My overclocking plan- feedback?

[Chaos_Being]

This will be both the first computer I've built and the first one I've overclocked. I've done some video card OC'ing though, and with the experience I've gotten from my job (basically at-home desktop support, software/hardware install etc.) I'm pretty confident that I should be able to build something with a minimum of problems

I've been reading the forums here for about a month, and I feel like I've learned a lot! Between the stuff I've read here and the plethora of reviews I've read, I think I have finally more or less settled on buying the following:


Antec Plus1080AMG case with 430w True Power PSU
P4c- 2.6 ghz cpu
ABIT IC7 motherboard
2x512 Kingston HyperX PC3500
Zalman CNPS7000AL-CU Heatsink/Fan combo (and some AS3 of course)
Either 80 or 120GB 7200rpm 8mb cache HD (no SATA raid...yet)


I'm hoping for a minimum of 250fsb, with 275 really being the max I want to push my first OC- and on stock (or close to) core voltage. Money is an issue for me, so everything has been chosen for max performance vs. cost, as well as ease of attaining a higher OC (hence the 2.6c and its higher multiplier vs. the 2.4 c.)

The only thing I'm really not sure of is my choice of memory- I was initially going to go with some Corsair XMS 3200, but decided to go with 3500 after what I've read here. Corsair is too expensive at that speed, and the HyperX seems to be a good alternative. The other types of ram I was considering was Twinmos PC3700 and Buffalo PC3700...but I heard that the twinmos 3700 used chips that weren't so good for OC'ing, and I don't really like the latency on the Buffalo stuff.

What do you guys think of my choices- good stuff? I'm planning on getting it from newegg/googlegear- and I will actually be making the purchases in a few months as money is too tight now. By then everthing should be cheaper anyways- but its still fun to plan it out now

 

[JaY_III]

is this the heastink you are refering too?
http://www.overclockers.com/articles735/
as you said a Zalman CNPS7000AL-CU
and i am unfamillar with a AL version is it not all copper? if its the same one i linked to you will be in good shape

all in all looks like a pretty goods and stadard setup from what i can see

 

[NoxioN]

3 months is way to long to start thinking about purchasing. In 3 months when you are ready to purchase hardware i would see what new stuff came out and what it costs before buying. Price of hardware drops so fast these days so you might want something else when the time comes to buy..
another thing which i've seen alot of people regret is buying their parts alittle at a time. they would buy the chip when they had the cash and then the HD and so on but found out as the weeks and months pass the parts they did buy was available more much less and they still didnt have a complete system so my advice is never buy anything untill you are ready to buy it all at once unless you are certain that price will never drop.

 

[Chaos_Being]

This is the heatsink I'm referring to: http://www.lostcircuits.com/advice/zalman_cnps7000alcu/

And NoxioN you definitely have a point, and I plan to follow on whatever is released in the next few months. However I'm replacing a three year old P3 733Mhz machine so pretty much anything I get will be a massive upgrade I don't necessarily need the bleeding edge tech (well, more like I probably can't afford whatever the best of the best is at the time)- if its outdated by a few months, that's ok with me.

I also plan on recycling some parts from my current machine- cd rom and cd burner, video card (ti4200,) floppy drive, and all my periphrials.

 

[nikhsub1]

YOu may want to have a look at the IS7... same performance as the IC7 and cheaper by $40 AND, it has onboard LAN.

 

[NoxioN]

ive never used that HSF myself but have heard some good things about it. I almost bought 1 just out of curiosity to test but i better get the wife upset anymore
i dont think you can go wrong with that or the slk900u.
Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu $32 and like $5 shipping the slk900u with a 92mm fan might perform alittle better but then again it cost more as well.

 

[TheFrag]

In three months, the 3ghz 800fsb chips might not still be soooo expensive, like they currently are. What I would do is make a Newegg wishlist and modify it as new things come out/drop in price

 

[batboy]

Looks like an excellent wish list to me.

 

[Chaos_Being]

Whee, thanks for the positive feedback guys

As for the wish list idea, I've already been keeping one hehe. I took a look at some IS7 reviews and was surprised to see that with the new bios it is comperable, and even a little bit better than the IC7- I had thought that the springdale chipset had less performance and OC'ing ability?

I may end up getting an IS7, but I really want to see more user feedback and stories first, and not just mainstream reviews.

Wish I had the money now- patience is hard to find

 

[blockdoc]

I have the Zalman CNPS7000 Cu and it works great. I also have that same Antec case, but added 2 more case fans for the front.

 

[Chaos_Being]

That's exactly what I plan to do blockdoc- adding the two intake fans that is.

I think I'm going to start a thread about the IS7 in the Abit forums- try to keep this one on track.

Again, thanks for the replies all- I'll be sure to post my results, once I can get all the hardware

 

[pliu18]

I think the next price drop by intel will be in november, i guess the 3 months from now will be a bad timing. you might be better off getting the system now or wait till november if you can hang on. approx. the price for 3.2 will fall to 3.0, and 3.0 to 2.8 and so on........however for the 2.4 it had N/A on the magazine i read so it might be they don't know or intel is going to stop the 2.4 line. anything else you guys heard about where intel is heading in the next 6 months.

 

[Chaos_Being]

I think I read somewhere that the price drop is supposed to be in the middle of October.

I'm actually planning on waiting until then- I guess that could be interpreted as more than a few months, heh. The way I figure it, not only will the processors be more affordable but the prices of mobos and ram should be a bit lower by then too.

 

[NoxioN]

you sig is 8 points over regulation.

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58341

please read the rules, im sure a mod has PMed you about this if you have not checked. thank you.

btw nice system

 

[pliu18]

you sig is 8 points over regulation.

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58341

please read the rules, im sure a mod has PMed you about this if you have not checked. thank you.

btw nice system

cheers, is 10 lines ok? sorry i am new to here.

 

[NoxioN]

10 lines is the maximum and i know your new so thats why i was givign you the heads up before the mods chop your head off im kidding they are not bad.

the link i showed you will tell you what size equals what rate so if you srunk your sig to size 1 then you will be able to use 13 lines.