New PC Build... need advice

[thedazman]

I am building my first PC and have been doing a bunch of research trying to figure out what parts to get... I am purchasing stuff in a few days and need help on making a few final decisions... I am open to any suggestions and advice!

Here is what I've got so far:

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16813131180
ASUS P5K LGA 775 Intel P35

Processor
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16819115017
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield

Primary/Boot HDD
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16822136073
Western Digital Caviar 500GB

DVD +/- RW Drive
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16827151141
Samsung 18X

Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16817256009
SILVERSTONE ST75F 750W Power Supply

Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16814130079
EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SUPERCLOCKED

Memory
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16820231065
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800


I can't really decide on a case. I like both the Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Full-Tower Case and the NZXT Zero Black/Silver Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case. The Ultra is my first choice but I don't know if it will have enough cooling. I also really like the window. Do I need a full tower case for the parts I have picked out now? If not, what's a good mid tower case?

I also am debating on whether or not to buy the new Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 instead of the quad core. I play games, but I am also an architecture student and often use autocad, photoshop, illustrator, and stuff like that. Will I get that much more of a multitasking benefit for 4 cores instead of 2?

My last question is 2Gb or 4GB of ram, and is the G.Skill ram I have picked any good?

 

[Sinn707]

MB:Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R is a better choice.
PSU: Your pc won't nearly utilize this many watts, you should go with Corsair 520HX or 620HX, both are absolutely amazing in terms of build quality, power, reliability.
Clubit.com currently has a nice deal on Corsair 620HX.
You should get an Ultra instead of an overclocked GTX for the same price, even less counting the rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130090

Case: I personally like Lian-Li cases, the quality they build their cases with is hard to beat.
Lian-Li 65B has a side window and shouldn't have any problems with fitting an Ultra inside.

If you want a full tower, you should take a look at Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS, it's huge.

Everything else looks fine,
Good luck.

 

[Sinn707]

Forgot to add, Q6600 is the way to go. There is no reason to miss out on extra 2 cores, especially considering that most upcoming games & software will utilize 4 cores fully.
You could also buy cheap-ish aftermarket cooler such as Freezer 7 Pro from directron.com for $22 and easily bring Q6600 to E6850 speeds. (2.4 to 3.0Ghz), but you'll also have an extra 2 cores, which is great considering the design software you use.

 

[thedazman]

Thanks man! I really appreciate it!

 

[Piuc2020]

I agree with all Sinn707 said.

The Q6600 is definitely the better choice, you can always overclock your Q6600 but you won't be able to jam a core onto your E6850, also, 2 extra cores is a lot more valuable and has more potential than an extra 600mhz in frequency which you can give to the Q6600 anyways. Just wanted to further solidify that statement.

As for case recommendation I would say the Antec P180: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...80&name=Computer+Cases

It looks nice, nothing that looks like it belongs on Pimp my Ride or something, just an elegant design with some great cooling features, really recommendable to check it out in my opinion.

 

[thedazman]

Thanks, I will check it out.

 

[drextremeops007]

An ok system.
Motherboard: the gigabyte one is ok. the Abit IP35 is also not bad, depending upon if ABIT releases a new BIOS to get rid of the double boot issues
HD: Ok, but I would prefer the Samsungs as I hear they run quieter.
PSU: for your system, a 520W Corsair PSU would probably be sufficient
Optical: OK, no complains
VGA: Hmm, spending 600+ on one. I never can do that. I am not sure on your gaming rituals, but a 640MB should probably be sufficient. If you game at very high resolution, then I guess its ok. Or get the non-OC card that Sinn707 recommend.
Case: Can't go wrong with Lian-li. The antec 900 is a good gaming case as well, will have ton of space for you.

 

[Slugbait]

Another vote for the Armor...I got one a few months ago, wish I'd got it two years ago instead of the Aspire I compromised on to save some bucks. And it's BTX by default, so should you decide to go that way...(hint: download the manual, throw away the included one, go to the last page)

Definitely quad core for PS, Illustrator, autocad, etc. However, I haven't heard of many upcoming games and apps that will utilize quad, much less "most".

Don't listen to lower-wattage suggestions...many of us got hammered by the Voodoo5 when it was thought 300W was a better way to go. History has repeated itself a couple of times since, so get a quality PSU with plenty of power for the long-haul, or you're buying another one a couple of years from now.

If you're using a 64-bit OS, 4 gigs won't hurt. If using a 32-bit OS, 4 gigs will hurt. But even if using a 64-bit OS, 4 gigs is overkill right now.

 

[thedazman]

I don't even really know what BTX is... since I posted this, I have been looking at the Armor, the Antec 900 and the Gigabyte Aurora 570...

I'm not sure about 32 bit of 64 bit either... any suggestions?

 

[Slugbait]

BTX is a form factor introduced by Intel several years ago that was supposed to replace the ATX form factor. However, BTX has been on life support since it debuted, so just go the ATX route. Just make sure that if you go with the Armor that you follow the instructions in the downloaded user manual, or you'll short out your mobo.

64-bit will take more advantage of the CPU, and also can address more than 3.14 gigs of RAM. However, the rest of your hardware needs 64-bit drivers...in recent months, we've seen more and more 64-bit compatibility, but for best results, you still need to verify that what you will be using will be compliant.

 

[LightningRider]

Thermaltake Armor is a nice case, you might consider the Thermaltake Kandalf as well if you prefer the front to have a closing door (you can remove the doors as well), otherwise it's almost the same thing. It costs slightly more though. Try to get the silver version of either too, it's made of aluminum which is much lighter (you will appreciate that the case is huge and heavy!). Unless of course you really like black then get that.

 

[MarcVenice]

The ds3r isn't as good in overclocking as the p5k, it does use less energy though. It's a tossup if you ask me though. I personaly somewhat like Asus, to bad their website often sucks though.

Agreed with the psu, go with the 520hx or 620hx. As for the videocard, I wouldn't spend 600$ on a videocard right now, when the 9x00's are just around the corner. I'd go with a 8800gts 640 or 320mb from EVGA, and use the step up program in 3 months, by then the new videocards should be out, and make gtx's a lot more affordable, and with some luck you can buy a 9x00 for less then 600$, yet still giving a LOT more performance then a 8800ultra would now.