First build in years

[scotth501]

I've finally decided to upgrade my Barton 2500+ system (OC'd to 3200, 2.2Ghz). I went to try the Medieval 2 demo, I discovered that I couldn't run it with my CPU. If upgrading CPU, looks like I need most parts replaced including 6800nu (unlocked to 6800GT) AGP.

Goals: Updated system that is more quiet and should be good for another run of a few years. Total budget of around US$1000. I'd probably overclock it down the road at some point, but initially planning on stock speeds.

Have:
New Antec P150 tower with 430W PSU
19" 1280x1024 LCD
Microsoft keyboard & mouse
2.1 speakers/subwoofer

Planned:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
Memory: Patriot Extreme 2x1GB DDR2-800 http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820220144
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Generic $30 SATA or PATA DVD burner
Windows Vista Home Premium OEM/System Builder ($120)

Can't decide:
Mainboard: eVga 650i Ultra out soon, Gigabyte P965, but don't need/want SLI
Upgraded cooling (like the Scythe Ninja without a fan for quietness)?
Any other cooling for northbridge?

Really can't decide:
Video - Leaning toward 8800 320MB, would like Dx10 compatible. Wish there was a 8x00 series that was quiet like some of the fanless 7x00's I've read about. It doesn't seem that any of the Dx10 devices are quiet, including the new ones out in a week or so.

NewEgg has the RAM with a decent rebate now, so I'd probably try to place that order very soon, need to make sure it's compatible with the mainboard options. Or maybe identify some other choice.

It seems there's a lot of new things and changes coming and that I should just wait until December. Peryn (sp?) and or the 6420 CPU sound interesting, like ATI/AMD Dx10 stuff, but I've already waited since Nov or so when I discovered my limitation on the game. Oh, mostly this system will be used for games like Company of Heroes, Rome:Total War, SimCity 4, Knights of the Old Republic 2 -- just about anything except FPS games.

Thanks, Scott

 

[jeff_2087]

Good stuff. Price drops coming on April 22, the e6600 will be nearly $100 cheaper.

The P965 DS3 is a great board, solid performer and excellent overclocker. Possibly the best. You should toss a fan on the northbridge for overclocking.

The Ninja is a good heatsink, I think I'll order one tonight.

8800 320 is a good choice if your monitor resolution is at or below 1600x1200. Above that and it might start running out of memory.

 

[scotth501]

Thanks Jeff, that's what I was planning. I think the memory rebate expires the 15th. The new video cards were due out the 17th or later, like the 8600GT (was thinking of staying in the US$200 range). Then, like you said the E6600 should be a few days behind those in availability with the new pricing.

Another thing I forgot to mention, I'm not sure if I should get a 2nd HD and run raid 0 to squeeze out some more speed. I don't think I need the space, but who knows. That just ramps up the cost, noise, and heat. I'm still considering a external drive or NAS to backup as well.

 

[skyguy]

-8800GTS is quiet actually, very quiet. I'm not sure who said it was loud, but it's VERY quiet....so no worries there.

-Gigabyte 965P-DS3, hands down. Proven winner, one of the best boards out there for non-SLI.

-If you're not overclocking, get some cheaper 667 RAM....the 800 stuff is only necessary if you're overclocking.

-The Ninja will NOT be adequate without a fan. End of story. It definitely needs a fan. The one included with it spins at about 900 rpm and is very quiet. Not silent, but pretty good. The mounts on the Ninja are a cruel joke, so good luck with those. If you want a GREAT cooler that beats the Ninja and is quieter too, take a hard look at the Noctua UH-12F, best kept secret out there

-Lastly, make sure that PSU has enough amperage on the 12v rails to handle an 8800GTS or you'll have a big problem on your hands.

 

[scotth501]

Thanks Skyguy, I'm about to the point I'll just put my $1k toward something I know and get a new AR-15.

You're right on about the PSU. I got the Antec P150 based on the glowing reviews I found everywhere and my previous good experience with Antec cases. The problem is, it's not so cheap, and if I was going to buy a power supply, I would have just got the Solo case which doesn't include the PSU.

Anyway, here's the info on the 430 Neo:
http://www.antec.com/specs/NeoHE430_spe.html

There weren't different rails the last time I bought a case or power supply, so who knew it was so different. The evga 8800 GTS 320MB I was looking at says it needs 400W, but 26 Amps. This PSU only has 16A per rail. Actually, even the 550W SLI certified Neo only has 18A per rail, so I fail to see how that works. I even called Antec just now, and they recommended the TruePower Trio550 -- with, you guessed it, the same 18A per rail.

I guess I can put the $'s to this:
http://www.rockriverarms.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=AR1225X&storeid=1&image=ela407.gif&CFID=39033584&CFTOKEN=52170175

I really don't understand new power supplies. I'll head over to that forum and try to figure it out.

Thanks again

 

[skyguy]

The amps is the TOTAL COMBINED across all 12v rails. So, that PSU you show is actually fine because it delivers enough juice across all 3 rails to power the 8800GTS. Some PSU's have 1-12v rail. Some have 2. Some 3. Some have 4-12v rails. 4 costs more generally So 3 @ 16A is enough to power an 8800GTS because it only needs 26 amps. So you're fine, not to worry.

Don't blow a gasket trying to figure out all the PSU stuff if you're not into that sort of thing. Just ask for some help from someone who does know that stuff. I'm not a PSU expert, but I've learned alot here, enough to know whether a PSU will power a particular graphics card, etc.

So you're fine with that PSU.

As for your case, there are other cases that provide good cooling, ample room, and are far cheaper. Not Antec or anything fancy, but they certainly aren't crap. A very popular case that does the trick and is very inexpensive is the Coolermaster 534....will fit all your components, has a good layout, good ventilation, and very affordable. It's not fancy, but will do the trick. Take a look:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106