Please Help me build my NEW PC

Hey everyone, it's time to build!! I'm going through a good friend who sells PC hardware, so I can get a great deal!

MY goal in this PC is GAMING. MY game of choice is FSX (currently running FS2004 PC wont handle FSX), but I love a bunch of games.
With FSX in mind, my future plan is to have 3 monitors, right now I want to concentrate on the PC.

[b330e165fcc]HERE IS WHAT I'M LOOKING AT[/b330e165fcc]
[b330e165fcc]CPU[/b330e165fcc] Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor HH80562PH0568M - 2.40GHz, 8MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB, Kentsfield, Quad-Core, OEM, Socket 775, Processor
[b330e165fcc]VPU[/b330e165fcc] ATI(AMD) or nVidia ?????? video input???
[b330e165fcc]MOTHERBOARD [/b330e165fcc] Asus, Intel, MSI ???? I want a gig network
[b330e165fcc]DDR[/b330e165fcc] 4 gigs naturally
EVERYTHING ELSE IS ICING on the CAKE!

I want input from everyone on a great solid machine. Tell me what you have and how it is running! Oh yeah I'm going to usea PASSIVE liquid cooling system, Any thoughts?

I just built a new gaming rig about 7 weeks ago, it's pretty sweet.

Q6600, overclocked to 3.5Ghz on air (Zalman 9700)
Asus Maximus Formula
4GB OCZ ReaperX PC1000 DDR2 @ 932Mhz
EVGA 8800GTS 512 (G92)
CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 Case
PC Power & Cooling Quad 750 PSU
...etc.

http//www.morrisonline.us/pics/q6600_oc1_crazy.png[" alt=""/img8a5fe7c02a]

So I'm happy about my CPU selection, I noticed you are using Vista!! How well is it handling, I hear and see mixed reviews.

I like what I'm seeing in your other hardware as well.

I'm still torn between Crossfire and 8800 GTS

[quote188ec6f08e="tucker1003"]So I'm happy about my CPU selection, I noticed you are using Vista!! How well is it handling, I hear and see mixed reviews.

I like what I'm seeing in your other hardware as well.

I'm still torn between Crossfire and 8800 GTS[/quote188ec6f08e]
Hmm? Crossfire is AMD's (previously ATI) technology that allows you to use two of the same GPUs, kind of like NVIDIA's SLI technology.

[quote1657700e01="tucker1003"]So I'm happy about my CPU selection, I noticed you are using Vista!! How well is it handling, I hear and see mixed reviews.

I like what I'm seeing in your other hardware as well.

I'm still torn between Crossfire and 8800 GTS[/quote1657700e01]
Vista gets a mostly undeserved (now) bad rap. It had a lot of rough edges a year ago, but now is very stable, faster than XP in many ways, and only slightly slower in gaming if you have a marginal rig. If you have a beefy rig like this one, you won't really notice a gaming penalty. I just recently finished Crysis at 1920x1200 on all High settings (DX9 mode). It was very smooth and played beautifully. Same with CoD4.

I don't recommend Crossfire/ATI. Best performance for the money is still with Nvidia, and given AMD/ATI's attitude towards performance graphics, that won't be changing. One 8800GT is almost as fast as dual 3870's in Crossfire, and only succumbs at uber-high resolution with cranked up FSAA+AF. AMD has basically given up the graphics enthusiast war and conceded to Nvidia, instead they are aiming at budget/midrange graphics and putting their R&D towards embedded GPU's on the same die as the CPU.

The 8800GT and 8800GTS 512 (not the older 320MB/640MB G80 models, but the new G92 GTS) are the best bang for the buck in high-end gaming graphics right now. I'd choose the GTS 512 over the GT just for the higher standard clocks, 16 more stream shaders, better cooling (dual slot cooler), and more overhead for overclocking. It's only $50 or so more if you shop around.

For those of you who have 4GB, how do you feel about 64-bit Vista? Have you encountered any troubles with applications or drivers?

[quotef78a1ca532="Daggoth"]For those of you who have 4GB, how do you feel about 64-bit Vista? Have you encountered any troubles with applications or drivers?[/quotef78a1ca532]
I run 32-bit Vista with 4GB (about 3.3GB available). I have 64-bit Vista as well, but haven't installed it yet, because I was skeptical that would handle the the tools I use and games I play -- however I'm hearing good things about it, specifically that it plays most modern games just fine. Since I have all new hardware with robust driver support, I should probably make the leap. I have enough space on my boot drive for yet another OS, so may install and dual-boot Vista64 to test it out.

I also have 4GB on my Sony VAIO where I also run 32-bit Vista. It sees about 3.25GB. Sony doesn't support 64-bit Vista and there are mixed results from people I've heard try to run it, so I'm not anxious to go that far.

Very good question Daggoth, I would like to know also. I really appreciate the input and I did a lot of reading else where. I've been reading and you support it, Nvidia is the way to go! Hey Dmorris68, the process is the right choice right?

I'll put this through to my guy ( who gives me pretty much wholesale)

Do you ever just get the itch to go balls out on and get a killer system.

Speaking of Killer what about that Bigfoot Killer NIC card??

Q6600 is the best bang for the buck. You could spend 4x as much on the latest QX9 procs and have only maybe 50% more performance, if that much. The Q6600 is also hugely overclockable, making it an even better bargain. As I said, mine is running at 3.5Ghz on air cooling, and it hasn't blinked in 2 months.

The Killer NIC is a huge waste of money. Don't bother.

And yes, I go all-out on a system build about every 18-24 months, with steady component upgrades in between. This last rig was actually supposed to be just a few parts, but as I got going I basically bought an entirely new rig. The only thing saved from the old system was a Raptor HDD, an X-Fi Platinum, and my monitors. Everything else was new. Even got a new UPS and external drive.

Regarding your "guy with wholesale" you might be surprised if he's not a big player. Mom & Pop wholesale is often more than Newegg or ZipZoomFly retail. ;)

Of course I Bargin buy, I really appreciate the advice, he would flat out tell me where to get he better price!

So I have my mind set on 2 items so FAR, It's going to be close to your setup D.

[b836dc010bb]CPU [/b836dc010bb] Q6600 for sure.
[b836dc010bb]GPU[/b836dc010bb] 8800 GTX For sure
[b836dc010bb]Mobo[/b836dc010bb] Still looking at options (like D's Asus)
[b836dc010bb]RAM[/b836dc010bb] definitely 4 gig for the price I'm getting it at
[b836dc010bb]PSU[/b836dc010bb] Not sure
[b836dc010bb]Cooling [/b836dc010bb] Not sure (liquid) anybody experienced? I'm doing a lot of reading!!

The setup, going to Lowes buying a corner laminated countertop. Cutting a square out which a recessed piece of glass will sit. The PC will mount from bottom Horizontally with top open to be viewed from glass!! So my case may be generic (not sure) working on that one!

GPU 8800 GT; it costs only ~$250 and almost as good
Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L; $90, http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059
PSU Corsair 620W
Cooling Air Tuniq Tower; Don't go to water cooling unless you plan on doing HEAVY overclocking

[quote48a090f548="Daggoth"]GPU 8800 GT; it costs only ~$250 and almost as good[/quote48a090f548]
The GTS 512 is only around $50 more than a GT, and IMO is a better buy yet. The same G92 core as the GT, but with 16 more stream shaders, slightly more memory bandwidth, slightly higher clock speeds, and better cooling due to the dual-slot design. The GT's run notoriously hot and also don't OC nearly as well as the GTS 512.

[quote48a090f548]Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L; $90, http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059[/quote48a090f548]
That's a good price for a capable, mid-range mobo, but personally I don't much care for Gigabyte. They've supposedly improved in the recent past, but compared to ASUS their quality tends to pale (especially their X38 board), and their support flat out sucks. Plus the P35 is two generations old, which is probably why the price is so low. It'll still work, but for an enthusiast board I'd go with X38 unless DDR3 is on your mind, in which case I'd go X48. But honestly DDR3 is not worth the ridiculous price right now, so X38 would be my recommendation. I can personally recommend the ASUS Maximus Formula, but it'll set you back $200+.

[quote48a090f548]PSU Corsair 620W[/quote48a090f548]
Corsair is good. Personally, I prefer Enermax, OCZ, and PC Power & Cooling. PCP&C & Seasonic are widely regarded as the best PSU's you can get, but are pricey -- though not nearly as pricey as they were a few years ago. My PCP&C Silencer Quad 750 cost $2 less than I paid for my Enermax Liberty 620W two years ago. Fortron is considered one of, if not the, best low-cost brand PSUs if you're really on a tight budget.

[quote48a090f548]Cooling Air Tuniq Tower; Don't go to water cooling unless you plan on doing HEAVY overclocking[/quote48a090f548]
Agreed on the H2O approach, for me it's just not worth it. I mean, I'm running a 2.4Ghz Q6600 @ 3.5Ghz without water. Water wouldn't gain me a whole lot more speed, just lower temps, but I'm within specs and rock stable so it isn't worth the hassle. There are several good air coolers out there, including the Tuniq and the Zalman 9700 that I have.

Video Card Ya, I haven't really kept up, but I heard something about a 8800GTS rev2 being a really nice video card for its price.

Motherboard Personally, I've never had a Gigabyte motherboard fail, so I have never had to contact support. Asus definetely dominates the mobo market, but this offer blows the competition out of the water, not to mention the 700+ positive ratings on newegg (yes, i know most of them lack any technical knowledge)

PSU Corsair has modular cables, which is a plus for people who are building computers for the first time, and are not good at cable management.

[quote6ced5ac302="Daggoth"]Motherboard Personally, I've never had a Gigabyte motherboard fail, so I have never had to contact support.[/quote6ced5ac302]
I've seen many fail, and just a few years ago they were utter crap. They have improved recently to be sure, but not enough for me to trust them. I lialmostli gave them a chance on their X38 board, due to a couple friends with P35 boards who raved about them, and lots of favorable reviews. Then I found several reports of the X38 board having problems with 4 sticks of RAM. In typical Gigabyte support fashion, they denied and blamed the users, or the RAM itself. Only after a HUGE number of users complained did they finally admit there was a design flaw in the mobo. One guy posted a long e-mail chain from their support department, and besides the horribly broken English, their attitude about it just sucked. I've had nothing but great support out of ASUS. And if you build as many systems, for as long as I have, one day you WILL need support, I don't care who you buy from. No brand is perfect, of course, and sometimes you do something stupid, or things happen beyond your control (like a power failure during a BIOS flash).

[quote6ced5ac302="Daggoth"]PSU Corsair has modular cables, which is a plus for people who are building computers for the first time, and are not good at cable management.[/quote6ced5ac302]
Modular cables are mostly a gimmick. I thought they were neat at first (note my aforementioned purchase of the Liberty, which is modular), but quickly realized that I had to used all the cables, and that was harder to manage than non-modular PSU's.

PC Power & Cooling (long considered the Cadillac brand) explains why modular PSU's are a bad idea Power Supply Myths Exposed[=http//www.pcpower.com/technology/myths]Power Supply Myths Exposed

[quote6ced5ac302]3. DON'T LOSE POWER WITH MODULAR PLUGS

Due to their look, convenience, and cost savings for manufacturers, modular plugs have become a popular power supply feature. Unfortunately, there has been little or no discussion of the impact of this feature on overall performance and reliability. The fact is, modular plugs limit power by adding to electrical resistance. The voltage drop can be as much as would occur in 2 feet of standard wire. Worse yet, modular plugs utilize delicate pins that can easily loosen, corrode, and burn, creating the potential for a major system failure. That's why professional system builders specify uninterrupted wire![/quote6ced5ac302]

So with the motherboard it really comes down to whether you want to spend around $50-100 less for support you will probably not use. With the PSU, modular cables are still nice for those who want convience, even though they don't have all the benefits as previously thought.

HMMMMM Thanks for all the very good info. I think I know the direction I am taking I'll report back if things change or run into any problems!