New to OC

hello,

i was doing some shopping around the last couple of weeks to get a new comp and decided to build my own since i could get everything i want and nothing i dont while leaving areas for expandabiliy.

i was browsing some forums and came across you guys and i thought if i want to expand and keep my PC up to date, i might as well get the best bang for my buck by trying some OC'ing.

i do a lot of high end gaming, movies, downloading torrents, a lot of browsing and even more multitasking, (i.e. converting, decompressing and all of the above at once) and i do not do word processing or photoshop so i decided to go with the following:

Q6600 (seems the best quality for the price cannot find G0 stepping)
Abit IP35 Pro Motherboard (heard its a good chipset for Q6600 and OC)
BFG 8800GT OC 512 MB (140 bucks now, SLI later)
DDR2 4GB (2X2GB) PC6400 800 MHZ DUAL/TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX CORSAIR (going for 8 Gigs later)
SATA 7200 WESTERN DIGITAL GREENPOWER 500GB (500G more than enough)

i havent really decided on a case, PSU or cooling solution as of yet since i have spent the last few weeks educating myself in most other areas. it looks like i will need about a 500-600W PSU, a few high end 120mm fans, and possibly a Thermaltake Swing Black Mid Tower Case.

all in all i would say based on what i have seen on these forums and elsewhere, this should be a pretty solid setup for at least 3 years until i upgrade.

the reason i am posting here is because you guys seem like a pretty welcoming crowd with excellent input. so, please feel free to give me any pointers or hints on this setup, all input is appreciated.

to the forums
I would suggest you ditch the Q6600, you don't need it, The E8400 or X3110 will be perfect for gaming. As far as the GPU, I'd suggest an 8800GTS 512(G92) they are not much more than the GT's and are a much better card. Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme would be the perfect AC solution for you with a Yate Loon 120mm fan. As far as a case, I love my Antec 900 Otherwise, looks like a great setup

P.S. I have a Coolermaster 500w PSU that's treated me great and only cost $80
P.P.S. Please PM a Mod(Reds) to have your duplicate thread removed.

the x3110 is not available in my area and the E8400 is basically the same CPU. it does seem a bit nicer than the q6600 as far as FSB goes but it is only a dual core. arent quad cores better. i can get the q6600 for the same price as the x3110. as far as the GPU goes, i couldnt find the G92 version you are talking about in my area for purchase. all versions of the GTS i found are about 230 bucks including G92 and i can get the 8800 GT OC for 140 bucks.

i found this review on reghardware website about the G92:

"...Nvidia's new GeForce 8800 GTS delivers a very small level of extra performance over and above the 8800 GT yet it costs significantly more. On the plus side the double-slot cooler is very efficient and quiet."

so i figure why spend 100 bucks more for minimal improvement for my GPU. and is the x3110 a better idea in terms of the long run considering it has only 2 cores although the fsb is better?

How about a corsair power supply?

http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-520w-sli-certified-modular-atx-power-supply/q/loc/101/203270716.html

dummyyy said:

How about a corsair power supply?

http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-520w-sli-certified-modular-atx-power-supply/q/loc/101/203270716.html

Click to expand...

wow, that is actually the cheapest PSU i have seen for its wattage. i will have to browse that site a bit more. thanks.

undefind said:

the x3110 is not available in my area and the E8400 is basically the same CPU. it does seem a bit nicer than the q6600 as far as FSB goes but it is only a dual core. arent quad cores better. i can get the q6600 for the same price as the x3110. as far as the GPU goes, i couldnt find the G92 version you are talking about in my area for purchase. all versions of the GTS i found are about 230 bucks including G92 and i can get the 8800 GT OC for 140 bucks.

i found this review on reghardware website about the G92:

"...Nvidia's new GeForce 8800 GTS delivers a very small level of extra performance over and above the 8800 GT yet it costs significantly more. On the plus side the double-slot cooler is very efficient and quiet."

so i figure why spend 100 bucks more for minimal improvement for my GPU. and is the x3110 a better idea in terms of the long run considering it has only 2 cores although the fsb is better?

Click to expand...

GPU - That statment is so not true, Allow me to elaborate - http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=486121&highlight=aquamark

Now that that myth is settled

Thing about an E8400 Dual core for gaming is this: With the E8400 you use both cores at anywhere from 4.0Ghz - as much as 4.5Ghz with proper cooling as opposed to the quad in which you'll use, again, two cores but instead at at a 3.6Ghz speed (average higher end clockability) of course as always ymmv. Now if you plan to fold or do some serious video rendering and editing and whatnot, the Dual is the way to go. Games currently don't make use of more than 2 cores.

P.S. Look at my 8800GT Maxed out and 2nd in scoring for GT's(it doesn't show cause it hasn't been updated but I'm there) But look at the top 8800GTS's

*Edit - That Corsair is nice too, for sure.

undefind said:

the x3110 is not available in my area and the E8400 is basically the same CPU. it does seem a bit nicer than the q6600 as far as FSB goes but it is only a dual core. arent quad cores better.

Click to expand...

about time someone said that in this thread....lol...

and you could have 2 cores @ 5ghz....its still not better then a 3ghz quad...
thats if the application uses all 4 cores....like most popular games do crysis is just one i must use because thats a given alrdy =D
and to be honest for gaming....if you worry about the cpu and not the video card(s) there is something wrong

a quad cpu will give you 4-5fps (ON Average, dont jump up and down and say im wrong), 2 -3 if its c2d....well my point being you should just spend your money on a GPU

get the Q6600 for 200 bux....save the 100 extra u spend on the c2d
and put that money in the video card.

and if your someone like me who plays Starcraft and CS:Source and buy all these expensive stuff for no reason...then yeah i guess not everyone in this world is smart =D

HAVE FUN =D


oh yeah someone will quote this and argue with me...im just giving you an opinion that seems pretty much common sense to someone with basic computer knowledge.

Sndm3mny said:

oh yeah someone will quote this and argue with me...im just giving you an opinion that seems pretty much common sense to someone with basic computer knowledge.

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Since most games are not multi-threaded, the quad core is a complete waste of money. That isn't even mentioning that *most* Q6600's are in the 3.4-3.6 range and *most* e8400/e3110's are in the 3.8-4.2 range. You would be much better off getting the e8400 if this is a gaming computer.

Just wanted to point out, no such thing as an X3110, only the E3110 (xeon). And yes, duals are better for gaming because of higher clocks and games don't take advantage of quad cores. In the end the gaming experience is practically the same however as it is the GPU that is most relied on for gaming, the dual core will do the same thing faster, while using less power and being alot easier to keep cool.

E8400 - Great for gaming, easily overclocks and runs very cool.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037
ASUS P5N-E SLI - You want SLI, you gotta have the chipset for it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131142
PNY 9600 GT 512mb - Although I am an ATi fan, this card rocks for the buck.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133216
OCZ Reaper PC8500 2 x 2gb - Great for overclocking, for gaming you won't need 8 gigs...except maybe 4-5 years from now.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
Enermax Infiniti 720w - I don't care if this beast is expensive and there is others out there for less, this is the one component you SHOULD spend money on IMO. It's SLI certified and pushes 24-26amps per 12v rail.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194021
Western Digital 150gig Raptor - If your gaming, there is no substitute...levels load faster, gameplay is smoother, and the overall day to day use is ALOT snappier. Pick this one up for your main drive and then pickup a $50-$70 250gig drive for storage.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136012

I recommend these parts as I game alot myself, and I've been building gaming PCs for around 10 years now. It just depends on what you want to spend... if anything start from the power supply and go up because you can't power that GPU or CPU with a crap PS.

Happy Hunting! and to OCF!

Nice set up but there are much better psu choices(and cheaper). Take a look at the corsair psu's they are all rated for 50c.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&Subcategory=58&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=

Kris said:

Nice set up but there are much better psu choices(and cheaper). Take a look at the corsair psu's they are all rated for 50c.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&Subcategory=58&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=

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450W? i use an online PSU calculator and from the specs i put in i will need at least a 500W. i did find this though and it looks like i woulnt need a replacement anytime soon

http://shop4.frys.com/product/5443359?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

edit: with SLI configuration, 10 percent capacitor aging, 2 regular 120mm fans and 2 high performance 120mm fans it comes to 532W with E8400 4.0 @1.44. 592W with Q6600 [email protected] is 592W. thats a huge difference and makes me lean even further towards the E8400.

I'd go 500w, give yourself some headroom for upgrading. My 500w CM wasn't more than $80, as I said earlier

OldSkool said:

I'd go 500w, give yourself some headroom for upgrading. My 500w CM wasn't more than $80, as I said earlier

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ye, i edited my post right after you posted. i think im going to go for a 700+ although, as i type this,im not real sure if there is a point...

700 might be a little much.....but if you're going SLI later, might be a good choice.

OldSkool said:

700 might be a little much.....but if you're going SLI later, might be a good choice.

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thats the thing though. 532W total output WITH SLI and all the upgrades i plan on doing in the future. i can get a Raidmax Volcano 630 Watt Modular PSU for $60.

I'll say it once more.... don't cut corners on the powersupply. Spend good money on it and get at least 700+ watt especially if your planning on SLI or Crossfire later on. The best brands IMO are Enermax, Antec, and Thermaltake. Some will say the Corsair line is good, but I have no experience with them... the 3 brands I listed are the ones I've used in the last 10 years that have never given me issues.

undefind said:

thats the thing though. 532W total output WITH SLI and all the upgrades i plan on doing in the future. i can get a Raidmax Volcano 630 Watt Modular PSU for $60.

Click to expand...

*max is horrible.

Look at the Corsair line, HX620 will fit perfectly into your build.

undefind said:

ye, i edited my post right after you posted. i think im going to go for a 700+ although, as i type this,im not real sure if there is a point...

Click to expand...

There is no point. Corsair HX620 (or is it 620HX) is what you want. There is no need to even consider anything else...especially raidmax.

Yea Raidmax is bad, and Thermaltake isn't anywhere near the top of my list, Corsair, PCPC and Enermax are at the top for quality, Antec and OCZ get the nod for quality at a cheaper price.

Also almost every quality PSU is underspeced, for instance the Corsair 450VX is rated at 450W yet tests show it will do almost 600W if pushed (565W before it auto shut down if I remember correctly).