EVGA 680i.

Would 2 of these HD be good for RAID 0 setup
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

Is there a modular power supply that is equal to the PCP&C Silencer 750 Quad

 

[alcattle]

I am thinking that these 2 HD will be for Storage not the Boot/OS drives. In that case, I would not use a RAID 0, added speed not worth the risk to your data. Some people use RAID 1 or RAID 5, both have major drawbacks but they offer added security
on Modular; not from PP&C:

3. DON'T LOSE POWER WITH MODULAR PLUGS
Due to their look, convenience, and cost savings for manufacturers, modular plugs have become a popular power supply feature. Unfortunately, there has been little or no discussion of the impact of this feature on overall performance and reliability. The fact is, modular plugs limit power by adding to electrical resistance. The voltage drop can be as much as would occur in 2 feet of standard wire. Worse yet, modular plugs utilize delicate pins that can easily loosen, corrode, and burn, creating the potential for a major system failure. That's why professional system builders specify uninterrupted wire!

 

[freeflyer750]

How would I run RAID 0 without putting the BOOT/OS drives in danger?

 

[proof]

Don't RAID the OS drives. Just RAID the other drives and set the BIOS to boot from said boot drive.

 

[freeflyer750]

So this would mean that I would need at least three drives. One for the OS and two for the RAID 0.

 

[proof]

Yes.

 

[freeflyer750]

What HD would you recommend for the OS and then what kind for the RAID 0?

 

[proof]

Best:
OS: Seagate Cheetah 15k SAS
RAID: Seagate Barracuda 16MB 750GB (x how many you want)

For a "budget" I would suggest a Raptor 36GB if you can find it or a Raptor X 150 is you have the cash. For the RAID array I would suggest a large drive with a 16MB cache.

 

[freeflyer750]

Found a raptor 36gb for the OS,
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s for RAID 0

Does the size of the drive affect the performance when using RAID 0?

 

[proof]

No.