Gaming PC for SupCom @ 1920x1200 -- need help

Change the PSU to this PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W. Cheaper and better quality.

Are you going to be overclocking this machine? If not, don't worry about an aftermarket HSF. If you are, consider the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 or Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro.

Also, you can get two 8800GT cards for $159 each from tigerdirect.com ... that will give you a bombastic performance compared to two 9600GT for the same price.

Updated build...


CPU: Q9300 w/ HSF ($300) -- Looks like this would be worth the extra $60 as I don't plan on OCing?

MB: Asus P5E ($230)

Memory: 2x 2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 ($110)

Video: 2x GeForce 8800GT 512MB in SLI ($320)

PSU: PC Power & Cooling S75QB ($160)

Case: Still undecided

HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA ($100)

Optical: Samsung SH-S203N OEM ($30)

OS: Vista Ultimate 64-bit OEM ($160)


Total: $1,410

Thanks Az for pointing that out... Looks like I'm getting off of SLI because I would have to spend well over $300 for a SLI MB that can match the 45nm CPU's FSB (plus almost $100 extra for the dual cards). And like you said correctly SupCom and other RTSes use a lot more about CPU than GPU so what am I spending that extra money for. If I can run it reliably on medium graphic settings at 1920x1200 then I will be happy.

So here is my (perhaps) final build...

Case: COOLER MASTER COSMOS RC-1000-KSN1-GP Full Tower Case Retail ($180)

PSU: PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply - Retail ($160)

MB: ABIT IX38 Quad GT LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail ($220) -- I changed this because 1) I can't reliably get on ASUS's site and that creeps me out, 2) I read that I have to flash the BIOS before a 45nm CPU would even work with the MB I had picked out!, and 3) I have an ABIT MB in my current PC which has been running strong every day under heavy work load for over 5 years.

CPU/HSF: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9300 - Retail ($295)

Mem: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT25664AA804 - Retail ($110)

Graphics: MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail ($225)

OD: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM ($34)

HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($100)

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM ($160)


Total: $1,484

Good choice of hardware for SupCom.
I'd pick a WD6400AAKS hardisk (nice and fast) and the speed bump from Q9300 to Q9450 (160MHz) won't really matter. The cache might help a bit but not much.

If you run the CoreMaximizer patch any quadcore gets 10000 points for SIM in the built in benchmark.
An 8800GTS is a great choice. So is the Corsair HX or VX PSU.

I'd suggest you get a GF 9600GT if it's alot cheaper (it runs SC quite well at 1920x1200, high fidelity presets, low shadows, 2xAA) and upgrade in August or September when the new architecture GF99xx/HD48xx is available.

Thank you guys.

Regarding the PSU, what would I get out of spending the same (or more) for a PSU with less juice than the one I listed above?

I do not plan to OC out of the box. Honestly I don't plan to OC at all unless I am dissatisfied with my system's performance, and like I said as long as I can play SupCom at 1920x1200 medium settings with a nice frame rate then I will be happy. I really like the Q9450 but is in short supply right now and I'd hate to spend an extra $80 or so to sit around and wait an extra couple weeks for a arguably negligible increase in performance. But, that said, I am still going to call over to my local Microcenter tomorrow to see if they have one in stock

Vista Ultimate I chose because networking the consumer editions of Windows always struck me as flakey, and I have several computers (and a PDA) on my home network. Also I'd like to be able to connect my computer to our domain at work if I decide to some time down the road.

If I am to save $35 on RAM at no performance decrease, my next question is: Is it worth it to upgrade to 8GB?

Thanks for the mobo and HD suggestions.

9600GT=$150, 8800GTS=$225. I like the thought of saving $75 on the video card now, but not the idea of throwing $150 away in 4-5 months... Unless the difference in performance between the 9600GT and 8800GTS is pretty small then I'll stick with the 8800GTS.

2x8800GT=$320. The problem I found with SLI (and please correct me if I'm mistaken) is that I'd have to spend $100+ more on the mobo otherwise I'd have to settle for a one with less FSB than my CPU. And considering that the games I play are more demanding on CPU than graphics, it just didn't seem worth it to me. Also I keep reading all these bad things about the nForce chipset...

The highly anticipated ATI RV770s are going to be out in june.....if you're thinking of buying a card now and replacing it with a newer one in 4-5 months, get the cheaper unsung hero, 8800GS. ... If you're thinking of a long term investment, get the 8800GT.

Thanks again for the replies.

I called my local Microcenter, they have the Q9450 in stock ($350) and were able to reserve one for me, good deal.

You guys have talked me into the 8800GTS. I am not obsessed with having the latest hardware, I just want a solid reliable build with a decent lifespan. I play other games than SupCom but really it is the perfect indicator for what kind of hardware I should buy because I am almost exclusively a RTS and MMO PC gamer.

That 8GB Vista article is very interesting, made me stop and think because 1) I use VirtualPC a lot and 2) I always 2box when I play L2.

The PSU I will definitely check out then wrap this up and order the parts tomorrow. Thanks again all for steering me down the right path.