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New Build Please Give Advice

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Author	Thread : New Build Please Give Advice

sdanthony

Profile: stranger

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12-30-2007 at 05:12:55 AM

Well, I have been out of the hardware loop for a couple of years, and it is time for an upgrade.
Here are my current specs:
Athlon 64 3500+
Asus Mobo (forget model)
120 HDD
1 gig of DDR2 Ram
Nvidia 6800gt

This will mainly be for top end gaming.

For Xmass, I got:
- ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail

The upgrades I am thinking about are:
- EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

- Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail
Newegg.com - Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

-Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Newegg.com - Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

Ok, I'm pretty set on the GPU, getting a Lian Li PC-65 case and a Thermaltake Toughpower 650w powersupply. Along with the CPU and Mobo I already have, can you suggest a solid HDD and Ram (pref 4 gig for vista)?
I want this rig to last quite a while so, keep that in mind. Also, these parts are the only ones I will be purchasing, as the others are/were gifts

My main questions:
1. Should I go for 4 gb or just two?
2. Should I run the raptor as a Boot drive and get a larger drive for storage and games?
3. Is the powersupply going to be sufficient?

Thanks in advance

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akhilles

Profile: Forum Veteran

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12-30-2007 at 02:58:48 PM

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1. If you're not overclocking, get a better deal on ram. Ballistix is more expensive than others of similiar specs.

2. Raptor or a small harddisk should be the OS & software drive. The other(s) should be data drives.

3. 450W 30A on +12V's is the 8800GTX recommended specs. So yeah, that 650W is more than enough.

WR2

Profile: Faithful Poster

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12-30-2007 at 03:26:59 PM

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3. Plenty of power - good PSU.
2. You could get a single 500-750GB HD that is almost as fast as a Raptor. THG 3.5 HD Guide
1. If you're going with Vista32 2GB now will be fine. Also 3GB (2x1GB + 2x512MB) is a decent option.

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