Final build --> any last minute changes?

[grieve]

These are my final specs...Anyone see something they would change?

Everything is comming from www.memoryexpress.com as i can drive to pick up the pieces.

$344.95
Intel Core™2 Quad Processor Q9550 2.83GHz w/ 12MB Cache
-------------------------
$199.95
Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 Silent Full Tower
----------------------------
$209.95
Asus P5Q Deluxe w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Dual GB Lan, 1394, PCI-E x16 CrossFireX
-----------------------
$89.95
Mushkin EM2-6400 Enhanced DDR2 SDRAM, 4GB Dual Pack (2 x 2GB)
-------------------------
$62.90
TWO***Liteon LH-20A1S 20x20 DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive, SATA (Retail)
Samsung SH-S223Q 22X SpeedPlus™ Serial ATA Internal DVD-Writer, Black
-------------------------
$127.90
TWO***SEAGATE 500GB Barracuda 7200.11 SATA II w/ NCQ, 32MB Cache
I like 2 small drives for dual boot, faster backup onto external drive.
-----------------------
$34.95
Scythe YD-8V08 Floppy + 18-in1 Card Reader Combo Drive, Black
-Its just easier to have a built in floppy for flashes and Ghost.
----------------------
$139.95 --> $119.95 after mail in
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Power Supply, Crossfire Edition
------------------------
$579.95
VisionTek Radeon HD4870 X2 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDTV-Out HDMI



sub total $ 1790.45
tax $ 89.52

TOTAL $1879.98

 

[modtech]

What's your budget limit? Will you be water cooling the CPU in this rig as well?

 

[grieve]

No water, wont be OC'n this machine and my budget is whatever... Around 2k is good.

*** want to keep the machine relatively quiet

 

[IH8U]

A suggestion, you want cool, and quiet.

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379007
$160 (Zalman 850W)
Fans: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7558/fan-454/Yate_Loon_120mm_x_20mm_Slim_Fan_-_Medium_Speed_D12SM-12C.html
$7 (Yate Loon 120mm)

 

[the_mystery_gamer]

You gonna be rocking the box cooler there? Throw in a Xigmatek and some OCZ Freeze or AS MX-2. Your CPU will thank you later.

 

[evongugg]

PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Power Supply, Crossfire Edition

That's a good power supply. AMD certified for Crossfire.

http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSU

For Crossfire you want a X38 or X48 motherboard. Gigabyte has some good ones.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/x48-motherboard,1941-31.html

Why 2 DVD drives?

 

[evongugg]

This is a good DVD drive:

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM

$28.00+$7.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173

 

[aevm]

I'd prefer a WD 640GB to two WD 320GB. It's cheaper. It takes a single SATA port and a single HDD slot. You can partition it with 100GB for Windows and the rest for data.

If you buy two burners make them different brands. Some reasons:
1. game copyright protections that fail on a drive may work on the other
2. if a drive burns faster and the other reads faster, or one rips audio better, etc etc., you can experiment and find out which drive is best to use for what.
3. you may get different software CDs, not two identical ones
4. media compatibility. If you buy 100 blanks and they stink on a drive, they may work fine on the other. I've seen that with Verbatim disks (fine on LG, not so fine on Plextor) or Phillips (fine on Plextor, slow on LG).

 

[aevm]

This is a good DVD drive:

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM

$28.00+$7.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173

He's in Canada, no newegg for him...

 

[dirtmountain]

If you keep the 2 320GB HDs here's a review/comparison of them
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/603
I saw that newegg is planning to open in Canada, any idea when they will do it ?

 

[ahslan]

...my budget is whatever... Around 2k is good.

LOL...god i wish i could say that...

 

[aevm]

If you keep the 2 320GB HDs here's a review/comparison of them
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/603
I saw that newegg is planning to open in Canada, any idea when they will do it ?

"Late 2008". Technically, it is already late 2008. Anyway, I'm sure they want it to be up in time for the holiday sales. I bet it will be operational by Dec 1, if not earlier.

 

[grieve]

You gonna be rocking the box cooler there? Throw in a Xigmatek and some OCZ Freeze or AS MX-2. Your CPU will thank you later.

For stock MHZ aftermarket heatsinks are not required... Yes i know i can get a decent one for around $30, but its just not needed.

 

[aevm]

You have to be careful with the P5Q Deluxe and aftermarket coolers. It has some piping that interferes with some coolers. For example the Freezer 7 Pro won't fit unless you bend a couple of fins. Funny enough, the P5Q Pro doesn't have this problem.

 

[grieve]

This is the other motherboard i was/am considering... anyone?
Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Dual GB Lan, 1394, Dual PCI-E x16 CrossFire
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX21480(ME).aspx




=========================
Changed HDD's :
$127.90
TWO***SEAGATE 500GB Barracuda 7200.11 SATA II w/ NCQ, 32MB Cache
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX19181(ME).aspx

Swapped one DVD for this:
Samsung SH-S223Q 22X SpeedPlus™ Serial ATA Internal DVD-Writer, Black
$29.95

 

[evongugg]

A good retail DVD drive from your store in Canada:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX21498(ME).aspx

 

[billin30]

What is wrong with the computer you have?

 

[grieve]

I sold it to get Nehalem... but im too impatient lol. Im using my laptop which i cant have fun gaming on.

 

[modtech]

That Gigabyte is a decent choice. Very stable and provides the best chipset Intel can currently offer.

Nehalem -according to Intel's charts- is limited to DDR3 1066. The problem may have something to do with the rumour of the CPU and RAM sharing voltage (or the voltage being very closely linked). Nehalem's lack of large L2 cache will greatly reduce it's awesomeness in gaming.

In short: Any Core2 Quad will do more than fine even after nehalem's release.

 

[aevm]

Agreed, the GA-X48-DS4 is good stuff.