any thoughts and suggestions on my build

[vtmobius]

Hi, I've been wanting to get a new system for awhile now. my P4 is still kicking and I'm going to keep it as a second computer but, I game and it just doesn't hold up to the new games anymore. So I was looking to build this below. any thoughts or suggestions? I've always been an ATI fan, but I was thinking of going nvidia 8800gt. but this sapphire card looks like it's awesome with the specs (do numbers lie?). Another thing is the mobo supports pcie 2.0 and crossfire is the only one to fully use the bandwith in both slots. but this card looks powerful so I wouldn't think I would need 2. I have a budget as I'm going to put it on the newegg credit card and am trying to stay under 2000, right around 1500 would be nice. any thoughts or suggestions would be great thanks!

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan - Retail
Model #: VA8003BWS
Item #: N82E16811133021
$159.99

GIGABYTE GA-X38-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra Cooling Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-X38-DQ6
Item #: N82E16813128066
$269.99

SAPPHIRE 100211 Radeon HD 2900XT 1GB 512-bit GDDR4 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100211
Item #: N82E16814102099
In Stock
$339.99

OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: OCZ700GXSSLI
Item #: N82E16817341002
In Stock
$139.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99

OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Micron D9 Chip Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR10662GK - Retail
Model #: OCZ2RPR10662GK
Item #: N82E16820227191
$149.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3500320AS
Item #: N82E16822148288
$124.99

SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write, LightScribe Technology Black SATA Model SH-S183L - OEM
Model #: SH-S183L
Item #: N82E16827151141
$29.99

Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound - OEM
Model #: Ceramique
Item #: N82E16835100009
$4.99

ZEROtherm BTF90 92mm Silent UFO CPU Cooler - Retail
Model #: BTF90
Item #: N82E16835887002
$39.99

Subtotal: $1,539.90

 

[g-paw]

From the reviews I read, doesn't sound like the X38 makes a lot of sense right know especially if your not goingt o use Crossfire. In 6 months or so they'll be a lot cheaper. You can get a good P35 Gigabyte, ASUS, or Abit for $130 or. If you're going to significantly overclock, you can use the HSF that comes with the retail CPU. That case is going to be really big, which is fine if you have the room but there are a lot of good mid tower cases out there.

 

[akhilles]

If you're not overclocking, the ram will run at 533mhz by default. Unless you make changes to bios. That ram is good for extreme overclocking. My Ballistix 800mhz can go up to 11xxMhz.

If you can wait a little more, there'll be new ati cards coming out. The HD 38x0 series.

 

[vtmobius]

well I do plan on ocing the cpu to 3.0 ghz. I guess I'm just trying to future proof myself a little. yeah. prices I know will go down they kinda have went down from 3 months ago when I wanted to build it. But I just want to do it now. my patience has run out as I've been looking to do this for awhile. So I maybe better off just getting the ddr2 800 as the 1066 will slow down? as I won't oc the ram. with that ati card is it any good? you think 2 would make it an awesome system. what cases do you recommend? I just want something sturdy with good air flow and a window.

 

[sharp910sh]

dont get the 2900xt 1gb get the 8800gt no reason to waste money on old technogoly when the 8800gt is cheaper

 

[akhilles]

There will be 3 new ati cards: HD 3850, 3860 & 3870. The 3870 will be powerful. I think they're coming out 19/11/2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon_R600#Radeon_HD_3800

If the new cards bench like this, I don't think they're worth the wait if they cost about the same as nVidia counterparts. nVidia can always afford price drops to compete since the 8800s have been out for like a year.

We got hold of some Radeon HD 3870 and 3850 cards already. In comparison, 3870 scored 11669 while 8800GT scored 12495. More later!

http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=202510&page=1

You can divide the CPU FSB speed by 2 to get the stock ram speed. i.e.

1066 / 2 = 533

The fastest FSB the DQ6 can support is 1600Mhz FSB.

1600 x 2 = 800

So your best ram choice is 800mhz.

Antec P18x cases are quite sturdy as well. The Thermaltake Armor is quite good. It's on sale:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133021

 

[nhobo]

With a P4, I'd wait a few months for the next generation stuff to roll out. You can skip the holiday frenzy and a CPU generation as well if you wait till Jan. / Feb. Post-holiday prices will be much better, too.

 

[Zorg]

I would probably get a cheaper P35 and try to scrape the extra dough for an 8800gtx. I'm running an ATI x1950Pro, so I'm not a Nvidia fanboi.

The Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 works well with the gigabyte Bearlake chipset. DDR2 800 is more than enough for any OCing you want to do. Be sure to check the qualified vendor list for the mobo on the website.

An aftermarket HS is a good idea for 3G oc. It isn't necessary, but the lower temps are good for longevity.

The OCZ GameXStream 700 is a nice PSU, but does have excessive ripple. See a review of it here. You might be better served by a Silencer® 610 EPS12V Power Supply.