Critique this e6600/p5w dh system please

[compressor]

CAS: X-Discovery Mid-Tower Case / WINDOW & LCD Temperature Display
CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core? 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T
CD: 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer
FAN: INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
HDD: Single Hard Drive (250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD
KEYBOARD: PS2 MULTIMEDIA INTERNET CONTROL KEYBOARD
MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse
MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core Supports) Asus P5W-DH I975X CrossFire Chipset LGA775
MEMORY: 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2 & Free Upgrade to Windows Vista? Business
POWERSUPPLY: Apevia 600W DARK SIDE POWER ATX Power Supply
SPEAKERS: 600WATT PMPO SUBWOOFER STEREO SPEAKERS
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS 256MB 16X PCI EXPRESS VIDEO CARD

This is from CyberPower.

I might mildly OC this system. It will be used for digital video & encoding. No gaming.
The free Vista upgrade ends 12/3/06 (tomorrow)
Thanks.

 

[Howard]

Overkill on the motherboard and memory, crappy power supply. You will also want more storage.

For the motherboard and memory, these are impeccable choices:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131030
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145098

As for the power supply, this is an excellent supply:

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-E5140GH&c=fr

EDIT: So you aren't assembling the system yourself, eh? What's the selection like?

 

[compressor]

I need a motherboard with firewire and had narrowed the field down to seven boards.
(see my post over in motherboards section)
I like the dual IDE, WIFI, IEEE of this board and have been told that for running an
e6600 the 975 chipset was slightly better.

Why do you say the memory is overkill? The amount or the speed?
Do you think I would be better off with less memory or DDR667?

I already have more storage.

Here are the PSU options from CyperPower.
What do you think?

NZXT PF-500 500Watt
Antec TruePower TRIO 550Watt
Apevia SuperAlien 500 Watt
Apevia 600W DARK SIDE POWER
Apevia 680W BEAST POWER
Apevia 680W Iceberg Power Supply
Apevia 680W BEAST POWER W/ PFC
Enermax EG565P 535 Watt Power
Thermaltake ToughPower 600 Watt
Thermaltake Toughpower 700 Watt
Thermaltake ToughPower 750 Watt
Thermaltake ToughPower 850 Watt
Tagan Dual Engine Series 500Watt Power
Tagan EasyCon XL Series 700Watt Power
Tagan 1100W TG1100-U95 TurboJet Quad Quiet SLI Ready
Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W) SFMA 24P 600Watt
Enermax EGA1000EWL Galaxy 1000 Watt Power
PC Power & Cooling TURBO-COOL 850 Watt Power

I was going to build myself but after pricing things out it's close enough that
I may just have it built and mod it from there.
(and the free upgrade to Vista)
Thanks for your input.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: compressor
I need a motherboard with firewire and had narrowed the field down to seven boards.
(see my post over in motherboards section)
I like the dual IDE, WIFI, IEEE of this board and have been told that for running an
e6600 the 975 chipset was slightly better.

How many IDE devices are you bringing over to the new motherboard? Is onboard Wi-Fi a necessity?

Why do you say the memory is overkill? The amount or the speed? Do you think I would be better off with less memory or DDR667?

The speed. For no OCing, DDR2-533 is fine. For minor OCs, DDR2-667 is perfect (E6600 goes to 3GHz when DDR2-667 memory is at its rated speed.)

Here are the PSU options from CyperPower.
What do you think?

Jesus, they're really looking to take your money.

I'd go with the Enermax EG565P[-VE].

 

[ProSlayer]

You should look into Cyberpower's reseller ratings. Cyberpower isn't the greatest company to order from.

 

[Operandi]

1. Don't buy from CyberPower. Either build it yourself or be prepared to pay a premium to get a decent system from a competent OEM.

2. The case and PSU are junk.

3. That video card is worthless as a discrete card. If you won't be gaming on I would opt for a board with integrated video or if you are concerned about Vista performance this passively cooled x1300.

 

[compressor]

Howard,

How many IDE devices are you bringing over to the new motherboard? Is onboard Wi-Fi a necessity?

Just one Sony single layer DVD burner now.
I am re-thinking the IDE. Most of my IDE drives have made it to external USB boxes
so I really don't need the extra IDE channel.
I do have a WIFI network but this would plug directly into the router so, again, I'm
re-thinking WIFI.
I still like this board but I am looking at the BadAxe2 too.

The speed. For no OCing, DDR2-533 is fine. For minor OCs, DDR2-667 is perfect (E6600 goes to 3GHz when DDR2-667 memory is at its rated speed.)

Their configurator only offers DDR2-800. Good to know though, thanks.

Jesus, they're really looking to take your money.
I'd go with the Enermax EG565P[-VE].

What do you mean? When I price out the components their price for a built system with OS is hard to beat.
I agree that the PSUs they offer seem weak and the Enermax is probably the best.
Again thanks.

 

[compressor]

Originally posted by: Operandi
1. Don't buy from CyberPower. Either build it yourself or be prepared to pay a premium to get a decent system from a competent OEM.

2. The case and PSU are junk.

3. That video card is worthless as a discrete card. If you won't be gaming on I would opt for a board with integrated video or if you are concerned about Vista performance this passively cooled x1300.

Operandi,

1. I did check out CyberPower reseller ratings. Seems like a mixed bag of reviews.
Places I've had good experiences with have some low ratings, too.
Did you have a bad experience with them?

2. I agree about the power supply. What is your opinion about the
Enermax EG565P 535 Watt Power? I'm not too concerned with the case.

3. Why is the video card worthless? Why do you recommend the Diamond OEM card?

I appreciate your input.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: compressor
Howard,

How many IDE devices are you bringing over to the new motherboard? Is onboard Wi-Fi a necessity?

Just one Sony single layer DVD burner now.
I am re-thinking the IDE. Most of my IDE drives have made it to external USB boxes
so I really don't need the extra IDE channel.
I do have a WIFI network but this would plug directly into the router so, again, I'm
re-thinking WIFI.
I still like this board but I am looking at the BadAxe2 too.

I'm not sure why that guy said 975 is better for Core 2 than 965. 975 didn't even support Core 2 from the get-go. Again, I would like to suggest something like the ASUS P5B, simply because it has everything you need and is much cheaper than the boards you were looking at.

What do you mean? When I price out the components their price for a built system with OS is hard to beat.

Well, usually the markup is the highest on the stuff that costs the most, right? There are no decent budget PSUs on that list.

 

[benplaut]

please, do yourself a favor and don't buy from cyberpower. The prices are decent, but the parts are not. I've seen a few friends sorely disappointed with damage by shipping, and the customer support is a joke.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: compressor
Operandi,

1. I did check out CyberPower reseller ratings. Seems like a mixed bag of reviews.
Places I've had good experiences with have some low ratings, too.
Did you have a bad experience with them?

2. I agree about the power supply. What is your opinion about the
Enermax EG565P 535 Watt Power? I'm not too concerned with the case.

3. Why is the video card worthless? Why do you recommend the Diamond OEM card?

I appreciate your input.

1. Cyberpower is just one of those PC companies I have very little respect for. They build machines that are mediocre at best powered by low quality over-rated PSUs , throw them low-rent flashy cases, and bundle them with cheapest possible peripherals.

You say you are getting a good deal which may or may not be true, but I'd be surprised that if you couldn't build something better (quality) with similar specs for roughly the same price.

2. The Enermax EG565P is a decent PSU but it is a very dated design. My 2nd PSU was similar but a lower wattage, and that was about 4 years ago to give you an indication.

3. I selected that card because it's made by Sapphire and is passively cooled with a very large quality heatsink. It won't make any noise and it will never fail.

 

[caberguy]

The Thermaltake Toughpower line is very good, much higher quality and efficiency than their older designs, on par with (maybe better than) those Enermax choices

 

[hofan41]

mobo/memory/cpu are great.

if you want the best for power supply, get the PC power & cooling. it's way overkill tho, but it is the best!

 

[compressor]

Ok, ok. I will build it myself.
I put the pencil to paper last night and you guys are right.
I'll get much better quality that way.
(This forum & New Egg ROCK!)

I'm still debating the PW5 DH Deluxe & P5B Deluxe for use with the e6600.
Since I decided I don't need the extra IDE or WIFI I am now leaning
to the P5B Deluxe.
Any thoughts on that?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: compressor
Ok, ok. I will build it myself.
I put the pencil to paper last night and you guys are right.
I'll get much better quality that way.
(This forum & New Egg ROCK!)

I'm still debating the PW5 DH Deluxe & P5B Deluxe for use with the e6600.
Since I decided I don't need the extra IDE or WIFI I am now leaning
to the P5B Deluxe.
Any thoughts on that?

P5B + this

 

[Boyo]

Get the Enermax PSU. It's the only decent thing available. Don't buy from Cyber Power. They are known to sell Junk. Here is a Review courtesy of the "H".....Just a warning.

 

[compressor]

P5B + this

Why not go with the P5B-E then? (New Egg)

P5B-E - 6-SATA, 10-USB, 2-firewire = $150.99

P5B - 6-SATA, 10-USB, no firewire = $139.99 + card $11.99 = $151.98

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: compressor

P5B + this

Why not go with the P5B-E then? (New Egg)

P5B-E - 6-SATA, 10-USB, 2-firewire = $150.99

P5B - 6-SATA, 10-USB, no firewire = $139.99 + card $11.99 = $151.98

Ah, touché.