Help building Computer

[2nsane]

OK guy's here is my list on having mfirst Computer built., As it stis I am roughly $1800 into it. I went with a High end yMother board for later upgrades to 3 video Cards I also went with a 750w power supply and the memory is to be upgraded to 2x2gb DDR2 cards as soon as it arrives here at the house. I have not orderd it yet waiting on some edumacated responses from you computer Guruuuus:thumbup
this set up is from cyberpowerpc.com
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CASE: Raidmax Sagitta II Mid-Tower 420W Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window (Black Color)

CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 8MB L2 Cache 64-bit

MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI & QX9650 Support) EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/ USB2.0, IEEE1394, & 7.1Audio

MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)4gb PC6400 DDR2/800 Memory

VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB 16X PCI Express

HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10, 000RPM SATA150 16MB Cache WD1500ADFD)


Optical Drive: (Special Price) 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLUE COLOR)

Optical Drive 2: 16X DVD ROM (BLUE COLOR)

SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD

[Giuseppe]

I think you need to spend more time researching your products. :2cents

What games are you going to play that you need 3 vid cards? By the time a game that comes out that is going to require that - you will need a new cpu, ram, mobo etc. 750 watt power supply is too much unless you plan on running more hd's, dvd's etc.
What about cooling?
Why that fancy case?

[soybean]

No need for the 3 way SLI unless you are going to spend the coin on 3 GTX cards. I say if anything get 2 8800GT's and SLI them.

I like Antec cases better then Raidmax.

Everything else seems ok provided your Power Supply is from a solid company.

[MtnRacer]

So basically you're looking for a memory recommendation? Any d9 module will be fine, the 780i can overclock it for you to match your quad core. Don't waste your money on any high end (> 800Mhz), fast ram, the bus speeds on your CPU will never reach high enough to really utilize it, even if you do overclock. The d9 modules are the same stuff anyway, just cheaper.

How much ram are you planning to buy? If you're doing 4 gigs, do 2x2 gigs, not 4x1 gigs.

Steve

[2nsane]

I found OZ 2*2gb chips for $104 threw newegg, and was going to purchase two sets of those for a total of 8gb, I am also going to be running Vista pro 64.

the cooler I found I will be using is the
Vigor Gaming Monsoon II Lite CLT-M2LA AMD Active CPU Air Conditioner Cooling System

[soybean]

Look into Arctic Cooling or Thermalright for CPU coolers.

[JN396]

If you can wait; hold up for intel's next gen chip penryn to be released; which should lower the prices for all chips such as the q6600 and core 2 duo. Also, chuck the older nvidia 8800 gts vidcard and go with 8800 gt. The 3 way 780 sli board only works for 8800 gtx and ultra vidcards; so unless you really want to go that route, I'd stick with a 680 board or wait for the 780 ftw mb (which is also pci 2.0 compliant).

Here's a really good deal if I were to pull the trigger now...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3601833&sku=MCM-680ILT-Q6600B

[2nsane]

I dont know shit about actually building it:( I was just going down a list of available options.

[MtnRacer]

I found OZ 2*2gb chips for $104 threw newegg, and was going to purchase two sets of those for a total of 8gb, I am also going to be running Vista pro 64.

the cooler I found I will be using is the
Vigor Gaming Monsoon II Lite CLT-M2LA AMD Active CPU Air Conditioner Cooling System
What's the bus speed on the chips?

Steve

[2nsane]

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227269

chuck the older nvidia 8800 gts vidcard and go with 8800 gt
I thought the GTS was newer than the GT??

[BIG186]

NERDS!

[soybean]

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227269


I thought the GTS was newer than the GT??

There are 2 types the G80 Core and the G92. You want the G92 because the G80 is ass in comparison.

If you need help building it lemme know.

[JN396]

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227269


I thought the GTS was newer than the GT??


it's the other way around; 8800 gts first; then later came the 8800 gt. Again, if you can wait for a bit longer; nvidia will be introducing their upcoming 9800 gt card later this month; which should lower prices for the 8800 gt / gtx.

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3140&p=7
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=10

[2nsane]

Thanks, and Yes I can wait a bit longer:thumbup. my laptop is running hot and is shutting my games down, after doing some research your right, the GT runs better than the GTS, I thought that since the GTS was bigger, had a larger fan it would be a better card? shows how much I know about computers.
any help you guy's can give would be awsome.

Thanks.

Dan.

[soybean]

Well what I did was bought some 8800gt's and bought these

http://www.pcsilent.de/ppic_MAXI_ArcticCooling_Accelero_S1_passive_VGA_co oler_ATI_X1800_X1900_X1950_X1950Pro_Geforce_7800_7 900_7950_arctics1.jpg

attached them then OC'd the shit out of my cards. My cores are running 740 stable from a stock 600. Under load from bench mark software 48 degrees tops with passive cooling with real world gaming about 44 degrees and 38 at idle. The reference cooler couldn't even touch that.

[2nsane]

OK I can hold of on ordering untill later as suggested, but I revised my want orderrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:laughing
I downgraded from the 3way sli and also downgraded from the 10,000rpm rapter drive,
price is now $1583.
I am looking for a 24" monit- with at least 2ms response time and I will def need those cooler jobs, hope you can help me install those.
as follows

CASE: Apevia X-Supra Gaming Mid-Tower 420W Case (G Type Blue Color with Side-Window)

CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 8MB L2 Cache 64-bit

MOTHERBOARD: (QX9650 Support) Asus P5N-D nForce 750i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard

MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)512MB PC6400 DDR2/800 Memory (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand)

VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

VIDEO CARD 2: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

VIDEO CARD 3: NONE
LCD Monitor: NONE

HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
Data Hard Drive: NONE

Optical Drive: LG 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology (Blue Color)

Optical Drive 2: 16X DVD ROM (BLUE COLOR)

SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD

[stigeon]

am i reading ^ right? are you only planning on 512mb of system memory(RAM)?

if that is not a typo i would strongly encourage you to get 3x 1gb sticks or 2x 2gb sticks. go with whatever has the best cost/quantity ratio. get a minimum of 2gb total system memory, regardless of everything else.

***REFERENCE SUGGESTION: http://www.maximumpc.com/***
great mag with articles that are informative and easy to read, even the technical items are presented in terms a lay-person can keep up with. tomshardware is also a good source of unbiased computer info.

also keep in mind the brand of system memory. all brands are not created equal. i think there is another post in the Geek section about RAM with plenty of recommendations. it's in another thread about building a system, if i'm not mistaken. i recommend dual channel OCZ (that's the brand).

[2nsane]

am i reading ^ right? are you only planning on 512mb of system memory(RAM)?

nope not a typo, that is what I am ordering the system with, I am going to order 2 x 2GB OCZ SLI ready with heat spreaders from newegg, they want $300 less than the place I am getting the computer from just for memory, everything else seems to be veary close to the same as newegg and tiger direct.

Also does anybody have any experiance with Vista prof 64bit? I want to upgrade in the future to 8GB Ram and also speed up those 8800GT 512's.

and another question. about the mother board and Cooler, I found this thing called a VIGOR monsoon II lite,
http://www.vigorgaming.com/components/cmp_monsoonii_intel.html
it is saposidly a from what I have read a AC unit for computers, that works with better results than liquid cooling. two buddy's have it and say they like it but got it because it was the best cooler offerd by this compony.
www.cyberpowerpc.com which is the joint I am building the computer from. they offer a 3yr warranty

[Sane_Man]

nope not a typo, that is what I am ordering the system with, I am going to order 2 x 2GB OCZ SLI ready with heat spreaders from newegg, they want $300 less than the place I am getting the computer from just for memory, everything else seems to be veary close to the same as newegg and tiger direct.

Also does anybody have any experiance with Vista prof 64bit? I want to upgrade in the future to 8GB Ram and also speed up those 8800GT 512's.

and another question. about the mother board and Cooler, I found this thing called a VIGOR monsoon II lite,
http://www.vigorgaming.com/components/cmp_monsoonii_intel.html
it is saposidly a from what I have read a AC unit for computers, that works with better results than liquid cooling. two buddy's have it and say they like it but got it because it was the best cooler offerd by this compony.
www.cyberpowerpc.com which is the joint I am building the computer from. they offer a 3yr warranty

I'm confused to what purpose are you building this PC. :confused

Is this a high-end gaming rig, or a new home PC for general purpose?

[MtnRacer]

nope not a typo, that is what I am ordering the system with, I am going to order 2 x 2GB OCZ SLI ready with heat spreaders from newegg, they want $300 less than the place I am getting the computer from just for memory, everything else seems to be veary close to the same as newegg and tiger direct.

Also does anybody have any experiance with Vista prof 64bit? I want to upgrade in the future to 8GB Ram and also speed up those 8800GT 512's.

and another question. about the mother board and Cooler, I found this thing called a VIGOR monsoon II lite,
http://www.vigorgaming.com/components/cmp_monsoonii_intel.html
it is saposidly a from what I have read a AC unit for computers, that works with better results than liquid cooling. two buddy's have it and say they like it but got it because it was the best cooler offerd by this compony.
www.cyberpowerpc.com which is the joint I am building the computer from. they offer a 3yr warranty
I installed Vista 64 about 8 month ago. The world wasn't ready for it and I downgraded to 32 bit. Things might be better now.

I have bad news for you regarding your case selection. 420W is below what I would consider the bare minimum to power even one 8800GT with a quad core CPU, let alone two in SLI. Particularly if you are planning to overclock. How many amps does that PSU put out? After checking with Nvidia, they recommend 450W bare minimum for you card in SLI, and in reality, 550 or 600 would be more like it (as a real-world practical minimum).

For what it's worth, I bought a 750W PSU for a future 8800GTX SLI upgrade. That's with a C2D.

Steve

[Sane_Man]

I installed Vista 64 about 8 month ago. The world wasn't ready for it and I downgraded to 32 bit. Things might be better now.

I have bad news for you regarding your case selection. 420W is below what I would consider the bare minimum to power even one 8800GT with a quad core CPU, let alone two in SLI. Particularly if you are planning to overclock. How many amps does that PSU put out? After checking with Nvidia, they recommend 450W bare minimum for you card in SLI, and in reality, 550 or 600 would be more like it (as a real-world practical minimum).

For what it's worth, I bought a 750W PSU for a future 8800GTX SLI upgrade. That's with a C2D.

Steve

My 8800GT needs 26A all by itself, so my 650W 45A PSU is not enough to power two video cards, let alone the rest of my system. He would need a 1200W PS to run three cards.

[2nsane]

the computer is for Gaming, and general home use also, I will use this for gaming and my laptop for most stuff like pics music, work ect. I must have forgot to past up the power supply, the stock one that comes with the box was 420 but upgraded to a Thermaltake ToughPower 750W. so that is not enough? I should upgrade to more????:(

[stigeon]

My 8800GT needs 26A all by itself, so my 650W 45A PSU is not enough to power two video cards, let alone the rest of my system. He would need a 1200W PS to run three cards.

he toned it down to 2 video cards. but that's still a ton of juice needed just to boot up. heh.

go for this bad boy: http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=27100
(that's pushing out 70 amps for those who don't like to read walls of text. the 850 offers 64 amp output)

i'm actually kinda stunned. i'm still trying to wrap my mind around the power needed to run the rig he's putting together. makes my antec 550 seem quaint, by comparison. hehe. :teeth

[2nsane]

this damn computer is turning into an expadition to the antartic:laughing

[Sane_Man]

the computer is for Gaming, and general home use also, I will use this for gaming and my laptop for most stuff like pics music, work ect. I must have forgot to past up the power supply, the stock one that comes with the box was 420 but upgraded to a Thermaltake ToughPower 750W. so that is not enough? I should upgrade to more????:(

I have the 650W version of that same unit. :thumbup

If you are going with the Quad Core, I would recommend the 850W, since you are installing the SLI video cards.

[2nsane]

I have the 650W version of that same unit. :thumbup

If you are going with the Quad Core, I would recommend the 850W, since you are installing the SLI video cards.

ok I will upgrade to 850W, now about Cooling, with the cooling unit I found be good? or is there something better I should be looking at? and no i dont want a fish tank filled with spirits:rofl

[Sane_Man]

ok I will upgrade to 850W, now about Cooling, with the cooling unit I found be good? or is there something better I should be looking at? and no i dont want a fish tank filled with spirits:rofl

A combination Bong/CPU cooler would be the shiznit. :cool :smoking :cool

[2nsane]

:wtf I dont smoke mang, and I would be in deep shit and loose my job just for having contraband:|

[MtnRacer]

My 8800GT needs 26A all by itself, so my 650W 45A PSU is not enough to power two video cards, let alone the rest of my system. He would need a 1200W PS to run three cards.
I don't think that's correct. My 700W PSU has 4x 12v/18A rails, and can power two 8800GTXs just fine. The wattage isn't as important as how many amps he can pump out per 12v connection.

That 850 is an excellent PSU.

Steve

[soybean]

For a case I like Antec's 900.

[Sane_Man]

I don't think that's correct. My 700W PSU has 4x 12v/18A rails, and can power two 8800GTXs just fine. The wattage isn't as important as how many amps he can pump out per 12v connection.

That 850 is an excellent PSU.

Steve

I was just guestimating with that post, because I didn't know what supply he had, but for three high-end cards he would need close to the 82A a 1000W supply puts out.

The Purepower 850W has four 4-rail 18A taps, and 62A, and will support a quad-core CPU and SLI dual cards. The 750W unit would barely support the quad and dual cards.

[2nsane]

order placed today:thumbup

here she goes.


SP3Z, www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Mega_Special_III/


CASE: Apevia X-Jupiter Full Tower Gaming Server w/ Temp Display and Fan !Control 420 Watt Power [+65] (G Type Black Color with Side-Window)

CS_FAN: Default case fans

CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 8MB L2 Cache 64-bit [+106]

CD: LG 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology [+16] (Black Color)

CD2: 16X DVD ROM [+18] (BLACK COLOR)
CABLE: Round Cable Upgrade for Optical Drive [+19]

FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_VC2: FREE! Poker Set

FAN: Vigor Gaming Monsoon II Lite CLT-M2LI LGA775 CPU Air Conditioner Cooling System (The Ultimate and Best CPU overclocking performance) [+99]

HDD: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)

KEYBOARD: PS2 MULTIMEDIA INTERNET CONTROL KEYBOARD (BLACK COLOR)
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI & QX9650 Support) EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/ USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio [+132]

MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)512MB PC6400 DDR2/800 Memory [-58] (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand)

NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100/1000 NETWORK CARD
OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 [+104] (64-bit Edition [+19])

POWERSUPPLY: 750 Watts Power Supplies [+169] (($40 off Mail-in Rebate) **Recommended** Thermaltake ToughPower 750W - Quad SLI Ready)

RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD
SPEAKERS: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports

VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express [+165] (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA [+5])
I decided I can get the GTX cards after they drop in price since I can use 2 GT cards in it anwhoo. I got 1 8800GT with the rig and will get another one when the price drops after the new 9800 stuff comes out. That MoBoard is them best I could get for the $$$$ and also has Awsome reviews.
after talking with the guy's at fry's and at this joint cyberpower. they told me that an 850W is over kill and I only need a 750W so that is what I went with.

[Dopesick]

I was just guestimating with that post, because I didn't know what supply he had, but for three high-end cards he would need close to the 82A a 1000W supply puts out.

The Purepower 850W has four 4-rail 18A taps, and 62A, and will support a quad-core CPU and SLI dual cards. The 750W unit would barely support the quad and dual cards.

I like how he compared watts, then said it's amps that matter.

Uhm, hey einstien.. Amp, Watts, are all related to power input voltage, and effeciency.

[2nsane]

So now the thing I need to order is a MOnitor, I am thinking about the
SCEPTRE X24WG-1080P Black 24" 2ms DVI Widescreen

thoughts?

[Dopesick]

So now the thing I need to order is a MOnitor, I am thinking about the
SCEPTRE X24WG-1080P Black 24" 2ms DVI Widescreen

thoughts?

Friend got one a month ago. Very nice for the money. :thumbup

[2nsane]

Friend got one a month ago. Very nice for the money. :thumbup
does it have a glossy finish on the screen or is it flat rough style?

[MtnRacer]

I decided I can get the GTX cards after they drop in price since I can use 2 GT cards in it anwhoo. I got 1 8800GT with the rig and will get another one when the price drops after the new 9800 stuff comes out. That MoBoard is them best I could get for the $$$$ and also has Awsome reviews.
after talking with the guy's at fry's and at this joint cyberpower. they told me that an 850W is over kill and I only need a 750W so that is what I went with.
Yikes dude. Please, in the future, NEVER consult the asshats at Fry's. They are about as informed as you, and have considerably less knowledge than the people in this thread. In this case, while I agree with the rep that 750W is enough to suit your purposes, the Thermaltake brand doesn't have the same quality as the Antec. It's not as efficient, stable, or quiet. In the end, you may or may not notice it, and if you're on a budget, the thermaltake's just fine. But there's a lot more PSUs than the number of watts on the box. This is why I hate Fry's. I bet he/she didn't mention what you were giving up by going to a different brand.

Steve

[MtnRacer]

I like how he compared watts, then said it's amps that matter.

Uhm, hey einstien.. Amp, Watts, are all related to power input voltage, and effeciency.
I assume you're referring to me. I compared amps per rail, which does matter. Some mid-ranged wattage PSUs still don't supply enough amps to all of the rails to support two hungry cards in SLI.

Steve

[2nsane]

Yikes dude. Please, in the future, NEVER consult the asshats at Fry's. They are about as informed as you, and have considerably less knowledge than the people in this thread. In this case, while I agree with the rep that 750W is enough to suit your purposes, the Thermaltake brand doesn't have the same quality as the Antec. It's not as efficient, stable, or quiet. In the end, you may or may not notice it, and if you're on a budget, the thermaltake's just fine. But there's a lot more PSUs than the number of watts on the box. This is why I hate Fry's. I bet he/she didn't mention what you were giving up by going to a different brand.

Steve
the Thermaltake had the best reviews for what I had for options.
there were no Antec's available for powersupply's,
just.
Xion
Ultra
Apevia
Sigma Shark
here is one review. http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/8/
final thoughts on PSU tested.
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/14/
so from what I have read it is a decient unit. but I hve been wrong before lol

I am only into this rig for $1600 so I dont think I am doing too bad, Yet, I still need a damn screen. I am only going to be running ONE 8800GT card untill uncle sam kicks us those rebate checks and from what others have said to wait for the new 9800 to show, so I am going to hoping they will lower in price.

[2nsane]

oh yea this is the M board:wtf
http://www.bcchardware.com/gallery/albums/780i-First/FullBoard.sized.jpg

[MtnRacer]

the Thermaltake had the best reviews for what I had for options.
there were no Antec's available for powersupply's,
just.
Xion
Ultra
Apevia
Sigma Shark
here is one review. http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/8/
final thoughts on PSU tested.
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/14/
so from what I have read it is a decient unit. but I hve been wrong before lol

I am only into this rig for $1600 so I dont think I am doing too bad, Yet, I still need a damn screen. I am only going to be running ONE 8800GT card untill uncle sam kicks us those rebate checks and from what others have said to wait for the new 9800 to show, so I am going to hoping they will lower in price.
You're fine. I just really hate Fry's. :teeth

Steve

[2nsane]

You're fine. I just really hate Fry's. :teeth

Steve

I sure hope so, I dont plan on going back there again:x

[soybean]

oh yea this is the M board:wtf
http://www.bcchardware.com/gallery/albums/780i-First/FullBoard.sized.jpg

Maybe its the nerd in me but thats hot.

[2nsane]

I wish it had HDMI:(

[JN396]

I wish it had HDMI:(


Simple solution, as both hdmi and dvi are digital connections.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231

[2nsane]

And that is why I am not good at this computer stuff:laughing

[Sane_Man]

Simple solution, as both hdmi and dvi are digital connections.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231

In fact, you can get an adapter that changes the DVI to a HDMI. I use one with my 32" TV, although the picture doesn't look any different, plus you have to run separate audio wires with any DVI to HDMI cable.

[2nsane]

So who wants to help me overclock this monster from 2.4GHz to 3.0GHz?:teeth
an with the quadcore Q6600 that would be safe right?

[soybean]

If you have the cooling it can be done. Is the multiplier locked?

[2nsane]

If you have the cooling it can be done. Is the multiplier locked?

this is the cooler I went with
no the Quad Core Q6600 is not Multiplier locked They are unlocked and adjustable downward from default x9 multiplier
I have no idea what that means I just read it on the net.
the review, good review at that:thumbup
http://hardware.gotfrag.com/portal/story/35011/?spage=1

http://www.pcper.com/images/reviews/273/8-Monsoon-cooler.jpg

and this is the case I went with has 4 fans that should pull a bit of air threw it.
http://www.apevia.com/product.php?pid=256&xcSID=10455b05f1fbb9f0845ecdc0e2917a03