ip35-e + X3320 (q9300) + 3GB Crucial + 9600GT =Super Nice Performance/Cost

[lightfoot3b]

Here is my list O stuff:

IP35-e
Xeon X3320 (like q9300)
3 GB DDR2-800 Crucial Ballistix
X-FI sound card
600Watt Ultra PSU
ASUS DVD Burner DL+- RW
DVD Rom
PNY 9600GT
Ultra Aluminus Black Full Tower Case
Cooler Master Gemin II CPU/MB Cooler
Floppy Drive
Seagate ST3250410AS (The very fast read/write 250GB HD 16MB Cache on Tom's HD Charts)
Arctic Silver on the NB and CPU.

Currently my record 3D Mark06 Score is 12069 with the cpu @ 3.15 (1680FSB) and the VC @ 766-1915-2070 (core-shader-effective memory) PS* I did better clock for clock on older NVidia drivers.
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=7021371

The XFI, floppy and DVD Rom were scavenged from old systems. Everything else was NIB.
All that plus a 500W and 350W PSU (came with other things but I have it in my total) cost me a total of **drum roll** $559.56

Fun system that took me 12 months to get all the parts for those prices (had e2160 for a month @ 3.1 100% stable, but got a better deal =)(cpu was new off ebay! Sealed with intel's tape and the plastics inside all still sealed with an untouched chip for $198) I am not 100% stable yet on 3.2GHz but I'm in progress on that. After 5-10 hours of 4 Prime95's I tend to get one random error.

What do you guys think of this build? I am quite impressed! I can post a screenshot of my prices if you all want to see them.

 

[bryanW1995]

it's unbelievable how cheap computers are these days...great job!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Whats great about it all, is the old stuff you sell, is still decent hardware, and you can real in some $ to help towards the new build!

Congrats & Good Luck!

 

[lightfoot3b]

Exactly! DDR 1gbx2 (pc3200) 2-3-2-6 Kingston + ASUS MB + 2 x 120gb sata hd's (can sell both and buy a new high speed 250gb 16mb cache for the price these 2 hd's will ebay for!) + an agp x800xl. I think I might be able to sneek about 250$ out of this stuff. Actually the $250 will pretty much build my parents new comp. I just won an ebay auction for a new ds3l for 65$ so I'm ready to build theirs. (8800gs ($87) + ds3l ($65) + my last case (free) + $128 19" acer widescreen lcd) + 2GB of ram off ebay ($15) + old 80gb hd (free) + old dvd rom drive and floppy (free)! new 350watt psu (antec) came with a free amir case - Done!

 

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: lightfoot3b
3 GB DDR2-800 Crucial Ballistix

FYI, if you're looking to eek out every last bit of performance, your RAM might not operate in dual channel mode with an odd number (3) of sticks installed. I'm not positive if that's the case with this particular board/chipset.

I am not 100% stable yet on 3.2GHz but I'm in progress on that. After 5-10 hours of 4 Prime95's I tend to get one random error.

Similar setup here. In the Voltages Control in your BIOS, change both GTL REF values to 65% and see how that holds up. This improved my stability more than anything else. (See sig!)

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

@ Foxery, what is your numbers to reach 3.2Ghz on your 9300?

 

[lightfoot3b]

I'm into computers as you can see... I'm also in dual channel 2x1gb + 2x 512MB.

I only have GTLREF in one spot. I think I'm already at 65% if not I'll try the next one up. I'm also not sure if it is NB or core that is the problem. I'm leaning toward needing more NB and better NB cooling. I do have 2 fans on the way, one 5cm and one 6cm I will try to use one for the NB, right now I just have an 80cm aimed at the nb. (AS5 on the nb too)

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: Foxery
FYI, if you're looking to eek out every last bit of performance, your RAM might not operate in dual channel mode with an odd number (3) of sticks installed. I'm not positive if that's the case with this particular board/chipset.

All Intel chipsets since the 925 can run dual-channel with three sticks. Well, dual-channel for the first two, and only single-channel for the third. It's called Intel Flex mode. As that page shows (at the bottom of the page), you can even use two different sized sticks.

 

[nyker96]

nice build, except I advice you to get a better quality PSU for the health of your components on the long run. Other than that top notch!

 

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: myocardia
All Intel chipsets since the 925 can run dual-channel with three sticks. Well, dual-channel for the first two, and only single-channel for the third. It's called Intel Flex mode. As that page shows (at the bottom of the page), you can even use two different sized sticks.

Hot. I didn't know they had made it so flexible. Thanks

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
@ Foxery, what is your numbers to reach 3.2Ghz on your 9300?

2x1GB RAM (Corsair Ballistix @4-4-4-12)
1.29v Vcore in BIOS
1.10 VTT (stock)
1.33 North (barely over stock)
65% GTL REF

 

[lightfoot3b]

Hmm interesting...!

I am at 3.075
1.21Vcore in Bios (1.07) 4 core loaded in windows
1.25 (I think, like 2-3 notches up) VTT
1.33 Northbridge too.
65% GTL REF (never went over 63 before... might be my problem)

2.2V ram (ballistix 1GBX2 + 512MBx2) = 3GB 4-4-4-12 (410MHz)

And I've been stable for 13hours so far!
Maybe the VTT or the GTL or that combo did it. Because I've had higher Vcore before and was not stable.

 

[lightfoot3b]

If I limit max CPUID in the bios (aka enable) I can't get any extra voltage to the cpu, thought it was C1E or EIST, but it wasn't either of them causing the low volts. Maybe I can get stable now with just a small cpu voltage increase!

I'm giving up on going higher. I have tried Vcore, nb, vtt and nothing gets me stable at all over 3.07. I'm going to just run low volts @ 3.00 and have a super cool computer I guess. I really wanted to test at 3.2 and 3.5 but O well! Can't complain about 12GHz for $197.

edit: seems to be I need a little more vtt to get by with low volts.