Advice on this gaming rig

[nealh]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
DO NOT EVER BUY VALUE SELECT MEMORY FOR OVERCLOCKING!

remember this well YOU WANT Micron D9 based memory ICs ONLY!

He's overclocking his CPU, not his memory, which should be sitting comfortably at DDR2-667 or less while the E6300 shoots up to 3GHz.

If you overclock your CPU you will be overclocking your memory too. No way around it. When you increase your FSb you increase your memory frequency at the same time.

You CAN'T run DDR2-667 with a E6300 on a 400+ FSB.

is this true becasue I thought on the 680i mobos you can unlink memory...so as to let you run it slower...680i mobo costs more but much cheaper than super exepensive ram

I would recommend the 10th anniv. crucial but the price has gone up..I got 2 sticks for $230...but recently I have seen this for $260

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
DO NOT EVER BUY VALUE SELECT MEMORY FOR OVERCLOCKING!

remember this well YOU WANT Micron D9 based memory ICs ONLY!

He's overclocking his CPU, not his memory, which should be sitting comfortably at DDR2-667 or less while the E6300 shoots up to 3GHz.

If you overclock your CPU you will be overclocking your memory too. No way around it. When you increase your FSb you increase your memory frequency at the same time.

You CAN'T run DDR2-667 with a E6300 on a 400+ FSB.

What, DDR2-667 doesn't overclock? Come on, most of it goes over DDR2-800 (even if timings go loose).

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

If you overclock your CPU you will be overclocking your memory too. No way around it. When you increase your FSb you increase your memory frequency at the same time.

You CAN'T run DDR2-667 with a E6300 on a 400+ FSB.

That's just not true. With the ASUS P5LD2 R2.0 a CPU can be overclocked 67% without getting beyond DDR2-667 memory speeds. That means he can take his E6300 to over 3 GHz without DDR2-800 DIMMs. Besides, I'm sure if you relaxed the timings you could get the ValueSelect pretty close to if not over 800 MHz.

 

[Zebo]

You need $1200 to build a gaming computer from ground up because it requires 8800 GTS graphics minimum.

I'd get:

Buffalo FIRE STIX $240 to maintain 1:1
WD 250GB HDD $59
E6300 $180 and use retail HSF good for over 3GHZ
Gigabyte S3 overclocking motherboard $110
8800 GTS $450
CoolerMaster Centurian 5 case $30 AR
PSU THERMALTAKE TR2 500W $55 AR
NEC dual layer burner $28

$1150

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: melchoir55
Alright here is my future rig as I understand your suggestions:

CPU: E6400 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115004 $218
Mobo: Asus P5B Deluxe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131045 $182
RAM: 2x 1GB Firestix http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820150054 $242
Video Card: Still not clear on this
HD: 320GB Seagate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...148140&ATT=22-148-140&CMP=OTC-d3alt1me $95
Case: Not sure
Cooling solution: Not sure
Optical Drive: Some generic crap $40 at most

Total price currently: about 800
Looks like the price is going to hit more around 1100, I can live with that. Can you give me a good suggestion on case/cooling and vid card? I checked out the x1950's but there are about 6 models that I can't tell the difference between...
This board supports sli, will I be able to drop another x1950 down in the future and not be bottlenecked by the cpu?

Your biggest problem here is overkill. Why get the E6400 if you're going to overclock? The E6300 is cheaper and has the same speed potential. That RAM is nuts; I'd stick with the 2x1GB Corsair ValueSelect DDR2-667. The motherboard and hard disk you picked out both look fine.

I'd stick with the retail cooler for the CPU. A third-party unit will add a lot more to the cost but probably little or nothing to performance. And of course if the stock fan gives you any trouble, you can always replace it at any time. -- exactly provided he`s not going to over clock...most retail coolers are shiza when it comes to overclocking!!

For a case, the Rosewill R6A34-BK is inexpensive but solidly built. The FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX400-PA should be fine for your setup. For an optical drive, try getting the retail Lite-on LH-18A1P-186; that model will get you extremely high write speeds, support for all seven recordable formats, and WinDVD and Nero software.

For a video card, you're on your own. I don't game, so I can't help you with that.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda-- exactly provided he`s not going to over clock...most retail coolers are shiza when it comes to overclocking!!

Actually they are quite able. Just read all the reviews about stock coolers getting E6300s to 3+ GHz. I myself use a retail fan on a Sempron 64 2800+ overclocked from 1.6 GHz to 2.32 GHz. I could do 2.4 GHz if I wanted, but I prefer to keep the voltage down. If I had a third-party cooler I might be able to get it to 2.6 GHz--if I was lucky! And like I said, if the stock fan doesn't do the job, there's nothing stopping him from getting another one later. But he should at least try the included cooler before spending additional dollars--especially when his budget is so tight already.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda-- exactly provided he`s not going to over clock...most retail coolers are shiza when it comes to overclocking!!

Actually they are quite able. Just read all the reviews about stock coolers getting E6300s to 3+ GHz. I myself use a retail fan on a Sempron 64 2800+ overclocked from 1.6 GHz to 2.32 GHz. I could do 2.4 GHz if I wanted, but I prefer to keep the voltage down. If I had a third-party cooler I might be able to get it to 2.6 GHz--if I was lucky! And like I said, if the stock fan doesn't do the job, there's nothing stopping him from getting another one later. But he should at least try the included cooler before spending additional dollars--especially when his budget is so tight already.

There is a huge difference in being quite able and actually being able to over clock the hell out of your CPU!!!

For example....I would bet you that you slap a Ninja....or a Tuniq or a 9700 on that CPU that you will have lower temps using the aftermarket heatsink at the same CPU speed as you have the regular included heatsink.....


Alot of heatsinks that ship with CPU`s are actually quite good at overclocking.......even if the CPU temp is incredibly higher than it should be!!

Thats why I always recommend an aftermarket heatsink when over clocking....the overclcok speed is not what you have tpo worry about when overclocking! The temperature of your CPU is your worse enemy!!

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Well, I agree with the fact that aftermarket coolers do a better job than retail stuff. I just don't think it matters very much. Having a cool CPU may sound great, but what practical difference does it make? Yes, you can get it to slightly higher speeds with a third-party cooling solution, but usually it's just not worth the additional cost.

 

[SilentButDeadly]

I agree with Zebo here, but I would go with an ATI x1950xtx... around $350 and have seen it as low as $275 on the FS forums. I would definitely go with the Gigabyte DS3 for overclocking. E6300, maybe find a guarranteed good overclocking chip on the forums and maybe even cheaper. FSP 500w Fortron PSU would be a good choice in power supplys. The case is up to you. Make sure you try to check the Hot Deals section and FS section every now and then.

 

[Icepick]

I was going to recommend choosing the X1950XT for $260 since that will play all current games at high settings and 1600x1200 resolution. That, combined with Zebo's recommendation will keep you at the $1000 mark with shipping included.

I strongly suggest buying the e6300 along with the Gigabyte S3 if you are going to be overclocking. It has the same headroom as the e6400 for $40 less. No need to spend more money for a CPU with more stock speed or more cache if gaming is your primary use.

Then this quote threw me off:

Originally posted by: melchoir55
-A graphics card (or combination of 2 cards) capable of running any game (oblivion and nwn2 come to mind) at max settings on 1920x1280 res. Higher res is absolutely unnecessary.

If you want to play Oblivion at 1920x1280 & high settings then the 8800GTS is the only way to go (for a single card solution).

 

[melchoir55]

Went a couple days with no reply's so I stopped checking this. THANK you guys for all the input.

As far as checking the FS forum goes, that really worries me. I don't want to buy a chip that someone bumped to 5 ghz while it was sitting outside near the north pole.

I will be going with an 8800GTS for my graphics card.

Zebo posted the following:

Buffalo FIRE STIX $240 to maintain 1:1
WD 250GB HDD $59
E6300 $180 and use retail HSF good for over 3GHZ
Gigabyte S3 overclocking motherboard $110
8800 GTS $450
CoolerMaster Centurian 5 case $30 AR
PSU THERMALTAKE TR2 500W $55 AR
NEC dual layer burner $28

Is there anything at all suspicious about this system? I'm way out of my league on evaluating this hardware. I can build it and OC it just fine, I just haven't played around with hardware enough at this level to look at these and say "yes, that'll do what I want".

Just to be clear through reiteration:
I want a cpu/RAM and cooling that OC's to 3ghz relatively easily (ie potential for 3.2-3.5). I don't want to be running the risk of burning up, because I have only OC'd a select few machines.
I want a rig that will handle new games at 1600x1200 (not 1920 that was just wrong).

Also, are all these prices newegg or am I hunting?

I'm willing to bring my ceiling up to 1200 if it means achieving my goal.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Well, I agree with the fact that aftermarket coolers do a better job than retail stuff. I just don't think it matters very much. Having a cool CPU may sound great, but what practical difference does it make? Yes, you can get it to slightly higher speeds with a third-party cooling solution, but usually it's just not worth the additional cost.

Not to sound rude but you really have no clue do you?
Maybe you don`t even over clock??

I will use my last rigg as an example.....
With the p4 3.2EE CPU and the stock heatsink I was lucky to see 3.6 with super high temperatures to boot!

The I slapped a ThermalRight XP120 on that puppy and took it all the way to 4.4 with my temps being lower than the stock heatsink...
I also did the same with the zalman 9500 and left it at 4.4 for over 3 months doing heavy gaming and the computer on 24/7.......
As we speak its still running at 4.2.......almost 24/7

So you say slightly higher.......from 3.2 to 4.4 is NOT slightly higher!
There is nosense in overclocking if your not going to truly over clock your CPU.

Have fun!!

 

[melchoir55]

While the flame is interesting, is there anyway you could suggest a cooling solution appropriate to the E6300 being overclocked to 3ghz?

 

[myocardia]

Nearly any aftermarket heatsink will keep a C2D cool @3.0 Ghz. It's when you have to start adding voltage, that your temps will soar. All of these heatsinks are very good: Zalman 9500, Scythe Ninja, Scythe Infinity, Tuniq Tower, with the Zalman being the "worst" and the Infinity and Tuniq being the two best. And I'd definitely recommend getting the E6400. $35 more for a higher multiplier will equal an easier overclock, which is what you said you were looking for in your OP.

 

[melchoir55]

That certainly makes sense to me. So Zelman cooling and an e6400 with oc to 3.0 with no problem?

If thats the case, I need a good mobo suggestion. That is, unless the p5b deluxe is what I should be getting.