Final computer specs

[Dal]

My main computer has been feeling its age now for a while, and with the coming CPU price drops and the current good market I thought I'd finalize my future setup. My budget's up to 1700 dollars or so, but so far it's relatively cheap.

Old outfit:
Case: Cooler Master CM Stacker STC-101-UW (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119042) OR NZXT Zero Black/Silver Aluminum Full Tower (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146029) - I'm currently partial to the NZXT
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-GS3R (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128050)
CPU: Intel Q6600 Kentsfield once the price drops
Video Card: EVGA 8800 GTS KO 640MB w/ACS (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130081)
PSU: OCZ StealthXStream 600W (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817341010)
Memory: OCZ Plantinum Revision 2 2GB (PC2 6400) (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820227139)
HDD: WD Caviar SE16 500GB 7200RPM 16MB cache - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136073)
Optical Drives: SAMSUNG 2MB cache SATA DVD Burner w/ LS (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827151141) x 2
Sound card: Sound Blaster X-Fi XtreamGamer (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16829102006)
CPU cooling: Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme heatsink (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109140)
Total price without CPU: 1,279.90 USD with expected case and CPU final price is ~$1,544.90

New: Case: Cooler Master CM Stacker STC-101-UW (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119042)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-GS3R (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128050)
CPU: Intel Q6600 Kentsfield once the price drops
Video Card: EVGA 8800 GTX (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130072)
PSU: Corsair CMPSU 620HX (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139002)
Memory: OCZ Plantinum Revision 2 2GB (PC2 6400) (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820227139)
HDD: WD Caviar SE16 500GB 7200RPM 16MB cache - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136073)
Optical Drives: SAMSUNG 2MB cache SATA DVD Burner w/ LS (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827151141) x 2
Sound card: None
CPU cooling: Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme heatsink (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109140)

Expected price is $1,355.92 + the CPU.
Thoughts? http://www.modhalo.net/evolution/forums/evoimages/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Xetsuei]

Great!

[Cortexian]

Looks good, I still think quad-core is stupid though. Nothing is coded to take advantage of it yet. Maybe in a year or so I'll eat my words.

[InnerGoat]

See my post on Gearbox.. (Get a real heatsink please)

[Atty]

I agree with that post.

[Dal]

Alright, but what do you think of the manufacturing problems (bent base, design too heavy to have horizontal on MB)?

[SnaFuBAR]

i've got a zalman heatsink and have had no problems with it.

[InnerGoat]

Alright, but what do you think of the manufacturing problems (bent base, design too heavy to have horizontal on MB)?You will fix the base yourself.

[Warsaw]

See my post on Evo.

[Dal]

So I purposefully buy a defective product that may or may not work as advertised? I think I'd rather go with my current logic to buy something much less likely be defective, thank you very much.

[InnerGoat]

Even with a convex base, the U120+ is still superior to the 9500 with a lapped base. It's your money; I just prefer the product that can handle the heat.

[Digikid]

hmm...I would get a better looking case....IMHO that NZ case looks horrible....I would go for the Antec P182 instead.

Why do you need TWO optical drives? Get the LG H62L SATA drive...but better quality drive.

I have heard of problems with the OCZ PSU's....ditch that hunk of junk and grab up a Corsair HX620W. Wonderful PSU.

[TheGhost]

I have heard of problems with the OCZ PSU's....ditch that hunk of junk and grab up a Corsair HX620W. Wonderful PSU.

lol what? The OCZ 700 watt has great reviews - it's the PSU I have and I have no complaints.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

[Dal]

Digi: could you be more specific about the OCZ problems? And waht would be the advantage of the LG burner(s)?

EDIT: And I'm going for a full tower case. Unless anybody has a different one of those to suggest I'll still be sticking between the two I currently have chosen.

[InnerGoat]

lol what? The OCZ 700 watt has great reviews - it's the PSU I have and I have no complaints.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002Totaly different PSU. You can't go basing the quality of a PSU by the name alone.;)

[Dal]

Yeah, but you can't listen to accusations that way, either :P Upon further inspection, however, the 120 extreme does seem like a good choice for CPU cooling.

[Phopojijo]

Looks good, I still think quad-core is stupid though. Nothing is coded to take advantage of it yet. Maybe in a year or so I'll eat my words.UnrealEngine3.

[Dal]

bumpily chump chump. Still trying to work out the PSU.

[Dal]

OP updated with new setup. No sound card, upgraded to the GTX, and went with the Corsair PSU.

[InnerGoat]

That Corsair has some great reviews, so good choice.

[soccerbummer1104]

thats a good mobo, i just used it in a build for a client. He loves it, but personally, i still like asus more. if u can id upgrade to a P35 series board so in the future you can upgrade to ddr3 if needed, i just like to look to the future and keep my options open.

[ImSpartacus]

-Ok, don't waste your time with the quad core right now. By the time multithreaded programs become common, newer, cooler, faster, cheaper quads (*COUGH*PENRYNQ42007*) will be out and u will be kicking yourself for wasting money a kentsfield right now.

The only excuse is if u have a hardcore use for it right now in the present. and gaming is also a waste unless u plan to play games like bioshock and alan wake until your keyboard wears out.

get a nice E6750 on July 22nd. they are $85 cheaper, and are actually faster on single threaed programs (which most of us use today)



-That case is also ugly, get something out of the p18* series (or the new P190 if u are freakin crazy), but not a ninhundred b/c the 12 hundred is on the way



-Also, get the corsair powersupply, its a much better quality psu than the ocz. not saying that an ocz cant be good, but the corsair is better.

[Dal]

I'm not looking for style points with the case, just something that's roomy and cools well. As for the processor: I still don't see why I should go with the Kentsfield. It's soon relatively cheap, can play old games well and modern games fantastically, and will be able to play the high end games coming out without need an additional (and expensive) later upgrade.

[Digikid]

glad to see that you switch to a GOOD PSU. Excellent choice.

I will see what I can dig up on that OCZ...but I have had OCZ returned for overheating, irregular voltage rails and just plain flat out dying.

Since then I will no longer carry OCZ Powersupplies at all. Their RAM may be good but the PSU's are not no matter what anyone says. You can only trust them so far.

[Dal]

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and buy a number of these parts tonight if noone else has any objections.

[InnerGoat]

What fan will you mount on the U120+ ?

[Dal]

Probably the one that comes in the combo deal.

[Atty]

Get a S-Flex fan, they are the best #1.

[Dal]

Okay, I got the mid airfloor one and the high airflow one, happy?

And are there any other objections/suggestions?

[InnerGoat]

Not really. Enjoy. :p