Need some assistance, New Mid-low range gaming build?

mrdardenjr

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My computer right now i build in 1999 and it just does not cut it anymore. Ive been out of the building scene for about 6 years so alot has changed since then. I need some serious input and suggestions about this build below. This is kinda a second version to an original posted by me on the video card thread.

Case - XCLIO A380BK Fully Black High Gloss Finish SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower

Mobo - ASUS P5K PRO LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel

CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775

GPU - MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported

RAM - mushkin XP 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) CAS 4

HDD - (2x) Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

PS - Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W ATX 12V 2.0

I am looking to keep the budget to about $1000. Right now the above is at $940.

 

mrdardenjr

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Also need help with the CPU heatsink. I like quiet or somewhat low noise. However the case flushes that down the drain i think. Something nice or the price.

Also i havent payed much attention to vista so i am not sure what OS i should spend the money on.

All i am doing with this comp is gaming. Probably Vanguardsoh or something other then EQ or WoW....
 
That Thermaltake psu is borderline at best. There's a chance it's going to gut your rig with that vid card you chose especially seeing how your going to run dual HD's. The OCZ psu has dual 12v rails rated @ 18A. That heatskink is a good one, and that MX-2 thermal paste is the best out on the market right now. Also that mushkin I posted at the bottom of this post is cheap, yet it's a decent overclocker. I use it myself and I have had it cranked up to 1066....just to see if I could get it there. :D


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001 $24.99 ($14.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012 $64.99 (39.99 after $25.00 Mail-In Rebate)
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 500W Power Supply 100 - 240 V

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018 $199.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280+107172615&name=Intel+P43%2fP45 <---take a look at these boards. They are the new P43 and P45 boards that just came out. They are an upgrade from the P35 boards, and they are in your price range.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731 $89.99 ($74.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
 

mrdardenjr

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Get a P5Q Pro motherboard and a 650TX PSU from newegg.
Also check out the Xigmatek HDT-S1283.

the PQ5 mobo is ddr2 1200 and fsb 1600/1333 and the Q6600 is only 1066fsb. That is ok as long as the mobo is over the cpu fbs? Is that right?

The OCZ psu has dual 12v rails rated @ 18A.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341012 $64.99 (39.99 after $25.00 Mail-In Rebate)
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 500W Power Supply 100 - 240 V

So the 500w is enough, i just picked a crappy PS for the job?
Or should i pick up the one 650TX PSU aevum mentioned?

Also the ram i posted on my list is 104.99 after rebate for 4gig at cas 4. The ram Why_me posted is 74.99 after rebate for 4gig at cas 5. Would it be better to just go with the cas 5 for $30 cheaper?
 
Nice price for that 650TX :)

I wouldn't say the Purepower is crappy. It's decent for its price. However, that Corsair is better quality and more powerful - just more value for the money.

The Q6600 works fine with the P5Q series of motherboards. Here's a review that shows a Q6600 (B3 stepping, i.e. older and less able to OC), OCd to 3.5 GHz on one of those. With a G0 Q6600 you should get 3.6.
http://www.cpu3d.com/content/view/4924/54/

If $30 is important, then yeah, I guess CAS 5 will be fine too. It's just that CAS 4 helps with the overclocking.
Pick the MB first and then make sure you get some RAM that is known to work well with it. That can save you some headaches, you know...
 

mrdardenjr

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Alrighty so after the above info here is was i think i will go with unless someone sees something wrong or have some input to something i can tweek. Im still trying to stay around $1000.

CASE - XCLIO A380BK Fully Black High Gloss Finish SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower - $119.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103010

MOBO - ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX - $129.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131295
I went with a single PCIe 16x slot to save the $20. I wont be running SLI

CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 - $209.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

RAM - mushkin XP 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) CAS 4 - $104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146793

GPU - MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325

PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V - $80 on Buy.com
Thanks fatman28.

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s - $55.99 x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262

CPU Cooling - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - $36.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

Thats $951.00. Seems like a good deal to me. Any comments?
 

rabidbunny

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+1 for the xigmatek. I just bought it and I've got my e6400 at 3.0ghz. Possibly, I might be able to go over 3ghz, but I haven't tried. It's quiet, keeps the cpu very cool when compared to stock, and oc's well. Just keep in mind that the s128 120mm cooler is big. Make sure you have 160mm+ of space above the motherboard inside the case. I had a side duct that I had to remove in order to make it fit, but it was well worth the small mod.

Otherwise, everything looks good to me.

Good luck and happy building!
 

mrdardenjr

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As for raid configuration...the computer i have still has ATA133 hdds lol. Ive never played with raid before. Every gamer i know has his set at 0. I dont know the diffrence between 0 or 1, and i have never heard of JBOD. <----newb!
 

eric54

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Your HD isnt the best deal. You can get 1TB for only 40 dollar more. Considering your budget, that puts you at 1.00 over. Raid is overrated anyway, you're better off with a larger capacity than two smaller drives. Also, you're spending 110.00 on only 500gb, 500gb hd only cost around 90.00! Here's my recommendations.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136178
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145215

This one uses perpendicular recording. This particular model uses only 2 platters and is faster than most other hdd. If you want a solid performance HDD and space, get this one!

-->http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

Ditto on the Ram recommendation, get cheapest/highest capacity, quality isnt much of an issue, its just an economical reason that some cost more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211282
only 85.99 for 4gigs!

so there you go, make those changes and you'll get more AND save about 40.00 bucks! Which happens to be about the price of a nice cpu cooler :p Better yet, i'd put that extra 40.00 towards a new qx9xxx series from intel. If you can go a little over your budget you'll get a faster proc for about 60 more than your q6600. These run cooler, use less power, and are faster than their predecessors.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115043

CASE - XCLIO A380BK Fully Black High Gloss Finish SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower - $119.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811103010
MOBO - ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX - $129.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131295
I went with a single PCIe 16x slot to save the $20. I wont be running SLI

CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 - $209.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115017
Change for
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor – Retail 269.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115043


RAM - mushkin XP 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) CAS 4 - $104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146793
Change for
A-DATA Vitesta 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail $85.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211282

GPU - MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127325

PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V - $80 on Buy.com
Thanks fatman28.

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s - $55.99 x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148262
Change for

Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – OEM $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136178


CPU Cooling - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - $36.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003

New TOTAL 980.95!!!!!!

If you add a dvd-burner
SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM -$26.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153

Your new final total is 1007.94 <- only 7.94 over :)
 


First of all your getting a aftermarket heatskink for that cpu, so you want to get a OEM cpu and not retail. You don't need 2 heatskinks for your cpu. That right there saves you $10. I'm surprised nobody on this board saw that. :pfff:

Second of all that Xigmatek is overkill to the max. That heatsink is good if you plan on overclocking to the moon...which quads don't do, or if your room temps are over 110 degrees, or if your case has no fans and it sits in a microwave. Also you have no thermal compound on there. There is a reason for that thermal compound...it brings your temps down and it helps keep your cpu from frying.

One last thing...that case you have has 0 case fans included with it. If you want to save money, the guy who recommended the 690 knows his stuff. That 690 may not look pretty, but it gets the job done, and it does it well. The Coolermaster 590 is another great buy, and it's even cheaper than the 690. Plan on spending some money on atleast 3x120mm case fans for that case you want. That's going to up the price of that build by another $25+.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018 $199.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001 $24.99 ($14.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

 


So for a medium gaming rig...under $1000 how much performance is someone going to gain by spending an extra $50? I saw the test on that 9300 vs the 6600 and the performance gains were minimal at best. Now if he wanted more performance he could get the E8400 dual core, up the FSB to 9x400 = 3.6GHz and it would stomp both the 9300 and the 6600...even better yet that 8400 beats both those quads at stock settings. Oh, and the E8400 cost like $189.00 :p
 

eric54

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The idea is to leave room for Ocing and having quad core isnt going to hurt as more games go multithreaded. If the OP wants dual going for the 8400 is a no brainer, but it seems he only upgrades once a decade, so it would stand to reason that getting him the most future"proof" computer possible would be best (i know nehalem is coming and will require a different chipset entirely).


Rosewill RPS-01-W SL Silver Conqueror Triple 120mm Fans Steel ATX Mid tower Computer Case With Side Panel - Retail $99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147105

Better deal, comes with fans, side panel. Saves you 20.00 bucks and keeps you on budget.
 

mrdardenjr

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Nice you all have some awesome input. Ok ok check this out and see what you think now....

Ive desided that ill go dual core and OC, also dropped the muskin and went with A-data for a cheaper ram. I found some combo deals that seem to be great deals, namely the case/psu. Ive always liked a full tower but it seems alot of you are showing me mid towers.

drum roll....

CASE + PSU = Rosewill RPS-01-W SL Silver Conqueror Triple 120mm Fans Steel ATX Mid tower
Rosewill RX850-D-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail = $184.98 Combo deal

MOBO + CPU = ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W = $319.84 Combo deal

GPU = MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 = $179.99

RAM = A-DATA Vitesta 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - CAS 4 = $85.99

HDD = Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s = $99.99

I chose to spent the extra cash i saved on the faster/bigger hdd as well as on the follow parts that i never added into my budget...

DVD Burner = SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA - $26.99
CPU Cooling = XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - $24.99 - I down sized from the 120mm version.
Thermal Paste = ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 - $6.99

The Newest Total = $919.90 After Mail in rebates!

What do you all think about the changes? Im going to check back tomarrow wooh!


 

Zenthar

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If the 120mm XIGMATEK fits your case, I would still choose it over the 92mm. Might be "overkill", but the price difference is less than 15$ and you will get a VERY silent cooler.
 
Risky move, that Rosewill PSU. Get this combination instead:

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP $85+19
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

650TX $100 or $80, depending where you buy it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=650tx
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-tx-650w-atx12v-power-supply/q/loc/101/206178324.html

This way you get a nicer case and a high quality PSU. True, it won't be 850W, but 650W is still overkill for your setup.

Apart from that, I totally like your latest list [:mousemonkey:5]
 

rabidbunny

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Most likely, you'll have 4ghz easy if you want to.
man, I wish I had the money to build a new pc even though my current one is perfectly fine.
 

bizy

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Hey, I noticed you were looking to stay in the 1000$ range, well here is my spec build i have been working with for the past few weeks, :) I think you will be surprised with what you can do with combo offers if you want to keep costs down.


LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06 - Retail
Item #: N82E16827106072
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$37.99




Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148288
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy



$89.99




ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound

ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail
Item #: N82E16835186020
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$6.99




Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL804

Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL804 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820148076
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

-$5.00 Instant
$40.00 Mail-in Rebate

$64.99
$59.99




Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M - OEM
Item #: N82E16819115018
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy



$199.99




XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835233003
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$36.99



Rosewill RPS-01-W BK Black Conqueror Triple 120mm Fans Steel ATX Mid tower Computer Case with Side Panel
Rosewill RX850-D-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply

*

Rosewill RPS-01-W BK Black Conqueror Triple 120mm Fans Steel ATX Mid tower Computer Case with Side Panel - Retail
Item #: N82E16811147104
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

*

Rosewill RX850-D-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817182070
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


-$80.00 Instant
-$60.00 Combo


$304.98
$164.98



HIS Hightech H485F512P Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL804

*

HIS Hightech H485F512P Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814161235
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


*

Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AL804 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820148076
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy


-$5.00 Instant
-$40.00 Combo
$40.00 Mail-in Rebate

$264.98
$219.98



ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

*

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131299
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy


*

SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102747
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


-$50.00 Combo


$349.98
$299.98

Subtotal: $1,116.88

I tried to make it look better, but then i just deleted it all and copied my shopping cart :) this is the price shipped to my house in Texas, Keeping in mind it is coming with 80 dollars worth in mail in rebates. I have actually read reviews of people actually getting there checks to!

Hope this helps I will be buying this set up, and really hope it all goes together, upgrading a 2 year old system... Man I've been outa the game to long :) By the way I only read the first few comments as I have to go to work and thought this was a good thread. Idk I just wanted to show of my build to be to every one :) So if this doesn't go with the topic... what can you do... another :)