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

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.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Render

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 The card is brand new but is already outdated.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.

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.

Quote:

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

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.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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.

Originally Posted by Free.User

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!

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.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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 am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Free.User

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?

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:

Originally Posted by Free.User

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.

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 was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Free.User

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.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Free.User

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.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Render

[url]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).

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.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Merv Stroopwafel

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.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Free.User

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.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Free.User

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

Yes, the stock heatsink/fan will be just fine for you. You will have no heating issues, it'll run cool.

Quote:

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.

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

Quote:

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).

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.

Most amazing jew boots

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.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

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.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Free.User

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 )

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Kairyu

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...

So I think he's covered !

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.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Free.User

I'm getting an MX Revolution Mouse, and a G15 Keyboard, as well as the BenQ FP241W display (in January).

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.

Most amazing jew boots

Hope the buying goes well tonite. Good luck!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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!!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Free.User

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==

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.