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Please Rate my $2000 build

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silasmoon   07-06-2008 at 01:18:07 AM

Considering the following build - would like to stay at $2000. Feel free to nitpick - will consider overclocking RAM / CPU.




  • Vista 64 Bit Home Premium / XP


  • Sapphire HD 4870 - (waiting for possible 1 gig model)


  • PSU (Also need a bit of advice) Ultra x3 800w


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] CatId=2534

  • Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7



  • 9450 Quad Core


Will be playing COD4, Crysis, Diablo 3 etc.

Please submit your thoughts - thanks ahead of time!

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shadowduck   07-06-2008 at 05:41:44 AM
- 0 +

-1 on the Raptor. Useless. 7200RPMs drives are just as fast now.

Ultra's PSUs are really hit and miss. I cannot find a review on that model. $200 for 800W is high. You can pick up a PC Power and Cooling 750W (not modular for still a good PSU) for $149 or a 1kW Corsair modular PSU for $50 more that is excellent.

Don't buy XP 64-bit.

I would use Patriot RAM. They have a 4GB kit around $80 right now on Newegg.

Motherboard is overkill. Look at the P5E Deluxe instead and save $60 or so.


Message edited by shadowduck on 07-06-2008 at 05:42:13 AM
------------------------------ http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ate-modode <-- Computer Builds
Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."-John Wooden
 Reply to shadowduck
silasmoon   07-06-2008 at 10:15:57 AM
- 0 +

Shadowduck - could you go a bit further into detail on how the 7,200 rpms are just as fast?

Guessing you mean this PSU -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139007

Wonder if it will fit in my case ><

On the Power and Cooling - modular really just allows for more space in the case, allowing better airflow or?


On the Patriot - are you leaning towards the Viper or the Extreme Performance? Also 1066 or 800? How easy are they to overclock to say 1200?

Which Deluxe exactly - could you provide a link? Also possibly define overkill .

Reply to silasmoon
silasmoon   07-06-2008 at 10:49:56 AM
- 0 +

Also - thoughts on getting the 6600 quad over the 9450 for a 3.6 oc?

Reply to silasmoon
silasmoon   07-06-2008 at 07:54:34 PM
- 0 +

I am considering OC my CPU and RAM

Here is my NEW wish list - what do you think?

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] ID=6981385

Reply to silasmoon
shadowduck   07-07-2008 at 02:10:04 AM
- 0 +

You are not guaranteed 3.6 on a Q6600. It is a nice goal, but will not work all the time.

Mine overclocked fine, my friends did not. Q6600 also runs rather warm at that temp. Go with the Q9450.

As for my drive comment look at this: http://techreport.com/articles.x/14380/1 Raptor X does not make a good showing.

Remember the WD drive being tested is around $130 for 640GB.

------------------------------ http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ate-modode <-- Computer Builds
Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."-John Wooden
 Reply to shadowduck
silasmoon   07-07-2008 at 09:34:35 AM
- 0 +

I might then go for a 6700 because I need the $ for a better monitor - thinking of the Benq G2400wd.

Going with the Caviar 640 gig and the Corsair 1000w PSU in case I decide to Crossfire and/or Watercool.

Also going with the Corsair 1066 2x2gb ram. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145197

More thoughts??

Again wanting to get around 3.6 or so and maybe 1200 on RAM.

Reply to silasmoon
shadowduck   07-07-2008 at 07:29:50 PM
- 0 +

Q6700 won't give you any better chances of getting to 3.6

Water cooling is a complete waste of money and a pain in the a$$ to setup.

Running your RAM higher than your FSB does not help you whatsoever. 3.6 on Q6600 is FSB1600 which is 1:1 with DDR2-800.

------------------------------ http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ate-modode <-- Computer Builds
Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."-John Wooden
 Reply to shadowduck
silasmoon   07-07-2008 at 07:57:38 PM
- 0 +

I thought the 6700 would be better for OCing because of the 10x multiplier.

Perhaps you can explain the situation to me clearly with the RAM - I am a bit new to overclocking so forgive me for my unknowing.

I am getting the Rampage Forumla from Asus.

I am getting ddr2 1066 (pc2 8500) Corsair RAM.

The MoBo says FSB is 1600/1333 Mhz, and that RAM is 1200 (OC) / 1066 / 800.


I need to therefore match the FSB of the CPU to the DRAM in 1:1 for the coolest temp.

The RAM then will run at 1066 / 2 = 533 or OC at 1200 / 2 = 600

This is where I get really confused so maybe you could help me out - I have been trying to read an OCing guide but it's very confusing and really only deals with ddr2 800 RAM.

Thanks so much thus far though Shadowduck!

Reply to silasmoon
silasmoon   07-07-2008 at 08:39:53 PM
- 0 +

Read a bit more - Duck was right as always with the 6600 - saving money - getting 6600 - now only to understand how to OC it to say 9x377 for a 3.4 and what RAM. Seems to be more literature on 6600 OC's anyways.

Duck feel free to answer the questions above though :P.

Reply to silasmoon
effel   07-07-2008 at 08:56:36 PM
- 0 +

Gahhh another Asus motherboard. You know, if you really cared about overclocking you'd get a DFI motherboard X38 or X48 Lanparty DK. I'm just teasing of course. But seriously, if you weighed the advantages/disadvantages between those DFI boards and the Asus, then more power to you, if you haven't, you really should.

If you get some DDR2 800, you can be safe all the way up to 1600 fsb at 1:1 without even bothering with raising the clock speeds on the ram.

Get a better heatsink for the cpu and the graphics card. It will pay off, for sure. The surface finish on the AC Freezer 7 Pro was crap when I got it; changed to a Thermalright Ultra 120, and average change in temps was 10C on idle and load. I never use stock cooling on graphics cards, got a VF900 and never see higher than 60c on load with almost silent operation ~8V.

Reply to effel
silasmoon   07-07-2008 at 09:02:58 PM
- 0 +

Thoughts on the xigmatech 120 mm rifle for a heatsink - frosty tech (which people seem to swear by here) rated as #2 best cooler.

Going then with corsair ddr2 800 then - seems like most 6600 won't get to 3.6 unless you are lucky, and that 1066 RAM befuddles the whole 1:1.

Thoughts - will check out the VF900.

Reply to silasmoon
silasmoon   07-07-2008 at 09:06:12 PM
- 0 +

Hrmm quick question - Newegg offers these two Corsairs with different timings

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145194

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145184

Guessing the first is better at 4-4-4-12?

Reply to silasmoon
shadowduck   07-07-2008 at 10:34:45 PM
- 0 +

Neither are very good due to the high voltage.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146731
Some of the best 4GB memory you can buy. Only 1.8V helps with overclocking and heat.

Buy DDR2-800 like we are saying. FSB1600 (400) 1:1 at 3.6 on Q6600. About the highest you can go.

------------------------------ http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ate-modode <-- Computer Builds
Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."-John Wooden
 Reply to shadowduck
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