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ksonnad   06-23-2008 at 11:39:13 PM

Newegg List

Summary:

  • Core2 Duo E8400
  • GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L
  • G.SKILL 2 x 1GB DDR2 800
  • COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05 ATX Mid-Tower
  • EVGA 880GT 512MB[*]PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W ATX12V/EPS12V


I'll be going off to college in the fall as a Computer Science major, and this build will accompany a Dell laptop. I'm hoping the laptop will last me all 4 years if I take care of it, but I'd like to be able to upgrade this build in 2 or 3 years when Nehalem is mature. I also plan to OC the processor, though not extremely--just to squeeze some extra value out of my money.

With all that in mind, I have a couple of questions about this build:

  • Is everything compatible? Kinda pointless if it isn't...
  • I've found it difficult to get a straight answer as to whether the power supply I've got can accommodate an 8800GT. Can it?
  • How far can I be expected to push the E8400 with this setup (as a working overclock)?
  • I do some light gaming (mainly City of Heroes, currently), but I don't intend to go for SLI--so is there any reason to jump to P45?
  • I was hoping to get the price down a bit further--are there any good components I could swap out for better deals?


Anything else I should be aware of, concerned about, etc?


Message edited by ksonnad on 06-23-2008 at 11:39:53 PM
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BadMannerKorea   06-23-2008 at 11:40:49 PM
- 0 +

your first mistake is...well, its going into computer science.

Reply to BadMannerKorea
Why_Me   06-24-2008 at 12:51:14 AM
- 0 +

Nice build. :)

2 gigs of memory with Vista though is a no no these days especially with the cheap price of memory these days. 2x2 gigs ftw. Vista 32 w/SP1 dl see's 4 gigs, uses 3.8 gigs. So get the 2x2 gigs of memory even if your going to use 32bit visa and not 64bit. Otherwise that build looks great.

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
 Reply to Why_Me
kad   06-24-2008 at 01:06:00 AM
- 0 +

Agreed with Why_Me. you need 4Gigs
Everything semms perfect
Better to have 550W Minimum PSU
You'll not be able to upgrade this system to Nehalem, you have to build new system
or at least new mobo+proc+RAM
Good Luck

------------------------------ LianLi PC-A70 Case/Enermaqx Galaxy 1000W/Asus Rampage Formula/E8500/Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme Lapped/Scythe S-Flex SFF21F/Crucial Ballistic Red Line DDR2800 PC6400(2X2)GB/8800GTS 512MB/WD Raptor2X150GB/ViewSonic VX922(1280X1024Max)
 Reply to kad
Why_Me   06-24-2008 at 01:09:56 AM
- 0 +

While your at it, try getting a P45 or P43 board. You can get them almost as cheap as a P35 board. They are a step up from the P35, they overclock much better, have better cooling, and there is no need to upgrade your bios with them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] +P43%2fP45

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
 Reply to Why_Me
ksonnad   06-24-2008 at 04:57:38 AM
- 0 +

I considered 4 gigs of memory, but I'll hold off for now. I can always get it if I need it.

About P45: I'm not against the extra $50 or so, but I had a hard time figuring out which board to go with, as they're all fairly new, and reviews and ratings are scarce. Any recommendations?

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to ksonnad
Why_Me   06-24-2008 at 06:18:43 AM
- 0 +

ksonnad wrote :

I considered 4 gigs of memory, but I'll hold off for now. I can always get it if I need it.

About P45: I'm not against the extra $50 or so, but I had a hard time figuring out which board to go with, as they're all fairly new, and reviews and ratings are scarce. Any recommendations?



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813130180 $119.99
MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
 Reply to Why_Me
ksonnad   06-25-2008 at 07:27:17 AM
- 0 +

I like the price-tag on the MSI better, but would I be losing out much against the P5Q?

And can anybody point me to reviews of the MSI? I'm finding plenty for the PQ5, but none for the MSI.

Reply to ksonnad
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