New Build

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
How about a physics card? Do many current games benefit from them?

Nope. Hold off on the physics card.

I also thought I'd ask about water cooling. It's been awhile since I looked at that too. At the time most people said it was more trouble than its worth. Do you know if that has changed?

I've never tried it (plan to soon). Do some research. There's a lot of material on the web that covers water cooling. Click here for an article that lists the best WC parts on the market. Maximum PC used a water cooling setup for their 2007 Dream Machine. They used the Cosmos for thier case. :D
 

Netskimmer

New Member
I figured as much for the PPU considering what I've read.

Looks to me Like I'd have to drop another $300 using their WC setup. It's about double what it would cost to put good after maket air coolers on my CPU/GPU. I wonder if it would be worth the extra cooling? Of coarse there are also those bragging rights you mentioned before.:p

That article mentioned that Vista is not ready for gaming, :(thats what I had in mind for the OS for my new rig, should I get XP 64 Pro instead? I can't see going dual boot like they did. I'd also hate to drop $300 on XP 64 only to upgrade in a few months.
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
I figured as much for the PPU considering what I've read.

Looks to me Like I'd have to drop another $300 using their WC setup. It's about double what it would cost to put good after maket air coolers on my CPU/GPU. I wonder if it would be worth the extra cooling? Of coarse there are also those bragging rights you mentioned before.:p

Their WC setup is using top of the line parts. There are kits available that are less expensive.

That article mentioned that Vista is not ready for gaming, :(thats what I had in mind for the OS for my new rig, should I get XP 64 Pro instead? I can't see going dual boot like they did. I'd also hate to drop $300 on XP 64 only to upgrade in a few months.

I'm happy with Vista. I haven't had any problems. MS will continue to improve the OS.
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
BTW, get the 750W Quad Silencer PSU, not the OCZ modular I recommended earlier. With the great cable management features of the Cosmos, you don't really need a modular PSU. Run all your cables behind the mobo.
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
Nevermind him. He's trying to spam without looking like a spammer.

From what I've read, Danger Den has an excellent reputation. They make great WC products. If you've done your research, and you're comfortable with that type of setup (maintenence, installation risks, etc.), go for it. Looks pretty good. :)
 

Netskimmer

New Member
Well I think we've discussed just about everything on my list and then some:). Is there anything else you can think of that we might want to cover?
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
Well I think we've discussed just about everything on my list and then some:). Is there anything else you can think of that we might want to cover?

Do plenty of research before water cooling. I'm sure you're capable, just make sure you know exactly what you're doing. Honestly, the only way to really "know" is to try it. Print out your favorite water cooling guide, and keep it close during the installation. :)

Is this your first build? If so, be patient when putting everything together. It's really easy. Especially easy with the Cosmos. Plenty of room to work with.

Keep us updated! Have fun and good luck! :)
 

Netskimmer

New Member
This will be my second completely custom build so I should be ok with everything but the WC. In the mean time I have edited the parts/price list I made initially per our discussions. I think I'll wait a few days at least before I make any purchases so that anyone else who wants to throw their two cents in can do so, you can never have to many informed opinions on something like this. In the mean time I'll do a little more research into WC and read a few guides before I make a final decision on it. Thanks very much for your time and input, I really appreciate it and I'll keep you updated on my progress. Thanks again.:D
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
Memory: Corsair 800 Mhz or OCZ 1066 MHz. Your current memory selection is overpriced, IMO. Your list doesn't include a DVD burner (Do you have one already?): Asus

Everything else looks good.

EDIT: I took another look at that Ultra. The speeds are blazing fast! You really don't need to OC it. It'll void the warranty. That's up to you, however.
 
Last edited:

Netskimmer

New Member
I don't think the mobo I have selected can handle the OCZ Platinum as it is DDR 1066.

I plan to use this new rig purley for gaming and use my current rig for everything else and it has a DVD burner so I didn't see the need to spend the money on another one and use up space in the case.
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
I don't think the mobo I have selected can handle the OCZ Platinum as it is DDR 1066.

I have the same board runnin' Dominator 1066. It's all good. :)

I plan to use this new rig purley for gaming and use my current rig for everything else and it has a DVD burner so I didn't see the need to spend the money on another one and use up space in the case.

Fair enough. :)
 

lovely?

Active Member
So I should avoid SLI and Crossfire? I've heard that a really good single card will usually out perform two lesser cards but I wasn't sure if the performance of two good cards would be worth the cost.

Now that I have decided to build one I'd like some suggestions on hardware.

Not too sure about the GPU or monitor. Do you think I should get aftermarket cooling for the GPU, mem, or mobo?

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping Kentsfield 2.40GHz
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1938460
$264.00

GPU: EVGA GeForce 8800Ultra 768MB 384-bit GDDR3
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A9602841
$624.75


Mobo: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188013
$229.99

Mem: Kingston HyperX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134125
$119.99

Sound: 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty

Professional Series
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102005
$135.99

Cooling: Danger Den water cooling Power Kit
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=183&cat=2&page=1
$163.28

Arctic Silver CMQ-22G The high-density, ceramic-based thermal compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100012
$9.99

Power: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009
$179.99

Case: COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
$199.99

HHD: Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136011
$184.99

Mon: SAMSUNG 245BW Black High Glossy 24" 5ms DVI Widescreen
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001234
$489.99

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate DVD - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116140
$319.99

Misc: ASUS Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135143
$20.99

Generic Keyboard
$20

Microsoft D66-00069 Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105164
$16.99

Total:
$2,980.92
\


do NOT skimp on the keyboard and mouse, as they are the main tools for accessing your computer. (ie. if your keyboard sucks then your experience typing with a Q6600 behind the hood is useless... and also with a mouse, i just cant enjoy a nice computer with anything below the MX518)
 

Netskimmer

New Member
I suppose I can go with a better mouse, I plan to use my current keyboard which I think is rather nice and put the generic one on my current rig.
 

mep916

Administrator
Staff member
should I also go with the dominator 1066? Would it be worth the extra $30 to go with it instead of the OCZ?

No, I don't think so. I'm not impressed with the Dominator RAM. I thought it would OC better. That may be due to my inexperience with OC'ing - not the RAM. I'm not sure. OCZ is excellent. You might consider the Crucial Ballistix as well. Sorry, I'm not trying to confuse you. I'd go with either the OCZ or the Crucial.
 
Last edited:
Top