# 1st Build, advice pls



## Acneman (Jul 18, 2007)

Hello there,

Im just planning my first build and i wanted to run the spec by some techies . im pretty exited as iv got a decent budget and havn't had a new computer in a few years. here goes

Mobo: Asus striker extreme
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4CCD

Case: Akasa mirage 62
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=49R1

PSU: Akasa ATX 2.2 400W
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=49R7

RAM: 4Gb OCZ
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4KZM

HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB S300
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=42L2

Graphics: Sapphire radeon 512mb dual dvi
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4D6N

CPU fan: Zalman CNPS9700
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4C8D

Optical: HP DVD +/-RW
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4DBS

Case fans: 2x http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=2RWK

gonna buy everything after the next intel price cut (+ a q6700)

im manly concerned about some of the striker extreme reviews, whether the zalman will fit in the case, if cooling is adequate for overclock and the ram. its perfect except its CL5, but i can only get maxed spec ram in 1Gb modules :-(
any feed back would be great, also im not a big gamer. going hi spec for photoshop and futureproofing.
Acneman out


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## Black Panther (Jul 18, 2007)

Personally I'd go for a higher wattage PSU, say 550 or 600W and a Geforce 8800 series. But it depends on your budget.

(Nice username btw!  )


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## Flamingsupernova (Jul 18, 2007)

Do you mean 4gb of CL5 RAM?


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## Acneman (Jul 18, 2007)

k bp will check out the higher watt psu's, id go for a good graphics card but like i said im not a big gamr. i need dual dvi and i dont want to spend $$, could go with a geforce 8600 256mb?

yes flaming super nova i mean 4gb of cl5 ram, check the link above. its maxed for my mobo except for the cl


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## GumCuz (Jul 18, 2007)

The best way to futureproof this rig would be to get 2x2gb sticks, as a major forseeable upgrade in a year or 2 would be 8gb of memory.  I think if it was me, and I had to choose between 4x1gb cl5 memory, or 2x2gb cl6 mem, I'd go with the cl6 stuff.  I mean, you're going to have to slack timings to increase frequency anyway, so who cares?  Keep in mind, a lot of memory that calls for a cl6 timing can easily be run at cl5, with a tiny voltage bump.  Also, a 400w PSU would self-destruct in 5 minutes with those components.  I think even a 550 would be cutting it kind of thin.  You'd want at least a 650w, with 2x25-30amp rails.  Also, a zalman 9700 would be great for this processor, but the quads really dump a ton of heat.  I don't know if you could clock that high, but it would definetly handle it at stock speeds, or with a mild overclock.  If you're not playing games, don't blow a bunch of bucks on a $500 card.  an 8600gt would be just fine.  Way more than enough.  Granted, it wouldn't be even close to matched with the rest of your system, it would be a severe bottleneck if you were ever doing some intense gaming, but it would handle most games at 1280x1024 with some eye candy just fine.


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## Acneman (Jul 18, 2007)

thanks gum cuz, will def be getting a 600+w. also my ram confusion is over. so how on earth do peeps overclock the q6600 to 3.6 an' that? watercooling? 

ok graphics card, either this
http://www.shop.bt.com/productview....Id=11137&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11137,50385
or this
http://www.dabs4work.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4D6N
both around £100, dont want to spend any more. so does the chip really matter? i just cant see why i should shell out more for a card with less video memory.??


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## Acneman (Jul 18, 2007)

or this
http://www.dabs4work.com/productvie...&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=11021,366360000


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## DrunkenMafia (Jul 18, 2007)

hey acneman, you say your not a big gamer so I would stay away from the X1950, its a big card and is great for gaming but not for what you want.  Just get a 8600GT. it is small, doesn't require an external power connector and has DX10.  Or if you like you could get a ATI 2600xt which is also quite fast, small, and has HDMI output.


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## DrunkenMafia (Jul 18, 2007)

I agree with the 2 x 2gb sticks of ram, that will last for a while, you won't need 8gb for at least another 2 yrs!!

And a 600watt psu is HEAPS!!! if you are not running a huge vcard.  just make sure you get a good brand one.


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## Acneman (Jul 18, 2007)

ok so this is now my front runner for a graphics card
http://www.dabs4work.com/productvie...1021,366360000,47710000&ExposedRefinement=256
and this for a psu
http://www.enermax.com.tw/english/product_Display1.asp?PrID=42
sure is purty looking

thanks to all by the way. iv got similar threads running on other forums and there not as active and certainly not as nice


***edit***
oh im also downgrading to the 500gb hd as its more than half the cost and already have an 400gig external hd


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## Acneman (Jul 24, 2007)

ok here is what im now going with. Im ordering this in about 8 hours so pls type quickly!

Case:akasa mirage
GA-P35-DQ6
RAM
Graphics
Optical
Corsair HX 620W
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme
2x HD for RAID
3x fan (1 for cpu cooler)
and a Q6600 G0


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## Grings (Jul 24, 2007)

that rams bloody expensive

edit: oops, didnt realise it was 2gb sticks, nevermind


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