Is this a good gaming system?

Hello,

I plan to buy a new computer soon and I thought it's wise to ask more people about my choices.
Here is what I have in mind:

Motherboard : ASUS Maximus II Formula (200 EUR)
CPU : INTEL E8600 - Core 2 Duo, 3.3GHz (230 EUR)
Video card : ASUS EAH4870X2 Radeon HD 4870 X2 (460 EUR)
RAM : Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX, 2x2GB, DRR2-800 (100 EUR)
HDD : 2 x Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS (480 EUR)
PSU : Zalman ZM850-HP - 850W (160 EUR)
Case : Thermaltake Kandalf LCS (240 EUR)
DVD writer : Samsung SH-S203P (40 EUR)
Keyboard : Logitech G15 2005 or G11 (80 EUR); hope I will still find G15 2005 (had that cool wheel)
Mouse : Logitech MX 518 (45 EUR)
Display : Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM, 24'', 1920x1200 (360 EUR)

In total it's about 2500 EUR and this is kind of my budget (can go a few hundreds higher but I don't really want to).

And here are my reasons:

Motherboard
- it's a P45 chipset based mobo because I don't trust NVIDIA on chipsets and it's not a X48 because I don't plan to use CrossFire (P5 has 2 PCIe ports, but each is 8x unlike 2 x 16x on X48)
- has hardware RAID (Speeding HDD)
- performs fine in reviews
- I trust ASUS as a brand

CPU
- fastest Core 2 Duo
- I plan to overclock it and would like not to increase the voltage; from the reviews I read this processor is the most stable with this kind of overclocking (probably brought by the new E0 stepping)

Video card
- needed a bad video card because I want to play all the games maxed out at 1920x1200
- the only thing better than this (but only slightly and not in all games) is 2 GTX 280, and that's at least 300 EUROs more. It's a no-brainer who provides better value here

RAM
- 2 x 2GB seems the best/enough for now (will use Vista or XP 64 bit editions)
- I trust the brand
- it's on ASUS' Qualified Vendor List which means it has been tested with the motherboard so I won't have problems

HDD
- 2 pieces of the fastest hard-drive available
- will use RAID 0
- solid state hard drives are just too expensive now (perhaps in a few years...)

PSU
- has enough juice (including amps)
- respected brand
- performs ok in reviews
- it's very quiet

Case
- looks cool
- it's quiet
- it has water cooling and I want that (I like it quiet), but I am not ready to make case modifications. I'm sure that if I were to cut the case myself it would look horrible

DVD RW
- from the reviews it seems ok
- has LightScribe which might come in handy

Mouse
- it's wired (had some bad experiences with gaming using wireless mice)
- can change DPI on-the-fly while you are in the game
- it's lighter than G5 (I don't like brick mice - heavy and big)

Display
- I like 24'' / 1920x1200
- it performs ok in the reviews
- has HDMI
- looks nice
- has TN panel which means it's cheap and it doesn't have noticeable input lag; I don't mind viewing angles: I will be gaming right in front of it


The video card will probably be the most noisy component and I will probably buy a water block as soon as I know there is no fabrication problem with it. I heard that mounting a water block voids the warranty so I want first to make sure I won't return it.

What do you think?
Will I have any incompatibilities?
Known issues with any component?
Are my choices correct?

P.S. Sorry for the huge post.


Thank you.


edit:
- added clarifications
- added links to the components' specifications
- updated prices

astrotzky said:

Hello,

I plan to buy a new computer soon and I thought it's wise to ask more people about my choices.
Here is what I have in mind:

Motherboard : ASUS Maximus II Formula (200 EUR)
Yes! Easily one of the best motherboards out for dual core
CPU : INTEL E8600 - Core 2 Duo, 3.3GHz (230 EUR)
Great choice, arguably the fastest 45nm dual yet
Video card : ASUS EAH4870X2 Radeon HD 4870 X2 (440 EUR)
Nothing better on the market, wish I could afford it myself
RAM : 2 x Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX - 2GB DRR2-800 (100 EUR)
Get rid of it! DDR2 1066 or higher! DDR2 800 will do nothing but hold you back, expecially with the setup you have there.
HDD : 2 x Western Digital VelociRaptor - WD3000GLFS (480 EUR)
Nice
PSU : Zalman ZM850-HP - 850W (200 EUR)
Cool
Case : Thermaltake Kandalf LCS (240 EUR)
Not my fav, but that'll look really good
DVD writer : Samsung SH-S203P (40 EUR)
Keyboard : Logitech G15 2005 or G11 (80 EUR); hope I will still find G15 2005 (had that cool wheel)
Mouse : Logitech MX 518 (45 EUR)
Display : Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM, 24'', 1920x1200 (360 EUR)
Same monitor I want to get in the 22" flavor, very nice choice!

Click to expand...

Now then, and most importantly, how are you going to keep it cool?

Everything look fine but the cooling. The included water equipment is junk. Sorry to be harsh but its the truth. Pretty much any water equipment with Thermaltakes name on isn't worth a darn. If you want to go water do it right and go custom. Otherwise just go with a TRUE or Xigamatek and call it a day. You will get same or better temps with a top end air cooler than you will with that cases water. If you like the case just get the version without the water gear and either use your own or a nice air cooler.

You may also want to change to PC8000 or PC8500 ram. I would also add a storage drive. Don't forget an OS! You'll need a 64bit version to support that video card and ram.

OldSkool said:

DDR2 1066 or higher! DDR2 800 will do nothing but hold you back, expecially with the setup you have there.

Click to expand...

I read that running the memory synchronously (1:1) with the processor is the best. That means I need RAM with more that 800MHz only if I overclock the FSB over 400MHz. This means a 4GHz CPU (10x multiplier). I don't see me going higher than that at stock voltage.
I also read that there are compatibility problems with DDR2-1066...
Taking this into consideration do you still think DDR2-1066 is a good ideea?

OldSkool said:

Now then, and most importantly, how are you going to keep it cool?

Click to expand...

Kandalf includes a water cooling system (water block for CPU only, will have to buy one for the GPU). It not that great but it's on par with a high end air cooling systems (from the reviews I read) and most important, it's quiet.

ou_phidelt said:

The included water equipment is junk.

Click to expand...

Is it junk compared to custom water cooling (I know that) or to air cooling?
Wouldn't air cooling be noisier (this is very important to me)?
As for a custom water cooling solution I'm just not prepared for that now. A kit, while not even close to a custom solution, is simpler to setup and I consider it ok for a beginner. What do you think?

ou_phidelt said:

I would also add a storage drive.

Click to expand...

Very good advice. I had that in mind, I just didn't wrote it in the post. A 1TB drive should be ok for backups.

ou_phidelt said:

You'll need a 64bit version to support that video card and ram.

Click to expand...

I know that, I will probably use Vista 64 bit.

You probably won't reach 4ghz at stock voltage. The point of getting an E0 is more or less to reach 4.2-4.5.

If you're gunning for 4.0 tops, you might want to weigh out the price difference from getting 1066s and an E8400 with the 800mhz ram and an E8600.

It all looks nice i think but ,, No sound Card??
And make sure you look @ quads if you like the speed after i bought my duel core i relized i could have gotten a quad. So check it out.
I have heard good things about the amd phemon quad 9950 overclocking abilties. so if like amd you might want to check it out.
i have the duel core E6850 and i had it overclocked @ 3.4 Ghz for 1 day and then later some time it all messed up at i have not been able to get it stable again..

And for the case you are buying i love 1 bad thing about it .. I have the Evga GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB PCI-E v 2.0 and where they tell you to put the pump and res it wont fit correcly my card is like 9inches i think and i was only able to fit 1 of 4 Screws in there predrilled holes so what i had to do to keep it from moving around is drill another hole in so i got it in there now safely.

The case water cooling is not that great ,, It is one of the easiest things ever to setup.. This is my second computer build and first with water cooling. And it still sounds like a jet taken off. and if i was you i would go with what ou_phidelt said go with the non LCS case and if i was you or had the chance to change i would go with this very Simple TEC setup
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2353734&CatId=99 read about it looks very very nice i want one.

Spazztic_Killer said:

It all looks nice i think but ,, No sound Card??

Click to expand...

The Maximus II Formula comes with a PCIe 1x SupremeFX X-Fi sound card.

o yea my mobo did 2

astrotzky said:

Kandalf includes a water cooling system (water block for CPU only, will have to buy one for the GPU). It not that great but it's on par with a high end air cooling systems (from the reviews I read) and most important, it's quiet.


Is it junk compared to custom water cooling (I know that) or to air cooling?
Wouldn't air cooling be noisier (this is very important to me)?
As for a custom water cooling solution I'm just not prepared for that now. A kit, while not even close to a custom solution, is simpler to setup and I consider it ok for a beginner. What do you think?

Click to expand...

It is pretty much not worth the trouble of setting up. If you want a "kit", a Swiftech package will be your best bet. The H20-220 APEX ULTRA would serve you well. It is very easy to install, especially if you use the radbox. Even doing it internal you have plenty of space. It really is not that hard. Or just get a TRUE with a nice quiet Scythe S-Flex or similar fan. The performance will be equal to or slightly better that the water system in the Kandalf. The other very bad point about that system is that it will eventually corrode. Unless Thermaltake has improved there components, which I doubt, they will eventually corrode and the lines will get blocked. Spend the money and do it right or just stick with air. Unless you have very high ambients a TRUE will be able to take you to 4Ghz. Air coolers have improved to the point that water is overkill for most users. Short of extreme clockers and quads there really isn't a place for it for most users. Air has just gotten that good.

I would think you may want to buy a quad as the 6 cores are rolling out soon

marketpantry said:

I would think you may want to buy a quad as the 6 cores are rolling out soon

Click to expand...

Not for consumers, they are server only pieces.

This is what I have decided:

1. Motherboard: I like the Maximus II Formula one, even if it's expensive.
2. CPU: will buy a dual-core. I will buy a quad when at least 50% of the games I play can take advantage of it. I will also get it cheaper.
Now, I know E8600 it not worth the money, but it's the only way to make sure I buy a E0 stepping (I buy online) so I will go with that.
3. Video card: 4870x2 it is. No question about it.
4. RAM: I keep it. Of the DDR2-1066 2x2GB kits on the ASUS Qualified Vendor List I can't find any of them to buy. I don't want to buy memory that's not on the QVL. I know it will probably work, but I also know that the memory on the QVL works for sure).
5. HDD: It seems 2xVelociraptor in RAID is not worth it. What do you recommend? Would a 64GB SSD system drive and a Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS, 640GB for data would be a good ideea? Or maybe two? In RAID ? At least the price of two of those is still a lot less that a single Velociraptor.
6. PSU: It seems Corsair is pretty popular. Do you have recommendations to make for a quiet model?
7. Case: I'm torn apart on this. I understand their water kits are the entry point to water cooling. All the reviews I read said it's ok (not great), it's on par with high-end air cooling. Is this true? Because, frankly I don't need more.
And one more thing. I CAN'T go with air cooling. Water is the only way to make the 4870x2 silent.

So that left me with 3 questions: HDD, PSU and case. Could you help me here, please?