Need input fast - about to order

[IndyJaws]

Thanks to everyone's input and searching several forums/review sites (on this and other sites), I've finally put together a new system. This will be replacing an approximately 5-year-old system (Athlon 2000+, 1GB RAM, 6800GT added 2 yrs ago to try to breathe life).

The main uses will be gaming (I haven't been able to run many of the newer games well, if at all, like FEAR and Oblivion, but can run Source games (HL2) okay.), CD and DVD ripping and encoding and general home use for me, the wife and our two kids - although I'll probably make them use the old box instead of the pretty new one (the kids, not the wife!).

I plan on OC'ing at least to 3 GHz. If I can get close to 3.6 to keep the RAM at 1:1 with the 9 multi, great. If not, 3 GHz is still a lot better than what I have now! The PC will be in an office that is a converted attic area that has heating and cooling, but can get warmish (75-80 F) in the summer, but cool (60-65 F) in the winter. Noise is not critical, but I don't want a jet engine either.

As you look at the components, you might think some of it is overkill, but keep in mind these three things:
1) I've never built a state-of-the-art PC, always a tier or two below, especially with videocards
2) I want to try to get as much life out of the machine as possible. What might seem overkill now will be standard in a year or two, and I don't have the time/desire to constantly upgrade my box. Yes, you can't futureproof a computer, but you can delay the inevitable for as long as possible...
3) I just got my annual bonus and, while price is still an object, it's not the guiding force.

Anyway...on to the components. All vendors were compared with total shipped price. Surprisingly, Newegg didn't fare as well as I'd have thought...

Processor: Intel E6600
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80860

Mobo: ASUS P5WDH
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=247085

PSU: OCZ 700W
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=316505

HSF: Thermalright Ultra 120 (just bought)

Case: Antec P180 (already purchased)

RAM: Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB Kit DDR2-800 XMS2-6400
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85025-6

HDD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB x 2 (not in RAID)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148139

GPU: eVGA 7950GX2 (see note below)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA47520

Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Extreme Music
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sound-Bl...AY7A1I/ref=sr_11_1/002-7072800-8004823

DVD: Samsung SH-S182M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827151136

Media Reader: Mitsumi FA404MBLK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16821104104

Mouse: Logitech MX518
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826104178

Keyboard: Logitech G15
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=211159

Monitor: One of these three (still not sure yet...see note below)
Dell 2007FP
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...spx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-4687
Dell 2007WFP
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...spx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-4688
Samsung 215TW
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=232486

Speakers: Logitech Z-5450 (I like the wireless rear feature)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=3808995&CartID=done&nextloc=

Printer: HP C6180 All-In-One (had very good success w/ my D135)
http://www.amazon.com/C6180-Photosmart-...-7072800-8004823?ie=UTF8&s=electronics


Notes:

GPU - I'm only buying the eVGA7950GX2 for entry to the Step-Up to G80. I know it will be a long wait until they have them available for Step-Up, but this card should be able to hold me over until then. Yes, I fully realize that this card (or G80) will be overkill for a 20-21" monitor. Again, trying to buy as much time as possible.

Monitor - I can't really decide how much I like widescreen monitors. I've looked at the 215TW at Fry's and while it would be great to have the extra width for gaming, it seems like it would bug me when using the computer for other tasks like web surfing. Still undecided on this...

HSF - ***Edit - Just found a site that has Ultra 120 in stock. Went ahead and bought with Scythe S-Flex 1600 RPM silent fan*** I don't know why, but the new Big Typhoon VX really intrigues me. Perhaps it's the additional cooling it will do for the mobo. I know it's quiet. I would also consider the Ultra 120, but no one has it. I'd also consider Scythe, but they have enough models to make my head spin...


Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to give you all as much information as possible. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to PM me.

Thanks in advance!
Indy

 

[Ayah]

I suggest going with a Scythe Infinity.

 

[Twitch22]

Hello Indy.

Wow...may I say that you have some good taste! If you look at my current rig's specs, you'll see that we have a lot in common!! What's even funnier is the fact that my rig before my current one was an Athlon XP 2000+ on a Soyo DRAGON 2 KT-880 board, 1 gig of DDR 400 and a Geforce 4 Ti-4400. It was 5 years old as well.

Anyway, just wanted to comment on your monitor choices. I'd go with the Dell 2007WFP. Why? I work in the medical imaging field and at the hospital where I work we just went to an all digital image and information system (PACS). On the workstations, the monitor speced is the Dell 2007WFP (The radiologists read off of Dome EX monitors...about $3,000) The image quality on the Dell is incredible, both in static and dynamic images. Color rendition is very good and grey scale is awesome. We rely on these monitors to display and post-process images for diagnosis...if they're good enough for this work, they should be good enough for home use. And the price is right!

Good luck with your build...have had mine up and running for 6 weeks and the performance and capability is unbelievable! :thumbsup:

Twitch

 

[Baked]

Your'e gonna need to modify your mobo if you get the Scythe giant mofo. Get Thermalright Ultra-120 and you wouldn't have to. Plus, the Ultra-120 actually has a "decent" mounting system they designed themselves instead of just using the one found on the retail HSF.

 

[A5]

Widescreen is the way to go. Dual is even better

The Big Typhoon is a good cooler, but the Ultra-120 (look at jab-tech.com and svc.com) is slightly better. Both are more than adequate for Core 2 overclocking though, since they both worked well for P4 overclocking.

 

[IndyJaws]

Quick update - Heatsink Factory has the Ultra-120 in stock for $49.99. Qty 6 left at this time. I went ahead and picked one up.

 

[IndyJaws]

Bump for anyone else's feedback!

 

[Mr Fox]

Originally posted by: Baked
Your'e gonna need to modify your mobo if you get the Scythe giant mofo. Get Thermalright Ultra-120 and you wouldn't have to. Plus, the Ultra-120 actually has a "decent" mounting system they designed themselves instead of just using the one found on the retail HSF.

Mine fits Fine... you just need to assemble the board before placement in the case.....

and it is tight but useable....

 

[IndyJaws]

one last bump...

(sigh) hardly any comments

 

[jleves]

absolutely go with a widescreen. I just got a 24inch widescreen. For the first 2 or 3 days, I sat here thinking what am I going to do with all this space, then after a week, I jumped on my gfs computer for something. She has a very nice 19inch LCD and all I could think was, this is tiny - there's no room to move. Now I find myself resizing a couple of windows in a few seconds to have a typing area while I'm looking at stats or information and wonder how I did it before. Definitely wide screen. I have dual 19inch displays at work and the widescreen here is better most of the time (although full sizing things on two displays still rocks). And considering your budget isn't the primary concern, get as big a monitor as you can afford. Monitors tend to last through several systems, so the money spent isn't out of date as quickly. I really can't stress this enough. The monitor is your window into your computer - maximize it!

 

[IndyJaws]

Originally posted by: jleves
absolutely go with a widescreen. I just got a 24inch widescreen. For the first 2 or 3 days, I sat here thinking what am I going to do with all this space, then after a week, I jumped on my gfs computer for something. She has a very nice 19inch LCD and all I could think was, this is tiny - there's no room to move. Now I find myself resizing a couple of windows in a few seconds to have a typing area while I'm looking at stats or information and wonder how I did it before. Definitely wide screen. I have dual 19inch displays at work and the widescreen here is better most of the time (although full sizing things on two displays still rocks). And considering your budget isn't the primary concern, get as big a monitor as you can afford. Monitors tend to last through several systems, so the money spent isn't out of date as quickly. I really can't stress this enough. The monitor is your window into your computer - maximize it!

Aaaarrrggghhh...I really want to go with a standard (1600x1200) screen. What I need is feedback on how Web surfing looks like on WS. I suppose I could resize, but really need someone who uses their computer for tasks other than gaming...

I have a 73" Mitsubishi in my basement...don't want to watch DVD's on my PC...

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: IndyJaws

Originally posted by: jleves
absolutely go with a widescreen. I just got a 24inch widescreen. For the first 2 or 3 days, I sat here thinking what am I going to do with all this space, then after a week, I jumped on my gfs computer for something. She has a very nice 19inch LCD and all I could think was, this is tiny - there's no room to move. Now I find myself resizing a couple of windows in a few seconds to have a typing area while I'm looking at stats or information and wonder how I did it before. Definitely wide screen. I have dual 19inch displays at work and the widescreen here is better most of the time (although full sizing things on two displays still rocks). And considering your budget isn't the primary concern, get as big a monitor as you can afford. Monitors tend to last through several systems, so the money spent isn't out of date as quickly. I really can't stress this enough. The monitor is your window into your computer - maximize it!

Aaaarrrggghhh...I really want to go with a standard (1600x1200) screen. What I need is feedback on how Web surfing looks like on WS. I suppose I could resize, but really need someone who uses their computer for tasks other than gaming...

Looks great for me.....I have a 27" WS...I love it for watching movies and video which is often in WS format....Games look great if they are set up for WS resolutions....the added desktop space is nice as well..

 

[jleves]

I will only use my machine for gaming a small % of the time (I still haven't receive the damn mobo and cpu - damn you Monarchcomputers!). I hooked up the 24 inch to my old AMD 2400+ and I mostly use it for web stuff, spread sheets, and some poker. Web pages look fine full screened on a wide monitor. They either stretch so you have more useable area (like anandtech forums) or theres some gray space on either side of the content but the main page is still in the middle of the screen and completely useable. You will quickly find that the extra width is really useable. You can put messenger screens to a side or edit two spreadsheets at once. But to answer your question directly, web page viewing is never worse in widescreen and sometimes much better.

 

[IndyJaws]

Originally posted by: Duvie
Looks great for me.....I have a 27" WS...I love it for watching movies and video which is often in WS format....Games look great if they are set up for WS resolutions....the added desktop space is nice as well..

But how does Firefox/IE look? That's my main concern.

 

[pkme2]

I was running three 18" LCDs for my video editing. The split down the middle was distracting at times when I was editing.

I have since picked up a 22" Viewsonic. A widescreen for editing and my other LCD for playback. The widescreen has made video editing easier.

I wanted a 2405/2507 for so long but prices were just too much and I needed other components.

The widescreen is now more practical for gaming and video editing plus business applications now.

 

[IndyJaws]

Originally posted by: jleves
I will only use my machine for gaming a small % of the time (I still haven't receive the damn mobo and cpu - damn you Monarchcomputers!). I hooked up the 24 inch to my old AMD 2400+ and I mostly use it for web stuff, spread sheets, and some poker. Web pages look fine full screened on a wide monitor. They either stretch so you have more useable area (like anandtech forums) or theres some gray space on either side of the content but the main page is still in the middle of the screen and completely useable. You will quickly find that the extra width is really useable. You can put messenger screens to a side or edit two spreadsheets at once. But to answer your question directly, web page viewing is never worse in widescreen and sometimes much better.

Thanks for the feedback...it isn't annoying to view the Web on WS?

 

[jleves]

One more thing for web viewing. With some careful resizing that only takes about 10 seconds, you can have two web pages up at once at 1920 wide with no overlap or side to side scroll bars. Very useful indeed.

 

[Duvie]

I only use Firefox...Looks great to me....jleves brings up good points....The WS just usually gives me many options of many itms open simultaneously and stil quite visible....

 

[Zumbador]

Definitely get widescreen. I use dual monitors and still like it. A big benefit is that you can open up a window and still see your desktop icons and various small window apps such as PC health readouts, buddy lists, etc.

Furthermore, media is pretty much all widescreen these days. All the TV shows I download are widescreen. Even my cheap $230.00 Canon ZR500 video cmaera records in widescreen. My Canon DSLR shoots photos in 3456x2304 resolution.... not quite 16:9 but still pretty wide.

 

[Ronin13]

What happens with older games on a WS?

Are games with a locked resolution (like StarCraft) stretched to fill the screen or do you get black bars at the sides?

What abot 3D games with no 16:9 resolution options?

 

[lamere]

Originally posted by: IndyJawsThanks for the feedback...it isn't annoying to view the Web on WS?

I think you are trying to convince yourself that viewing the web with a widescreen wont work for you, so you should just stick with a standard screen.
Widescreen is ALWAYS better, and you dont HAVE to watch dvd's on it to utilise the space.

Most people dont use the entire space for a webpage, at least I dont. There's no point in stretching a page meant for 1028x768 resolutions to 1920x1200.

 

[IndyJaws]

Lamere, you bring up a good point. It really does look like I'm trying to talk myself out of a widescreen, and perhaps I am. Before I posted, I was pretty much set on a standard screen. However, with feedback from everyone being 100% pro-widescreen, I'm now almost certain that I'll go that way. If it were 50/50 or 75/25, I'd still have reservations, but I can't ignore that every single person is telling me that ws is the only way to go. Not that I'm some mindless lemming, but I respect the opinions of AT forum members (hence my reason for posting in the first place).

Now to decide between the Dell 20" and Samsung 21"...

 

[lamere]

Originally posted by: IndyJaws
Lamere, you bring up a good point. It really does look like I'm trying to talk myself out of a widescreen, and perhaps I am. Before I posted, I was pretty much set on a standard screen. However, with feedback from everyone being 100% pro-widescreen, I'm now almost certain that I'll go that way. If it were 50/50 or 75/25, I'd still have reservations, but I can't ignore that every single person is telling me that ws is the only way to go. Not that I'm some mindless lemming, but I respect the opinions of AT forum members (hence my reason for posting in the first place).

Now to decide between the Dell 20" and Samsung 21"...

The only display problems I see in widescreen is that you have to run them (most) at native resolutions, say 1680x1050. If you game, the game will be stretched out of proportion unless it has the option to run widescreen. This isn't for all widescreens. Some will do other non-widescreen resolutions just fine.

Widescreen gives more "real estate" on screen. I think once you use it for awhile, you'll be sold.
I dont know If I could go back to a standard screen, at least not by choice.
I have an HP 24"WS CRT and it's like "wow" when i use it, there is so much room.

And believe it or not, that 21" will look quite a bit bigger than the 20".
The samsung will have a better picture while the dell will be more bang for the buck.

 

[Aikouka]

I use Widescreen LCDs for gaming, but it works well for me, because I mostly play WoW and that has widescreen capability.

 

[sindows]

I would never get a widescreen monitor with 1680x1050 resolution. You lose way too many pixels vertically while you gain only a tiny bit horizontally.

The only problem is, no one produces a decent 1600x1200 monitor anymore...