Mobo for my Q6600?

[kaine1985]

Hi all, what would be the best choice of mobo for my Q6600 cpu? I will be using a single 8800 GTS G92 graphics card, 8gb of ddr2 800 ram, antec p182 case, xfi fatality sound card and WD raptor 150gb 10000 rpm HDD. Also what would be a good power supply for this setup? (currently looking at the corsair 640HX)

 

[kaine1985]

I should also ask, would this memory (x2 for 8gb) enable the 1033mhz FSB to work at its highest stock capacity or should i consider other memory options?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145184&Tpk=TWIN2X4096-6400C5

 

[emp]

Yeah that memory is fine, remember that DDR is double data rate, meaning that the memory speed on the label has to be multiplied by 2 to match the FSB. So for you to be running at 1:1 ratio you would need DDR2 800 and 1600FSB, now I would recommend that you definitely get those memory modules in case you want to overclock in the future.

At this time I'd be against getting 8GB of ram because it's really not necessary, only two games would make use of a bit more than 2GB, one is obviously Crysis (And not even so much... it has topped for me around 1.6GB or so) and the other is Assassin's Creed, but from what I hear this is due to a retarded engine from the developers. (Won't go into detail, but basically it loads the WHOLE huge .forge file on the ram even though it's making absolutely nothing with it.

What I'm trying to say is by the time you actually require 8GB in a few years you will already require to upgrade to a newer CPU, so there's no point on wasting $100 on RAM that you'll never use. I'm basing my opinion on your last post in which you stated that you are mostly a gamer, but have other apps that require a lot of power, IF by any chance you benefit from more than 4GB (Which I doubt), then disregard most of the above.

I'd wait a little IF you can to see the pricing on the 9800GTX (Basically an 8800GTS G92 overclocked that runs cooler), if the price gouging begins, then definitely go for the 8800GTS G92.

Corsair 620HX is a GREAT PSU and you will not be disappointed however if you're buying from the egg you might find it incredibly overpriced, so I'd recommend this equally good PSU for your system. (This one isn't modular however, so cable management will be slightly more difficult)

PC Power & Cooling S610EPS EPS12V 610W Continuous @ 40°C Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, CB, TUV - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005

Other thing I'd like to comment on is the HDD, Raptors are not nearly as useful as people make them to be, the only REAL differences you'll see is maybe a 10-15 faster boot to the OS and 3-5 seconds loading in games, whereas for the same money you can get an HDD with 5 times as much storage space that will be competitive as far as speed goes.

Finally on the motherboard, I'll just recommend to you what I recommend to everyone going for an intel setup (I even got this board for my father's build).

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059

 

[kaine1985]

Thanks Emp for another useful post

I actually looked at that PSU PC Power & Cooling S610EPS EPS12V 610W Continuous @ 40°C Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, CB, TUV - Retail
but looking at the corsair 640HX i noticed in the reviews a similar setup with the P182 case mentioned that this PSU allowed for great management of the cables and the needed cable lengths for this case, which is why i chose this psu.

im also considering a Seagate 7200.11 500gb 7200 rpm HDD instead of the raptor because, as you said, its a marginally low speed increase for a much smaller capacity. PLUS i can get this HDD for just under 90$ from DirectCanada.com

I have a month or so before i get ALL of the parts together (bills etc you know how it is), so i will leave the GPU for last and keep an eye on those prices. Since from my research in the forums and guides, gaming is more reliant on the GPU than the processor speeds.

Although it is a bit off subject for this sub forum, ive realized i have no idea about the ethernet card for this build. If you could maybe throw a comment about that in here i would appreciate it, and any other parts you think i may be missing (first build and all).

Thanks again!

 

[Onus]

I've used that -DS3L mobo too, and it was a quick and easy build, however I've also read that people have had problems with it (and, to a lesser extent, other P35 boards) and DDR2-1066 RAM. Also, that board has only four (4) SATA ports. That may be enough, but some people like to have two burners, and another one would be required to use the eSATA bracket that comes with that board. That leaves only one for an internal HDD. What would you recommend as an alternative in that case?

 

[Onus]

The mobo will have Ethernet built in to it. No card is necessary.

 

[kaine1985]

Thanks i gotta do a noob comment at least once a day

I really dont have any idea as an alternative to the P182 case, i havent really been looking. I would like something relatively quiet and simple but im open to windows and cool displays too

I dont require two burners just the one, and i only have plans right now for a single HDD.

I posted a reply to another thread in a seperate subforum, instead of writing it all out again i will just link it for you if you would give me your thoughts?

I also just noticed that you were the one i was talking to there as well
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/249253-28-intel

 

[emp]

Mobo has gigabit ethernet built-in as he said. No problems on that department. As I said, both are excellent choices since both units are both by Seasonic, so they are all top quality. In fact if you want a third choice from another similar Seasonic top-quality unit with a better deal (The egg tends to overprice on PSUs, ESPECIALLY on corsair ones) you could try the Antec NeoPower 650W:

Antec NeoPower 650 Blue ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371010

Antec NeoPower 650 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371011

Difference between the two? the Blue edition is a special edition with blue LED lights and a 120mm fan on the top instead of a 80mm fan on the back, still the same great PSU design, just with pretty lights. I'm not personally a fan of shiny PSUs, but due to the great deal that the egg is having right now on it, it's really hard to pass.

Also if you're looking for a case you might have to consider the Grand daddy of them all, the Antec Nine Hundred, it is one of the best cases for air cooling (sporting as many as 5 120mm fans and one 200mm fan), and my personal choice for my case as well

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec+nine+hundred

 

[kaine1985]

Thanks again! Ill consider those as price saving options for my bigger 9800 GTX

 

[kaine1985]

Wow that is a great deal.... bought!

 

[bobbknight]

Forget the raptors, they are a sinkhole of your money.
Get a couple of 500GB 7200.11 32MB cache segates and raid 0 them on an Intel ICH9R southbridge. It will be FAST!

 

[Shadow703793]

^Agreed. The value ($ vs. performance) of the Raptors had decreased quite a bit due to the 7200.11 drives which are only about 1-2ms slower than the Raptor in most benchmarks.

 

[Onus]

That Antiec-900 case sure is nice. Too bad it's just a little over the top for a system that will be in the living room (yeah, I think I'm about to build too).