I really hesitated to start this thread because there are so many in here. I have pretty much read all of them, but I still have questions.
Granted, I am really young to OC and im still learning. With that though, im trying to piece together a rig that suits my needs and I don't buy what I don't need.
I lay the ground work and ask my questions:
Primarily a gaming rig an im trying to build a rig that will last for quite some time. With that in mind, I have decided on the following:
Intel Core 2 Duo: E6600
I figured this CPU will allow me to get a lot of use out of it and gel well with Vista. I can also OC it to higher speeds for extra added life.
Memory: 2gib kit. Specifically, Corsair XMS2, DDR800, PC6400, 5-5-5-12 timing. I can get it for about $220 right now with rebate.
Motherboard. *sigh*
This is where im confused.
What i DONT need:
-RAID
-SLI/Crossfire
-tons of drives.
I will have a DVD drive and 1-2 SATA drives, one floppy, extrememusic Sound card, possibly a better NIC down the road. Thats a "if" though.
I read a lot about Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI and Abit boards. The gigabyte boards seem to work extremely well with E6300 and E6400 chips and allow great O/C' ing.
I found something here that the ABIT AW9D is a very good board as well.
I have used quite a few ASUS boards in the past and found them very good. I have read a lot of up and down reviews on ASUS boards for C2D chips, which is where I get lost.
Besides with what I have and what i need, I do plan on OC'ing. Not to Extreme measures, but i'd like to get into th 3+ghz range. I know that requires cooling and im not shy of that. However, I just need to keep things in perspective right now (long story).
Anyway, what suits my needs motherboard wise? Based on what i've pointed out, does any board jump out right away?
I do appreciate the feedback and apologize for another one of "those threads."
Granted, I am really young to OC and im still learning. With that though, im trying to piece together a rig that suits my needs and I don't buy what I don't need.
I lay the ground work and ask my questions:
Primarily a gaming rig an im trying to build a rig that will last for quite some time. With that in mind, I have decided on the following:
Intel Core 2 Duo: E6600
I figured this CPU will allow me to get a lot of use out of it and gel well with Vista. I can also OC it to higher speeds for extra added life.
Memory: 2gib kit. Specifically, Corsair XMS2, DDR800, PC6400, 5-5-5-12 timing. I can get it for about $220 right now with rebate.
Motherboard. *sigh*
This is where im confused.
What i DONT need:
-RAID
-SLI/Crossfire
-tons of drives.
I will have a DVD drive and 1-2 SATA drives, one floppy, extrememusic Sound card, possibly a better NIC down the road. Thats a "if" though.
I read a lot about Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI and Abit boards. The gigabyte boards seem to work extremely well with E6300 and E6400 chips and allow great O/C' ing.
I found something here that the ABIT AW9D is a very good board as well.
I have used quite a few ASUS boards in the past and found them very good. I have read a lot of up and down reviews on ASUS boards for C2D chips, which is where I get lost.
Besides with what I have and what i need, I do plan on OC'ing. Not to Extreme measures, but i'd like to get into th 3+ghz range. I know that requires cooling and im not shy of that. However, I just need to keep things in perspective right now (long story).
Anyway, what suits my needs motherboard wise? Based on what i've pointed out, does any board jump out right away?
I do appreciate the feedback and apologize for another one of "those threads."