New Comp Advice just a "few" Qs

[Gripp]

its been about 4 years since i've built a PC. haven't even so much as cracked one open for about 2.... life's just been too hectic to bother
i've done a lot of research on this but i'm, of coarse, finding mixed information and having a hard time deciphering the contrived marketing reviews from the real ones....
so, i'm realllly thinking i need the advice of people that have kept up with the market

first, thing is i have a 60" Samsung 1080i DLP in my living room
one day, just for the fun of it, i hooked up my current PC to see how it worked...
it was freggin awesome! i was able to push the res to 1900x1300 with stunning clarity - actually got too small from my couch!! loads of extra "real estate" when i was expecting simply super-sized icons.... but i only have an old ATI Radeon 9200SE so when i try to run games i either have to put up with low resolutions, which is really bad on such a large screen, or horrible FPS and lag...

so, my goal here is to create a comp, for a decent price, that will rock the house, with say bioshock, on my big-screen. i also intend on getting blu-ray on it for movies once the prices are a bit lower... so really i'm looking to build a gaming/media center for a 60" HDTV
nothing else though - no heavy calc progs like autocad or SDS3 etc. no sharing on P2P stuff or playing with kiddy scripts... - just games and media

what i have put together thus far is:

-MSI P6N Diamond OR Asus Striker Extreme
-Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GTS TDH GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI
-Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe
-2x Kingston HyperX 1GB PC2 6400 OR 1x Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB
-2x SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD403LJ 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
-Rosewill RX850-S-B 850W SLI Ready,APFC,ATX12V v2.2/EPS12V v2.91 Power Supply
-an LCS that i am still working the details out on

this all comes out to about $1600 without the "pretty" - kinda steep maybe, but i put this same config together on dell.com and they said $5,200!! And that would potentially be with some no-name parts...

I **might** be willing to push this upwards of 2k, so if you have any advice in that regards - let me know but remember, the higher the price the more i'll have to bicker with the wife over this... with that said i have the intention of, in the near future, getting another 8800GTS and running SLI and pushing my system up to 4GB memory - just so you know

my questions now are...
1. MSI vs ASUS - i used to be big ASUS fan, but i'm hearing and reading that they are now having stability issues, like M$ took them over... - on the other hand from a comparison at tom's hardware the ASUS could OC far far better while the MSI ran games better under normal loading. however this was based on a pre-release of the MSI bios... so, now that these boards have matured a bit since then which is really better? i also should consider that the MSI board is $50 cheaper.. i've also read in some places that the soundblaster xFi on the MSI is actually a crap card... but yet it still seems to get hype - which is it??

2. Will i be selling my system short with the CPU i've selected? it seems from what i've read that this chip is about minimum for the 8800GTS-SLI to see its potential.

3. "Leadtek" ?? i'de never heard of these guys before, but this card has great reviews on newegg and elsewhere - is it a gamble? or should i push for EVGA, or? Also, would it be worth it to wait for the price to drop on the 8800GTX or even the Ultra given my application here? from what i've found i'm thinking the GTS in SLI will do great, but then again i'm kind of pushing its application here...

4. I would prefer the 2GB patriot memory - if, for no other reason, to eventually push it up to 8GB - but no decent board seems to support them and they seem to support no decent boards!... yet i know i've seen a few places that people are using these on ASUS boards with no problems (just have to adjust the BIOS of coarse) are they full of it? and if not what about MSI? is there another memory that anyone would recommend?

5. is 850W enough? i used a calculator for this set-up and came up with 750, but i'm not certain of what, if any, potential perks there are to having more... also, as with Leadtek - i have no experience with Rosewill - do they bloat their wattage ratings? tend to burn? i'm really not finding much in the way of reviews for this item; just, from what i can tell, it seems like a great PSU... anyone disagree?

6. does 64-bit Vista have supported drivers for everything i'm using? i'm not sure what all must be 64-bit compatible and searching for this information is turning up a general "dont go 64" attitude and not much more real information, and at that these postings seem dated at best - is the attitude still here? even more than that should i even go Vista? i've had someone tell me that vista is too unstable - but.. for what i'm wanting to use it for, it would be a good idea... not sure what this is founded in, i just know i dont want to end up needing to buy another OS for this comp in the near future

7. lastly, the obvious question - does anyone see any conflicts in this set-up? i basically started with the GPU and built around it - so there really shouldn't be, but...?

thanks in advance for the help guys
and sorry about the length of this post - got out of hand way too quickly on me...

 

[JamesXP]

You'll want 2 sticks for dual channel

 

[ancalime]

Here are my 2 cents:

-Forget about SLI, the G90 cards are coming out soon and you would do better selling your 8800gts and buying a G90 card. You would also save money by opting for a P35 board by not going SLI. Gigabyte, Abit, and Asus are top choices as far as P35 boards are concerned. (X38 is coming soon but its benefits are in question, just so you know).

-Leadtek is fine but I would go EVGA. EVGA doesn't really charge you a premium, most of their cards have rebates and their customer support is top notch.

-Get a quad core if you don't plan to upgrade anytime soon and/or you have the money for it.

-Ballistix DDR2-800 (give it a search on Newegg) is the best RAM option at the moment.

-850watt is overkill in my opinion. Rosewill isn't exactly what you would call cream of the crop either. Go with a Corsair PSU or if you want high wattage, Silverstone, Thermaltake, PC Power and Cooling, etc have better offerings than Rosewill.

-Make sure you build a nice custom liquid cooling loop(s) instead of buying POS kits.

 

[White_Pawn]

Here are my 2 cents:

-Forget about SLI, the G90 cards are coming out soon and you would do better selling your 8800gts and buying a G90 card. You would also save money by opting for a P35 board by not going SLI. Gigabyte, Abit, and Asus are top choices as far as P35 boards are concerned. (X38 is coming soon but its benefits are in question, just so you know).

-Leadtek is fine but I would go EVGA. EVGA doesn't really charge you a premium, most of their cards have rebates and their customer support is top notch.

-Get a quad core if you don't plan to upgrade anytime soon and/or you have the money for it.

-Ballistix DDR2-800 (give it a search on Newegg) is the best RAM option at the moment.

-850watt is overkill in my opinion. Rosewill isn't exactly what you would call cream of the crop either. Go with a Corsair PSU or if you want high wattage, Silverstone, Thermaltake, PC Power and Cooling, etc have better offerings than Rosewill.

-Make sure you build a nice custom liquid cooling loop(s) instead of buying POS kits.

Only thing i have to add. There have been rumors G92 will not be "high end" cards. I've heard they fit between the 8600GTS and the 8800GTS.

I agree with the crucials and change PSU for sure.

I'd recommend getting a quadcore. ex. G0 Q6600 or X3220

 

[Gripp]

noted about the leadtek - that is kind of what i figured - turns out the same card from EVGA is now the same price as the leadtek wasn't the case before...

and also the dual channel - perfect example of why one shouldn't go so long without keeping up.... and thanx a ton with the ballistix info - better stuff and actually cheaper!

but since i am trying to stay on some kind of a budget i dont know that i will be able to afford this g90 card for some time. but i will keep my eye on that for the future
as for a graphics card that will work for this purpose at this moment that is within a "decent" price range ( <$400 ) what is my best option? unless the g90 is comming out very soon and will be around this price level...?

and to the quad-core statement - i've read that since most quad-core's aren't above the 2.6 mark that they bottle neck the 8800GTS and the Q6700 which is the quad version of what i have selected is more than 2 times the cost (550 vs 199) - is it really worth it at this point - or would waiting maybe a year and then upgrading be a better idea?

do remember, while i'm trying to not skimp too much on the cost of this i cant really afford my dream comp either...


oh, forgot - really? the P35 chipset rather than the 680i?? is that based on the idea of not getting the 8800GTS-SLI or are you saying that even with it the P35 would be a better choice?

 

[Gripp]

yeah, forget the Qyestion about the quad-core
i'm seeing some of the reviews on newegg talking some major OCing
so the Q6600 is now what i'm aiming for

 

[fliptout]

Gripp ~ If you order from newegg and get a Q6600, try to request a SLACR sSpec (G0 Step). I ordered 20 from newegg, and I got 15 G0s and 5 B3s, so they havent exhausted their B3 stock yet.

 

[JamesXP]

I'd get your G0 From tankguys/clubit/

 

[ancalime]

The 8800GTS is a good card for now. What I was trying to say was instead of planning to do SLI as an upgrade option, look to buy a next generation card instead.

P35 is better than 680i in that it is a better chipset for overclocking and it is cheaper. You will not be able to do SLI on P35 boards, though you have an option for Crossfire on some.

 

[Gripp]

I'd get your G0 From tankguys/clubit/

thanks - ya i'm already all over the G0 from clubIT

The 8800GTS is a good card for now. What I was trying to say was instead of planning to do SLI as an upgrade option, look to buy a next generation card instead.

P35 is better than 680i in that it is a better chipset for overclocking and it is cheaper. You will not be able to do SLI on P35 boards, though you have an option for Crossfire on some.

okay,
i'm still a bit confused here.... get an 8800GTS but dont get an SLI ready board so that in the future i can get another possibly SLI card (i'm assuming the G92 would be...)
if i'm getting ya correctly, your essentially saying that a single next gen card overclocked with the P35 potential will be better/cheaper than 2x 8800GTS SLI OCd on a 680i set

am i getting that right?

also - any opinions on 64-bit or not question?

 

[Automata]

your essentially saying that a single next gen card overclocked with the P35 potential will be better/cheaper than 2x 8800GTS SLI OCd on a 680i set

am i getting that right?

Correct, a 9800gts should be out 2x8800gts in sli

 

[Gripp]

Correct, a 9800gts should be out 2x8800gts in sli

okay - sounds good to me i'm more of an intel person anyways
more of an ATI person too - but...

so i guess at this point i'm back to the drawing board on the mobo

i'm looking at the numerous asus p5k models trying to work out which is best - at least i know that is a boards that i have seen a number good reviews on...

is that sounding better?

 

[Gripp]

okay, so the new specs at this point are:

-ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP OR Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6
-Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping Kentsfield 2.40GHz
-EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16
-2x Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
-2x SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD403LJ 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
-CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply

Is that looking better?
and, of coarse, i have to ask, will 620W be enough for this system?
and what about the 64-bit OS?? yes? no?

i'm curious though, it seems like DDR3 is going to running the market very shortly... should i go and jump ahead of the curve? the boards are about the same price, and the sticks themselves while maybe bit expensive, might beat needing to replace the mobo and sticks in a year.... in which case my Mobo choice is the P5K3 Deluxe or the P35T-DQ6

 

[ancalime]

I would get the Gigabyte board. Gigabyte is awesome.

620watts is more than enough.

64-bit is fine, just make sure you have drivers for all your electronics such as printers and scanners etc..

I don't think DDR3 is about to take over anytime soon. The prices are still outrageous and DDR2 looks to still have decent life left. Stick with DDR2 unless you really want to throw away some benjamins.

 

[wa77ss]

Don't listen to him ^

Not that Gigabyte is awful, just Asus is much better. The P5K is a top notch board, especially for the money.

Also, 64-bit can be very touchy cause lots of applications aren't supported in 64-bit. If your going to buy a new OS, get Vista32-bit.

620W is plenty for that system. I have run much more than that on my 560W Silverstone.

Don't worry about DDR3, its still a good 6 months from being worth buying as well as affordable.

Everything looks good though! BTW, what case?

 

[GT3mich]

Are those Samsung drives Perpendicular Recording drives?
I would consider these if not.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3320620A 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148139
And only $79.99 each
I have one and am looking to get another one.

 

[Gripp]

Don't listen to him ^

Not that Gigabyte is awful, just Asus is much better. The P5K is a top notch board, especially for the money.

Also, 64-bit can be very touchy cause lots of applications aren't supported in 64-bit. If your going to buy a new OS, get Vista32-bit.

Everything looks good though! BTW, what case?

yeah, i've read around that the ASUS is a fantastic board - just that it has major stability issues. i think i'm going to go ahead and risk it though.
i figure if enough people have had success with the board for it to still be touted like it is then the failure rate must not be that bad...

thanks about the 64 - i had thought that it was only drivers that needed to be compatible - if it is progs too then i could see some real problems there....

as for the case - i'm not sure yet; i'm planning the LCS (even playing with the idea of getting a phase change system...) and then i'm going to try to find a case that will work well/look good with that system with, hopefully, little to no modification needed
i do know that i'm aiming for a full tower to match the height of the stand of my TV (would help cover the mess of wires back there too... )

Are those Samsung drives Perpendicular Recording drives?
I would consider these if not.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3320620A 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148139
And only $79.99 each
I have one and am looking to get another one.

this is my first time hearing about "Perpendicular Recording"
from what i'm reading on Wiki its supposed to be much faster than a standard drive, but from what i'm reading in the reviews of the drive you had linked me to that isn't really the case - more that it is quite
i dont really need quite so much; i have an A/C at home that sounds like a jet engine (mostly becuase i have to have some of the vents 98% closed to get even airflow throughout the house) pretty much blankets any other sound in the house
i mean, if its really faster than standard drives then i'll look more at it, but it seems like i'm losing 80GB to save ~$5 otherwise