E7200 or E8400 ?

[DennisP]

Need some advice. I've built a few systems and suffered through some the tribulations with dead MB's and bad RAM, etc. I'm going to go a different way this time and and eliminate some of the headaches. I need some advice on my choice of components.

I'm not an over-clocker..just kind of a plug and play type. My current system is incredibly old and I figure it's time to upgrade. I'm not wanting a barn burner/ bleeding edge system.....but something that will play most of the games available at moderate FPS and reasonable eye candy settings....here it is:

Coolermaster Centurion 590 case
420 watt Thermaltake PS
E8400 CPU w/ Coolermaster HyperTX2 fan
MSI P7N SLI FI 750i Mother board
2 GB Crucial PC6400 DDR
GeForce 8800GT 512
320 GB Seagate HD
160 GB Seagate HD
LG 20X DVD RW+-

I can have this built for approx $750 or can save $50 and go with a E7200 processor.

I know the E7200 is supposed to be a great over clocker and a decent CPU in it's own right....but as I said before I don't over-clock and I'd like a system that runs at 3.0Ghz but may not need the extra speed if the E7200 will do the job. So is $50 extra for the E8400 worth it? Or will I see minimal improvement with the speedier processor?

I'm trying to put together an inexpensive but decent mid performance system.

What do ya think?

As a side note, I'm not likely to ever upgrade this system..it will stay as it is until I pass it down when it doesn't meet my needs.

 

[auscanzukus]

If you don't overclock, you should get the fastest cpu your budget allows. Defo E8400.

The psu is not good at all. Get a Corsair 450W if you don't upgrade the gpu.

Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 26 Amp Amps.)
Minimum 450 Watt for SLI mode system.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 28 Amp Amps.)

You're wasting money on a SLI board if you don't SLI. If you want to save $50-ish, switch that board out for an Intel one. i.e. GA-EP35-DS3L

 

[Proximon]

Yep. the 8800GT is a good card, but for 10 bucks more you can get a 4850 that will blow it away. Far better future-proofing.

Those amp needs are serious. You have to have a PSU that supplies adequate amps on the 12V rails for your GPU, CPU, and other parts. It's not all about wattage.

Centurion cases have poor air flow.

You can get an Antec Sonata WITH a GOOD PSU for about 100 bucks. Check newegg.

There are better CPU coolers for less.

P43 or P35 motherboard is what you need, not 750i SLI.

 

[DennisP]

I was unsure whether the MB was decent or not...I can pick up a EVGA NForce 681i SLI for about the same money. Would that be a better choice than the MSI 750i?

Also upping the PS was something I had considered doing as I found I can pick up an extra Geforce 8800 GT 512 for a decent price and run an SLI set up. I was thinking of bumping it to 600 watts. Will 600 watts meet my needs? Recommended brand?

I read that the Centurion 590 has 9 vents to mount fans..the case is really vented. I planned on adding and additional two 120mm fans to the case for a total of 4...would that be sufficient to keep the insides cool? I have not looked into the Antec Sonata cases....I can only use a mid-tower due to space limitations.

I too, have liked what I saw on the new ATI cards...but have heard that they have always had driver issues. I've been using NVidia cards for years and have never had any problems...that's why I went with the 8800GT.

I appreciate all the advice....it helps me a bunch

 

[Proximon]

I have a long time friend and roommate that has always used ATI, games, and has rarely had issues. You get just as many issues from nVidia MB chipsets. Intel MB chipsets are more stable. ATI just secured their position as the leader with the 4870x2, so I would expect that you can count on great service from them. They want to keep this spot.

So, get a P45 or an x48 for crossfire, instead of SLI. Although, I can't see you actually needing a second card so much.

There is a great deal to consider when you look at PSUs.

Right now, the Corsair 750TX is a great deal. It would drive two 4850s, but not two 4870s. There are a few good deals at lesser wattages... PC Power & Cooling has a 610 that is very nice... but I think it's more than the Corsair.

On the Centurion, I apologize! I hadn't realized it came in so many different models. That one looks pretty good... it will be loud and you will need to play with it to get the air just right. Realize a case can be too well vented. My case temps go UP when I remove a side panel. It's all about the air stream.

 

[Winly]

get the E8400, maybe in the future you may OC it a lil to get a little boost. change tha video card for an ATI 4850 or 4870.

 

[DennisP]

Well, it's been awhile since I posted this. I did build but varied from my original.

Centurion 5 CAC-T05 case
Corsair 650 w PSU
Gigabyte Ep35-DS3L
E8400
Two Seagate 500GB SATA HD's
2 GB Kingston PC6400 800 DDR2
Sony SATA DVD 20X RW
Pny GeFore 8500 GT 512 Video (Intrim $49.00) until coming price drop on the current "hotties"

Decided to go with single Vid card rather than SLI combo....for what I do..any of the Single cards will more than meet my needs without any issues associated with SLI... GTX 280 ATI 4870 etc. are all possibilities....this $49 card is working just fine for what I'm doing now.

 

[Kaldor]

Looks solid. When the ATI 4870's drop in price, get one, and youll be set for a long time.