XFX 680i LT SLI HS&F

First off, I would like to introduce myself since I'm new here at OCF.

My name's Mike, and I'm a PC enthusiast/hobbyist. I've been building PCs for about eight years, although I've never had the chance to build anything other than middle-grade PCs, though the last time I built a PC dual cored CPUs were just entering the market. (So it's been a little while

I tend to do a lot more repairs and troubleshooting than actual builds, but I'm far more entertained by hardware than software.

Anyways, on to what I'm here for!

I'm going to be building a new PC within the next few weeks, and have the majority of my components picked out, with the sole exception of a HS&F. Here's my current list.

XFX nVidia 680i LT SLI Motherboard
Intel Q6600 with G0 stepping
4GB OCZ SLI-Ready Dual-Channel PC6400
XFX nVidia 8600GT XXX Edition PCI-E
Seagate Barracuda 400GB SATA HDD
Lite-On SATA DVD-/+RW (SATA)
Lite-On DVD-ROM/CD-/+RW (IDE)
Ultra Grid Case w/ Window
Ultra X-Connect V-Series (XVS) 700 watt Modular PSU
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

My budget is 1K USD, and I've pretty much met that already. I had to settle for the 680i motherboard since I really can't afford the 780i at the moment, not to mention it's a LT board, thus saving further money. I really didn't want to settle for the 8600GT video card, but, for the money, the performance looks decent enough for now. I also had to settle for the Ultra Grid tower, due to the fact that it comes bundled with a pretty decent power supply, and has decent cooling capabilities with two 120mm fans, front and rear respectively, along with a CPU duct and video venting... All for $99. (Speaking of the CPU duct... I'd really rather leave it attached so that I can get some fresh air to the CPU fan... But it can be removed if it has to)

That said, I've read some reviews on the XFX 680i LT board, and it seems some people are having problems with a lot of the higher end heat sinks and fans. I believe there's some issues with components, solder joints, or something along those lines... Getting in the way of bottom plate attachment. While normally I would just look for a setup that uses the push-pins instead of screws/backing plate... The sheer weight and design of most of the newer models worry me.

I plan on overclocking the Q6600 slightly... Nothing too extreme. I might push it to 3.0GHz, but that'd be about the highest I'd go, depending on stability, voltage, et cetera. The hottest I'd like to see it get is around 50C, but I don't know how likely that is with this setup.

At any rate, I was hoping somebody has some experience with a similar setup so that I could get some advise on what kind of HS&F is compatible with this motherboard, while maintaining good cooling capabilities and not costing an arm and a leg.

I know, I know. I'm a pain in the butt.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Edit: Hrm... Sorry! I meant to post this under "Cooling" not "Extreme Cooling".

Thermalright Ultra 120 http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermalright-ultra-120a-rev-a-cpu-cooler-p-16602.html

If you want to spend a little more for a slight improvement there's the Ultra 120 Extreme http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-cpu-cooler-p-16580.html

Then get a fan that meets your needs, whether you want a higher cfm and don't care about noise, or if you want something super quiet.

IIRC you can also buy a thing to mount this like a stock intel hsf.

*Edit: It may have been for something else, I can't seem to find it now

However, I'm almost positive thermaltake makes some that mount like that.

Welcome to the forums Jor!

The thermalright products that sno linked for you are the premier ir cooling for the LGA775 package bar none.

What is the purpose of this new build going to be?

If you have any room to eek out a few more $$$ that 8600 GT could really use an upgrade. I have an 8600 GT, and its a fairly weak/meager GPU. If you are going to be gaming at all, that 8600 price/performance ratio idea is going to be in the crapper once you experience the performance

Once again welcome to OCF!

PS - I assume as a computer enthusiast and repairman you have had some experience with Vista? I also run Vista x64 Ultimate, and to be honest the ONLY reason I ever use it is for some very specific benching purposes. To call vista "bloatware" is very appropriate IMHO. SO dang slow.... I mean....SO slow

Sorry....kinda off-topic there a bit.

I agree that the Thermalright 120 looks like a good buy. I'm a little concerned whether it's height will be a problem, though. That aside, I've read a lot of good things about that particular HS&F, and it's definitely on the top of my list.

I've always been a Thermaltake guy. That said, I'm kind of interested in seeing what the newer Thermaltakes can do. Big Typhoon, TMG i1, TMG i2, Maxorb, et cetera. What I wouldn't give to be able to get them all for testing!

But like I said before, my primary parameters are A) It's compatible with the my motherboard; B) It's the best bang I can get for around $50-$60 when it's all said and done.

I'm also trying to maybe find a better case/PSU solution, but it's being rather difficult with the $100-$120 price range I can afford. Any suggestions on that, by chance?

By the way, Dawgdoc, while I'd truely love to get a 8800, I really can't afford to toss in an extra hundred-plus bucks for it. I do plan on doing some gaming with this system, but at the moment I feel my money would be better spent on the cpu/motherboard. It's a little easier for me to switch a video card or two than it would be for me to spring for a new CPU for instance.

I really don't care for the idea of Vista myself, and were I just to wait I could save myself a couple hundred dollars and use it elsewhere (the better graphics card or a SLI setup, for instance). On the other hand, though, my wife needs Vista for school, and I can just dual boot if I have to.

Thanks in advance,
Jor

Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme is the best bang for the buck, and the best bang overall by far. Get it. You wont be disapointed I guarantee it Jor.

As far as cases go.......Coolermaster CM-690. $19.99 after rebate at Microcenter right now. You simply CANT beat that case at that price. Its super roomy, built like a tank, and a favorite of case modders.

As far as PSUs go, I would personally go with the Corsair HX550 for $91 after rebate at Clubit.

550w may seem a disadvantage as compared to the 700w you listed, but unless you are running an SLI or Tri-SLI rig and overclocking heavily, you will not come close to using even the 550w in the Corsair PSU I listed, AND its top top quality. I would almost guarantee its running cleaner than the one you listed, and once again for the price you cannot beat it.

Case + PSU, both top quality mainstream items for $111 after rebates. A better deal on quality items you will not find IMHO.

How much did you budget for the Case+PSU you listed?

If you cant add another $100ish to upgrade your GPU I totally understand. In that case, I cannot think of another GPU in the price range of the 8600GT that would be better, and I cant disagree with your rationale that you can always upgrade the GPU quite easily.

As far as the CPU goes, depending on what you are doing you might want to consider going with a Core2Duo instead of a Core2Quad. Most games arnt using more than 2 cores, and unless you are folding, or benching, or dong some series video-editing a higher Ghz C2D would serve you better at a cheaper price IMHO.

E8400s can be had for approx $190 if you look around. Last I saw Q6600 G0s are about $270ish. That E8400 will carry you well into 2009 and depending on your applications perhaps even 2010 unless you get some itch that you feel like upgrading prior to that.

Just my 2 cents here. Good luck with the build man! Make sure to post back with any additional info, questions, yada yada and dont forget some pics when you put it all together!

Fine suggestions, indeed. I especially like the case, I don't know how I managed to miss it.

Comparing the Q6600 and the E8400... How is the overclockability with the E8400? I've heard wonderful things about the Q6600... How do they compare?

I guess my position is this... If I pay the extra $40-$50 right now for the Q6600, it might not have as big of a performance as the E8400. But, say, later in this year or early into next year, when they start making more software that support multiple cores, it'll probably perform better, no?

So, I guess what I'm saying is, wouldn't the Quad be better as far as longevity goes? I'm thinking that an extra $50 for another year or two of life might be worth it.

At any rate, thank you for all the input thus far! I'll be sure to keep you posted on the goings of the on.
Jor

If you do Chose the Q6600, make sure it is the G0 stepping, which you can order here and they guarantee it is indeed a G0 version
http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1938452
There is also an OEM version that is A little cheaper

The G0 version compared to the B3 will run much cooler and overclock better.
The main thing is that it is much coolre running.

When I started doing research on the Intel CPUs that were out these days, I read about the G0 stepping, so I made sure to find one that had it.

Regarding the C2D vs the C2Q who can really say for sure when companies will start to introduce more multithreaded utilities and games? Not me.

All I know is that C2Q have been out for a decent while now, and yet there still are scant few programs that utilize those extra cores. For me, 90% of the time the extra 2 cores sit idle on my Q6600, and I would venture a guess that for the vast majority of Q6600 owners out there that percentage of idle time on the 2 extra cores is even higher than mine. I cannot name 1 single game that uses 4 cores. There are a few out there, but I cant think of one. Folding uses the extra cores quite efficiently. Some multithreaded benchmark programs do such as Wprime use all 4 cores. Video editing can use a TON of CPU power and you can easily load all 4 cores with that but.......other than those applications I cant really think of any other uses for the extra 2 cores other than owner pride

How long do you plan on keeping this CPU prior to an upgrade? The whole futureproof-ability of the quads right now Im not so sure about personally. In my estimations and in my personal opinion only, by the time there are enough programs out there that actually use all 4 cores you will be due for another CPU and mobo upgrade

Regarding overclockability its hit or miss with each individual chip. Ive heard wonderful things about the E8400 so far. I hear of many people running 4+ Ghz on air for 24/7. Regarding your Q6600 the sweet spot on that quad appears to be 3.6Ghz for 24/7. Also, considering the E8400 starts at 3.0Ghz stock compared to the Q6600 2.4Ghz stock I would expect the E8400 to clock substantially higher on average. Then there is also the cache issue.....Wolfdales have 12mb L2 cache as opposed to the Q6600 which has 8 mb L2 cache. 8mb is GREAT for L2 cache!!!!!! But 12 mb is 50% more

But, if you have your heart set on a Q6600 its a fine CPU and will certainly serve you well Im sure. Im not trying to talk you out of any of your options that you have listed in this thread, just trying to give you another perspective. The Q6600 is a workhorse and if you decide on that CPU Im sure you wont be disapointed in it.

PS - Might want to ask a mod to move this thread to the general or air cooling sections, or even the general hardware thread. This forum is not as frequented as some of he others, and you might be missing out on additional opinions..... You could also start a new thread there and just shoot a link to this thread too.

Heres a link to the new thread, if you're interested.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=545923

And... I'm starting to lean more towards more towards the E8400... But damn it, that Q6600 is haunting me. That, and, I can get the Q6600 and the XFX 680i for $350 in a bundle. Hard to pass up. Hehe.

Regards,
Jor

Jorlain said:

Heres a link to the new thread, if you're interested.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=545923

And... I'm starting to lean more towards more towards the E8400... But damn it, that Q6600 is haunting me. That, and, I can get the Q6600 and the XFX 680i for $350 in a bundle. Hard to pass up. Hehe.

Regards,
Jor

Click to expand...

Not to stir the whole pot too much, but are you definitely set on that 680i board? Are you planning SLI at some point in the near future? If you arnt, I dont see any advantage to the 680i chipset.

I'd like the option to be open should I decide to... I had kind of planned on maybe getting another card in a month or two to supplement this one.

What would you suggest if I decided not to go with a SLI board?

i didnt read through the whole post, but drop 2gb of ram and the 8600, goto the 8800gt, you will be happier.

Dawgdoc said:

Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme is the best bang for the buck, and the best bang overall by far. Get it. You wont be disapointed I guarantee it Jor.

As far as cases go.......Coolermaster CM-690. $19.99 after rebate at Microcenter right now. You simply CANT beat that case at that price. Its super roomy, built like a tank, and a favorite of case modders.

As far as PSUs go, I would personally go with the Corsair HX550 for $91 after rebate at Clubit.

550w may seem a disadvantage as compared to the 700w you listed, but unless you are running an SLI or Tri-SLI rig and overclocking heavily, you will not come close to using even the 550w in the Corsair PSU I listed, AND its top top quality. I would almost guarantee its running cleaner than the one you listed, and once again for the price you cannot beat it.

Case + PSU, both top quality mainstream items for $111 after rebates. A better deal on quality items you will not find IMHO.

How much did you budget for the Case+PSU you listed?

If you cant add another $100ish to upgrade your GPU I totally understand. In that case, I cannot think of another GPU in the price range of the 8600GT that would be better, and I cant disagree with your rationale that you can always upgrade the GPU quite easily.

As far as the CPU goes, depending on what you are doing you might want to consider going with a Core2Duo instead of a Core2Quad. Most games arnt using more than 2 cores, and unless you are folding, or benching, or dong some series video-editing a higher Ghz C2D would serve you better at a cheaper price IMHO.

E8400s can be had for approx $190 if you look around. Last I saw Q6600 G0s are about $270ish. That E8400 will carry you well into 2009 and depending on your applications perhaps even 2010 unless you get some itch that you feel like upgrading prior to that.

Just my 2 cents here. Good luck with the build man! Make sure to post back with any additional info, questions, yada yada and dont forget some pics when you put it all together!

Click to expand...

Well thanks for describing my system fist off. Anyone who chooses these componets with this case combo will be happy. the cm690 is a dream to work with for the most part. Modding it can be quite enjoyable also. the 680i lt and Q6600 pair wonderfully with a little OC. corsair 2G case 5 ram and corsair 550 power. just be carefull when u buy your cpu cooler if u intend to have 2 fans attached to the top