Rate My Rack

[toledo_speedo]

Building a PC for a buddy of mine in exchange for him rebuilding a transmission on an old 4x4 I use for mudding. I have a case and a 400w PSU but if I am going to OC the new CPU I might need more power. Tell me what you think:

CoolerMaster Wave Master Full Tower:
http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/cases/coolermaster/wavemaster/index.htm

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359

GPU: MSI R4670-2D512 Radeon HD 4670:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127383

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz -OC'd to 3.8GHz:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115132

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288

RAM: G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

 

[toledo_speedo]

Pay Attention to Me!

 

[slomo4sho]

First off... 2 1gb sticks of ram are better than 4 512mb sticks. 4 sticks tend to stress the board and provide no performance over 2 sticks. In fact, with the prices of 4gb so low, you should consider G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB). I would also recommend a quality PSU like the CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX.

 

[toledo_speedo]

Thanks Slomo, I have made edits reflecting your advice. is 400 Watts enough if I OC this rig?

Sorry for bumping the thread but I need to order this stuff by Friday.

 

[slomo4sho]

Yes, it is more than enough for overclocking. Get a Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120mm as well since you plan on overclocking.

 

[Proximon]

Yeah the Corsair is probably fine.

Good deal on the Antec EA650 right now. It might be way overkill, but it would last through any graphics upgrade you are going to put on that board in the future:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015&Tpk=EA650
60 bucks... hard to argue with that.

 

[toledo_speedo]

Yeah, less then a buck a Watt for a quality PSU is always tempting.

What about faster Ram?

3x Kingston HyperX 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104012

 

[Proximon]

That's not going to do anything for the build, and might be harder to boot first time with, due to voltage.. yikes 2.2V

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Why are you so interested in faster RAM and getting more than two sticks? Core2Duo CPU's aren't really affected much by RAM speed. You're much better off getting the G.Skill Black RAM Slomo4shO linked above. It's awesome RAM at a great price. It's also only two sticks, so it won't put extra stress on the motherboard.

Quality DDR2 800 RAM is all you need for that build. The E7300 has a 10x multiplier which means DDR2 800 RAM will take it all the way to 4GHz without even overclocking the RAM. You should always try to keep the FSB and RAM at a 1:1 ratio.

 

[toledo_speedo]

Why are you so interested in faster RAM?quotemsg]

No reason really, this is my first build for someone other then my family so I want it to be a kick ass system. If this goes well I might try to turn this into a for-profit hobby.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I understand wanting to make this a great computer. With the Core2Duo processors it's more important to keep the RAM at a 1:1 ratio than getting the fastest RAM you can get your hands on.

A good indication of quality RAM is low voltage (1.8v is the standard for DDR2) and tight timings. That's the reason for the G.Skill recommendation. It's DDR2 800 RAM with 4-4-4-12 timings at only 1.8v. That's about as good as it gets. Any RAM with a factory voltage over 1.8v is factory overclocked/overvolted and doesn't leave much headroom for your own overclock. RAM with a high voltage rating also runs hotter and probably won't last as long.