new build need advice, help and critique

[zakrell]

Hello, I would like some help please.

I would like to build a new system primarly for gaming.

I am going to overclock but I don't have a lot of experience in it, which is why I choose the Asus board. I've read where it is a little more over clocking friendly. I would like to keep an option to go crossfire with 2 PCIe X16 which I understand is only available on the X48 boards?

The card I would like to use is the 4870 X2 but I'm still deciding on brand maybe the Asus version just to match board.

Since this is my first major upgrade in years I would like a sytem that would have some upgrade availabilty I could see adding more ram and another card for crossfire. I also wanted a full tower case with no side window or doors.

Is there anything I could cut on cost. I was looking at a lesser ram but didnt know what kind works well with the Mboard. I've read where some ram and motherboards don't work together which is why I chose the cosair.

I was hoping for less expensive build but price sure adds up quick. I know I have alot into storage I could drop the velocity drive but I read where it really speeds up the system being a 10 k drive is the cost worth it ?

Thanks for any advice

My build

COOLER MASTER cosmos S $214.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 $179.99

Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB $279.99

TWO SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 1TB 3.5" $359.98

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner iHAS220-08 $29.99

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler $36.99

XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket $6.99

Three Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E Case Fans $44.97

CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W Power Supply $134 edit

ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA ATX Intel Motherboard $288.99

DIAMOND Radeon HD 4870 X2 $579.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) $268.00

LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L $149.99

vista home 64


Grand Total: close to $2,670.85

if 2,000 was your budget would you do anything different? I do need at least 2 TB storage and all but monitor.

 

[Proximon]

The velociraptor is not worth it.

There is absolutely nothing about that RAM that would make it worth that much... and indeed it is not.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197
(I'm not sure how you came up with that figure)

This would be a better choice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231194
Note the low voltage, that would cover any overclock you might do.

Running quad crossfire is also a very poor allocation of funds... you'll spend quite a bit extra (as in $600.00+) for what amounts to perhaps a 10% increase in performance.

Settle for a single 4870 with the option of a second on that board OR buy a 4870X2 and put it on a P45 board.

Either option will save you some cash.

 

[Sable Wanderer]

+1 for the g skill memory

 

[zakrell]

Edited ram price It was 134.00 might have been for 8gb for price I had

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214


I do plan on going with the 4870X2 but only one for now and possibly another in year or two when they become cheap. i dont plan on upgrading to the new intel chip unless something radical happens.

if I went for a P45 board which one would be very clocker friendly. This would be my first system I play with overclocking.

Thanks again for advice
Z

 

[Onus]

Any brand but Diamond. If I were the one buying, I'd choose Visiontek, Asus, or HIS; based on warranty, price, and cooler.
For RAM, get something that will run at its advertised timings on the JEDEC standard 1.8V. That G.Skill looks like it does, or Mushkin and A-Data both have kits that do.
Proximon's comments on better uses of cash are good too.

 

[Proximon]

This is a very good overclocking board at a great price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131296

This one might suit you:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131319

 

[Freightshaker]

My 2 cents err suggestions

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) 69.99 shipping included ***1.8volts at 4-4-4-12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 900(PC2 7200) $74.99 +6.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231211

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ***new ultra durable3*** ie more copper=less heat, stable voltage
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB

 

[rayv]

Hello all. I am new here but I have been reading your post and getting quite a bit of info.
I have a question about this new GA-Ep45UD3P from Gigabyte.

I plan on building a Quad Core Intel Core 2 using the Q6600 (any comments on Q6600 vs the Q8200 with higher FSB?)

How do I know which ram actually works with this system? I have seen the recommended memory on Gigabytes site but I have also seen others mentioning buying ram that is not on this list. I understand that some memory will not be on this list but how do you really know? The board can hold 16gb of memory but the specs on the board memory wise seem to only allow 2GB.

Can someone help me with this? Or point me in the right direction? I am building this system from the ground up and have not purchased the CPU yet so I will have no way of testing the memory until I get the cpu in the next month or so. Overclocking is not my primary concern right now but if it is safe and will not fry the board, I may dabble in it a bit. I would like (2) 4GB chips but if I have to, I will settle for (2) 2GB chips. The (2) 4's would put me on the right road for 16gb down the road but I will settle for 8gb if I have to pop in (2) 2's. I will primarily be running windows XP (32/64bit: Any comments?) with a Vista (32/64) and Linux Partition.

Thanks!