New Gaming PC (Conroe)

[Raibaru]

Hey guys, I've been doing a lot of looking around and reading over the past week or so in prep for a new gaming PC. No matter what, I'm not planning to make the mobo/pc purchase until the end of the month or the first week in August. However, the machine needs to be built by the second week in August before fall classes come out. So although i'm shooting for the Conroe E6600, it just may not be possible. This is also my first machine I'm building from the ground up and although I'm confident I can build it, I'm not a tech genius so if this post is awfully basic and common please bare with me.

My budget is about $1500 (can't exceed 1750) and that needs to cover all purchases excluding the OP (waiting on vista for the 64bit), HD, CD/DVD, Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse. I want the motherboard to atleast support SLI so if I decide to upgrade at a later date I can.

Here are the current expectations:

Case: Antec Solo $89

Power: Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 $89.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 ~$320*

MB: ASUS P5W DH DELUXE $269.99
RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2G $198

Graphics: XFX PV-T71G-UDE7 GeForce 7900 GT $289.99

Sound: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic $81.99

I believe that covers all bases? Anyway, now for the questions/concerns...
1.) The Antec Solo is a great case and fits my space limitations perfectly. My only concern is will it accomadate enough ventilation to keep the machine cool? It houses a single 120mm fan so if you guys could suggest a good case fan I'd really appreciate it.
2.) Will the single case fan be enough? Any PCI fans you guys like and would suggest I invest in?
3.) Anything you guys would suggest I add/change to this setup? Currently the only game I play is WoW which this machine is overkill for. However, the intention is to not have to make massive upgrades for a few years.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated guys and I'm receptive to all kinds of comments.

Thanks,
--Raibaru

 

[bamacre]

First off, since this is your first build, I assume you are not OC'ing the E6600.

If you are in fact, I would go with a better power supply. Fortron, Seasonic, are both good, do a search here for other recommendations.

If you are not, then make these changes...

Memory
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85016-47

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128012

 

[LW07]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143062
I would get this Geforce 7900GTX instead of a 7900GT.

Are you going to OC? If not, then get this Kingston Ram, unless you can wait for the MIR on that Corsair ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820134046

Other than that, it looks good.

 

[Jules]

i wish there would be a main thread about this already. :disgust:

 

[Raibaru]

Yea, I'm not sure about the overclocking as of yet. I would like to keep my options open in the future though, so maybe going for a bigger supply would make sense. I know I will need a larger one if I choose to get a second gfx card though.

And the reason I'm going for the 7900 over the 7950 or the GTX is because of my price limitations really. Although I would love to get it, I need to limit myself as much as possible in the event of a large markup on the cpu when it comes out.

And mouth, sorry I realize this probably gets posted many times a day and all. Figured it made more sense in this forum rather then making several different posts in the cooling, motherboard and case forums.

 

[alimoalem]

get a cheaper motherboard. the gigabyte one that was previously linked looks good. get the cheaper corsair ram, too. for power supplies, i'd recommend either the seasonic s12, enermax liberty, or fortron 500w psu. all 3 are good options

 

[Ike0069]

That MB is way overkill.

And if this is a gaming machine, don't bother with the problematic 7900 GT. Go with a GTX or X1900XT.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Ike0069
That MB is way overkill.

And if this is a gaming machine, don't bother with the problematic 7900 GT. Go with a GTX or X1900XT.

I would stay with the motherboard.....since your a gamer you realize the need for a good foundation. That Mobo rocks!!

 

[Bobthelost]

Christ, spending $250 on a motherboard when a $100 one does everything you need is hard to justify. Spending $200 on Overclocking RAM when you don't need to is worse.

1) The Antec TPII is an ok PSU, power wise it's more than you need. However they are not known for aging well, so in two years it might die on you. An enermax liberty 500W or seasonic s12, or pretty much any fortron or other major brand will be more than enough and probably better quality too. You can use the antec, but i'd look elsewhere.

2) You're spending almost as much on the motherboard as your GPU. Why? If this computer is for gaming then getting a $100 conroe board and putting that saved $150 towards a better graphics card would make far more difference even assuming that you're losing the ability to overclock your CPU. A 6600 at stock is far more computing power than you need for gaming, look at the stock settings in the reviews. But a 7900GT compared to a 7900GTX....

3) Overclocking RAM is expensive RAM, save yourself $50 and go for cheaper stuff.

You've now saved around $200 on the RAM and motherboard, spent another $30 or so on the PSU leaving you with another $170 to spend on the graphics card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814125017
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127205

It's louder than a 7900GTX, draws more power than a 7900GTX, but it's equal or better in ffps, the difference is small but it'd be my choice, hell it's cheaper too.

 

[River Side]

I suggest you forget SLI and direct the savings from a cheaper mobo towards a kick ass GPU.. in future when u wish to upgrade.. you can just replace this card with a DX10 version instead of putting in another DX9 card for SLI sake..

 

[Howard]

Depending on the resolution you play at, you'll probably be quite satisfied with the 7900GT, at least until DX10 games come out, at which point it isn't likely that getting another 7900GT will be a wise decision.

Solo's a nice case, but I would go with another PSU. And like others have already said, you're overspending on memory and the motherboard.

 

[Megatomic]

Counterpoint: I have an Antec TPII 500W power supply and it is very nice. All my voltages are right on the money (within tolerances that is) and it was inexpensive. I personally like the modular nature of it so I only have the cords I need and don't have to find somewhere to tuck them in at.

So, I'm not sure about how many of the above detractors actually have had and used an Antec TP II power supply, so take their recommendations with a grain of salt. You can find good and bad reviews of any/all products on the internet.

 

[PascalT]

Apart from the other suggestions. I'd say an OCZ PSU would be a great choice. They have great customer service and you know you'll get top notch stuff from their products.

 

[Operandi]

Case: For an Antec the Solo looks fairly nice but I'm not sure it's worth $89. For roughly the same amount of money you could get a Lian Li PC-7B for example.

PSU: Antec is so so. I would suggest the Seasonic S12 line. If you really think you may go SLi in the future go with the 500 watt model, otherwise the 380 or 430 watt version will be plenty.

RAM: Since you are working with a budget go with value RAM from Crucial, Corsair, Kingston, or Mushkin (stick with the big names).

Also drop the X-Fi, it's a complete waste when modern motherboards come with very good HD-audio.

 

[Raibaru]

I take it you own the Lian Li PC-7B? What advantages does it have over the Solo? Aside from allowing a second fan?

Also, isn't the open front/side gonna play havoc with controlling noise?

 

[Mikey]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: Ike0069
That MB is way overkill.

And if this is a gaming machine, don't bother with the problematic 7900 GT. Go with a GTX or X1900XT.

I would stay with the motherboard.....since your a gamer you realize the need for a good foundation. That Mobo rocks!!

uh, that makes no sense. how does that motherboard best fit his needs when he's a gamer?

word of advice: get a different motherboard. you have absolutely zero need for such an expensive motherboard. sure, its full featured, but i can guarantee you that a $100-150 mobo will be more then suffice.

 

[Raibaru]

Right, the primary reason for the original board was to be able to keep options open at a later date if I choose to upgrade to SLI and get a second video card. The above posted board I believe I only had 1 PCI-Ex16 slot?

However, the more I think about it the more I doubt I will need to get a second video card and it probably is best to just buy for the now instead of going overboard for features I will probably never realistically use or need.

 

[Smartazz]

Why would you get an extremely good motherboard with a video card that isn't insane, consider an X1900XT, they cost more than a 7900GT, but have been more reliable and are faster.

 

[Ike0069]

Originally posted by: Raibaru
Right, the primary reason for the original board was to be able to keep options open at a later date if I choose to upgrade to SLI and get a second video card. The above posted board I believe I only had 1 PCI-Ex16 slot?

However, the more I think about it the more I doubt I will need to get a second video card and it probably is best to just buy for the now instead of going overboard for features I will probably never realistically use or need.

Here is an SLI board for much less, and is still a very good board. ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T $154.99

Even that board is probably more than you need.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Ike0069

Originally posted by: Raibaru
Right, the primary reason for the original board was to be able to keep options open at a later date if I choose to upgrade to SLI and get a second video card. The above posted board I believe I only had 1 PCI-Ex16 slot?

However, the more I think about it the more I doubt I will need to get a second video card and it probably is best to just buy for the now instead of going overboard for features I will probably never realistically use or need.

Here is an SLI board for much less, and is still a very good board. ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T $154.99

Even that board is probably more than you need.

Is it compatible with Core 2 Duo?

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Ike0069

Originally posted by: Raibaru
Right, the primary reason for the original board was to be able to keep options open at a later date if I choose to upgrade to SLI and get a second video card. The above posted board I believe I only had 1 PCI-Ex16 slot?

However, the more I think about it the more I doubt I will need to get a second video card and it probably is best to just buy for the now instead of going overboard for features I will probably never realistically use or need.

Here is an SLI board for much less, and is still a very good board. ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T $154.99

Even that board is probably more than you need.

Is it compatible with Core 2 Duo?

I had a thread bookmarked with all the Core 2 Duo compatible mobos, but the server is down, I'll try to get back to you on this.

 

[Smartazz]

Enjoy

 

[Ike0069]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Ike0069

Originally posted by: Raibaru
Right, the primary reason for the original board was to be able to keep options open at a later date if I choose to upgrade to SLI and get a second video card. The above posted board I believe I only had 1 PCI-Ex16 slot?

However, the more I think about it the more I doubt I will need to get a second video card and it probably is best to just buy for the now instead of going overboard for features I will probably never realistically use or need.

Here is an SLI board for much less, and is still a very good board. ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T $154.99

Even that board is probably more than you need.

Is it compatible with Core 2 Duo?

Oh, I guess not. It seems you need the P5WD2 vice LD2. Sorry about that.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Raibaru
I take it you own the Lian Li PC-7B? What advantages does it have over the Solo? Aside from allowing a second fan?

Also, isn't the open front/side gonna play havoc with controlling noise?

I don't own the PC-7B but I'm very familiar with both Lian Li and Antec; the biggest advantage is the quality of materials. The Antec uses steel and lots of plastic in it's construction whereas the Lian Li is 100% AL; think of it as the difference between a Toyota and a Lexus.

The front fan will help provide proper air flow; cool air should enter the lower front section and exhausted out the upper rear (exhaust) section, as well as cool your hard drives.

As far as noise goes the fan on the 7900GT is going to be the worst offender, most likely followed by stock HS/F on the Core2 (if your going stock). Personally I never use stock cooling, and almost always under volt the intake fan to 5v, since that?s plenty for HD cooling.

 

[Bet]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
Enjoy

Now that is a hell of a thread find. Thanks, will help greatly in my next build (also Conroe). After being in the AMD camp for 6 years, Intel motherboards are like a foreign species.