Need some opinions on a new PC build

[ZRagefire]

My computer just bombed out on me so I am looking to build a new one ASAP as having to always borrow other people's pc is really annoying me.

Money is (not that much) an issue and I know there are price cuts on the Quads coming soon but I can't wait that long.

Here is the system that I got in mind:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4ghz) Socket 775 FSB1066 4MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
Asus P5B Deluxe WIFI Socket 775 Core 2 Duo P965 FSB1066 DDR2 SATA Audio ATX
Point Of View 8800GTX 768MB DVIx2 TVO PCI-E
OCZ High Power Gamers PSU. 850W Sustained. SLI Ready, silent 120mm glowing blue fan - attractive matt black finish – ATX/BTX/PCI Express/SATA
OCZ 4GB Kit (2x2GB) DDR2 667MHz/PC2-5400 Memory Kit Vista Upgrade Edition CL 5-5-5-15
Scythe Infinity Socket 478, 754, 940, 775, 939 & AM2 CPU Cooler
WD Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB SATA 10KRPM 16MB Cache - OEM
Western Digital 500GB Raid Edition SATA II 7200RPM 16MB Cache - OEM
NEC Optiarc AD-7170S-0B 18x DVD±RW/DL/RAM Serial ATA Black - OEM
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Music OEM Soundcard
Thermaltake Armor case

I know the price cuts on the Quads are coming soon so I thought I would stick with the E6600 for the moment and oc it for the time being and then maybe pick up a cheaper Quad sometime down the year.

I got some questions that I want to throw out there though..

1) Is the POV graphics card any good? I couldn't find any reviews of it on any websites and it is selling for a decent price. I got a Dell 27" monitor on the cheap today so I want a 8800GTX to utilize it in all it's glory

2) The memory that I chose. Is 4GB overkill or should I go with 2x1GB sticks with better timings? I have XP32, Vista32 and Vista64 but I am not too sure about using Vista64 at the moment since it is still a bit behind on compatibility and drivers and I know that only a 64bit OS would recognise 4GB of memory.

3) I comtemplated long and hard on whether or not to get a SLI board. I know SLI is not really needed at present apart from bragging rights as not many games support SLI. I am more concerned with it being future proof. Should months or a year down the line, the 8800GTX is starting the get left behind, I thought it would be better to drop another one into the system in SLI mode that to fork out for another expensive card. Should I get a MB that is SLI ready or is the P5B Deluxe good enough as it is?

Any other recommendations or views are welcome. Thinking about all of this is doing my head in so I wanted to get some second opinions.


P.S 1st Post!

 

[BioTuned]

Welcome to OC Forums!

I am sure that this all falls into ur budget, how few changes. For the HSF i would recommend Thermalright Ultra 120 extream or Artic Cooling Freezer Pro. They are great HSF. If u want to save money, do you really need 4GB? I believe 2GB would be enough. Great CPU, Board, and everything else but the POV video card. I've never heard of POV. You should do a deeper research on it before you go ahead and buy it. I would recommend something with a name brand, like BFG, ASUS, XFX, etc.

 

[ZRagefire]

Thanks for reply!

I will look into the HSF that you mentioned. I chose the Scythe because I heard good reviews about it.

I am not too surprised that Point of View is not too well known. I haven't heard of them too until I noticed that their 8800GTX cards are on sale.

This is their website:
http://www.pointofview-online.com/default2.asp?content_id=185

Maybe I really should go for a more well known brand.. hmmm..

About the motherboard, I know the P5B Deluxe is a great overclocking board, how does it compare to the P5W DH Deluxe board then? Again, I have heard good things about it.

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[Peepaw]

I would swap the video card for an Evga or Asus model.

Edit:

 

[BioTuned]

Thanks for reply!

About the motherboard, I know the P5B Deluxe is a great overclocking board, how does it compare to the P5W DH Deluxe board then? Again, I have heard good things about it.

If i was given a choice to chose from both i would go with the P5W given the fact that i will be doing crossfire. If you aren't into doing crossfire or having 2 plus monitors then go with the p5b. Considering the video card u mention "nVidia" then i would recommend p5b.

 

[johan851]

I think you might be able to save some money and make a better all around system. Personally, it seems like you're throwing a little bit away on things you don't need, especially considering that you're trying to be budget conscious.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 (save $50)
Asus P5K (Save $40. Do you really need the ICH9R? And you could get a PCI wifi card if you need it. It's also a better overcocker)
Point Of View 8800GTX 768MB DVIx2 TVO PCI-E (get something with less RAM, or get a generally less exquisite card and find a decent deal. You're paying way too much with this for a pretty marginal performance increase)
Seasonic S12 SS-650HT (better supply, still more power than you need, save ~$50)
2 x 1GB G.Skill HZ's (save $130, 2GB is still plenty of RAM)
Scythe Infinity Socket 478, 754, 940, 775, 939 & AM2 CPU Cooler
WD Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB SATA 10KRPM 16MB Cache - OEM
Seagate 7200.10 500GB (save $20, longer warranty, and you don't need RAID if you're not running RAID. Probably better STR with the Seagate, too. I mean...it's a storage drive)
NEC Optiarc AD-7170S-0B 18x DVD±RW/DL/RAM Serial ATA Black - OEM (good call)
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio OEM Soundcard (save ~$20, same exact card)
Antec P180B (Because thermaltake sucks, Antec is awesome, you'll get better airflow, and save $30 doing it. )

So that comes to a total savings of like... $340, plus whatever you save on the video card. And I think you'll end up with very, very similar performance. You might not beat all the crazy people in all your benchmarks, but that's a hit I think your ego can take. It's not like you're going to notice the difference on the desktop and in games.

 

[ryanmartini]

the e6600 is going to be near 120$ after drop, your only hurting yourself here. go with an intel e2160 as a placeholder for a month. most are getting 3-3.2 ghz out of them. they are strong performers, it will serve you well for your duration of ownership

also i would recommend getting a better pair of 2gb ram vs the 4gb.

gskill hz's
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231065

intel 2160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116036