Gaming rig, need advice.

[Epilon]

So I have been looking at building a computer for a long time, and feel that now is the right time to go for it. I have compiled a build after receiving advice from various sites ad forums, and have decided to see if you guys could give me some feedback. I will be using it for gaming. Here are the specs. I also intend to overclock, or try at least.


Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 GZ
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811233013
I chose this case because it was highly rated, and since this is my first build, I want to run into the least amount of hiccups possible.

ASUS P5K DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard – Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131182
I had received reviews that this motherboard had good overclocking features, as well as nice features in general. My question with this board is whether or not the onboard audio is good enough? Should I go ahead and grab a sound card, or will the onboard audio suffice?

EVGA 768-P2-N887-AR GeForce 8800Ultra 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130093
I chose EVGA because of their lifetime support.

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply – Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139002
Someone told me this was a quality PSU at a good price. I was never even used to thinking of Corsair as PSU makers, but it seemed like a good choice. Would a 700W be better? Or am I safe with this?

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 – Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115017
I decided to go with the Q6600 due to the cheaper price, and its ability to overclock to the Q6700 level.

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820146565
This is where I get a little iffy. Normally I would have gone with Kingston or Corsair, but someone recommended Crucial due to its reliability, and overclock ability. I am also deciding between 800 or 1066 Ram. Opinions?

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148140
Seagate has been a reliable brand, and this hard drive was recommended. I was going to try and raid 0 two of them, but since this is my first build I decided that I would hold off until a later time. Again, if you guys wouldn’t mind reviewing the specs to make sure everything is compatable that would be great.

Pioneer Beige 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 10X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-R 32X CD-RW 40X CD-ROM 2MB Cache E-IDE & ATAPI DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827129011
I am still not sure what kind of drive to get. This was recommended but the reviews on newegg don’t seem too friendly. Suggestions always welcome!

Thermalright HR-03 Plus VGA Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835109136
This videocard cooler has received good reviews. So I decided that since I am not water cooling, I should make sure I have good active cooling devices. If there is something better out there, let a brother know.

Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835109140
This thing looks like a beast. People have told me that the fan clips don’t hold, and that it is hard to mount.

Overall, other then the compatability issues, I was wondering if everything would fit in the case? Especially the Ultra 120. Should I go with better/a different brand of ram? What kind of DVD/CD RW drive should I buy? Should I get Arctic silver paste? What about a sound card? Also, do I need to purchase fans with my VGA and CPU coolers, like 100mm or 120mm? Anwsers to any of these questions would be great. All input is apprecieated. Thanks.

 

[wingsofzion]

Here are some different Options. Your first choices are good but i want to give you some key advice and tips that may help.

CASE:
Look into getting a Thermaltake Armor Series case. There are two versions, one with a 25CM side fan and one without. This case is HUGE and spacious. Your getting a 8800 Ultra and that card needs room (it's 11 inches long) so your going to nee a case that has good space and nice air flow.
Thermaltake Armor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154
Thermaltake Armor w/ 25CM Fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133021

Motherboard
Good choice stick with this one. I am putting this board also into my next build. It has everything you'll want. 1333 FSB, takes up to 1066 DDR2 memory, can take the future 45m chips, and takes all current intel's. Good overclocking ability and is stable.

Video Card
Good choice. I can tell your budget is not a factor, lol. EVGA has good support and thier lifetime warranty is a plus. Also BFG offers lifetime warranties as well in case you want options. Nvidia is planning on bringing out the 9Series cards this fall between November and December. These cards will have DX10.1 i believe (updated DX10 from all the tech talk). If i were you i'd play it smart. Get your video card from a retailer that has a product replacement plan of some sort and when the 9series cards come out and you want to upgrade just simply swap them. I know retailers like Best Buy and Compusa has programs like this. I only advice this cause the cards are nearing release and some new builders may be holding out for them or may want to upgrade to them. This is strictly up to you. Dont bother googling the 9series, there is little info on it and just some basic tech specs of it but no concrete details. We'll know more closer to November maybe mid October. It's just an option.

Memory
Go for speed and get you Corsair XMS2 2GB of 1066 DDR2. About a $60 difference between them and the 800's from certain retailers.

CPU
Look into the E6850. It's a Dual core card but it's one of the best. It's 3.0ghz out the box with 1333 FSB and it keep up with the Quads on a very very high level. Tom's Hardware had recently did a CPU shootout with over 30 cpu's and the E6850 not overclocked was within the top 5 at all times, even at times surpassing the Quad's in some cases. http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115028

Power Supply
Look into the Thermaltake power supplies. Had them in 3 of my builds and they are very good and stable. 620w should be enough. Your getting a 8800 Ultra so that sucker's gonna beed some nice stable power. Take a look at this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153039. It's modular so it'll be good cable management wise. A lil more power and not that much more expensive.


HDD
Ever considered getting a 150GB raptor? You can store your OS and games on this drive and get a Seagate and use that for storage/back up. In my last gamer build I built it around the 74GB raptor. Partioned off the OS to 15GB of space and the rest was for game files. OS fires up nice and quick and my games have never ran smoother. Just an option. If space is what your looking for and don't want to go Raiding on your first build (i wouldn't recommend that) you can get the 750GB Western Digital Cavier drive. Offers a great deal of space in a single drive.
150GB Raptor: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136012
750GB Cavier: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131

DVD Drive
Go with a DVD drive with a sata connection. Let IDE connections be a thing of the past. Sata's are a bit better and really not that more expensive. Your gonna want your PC to be nice and clean wire wise for good air flow so keep it all nice and neat in that case with without a floppy ribbon IDE connector.

Coolers
Never installed a VGA cooler so i can't give great advice on that. For the CPU try the Zalman 9700. Big, stable mounting and keeps very quite. It's a big fan like the Thermaltake without the terrible mounting process.
Zalman 9700: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118020

Questions
You really dont need to buy a VGA cooler. Let's see how this Ultra runs and sounds without it first and use your judgement to see if you need it or not. I always recommend a CPU cooler cause at times those Intel heatsinks just dont do the job as well as third party cooler's do. Sound card wise your mobo has on board sound. See how it sounds first before you spend cash on a card. If you want superior sound get a Creative Labs X-FI card if you feel you need it. Get Artic Silver if you feel you need it. Poeple speak wonders about it but you can always use the stuff that comes with your cpu cooler (the 9700 comes with some descent stuff in a lil jar that has an application stick so it doesnt get messy). Finally go Sata connection on the DVD drives. That's about all from me. Hope it helps.

 

[pous]

Hi there, I'm new at this, but I'd like to try and help.

Will things fit?
Yes probably, check the width of the case (8 inches) based on the height of your cooler, and then add a bit for everything else... given that it's a full case I'd think it should fit, but I can't say for sure.

Should you switch RAM?
I wouldn't, the Crucial is good stuff from everything I've heard or read (or been told for that matter)

Which DVD/CD RW drive?
I think LiteOn and Sony are good brands for optical drives, that may just be personal preference though.

Should you get Arctic silver paste?
I think the silver paste wouldn't hurt, I'd certainly get some if it were my build... (oh wait, I am planning to get some ^_^)

What about sound card?
This depends on how much you care about your sound. Most on-board sound is fine for the average gamer... if you're big on surround/high quality sound, you may want to invest in one. Best way to go about this though is not order one right off the bat, see how the sound is, and then pick up a sound card if you find the on-board to be lacking.

Do you need fans for VGA/CPU coolers?
I think that it may be a bit more than you need, but it all depends on the conditions where the case will be, and how cool it is to begin with... it's hard to really say. Also there's the noise factor to consider, more fans = more noise... not sure how you feel about that, but some people get all grumpy if they think they heard their case over the shooting.

Overall though it looks like a great set-up, best of luck with everything (=

 

[Onus]

You could save some money by dropping from the 8800 Ultra to a 8800 GTX; oc it yourself.
I've used Sony, Samsung, and BenQ DVD drives recently, and all have worked just fine. I prefer SATA drives for their thinner, less obstructive cables.

 

[spaztic7]

HOLY CRAP! THIS IS ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE!!

Other then the parts that are different...

I would recomend going with EVGA 680i SLI A1 board over the ASUS. Also, save yourself some $$$ (moneys!!!) and go with the 8800GTX BFG OC2 edition. It is just as fast (just about) as the ultra, and you can run all your games right now with everything turned on high... or extreme!!!

You may also want to take into consideration that Nvidia's 9800gtx is coming out this winter. Its price should be around the 600-650 mark. Hate to see you waste money. Also, the 680i line of mobo can support intels next core. The Penryn core? This has said to release either late this year or early next.

 

[vertigo_2000]

Like the others have said, unless money is not an issue, drop the 8800 Ultra, the large increase in cost does not justify the smaller increase in performance.

Maybe buy a high end DX9 card for now (no real DX10 games out anyway) and save your money for the new Nvidia cards coming. But if money's not an issue... go to Western Union... I'll PM you my details.

And, I'm not sure if this is a conflict of aesthetics or not, but the Pioneer DVD burner you have listed says it's beige. I would assume the rest of the case is black in color.

Just something to keep in mind when ordering.

 

[spaztic7]

Maybe buy a high end DX9 card for now (no real DX10 games out anyway) and save your money for the new Nvidia cards coming. But if money's not an issue... go to Western Union... I'll PM you my details.

Here Here!

 

[grieve]

1) I would get SATA DVD drives for sure.

2) Why? Thermalright HR-03 Plus VGA Cooler?? The 8800Ultra is already overclocked, I would leave it as is. OR like everyone else said… get the 8800GTX and the thermalright HR-03 then OC the card yourself.

3) Get 1066 Crucial Ram

4) Arctic silver paste =- good

5) You have a nice rig there, I would get a decent sound card
-Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI Xtreme Gamer 24BIT
-Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI Xtremegamer FATAL1TY

 

[emp]

That mobo is a ripoff, ASUS overprices their boards so horribly these days that it's not even funny. Go for a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R, same chipset, amazing overclocker, and about $100 cheaper. (By no means it's a lower quality board, if anything it's priced accordingly to what it should be, unlike the P5Ks)

No need for sound cards, and I think someone already covered the case issue, I'd also go for a Thermaltake Armor if you REALLY want a full tower (I tend to prefer mid towers myself).

If you're planning to overclock, I guess you should go for Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1066. And one last thing, do all humanity a favor and lose the Ultra, it's an overclocked version of the GTX, not really worth anyone's money, especially when it's priced at $730 while the eVGA GTX is $520 and the MSI is like $490.

 

[spaztic7]

...I'd also go for a Thermaltake Armor if you REALLY want a full tower (I tend to prefer mid towers myself).

Dude, I have the 3D AURORA 570, and I think you are full of crap. The 3D Aurora got a better ratting then the armor from maximum pc; actually I think it got the highest ratting for a case ever.

Don’t listen to emp about the case. Go with gigabyte for sure!

 

[emp]

So I'm full of crap because of a case? nice... that really makes your opinion count. A case is mostly personal preference, if he rather go with the aurora it's fine, but I tend to like Thermaltake armor or Lian-Li full towers. If anything, I'd go with an Antec 900 or Antec P180B instead of a full tower.

You can't dismiss a case that easily because "A" or "B" reviewer gave it a higher rating, that is simply retarded, a case cannot be measured in the same way that hardware or even a power supply can be. Sure you can take into account if its aluminium or not, the dimensions and so on, but there's a big "personal preference" factor that goes into rating a case that does not happen in any other area of computer components.

Finally, if it really means that much to you, then fine the Aurora may be a superior case, but I only recommend what I know, and I know for a fact that the Thermaltake Armor is a fine case, on the other hand I know zero about the Aurora. At the end, cases don't REALLY matter all that much, so go spit your poison somewhere else.

 

[Kamrooz]

The highest rating for a case IMO would be the stacker. It's the pinnacle of cooling ^_^...heck it can hold 9 120 mm fans. O_O...It's pricey though..around 250...VERY well built...next case that I'm going to nab.

Overall though it's up to you on the board..p35 or 680...or whatever you wish. Personally I'd stay with the p35...it'll have a longer lifespan imo. x38's are also coming out within a month or two if you can wait. I'd also recommend waiting for atleast a month...That way if you nab a 8800GTX you can use EVGA's step up program when the g92 comes out. I would also recommend not getting an ultra. Just a waste of money...Also I don't know if you'll be able to step up from an ultra to a g92..they probably won't have a g92 ultra version for quite some time. I doubt EVGA would let you step up to a card that is cheaper...so save yourself the trouble and nab a 8800GTX from evga.

 

[spaztic7]

So I'm full of crap because of a case? nice... that really makes your opinion count. A case is mostly personal preference, if he rather go with the aurora it's fine, but I tend to like Thermaltake armor or Lian-Li full towers. If anything, I'd go with an Antec 900 or Antec P180B instead of a full tower.

I try to have my opinion count, most of the time its overlooked.

You are absolutly right though, it is all up to your preference. Alos, like emp said, take a look at the Lian-Li towers. Those are beautiful cases!

I do suggest the 680 line, but if you are going to get the 9800 this novemberish, then the p35 is the one to get without questioning. That board can take the dx10.1, i belive ddr3, and the new 45 that come out september if i am correct.

If you wait you wont build. You wish you would have waited.

 

[computertech82]

As a few said drop the motherboard, and get a 680i SLI motherboard. As video games get more agressive and using higher resolution monitors, you need the option for SLI (or crossfire). Nothing worse then trying to play at less then 25fps.
Ultra is an interesting choice, but the GTX would be a better buy. And with a SLI board, you can always add another one later.
The quad is useless, really nothing out there in gaming that can use dual much less quad. E6750 type would be pretty good.

 

[spaztic7]

If he decides to play Crysis when it comes out, it is optimized for the Quads.

 

[emp]

And for 64-bit OS, so I'd definitely go for the Quad too. (Speaking about Crysis)

 

[Epilon]

Wow guys, thanks for all the feedback! This has definitely been the most helpful forum.
Case: Wow, I really do like that case. I am considering going with it do to the size. I am worried that if I use the Thermalright coolers that they wont fit in the Gigabyte case.
As long as you think my cooling will fit inside.
Mobo: The Asus has been recommended to me more then once, I also think that I will stick with the P35 chipset due to future upgrades, like DDR3 and 45nm chips like Penryn or Nehalem*. I have always liked Asus boards, so I am willing to justify the cost to ease my mind. SLI doesn’t seem justified at the moment. Not until the x38 boards come out anyway. So for now, the P35 seems like the right fit.

Video Card: Wow, I didn’t realize the price difference. EVGA, so I have heard, has an exchange program where you can pay the difference between a current card and a newer, upgraded one and exchange. Does anyone know if this is true? I will definitely be switching from the Ultra to the GTX though.

CPU: I still feel confident that quad core is the way to go. Sure it might run modern day apps a little slower, but I have my eyes set on Crysis.

PSU: WOW! I like that Thermaltake PSU! Thanks for that suggestion, I think that will be the psu I go for. I am really hoping that my comp will run quietly though.

Memory: I am still a little stuck. Both brands seem good, the corsair and the crucial. I will just have to close my eyes and pick.

Cooling: I am still nervous about the Thermalright coolers. They both seem massive, and I am worried they wont fit in my Giga case. This might cause me to go with another cooler. But the zalman looks insufficient compared to that Huge thermalright 120. I am also a little worried about noise, as this will be sitting in my dorm room, with my roommate…..

Drives: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106073
This Liteon seems like a good buy. I hate all the driver lingo though. I don’t even necessarily care about the speeds, as long as it plays and burns dvds and cds. LMAO.

Thanks again for the great advice! I would really like some feedback on the thermalright vs the zalman cooler though. Like if someone could assure me that the zalman would handle the heat on an overclocked q6600, I think I would go with that instead. I think I will keep the VGA cooler, couldn’t hurt right? Or could it?
Also, what brand of headphones would you recommend? Same thing with the keyboard and mouse. The Das keyboard looks cool, same with the fatal1ty mouse. But input is appreciated.
Thanks again everyone.

 

[wingsofzion]

Case: Wow, I really do like that case. I am considering going with it do to the size. I am worried that if I use the Thermalright coolers that they wont fit in the Gigabyte case. As long as you think my cooling will fit inside.

The Thermaltake Armor case is huge. Now from what i have seen that thermaltake Tower CPU cooler is a very tall fan and I'd make certain your case doesnt have a side fan on the door since this fan may just collide with the cooler's top. This is a possibilty, not 100% certain. The Zalman i recommended ealier is the best choice for a big fan and reliable cooler.

Video Card: Wow, I didn’t realize the price difference. EVGA, so I have heard, has an exchange program where you can pay the difference between a current card and a newer, upgraded one and exchange. Does anyone know if this is true? I will definitely be switching from the Ultra to the GTX though.

Yes the program is called Step-Up. You simply register your current card with EVGA and when you want to upgrade you get a qoute on your current card (may or may not be the same as the price you paid cause your card is technically used at that point) and choose the upgrade card and you pay the difference. Also one thing you have to realize. You can ONLY do this within 90 days of buying the card. If your card is past it's 90 day warranty (starting from the date you purchased it) you wont qualify for the Step-Up program.

Memory: I am still a little stuck. Both brands seem good, the corsair and the crucial. I will just have to close my eyes and pick.

Corsair and Crucial is a toss up. Both are very great memory vendors so you wont go wrong either way. I'd go with whatever is cheaper at the time your buying.

Drives: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106073
This Liteon seems like a good buy. I hate all the driver lingo though. I don’t even necessarily care about the speeds, as long as it plays and burns dvds and cds. LMAO.

Just go Sata with yours. Get a DVD drive that has a Sata connection and not a IDE one. You'll benifit in the end.

Cooling: I am still nervous about the Thermalright coolers. They both seem massive, and I am worried they wont fit in my Giga case. This might cause me to go with another cooler. But the zalman looks insufficient compared to that Huge thermalright 120. I am also a little worried about noise, as this will be sitting in my dorm room, with my roommate…..

The Zalman fan should not be judged by the product pics seen on retail sites. I did this and was shocked when i got the fan. The 9700 Zalman is HUGE. It not tall like the Thermaltake but it's wider and very very large. I was worried it wouldnt fit in my Armor case but it did without incident. Take a look at this image below. That is the actual size of the Zalman sitting in a case. Seeing is believing.

 

[spaztic7]

Now I feel more like a man after seeing that Zalman!


I have the thermalright ultra 120 extreme (i got it day of release), and it fits perfect in there. You have more then enough clearance in the case. The 3D 570 is much larger then people realize. It makes my evga 680i mobo look small!!!


Err... I will put some pictures up.

 

[pogsnet]

For ease of mind and less hastle.
www.alienware.com

They can professionally configure it for you. See reviews and testimonial. ")

 

[spaztic7]

Yes, alienware can do it for you... for about double the cost.

 

[wingsofzion]

Alienware? Geez where did that come from? Lol. Alienware PC's charge you like $500 to $1200 for thier name alone, then start charging you for parts and shipping. Don't get me wrong i'm sure they make fine PC's but who has $3 to $4 grand to spend on a PC you can build for less than half that.

 

[Joe_The_Dragon]

You save money and get a board with out wifi and use the saved money on a pci wifi card as the on board wifi is usb based.

 

[spaztic7]

You save money and get a board with out wifi and use the saved money on a pci wifi card as the on board wifi is usb based.

I agree most definitly! Why would you need Wifi on your mobo anyway? You get much better reseption from an add on then the mobo.

Just make sure you are getting what you want to get. We are only trying to help you not make mistakes.