Looking for some Help

[gordohk]

Any suggestions will be helpful. Looking to build my first gaming rig with the following:

Intel Core 2 duo E8400
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45
Antec 900 mid tower
WD caviar blk 500 gb HD
Corsair CMPSU 750tx
evga 512 p3 n975 ar geforec 9800 gt 512 mb
artic cooling freezer pro 92 mm cpu cooler
ocz reaper hpc edition 4 gb (2x2gb) 240 pin ddr2 800

plan on using xp pro

newegg priced @ 835.91 before shipping

 

[Outlander_04]

The only reason to use 4 gig of RAM on 32 bit XP is because you know you will upgrade to windows 7 64 bit before you change hardware

The 640 gig WD drive is faster .
Id install a second hard drive for data back up

 

[Proximon]

It's a nice start.

You are getting a crossfire capable board. You should also get a crossfire capable video card. The 4850 is only a bit more and is a good bit faster:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121272

For $10 more you can have the best air CPU cooler, and it's just about as easy to install. comes with everything you need:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004

Since you have such a nice MB, case, and cooler there will be no reason for you to avoid overclocking. I would not choose that RAM though, in this case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731
Far lower voltage.

You can hit 3.6Ghz (20%) OC without really trying with this setup. Any further and you might need to spend a bit more on RAM.

I want to stress to you that overclocking that CPU is not the risk it once was, with older CPUs. The performance gains will be huge. Just ask after everything is set up and running well.

 

[gordohk]

thanks for your suggestions. I changed the HD to the WD 640 gb. Switched the RAM and cooler as suggested by Proximon.

Couple of questions:

How hard is it to install the Sunbeam cooler relative to the Artic Freezer 7?

I looked at the 4850 and the 4870 vs 9800 GT, probably won't use crossfire for a while (at least not now). The deal maker is the free copy of Far Cry 2. Is there a huge difference between the 4850 and the 9800 GT ( budget may eliminate the 4870)? And is the 4850 better than 9800 GT w/ free copy of Far Cry 2?

Also I've never oc'd anything, but may with this new rig.

 

[superfuzzy]

The only reason to use 4 gig of RAM on 32 bit XP is because you know you will upgrade to windows 7 64 bit before you change hardware ...

I don't think this is exactly true. On board graphics takes away 2x the allocated memory right off the top, for example. 32bit OS can't use the full 4GB but can access over 3GB.

 

[Proximon]

The Sunbeam is not too hard. I would say that it's easier to get right than the AF7, because the AF7 uses the standard push-pin system used by Intel, which is prone to failure/user error.
Once you have the kit assembled and the mount installed on the MB, the Sunbeam clips on similar to an AMD type of system.

That's a tough call on the video card. The truth is that everyone has their own comfort range for video cards.

The following is a bit wordy, but I wanted to provide some personal experience in hopes that it helps:

-------
I myself had an 8800GT, purchased earlier this year because I was not happy with performance in general from my 7900GT and because AoC was too much for the old card. 8800GT and 9800GT are the same speed, and I use a 1680X1050 monitor.

By November I was feeling the need to upgrade again. Nothing wrong with the 8800/9800GT, but for me, I feel like it hovers around the acceptable frame rate range. Good average frame rates, but a few too many low spots in shooters.

When I went shopping for a video card, I had two options: GTX 260 Core 216 (w/Far Cry 2) and 4870. The cards were very similar in speed, and I was interested in Far Cry 2, but I ended up with the 4870 because:

1) I own a crossfire board
2) The power demands of a 4870 are lower than GTX 260
3) I really have too many games to play already. WOTLK, COD WAW, Crysis Warhead, etc.
-----

The 4850 IS the best bang-for-the-buck card you can get. It's a clear step up from the 9800GT. You will probably have to turn down graphics in Far Cry 2 a bit more with the 9800GT than the 4850, but you could probably find some fairly satisfying settings.

 

[gordohk]

Thanks for all the repsonses. And thanks to Proximon, your guide was very helpful. Cheers