PC Gaming Build

[Stanto84]

New parts for my build are as follows:

ASUS - P5N32-E-SLI-PLUS - $299.00

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 - $310.00

Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C5DHX 2GB (2x XMS2 1GB) PC-6400 (800MHz) 5-5-5-18 - $260.00

Gigabyte GV-NX88S320H-B-RH Geforce 8800GTS, 320MB - $489.00

Now these two parts I can't decide between are the RAM and the Video Card.

What is the difference between the Corsair and Geil Ram

Geil Ram looking at:
Geil GX22GB6400UDC 2GB Kit (2x1GB) PC2-6400 800mhz DDR2 Ultra, 4-4-4-12 $275.00

Like what to the numbers at the end of the ram stand for???

The other is the Video Card:
Asus 8800 GTS 320. Does this card perform better than the Gigabyte card or they much the same.

Also i have a Thermaltake Power Supply 480w TT TWV480 would this be enough to power all this. Also will be running 2 x 120 seagate HDDs


Many thanks Stanto

 

[Roguestar]

Where the hell are you buying this from? That's way expensive. If you don't need SLI, get a 965 based board and save like $100 over what you were going to spend by getting a Gigabyte DS3. The graphics cards are much the same; the 8800 is the series of card, GTS is the model and 320MB is how much video memory they have. You can get a 2GB G.Skill kit of DDR-800 for $129.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231087 You can also get an EVGA 8800GTS 320MB for much less: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814130082 (and EVGA have a step-up program incase anything much better is released in the next short while). Your PSU should be fine, check what kind of amps it has on the 12v rail.

Wait, are those prices in canadian dollars?

 

[mercanucaribe]

All your prices are way off. An E6600 is $230 or so, an 8800 320mb should be around $300, and 2gb of DDR800 is around $100 or $150 max. You are overspending by about $450, or $550 if you get a cheaper motherboard. Feel free to send me the $550 if you really don't want it!

 

[jae]

whoa whoa whoa.. thats alot of money, those prices are too high!

 

[Nnyan]

I get the feeling that those are not in dollars.

Anyway as for the ram I would google the part numbers and look for reviews, that will give you a decent handle on them. I did not find many reviews on those Corsairs but in general Corsair memory is rock solid and a great performer. Geil also has a good name and has made some good sticks.

Check out this review:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/ddr2-800.html

 

[Ausm]

Oh man you are getting burned on those prices!


Ausm

 

[Stanto84]

Oh sorry guys forgot to say that all prices are is AUD australian dollars.

 

[RayvinAzn]

Considering that those parts are in AUD, that's not a bad machine for the price at all.

The number (5-5-5-15 or whatever) are the CAS latency of the RAM - basically, how fast it sends out information. The lower the number, the faster it can send it out. In real-world terms, this makes very little performance difference. For overclocking and benchmarking it can help out, but for day-to-day use (including gaming), you won't notice the difference. Stick with the cheaper Corsair stuff.

The video card manufacturer doesn't differ much - some cards will be overclocked (the place you're buying from should specify what the cards memory and core clock speeds are - the higher the better), which makes for a slightly faster card. There's also what software is bundled with the card to consider, and (most important in my opinion) the warranty and reputation of the company. ASUS and Gigabyte are both decent brands. Basically, I'd probably get whichever one had the longer warranty, unless there's a large price discrepancy between them.

As for that power supply, it's going to have to go - 18a on the +12v rail isn't going to keep that 8800GTS running. You're going to want to look for a high qualith 500-600w unit with at least 35a (preferably higher) on its +12v rail from Seasonic (or its spec'd Corsair built supplies), Enermax, Enhance, Silverstone, PC Power & Cooling, Zippy, or OCZ.

 

[sthaznpride17]

If you are havign doubts about the SLi, get a good P965 board such as the DS3 or the P5B-Deluxe. If you need SLi, I would suggest spending a little less and getting the Asus P5N-E SLi. That way you can spend the difference on getting A) 640MB 8800GTS as opposed to the 320MB (new games will make use of the memory with large textures) or B) Corsair HX520W PSU just in case your existing PSU is borderline.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Stanto84
Oh sorry guys forgot to say that all prices are is AUD australian dollars.

Hahaha, that explains it :laugh:.

Edit: Ausm, congrats on the smoking thing :thumbsup:.