Comments on New Build Please

Intel Duo Core 2 E6850
Asus P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP Intel P35 Chipset
Crucial Ballistic Tracer w/Led DDR2 PC2-8500 4x1Gig
WD Raptor SATA HD 150GB (OS)
WD Caviar SE16 SATA HD 750GB
Lite-On Black 20xDVD+DVD+R 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner w/ Light Scribe
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT
Antec 900
Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

This is my first build in years and was wondering if I could get some feedback please. I don't have a PSU yet as I am waiting for help in another thread http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ild-please, and I also another posting on cooling http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ling-build.

The system is going to be used primarily for multitasking and a single database that is going to grow over time. The database is currently running on a MS Access backbone and eventually as it gets really big, could be moved over to SQL. Note though, this system primary function isn't a DB system and will only be running one database. It won't be used for gaming, but I built it for multitasking. I won't be overclocking now, maybe at some point experimenting a little with it, but nothing serious. Really what I am after is a system for full-time online poker applications, datamining, and running multiple applications to fit my needs. The amount of information here is overwhelming and amazing, and after spending endless nights and days here in the forums, I have to say what a pretty neat community there is here! Never really saw anything like it before. I could have never have done all this without this place.

OK...here is what I came up with:

• Intel Duo Core 2 E6850 - Figured I didn't need the Quad Core because I am not gaming and I read that 2 Duo Core is fine for Multitasking systems

• Asus P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP Intel P35 Chipset - Chose this chipset for the ability to upgrade to DDR3 when prices drop, and the 1066 support for my DDR2. The flexibility to maybe do a slight upgrade to newer CPU down the road without the need for any drastic changes that the X38 provides. Crossfire ability if I elect to go that route. I also wanted the FSB of the P5K. Plus just the other general bells, whistles, and technology that I might utilize of this board.

• Crucial Ballistic Tracer w/Led DDR2 PC2-8500 4x1Gig - Here I spent some time reading tons of reviews and narrowed it down between this and Corsair and ended up picking the Ballistic. I am completely open to changing it back to the Corsair DDR2 though if I am told otherwise.

• WD Raptor SATA HD 150GB (OS)
• WD Caviar SE16 SATA HD 750GB - This drive configuration after another posting in the forums http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] e-solution

• NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT - Cause of the price and the great reviews
• Antec 900 - Cause of the cooling and I am a sucker for the look
• Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

Wow I actually feel like I know a little about what I am talking about now. Okay please give me the good, the bad, and the ugly. Absolutely any comments of things I overlooked, missed, completely out of my tree, etc... I would really appreciate it.

Thank you

Thanks so much for taking the time out to respond to me. Just an FYI in case other newbs come across this and need the info...the Thermalright HR-03 isn't compatible with the 8800GT, you need the HR-03GT model http://www.thermalright.com/product_default.htm and the fan size for this is 92/80x25mm fan which I am looking for now.

Since I just cut my memory cost in half by dropping down from 1033 to 800 memory, is their any "huge" value in taking the savings and jumping up to Corsair (2Gx2) and adding 4 sticks totaling 8G?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145176

Totally agreed with aevm. If you must build a pc now, the Q6600 is the way to go. And the AAKS hard drives are actually faster than the Raptors, the Raptors basically only wins in access time.

The heatsink is great, but since you can cut cost from not buying a Raptor, you might as well upgrade to a cooler and quieter one. I would suggest the Thermalright Ultra 120 and a Scythe 120mm fan. This should offer the best air cooling and long life for your pc, unless you want to overclock-I take it you don't know how, but you could always learn how to do it later

Other than that, good luck on your build, and remember to read the past threads if you experience build problems.

This has kind of taken a life of it's own in two different threads, so I am using the information in both threads and posting this in both. It is also running in "Power Supplies, PC Cases, and Mods" http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ild-please

After your suggestions and further education I have made the appropriate changes, but still have some additional questions also. Here is where I am at:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz BX80562Q6600
ThermalRight Ultra 120 Extreme
Asus P5K Deluxe/WiFi - AP (P35 Chipset)
Antec 900
PSU Silencer 610 EPS12V
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Thermalight HR-03GT (Cooler for Video)
Crucial Ballistic DDR2 PC2 - 6400 2GB(1GBX2) BL2KIT12864AA804
(Two) WD Caviar SE16 SATA HD 750GB, 3 GB/s, 16MB Cache, 7200 RPM
Lite-On Black 20xDVD+R 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner w/ Light Scribe #LH-20A1L

And to further break it down into questions:

• Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz BX80562Q6600

Should I spend the extra to get the Q6700 at 2.66Ghz? http://compare.intel.com/pcc/showc [...] ture=en-US

• ThermalRight Ultra 120 Extreme

A couple of people suggested to go with a higher end cooler so I came up with a couple here. However I am concerned if on whether they work with side mounted motherboards like in the Antec 900? Can you put coolers this big horizontally without causing stress or problems on the CPU? Will they fit in the Antec 900? Are any of these other coolers better?
Antec 900 http://www.antec.com/us/productDet [...] dID=15900#
Thermalight Extreme http://img.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] e/puce.gifhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %2bextreme
Scythe "NINJA PLUS Rev.B" http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/ [...] 1100p.html
Tuniq Tower 120 http://www.tuniq.com.tw/Cooler%20Info/Tower-120LFB.htm
Zalman CNPS9700 http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/produc [...] 9&code=009

• Asus P5K Deluxe/WiFi - AP (P35 Chipset)

• Antec 900

• PSU Silencer 610 EPS12V

The Silencer seems to come up a lot in Tier 1 PSU's and has gotten great reviews. The Corsair has as well. I am still a little confused on what size because there has been a couple of recommendations from 450w up to 650w. I actually just used http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine calculator and with all of my components and fans it gave me a total of 538w. I guess it is safe to assume the Silencer 610 EPS will be enough?
http://www.pcpower.com/products/vi [...] how=S61EPS

• NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT

Everyone has said to drop the 8800 all together. I should explain that I chose it because it was the best bang for the buck for an overall high performance card. I am planning on setting up a 24" monitor, and possibly things like TV out, and maybe even get a second card down the road to utilize crossfire and do HD on it. I just wanted to have the option to do a little bit of anything on it. I am not trying to be argumentative, just explaining where my head was. However, if you still don't think this is the card for me then please point it out. Cutting costs isn't so much an issue with me, but having something that I will completely never use its full potential is pointless.

• Thermalight HR-03GT (Cooler for Video)

• Crucial Ballistic DDR2 PC2 - 6400 2GB(1GBX2) BL2KIT12864AA804

I have changed the memory to 800 now that I understand the motherboard doesn't really use 1066.
Should I change the memory config to 2GBx2?
Should I change it to Consair memory or another brand?
Again cheap isn't in my vocabulary. I might want the option to explore overclocking later but not by much. However, I do want top of the line memory in here that will allow me to not really upgrade anytime in the near future, except to 8GB if I find value in it.
And yes I am thinking Vista if I find out most of my apps are compliant, or XP 64 if need be. So I can do the 4 Meg.

• (Two) WD Caviar SE16 SATA HD 750GB, 3 GB/s, 16MB Cache, 7200 RPM

I did drop the Raptor and will have two of these drives now. It was suggested in another thread to do it also and backup my storage drive to the OS drive. This makes sense but I wonder if having such a large drive for the OS I will lose performance. I guess I should partition the OS drive and have OS on smaller partition and backup on the rest huh?

• Lite-On Black 20xDVD+R 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner w/ Light Scribe #LH-20A1L

Someone mentioned this being a server build and I should point out that it isn't exactly that. It is a system that I will be utilizing for a little bit of everything. I don't know exactly what direction I am going with it all but it is for personal use, somewhat business, and I want the ability for it to do just about anything I need. I play poker fulltime online and that is its primary purpose. I pretty much live on my system and it is very important plus valuable to me.

Okay...sorry for being so long, so many questions, but I just want to make sure I get everything right the first time. Please fire away with any thoughts, questions, concerns, or anything you can possibly think of! I really am grateful to you all!

Oh yea...one last question...which of you is going to come over and help me build this when we get it finalized?!?!? J/K LMAO

Q6700 - no, not worth it, stay with Q6600

Silencer 610W will be fine. Upgrade to the 750W Quad Silencer if you want, but it's only worth it if you think you'll want to add more disks and a second video card.

RAM: yes, 2x2GB is worth it, it will increase the database and server performance

Cooler: you won't be overclocking, or not much anyway. Spending $90 on a Thermalright and a fan for it doesn't make sense. (Oops, please please tell me I'm not the one who recommended it in this thread, I do recommend that combination a lot..) The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro at $20 or even the stock cooler are fine.

Yes, partition the hard drive. Two of my 500GB disks are not split into partitions, and it is making things difficult when I search for something. You should probably not have more than, say, 200GB in a partition. It depends a lot on what will be there. If you will have 1000 huge files with TV recordings then larger partitions are OK. If it will be 1 million jpgs then you need smaller partitions. (And I hope the jpgs are not naughty)

Don't know about HR-03GT. Is that a new HR-03 that fits the 8800GT? The HR-03 doesn't. Post a link please, lots of people could use it.

Wow, that cooler is supposed to drop temps from 82 Celsius to 45.
Where can I buy it?