My next build... what do ya guys think??

[MDMA]

Sup guys? Ive decided to build a pc that will be used for strictly heavy gaming. Nothing to extreme just a decent mid range build. I plan on running Windows Vista Ultimate 64 Bit and want to go SLI in the near future. I would like some of you more experienced builders to gimme a second opinion on the build.

Case - Thermaltake Armor Extreme Edition VA8004BWS Black 1.0mm SECC Chassis/ Aluminum Front Bezel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail [$159.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133037)

CD Drive - Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DVR-213LS - Retail [$59.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129029)

HD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM [$159.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148274)

PSU - KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-800MA1S 800W ATX / BTX SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Power Supply - Retail [$159.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121026)

GPU - EVGA 01G-P3-1284-AR GeForce GTX 280 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail [$499.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130368)

RAM - CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5D - Retail (x2 for a total of 4GB) [$178.50]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145043)

MOBO - ASUS Striker II Formula LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail [$299.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131255)

CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9650 - Retail [$554.99]
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115130)

Total ***$$2,073.43***

 

[cal8949]

ok all the specs are compatible but there is some things you can do to save money and get better stability with no or little performance lost.

first thing if your spending $500 on a videocard you should just go for a ati 4870x2 it will blow the gtx280 out of the water and is comparable to 2 gtx280 in sli or sometimes better.

i would just get the qx9550 it $230 cheaper then the qx9650 and only 0.17 ghz slower. just get a nice cooling setup and overclock it to 3.6ghz

next if you get the 4870x2 get a intel motherboard with crossfire support they are far more stable. go with the asus formula rampage one of the best boards on the market

i would just get the qx9550 it $230 cheaper then the qx9650 and only 0.17 ghz slower. just get a nice cooling setup and overclock it to 3.6ghz


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121269
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

 

[julius]

Alot of these components are too pricey for what you get. Save 200, and get a q9550, which will still give you plenty of speed, and probably oc to the same point that the q9650 will. you should get 2 2gb sticks instead of 4 1gb, http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000147%201052315794%201052420643&Description=4gb&bop=And&Order=PRICE same price, but you don't have to gamble on a rebate, and the specs are the same. don't get a 780i board, as nvidia boards are not great with quad core overclocks, they struggle with high fsb, which will be a necessity whether you get a q9650 or q9550. Get a good x48 intel board instead http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=x48&bop=And&Order=RATING. instead of that gtx280, grab a 4870x2, and you will be able to cf 2 them later on, while also being on a good chipset like x48, instead of nvidia's crappy chipset. why blow 60 bucks on that burner, when you can get the exact same thing for less than 40? You'd also want a cpu cooler, http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=xigmatek&x=0&y=0 cheap and keeps up with a true or a tuniq tower with ease. that kingwin psu is decent, but I would go with something a bit less flashy but with a better rep http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379007.

 

[MDMA]

Any suggestions for an nVidia setup? Not a fan of ATi personally.

 

[cal8949]

you should get 2 2gb sticks instead of 4 1gb, .

yeah 2x2gb is the way to go 2 sticks produce less heat then 4 and you still have to upgrade slots for the future

 

[julius]

if you like poor chipsets, and less gpu performance, be my guest... won't really bother doing anymore work for a fanboy...

 

[cal8949]

Any suggestions for an nVidia setup? Not a fan of ATi personally.

well your setup is good for an nvidia setup your just not getting the best deal on the videocard and if this is your first nvidia chipset you'll learn that it takes a bit more time messing with settings to get a stable system

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST BUILD I STRONGLY DISCOURAGE GETTING A NVIDIA MOTHERBOARD.

i got a 680i board to run with a quad core i rma'd that board 2 times and changed to a diffrent board and had to rma that. i sold that motherboard and now im happy with my x38

 

[MDMA]

if you like poor chipsets, and less gpu performance, be my guest... won't really bother doing anymore work for a fanboy...

All i asked was ask a suggestion for an nvidia setup... Im sure u have ur preferences too

 

[cal8949]

All i asked was ask a suggestion for an nvidia setup... Im sure u have ur preferences too

if you really want a nvidia setup go for a gtx260 and dont plan on overclocking that cpu to its full potential


personally i love nvidia graphics cards and i love evga but its the smartest to go with ati cards price/performance wise.

 

[julius]

yes, i have preferences for performance... i'm not a fan of nvidia or intel, but I didn't act against my best interests and get an amd/ati system when a q6600 and 8800gt was miles ahead of a phenom and a 3870... i'm not going to go against common sense, and recommend you a system that will not be the best possible, because of some silly brand bias you have. i've had 2 ati cards, and 2 nvidia, and i've never had an issue with any of them.