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New build, need some advice

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Stryfe

Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2002
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Hey guys!

I'm pondering my first new build in a quite a while(for myself anyway). I need some advice on components as it's been a while since I've kept up with all the reviews and the nuances involved in achieving maximum performance in the A64 world (I've been running my Barton until now).

What I want is a good overclocking system. I'm happy to spend some cash on good quality parts but I'm not looking for the absolute best (and most expensive) of everything.

Here's what I've thought of so far:
1. AMD x2 3600+ Brisbane OEM
2. Tuniq Tower HSF
3. 2x1gb OCZ Gold XTC DDR800 CL5-5-5-12
4. DFI LanParty Mobo
5. EVGA 8800GTS 320MB 576mhz/1.7ghz
6. OCZ GameXStream 700w

1. Are 65nm equal or better overclockers than the 90nm? Should I spend a bit more money for a higher rated chip or will the 3600+ overclock well?

2. This seems like top dog right now as far as air goes. Plus it's just damn impressive looking.

3. There seems to be so much to consider with ram and this is where I'm really lost. I picked this OCZ because it looked pretty good for the price.(really high end RAM is way too much money). I really need some other suggestions to look at as well. Also does this ram overclock well?

4. I've always wanted to try out a DFI board. I've been having trouble finding an AM2 model that has all the bells and whistles but without SLI. (SLI adds a lot to the price and I don't plan on using it). Which model should I go for? I'm also open to suggestions of other manufacturer/models if there's something I'm missing.

5. I want a DirectX 10 card since I don't want to upgrade my video again for 2-3 years, so the 8800 seems to be the only choice at the moment. Which 8800 GTS (GTX is too much) should I go for? I have no idea which is the best bang for the buck.

6. Are these OCZ PSUs any good? I love Fortron/Sparkle but the Fortron 760w is $60 more than the OCZ (here in canada anyway).

Thanks :)

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6. Funny you mention Fortron, thats who makes the GameXstream for OCZ. That being said it wouldn't be my first choice to power your system(its not bad but there are better in its price range.) The corsair HX520 would be a very good choice and have more than enough power for your needs. Modular, quiet, efficient (80+), solid voltage regulation and clean output, its a very good unit. Its also a littler cheaper than the GameXstream.

On the topic of how it would crunch: If you can clock that chip to ~2.95Ghz (i don't know how realistic that is) i'd say you can expect ~1,600 RAC from it.
 
Are you totally against an Intel Core 2 Duo system or something? Because frankly, that is where the performance and overclocking edge is nowdays. I know that even a low end e4300 will cost more than the Brisbane 3600 but there is much more performance to be had too. And if you can hold off until the end of April, there are price cuts in the offering too for the Intel lineup. All in all the cost difference won't be much more than $30-60 max.

I would recommend something such as the following for an Intel rig:

E4300 ($170 US) or E6300 ($195 US) processor. These are supposed to both drop quite a bit in April too.
Asus P5N-SLI mobo - Very nice board with great features for the price. Also cheaper than the DFI Lanparty AM2 board.
Memory - something like the Buffalo Firestix DDR2-800 if available in Canada. I am not familiar with the ram you are looking at but OCZ generally makes some good stuff.

A good resource to look for ram types is to look at this page, besides checking in the memory forum here. For overclocking ram, I think it's generally (but not always) better to buy sticks that use Micron D9 ram chips.

The rest can all remain the same. The Tuniq does an excellent job with C2D as well as with AMD and the OCZ psu you are looking at should power either system just fine, IMO.
 
Alexhk said:
6. Funny you mention Fortron, thats who makes the GameXstream for OCZ. That being said it wouldn't be my first choice to power your system(its not bad but there are better in its price range.) The corsair HX520 would be a very good choice and have more than enough power for your needs. Modular, quiet, efficient (80+), solid voltage regulation and clean output, its a very good unit. Its also a littler cheaper than the GameXstream.

On the topic of how it would crunch: If you can clock that chip to ~2.95Ghz (i don't know how realistic that is) i'd say you can expect ~1,600 RAC from it.
Looks pretty good. I like the modular PSUs a lot and from what I read it's quiet too (nothing worse than a fan that's too loud). Thanks for the link, I get most of my parts from NCIX :)

muddocktor said:
Are you totally against an Intel Core 2 Duo system or something? Because frankly, that is where the performance and overclocking edge is nowdays.
I thought about it for a while and I think I'm going to stick with A64 despite the fact that they aren't quite as quick as the C2Ds, they're cheaper and I'll admit I'm some what of an AMD fan. Besides, I can look forward to dropping in a dualcore K8L once they're out and affordable.
 
The Brisbane chips (like your 3600) seem to be OC'ing quite well - usually just under 3 GHz on air.

The important thing I've noticed is the MB choices (just from reading - I'm in 939 land :)). It seems the best OC motherboards have the nV570 or 590 chipsets. I didn't look up your choice but keep that in mind as you shop around ...
 
QuietIce said:
The Brisbane chips (like your 3600) seem to be OC'ing quite well - usually just under 3 GHz on air.

The important thing I've noticed is the MB choices (just from reading - I'm in 939 land :)). It seems the best OC motherboards have the nV570 or 590 chipsets. I didn't look up your choice but keep that in mind as you shop around ...
The board I had found so far was this: DFI LANParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R/G. I don't need the SLI though and the board is quite pricey. Do you or anyone else know if there's a Lanparty board that uses the one of those chipsets that doesn't support SLI?
 
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