Some advise on purchasing a new system

[cometomauh]

This will be the first system i put together myself and not give in to the salesman

Still havent figured out if i'll buy the whole thing complete or give it a go at putting it together myself.

Anyway , thus far i have this is mind:


Proc - Q6600 - G0

MB - Abit FPIN9 - SLI (650i and one of the cheapest i have found)

HD - ST3500320ASו - Seagate


Now i need some help with a small review on this setup and with finding the right graphic card and memory sticks. I've looked on the 8800gt ones so far , but they are really expensive. I would love to find something decent for about 2/3'rds of the 8800gt cost.


Now on a general note , im looking for a decent gaming/day to day computer with the ability to practice some o/cing. Nothing too serious though. Over all i would say im looking to spend around 800-900$ on the whole thing.

 

[mihirkula]

CPU: Intel E8400: $200

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L : $85

RAM: 2GB DDR2 800 Crucial Ballastix : $50

GPU: 9600GT 512mb: $140

Hard Drive: 500GB Seagate 7200.11 : $85

Monitor: SAMSUNG/HansG 19": $170

PSU: Corsair 550vx : $65

Cooler: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 : $36

Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 590: $60

Total: $900.

That should give you a lot of power.

 

[jerreece]

If I could give you one piece of advice. If you're going to OC (overclock) your system stay away from the 650i and 680i motherboards. I hear lots of folks have a hard time with those two boards and the Q6600 (quad) processors.

I'm told I'm one of the lucky ones to get mine to OC. Otherwise, if you're not going to OC it'd be alright.

I've seen the Q6600 at TigerDirect for like $219 OEM. I like to search for the products I want on www.pricegrabber.com to find the lowest prices.

 

[bpogdowz]

I think that the e8400 is an overkill if this guy refuses to go for a 8800GT therefore a quad core is a better pick.

 

[cometomauh]

Forgot to mention that i wont be buying a new monitor , im good with my current one

As to the mb , well , im opened to suggestions on what mb to buy. I would just really like it to have the SLI feature.

As for the cpu , im pretty locked on Q6600 since i heard many positive reviews on it from a group of people as well as on the net. Seems like a relatively easy task , ever for a newb , to speed it up to 2.8.

 

[mihirkula]

I think that the e8400 is an overkill if this guy refuses to go for a 8800GT therefore a quad core is a better pick.

what?


OP...ok so you have a monitor..that saves you a lot of cash...use that to get an 8800GT.

Regarding SLI, well, .....SLI is very underwhelming for that price. that board i suggested is the very best non SLI out there. If you need to go for multi GPU board, rather than SLI, go for the X38 which supports Crossfire.

The E8400 is faster in all games and almost all apps. Though both q6600 and e8400 are great overclockers. Either one is fine, but if you're looking for more gaming than anything else, stick with e8400.

 

[cometomauh]

The GA-P35-DS3L mb that you have suggested at first goes for something like 120$ where i live.
The cheapest x38 chipset mb i've found goes for around 300$ and that Abit FPIN9 board that i've found is at 145$. I know that it doesnt seem logical , but those are the prices in Israel

Usualy we just get something like a 5-10% overpricing compared to the US and most of Europe , but not on this case it seems.

Anyways , can someone have a look at the Abit FPIN9 board and tell me if its any good ? It seems like a smart buy compared to the other board i've checked.

Perhaps yet another option is the Asus P5K mb ? Its abit pricy at 160$ , but perhaps its worth it ?

 

[cometomauh]

Ok , final decision after some more reviewing and reading up.

CPU : E8400 / Q6600 ( Leaning towards the quad )

MB : GA-P35-DS3L / Asus P5K

GPU : 9600GT

HD : Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.11 ( Can anyone fill me in on what the .11 extension mean ? )

RAM : 4GB DDR2 800 (Whats best with this one ? I read some suggesting the ballistix and some the G.Skill. Does it matter much ? )

PSU : Corsair 550VX ( Any other suggestions ? )

Plus i need some suggestions for a med/low level OC cooling. Something that'll keep the Q6600 cool and stable at 3ghz.

 

[lucuis]

If you don't plan on upgrading in a long while, go with the quad, otherwise get the 8400 and clock it to atleast 4.0ghz.

The GA and ASUS motherboards are both great motherboards, so choose whichever fits your budget best.

8800gt, preferably one with a dual slot cooler.

If your looking to save a little cash, try the WD Caviar 320gb, it's about 69.99 at Newegg.

G.Skill makes good budget RAM, so if your unsure that's my recommendation.

Another vote for the Corsair PSU.

mihirkula suggested the XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 : $36 which will keep either processor cool, at even decently high overclocks.

 

[mihirkula]

OP...there was a cooler suggested in my earlier post.

Edit: Lucuis beat me to it.

 

[cometomauh]

Well im looking to keep it the way it is (except for oc) for 2 years min , i guess. So i go with the quad ?

Another add-ons:

Case :
http://www.spirecoolers.com/main/product_detail.asp?ProdID=600


Ram:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_6400_vista_upgrade_2gb_module_4gb_kit


Cooler:
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/cpu2.php?idx=79&disc=


These are just because i cant find the suggestioned ones around here :/ , tell me what you think.

 

[lucuis]

Case looks fine.

OCZ makes good RAM, i'm using the OCZ Platinum 6400 5-4-4-15

Artic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro is a good cooler, OCing should be pretty easy with it.

 

[cometomauh]

Thanks alot mate

Just two final newb question.

What does the "tray" or the "box" stands for when im looking for the Q6600 ?

And why some vendors put the Q6600 under the "Intel Core 2 Quad" section and others put it under "Intel Quad Core" ?

From what i know the name for this type is the Core 2 Quad.

 

[cometomauh]

"What does the "tray" or the "box" stands for when im looking for the Q6600 ?"

Still no idea :/