What do you think?

I am building a mid to high end gaming rig. Here is what I am thinking:


EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188024
Q9450 or Q9550 (I can get a really good deal on these)
2x G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231122
2x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS in RAID 0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218
SeaSonic M12 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817151030

For a GPU I am not sure. I have a 8800GTS 512, so I will either get another one and SLI them, or, if the performance is right a GT260/280. This is powering a 24" monitor.

I will be running Vista 64-bit.

Thanks for your replies.

Corsair's OEM for the majority of their PSUs is Seasonic hugh.

And no, 280GTX is going to beat 8800GT SLI, nVidia has said so themselves.

Q9550 is vastly overpriced and there is no reason to get one. Q9450 or even Q6600 and overclock.

The memory is fine, it is what I use. Spend the $10 though and get the $94 kit with the 4-4-4-12 timings.

Ditch the nVidia chipset board. nVidia's chipset motherboards are buggy at best terrible at worst. Get ONE 8800GT an step-up to a 2xx series card in 90 days.

Thanks for your responses.

I bought the 8800 not to long ago (the 90 days is up on the 17th), so I will most likely do that.

As far as the processor goes, I am getting it for a killer deal (less than the 9450 retail). For the price, I will take the extra .33.

I will have to look at that RAM. I did not see any with tighter timing on Newegg, buy I will look again. I probubly just missed them.

Thanks again!

I think you are right. It is the same company, that much I know.

They are worth it, but also stability counts, even with modular cables you still have to spend time on improving air flow by tucking cables, tying stuff down, etc.

If the step up program proves reliable to you than by all means get the new beast GTX 280. However if not why not grab another one for under $200 and SLI... I cant imagine that this new card will beat two 8800GT or for that matter one 9800GX2 more than a few percent. However I could very well be wrong considering Nvidia said so themselves like shadowduck says. I'm just talking on a mere saving money concern. This new card will be a considerable amount of money.
I know that EPP is highly over rated and very much a "marketing" thing but I would strongly recommend for it if you decide for the 780i. It's not really more expensive from what I can tell.
I'm not in agreement at all with shadowduck on the Nvidia chipset statement. All three of the Nvidia chipsets that I have owned have served me particularly well especially for the use of this particular machine. I have overclocked my E8400 to 4.5ghz and am now running very stable at 4.05ghz. I have 64bit vista and have yet to find a complaint about this set up. It doesn't make toast but it surely hasn't revealed a "bug" and is better than "alot worse"... so if you have aspirations of SLI than why not? However if you don't the same board Shadow70... owns... that being the P35 chipset he advertises (have you upgraded yet Shadow?) for well under $100.
Also... How is corsair have an OEM that sales for the about the same price as their product? I mean... this PSU is almost $150... If it's just OEM of Corsair than why not just get Corsair for practically the same price.

Lol, basic math says it does. 8800GT has 112 shaders, GTX280 has 240, more than double, has 2x memory and bus. Clocks are lower though, aren't they? Seems possible.

IDK... Maybe I'm just lucky... or naive!

I've had good luck with mine. I post over at xtremesystems.org and they all seem to think that my board has pretty good luck:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forum [...] p?t=170055

Like I said about the SLI set up... If the OP were to want to save money and the step up didnt work out than it would be far cheaper to just get another card than to ditch his current card and get an expensive new GTX 280. The OP can get another GT for under $200.

Also, as a side note, I have a G92 GTS, not GT.

Or how about another GTS. Right now the OP could just get another 8800GTS for around $250 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130325 or he could do a step up and only pay about $350 (assuming that the 280 is $600) but if that doesn't work out it's in the OPs best interest to save the dough and get another GTS for only $250 and probably get near the same performance... he'll save $350 by doing so.