[Troy]

Hi there,

I have to agree with pretty much everything said so far. I do prefer the mid-ATX cases over the smaller ones, simply for upgradeability.

The only thing I would comment on is to perhaps go for an expansion card (1394) manufactured by a reputable company. You do get what you pay for... And if you're transferring important data, I wouldn't want to go risking it! Make sure it's Vista-compatible, also, otherwise you may very well end up hitting a brick wall with driver issues.

Cheers

Troy

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What you guys think about the price of this ram?

Is that over kill...i can still get an extra $10 off too on top of that so around $95 total for 4gb.

[Primevi1]

What you guys think about the price of this ram?

Is that over kill...i can still get an extra $10 off too on top of that so around $95 total for 4gb.

[BravoZulu]

That ram looks fine but be sure to set the vdimm voltage to 2.1v for those rated default timings for stability as the board might not automatically set it at those values.

Edited by BravoZulu, 05 March 2008 - 10:05 PM.

[Primevi1]

Whats the advantage of using an expensive board like this compared to the cheaper board you guys recomended?

Also should i wait till the 15th to get the new 45nm quad-core? And im really liking this case ...thoughts?

Edited by Primevi1, 06 March 2008 - 01:35 AM.

[BravoZulu]

Whats the advantage of using an expensive board like this compared to the cheaper board you guys recomended?

Also should i wait till the 15th to get the new 45nm quad-core? And im really liking this case ...thoughts?

It's totally to you on waiting the 45nm quad, just be certain the board will be compatible, and both the cheaper board and the Abit should be fine with that. as far as advantages with the more expensive board -- usually the more expensive boards have more SATA ports, eSATA, and higher quality capacitors-mosfets, but IRL (real life) is where boards are judged and the cheaper Gigabyte has proven itself to be just as if not more overclockable and as stable. I would get the Gigabyte of it were me, but that's your call. I suppose if I had excess money at the time and didn't mind spending it I might get the more expensive Abit.

[Troy]

Hi there,

I'm with BravoZulu on the motherboard. For the price, it's just fantastic The Abit Pro may have a few extra features, like more SATA ports or something. If the Gigabyte has more than you'll need, then there's now way you'd need the Abit.

For the case, I don't mind the Thermaltake you linked, but it's rather expensive. I would look into this Cooler Master 690. It's a bit cheaper, and a very good case.

Cheers

Troy

[Primevi1]

yeah that case looks nice, but I wanted to get a case that kind of matched my samsungtv/ps3 and it kind of does...i was just looking at the piano black before. The PSU on the bottom seems like a good idea though, although does it make the install more cumbersome?

[BravoZulu]

Prime, that coolermaster case is a good one, and don't worry about the PSU being on the bottom as the newer 690's have a little hole there just big enough to snake the PSU wires behind the mobo backing plate. If you do get the coolermaster I would recommend the Corsair 520W modular power supply so that you can minimize cabling. That said I personally like a less flashy case myself as I get older I get more conservative - especially after so many builds with flashy cases. I no longer go overboard with cabling either I just bundle cabling inside cases with grouping (and zip ties) for airflow and ease of access in case one needs to get back into their case. In some enthusiast forums you will see wiring done to the absolute excess so that the case looks very clean on the inside, but then when you have to swap out parts including the motherboard it's a mess on the back panel of the case.

[SOORENA]

Prime, that coolermaster case is a good one, and don't worry about the PSU being on the bottom as the newer 690's have a little hole there just big enough to snake the PSU wires behind the mobo backing plate. If you do get the coolermaster I would recommend the Corsair 520W modular power supply so that you can minimize cabling. That said I personally like a less flashy case myself as I get older I get more conservative - especially after so many builds with flashy cases. I no longer go overboard with cabling either I just bundle cabling inside cases with grouping (and zip ties) for airflow and ease of access in case one needs to get back into their case. In some enthusiast forums you will see wiring done to the absolute excess so that the case looks very clean on the inside, but then when you have to swap out parts including the motherboard it's a mess on the back panel of the case.

Lol its funny cause I'm the exact opposite of you, I care a lot about what the case looks like, if you guys wanna see some people who are REAL enthusiasts then check out http://www.overclock...-mod-work-logs/ and I recommend looking at Scyrillian and CyberDruid's work, its just amazing.

Soorena

[BravoZulu]

^I used to be that way a few years ago, but over time I just got to the point to where I liked to be able to get into my case easily and swap out parts without re-taping molex power connectors to the case back panel - although I still tape a few usually. I swap out motherboards and most other components pretty often in my own rig. I use to water cool as well but got tired of the maintenance when swapping boards and the new Intel processors can do very well on air. Of course I don't game as much as I once did either. If I get a high-end order I can cable as well as some of the better cabling gurus out there (cut and dremel if need be), and yeah those are some awesome systems at OC.net

[Primevi1]

To RAM or not to RAM...that is the question,

So which is a better deal, Corsair XMS2 DHX 2×2GB PC2-6400 Memory Kit - $89; or 4GB $65.99?

Also you guys like the price on this HDD?

[Primevi1]

Come on people the corsair price ends today!!!

[BravoZulu]

Out of those two you linked I would go for the Corsair. I use this Gskill here and run it @ 12-4-4-4 @ 2.0v. Again, it's another one of those things that's "up to you". Both are good deals it should be the price that matters most to you vs. the default performance that you're willing to accept. As for the HD there's a Western Digital 500GB SATA 3.0 with 16MB cache that's $99.00 at newegg and I would get the WD over the Seagate you linked based on price.

Edited by BravoZulu, 07 March 2008 - 08:16 PM.

[Primevi1]

Are 4 x 1GB better or 2x2GB for the same price?

[Titan8990]

If you plan on overclocking it is best to only use two of your memory slots. It puts less stress on your memory controller when it is already being pushed to the limit. Otherwise if you can get 4x1GB for cheaper than I wouldn't see why not. If it is the same price like you said then get the 2x2GB.

Edited by Titan8990, 07 March 2008 - 09:31 PM.