First build, please comment...

[Ymmij777]

Hello all, this will be my first build, and I'm new to the forums here as well. I'm open to any suggestions for change... Mostly will be for playing games and some database crunching stuff. Was going to go with the Q6600, but then the e8400 came out and just seems to make more sense...however, unless I can find a motherboard that I am 100 percent sure will post so I can update it via a flash drive or find a motherboard that already ships with a BIOS that works out of the box, I may just spend the extra cash to get a Q6600 and not worry about it. Also, the power supply may be overkill, but...I dunno, just seems like a nice one and might be useful in the future and has a very good combo deal with my first motherboard choice from newegg.

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model SH-S202N - OEM

LIAN LI PC-61 USB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Rosewill RC-403 Conexant 56Kbps PCI Bus (Plug & Play) Modem - WINDOWS VISTA READY!!!

EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

OR the Q6600...

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD

ZALMAN 9500A 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
OR
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
OR some other motherboard for the e8400...

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply

 

[beurling]

the PSU is definitely not overkill for your system, I got the same one and it's great, and rated for any dual gpu system.

I know the gigabyte mobo will boot with the 8400, not too sure about the Abit. I myself have an Asus because I am loyal to that brand

That cooler should be good for stock and moderate overclocking. If you're looking to push your processor you could always look into a tuniq tower and thermalright 120 ultra. (definately get the E8400, better bang for the buck, especially if you don't do a lot of multi-threaded apps)

Enjoy, Beurling Approved

 

[akhilles]

Yup, I hate it when the mobo has an old bios & I don't have an old cpu to flash the bios. I think the stores should rent old cpus out to customers for a small fee + insurance. When they return the cpus, they get the insurance back. The new dual-core Celeron is around $50. Rent it out 100 times. $5 each. $500 richer. Plus, s775 cpus have no pins.

Rant ends.

If you have access to a socket 775 cpu, the e8400 would be a good choice. It depends on the amount of time you work & play. Play more, get e8400. Work more, get q6600. You can o/c the q6600 to 3ghz to e8400's stock speed with 2 bonus cores.

If you do o/c, get a good cpu cooler. A scythe infinity/ninja at the minimum.

If you don't, ditch arctic silver & use the stock cooler.

 

[Ymmij777]

Thanks for the help.

For the record, I decided to just get the Q6600 @ $259 (OEM) and a ZeroTherm Nirvana ($35 AR) and may try to overclock it later. Also I grabbed a P182 case for $65 AR instead of the Lian Li.

I don't really play that many 3D games, and think the quadcore will be better at crunching some big databases that I use regularly. However, I admit the real deciding factor for me is that this is my a first build, and I don't want to add the possible complication of e8400 problems when the quad setup seems to suit me just fine.

 

[aevm]

I'd get a SH-S203N because it's SATA (narrow cables, better airflow).

Also, get a WD7500AAKS because it's faster than the WD5000AAKS and about the same price per GB.

 

[akhilles]

The latest ZeroTherm HSF beats out TRUE (TR U120E) by a hair but the noise level is the worst, surprisingly. If you overclock, get something quieter like Scythe Infinity/Ninja.

 

[aevm]

^^ Agreed. The Nirvana can be annoying under load. Between the Ninja and the Infinity I preferred the Ninja for myself. The Infinity needs two fans for best results and I didn't want to complicate things that much.

Edit: strongly recommend the quad for database crunching. This avoids the BIOS flashing issue too.