Building a Desktop or Buying a Laptop?

[Rezlov]

DECIDED TO GO WITH DESKTOP. NEW QUESTION IS HOW IS THIS SETUP:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16811129021 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811129021)
$119.99

DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16813136038 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813136038)
$107.99

EVGA 512-P3-N802-AR GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail [/u
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16814130319 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130319)
$289.99

[u] CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16817139004 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139004)$99.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16819115017 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115017)
$274.99

CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16820145176 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145176)
$129.00

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16822148140 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148140)
$84.99

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16827106228 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827106228)
$24.99

Total Price: $1,243.42

[Cold Storm]

first off... the tag to newegg won't show.. its a dead one that will only show what you've got and not show on our systems as anything..
if you just type down what you got then we can just hunt it all down for you...

[flashstar]

The Vostros are great machines. I prefer the Thinkpad T61p however. For about $100-$200 more, you can get legendary Thinkpad quality.

If you want to go places a ton, then a laptop would make more sense, but for stationary gaming etc., you get more upgradability with a desktop.

[Snipe343]

dont go for the laptop its not worth it you can build a very good gaming desktp for what you can pay for a laptop

[Paulieg]

Well, the laptop is all about convenience. That's the only plus in my book. They are a major PITA to upgrade, not to mention far more expensive then their desktop brethren. If you're looking to game on your system, expect to pay $2000+ that will play current games at acceptable fps. The desktop equal would cost $1000. This is a simplified explanation of course.

[Cold Storm]

I'd go with the laptop if he needs to go around alot but if he's just going to have it sitting then we all know we can build a system for around 1000 and pwn anything a laptop puts out at 2000 or more

[Snipe343]

true but i move around about everyday and i still would say desktop, but if he is going to like the locale coffie house all the time well the laptop would be the only thing that can do that

[Rezlov]

Intel BOXD975XBX2KR LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard
$229.99 - $10.00 = $219.99

XFX PVT84JYDF3 GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
$229.99

Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, CB, C-tick, CCC - Retail
$69.99

Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 Merom 2.2GHz 4M shared L2 Cache Socket P 35W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
$259.99

2 CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail
$19.99 each

Open Box: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000AAKS 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$89.25

Recertified: Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JS 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$59.99

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black PATA Model SH-S202G - OEM
$25.99

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
$29.99

TOTAL
$945.16

[Cold Storm]

all right.. sounds like a good build on the desktop, but if you can spend more and get the 8800gt... you won't be sorry..
with you posting that, I think you'll love the desktop better!

[Triprift]

Sounds like laptop is the go then as long ur happy enuff with med to low detail on most games. The only thing i dont like with gaming on my lappy is it gets supa hot supa quick.

[Cold Storm]

Sounds like laptop is the go then as long ur happy enuff with med to low detail on most games. The only thing i dont like with gaming on my lappy is it gets supa hot supa quick.

thats the biggest reason I tell people not to get one if they are gaming... or do what I did with mine.. spend the extra 70 dollars or more to get a video caption system that will allow you to hook your laptop to your tv... then go into settings and fix it to where your computer can run on it... I did that for a long while and loved it... sit back in my recliner and just kill people Rainbow Six 3.

[Snipe343]

i agree get a 8800gt but everything else is fine

[Triprift]

So which way you gonna go Rezlov? building or buying a lappy

[tigger]

Is socket p 775? coz the board is 775 and the chip is socket p.I'd try and get a better graphics card if you can tho'.

I'd say desktop if you dont need portable.

[kwchang007]

Is socket p 775? coz the board is 775 and the chip is socket p.I'd try and get a better graphics card if you can tho'.

I'd say desktop if you dont need portable.

No the cpu he selected is a mobile chip....aka for laptops. He needs to get a LGA 775 or socket T chip (same thing).

At OP: Depends on what you want to do? If you move alot, I would suggest getting a smaller laptop, I mean 15.4 is big for a laptop that you move alot 17" is huge. If you're not going to need it in other places stick with the desktop it gives you more performance. Just depends on what you're going to do.

[Cold Storm]

Is socket p 775? coz the board is 775 and the chip is socket p.I'd try and get a better graphics card if you can tho'.

I'd say desktop if you dont need portable.

+1 on that.. the card needs to be updated to something newer... something with Direct x 10.. I know 9 is what most use, but 10 is going to be needed really so I am thinking.... But, that is just me...

[Snipe343]

well my 8600gt does dx10 but 8800gt would kill mine so if you can go for 88 that would be the best

[tzitzibp]

Go for the laptop as you move around alot...
Don´t know what your budget is, but there are a few decent :cool:gaming laptops:cool: out there!

[Rezlov]

Alright I think I'm decided to go with the Desktop. I don't really 'travel' anywhere that I need my computer that bad.

When I purchase this stuff, should I buy all from 1 place or does it not matter? Obviously I want the best price.

As for the graphics card, could someone go to Newegg.com or somewhere else and find the correct 8800GT card? I see a ton that differ each and am not sure which one is best.

My budget isn't endless, but I don't want to go over $1200 really.

As for the processor, what is another good one since the one I picked out is for a laptop?

For the Hard Drives, should I go with a 16mb or 8mb?

I don't need another disc drive other than that DVD burner do I?

Is memory good enough?

I understand this computer could handle gaming, but could it also do good with applications? I use many applications and that is just as, maybe more important than gaming.

Thanks a lot to everyone and I apologize for the questions. I don't know much about computer hardware.

[Rezlov]

Bump. Was on page 2.

[Cold Storm]

Alright I think I'm decided to go with the Desktop. I don't really 'travel' anywhere that I need my computer that bad.

When I purchase this stuff, should I buy all from 1 place or does it not matter? Obviously I want the best price.

As for the graphics card, could someone go to Newegg.com or somewhere else and find the correct 8800GT card? I see a ton that differ each and am not sure which one is best.

My budget isn't endless, but I don't want to go over $1200 really.

As for the processor, what is another good one since the one I picked out is for a laptop?

For the Hard Drives, should I go with a 16mb or 8mb?

I don't need another disc drive other than that DVD burner do I?

Is memory good enough?

I understand this computer could handle gaming, but could it also do good with applications? I use many applications and that is just as, maybe more important than gaming.

Thanks a lot to everyone and I apologize for the questions. I don't know much about computer hardware.


Hey, don't worry about asking alot of questions on here! its a tech website that helps people. So, your questions are good for a person that doesn't know what to look for in building a rig of your own.

Answers to your questions
(1) If you buy from one place you may be lucky to find it cheaper to ship it to you. Plus most people here use newegg for the simple fact that the more you spend there, the more they give back to you.
(2) here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150252) is probably one of the best ones out there.. I haven't heard anything wrong with that.
Or (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121099), you can go with this whenever it gets into stock.. I'm not a big person on the types of nVidia cards to get because I've never owned one...
(3) This one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003)
(4) You will be wanting to go with a 16mb cache (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache) But, I really wouldn't suggest to get any type of rmaed hdd's. Better to get hdd's that hasn't had any problems so you won't have the same... IMO
(5) The dvd burner that you are picking out is fine. the only reason why you should go and get another drive is if you don't want to spend an hour burning anything because of the fact it saves the image that you are burning into a temp folder so you can swap dvds or cds and still be able to get all the info.. I've all ways went with two types... A good dvd burner with a dvd player...
(6) I would never get any type of "value" ram... Sometimes it good, sometimes its bad. I would get this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227231) ram for the fact its a good ocing ram. or (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565) this ram because everyone on TPU uses it to over clock.
(7) You'll be fine with both gaming and apps. the duel processor helps in both settings.. Its no more of the Intel is made for apps while AMD is straight gaming... Intel is in the #1 spot for both.

[Polaris573]

The BOXD975XBX2KR is a good motherboard but I think you would be better of getting a cheaper P35 motherboard and spending the extra $100 on a video card. Don't worry about asking lots of questions, that's the reason this website exists. Welcome to techpowerup.

[lowflyer]

Newegg is a decent spot as stated above. If you go to pricegrabber.com they will compare the prices at many online stores and give you the best price but, I've found they dont always find the best deals (I think they may not search every store so makes sense).

[Rezlov]

I may buy this soon or wait till Feb.

By Feb will there be anything new out that would be worth waiting for?

[Cold Storm]

new videocards that are coming out in late jan. and new processors for Intel come out in jan. and feb. so if you want to wait you can. You'll have more time to look at parts you want and get a set up you like.
It took me about 3 months to make up my mind and just look at my specs to see what I have... Remember we are all ways here and open to anything

[Rezlov]

Alright, I'll probally wait till mid-Feb then to make a final decision. I'm assuming prices will drop of things then which is good because I was contemplating if I want to spend that much whwen I don't need a top of the line gaming computer.

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

The BOXD975XBX2KR is a good motherboard but I think you would be better of getting a cheaper P35 motherboard and spending the extra $100 on a video card. Don't worry about asking lots of questions, that's the reason this website exists. Welcome to techpowerup.


i endorsed his statement full.

[Cold Storm]

_FBi;595179']i endorsed his statement full.

+2 on that... just wait til feb and come back and post then... We'll have the same.

[Rezlov]

Case: Linkworld 3210-04-C2628 Black/ Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Mother Board: Intel BOXD975XBX2KR LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Video Card: PNY VCG88512GXPB G92 GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 PureVideo HD Technology HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail

Memory: Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

DVD ROM: Sony NEC Optiarc Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s - OEM

DVD Burner: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S202J - OEM

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail


All that for: $1,139.39
Missing: Power Supply Unit

The question for the memory: Would 2 sticks of 2gb be too much? I was thinking of going with 2gb x2 instead of the above.

Is everything compatible?

How large of a PSU should I go for? I did this http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine and came up with 512w

Is a DVD ROM and DVD Burner a good/correct combination?

Thanks a lot everyone.

[BullGod]

Dude how are you really that keen on that motherboard? I think the one I will suggest performs better and costs less. Let me see... Somewhere around 1000 dollars right? How about this:

RAIDMAX Ninja ATX-918WBP Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450watts PS2 ATX12V SATA Ready Power Supply - Retail
$79.99

ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$179.99

PNY VCG88512GXPB G92 GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 PureVideo HD Technology HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$259.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6850 - Retail
$279.99

A-DATA Extreme Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVD1A16K - Retail
$49.99

A-DATA 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1908K - Retail
$25.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$119.99

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
$27.99

SABRENT CRW-UINB 52-in-1 USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader w/ USB 2.0 Port
$12.99

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail
$135.99

Subtotal: $1,168.90


This should play all current games at max settings except Crysis (medium to high) and is all around the best bang for the buck gaming system you can currently buy.

[BullGod]

All this is from newegg.com You get a much faster processor. A better motherboard. A better sound card.A much bigger HDD and more RAM for 30$ more than what you came up with. :) So yeah, I think you should go with this. As I've said it will handle all games extremely good. As for applications, I don't think there is something you could throw at it which it wouldn't handle. It will beat a q6600 system with ease in more than 90% of times. And yeah 4GB is overkill. Windows XP can't handle more than 3GB. And the most RAM usage I've ever heard off was on a game under Vista and it was using around 2.2GB. So you should be good with 3GB for now and in the future if you wanna upgrade you can throw out the 1GB kit as it only costs 20 bucks. As for the wattage, that calculator is shit. The 450W unit on the Raidmax should be just fine. I hope I've helped...

[Rezlov]

Is a sound card like that so significant? Mine seems to be fine now and its just a normal card.

[BullGod]

Is a sound card like that so significant? Mine seems to be fine now and its just a normal card.

Well, really no. I've seen you posted the Audigy and thought you would like it. Scrap that card, use your current one and you can get a 8800GTS 512MB instead for the price difference. Anyways it's your decision man. I'm just trying to help...

[Rezlov]

Is that stuff like brand name stuff and good?

I'll probally drop the sound card you chose for something cheaper. I'm building a completely new comp so I have no soundcard to use.

I'll probally use what you suggested tho, thanks.

[BullGod]

Yeah it's all good stuff man. If you wanna go cheaper you can use the onboard sound dude, it's ok. Also you could buy this motherboard instead: DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $107.99 and end up under 1000 bucks.

[Rezlov]

It worries me that the PSU might not be big enough. I was thinking 500w-600w.

[Paulieg]

Yeah, for future upgrades you want a quality 500-700w psu. Most important component in your system.
EDIT: Don't ever buy a Raidmax psu.

[Paulieg]

Yeah it's all good stuff man. If you wanna go cheaper you can use the onboard sound dude, it's ok. Also you could buy this motherboard instead: DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $107.99 and end up under 1000 bucks.

I've owned that blood iron, it's a solid board. The "genie" bios is awesome. Though it can be overwhelming at first.

[Rezlov]

How is this case and its PSU?

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144133

I think the amount of fans along with a button to adjust them is great.

Also, I was thinking of using a new copy of XP my dad has but should I buy Vista instead since it's the new thing?

[Paulieg]

How is this case and its PSU?

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144133

I think the amount of fans along with a button to adjust them is great.

Case is probaably "OK". Generally, you do not want to trust psu's that come with cases. Buy psu's from corsair, seasonic, pc power and cooling, ocz, silverstone, and Tagan. Also, total wattage means very little. You want continuous power and stable rails.

[Rezlov]

For a setup listed above, how many watts would you recommend?

Also, it might be troubling, but could you help me pick out a PSU? I have been reading a lot of reviews and getting what I believe to be general good things but I'm not confident in myself.

I really do appreciate the help. I've been trying to use the Thanks is that helps any lol

[Paulieg]

Try these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817163112
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104014

[Paulieg]

Here's a couple more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104014
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

Important to remember the psu is the last thing you want to go cheap on. A bad psu can destroy your system.

[PyroX1040]

if you going to spend 225 on a core don't get a frigging T7500 ..... get a Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W!! frigging stupid to waste on a T---- it's a desktop not a laptop..

[Paulieg]

Actually, save yourself a little cash and go with a 6750. If you're going to spend the amount to buy a 6850, I'd buy a Q6600 instead.

[Paulieg]

For a setup listed above, how many watts would you recommend?

Also, it might be troubling, but could you help me pick out a PSU? I have been reading a lot of reviews and getting what I believe to be general good things but I'm not confident in myself.

I really do appreciate the help. I've been trying to use the Thanks is that helps any lol

Yeah, clicking the thanks button will usually get you more helpful posts..:D

[asb2106]

Actually, save yourself a little cash and go with a 6750. If you're going to spend the amount to buy a 6850, I'd buy a Q6600 instead.

great call, go with the quad and jump the front side to 333, its pretty safe and your temps should be more than fine, I have not found any "real life" apps that can top this proc! I had a e6600(3.5ghz) and my nero encodes would take 26 minutes, went to the q6600(3.6) and it dropped to 15, and it only used alittle over 70% of the proc! that still leaves a whole core! and the temps and voltage is so much lower!

[Rezlov]

I noticed the MHZ is considerably lower on both the 6750 and Q6600 than the 6850. Is it still going to run top of the line games?

[asb2106]

well that is true, if you bump up the clock speeds you will see that raw speed your looking for, and the quad really help the whole whole computer experience

[rikuete]

Sony NEC Optiarc 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7190S - OEM
$28.99

Antec Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
$119.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$104.99

Leadtek PX8800GTS GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$329.99

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
$79.99

2x Transcend 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory Model JM667QLU-2G - Retail
$69.98

DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$107.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6550 - Retail
$169.99

Subtotal: $1,011.91

You could also leave out the sound card and change cpu to Q6600. I think this is better combination.

[asb2106]

For that build I would recommend some memory thats better, like some corsair XMS2. It will allow much better results when overclocking. Cheap memory doesnt seem to like OCing very much.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147+1052108080+1052315794&name=4GB(2+x+2GB)
This is a 4gig kit of XMS 2, you could also look at getting 2 gigs, if your running XP you wasting money on 4 gigs

[thoughtdisorder]

For that build I would recommend some memory thats better, like some corsair XMS2. It will allow much better results when overclocking. Cheap memory doesnt seem to like OCing very much.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147+1052108080+1052315794&name=4GB(2+x+2GB)
This is a 4gig kit of XMS 2, you could also look at getting 2 gigs, if your running XP you wasting money on 4 gigs

Good point asb on the XP. If you're running vista it's a different story. But on XP save your dough on the 4 gigs!

btw, that's a good price if you do go with the 4 gigs, only $89 after the rebate!:D

[asb2106]

yah, everyother part on that list was of good quality, the memory is something that should be too.

Short story
when i started in overclocking i bought some cheap ddr thinking it wouldnt make a difference, and i got a 15% oc on my celeron and i was happy, well i was forced to buy new ram cause the cheap stuff crapped out, so i bought some quality because the price had dropped and I ended up hitting a 28% OC, it was a huge difference back then, as I am sure it is today. Couldnt tell you for sure though because i no longer buy any cheap ram(quality DDR2 is so cheap!!!)

[Rezlov]

Whats the big advantage over buying parts seperately and installing them over "designing" one through Dell? Dell gets some really good deals like their Q6600 Quad Core, 8800GT and Blu-Ray drive for only $800-$900.

[Cold Storm]

a dell or any prebuilt system won't give you the good ability to oc it. will set you down to what they want.. yeah, you can build your own system, but at what price??? you can build one of the best systems on a budget. spent a grand on mine and I love it, and know that the system will be able to do this and that...
this is imo. but build a system and post it here.. we can probably build a better system that will be hundreds less

[Rezlov]

I've decided FOR SURE that I want an 8800GT 512mb. As for processor, I am pretty sure that I want a Q6600 Quad Core but I keep getting that I should choose a Dual Core instead.

I am also getting a lot of different answers for the mothers board. I really am not sure where to go with those things.

I only require a great graphics card [8800GT], DVD/CD Burner and something that will run games/applications good.

[Cold Storm]

Well are you wanting to do cross fire or sli? if not, the blood iron that paulieg said is a good board... really been showing on here as one of the best. as for a processor.. I have one that hits 3.4 good and i'm going to try and hit 3.8 once i get my board and ram back from rmaing. a quad is great, but it is a lot hotter then what a C2D.

[Rezlov]

I really don't know the difference between cross fire or sli. And for the Quads getting hotter, won't a better venilated case help that? I planned on getting a case with 2+ fans.

[Cold Storm]

yeah if you get proper air flow and a better cooler then it doesn't hurt.. well ati is crossfire while sli is Nvidia.. if you find a board that says it supports duel cards, then its also sli because of the fact that intel isn't allowed to use the "sli" name brand... just the ability to use two cards at once... but IMO you don't need it with the new video cards.

[Rezlov]

Does it really make a difference which one is chosen then? And buy a better cooler, do you mean an aftermarket fan or something else?

[Cold Storm]

You'll be going for sli. There is nothing different with sli or duel card. Its just that intel can't use the phrase "sli"
and cooling i mean aftermarket (http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm). You will be wanting to get a better cooling system. drop your temps pretty good. and that website will show what you may be looking at in temp drops through their reviews.

[Rezlov]

Alright, I've chosen a SLI card. As for the Blood Iron, I have it on my wish list but after reading all of the reviews, it is mentioned many times that it isn't so great with a quad core. Since I will be getting the Q6600 should I find another, better Quad Core mobo?

Forgot to post my new list:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16811129021 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811129021)
$119.99

DFI BLOOD IRON P35-T2RL LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16813136038 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813136038)
$107.99

EVGA 512-P3-N802-AR GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail [/u
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16814130319 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130319)
$289.99

[u] CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16817139004 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139004)$99.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16819115017 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115017)
$274.99

CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16820145176 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145176)
$129.00

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16822148140 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148140)
$84.99

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16827106228 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827106228)
$24.99

Total Price: $1,243.42

[Cold Storm]

It all depends on your price range... go with the x38 if you got some money, the p35's are really good also. Those are your northbridges.. the x38 is the newer model while the P35's are the lower one...

[Rezlov]

I took out the Blood Iron and added the GIGABYTE GA-X38-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard. I also swapped the HD for a 500GB.

[Cold Storm]

all right. sounds good... so far, I think you'll like it man :toast:

[Rezlov]

Alright sweet, thanks a lot. I will probally buy it ALL from Newegg.com . Do they do the discounts or anything like other places do?

[Cold Storm]

they give discounts if your a newletter member and depending on how much money you've spent.... if I spend over 100 dollars anymore there, they give me free shipping for 3 days, and wave any weight extra shipping cost..
I don't really remember what they gave me the first time buy, but I believe if you spend alot, as in your case, they may give you one...

[Rezlov]

Alright, I may come up with a few more random questions but I will be back in Feb. or late Jan. with my final decision when I will hopefully be purchasing this. Thanks.

[Cold Storm]

no problem.. prices may go down for you, and all ways look at our front pages from day to day...glad to be of service and i'm going out... sleep time!

[Bluefox1115]

DECIDED TO GO WITH DESKTOP. NEW QUESTION IS HOW IS THIS SETUP:



Total Price: $1,243.42

alright.. so I say, ditch the 4GB and go with a 2GB kit and save yourself $100+ dollars. Get a second one of those Seagates, which I love in RAID, and do RAID-0... large performance boost. and go for the 8800GTS g92 512MB if you'd like. but I'd definately say get a 700watt+ PSU.. modular if you like a preatty case. :)

[JrRacinFan]

no problem.. prices may go down for you, and all ways look at our front pages from day to day...glad to be of service and i'm going out... sleep time!

To add you may even change your mind about the quad with the 45nm duals coming out.

EDIT: Also I just realised how many people are having problems with the 8800GT, after looking around go with an HD2900 pro or HD3850.

[Rezlov]

Yeah I heard about the 45nm duals.

If I'm running Vista, is 2gb going to be enough?

What benefit does a RAID give you? I don't think I will need THAT much space.

[Cold Storm]

just depends on the vista os your running. 2 is fine for the x86 version, while you NEED 4gbs for the x64 version. I run 2gbs on x86 version and it runs smooth... it all depends also on how fast your processor is running... Mine is clocked at 3.4 and vista starts with in a min.
its a up and down thing on RAID. I don't have it, and so I'm not the best to ask.
You can partation the hdd so that it may look like 500 or so when you boot, but your os will see that its "x" many drives.. that way you can put stuff in other hdds and let the os run on its seperate hdd.. Its all ways better to have your os on a different hdd or a partetioned hdd so if something goes wrong and you need to put the os back in your system you don't lose everythign you had..

[thoughtdisorder]

just depends on the vista os your running. 2 is fine for the x86 version, while you NEED 4gbs for the x64 version. I run 2gbs on x86 version and it runs smooth... it all depends also on how fast your processor is running... Mine is clocked at 3.4 and vista starts with in a min.
its a up and down thing on RAID. I don't have it, and so I'm not the best to ask.
You can partation the hdd so that it may look like 500 or so when you boot, but your os will see that its "x" many drives.. that way you can put stuff in other hdds and let the os run on its seperate hdd.. Its all ways better to have your os on a different hdd or a partetioned hdd so if something goes wrong and you need to put the os back in your system you don't lose everythign you had..


+1 Coldstorm....Just to add my 2 cents, if ya do want to create separate partitions everything I've read suggests you do it upfront when actually installing vista. Saves lots of headaches later on........

[BullGod]

yah, everyother part on that list was of good quality, the memory is something that should be too.

Short story
when i started in overclocking i bought some cheap ddr thinking it wouldnt make a difference, and i got a 15% oc on my celeron and i was happy, well i was forced to buy new ram cause the cheap stuff crapped out, so i bought some quality because the price had dropped and I ended up hitting a 28% OC, it was a huge difference back then, as I am sure it is today. Couldnt tell you for sure though because i no longer buy any cheap ram(quality DDR2 is so cheap!!!)


Yo dude, do you know what you're saying or you just like to talk a lot of bs? You just made this man want to buy ram that is much more expensive and not as fast as the A-Data kit. Brand names aren't everything in this world. Check this link out if you wanna see the difference: http://www.guru3d.com/article/memory/475/5/

[JrRacinFan]

Exactly BullGod! Think to yourself, what is overclocking and why do we do it? I know myself I purchase a part, do an overclock, and come back just as good as something I could've paid 25% more for the price.

I understand overclocking these days isn't about that anymore. Just my .02.

[Rezlov]

So I noticed on slickdeals.net a Q6600, 8800GT, 500GB HD and so on for less than 1,000 and it got me thinking.....

Should I go with a deal like that from Dell or go with independent parts and put it together myself?

[Cold Storm]

So I noticed on slickdeals.net a Q6600, 8800GT, 500GB HD and so on for less than 1,000 and it got me thinking.....

Should I go with a deal like that from Dell or go with independent parts and put it together myself?

Well if you want to oc or anything like that then its better to put it together... Dell's not going to give you any good options on ocing, also they probably will lock all that so you couldn't even do it... Because dell don't like people like us...

[BullGod]

:banghead: This helping business on TPU is going nowhere. I spend time to put up a list with the best bang for the buck parts atm and now he is asking if Dell wouldn't be better... :banghead:

[Cold Storm]

he's just asking. he doesnt know that dell shits on costmers when they buy their product. dells in it for the one time buy then 2 years later that hassel to make you buy a new one from them

[thoughtdisorder]

So I noticed on slickdeals.net a Q6600, 8800GT, 500GB HD and so on for less than 1,000 and it got me thinking.....

Should I go with a deal like that from Dell or go with independent parts and put it together myself?

It all comes down to what you can afford and what risks you're willing to take.

>If you buy a Dell or any brand name, you will not be able to make any changes to the puter without voiding the limited warranty.

>If you don't make changes to the puter then you do have a limited warranty to fall back on.

>Building a rig yourself allows you to pick each component that best meets your unique need as a puter user. Do you use lots of office apps? Are you a gamer? Etc...

So, it's all about what you can afford and whether or not you want to make changes/upgrades over the next 2 years. Remember, technology moves fast and what works on today's puters (games,etc.) may not work in a few months. Just food for thought. :cool:

[Rezlov]

I'm listening to the advice given and just checking out every option possible. I realize now Dell is definately not the way to go.

How about www.ibuypower.com ? They have some good setups there that I can alter to my liking for a good price with a 3-year warranty. Can you overclock those?


edit: I also found this GREAT laptop. P-6831fx Gateway 8800m gts. It would play games great and is only $1249.99 . What do you guys think?

[Cold Storm]

I would tell anyone to do Ibuypower. ITs listed in a few of the main stream pc mag, and they are made for gamers.. now in their ocing, I really don't know. Its better to go and build your own from websites like newegg, crazypc, and zipzoomfly that way you KNOW you can oc the beast!
As for a laptop, Its a pretty nice thing you seen there. If you where really into lappys then I'd go for it. there are people on here (Theonetruewill,triprift) that use lappys and love them.. Plus we do have our own oc club so you can get help there...