New system, some parts yet to decide

[Underclock]

Building new system, good fellas!

Decided parts:

CPU - Intel C2D E8400
MB - Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P
PSU - Corsair 450W 450VX

Undecided parts:

RAM - looking for most reliable here...timings i think are pretty much the same all around
a) TEAM XTREEM DARK DDR2 2x1GB PC6400
b) Geil Ultra DDR2 2x1GB PC6400 Cas4 (i prefer these over black dragon cause of the protective casing)
c) Corsair Dominator DDR2 2x1024MB PC8500
d) Corsair 2x1024MB DDR2 PC6400 XMS2 Cas4 DHX

GPU -
a) HD3870
b) 9600GT
i was going for the 8800GT but then i read about how hot and noisy it was, so i dropped one level to one of these two. i think they perform quite similarly, with the ati board being cooler and quieter, with the nvidia being better with AA on. am i right? also i think the 9600GT is a bit "longer" than the ati counterpart and could be a problem fiiting it into my tower. anything else i should know for my decision? what you think? also some brands (like asus) come with larger coolers, like zalman's or something. are they quieter?


do i need anything else? i wont be doing any OC'ing so i presume i dont need an extra cpu cooler. but i think i might need that thermal thing, from Artic, right?


thanks =)

 

[mihirkula]

The feller who said that the 8800GT is very hot and very noisy was exaggerating... its a stellar card and way ahead of the 9600 and 3870 especially at higher resolutions. And its not exactly a volcano. If you're planning to have resolution of 1280 then go for the 9600.

You don't need any kind of cooling apart from the stock cooler if you aren't overclocking.

 

[lunyone]

It has been pretty well documented that because of the single cooling solution on most (not all) 8800gt's, it's recommended to get a double slotted 8800gt or just upgrade to a double slotted 8800gts for about $20 difference. I know the 8800gt's do quite well and aren't a bad card to get, but if you want to have a bit cooler setup, I'd just spend a bit more and get the 8800gts or if you can find a better cooled 8800gt for the same $ than I'd get that.
Here is 1 of many threads that were related to cooling the stock 8800gt:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/248233-33-8800gt-cooling

I'm not saying that you shouldn't get a 8800gt, just make sure you know the pros/cons of it and make your buying decision wisely. Information is KING and your $ deserves the best that you can get!

 

[Underclock]

well, not only is the 8800 more expensive in its original state, i wouldnt want to spend more money introducing a new fan on it... by budget doesnt allow me to do so.
i saw it on newegg.com people mentioning the heat and the noise. and yes, i will be playing under 1280x1024, so i guess i can fare well with the 9600/3870.
among these two, i'm a bit undecided not only from the "length" of the 9600 (i'll have to measure my tower), but as well of the less noise and heat the 3870 produces.
so which is a better bet? my tower is "boxed" inside my desk, so less temperature is important...

and about memory, which one can be more trusted?

 

[mihirkula]

At that resolution you wont notice any difference between both the cards...go for the cheapest one available.

 

[Underclock]

hmmm... sounds like a plan to me, then

now all i need is some research/advise about the memories...