Advice on a new system ~$2100

[Guest]

I'd appreciate any advice about a configuration I've put together on newegg - basically I'm looking for advice on anything that is incompatible or missing altogether or alternative recommendations (as long as they are not more expensive). I am putting everything I can think of on this list, right down to cable ties and thermal compound - basically I want to be able to build a working PC from everything on the list, and nothing else, so assume I am otherwise locked in an empty room.

Warning: I've never built a PC before, only gone as far as replacing PSU, hard drives and graphics cards, and that is it, but I am sick of dealing with Dell. I do not know anyone personally in my area that can help me with it, so I'm on my own - but I'm not a complete moron either... just lower on the related learning curve than probably anyone else here.

The total is just under $2150 at present, and do not want it to go any higher, eg: I went for a GTX285 SSC edition instead of the GTX295 as it's about $150 cheaper but not hugely less in performance, also I can always add a second one in SLI further down the line. [strike]I chose a 790i mobo and Q9650 instead of an X58 and an i7 because otherwise I'd want the i7-940 at least, which together is about $250+ more.[/strike] The PC case was actually one of the harder choices... put a huge mother on the list to allow me room to move around, heh (and the cooler is pretty big), but again, that can be changed.. so here is what I have on the list- I've but notes in italics under a few of the items:


Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16832116488


COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC Black ATX Mid Tower Case - $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194


EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188039


i7-920 Nehalem 2.66GHz Quad-Core Processor - $279.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202


COOLER MASTER V8 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835103055


EVGA GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 graphics card - $389.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130447


Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Sound Card - $75.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16829102006


OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381


CORSAIR 850TX 850W PSU - $129.99 ...is this enough power?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009


[2 x] LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - $47.98 ...price is total for 2 drives
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827136152


WD VelociRaptor 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $229.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822136322


WD Caviar 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (second/data drive) - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319


OCZ Freeze Thermal Compound - $5.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835202006


Cables Ties 4" x100 - $3.99 ...like I said, everything
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16899997010


Rosewill 45 Piece Computer Tool Kit - $19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16899261003


12" 8-pin EPS extension cable - $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812706004


8" Power Extension Cable for 24 pin ATX 2.01 Motherboards - $15.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200121




Removed / replaced items:

[strike]Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Case - $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811129043[/strike]

[strike]EVGA NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI ATX Motherboard - $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813188044[/strike]

[strike]Q9650 3.0GHz 95W Quad-Core Processor - $324.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819115130[/strike]

[strike]XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm - $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029[/strike]

[strike][2 x] G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) - $139.98 ...price is total for 2 sets = 8GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820231179[/strike]

[strike]OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365[/strike]

[strike]Thermaltake Toughpower 850W ATX12V / EPS12V PSU - $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817153062[/strike]

[strike]WD Caviar 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (second/data drive) - $74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822136320[/strike]

[strike]Arctic Silver high-density, ceramic-based thermal compound - $8.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835100012[/strike]

[strike]Scythe KM01-BK "KAZE MASTER" 5.25" Bay Fan Controller - $32.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811998038[/strike]

[strike]Intel 10/100/1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter - $23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16833106121
...do I need this even? think it's built in to 790i[/strike]




Greatly appreciate any advice!
Oh, the GTX285 comes with Call of Duty: World at War for free.. that's about $50 bonus.

 

[theAnimal]

I wouldn't recommend any SLI board except X58, so go with an i7 920. The 940 is not worth double the price, and the 920 can easily OC well past 3GHz.

Change your PSU to Corsair TX850.

Change both HDD to Caviar Black 640GB. Nearly as fast as the VR and only $5 more than the 500GB.

Try the on-board sound. You may decide you do not need a sound card.

The Xigmatech Dark Knight cools as well as the V8 for less.

Change the RAM to 3x2GB DDR3.

You don't need the NIC or the fan controller.

Change the TIM to Arctic Cooling MX-2 or OCZ Freeze.

 

[Guest]

hmmm OK you have a point there about the i7-920.. as long as I clock it up a bit:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1402398
Will check out the rest shortly, thanks.

Ok amending my first post. I can get an EVGA X58 and an i7-920 for only $50 more. I can handle that. Wish the i7-940 wasn't such a huge jump up in price. Still going through the rest.

Nice tip on the corsair - just as good and significantly cheaper. 850W should be enough for this system, right?

Keeping the Velociraptor - seen one in action and it felt a lot 'snappier' than the 7200RPM. Changing the 500 for the 640 Caviar black for a few extra $, thanks.

Definitely sticking with a sound card - doesn't have to be the XtremeGamer of course.

Xigmatech Dark Knight is about $20 less, but the bottom contact surface is not flat like the V8 (look at pics on newegg), and for the $20 the V8 looks hot (bad choice of descriptor?)

RAM changed - saved a bit there too thanks.

Unsure about the compound. Ive swapped over to the MX-2 as apparently it has almost no curing time, whereas the ceramic based one has 100-300 hours to really settle.. although it apparently also has better heat transfer and lasts longer.

hmm.. down to $2050 now.. that's better. Thanks very much Animal

Any other suggestions, or particularly anything missing. What about cable management?

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=I7-920 <==== Scroll down on that page and you will see where that cpu is bundled with the Cooler Master v8 and the MX-2 thermal compound for $325.

PS, as far as heatsinks go, the Xigmatek is right there towards the top...no matter how it looks on the bottom.

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm <====== There ya go with the heatsinks.

Cheaper SLI board down below.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128386 $209.99
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R-SLI LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

btw, that raptor barley has it over the WD640 black edition. It seems like a lot of money for not much gain.

 

[EQPlayer]

hmmm OK you have a point there about the i7-920.. as long as I clock it up a bit:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1402398
Will check out the rest shortly, thanks.

Ok amending my first post. I can get an EVGA X58 and an i7-920 for only $50 more. I can handle that. Wish the i7-940 wasn't such a huge jump up in price. Still going through the rest.

Nice tip on the corsair - just as good and significantly cheaper. 850W should be enough for this system, right?

Keeping the Velociraptor - seen one in action and it felt a lot 'snappier' than the 7200RPM. Changing the 500 for the 640 Caviar black for a few extra $, thanks.

Definitely sticking with a sound card - doesn't have to be the XtremeGamer of course.

Xigmatech Dark Knight is about $20 less, but the bottom contact surface is not flat like the V8 (look at pics on newegg), and for the $20 the V8 looks hot (bad choice of descriptor?)

RAM changed - saved a bit there too thanks.

Unsure about the compound. Ive swapped over to the MX-2 as apparently it has almost no curing time, whereas the ceramic based one has 100-300 hours to really settle.. although it apparently also has better heat transfer and lasts longer.

hmm.. down to $2050 now.. that's better. Thanks very much Animal

Any other suggestions, or particularly anything missing. What about cable management?

Don't worry about not getting the 940 over the 920. There is absolutely NO reason to get the 940 or even the 965... the 920 can get to 3.8GHz, sometimes even as far as 4GHz on air, without any need for the 965's fancy unlocked multiplier, not to mention it's 1k pricetag.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for those links Why_Me - given me more to think about. Surprised the V8 wasn't on that list - from what I've read it does a pretty good job. Yeah the Velociraptor is a lot of $ for what it is - that's $150 right there that could go towards something else.. will have to think some more about it..

Quite right EQPlayer - That's some humongous (and not really warranted) price jumps from i7-920 to 940 to 965. Heck, I'll be happy with the 920 at 3GHz. Then again, if I drop the velociraptor I could squeeze in an i7-940 almost.. but nah, waste of money when I'm working on a budget.

Anything that might be missing out of that lot? Again, imagine I'll be in a locked room and will have only what is on this list to assemble the PC (assume I already have mouse, keyboard and monitor). BTW I use a 1680 x 1050 res WS monitor.

Is that Antec 1200 case overkill? Do I need some sort of support for the cooler?

Thanks again, really appreciate the advice.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for those links Why_Me - given me more to think about. Surprised the V8 wasn't on that list - from what I've read it does a pretty good job. Yeah the Velociraptor is a lot of $ for what it is - that's $150 right there that could go towards something else.. will have to think some more about it..

Quite right EQPlayer - That's some humongous (and not really warranted) price jumps from i7-920 to 940 to 965. Heck, I'll be happy with the 920 at 3GHz. Then again, if I drop the velociraptor I could squeeze in an i7-940 almost.. but nah, waste of money when I'm working on a budget.

Anything that might be missing out of that lot? Again, imagine I'll be in a locked room and will have only what is on this list to assemble the PC (assume I already have mouse, keyboard and monitor). BTW I use a 1680 x 1050 res WS monitor. Is that Antec 1200 case overkill?

Thanks again, really appreciate the advice.

Well if I was to do that build, I would do something like this down below. It cuts the price down, yet you still get a great rig.

btw, the back plate and LGA 1366 bracket comes packaged with that Xigmatek.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.176943 Combo Discount: -$40.00 Combo Price: $239.98 $20.00 Mail-In Rebate
1. CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
2. COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KKN1-GP Black ABS Bezel, SECC Body ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128386 $209.99
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R-SLI LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=I7-920 $265.99 Free Ground Shipping
Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU, OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029 $39.99
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125255 $339.99 ($309.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)
GIGABYTE GV-N285-1GH-B GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231247 $99.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $23.99 Free Shipping*
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=N82E16832116488 $99.99 Free Shipping*
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

Total: $1,406.57 *(not including shipping and rebates) $50 in mail in rebates

 

[rescawen]

I'd get a i7 965 and a EVGA sli with a stock GTX 285 and OCing it ur self. Get 3 gigs of 1333 mhz ram and OC it.

Ending up at around 2k

 

[Why_Me]

I'd get a i7 965 and a EVGA sli with a stock GTX 285 and OCing it ur self. Get 3 gigs of 1333 mhz ram and OC it.

Ending up at around 2k

-1 for that post.

 

[EQPlayer]

Thanks for those links Why_Me - given me more to think about. Surprised the V8 wasn't on that list - from what I've read it does a pretty good job. Yeah the Velociraptor is a lot of $ for what it is - that's $150 right there that could go towards something else.. will have to think some more about it..

Quite right EQPlayer - That's some humongous (and not really warranted) price jumps from i7-920 to 940 to 965. Heck, I'll be happy with the 920 at 3GHz. Then again, if I drop the velociraptor I could squeeze in an i7-940 almost.. but nah, waste of money when I'm working on a budget.

Anything that might be missing out of that lot? Again, imagine I'll be in a locked room and will have only what is on this list to assemble the PC (assume I already have mouse, keyboard and monitor). BTW I use a 1680 x 1050 res WS monitor.

Is that Antec 1200 case overkill? Do I need some sort of support for the cooler?

Thanks again, really appreciate the advice.

I've got an Antec 1200, and all I have to say is that I love it. Yes, it's huge, and yes, it's heavy, but still, I <3 it so very much. As for a support for the heatsink... A) There's no such thing and B) No, you don't. The V8's good, but honestly, the Xigmatek uhh... what is it called... S1283? Or something like that... it's better. Plus the Dark Knight version is just as sexy, imho. Also look into getting a TRUE, or a TRUE Black for further sexiness. They're basically the best thing short of watercooling.

 

[WR2]

Is that Antec 1200 case overkill? Do I need some sort of support for the cooler?

A rear bracket on the underside will help take stress off the MB from the big, heavy coolers. You'll be fine unless you get rowdy moving the case around.

That Antec 1200 is an excellent full tower case.
As an option compare it against the new Cooler Master Storm Sniper mid tower case
Don't let the "mid tower" fool you - the CM Storm Sniper is just about the same size as the Antec 1200.
CM Storm Sniper = 22" x 10" x 21.7" Antec 1200 = 22.9" x 8.4" x 20.2"
It's $30 less with some nice features like a fan speed controller on the front panel and a switch to turn off the LED fan lights. Also have some very nice cable management options. CM Storm Sniper @ Legit Reviews

 

[WR2]

Here is a review of some of the different thermal compound choices. HardwareLogic Thermal Compound Round-Up

 

[Guest]

WR2 thanks for that thermal link, some good info there. I've switched to the OCZ Freeze thermal compound as a result.

WR2 holy cr@p that CoolerMaster 'mid' case is as big if not bigger than the Antec 1200 full size! Not so keen on those feet on it though, so think I'll stick with the Antec. I've added a 12" 8-pin extension and a 8" 24-pin extension cable to the list just because the Antec 1200 is so big, that way I can be sure there's enough length to run wiring behind the mobo where it's all hidden.

EQPlayer and WR2, ok I'm convinced. Switched to the XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm. As mentioned, it comes with a backplate for extra support too. List amended accordingly. Damn that V8 looks way sexy though, but this is pretty sweet too.

Note - there's some combo deals with a few items on my list I have not noted here because you can only put them in your basket at newegg, not your wish list, which is what I'm working out of.

Why-Me, still looking through some more of those links, thanks so much for all that! The EVGA GTX285 I have on my list now is part of a combo deal with something else so I'll stick with it.. also stock it's a bit faster clock than the Gigabyte GTX285

Why_Me, the OSZ Gold RAM is down to $84.99 now with rebate if you chose the G.Skill because of price. The heat spreaders on the G.Skill look kind of scary to me - wonder if they'd get in the way. Then again, it is an Antec 1200 cave.

Jury's still out on the Veliociraptor. I like it, but $150 extra for some added HD snappiness... hmm.

Damn I'm so pleased this is looking like a much better config than what I was going to get from Dell (custom XPS630i) and yet it's cheaper!

Thanks again everyone, this is awesome.. system really coming together now. Again, anything else? (remember, pretend I'm in a locked room and only have the items on this list to assemble the PC - including tools). I've read some people put thin foam padding under the mobo mounts and same with PSU and drives, just to soften any vibration.. is that a good move? any links to appropriate material (preferably via newegg). Cheers.

 

[WR2]

WR2 thanks for that thermal link, some good info there. I've switched to the OCZ Freeze thermal compound as a result.

WR2 holy cr@p that CoolerMaster 'mid' case is as big if not bigger than the Antec 1200 full size! Not so keen on those feet on it though, so think I'll stick with the Antec.

You have your choice of "feet" to the CM Sniper case. From that review:
Looking at the bottom of the Sniper we have yet more vents. The feet of the Sniper are server style feet with a neoprene base to prevent sliding around on smooth surfaces. Now, if this is not your liking Cooler Master also includes a replacement set of standard rubber feet; this also shortens the overall height almost an inch.

I like the idea of the cable extensions - gives you more flexibility for cable management, no matter what case you get.

Antec 1200 review

 

[Guest]

You have your choice of "feet" to the CM Sniper case. From that review:
Looking at the bottom of the Sniper we have yet more vents. The feet of the Sniper are server style feet with a neoprene base to prevent sliding around on smooth surfaces. Now, if this is not your liking Cooler Master also includes a replacement set of standard rubber feet; this also shortens the overall height almost an inch.

Thanks I didn't realize that! It's certainly a nice looking case - looks like it means serious business, if you know what I mean. Tempting, but the insane amount of airflow on the Antec 1200 has me still leaning in that direction.. plus there's something about the all black interior that's appealing too.

 

[WR2]

Nothing wrong with knowing what you want. A case can be a highly personal choice. For me the option to dial back the fan speed when not 3D gaming and turning off the fan LEDs would be more appealing.

the insane amount of airflow on the Antec 1200 has me still leaning in that direction.. plus there's something about the all black interior that's appealing too.

The amount of airflow inside a case only has to be enough to change out the heated air inside the case fairly rapidly. Higher airflow doesn't always mean significantly better temps. There are tons of 2 & 3 fan cases out there that do really well in case cooling.

 

[Why_Me]

That Storm Sniper is set up to run another 200mm fan, and 2 x 120mm fans. Get two el cheapo 120mm fans, and one more 200mm case fan, and you have a ton of fans. Like WR2 said, I have seen cases with tons of fans but crap airflow. This storm sniper has lots of ventilation. But if you load that thing up with all the fans it's set up for, that would give you like ...christ let's see... 3 x 200mm fans, and ...like 3 or 4 120mm fans. Not sure, but I know it's a lot.

 

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with knowing what you want. A case can be a highly personal choice. For me the option to dial back the fan speed when not 3D gaming and turning off the fan LEDs would be more appealing.

The amount of airflow inside a case only has to be enough to change out the heated air inside the case fairly rapidly. Higher airflow doesn't always mean significantly better temps. There are tons of 2 & 3 fan cases out there that do really well in case cooling.

Wow, again great points. Flashy lighting is not important to me at all. Actually, something lurking menacingly in the corner is far more appealing to me than a bright neon traffic-light attention whore. Those feet were a big aesthetic issue for me, but you've resolved that one. There is no issue with width and headroom for the Dark Knight cooler.. in fact there's a few inches to spare.. not sure why they call it a mid-case with those dimensions.

I don't intend to have the case sitting on the floor, so sucking up dust through the bottom is not an issue.

There's a heck of a lot of mesh on the Sniper - helps airflow, but wonder how the noise level will be with all that open mesh? That's my biggest concern now.

I may end up flipping a coin over this.

And yeah Why_me, the Sniper can be loaded it up with additional fans I see, on almost every surface!

 

[Why_Me]

Wow, again great points. Flashy lighting is not important to me at all. Actually, something lurking menacingly in the corner is far more appealing to me than a bright neon traffic-light attention whore. Those feet were a big aesthetic issue for me, but you've resolved that one. There is no issue with width and headroom for the Dark Knight cooler.. in fact there's a few inches to spare.. not sure why they call it a mid-case with those dimensions.

I don't intend to have the case sitting on the floor, so sucking up dust through the bottom is not an issue.

There's a heck of a lot of mesh on the Sniper - helps airflow, but wonder how the noise level will be? That's my biggest concern now.

I may end up flipping a coin over this.

Thanks again for your advice.

It comes with an external fan control. Just turn down your fans (check your temps), until you find the sweet spot.

 

[Guest]

I see a comment on newegg that someone has 2 GTX285 (SLI) in it, and they fit with plenty of room to spare. That's good to know. Surprisingly, several people comment that it's actually pretty quiet (assuming your graphics card or CPU cooling fans don't scream). Fine. I'll flip a coin then.

Ok, just flipped a coin. Fate decided. The Sniper won. LOL.

 

[Guest]

On further research, I've switched back to the V8 cooler, for a couple of reasons:

Noise level is one, particularly with the Sniper case - the V8 runs at 17-21dBA max, the Dark Knight at 30.1dBA max (I really want to keep noise to a minimum as the case will be sitting on top of a 2-drawer filing cabinet right next to my desk, so it'll be like not even 3 feet from my right ear).
I read someone with the same mobo had issues with the Dark Knight partially blocking a RAM slot. Not so with the V8 (sits higher). Big concern.
The V8 is a little heavier and not quite as effective as the Dark Knight, but it's still a very good cooler.
I like the flat contact surface of the V8, as opposed to the Dark Knight, as well as the V8 not having that black nickel coating.

Ok looks like we're just about there. I'm sooo glad I came to these forums, you've been awesome!

Again, anything else I may be missing before I order this? Anything at all, even contingency if it's inexpensive - don't want to be halfway through and have to stop and wait for parts. Anyone have any comments about some sort of foam padding as I mentioned a couple of posts ago?

 

[EQPlayer]

Nothing wrong with knowing what you want. A case can be a highly personal choice. For me the option to dial back the fan speed when not 3D gaming and turning off the fan LEDs would be more appealing.

The amount of airflow inside a case only has to be enough to change out the heated air inside the case fairly rapidly. Higher airflow doesn't always mean significantly better temps. There are tons of 2 & 3 fan cases out there that do really well in case cooling.

The Antec 1200 has fan speed controllers as well, and you can turn off the LEDs on some of the fans.

 

[theAnimal]

On further research, I've switched back to the V8 cooler, for a couple of reasons:

Noise level is one, particularly with the Sniper case - the V8 runs at 17-21dBA max, the Dark Knight at 30.1dBA max (I really want to keep noise to a minimum as the case will be sitting on top of a 2-drawer filing cabinet right next to my desk, so it'll be like not even 3 feet from my right ear).
I read someone with the same mobo had issues with the Dark Knight partially blocking a RAM slot. Not so with the V8 (sits higher). Big concern.
The V8 is a little heavier and not quite as effective as the Dark Knight, but it's still a very good cooler.
I like the flat contact surface of the V8, as opposed to the Dark Knight, as well as the V8 not having that black nickel coating.

Manufacturer dBA ratings are generally very optimistic. According to Frostytech the Xigmatech is 49.6 and the CM is 52.6. If noise is a concern the Noctua NH-U12P is quieter (40.7) and cools as well as the other two.

 

[Guest]

Manufacturer dBA ratings are generally very optimistic. According to Frostytech the Xigmatech is 49.6 and the CM is 52.6. If noise is a concern the Noctua NH-U12P is quieter (40.7) and cools as well as the other two.

LOL frustrating. I found another site which tests a bunch of high-level 1366 coolers - http://www.legitreviews.com/article/880/1/ -, including a couple of Noctuas, the V8, Thermalright Ultra 120 (it weighs over 1kg!), Vigor Monsoon and a couple more.. there is a RAM clearance issue with almost all of them (something I mentioned way back up there) except the Noctua NF-C12P, which is the one with the top mounted fan. Why oh why did they choose, of all things, a brown fan with skin colored casing?? Not pretty. Fortunately someone with the EVGA board I'm getting said the V8 had no clearance issues, so that's a positive. Researching some more - thanks for the tip about actual sound output.

edit: Murphy's Law. The one setup that didn't have clearance issues with their testing board (the very quiet Noctua NF-C12P) does not come with the 1366 mounting kit, and newegg doesn't have it either. You have to contact the manufacturers in Austria with proof of purchase and they'll send one to you for free.. several weeks later. Forget it. Still looking.

 

[EQPlayer]

They only have clearance issues if you're using RAM with tall heatsinks.