Upgrade spec

RobH · 2 Apr 2007 at 02:01

My current rig is getting on for over 2 years old so I decided it was time for an upgrade. What do you guys think, anything you'd change?

GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 Dual Channel Kit
Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) 4MB Cache
Gigabyte GA_965P_DS3 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Xpro 500W Quiet PSU ATX 2.x
BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC 256MB (from current system)

Comes to around £400

Thanks

semi-pro waster · 2 Apr 2007 at 10:22

It all looks fine, if you are going to be overclocking then I might suggest an aftermarket heatsink and fan. I don't know too much about the newer XPro PSUs (I've got the 400w) so I'd be interested to find out how it performs if you can be bothered reporting back.

mishima · 2 Apr 2007 at 10:26

I'd swap the DS3 for the DS3P. Has some much better features and the compatibility issues that were on the DS3 have been ironed out on the new DS3P as its a revision of that board. Comes at a very similar price too, can't beat that!

RobH · 2 Apr 2007 at 10:40

semi-pro waster said:
It all looks fine, if you are going to be overclocking then I might suggest an aftermarket heatsink and fan. I don't know too much about the newer XPro PSUs (I've got the 400w) so I'd be interested to find out how it performs if you can be bothered reporting back.

What are the best heatsinks for C2Ds? This is my first Intel machine I've ever built for myself.

I currently have the XPro 400w for my Athlon 64 machine and it is a very good PSU, it's comparable to the top brands but is a little cheaper. I haven't had any problems with mine in the 2 years I've been using it.

semi-pro waster · 2 Apr 2007 at 10:47

In no order other than alphabetical - Noctua, Scythe Ninja and Tuniq Tower are the best air coolers in my opinion and all come in at £30-35. The Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is cheaper at ~£15 and does a better job than stock cooling but not quite as good as the above.