Updated Gaming Build. Need opinions

[BoxcarRichard]

Hey guys. How is this looking. My budget is ~$1000 but I would like to keep it as low as possible.


Case - Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129024

MoBo - GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128059

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115037

GPU - EVGA 512-P3-N808-AR GeForce 8800GT AKIMBO SuperClocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130335
$239.99

or

GPU - ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6814134037
Original Price: $299.99
You Save: $80.00
$219.99
($169.99 after $50.00 Mail-In Rebate

CPU COOLER - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003

RAM - OCZ OCZ2P8004GQ 4GB PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) DDR2 Memory Retail
Do I have the proper Cas Latency to run this system most efficiently?
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] e=10006425


I can save more money going with the ECS GPU and it has something like a 3 year warranty. EVGA on the other hand has a lifetime warranty, but I pay a bit more. I cant decide which GPU to go with.
How reliable are mail-in rebates, especially for the ECS GPU?
Anything I should add or change?
There aren't going to be any compatibility issues will there?
Will I be able to use Vista OS?

 

[dagger]

Looks good, balanced build.

Get the 8800gts. It's better value and better performance. GPU is manufacturerd by Nvidia, sold to ECS. Lifetime warranty is useless over 3 year warranty. It'll be obsolete long before 3 years. No idea about mail in rebate. No compatibility issues. Same driver, from Nvidia. Get 64bit Vista.

 

[BoxcarRichard]

Thanks for the reply man.

Oops, I thought the EVGA was an 8800GTS. I'm totally going with the ECS then.

Hopefully more people will give me their input.

 

[BoxcarRichard]

Here is another build I am considering that would allow me to SLi in the future:

Case - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16811129021

Mobo - EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188026

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16819115037

PSU - OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W Power Supply 100 - 240 V - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002&Tpk=OCZ%2bGameXStream%2bOCZ700GXSSLI%2bATX12V%2b700W

GPU - ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16814134037

CPU COOLER - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16835233003

RAM - RAM - OCZ OCZ2P8004GQ 4GB PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) DDR2 Memory Retail
https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10008035&ps=homain1



What do you think about my single GPU build? What do you think of this SLi build? Would it be wise to SLi in the future compared to the single GPU build?

 

[dagger]

They're both balanced builds. If you want to overclock the e8400 as far as it's willing to go (3.6+ghz), get x38/48 motherboard. Otherwise it's fine.

 

[Shadow703793]

Here is another build I am considering that would allow me to SLi in the future:

Case - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16811129021

Mobo - EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813188026

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819115037

PSU - OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W Power Supply 100 - 240 V - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817341002

GPU - ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814134037

CPU COOLER - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835233003

RAM - RAM - OCZ OCZ2P8004GQ 4GB PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) DDR2 Memory Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetai...ctCode=10006425



What do you think about my single GPU build? What do you think of this SLi build? Would it be wise to SLi in the future compared to the single GPU build?

Looks good . Check out: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=29&post=245679&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=3&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0
if planing to OC.

 

[BoxcarRichard]

Need some people to evaluate both Single GPU and Future SLi Build (Pro's and Con's of each build perhaps?)

 

[BoxcarRichard]

The links are always getting messed up. sorry for that.

Here are some alternative components that might be able to replace some of the hardware listed above:

MoBo - MSI P7N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16813130159

PSU - SILVERSTONE ZEUS SST-ST65ZF ATX 12V 2.0 & EPS 12V 650W Power Supply 90 - 264 V
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817163108

RAM - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148


What are your thoughts?