New Intel Build! - Advice needed

[RossDargan]

Ok, so Im quite new to this whole thing - so go easy on me!
Im thinking about buying:
---------------------
CPU: Intel Pentium D
MOBO: Asus P5WD2-E Premium 975 x LGA 775 2 X PCI-E 16x
PSU: Seasonic 600W
HD: 3* Maxtor Diamondmax 500Gb
Sound: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Music Sound Card
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500
GPU Cooler: Zalman VF900-CU Quiet Dual Heatpipe VGA GPU Cooler
Graphics: 512MB ASUS Radeon X1900 XTX PCI-E
Case: Antec P180 EU Aluminium Super Miditower
Ram: ???
1*DVD Burner
1*DVD Reader
--------------------
So Im going to want to over clock the processor to around 3.8 - Do I have to have good ram for that... and could someone explain in layman's terms why?! - sorry Im a bit new to this!

Also any recomendations for ram, Im thinking about some OCZ Ram.

.. also any general suggestions - or anything obvious that I have missed!

Thanks

Ross

[R B Customs]

scrap the maxator. theyre cheap for a reason, and it would be the weak link in your machine.

the x1900XTX is the best card out there but is it work the extra £50 over the XT model ?

DVD burners are much of a muchness but most people tend to buy NEC burners... i took that advice and i havnt found anything that it wont burn onto.

im sure someone will soon reccomend a different air cooler, personaly i would reccomend an arctic freezer 7 pro.

the next post i predict will be 'wait for conroe ! ' lol

[RossDargan]

scrap the maxator. theyre cheap for a reason, and it would be the weak link in your machine.
Ill take a look - Im raiding them (raid 5) - so not too worried about quality - Ill probably in the end get a 500gb h/d from the three places Im buying my hardware from anyway... and Im looking into buying 2*80 and putting them in raid 0 and using it for OS and nothing else - so if I lose a drive Im not too worried.

the x1900XTX is the best card out there but is it work the extra £50 over the XT model ?
Yes.

... ok maybe not, but there seams to be only about £25 differance now... and you know its worth it;)


DVD burners are much of a muchness but most people tend to buy NEC burners... i took that advice and i havnt found anything that it wont burn onto.
... not alot to say about this - they are all much of a muchness, thinking about getting a lightscribe one, not that Ill use it though.

im sure someone will soon reccomend a different air cooler, personaly i would reccomend an arctic freezer 7 pro.

I have gone for that one because I know it can air cool the P D to 3.8 - but will happily look at other options!

the next post i predict will be 'wait for conroe ! ' lol
I have heard a lot about this, but cant wait! - my PC is pretty fubared - a current screen shot:-
http://static.flickr.com/44/147144041_d4a90175e2_b.jpg

P.S. Where abouts in Sunderland you from? I live in Washington!

Ross

[R B Customs]

well... i live in washington believe it or not !!, lambton
... WEIRD !
im more concerned abotu the maxators in RAID by the way ! that when you just dont want a drive to fail. im just saying it may be worth the extra few quid for a more reliable hdd :)

and WOW your pc looks screwed ! lol argos :P

[Jame Gumb]

PSU: Seasonic 600W has a dual +12V.
You want a strong single +12V.
PowerStream 520w 33A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817711002

SILVERSTONE 560w 38A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817163111

CPU cooling: Requires brackets
Tuniq tower 120
Scythe Ninja
si 120


cheers

[dylskee]

PSU: Seasonic 600W has a dual +12V.
You want a strong single +12V. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817711002


Tuniq tower 120
Scythe Ninja
si 120
I agree, the OCZ 520 performs better.

[R B Customs]

omg how big is new egg !, still cant believe they dont sell tagan !
OCZ PSUs arnt availible that muich in the UK... i dont know where Roiss is buying his components from but chances are they wont stock the OCZ PSU.
*does a quick google and finds a supplier in... SUNDERLAND ! *
http://www.falconcomputers.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=1301&osCsid=0c8f6a1615cc07767190b9b303a52df9

[greenmaji]

what the heck is up with your video card? Is it overclocked.. that looks really bad..
I agree with single 12V rail PSU's by the way.. Sparkle 520 (either) is a good choice as well IMHO.

And the egg sells tagen's (not big ones though) and one litte zippy.

[R B Customs]

just dug out the mags for the huge PSU bench test in custom PC magazine...
the OCZ got a very bad write up - cant produce its rated wattage, smells funny at load, and flaked out and wouldnt start for 16 minutes lol when it over heated...
what about an FSP FX600-80GLN for about £99

*edit - green beat me to the FSP suggestion - damn my slow replying*

[greenmaji]

^^ mags or croctale.. who am I going to belive ;)

Serious, the Ocz 520 powerstream is a SERIOUS PSU.
And if it has more then one 12V rail dont walk RUN AWAY!! for a dual core intel system.

And the Sparkle is made by FSP and it has a single powerfull 12V rail :thup:

[dylskee]

And if it has more then one 12V rail dont walk RUN AWAY!! for a dual core intel system.

LMAO, i think a lot of people here can attest to that. :)

[Jame Gumb]

Even with a triple +12v? Turbo-Cool 1KW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817703003

[KJSatz]

'wait for conroe ! ' lol

[GGA1759]

Have you tried changing/upgrading your current power supply?
That snapshot looks exactly like the problem I had a few years ago with PNY vid card. The power supply was not ample enough for the video card. Once I upgraded the power supply, all my problems went away. It could also be that your power supply is going bad also.
Just a thought.

[greenmaji]

Even with a triple +12v? Turbo-Cool 1KW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817703003

12V3 is the only 12V rail on that that would be suffencent for the main power, that and that thing is a waste of Money IMHO.

[Jame Gumb]

You bet it's a waste, and it's loud. That's the only non single 12v I could think of. Nasgul's list is a great bookmark for a swift recommendation list.

[seer33]

my antec he neo 550 has 3 12v w/ 18amps each...it does the job perfect and just as good if not better then my old ocz 420watt powerstream

[Jame Gumb]

What is the minimal amount of acceptable amps for Intel?

Sound: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Music Sound Card
That's a nice card.

RAM:
Here's some
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231051

[RossDargan]

omg how big is new egg !, still cant believe they dont sell tagan !
OCZ PSUs arnt availible that muich in the UK... i dont know where Roiss is buying his components from but chances are they wont stock the OCZ PSU.
*does a quick google and finds a supplier in... SUNDERLAND ! *
http://www.falconcomputers.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=1301&osCsid=0c8f6a1615cc07767190b9b303a52df9
WOW! Im getting as much as I can from there!

Thanks everyone for the great replies!

Im going to the the OCZ PSU then, still have no idea why I should go for the more expensive Ram over chepo stuff?

And Im not so sure if I need the more expensive hard drives - I mean Raid does mean inexpensive drives!

[RossDargan]

just dug out the mags for the huge PSU bench test in custom PC magazine...
the OCZ got a very bad write up - cant produce its rated wattage, smells funny at load, and flaked out and wouldnt start for 16 minutes lol when it over heated...
what about an FSP FX600-80GLN for about £99

*edit - green beat me to the FSP suggestion - damn my slow replying*
That sort of blows falcon computers out. Ill see if I can find this anywhere then.

[RossDargan]

ok, ******** to it - looked at the other ones and Im gonna go for the OCZ:)

.. apparently you cant say b0locks! ah well:)

[greenmaji]

What is the minimal amount of acceptable amps for Intel?

Generaly.. 30A that's if its a reputable PSU giving you the stats. (chepo saying they have 30A is a diffent story they might have tested it at 25C lol)

[R B Customs]

WOW! Im getting as much as I can from there!

Falcon is great for a local quick grab...
but really its Very overpriced for much of its things, and last time i rang up asking for my P5WD2-E Premium, or asking which boards he had in on an i975x chipset they just didnt have a clue lol.

id look no further from scan.co.uk or microdirect.co.uk or ebuyer.com for the best online Etailers in the UK.
when i bought my first rig i ordered all the parts in from computer centres north east ( birtley) which was great, but it took longer than an online order and boy was it it expensive !!!
i only donte it that way because i felt like i needed local support if anything went wrong.... but you cant go far wrong with those Etailers ^^

id like to see someone elses input on the hard drive situation though.
as fo the RAM, theres budget ram which is just plain crap, then value ram, which is the bottom of the range from many major manufactureres which is OK and then high end ram...which someone else will tell you all about... just never buy generic, unbranded RAM !!

[RossDargan]

R B Customs has suggested that there may be an issue with this board and Raid - has anyone experianced that because I want to Raid 5 the 3 500 gig drives.

[R B Customs]

R B Customs has suggested that there may be an issue with this board and Raid - has anyone experianced that because I want to Raid 5 the 3 500 gig drives.

that would be the P5WD2-E... not sure anout the G-WS but thats just overkill anyway.
is there an issue with the raid on the standart 955x based p5wd2's?,
could someone clarify?