New rig spec

Mondriver · 5 Aug 2007 at 15:58

Hi guys!

If you have a quick second, could you cast your eye over the following spec please to see if there is anything you would change/do differently - and if so, why?!

Really appreciate your help & advice.

CPU - Intel CPU Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333FSB LGA775 4MB cache
M'Board - Asus Motherboard P5KC Intel P35 LGA775 (or Asus P5N32-E SLi Socket 775 ATX if I went the SLI route!)
Memory - OCZ 2GB Kit (2x1024) Reaper Dual Channel 1066MHz PC2-8500 DDR2 5-5-5-15 Heatpipe Heatspreader
Graphics - Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX 768Mb PCI-E OEM
Sound - Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Series Xtreme Gamer
Hard drives - 2 x 250GB Western Digital Caviar SE16 SATA II 300 7200rpm 16MB cache in RAID 0, (or Seagate Barracudas - not decided yet! - I want the fastest and quietest!!)
Optical Drive - LG GSA-H44NBRL 18x DVDRW/RAM Multi Bezel Retail Kit
PSU - Thermaltake W0131RE 850W Modular PSU
Case - Coolermaster CM Stacker 831 Black midi tower case full aluminium NO PSU
Cooling - Zalman Reserator 2 Fanless Water Cooling System

Not 100% decided on case/cooling config (I have another thread running in cooling about that!) - but I need it as silent as possible!!

Again - my main priority is 1.speed & 2.noise

Also, as the motherboard is running a 1333Mhz FSB, would using OCZ memory PC2-8500 running at 1066mhz be a bad choice? Is it limiting the system as the motherboard and cpu are both running at 1333mhz.

As you can probably tell, I'm a bit green about frequencies and overclocking etc, so any help would be most appreciated!

Thanks a lot in advance!

DavidB · 5 Aug 2007 at 17:31

CPU - Intel CPU Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 1333FSB LGA775 4MB cache
M'Board - Asus Motherboard P5KC Intel P35 LGA775 (or Asus P5N32-E SLi Socket 775 ATX if I went the SLI route!)
Memory - OCZ 2GB Kit (2x1024) Reaper Dual Channel 1066MHz PC2-8500 DDR2 5-5-5-15 Heatpipe Heatspreader
Graphics - Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX 768Mb PCI-E OEM
Sound - Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Series Xtreme Gamer
Hard drives - 2 x 250GB Western Digital Caviar SE16 SATA II 300 7200rpm 16MB cache in RAID 0, (or Seagate Barracudas - not decided yet! - I want the fastest and quietest!!)
Optical Drive - LG GSA-H44NBRL 18x DVDRW/RAM Multi Bezel Retail Kit

CPU, you might find it beneficial (especially in the future) to go quad core instead, lower clock speed but the 2 extra cores are really guna be usefull in later games.
Mboardgigabyte
these are very good value at the moment, sli would be a false economy imo.
Memory...way overkill, this crucial ram would do you fine.
Graphics--fine
Sound too
Either harddrive set will also be fine

Mondriver · 5 Aug 2007 at 17:39

Thanks for that DavidB

Was going to wait getting a quad until it becomes more commonly programmed into games. By then, the prices would have come down drstically as well. The duo core handles games and most progs very well IMO at the moment and is not too pricey...
The gigabyte m'board hasn't had very good reviews.
Alos, the Crucial Ballistix memory is only 667mhz...?
Isn't that going to hold up everything else on a 1333mhz cpu and board?

(Gotta get my head around these memory mhz ratings...!)

DavidB · 5 Aug 2007 at 18:16

fsb of a 1333 processor is (1333/2)/2 or 333.25mhz, the fsb of that ram is 667/2 333.5mhz, so actually it matched it quite well.

It also has great overclocking potential, but have a feeling that isnt what your after.
If your just going for a processor as an inbetween, mb consider getting a E2140 and overclock it to 3ghz ? the savings would be huge and the difference in performance very limited.

The gigabyte board reviews ive seen seem ok, but if youd prefer a higher performing/more reputable mb the Abit p35 pro has a fantastic reputation.

truebluecfc · 5 Aug 2007 at 19:12

Regarding the CPU, the E6850 is the same price as a Quad Core and for £149.99 ex vat you cant go wrong, yes it has a slower stock speed but still extremely quick and also not mentioning the 2 extra cores, if your looking for raw MHz and not gonna be overclocking then the E6850 might be a better option but the Q6600 will most probably OC to 3GHz anyway making it amazing value for money.

About the motherboard i would chose a P35 chipset motherboard like already suggested, the Gigabyte/Abit are both well reviewed and recommended a lot and dont cost a bomb.

I wouldnt be buying PC-8500 (1066MHz) RAM unless you decide you aint gonna be overclocking, as suggested the Crucial 667MHz stuff is very popular and again recommended a lot and is well known for its overclocking potential of sometimes 1100MHz+.

Mondriver · 5 Aug 2007 at 20:11

Thanks guys.

Just to fill in some of the deatil of the picture froming in my head(!)...

...if the crucial ballistix is not going to hinder the m'board and cpu I'm thinking of getting, what is th epoint in buying the faster ram then? Why do people buy it? or I guess, why is it being sold?!!

Sounds a silly question, but if I am going to get a 1333Mhz board and cpu, surely I need as fast memory as I can get aswell don't I?!

Sorry for being a doofus!

DavidB · 5 Aug 2007 at 20:29

The extra fast memory (eg 1066) would have a pretty high potential of a fsb on a processor of 533, on an 8 divider that would let you (theoretically) overclock to around 4.2k

Realistically unless your using dry ice or something it aint guna happen.
You can set the memory divider to run 1:2 or something, but its argued that it can actually hinder performance.

The only real use of high speed ram i can see is if you have an "extreme" processor where you can lower the multiplier, allowing you to have crazy high fsb and low multipliers.

Any one else have any explanations ?

Oh and for the record Gigabyte P35C-DS3R reviews

Devlish · 5 Aug 2007 at 22:52

completely agree with the 6850 over the quad core, by the time that games use quad core a 6850 quad core will be the same price as a 6600 now. That and if you do overclock its better starting from 3ghz rather than trying to reach it.