Your approval on a E2160 OC build (gaming budget rig)

Hello everyone! First post, but I'm a good lurker!

Here's my first build in YEARS, it's a budget-style gaming PC. The budget being being around $700. I don't need a monitor or keyboard/mouse, I'm re-using.

So, to get to the meat of the matter, here's my part list for your approval!

Cooler Master RC-690 (comes with front(in), rear(out), and side(out) 120mm fans)
--getting additional Cooler Master R4-S2S-12AK-GP 120mm fan (which I hear is what comes in this case) for top exhaust.
--Corsair 550VX PSU

E2160 w/ plans to overclock to around 2.8GHz
--Cooler Master Hyper TX2 CPU cooler

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L MB

G.Skill 4GB (2x2) DDR2/800 (cas4 /4.4.4.12)

MSI NX8800GT 512M factory OC

WD Cavier SE16 320GB 7200RPM SATA3.0
--Thinking about getting the VANTEC HDC-502A HDk Cooler for the drive, it's just $7

Lite-On 20X SATA DVD Burner (LH-20A1S)


Well, what does everyone think? I hope the memory holds up well to a little overclocking, got the cas4 DDR2/800 thinking that's a good route.

I think cooling should be good on this box, got the aftermarket CPU cooler, getting more fans for an already well cooled case (4x120mm fans total).

Also, with the whole keeping things cool, like to try that HD cooler, hope the fans aren't loud (24dBA shouldn't be any more loud then other fans, which I think have good noise ratings)

I hear the DS3L overclocks fairly easy, and it's a good pick because I can toss in a 45nm Intel next year when their prices fall more.

Until then, I think the OC'd 2160, running around 2.6GHz-2.8GHz will get me by in most games I want to play thanks to the beefy 8800GT (Crysis!!)

Substitutes, recommendations, observations?

THANKS!!!

Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is a great cooler at a great cost. I've got my Q6600 at 3.0 with that right now.

Other than that things look solid. Only things I would change are due to personal preference and don't really matter much for performance.

Good luck

The 2160 is a pretty low-end cpu. having a little bit of power does help.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/0 [...] age17.html

definitely get the 8800GT (or about the same speed video card), but try to get a little better cpu, as the E2160 will be a bottleneck to the highend video card (faster the cpu is the more fps you will recieve).

2160 is awesome-end cpu for the $ if you OC...

Dear
2160 does not need a cooler more than it's boxed fan even over 3 GHZ! power waste of 2160 at that clock is lower than e4500 and both CPUs are using the same boxed fans (small these days,large 4 months ago)
DDR2/DDR3 doeos not make any scence if you see benchmarks.
Brand of the ram is not importent because of 775-chipset limitations.I suggest using a Twinmos pc6400. It is cheap and Intel can not run faster 667mhz in FSB 1333. because the chipset runs at 667mhz at fsb 1333.(DATAs are going from ram to chipset all the time)
to buy ram only think of brand quality.Twinmos/kingston/patriot and many brands are trustable.find the low price pc6400 from these brands.
Just use a 650i-ultra m/b (from Albatron/XFX/BFG) and SET FSB to 1333
then unlink clocks and remain DDR to it's default.

now you have 2160 at 3.0 GHZ .without any need to buy a cooler or a high end ram!
this will work for you faster than E6750 I promise.
I sold over ten of this system to my users. all of them love my choice.
If you did what I said... now you can buy a King 3870 X2 around $450

doubt it as well... hitting over 3 ghz, i wouldn't trust any stock cooler... except maybe the ones from the Wolfies... but the aluminium stock HSF included in the '60's bundle is not a good idea... I haven't bothered with mine... run an AC freezer 7 pro, hit 27 idle and 56 max, with 1.425V in bios...

Good build by the way...

Everything looks good, IMO. Keep us updated on your build.

When your chipset clock is 667 (FSB=1333) how your ram can run faster than it?(All datas are come and go to chipset from ram). try my experience first. set the ddr2 to 667 and 800 mhz frequensies on your system and benchmark it with sandra.(intel only have this limit)

massih, how long do you stress test for?

I have a E2160@2.7 (stock voltage, cooler), and it games just fine. It's in a P182, FWIW. Runs in the low 50s under full load.