# **Almost Ready For New Build...Help!!!**



## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 21, 2008)

Whats up guys i think i am just about getting ready to start my new build, but this time i want to go all out lol so it will take a while here is what i want and if you guys can please pitch me some product ideas......this will be strictly for gaming so i want a very good graphics card and lots of memory along with a very good processor etc....

now i know that is a very broad explanation but ill narrow it down by giving you guys a price budget....id say $2000 USD

i want to see what you guys can come up with so i can get the best bang for my buck i really want to stick with ASUS Mobo's they are very good and i never had a problem plus they look sick lol

i am gonna do some more research and edit this by the end of this week as to what i come up with for a beastly gaming pc....the one i have now is cool (see sig or system specs) but when benchmarked did horrible lol


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## tzitzibp (Feb 23, 2008)

Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> Whats up guys i think i am just about getting ready to start my new build, but this time i want to go all out lol so it will take a while here is what i want and if you guys can please pitch me some product ideas......this will be strictly for gaming so i want a very good graphics card and lots of memory along with a very good processor etc....



You don't ask for much, do you? 



Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> now i know that is a very broad explanation but ill narrow it down by giving you guys a price budget....id say $2000 USD


Nice budget...



Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> i want to see what you guys can come up with so i can get the best bang for my buck i really want to stick with ASUS Mobo's they are very good and i never had a problem plus they look sick lol



Well, you can have a look at this, recently built, rig, which came down to about 2k usd...
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/1342.html



Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> i am gonna do some more research and edit this by the end of this week as to what i come up with for a beastly gaming pc....the one i have now is cool (see sig or system specs) but when benchmarked did horrible lol



or alternatively you can get an ATI 3870x2 and be OK for a couple of years!

If crossfire or sli is not what you want then you can go for the following...

cpu: E8400
Mobo:asus max formula
mem: transend AXE 2x1 or 2x2 gb
disks: 1x 150gb raptor and 2x500gb raid0
gfx: HD3870x2 or a (g92) 8800gt or gts


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## nguyenpeter76 (Feb 25, 2008)

-changed mind because like you said you want to go all out- go down to see revised list


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## Azazel (Feb 25, 2008)

emm my rig is within your budget (look at my system specs) probably should go for the maximus formula rather than my asus p5e


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## nguyenpeter76 (Feb 25, 2008)

actually now i want to go crazy with your 2k budget. you want the best so here's what i think is the best. 

$250 Q6600 G0 SLACR (get the one w/o the stock hsf) 
$900 2-3870x2
$95 4gb (2x2gb) @800mhz
$30 Optical Drive w/ Lightscribe
$150 Corsair 750TX or PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad
$250 ASUS Maximus Formula x38
$100 500gb Harddrive
$70 Thermalright 120 Extreme w/ Scythe S-flex fan
*= $1845!!*
*take off $30 if you want to get the e8400 instead. 

Case not included,because like i said in previous post, it's your choice for your personal liking. Might want to go with ATX Full Tower though.. 

Reasons: 
-Q6600 is 2.4ghz at stock but with the thermalright 120 extreme w/ scythe s-flex hsf you'll be able to oc it well. if you opt for the e8400 which recently came out its a c2d thats 3/0 ghz at stock at a pretty nice price.
-you said you wanted to go all out so getting two of the best video card offered out right now is going all out  with 2gb of total memory, i doubt youll have to worry about losing fps from large resolutions
-4gb of ram is sweet. 800mhz is good enough and when you oc itll go into the 1000ish
-dont know what to say about optical drive really except you probably need one 
-all rigs need a good brand psu and the corsair or pc power cooling are just that
-asus max formula.. new x38 chipsets slightly faster than other boards.. offers crossfire.. 
-500gb of harddrive should be plenty. no reason to waste hundreds on raptors when it offers only faster loading times but for so little gb its not even worth it
-thermalright 120 extreme is one of the best if not the best heatsink. the scythe s-flex is one of the best fans at being quiet while blowing tons of air. these two are ideal for air cooling.


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## Fitseries3 (Feb 25, 2008)

if it helps you any, i've got an almost new e8400 for sale. save a few $ and buy mine, please.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 25, 2008)

you guys are the best lol....sorry i couldnt respond earlier im caught up with work and finals, but i will check out everything listed and fit i will look further into the chip and let you know whats up....thank guys 

nguyenpeter76: that sounds like a crazy setup and its still below my budget lol  i dont know what case i wanna go with yet because they just keep coming out with so many but it will definitley be a nice looking case....right now i have the antec 900

seems like you really did your research lol now its my turn to do mine and let you guys know what i decide on doing...everything will be done little by little because right now i am in no rush being that i have a rig already so i will be piecing together and i will be keeping everyone updated but as of now my $2000 budget stands!!


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## erocker (Feb 25, 2008)

Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> you guys are the best lol....sorry i couldnt respond earlier im caught up with work and finals, but i will check out everything listed and fit i will look further into the chip and let you know whats up....thank guys
> 
> nguyenpeter76: that sounds like a crazy setup and its still below my budget lol  i dont know what case i wanna go with yet because they just keep coming out with so many but it will definitley be a nice looking case....right now i have the antec 900
> 
> seems like you really did your research lol now its my turn to do mine and let you guys know what i decide on doing...everything will be done little by little because right now i am in no rush being that i have a rig already so i will be piecing together and i will be keeping everyone updated but as of now my $2000 budget stands!!



Give me 20 minutes.  Water or air cooling?


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## erocker (Feb 25, 2008)

DVD Burner
Case
Raptors (x2)
Storage HDD
Video Card
AxeRam
(I have two GB's factored in price, you might want four)
Motherboard
Processor
CPU Cooler

Total: $1967.21 + Shipping.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 26, 2008)

hmm i might wanna go water cooling this time....which one would you guys recommend???...i know water cooling is better but does it also have its downsides??


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## nguyenpeter76 (Feb 26, 2008)

well there's possible leakage, but shouldn't be an issue if you set it up right. just make sure you let it run on its own for several hours before putting it on the processor or w/e to make sure it doesn't leak.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 26, 2008)

right now i have a AMD processor and i have not had any problems at all...i know they are reliable to OC but i see alot of people have intel processors...is there any reason why you guys prefer one over the other???....sorry for all the questions i just want o understand everything before i spend that kind of money


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## MKmods (Feb 26, 2008)

Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> right now i have a AMD processor and i have not had any problems at all...i know they are reliable to OC but i see alot of people have intel processors...is there any reason why you guys prefer one over the other???....sorry for all the questions i just want o understand everything before i spend that kind of money



It matters GREATLY on what you are REALLY going to do with the computer.

OCing (is this something you really want to do)

Gaming, do you want to play the latest greatest or are you happy with Starcraft?

Monitor,whats the resolution?(1280X1024 or 2560 X 1600, or in between)

Do you like to fiddle all the time with your comp or do you just want to turn it on and go?


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

MKmods said:


> It matters GREATLY on what you are REALLY going to do with the computer.
> 
> OCing (is this something you really want to do)
> 
> ...




OCing really doesnt matter to me if i get a GOOD processor

gaming will be done on that PC so yes i want to be able to play the latest and greatest lol

right now i have a 22inch monitor resolution is 1680x1050 

this build will be strictly for gaming and MAYBE as a media center as well


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## MKmods (Feb 27, 2008)

ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe mobo
Amd X2 6400 (3.2Ghz stock)(could go with Intel quad but I dont know if you would see REAL difference)
PC Power & Cooling 610 or Corsair 620 PS (best)
2 Gigs(4 if using 64bit OS) Patriot extreme memory
either 3870(X2 if you need extra) or 8800GT or GTS(512mb version)(plenty for 1680 X 1050)
get a Blue Ray DVD

Spend $$ on a great case with excellent cooling (Thermalright for CPU, Chipset and GPU)


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## MikeJeng (Feb 27, 2008)

Why don't you wait until april.



Now isn't a great time. Too much new technology coming out in the next 2 months.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

MKmods i really like the sound of that AMD processor you mentioned because with that i wont need to OC at all 

what do you think of the thermaltake cases as far as cooling goes??.....right now i have the antec 900 i love it


MikeJeng: right now im kind of window shopping to see what is out there....last build i made the mistake of buying my motherboard first without thinking about what processor i was going to get and i ended up getting a 939 socket board  so this time i am definitely taking my time especially being that last build i only spent about 800 for everything and this time i want to spend around 2000

but i will definitely keep my eyes and ears open for new stuff


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## erocker (Feb 27, 2008)

If you don't want ot OC I would totally recommend getting an E8400.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

erocker said:


> If you don't want ot OC I would totally recommend getting an E8400.



even over the amd one mentioned above??....3.2ghz sounds tempting lol


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## MKmods (Feb 27, 2008)

Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> hmm i might wanna go water cooling this time....which one would you guys recommend???...i know water cooling is better but does it also have its downsides??


I say no, it add complexity you dont need, the air cooling stuff works so good now.



erocker said:


> If you don't want ot OC I would totally recommend getting an E8400.


An EXCELLENT choice (its $100 more but has more L2 Cache)I just like AMD (its an underdog kind of thing)




Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> what do you think of the thermaltake cases as far as cooling goes??.....right now i have the antec 900 i love it


No way Jose!



MikeJeng said:


> Why don't you wait until april.
> Now isn't a great time. Too much new technology coming out in the next 2 months.


I would seriously consider 9600GTs in SLI, but if you keep waiting you will never build a comp


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## erocker (Feb 27, 2008)

I believe that fitseries3 still has a e8400 in his for sale thread for $190!  If I didn't already have one, I'd snatch it up.  I have mine running stock at 1.08V!


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## MKmods (Feb 27, 2008)

erocker said:


> I believe that fitseries3 still has a e8400 in his for sale thread for $190!  If I didn't already have one, I'd snatch it up.  I have mine running stock at 1.08V!


Got to love a deal..
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=45933


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

thats a real good deal but what mobo would i run with??


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## MKmods (Feb 27, 2008)

In the last few mod contests I needed Intel stuff and I have been using the Asus P5N E SLI and it has worked well for me. It has the 1333FSB, Can run the 45nm CPUs,Quads and is SLI.

Maybe erocker has a few suggestions as well.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

i was looking at the Asus Maximus Formula MB a little while ago that thing is sick and i also checked out the  ASUS CROSSHAIR AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI  MB so it would be between those two and the one that you mentioned.....im really liking the sound of the maximus formula....i already contacted fitseries in regards to the processor so lets see where that takes me this weekend


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## MKmods (Feb 27, 2008)

I know you arent into OCing but apparently like erocker mentioned it can OC quite easily and quite a bit.
As to mobos I am not so into flash as a solid performer thats a value.(as you get older "Value" matters quite a bit)


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 27, 2008)

its not that i am not into it....i just rather not deal with it being that it can stress the hardware...i feel the same way about flashing really i just want to get some high performance stuff that i dont have to tweak i can just put it all together and have a very good gaming rig


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 28, 2008)

well i was reading up and i found the E8500 is out

http://legitreviews.com/article/668/1/

maybe i might get that one??


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## MKmods (Feb 28, 2008)

its ur money...but if there is 1 for sale here $80 less and only .16Ghz less it seems like a much better deal.
use your money to get things that matter more, like better case,PS and cooling .Maybe even a HD tuner


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 28, 2008)

you know what u make sense lol i was thinking the same thing after i made that post.....if i really want to see the .16ghz more i can just OC.....give me about a hour guys im gonna start putting my list together and post it up and you guys can tell me what you think


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 28, 2008)

Ok guys after listening to everyones feedback and researching some stuff on my own heres my mini list of things i can think of so far...

*Case:* Either another Antec 900 (revised one with cutouts) or even the Antec P182se

*Motherboard:* Either ASUS Maximus Formula or the ASUS Crosshair AM2 Nvidia nforce 590

*Processor:* Intel E8400 seems like my only choice because i did not see any AMD processors over 3.0Ghz unless i miss it like i missed that sick deal fitseries had by 10 minutes 

*Memory:* I think ill stick with Kingston HyperX as i have it now and i know it is great memory for gaming

*HDD:* Seagate has never done anything wrong to me lol and since i will be building this as a gamin/media PC i will consider around 1TB of disk space

*PSU:* Corsair 520 or 620 depending on what graphics card i go with

*Graphics Card:* AMD ATI 3870 X2 or 2 Nvidia GeForce 9600GT's

that looks like all for now guys i would have bought my Processor tonight but i was too slow lol thats what i get for waiting on a deal and i had a feeling that was gonna happen lol i guess ill wait to see what else comes around for now.....let me know what you guys think of my list


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## MKmods (Feb 28, 2008)

GET A EXCELLENT PS FIRST

Its the backbone to your comp, never scrimp on them. If you are only gonna use 1 video card right now the corsair 550 is an excellent deal (not modular)
the corsair 520 is an excellent PS if modular is wanted.
(Seasonic,Silverstone and PC Power & Cooling also are great PSs)


Now on to 1 or 2 video cards, I run 1 8800GT and am happy.
I mentioned the 9600GT because its the newest thing (but I would run 2 of them in SLI with a Corsair 620) Had I known about them I would have waited before getting my 8800GT and gone with 2 9600GTs.

If you want ATI Graphics the 3870 X2 is an awesome card (go with the Corsair 620 PS for it) 2 cards in one...


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 28, 2008)

the 9600GT's sound good man i definitely want two cards running SLI bridged....but can you explain which one is better as far as the names or the makers go like ati and nvidia and asus because they all carry 9600gt

if the ati 3870 is like two cards in one wouldnt it be better to get that being that it would come out to the same price as two 9600gt's then again you wont have that pimp effect of two diesel graphics card inside your case lol

list edited


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## MKmods (Feb 28, 2008)

the 3870 X2 is the 2 in one card.. the 3870 is just a single card.

This is a Pro ATI forum (I use both Nvidia and ATI so I am neutral, lol) The thing about the 9600GTs are they draw less power, and make less heat and as a pair look pretty sweet.

im pretty sure 2 of the 9600GTs are less $ than one of the 3870 X2s.

LOL, I also like the Pimp effect of the 2 cards...

look at this thread
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=53835


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## calvary1980 (Feb 28, 2008)

you probably shouldn't get the Wolfdale unless your Overclocking. Perhaps I can help with the Video Card selection the good thing about nVidia is they have alot of Vendors (XFX, eVGA, BFG, Asus, MSI, Leadtek, Zotac, Palit etc)  at first glance they all look the same but they are there to cater to your needs they offer different Warranties, Heatsinks, Memory and Bundles for example XFX has a double life time Warranty which means if you decide to sell the card to someone else the Warranty is transfered in there name this increases the resell value they also encourage volt modding and have excellent RMA so this makes them the Modders choice. eVGA offers quality but I think what they got going for them is the Step-up Program basically if you were to purchase a eVGA card like the 9600GT today you would have 90 days to upgrade to a 9800GT (assuming it's coming out within 90 days) you have to mail them your video card and invoice in resalable condition which means original packaging you then pay the difference between the 2 video cards so if a 9600GT is $179 and you want a 9800GT thats $299 you would pay $120 (I think thats how it works) they can also tax you for shipping and or if you fail to meet any requirements sounds great right? well for most people it is but alot of people complain about the stipulations in this program for one thing you can be at home videocard-less for months because you have to wait in line and even when you get the 9800GT it's going to be a stock card all in all eVGA is the Gamers choice. Maybe you don't want to go through all this and just want a good out of the box performing card Warranties and Rebates are not everybody's thing so you should look at Zotac they offer good Memory, Altered Single Slot  Stock Cooler and Excellent Performance.

as to which actual Model to select the 8800GS is a good performer ive seen it out perform the 9600gt in some games but the 9600GT can also out perform the 8800GS in others overall the 8800GS is a solid card with a good price performance ratio. 9600GT has an update to the core and an update to the PureVideo Engine but there is a problem with a missing thermal sensor which im sure will be fixed in a new revision also recently reported in SLI they can out perform the 3870x2 in some games? probably a driver issue Danish could answer that.

anyways I hope this helps 

- Christine


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Feb 28, 2008)

man you guys make me smile lol....thanks a lot guys now i finally can understand why there are so many vendors for one graphics card lol. Im not really feeling the eVGA way of things but i am liking the XFX way as far as the double warranty and resale value goes....i will continue my hunt and most like work on the MB and the Processor just to see if they happen to fix the 9600GT problem and also to see if anything else would come out later on 

you guys rock


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 1, 2008)

ok guys i will be purchasing my motherboard most likely by the end of next week....i have made the decision to go with the Asus Maximus Formula and the Intel e8400 processor.  I might even get the case at the same time but im still deciding on what case i want....i really love my antec 900 so we will see....maybe another one??.....any suggestions on a case for gaming with very good cooling like the 900


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## MKmods (Mar 1, 2008)

To me the case is a personal preference. What do you want it to do?
(do you move it around, LAN,or is it under a desk?)

For me in order of importance..
1-Cooling
2-Room for my Hardware
3-Plain(I dont need bells and whistles)
4-Quietness (thicker panels or insulated)


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## Jimmy 2004 (Mar 1, 2008)

Da iLLeZt TL973 said:


> ok guys i will be purchasing my motherboard most likely by the end of next week....i have made the decision to go with the Asus Maximus Formula and the Intel e8400 processor.  I might even get the case at the same time but im still deciding on what case i want....i really love my antec 900 so we will see....maybe another one??.....any suggestions on a case for gaming with very good cooling like the 900



Why do you need a new case if you have an Antec 900? I thought that was one of the best gaming cases out there?!


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 1, 2008)

MKmods said:


> To me the case is a personal preference. What do you want it to do?
> (do you move it around, LAN,or is it under a desk?)
> 
> For me in order of importance..
> ...




Well i dont go to LAN parties or anything so it sits up on my desk, i have carpet so i try not to keep it on the floor (dust). I really care about the cooling aspect of it looks play some kind of role i dont really want a ugly case with beastly hardware inside lol.....who knows i might just get the revised 900....only complaint about the 900 is the wire management which i can live with by putting my dremel to use.

Jimmy2004: The reason for another case is because i am building a whole new computer...hence the title of the thread lol......the antec 900 is a very nice looking case and is very good for cooling purposes so i might consider getting another one but the revised one......anyone know where the revised one can be purchased??...i checked stores around here and they all have the old one without the cutouts on the motherboard tray


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## MKmods (Mar 2, 2008)

oh oh oh look at this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163094
(I like the ps on top, and in front of the ps where the wires come out there is a hole to put them behind the mobo tray.
Also very easy to put another 120mm fan in lower DVD trays with mesh front.

Like em BIG?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163060


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 2, 2008)

i like the second one.....its real clean and sleek looking....i wanted to go small this time but most likely i will have to go big again because the motherboard that i want to get is an atx form factor not the mini atx.

what do you think about this case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133037

or this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129026


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## MKmods (Mar 2, 2008)

The armor is a poor design. And if silence (not cooling) is your goal then the antec one is quiet.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 2, 2008)

i think most likely i will go with the Antec 900 once again and try to get my hands on the "revised" one that is out....i have yet to see it out does anyone even have it?....if not i will revise it myself lol.....maybe add a little insulation and put the dremel to use for the wire management......only thing about insulation is the buildup of heat unless i find a way to trap cold air and not hot hmmmmmm

mk i really like the second one you posted that one has me thinking as well because its so sleek looking and i really like th double fans on the sides back and top


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## Jimmy 2004 (Mar 2, 2008)

You could always save a bit of money and put your old rig in another case that isn't as good and keep the Antec 900 for your new build?


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 2, 2008)

that would make sense jimmy.....but i think i like that silver stone case above lol MK you got me hooked!!!


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## MKmods (Mar 2, 2008)

a few things i liked about the big silverstone is the 2 chamber design, also the rear panel is perforated to aid airflow (the TT case isant)
Also the silverstone case gives you the 2 PS option, Plenty of room for internal water cooling if you go that route.
Its a very elegant looking case in person too.


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 2, 2008)

yea i have yet to see it in person....i will probably take a trip to my local micro center and check it out....who knows i may even come home with it lol


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## MKmods (Mar 2, 2008)

I think fitseries3 is using one


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## Da iLLeZt TL973 (Mar 3, 2008)

really i will check to find out


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