Hello everyone, just found these forums a few days ago. I thought it would be prudent to get re-acquainted with the latest PC hardware and search out educated opinions as I am about to order a brand spanking new build. It has been a few years since I put my last desktop system together, so if I missed something please let me know.
My budget is $3,000 max. I'm building this system for both games and CS3/MAYA (starting www.animationmentor.com soon! woo) So, over-clocking seemed like the best choice to get the most bang for buck.
GUTS
[Case]: COOLER MASTER Stacker 830 Evolution RC-830-SSN3-GP Silver Aluminum ATX Full Tower
Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119103
$169.99 This case not only looks great but provides a ton of room. The popular Antec 900 just looks too small and ugly when lined up against the stacker 830. The Stacker 832 seems to have almost the same internal design but with wheels and an uglier faceplate. So, I can't see any reason why this case wouldn't last me for many years to come.
[Case Fan]: Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Case Fan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185054
$9.99 From what I read about the stacker 830, it lacked in the additional fan department. I figured I would add one 120mm case fan and if I need more after building the system I could order it then. Think this might be overkill on the 830 stacker? Does it need extra fans at all? I'd rather be safe than sorry really since I do plan on overclocking.
[CPU]: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99 Definitely planning on getting the Q6600 for graphic design work. My only concern is ordering this from newegg.com. I'm pretty sure they don't guarantee the G0 Stepping which allows for much better overclocking. Is there a better source to order a "guaranteed" G0 stepping? How do I know I'm not going to get the older version? Any tips on vendor opinions might help.
[CPU Cooler]: Tuniq Tower 120 P4 & K8 CPU Cooler http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001
$44.99 After reading countless reviews pitting the Tuniq 120 against the TRUE 120 Extreme (which newegg doesn't even seem to carry anymore) I eventually decided that the best bang for the dollar would be the Tuniq. Sure, it may be very slightly under in the benchmarks to the TRUE 120 Extreme, but for my purposes of overclocking the q6600 to a steady 3.6GHz should be just fine. Not to mention the benefits of it being cheaper and includes a quality fan to boot. My only question might be, how much of an increase does this cooler get from lapping?
[Paste]:Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100009
$4.99 Cheap and one of the best from what I've read.
[RAM]: G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
$104.99 Heard great things from this forum about G.Skill and read a lot of disturbing issues with Corsair (which I had in my previous build). I saved a few bucks with this kit here but I think it will definitely do the job just fine. As far as I know it should run just fine with an OC'd q6600 at 3.6GHz as well. If I'm mistaken please let me know.
[MOBO]: MASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196
$139.99 Appears to be great for overclocking the q6600 and has received numerous recommendations from this forum. Since the WIFI version is also the same price as the non-WIFI version, may as well get it. The chipset bridge heatsinks also look a bit nicer than the other comparable P35 boards. P38x just seems like a waste right now to me.
[PSU]: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009
$168.99 I went back and forth on this between a lesser model at 610w, but settled on the 750 Quad due to longevity. If I decide to eventually upgrade my motherboard to an SLI ready, perhaps when the 780i comes out later on next year, I'll have the power to run another video card without having to toss my old PSU. Sure, it's another $60, but it feels worth it in the long run.
HARD DRIVES
[OS/APP HD]: Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136012
$169.99 Using this as a scratch diver in PS3 will be so very nice. Not to mention all the other benefits from a 10k RPM. Seems this kind of setup is what a lot of builders are doing as well.
[HD 2]: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drivehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131
$154.99 For storage files etc. Insanely cheap for 750GB.
VIDEO/AUDIO
[Monitors]: (2x) Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094
$459.98 ($229.99 each) Did a lot of research on the best 22 inch LCD's and it seems most people agree the picture quality on the Acer beats on the rivals. 2x 22" sure is a lot of desktop real estate, but having used 2x 20" LCDs on a work machine previously, this will be a nice upgrade. Trust me, I'll have every little bit of space used by something. Can't wait to see them side by side. Unless, someone has a good reason to by a different brand, this is a set feature for this build. Running MAYA, PS3, ILLUSTRATOR, FLASH 8, FIREFOX and chat all at once takes up a lot of room!
[GPU]: EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130312
$359.99 I switched to this version of the GTS 512mb from the more expensive MSI version because a) it comes with Crysis, woo, and b) because they are essentially the same cards. Does anyone here think the slightly faster core clock on the MSI GTS 8800 512mb is going to make a difference? (730MHz vs 670MHz)
[Sound Card]: M-AUDIO Revolution 5.1 5.1 Channels PCI Interface High-Definition Sound Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121122
$69.99 Supports 5.1 and will probably last me through my next couple builds.
ACCESSORIES
Everything under here is pretty standard. Went with Vista 64-Bit Ultimate to recognize the 4GB of DDR2-800. Decent keyboard with mouse. Grabbed a quickcam for www.animationmentor.com, which I'll need when the course starts. The Logitech THX z-5300e sound system was also highly praised and supports 5.1 sound, which I what I want and finally a standard DVD/CD burner.
Logitech G11 Silver & Black USB Standard Gaming Keyboard
$58.99
Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse
$39.99
Logitech QuickCam Communicate Deluxe 1.3MP Effective Pixels USB Interface WebCam
$69.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD
$179.99
Logitech THX Z-5300e 280 Watts RMS 5.1 Speaker - Retail
$134.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B
$33.99
---
Well, I think that is everything. It should all be compatible. I put a lot of research into each one of these parts and just managed to make to stay under my $3,000 budget at $2,889.95 after TAX and SHIPPING. Let me know what you guys think. Appreciate any comments!
My budget is $3,000 max. I'm building this system for both games and CS3/MAYA (starting www.animationmentor.com soon! woo) So, over-clocking seemed like the best choice to get the most bang for buck.
GUTS
[Case]: COOLER MASTER Stacker 830 Evolution RC-830-SSN3-GP Silver Aluminum ATX Full Tower
Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119103
$169.99 This case not only looks great but provides a ton of room. The popular Antec 900 just looks too small and ugly when lined up against the stacker 830. The Stacker 832 seems to have almost the same internal design but with wheels and an uglier faceplate. So, I can't see any reason why this case wouldn't last me for many years to come.
[Case Fan]: Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Case Fan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185054
$9.99 From what I read about the stacker 830, it lacked in the additional fan department. I figured I would add one 120mm case fan and if I need more after building the system I could order it then. Think this might be overkill on the 830 stacker? Does it need extra fans at all? I'd rather be safe than sorry really since I do plan on overclocking.
[CPU]: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99 Definitely planning on getting the Q6600 for graphic design work. My only concern is ordering this from newegg.com. I'm pretty sure they don't guarantee the G0 Stepping which allows for much better overclocking. Is there a better source to order a "guaranteed" G0 stepping? How do I know I'm not going to get the older version? Any tips on vendor opinions might help.
[CPU Cooler]: Tuniq Tower 120 P4 & K8 CPU Cooler http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001
$44.99 After reading countless reviews pitting the Tuniq 120 against the TRUE 120 Extreme (which newegg doesn't even seem to carry anymore) I eventually decided that the best bang for the dollar would be the Tuniq. Sure, it may be very slightly under in the benchmarks to the TRUE 120 Extreme, but for my purposes of overclocking the q6600 to a steady 3.6GHz should be just fine. Not to mention the benefits of it being cheaper and includes a quality fan to boot. My only question might be, how much of an increase does this cooler get from lapping?
[Paste]:Arctic Silver Ceramique Thermal Compound http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100009
$4.99 Cheap and one of the best from what I've read.
[RAM]: G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
$104.99 Heard great things from this forum about G.Skill and read a lot of disturbing issues with Corsair (which I had in my previous build). I saved a few bucks with this kit here but I think it will definitely do the job just fine. As far as I know it should run just fine with an OC'd q6600 at 3.6GHz as well. If I'm mistaken please let me know.
[MOBO]: MASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196
$139.99 Appears to be great for overclocking the q6600 and has received numerous recommendations from this forum. Since the WIFI version is also the same price as the non-WIFI version, may as well get it. The chipset bridge heatsinks also look a bit nicer than the other comparable P35 boards. P38x just seems like a waste right now to me.
[PSU]: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009
$168.99 I went back and forth on this between a lesser model at 610w, but settled on the 750 Quad due to longevity. If I decide to eventually upgrade my motherboard to an SLI ready, perhaps when the 780i comes out later on next year, I'll have the power to run another video card without having to toss my old PSU. Sure, it's another $60, but it feels worth it in the long run.
HARD DRIVES
[OS/APP HD]: Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136012
$169.99 Using this as a scratch diver in PS3 will be so very nice. Not to mention all the other benefits from a 10k RPM. Seems this kind of setup is what a lot of builders are doing as well.
[HD 2]: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drivehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131
$154.99 For storage files etc. Insanely cheap for 750GB.
VIDEO/AUDIO
[Monitors]: (2x) Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094
$459.98 ($229.99 each) Did a lot of research on the best 22 inch LCD's and it seems most people agree the picture quality on the Acer beats on the rivals. 2x 22" sure is a lot of desktop real estate, but having used 2x 20" LCDs on a work machine previously, this will be a nice upgrade. Trust me, I'll have every little bit of space used by something. Can't wait to see them side by side. Unless, someone has a good reason to by a different brand, this is a set feature for this build. Running MAYA, PS3, ILLUSTRATOR, FLASH 8, FIREFOX and chat all at once takes up a lot of room!
[GPU]: EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130312
$359.99 I switched to this version of the GTS 512mb from the more expensive MSI version because a) it comes with Crysis, woo, and b) because they are essentially the same cards. Does anyone here think the slightly faster core clock on the MSI GTS 8800 512mb is going to make a difference? (730MHz vs 670MHz)
[Sound Card]: M-AUDIO Revolution 5.1 5.1 Channels PCI Interface High-Definition Sound Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121122
$69.99 Supports 5.1 and will probably last me through my next couple builds.
ACCESSORIES
Everything under here is pretty standard. Went with Vista 64-Bit Ultimate to recognize the 4GB of DDR2-800. Decent keyboard with mouse. Grabbed a quickcam for www.animationmentor.com, which I'll need when the course starts. The Logitech THX z-5300e sound system was also highly praised and supports 5.1 sound, which I what I want and finally a standard DVD/CD burner.
Logitech G11 Silver & Black USB Standard Gaming Keyboard
$58.99
Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse
$39.99
Logitech QuickCam Communicate Deluxe 1.3MP Effective Pixels USB Interface WebCam
$69.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD
$179.99
Logitech THX Z-5300e 280 Watts RMS 5.1 Speaker - Retail
$134.99
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B
$33.99
---
Well, I think that is everything. It should all be compatible. I put a lot of research into each one of these parts and just managed to make to stay under my $3,000 budget at $2,889.95 after TAX and SHIPPING. Let me know what you guys think. Appreciate any comments!