Finalizing my new system (help me and win prizes!)
 

So I've been thinking of building a new computer for a while now. I've never done this before, so I need a little advise. Basically, it will be used for high-end gaming, video and audio editing/mastering/creating, multimedia, office, porn, and multitasking. My budget is around $2000 (excluding monitor), but it can be stretched if it absolutely needs to be.

As a little insentive for you to aid my quest, I will be giving out fabulous prizes to whoever I feel have helped me the most. I haven't determined what the prizes are yet, but the will be more valuable than veggie-mite. There will probably be 2-3 prizes, and I will decide who gets what once my rig is built.

I've decided to buy the parts around boxing day for a number of reasons. I should be able to snag some sales, and by then the Core2Duo chips might be a little cheaper. I'm not worried about DX10 right now, because I am not an early adopter. As such, this will be a DX9 machine.

Here is a run-down of what I'm looking at right now:

Tower:
Thermaltake Swing Black with Side Window. Not much to be said here.

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600.
I'm pretty set on this. I had to swallow my pride to switch to Intel, but it looks like this is the best bang for your buck right now. The E6700 is about $200 more for a mere 259mhz difference, whereas the E6400 has half the L2 cache.

Video Card:
This is the big one. At this point I ask myself if its worth it to spend a couple hundred more for a Nvidia 8*** card, or stick with a nice DX9 card. Like I said before, I won't be upgrading to DX10 for a long while, so I can always upgrade at a later date, when prices go down. Right now though, I'm looking at this:
ATI Radeon X1959 XTX. It is the fastest DX9 card available, and packs quite a powerfull punch for its pricetag. My only concers are thus: I would like to stick with ATI, because the cards will support AA and HDR at the same time. However, I'm not sure if the monitor I am thinking of getting will support 1:1 resolutions from 4:3 sources on ATI cards (although this is another matter).

Hard Drive:
Shouldn't be a biggie. A friend is offering to sell me two 200GB Seagate Barracudas for $120 total. I'll throw these into a RAID-0 config to get SATA2 speeds with 400GB.

RAM:
So many choices! I know I want 2GB, PC2-6400, and I'd like some fairly quick timings. The OCZ Gold XTC PC2-6400 sticks seem like a good buy, but then again I don't know too much about different RAM makes. Any suggestions here would be appreciated.

Motherboard:
I haven't done alot of research here, but I know I want this much:

• SATA
• RAID
• Socket LGA-775
• 2 PCI-E slots (Incase I want to Crossfire/SLI in the future)
• 2 Gigabit LAN ports

Any other nifty extras would be nice, but not necessary. I have a few questions: Can I get a board that will do both Crossfire and SLI, or will I need a seperate board? Do I need a special board for DX10 cards?

PSU:
No fucking clue.

Monitor:
As it stands now, I will probably be getting the Dell 2407. Check out this thread for more info.

Keyboard, mouse, soundcard, disc drives, cooling, and other things are secondary, and I can get those later.

If anybody can reccomend any parts, deals, ideas, or anything I will most grateful. Again, I've never build something from the ground up, so I will be needing all the help I can get. I need to make sure all this stuff will be compatable with everything else.

Thanks once again!

It would be a mistake to build a new system and not get an 8800, just my opinion though. You do want it to last as long as possible, right?

Yeah, I'd like it to last a long while. The reason I'm not jumping into DX10 right away is the same reason I'm not jumping into Crossfire/SLI; I don't want to adopt bleeding edge technology. It would be wise to wait for the bugs to iron themselves out, and a high-end DX9 card will undeniably deliver amazing visuals (they may not be the best I could get, but who cares).

So When do you plan on building this? If it's now, then it looks good to me. I'd still rather wait for some DX10 so that you don't have to upgrade soon. It doesn't have to be the GeForce 8800, but a midrange DX10 card would work just fine. (I'm assuming there's going to be a GeForce 8600 of some sort).

But that's just my opinion. That computer will serve you very well for quite a while.

I really think you should look at getting the 8800GTS. I mean, at 1920x1200, you are gonna need horsepower. Most sites don't recommend anything less than a Crossfire/SLI setup for that resolution. For example, look at the difference between the settings @ 1920x1200 in Oblivion between the X1950XTX and the 8800GTS. 8800GTS has all settings maxed out, HDR + AA, and it is running faster than the X1950XTX, while the X1950XTX has many features turned way down. And thats performance with DX9 games. You can get a 8800GTS for as low as $489 (with a copy of Dark Messiah of Might&Magic) or a X1950XTX for $389 with mail-in-rebate.

It doesn't matter how well the 8800GTS runs DX10, at the least it can run DX10. But that is mostly just a bonus because the 8800GTS will provide significantly better performance for your DX9 games @ 1920x1200. Definitely worth the extra $100 when you have a 1920x1200 display. Not only that, but GTSs have been overclocking very well and reaching GTX performance easily. Also, putting these in SLI would give uber-performance some day. It's much more future proof and wise than the X1950XTX.

If you plan on getting SLI/Crossfire someday, look here -> SLI PSUs <- and choose a PSU based on how much you plan to put on it. SLI certified is not necessary, but there are so many of them out there now, that you can choose one that is a good value. At the least, it's a great place to start so you can find what you need.

As to the motherboard, I believe there are a few that do either SLI or Crossfire. Can't remember what they are though. I'll get back to you.

RAM looks good. OCZ is a good brand.

Good choice on the CPU. Kairyu might disagree that the extra L2 cache doesn't make the difference, but I say otherwise. Kairyu overclocked (3.2GHz) past E6800 speeds yet didn't even beat my buddy's stock E6700 in terms of performance. The cache DOES make a huge difference.

Seriously roflin' at the 8800 suggestions. The card is brand new but is already outdated. Come February, the new revision of that card, the 8900, will be released. It will sport wicked fast DDR4 memory and faster clock speeds and probably for the same price. They did the same thing with the 7800/7900. It's meant to be released at the same time as ATI's new R600-based card, so you could pick up your ATI then. :)

For now, you could pick up a cheap PCI-E card to tide you through winter.

As much as I trust RAID-0 configurations, make sure you back up your most important information. I run a small file server with RAID-1 for total security because I keep client's web sites and personal files. You could run two drives in RAID-0 and two others in RAID-1 on the same motherboard if you even wanted.

I would recommend going with Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400. It's known to be more stable, and operates at a standard lower voltage and is a great overclocker. Both me and my buddy use the stuff, after he RMA'd his OCZ.
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=CORSAIR

Also, take note that RAM prices are fairly volatile right now for some reason.

No special board is needed for DX10. I'd recommend the Intel D975XBX, AKA the BadAxe. It's the most stable Conroe board, period yet can overclock just as good as any of the other boards. There is the ASUS which is about $30 cheaper, but from my friend's testing, has a bunch of weird instabilities. This board has all of those features that you listed. And I see that you are looking for Dual gigabit ports, which isn't a feature of the BadAxe, but adding a NIC shouldn't be much of a problem.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=ENERMAX
A very good power supply by a reliable manufacturer. Since you're worried about Crossfire/SLI, you'll need something with some decent wattage and amperage. Best of both worlds here. The cables are modular too for good cable management. :)

I usually agree with you Render, but I have to disagree with you here. Even when the 8900s come out (which we don't know when they will release) that won't make an 8800GTS obsolete. Also no one really knows what R600 holds, when it will be here, or how much it will cost. Later, he will have the choice to either buy a second 8800GTS at a lower price than now, and SLI 'em (which will be faster than a 8900GTX), or to resell it for a bit of a loss and pick a newer card.

This might be the best option.
But then again, buying a $100-200 card and upgrading later has got to be worse than buying a 8800 now and selling later for $100 less than it was purchased for later.

Either that or wait till about Feb-April for the whole upgrade. Quad-core, 8900s and R600 will all be coming out about then, and Vista will be out. If you want way cutting edge, high-end and future-proof, waiting till then might be the best bet. Otherwise, I say pick up what is best right now, and plan to ride that machine for 1.5 years. A Core2Duo with 8800GTS should last you well into 2008 no matter what comes out in Spring '07, or Winter '07 for that matter. I'm sure Crysis/Alan Wake will run fine on a C2D 8800GTS system, and these are the most intensive games coming '08.

I guess I'll start with the video card, as that will be the most fickle part. Oh, and I must mention, that I am in Canada, so parts will be more expensive for me to obtain.

I took a look at those results, and I am amazed. When I was originally thinking of getting an X1950 XTX, I didn't have a 1920x1200 display in mind. But now that I do, it is clear that I will need something with a little more power. I probably should go for a DX10 card, now that I look at it. There is a significant performance increase between the 8800GTS and the 8800GTX, but it comes with a $200 price difference. Seeing as the 8800GTS is the same price as the X1950XTX, this is probably the best option. You say that it can be overclocked to 8800GTX speeds, but I don't think I want to get into overclocking just yet.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I thought about that, that way I would have super fast HD speeds as well as automatic backup. That would add alot more to the cost, though. I've never had a HD failure in the past, so I think I will take my chances. I always have a 150GB external which I could automatically backup certain directories to each day.

[QUOTE=Render]I would recommend going with Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400. It's known to be more stable, and operates at a standard lower voltage and is a great overclocker. Both me and my buddy use the stuff, after he RMA'd his OCZ.
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=CORSAIR
I'm not an overclocker, so the only real advantage I see is that this RAM has lower timings. It may be worth the extra $50, but I'll take a look at prices closer to boxing day.

This board looks nice, but now that I am thinking of switching to Nvidia, it won't work. This isn't a final decision, though, so I'll keep this board in mind.

I was thinking the same. An 8800GTS will tide me through for atleast next year, and by that time, a $500 upgrade to an SLI'd 8800 configuration will be tough to beat.

I've been putting this off for long enough. I keep telling myself to wait untill the next thing comes out, so I don't get stuck in the past. However, if I keep doing that, I won't get anywhere. I just need to jump in, and this winter looks like the best time (I'm not planning on getting Vista untill atleast a few months after its release).

Just a couple questions: In order to use DX10, I must be using Vista, correct?
Also, should I pay attention to the relationships between the motherboard's FSB mhz, the RAM's mhz, and the videocard's mhz? Also, it seems that Nvidia has fixed the issue with AA + HDR with their DX10 cards. Atleast, it seemed that way from the HardOCP review. Can anyone confirm?

I am positively overwhelmed at the amount of support you people are giving me. Thanks so much!

First off, I agree with your thoughts. Upgrade now, it'll be worth it and you'll love your new system. The 8800GTS will do quite nicely for you.

DX10 = Vista. There will be no DX10 for WindowsXP.

Pay attention to the RAM and Motherboard compatabilities (eg. DDR2-800, 667, etc). GPU Mhz doesn't really matter for compatabilities.

Nvidia's default AF is better than ATI's HQ AF, and yes the 8800s do HDR+AA, and their AA is better quality.

If you're going to SLI, then you might want to consider a motherboard with the nVidia nForce 680i chipset. Dual gigabit ethernet ports and all the other bells an whistles. It's supposed to be just as fast as the 975X chipset.

And I'm still disagreeing on the video card upgrade. Either the 8900 or the R600 is going to premiere in February - March and will be a significant upgrade over the 8800 for no increase in price. It's not even like there's a DX10 game to run in the meantime, so a cheapo card like a 7600GT would tide you over until the new cards come.

For those who know, the 8800 is most likely going to go the way of the FX5900.

DX10 is only Vista. I WISH they would just give XP support, but we all know that won't happen.

And, yes, you should be making note of your FSB to DRAM ratio. But if you aren't going to overclock, it shouldn't be a problem. Running an E6600 and PC2-6400, your FSB to DRAM ratio will be 533/800. This means you have a lot of headroom in terms of memory bandwidth, so if you wanted to overclock or get a faster CPU in the future, you won't be limited by the speed of your memory.

But when that time comes, the 8800 will still provide an amazing gameplay experience. By around May, I could buy another 8800, SLI them, and have something that is insanely better than a single 8900. Also, if I am going to be using a 1620x1200 display, I need a card that will deliver at that resolution. The best option here is the 8800.

What happened to the FX5900, and why do you think that?

Sounds good, thanks for the tip.

I second the 680i NForce board. So far they are supposedly the best new thang. Although we aren't seeing them with great overclocking yet initial results from various sources have been good.

@Render-

What I don't get is how buying and throwing away a $150 7600GT (that can't run games well at 1920x1200) is better than buying a $500 8800GTS and then selling it in March for $350? Even if you don't throw it away, you can't sell a 7600GT in March but for $50 maybe (since 8600s will be out). It seems to me even if the 8800GTS (which is faster by large percentages than other current hardware) becomes obsolete in a few months, the buying it and selling it gives him great performance for 4 months at the same cost. And if it doesn't, he can SLI it for performance in the stratosphere.

I've been looking around at 680i motherboards, and I've narrowed it down to two choices:

ASUS P5N32-E
EVGA Nforce 680I

Both go for $299.99 and are relatively the same. However, the EVGA supports 1200MHz SLI-Ready RAM (no sure if I would use it, but nice to have just in case), and the Asus has some nifty features. What do you guys reccomend?

I'd be a little more prone to the eVGa board, simply because I've lost faith with Asus and their shitty motherboards over the last year. Their AMD AM2 offerings were weak, and the BadAxe competitors weren't as solid or stable as the BadAxe itself.

eVGA, on the other hand, is nVidia's largest partner when it comes to video cards. Their video cards are excellent and I would be lead to believe that their motherboards are decent as well. 1200MHz RAM is insane, but that really isn't much of a stretch into the future. I'm running my ram 1066MHz (overclocking) so I'm convinced that by next year we'll see some CPUs take advantage of that.

Awesome, thanks. I guess I'll go for the EVGA then, unless anyone can think of a better alternative.

As for the video card (8800 GTS), which brand would you reccomend? I haven't looked at the differences, but I have a large list to choose from:

Asus EN8800GTS/HTDP/640M
BFG NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB
Biostar GeForce 8800GTS (VP8803GS63)
Chaintech APOGEE GAE88GTS-A1
Espco Eagle GeForce 8800GTS
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS
Foxconn GeForce 8800GTS (FV-N88SMBD2-OD)
Gainward Bliss 8800GTS PCX
Galaxy Galaxy GeForce 8800GTS
Geniman GeForce 8800GTS-640
Gigabyte GeForce 8800GTS (GV-NV88S640H-RH)
InnoVISION Inno3D GeForce 8800GTS
Leadtek WinFast® PX8800 GTS TDH
MSI GeForce 8800GTS (V801)
Palit GeForce 8800GTS
PNY GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB (VCG88GTSXPB)
Prolink GeForce 8800GTS (PV-N88GSE(640XS)-F)
Sparkle GeForce 8800GTS (SF-PX88GTS)
XFX GeForce 8800GTS (PV-T80G-THF9)
XpertVision GeForce 8800GTS

Out of those, I've only ever heard of PNY, MSI, Leadtek, Gigabyte, EVGA, BFG, and ASUS.

Obviously they are both kick ass. Either one would be stellar.

If I had to pick, I'd go with the Asus. 2 reasons. Because Asus I believe is a slightly more trusted name. I would count on better overclocking via the Asus board. Secondly, their appears to be a better audio solution on the Asus. I can't find any info about digital ins/outs for the EVGA. You didn't list a sound card in your original post, so it will be important to have great audio options onboard. The Asus is listed as having DTS support as well as more connections etc.

I wouldn't worry about the higher RAM speed difference. Your RAM speed will be dang high after you start overclocking anyway, and the difference between 800 and 1200 will not be THAT significant performance-wise, and I think you won't be missing out on anything.

Double Post:
Video card go with eVGA or BFG.

EVGA has the best warrenty/trade-up program around. Something like you can credit back your card towards a new within the first 60-90 days of purchase or something. Great value and service as well as well made cards. Found a link for the Step-Up program.

BFG is also great for the same reasons without the trad-up program. Reliability, quality as well as good service.

I'm into heavy audio editing, so I'm going to be picking up EMU and Creative cards. I don't care one way or another about onboard sound.

Yeah, and I remember when those Nvidia 7 series cards were being overlocked to the point where they were becoming defective, BFG were the only ones to keep the clock speeds at a reasonable level so they wouldn't fuck up.

Thanks for the info, that step-up program looks awesome (especially if Nvidia releases a new DX10 card in february).

Exactly why I mentioned it ;)...

Double Post:
Just found this deal at a forum... EVGA NF680i + EVGA 8800GTS = $669
It's listed as out of stock, but you could give ClubIT a call and see if you can get that deal, because it is a great deal.

The trouble is, I am in Canada, and I'm trying to buy everything from NCIX (they have a $50 membership fee that will cover all your purchases and stuff, and pay any shipping for returns etc).

Alright, so far this much is final:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Motherboard: EVGA NForce 680I
Video Card: EVGA NVidia 8800 GTS

Now as far as RAM goes, what would you guys reccomend out of the two:
Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12
OCZ Gold XTC PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-12

I know that both Corsair and OCZ are good brands, but is it worth paying about $50 for the lower timings?

Hard Drives, sound cards and CD/DVD drives are being taken care of, I don't need any advice for those.

As for the PSU with this configuration, how many watts do you think I'd need? I'm thinking 600 to play it safe. Also, if I run a system with an underpowered/overpowered PSU, do I risk damaging anything?

Thanks again!

You can't go wrong with either of those memory pairs. Both will give you great performance. OCZ is great, but Corsair has been the "best" for quite a while. The timings can give a difference. It really depends how much you want the VERY best. I would probably buy the OCZ, unless you want to spring for the best enthusiast RAM, Corsair Dominator. The XMS is great RAM but if you are gonna spend that much, you might as well go the distance for a few bucks more.

As to a PSU, after checking the SLI-certified list and browsing your e-tailer, I think this SilverStone 750W Zeus PSU is probably your best bet. Four 18a 12v rails that can pull 720W. It's a beast that will last you into the future (say 8800GTS SLI) which is what it is rated for. Modular cabling is a BIG plus. It seems like a outstanding sale price too.

And yes, under powering your system is very bad. Your PSU could fail and potentially ruin all your components when it goes down. Or, it won't even boot your system. So underpowering is bad. You can't "overpower" a rig either, unless you up voltages in your BIOS. A decent amount of power will slightly exceed the maximum wattage/amperage that your system can pull. For instance, if your system can pull 500W, you could run a 520W-550W PSU. However, this is not highly recommended because it puts a heavy load on your PSU, and that can lead to PSU failure over time. A great amount of power would be like a 500W system with a 600W PSU. That gives alot of breathing room, and your PSU never breaks a sweat. This = now PSU worries.

EDIT:
I just did some more memory research, and EPP certified RAM is supposedly easier/better overclocking on Nvidia motherboards. The OCZ is not EPP, but the XMS and Dominator are EPP. If you aren't an experienced OCer, it might be better to spring for the Corsair RAMs.

Do I really need 750 watts? That seems like quite a bit. Also, because this PSU has 80mm fans, reviewers have said that this is quite a loud unit. If possible, I'd like to find one that is whisper quiet, and lower wattage (If I can run everything safely). Also, just to get this strait, you're saying that if I run a system with a more than capable PSU (way more wattage than needed), I don't risk damaging anything? One more thing, if you don't mind: What is modular cabling? Thanks!

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=ENERMAX

Enermax is a much more reliable brand, and I just bought this PSU myself. I read a lot of reviews for this, and this will handle SLi 8800s. A single 120mm fan and modular cables, can't go wrong. And, by the way, you can't damage a system with a powerful power supply. You just raise the limit on the amount of power you can draw from it (ie: adding more hard drives or video cards).

If you look at the photos for the power supply I linked to above, you should be able to see what modular cabling is. You have the option to run as much or as little power cabling as you need. Do this helps improve airflow and increases workable space inside a case.

So well said I had to quote it.

That Enermax does look like a good buy. And modular cabling FTW. I don't have much money to spend, so I bought a great ~$50 500W PSU but it didn't have modular cabling :( and I have a MicroATX case. It sucked.

I just read some reviews on this (and the 620W version), and they say its fan volume is higher than average (at medium to high temperatures). However, I don't really have anything to compare it too. What would you say about the noise of this unit? Also, do you think it would be worth it to pay a bit more to go for a 600W unit, so that I won't have to buy another PSU in the future?

EDIT: What are your thoughts on this one? Reviews state it to be highly efficient and quiet.

When I originally first started checking out which PSU to recommend, I was first going to say the Corsair 520W... But then after surfing that website and checking out the SLI-Certified list, I checked out the Silverstone.

The Corsair 620W is a great PSU. I've only been hearing good things and glowing recommendations from people that have them. You would do yourself well to buy this.

Having said that, I believe the Silverstone PSU I recommended to you is cheaper (well now that I check the link it is no longer on sale :(), has a higher wattage maximum, and Silverstone is known for having quiet parts/cases. I can't see how this PSU would do you poorly either.

BTW, like render said, having more wattage is never bad. The way I see it, a better PSU will last you over multiple computer builds, even with rising power requirements.

Well I'll most likely pick out of these two, so I'll see what deals come up on boxing day. As for the RAM, I've decided to go for the Corsair pair.

As of now, this much is certain:

Case: Thermaltake Swing VB6000BWS
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Motherboard: EVGA NForce 680I
Video Card: EVGA NVidia 8800 GTS
RAM: Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12
PSU: Either the Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620W or the Silverstone Zeus ST75ZF 750W
DVD-RW Drives: I'll probably pick up a pair of identical Lightscribe drives on boxing day.
Hard Drives: A chum of mine is selling me a pair of 200GB SATA drives for $130
Sound Card: Even though this has onboard sound, I'm probably gonna pick up a PCI sound card. I was originally going to get one of the higher-end Creative cards, but I'm not so sure now. Is there anything I should be looking out for in PCI sound cards (What improvements can I get over onboard sound [I've been hearing that onboard sound is just about on par with PCI sound])? It's gotta have a front I/O port with Midi/Optical/etc.

With all these parts, I'll have a 120mm fan in the back taking hot air out of the system, and a 120mm fan in the front blowing cold air in. Does the CPU come with it's own heatsink+fan? If I don't overclock anything, will I be ok to run it with that setup, or should I be buying some extra cooling?

One last thing.. can someone refer me to a site with a large selection of computer mods, akin to xoxide.com?

Thanks again!

Looks beautiful. Damn you are gonna have a kick ass system!

Heatsink/fan... The CPU does come with heatsink/fan if you buy a retail CPU. As to overclocking, you can overclock with the stock heatsink/fan. Many people have been doing this with Core2Duos without any problems. However, a better heatsink and fan will cost you usually under $60 and potentially give you either more overclocking room, or cooler running system which is a big plus. For example, I'm picking up a Zalmann all copper-heatsink for $40 that is gonna wipe the floor with my current heatsink/fan. And when I get around to overclocking, it will be worth it.

Oh, and cool heatsinks/fans is very stylish for the inside of a case BTW.

Lightscribe drives... I recommend Lite-On drives and I have for a while. They seem to be built great, work well with Nero (and come with a copy), and are slightly smaller depth wise than most DVD/CD drives. They also tend to be in the mid to low price bracket despite being among the best you can buy. Highly recommended.

Computer mods... Not my thing. Sorry but I can't really help there.

But if I don't overclock, I'll be fine with the CPU heatsink/fan and the two other 120mm case fans?

I just basically want to add a fan/led controller. I'm having a hard time finding an LED controller though; I'm looking for something similiar to this.

EDIT: One thing I forgot to add: Will all these parts fit in this case? I'm not sure of any way to know, other than buying and finding out (I'm afraid the 8800 won't fit, I've heard it is pretty long).

Yes, the stock heatsink/fan will be just fine for you. You will have no heating issues, it'll run cool.
Sorry, but I got little to no help to give ya. I would recommend hitting some of the mod and oc sites for more info.

http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/index.htm_______http://www.overclockercafe.com/reviews.htm

Your 8800GTS will have no problem fitting in that case. The 8800GTX is extra long, but the 8800GTS which you are buying is not. And the case you are buying is huge. It won't have a problem. All your other items should fit as well.

Ive just found out that there have been quite a few problems with the 680I boards. Right now I'm looking into some similiar LGA775 boards, but can you toss any suggestions my way? (I'm a bit upset, because I could have saved $100 by buying an EVGA 680I + 8800 GTS bundle). Do you think I should take a chance and hope I get one of the working boards?

I was waiting for something like that to happen. The nForce series chipsets haven't had the best track record over the last 2 years. I bought my Intel Badaxe solely based on Intel's well-known, rock-solid stability and I'm glad I did.

I use an nForce Professional chipset and it works flawlessly O_O. The best chipset for the Core2Duo will be the RD600 from AMD/ATi. This thing will wipe the floor with the Intel chipset-based motherboards although if you're in a hurry to buy, you'll have to settle for Intel. Their chipsets may be reliable but they tend to lack the features of competitors and lag in performance and overclocking options.

Damn, it's a tough decision. I'm thinking I might go for the EVGA 680I and hope for the best, and if it fails, I'll RMA it.

A couple more things I forgot:

Should I / Do I need to install XP on a seperate (non-RAID) drive? I've only planned for two 200GB SATA drives (RAID'd), but I'm not sure if windows can be installed on a RAID array.

Also, I'm running an OEM version of XP right now, but my parents are running a pirated versio. I know theirs works fine, and that they are able to do automatic updates and everything, but what are the real differences between a legit version and a cracked version?

Have I forgotten anything else? Should I pick up some thermal paste, or is there some included with the CPU?

Thanks again.

Yes you can have winxp run off a RAID array =o. I have a Raid 0 setup running on my system. Should you? That depends, security-wise its probably not a good idea to use RAID 0 to run a OS.
If you're planning to use a RAID setup you will need the drivers to set it up (also remember to press the F6 key when windows asks for said drivers during installation.) Where are the drivers? It usually comes with the motherboard, if not it will more than likely be at their website. Yeah, read the instruction manual for this or you will be spending hours toiling away at getting your RAID working.

Unless you're able to get around the WPA crap there is no real difference, as far as I'm concerned.

Since you're not OC'ing the cpu getting thermal paste would be a waste for you. And the CPU heatsink/fan comes with its own thermal pad pasted on the heatsink :).

And the only thing WPA allows me to do is to download stuff from microsoft.com, correct?

Pretty much, yes. It allows you to get non-critical updates and programs like WMP11 directly off microsoft.com.

You could look into a Gigabyte DQ6 board. They are the other high-end board/chipset that everyone is hyped about. Great build quality, features, and BIOS.

Personally, it sounds like the 680i's are spotty, so I would buy and RMA til you get a good one. They are amazing when they work right, and it sounds like most of them, or at least alot of em, don't have any issues. It's really up to you if you don't want to risk any hassle with your order, then either find something else or wait it out til the problems are fixed.

Yeah, I've been looking at other boards, and so far the only ones that are comparable are the (680I), Gigabyte DQ6, and the ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe. These are all about the same price, but the main difference is that the 680 supports Quad Core (If I eventually go down that path, it will save money in the long run).

I've also been thinking about the ratio of working to non working 680 boards, and I figure this: If you get a bad board, you are more likely to post about it than if you get a normal board. Thus, I'm gonna be seeing a lore more posts about problematic boards, so I shouldn't be overly concerned, and just hope that I can strike it lucky.

EVGA already has a beta BIOS that supposedly fixes the 680i issues. It can be found here.

http://www.evga.com/community/messag...TOPIC_ID=23034

With this available, I would say no worries about picking up the EVGA 680i, especially with their great customer service/warrenty.

Yeah, I just noticed that aswell, so I'm gonna go with the EVGA.

With that, I should be completely ready to go:
Case: Thermaltake Swing VB6000BWS
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Motherboard: EVGA NForce 680I
Video Card: EVGA NVidia 8800 GTS
RAM: Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12
PSU: Either the Corsair CMPSU-620HX 620W or the Silverstone Zeus ST75ZF 750W
DVD-RW Drives: I'll probably pick up a pair of identical Lightscribe drives on boxing day.
Hard Drives: A chum of mine is selling me a pair of 200GB SATA drives for $130
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-FI Platinum

Anything I'm missing? Any last words? The NCIX Boxing day sale is this saturday (strangely enough), so I've only got a few more days to make final adjustments.

Should be an exceptional build. I'd recommend Lite-On Lightscribe drives, but others should be fine as well. I'd hit Samsung or Plextor if you go with something else.

I hope you have a good monitor/mouse/keyboard/speakers for this setup. If you don't, I recommend Logitech mice and speakers; keyboards as well I suppose. Displays it'd depend what you want.

Anyway, pull the trigger and let us know how it goes... (pics too plz :D)

Seems like you're ready =)
 

Not that you actually need the following but you might thank yourself later for getting them ;D

Anti Static Wrist Strap - I'm not exactly sure how dry it is over there but it wouldn't hurt to use one of these. Especially if this is your first build.

Cable Zip Ties - I'm a neat freak when it comes to building computers so its a must to get these. Besides you wouldn't want stray cables hitting a cpu fan would you? As for how you tie up the cables so they're away from everything, you will just have to be creative =p.

Thumb Screws - They're useful for many things (If your case came with some I guess you can skip this.) For me at least it makes installing new cd drives and other screw-required bays a breeze. Oh yeah, do not use these on the motherboard!

And did you make sure you have all your cables? You said your friend was supplying you with the hdds but does that include the sata cables? Otherwise your motherboard and maybe the case should have you coved. Wouldn't hurt to check though.

EVGA 680i comes with this...
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images...b2s0_2_5_l.jpg
So I think he's covered :D !

As for your other suggestions, hell yeah. Zip ties are a must. Never knew they had thumb screws. Maybe I'll pick me up some.

Thanks for all your suggestions!

I forgot to talk about mouse and keyboard and everything:

I'm getting an MX Revolution Mouse, and a G15 Keyboard, as well as the BenQ FP241W display (in January). As for cable ties, I was thinking about getting those UV Flexi-tube things, unless you can think of a reason not to.

You should see what my Asus P5W DH Deluxe came with =p. (built-in wireless networking ftw!)

Heh, I actually couldn't find the thumb screws at first. Newegg seems to hide all their small computer accessories ._.

You're welcome!

Uh, I never used those flex tubes on computer cables. I don't know but I do think you'll have more versatility with zip ties =o.

All great choices. GJ finding that BenQ. It's a good one. And its really good that you are grabbing that 8800GTS, because you will need every ounce of it to feed the pixel hungry 1920x1200 display. But mmmmm... It will look good enough to eat.

Wow, thanks for all your help you guys! It's been such a long research process and I'm glad you've given me a hand. Only two more days to go untill the NCIX sale. I'm kinda nervous actually, I'm afraid all the good deals will sell out before I place my order (I'm gonna be hammering F5 all night long).

Hope the buying goes well tonite. Good luck!

Well, I just ordered from the NCIX boxing day sale, and I was quite succesful!


http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3766/orderad7.png
(I`ll save an additional $130 after the mail in rebates.)


Thanks again guys! I;ll figure out some prizes soon!

Just one thing.

1. You could have saved a few dollars by buying the EVGA 680i Motherboard and 8800GTS card separate. Through the boxing day special, the Motherboard is on for $279/259 *with a $20 mir* and the GPU $499/454 *with a $45mir*, unless you also get a MIR with the bundle as well.

Shame that the boxing day sale wasn't too great.. although I did snag one of those 500GB hdd's for $100 and 7950GT's for $200. Be sure you enter to the sweepstakes. Although if you win, I will have to hunt you down. Let me know what you think of the Case. While I have my eye set on the Antec P180/Ninehundred, I wouldn't mind hearing some feedback on the thermaltake.

Yeah, you get both MIRs with the bundle aswell.

I thought the sale was pretty awesome. I was going to get one of those 500GB harddrives aswell, but they all (500 of them) sold out in about 10 minutes.

Post here -> PC Gaming Rigs <- when you build it, and also post here while you are building it if you need anything.

And damn, that's a sweet system!!

They had only 50 available at the $100 price point , which sold out in less than 3 minutes *shame it was only 1 per, as i would have gotten one for my brother. Only fair though*. They later had 150 available for $149, and then later another 150 available at $159 *still a descent price*.

I picked up the 7950GT to hold me over until summer, as for $200 it is hard to beat. I just bought some system parts to put together a new computer that looks similar to yours. Just be sure to get the BIOS update for the motherboard when you can.

Hmm, I thought that they were all going for $99. Oh well, that is still an insane deal.
I guess the best way to flash the Motherboard bios would be to do so via floppy, right?

I believe that the 680i update must be done through floppy... Check here -> http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/articl...50aHVzaWFzdA==

And two months later, here it is!

Thanks again, everyone!