Advice on finalizing my C2D/Xeon Build

Ok here is what I am starting with:

Case: Thermaltake Armor Full Tower Case

PSU: Silverstone ST75ZF

Cooling: Water Cooled Storm, BIXII, MCP655

Budget: $1000 for CPU, Mobo, Ram


These are my expectations: I am looking to get an over clock of 3.4 to 3.6 (or higher). I do not like to throw more than 1.5, 1.51, 1.52 volts into my CPU.
I would like to get some overclock out of my memory and get some decent timings, However I don’t like putting extreme voltage into my memory to get higher clocks. I am basically looking for a good stable over clock that I can set once and forget about it.

Also, I do not need a mobo with SLi , But I do want a Mobo that has Matrix Raid.


Here is what I am looking at getting for the CPU, Mobo, and Ram

CPU: I want to get either an E6600 or Xeon 3060. I am leaning more towards the Xeon 3060 due to lower VID. What do you guys think?

Mobo: Leaning towards the Asus P5B-Deluxe, but have also heard good things about the Abit AW9D and Asus P5W DH. What do you guys think?

Ram: I was basically looking for DDR2-800/ cas 4/ D9 memory. I want 2x1 Gb sticks. I was looking at these -> SUPER TALENT T800UX2GC4 or G.SKILL F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ What do you guys think?

Thanks for any help in advance, VinnyTAMU

You're in good shape. For the ram, I'd suggest these since they have the same Micron IC's you'll find in the G.Skill, but for cheaper. The SuperTalent should be solid, but not as good as these two.

For matrix raid, as I understand it, i965 is the best way to go. Consider the Asus Commando. It's about the same price as the P5B Deluxe, but has way more voltage options and improved power regulation circuitry.

My personal stance on Xeon vs E6600 is that the two are equal and its luck of the draw with either. Plenty of high VID Xeons out there, and plenty of low VID E6600's as well. Not to mention, high VID CPU's can also clock just as well.