[dhitchner]

I'm glad you guys are discussing this stuff because I really enjoy learning all I can about computers and their performance, but the last couple messages I wrote seemed like they were lost in the shuffle. Can you look back on them and let me know what you think.
Thank you very much,
dHitchner

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Everything you said was more of a statement saying that you bought something. I may have overlooked something, can you post any further questions again.
James

Edited by james_8970, 26 March 2008 - 01:40 PM.

[james_8970]

Everything you said was more of a statement saying that you bought something. I may have overlooked something, can you post any further questions again.
James

Edited by james_8970, 26 March 2008 - 01:40 PM.

[dhitchner]

Sorry about that James, I guess I wasn't very clear. cvswebdesign had offered to give me some settings for overclocking my XFX 680i LT SLI mobo.



Also I'll give you the list of all of the hardware I've purchased and if you could tell me if you think that it will be decent for overclocking and for gaming, that would be great.

Case - Antec Nine Hundred $80
Mobo - nForce XFX 680i LT SLI $138
CPU - Intel Q6600 Core 2 Quad LGA775 $212
Heatsink - Rosewill RCX-Z77F-LX $22
Graphics Card - MSI NX8800GT $196
Hard Drive - Maxtor DiamondMax 500 GB Sata $150
Memory - 4 x 1GB Corsair DHX $92
Power Supply - Antec TruePower 1000W $182

DVD R/W - Sony Dual Layer (Salvaged from previous gaming computer)
CD R/W - LG 52x (Salvaged from previous gaming computer)

All of these things tallied up to be around $1200 (after rebates). I would like to eventually get a second Graphics card, and SLI them... is it worth it? Is there anything I should exchange/change before I completely assemble this and boot it up?

Thank you so much for your time and help.

Edited by dhitchner, 26 March 2008 - 03:35 PM.

[james_8970]

Memory.
You didn't mention getting 4GB of RAM, a 2x2GB kit would have been better for overclocking.
Heatsink:
If you can still change this I would, Noctua has recently released a new product that outperforms the Thermalright Ultra 120 extreme for less then the 92$ you stated above
Hard drive:
Seagate offers better performance and better warranty.
Powersupply:
You will never need a 1KW PSU, ever. I'd suggest getting something from Silverstone, Cosair or PC P&C if you can make a switch. You won't have as many watts (not that you'll ever need that much), but the quality will be better.
James

Edited by james_8970, 26 March 2008 - 01:47 PM.

[dhitchner]

I don't know why I put $92 next to the heatsink and fan, it was actually only $22 (I'll edit that post now). Thank you for the advise on the other parts, I'll look into them.

ps. Seagate makes Maxtor don't they?

Edited by dhitchner, 26 March 2008 - 03:39 PM.

[james_8970]

Seagate bought maxtor and I believe they have quit producing new drives under that name.
If you intend on overclocking that quad, you'll need a better heatsink.
James

Edited by james_8970, 26 March 2008 - 05:36 PM.

[dhitchner]

Can you send me a link to that Noctua that you mentioned? I'd like to look into it. Thank you.

[james_8970]

Sorry, that one costs quite a bit more then what I had thought.
I recommend you purchase this heatsink.
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835186134
James

Edited by james_8970, 26 March 2008 - 08:13 PM.

[dhitchner]

James,
I have another question for you. I traded in the 4 single sticks of 1GB RAM for 2 2GB RAMs. In order to take full advantage of it, I installed Windows XP Pro's 64bit edition for my O.S. Now I'm thinking "Why don't I just buy 2 more 2GB RAM modules to make a total of 8GB?" So my question is, is it worth it... will I notice the difference?

Thank you very much for all your help. This computer I built is flying and staying extremely cool even though the processor has been overclocked from 2.4Ghz to 3.2Ghz. Also my FSB is being overclocked from 1066Mhz to 1432Mhz; and my RAM is being overclocked from 800Mhz to 947Mhz.

Edited by dhitchner, 16 April 2008 - 07:58 AM.

[Troy]

Hi there,

"Why don't I just buy 2 more 2GB RAM modules to make a total of 8GB?" So my question is, is it worth it... will I notice the difference?

It depends... Why did you think you'd need 4GB in the first place? Are you using all 4GB at once and need more?

Also my FSB is being overclocked from 1600Mhz to 1432Mhz; and my RAM is being overclocked from 800Mhz to 947Mhz.

Is it just me, or is 1600MHz more than 1432MHz? That would be called an underclock.

Cheers

Troy

[dhitchner]

It depends... Why did you think you'd need 4GB in the first place? Are you using all 4GB at once and need more?

I suppose I was just thinking that the more memory one has, the faster the computer can run. I'm pretty sure that I'm not usually maxing out all 4GB, but I'm not sure. I do some gaming (like Elder Scrolls 4, COD4, Company of Heroes, and I'm planning on trying out Crysis).

Is it just me, or is 1600MHz more than 1432MHz? confused1.gif That would be called an underclock.

Thank you for pointing out to me my typo, I edited my post to the correct amount.

I truly appreciate your help, this is only the second gaming system I've built from scratch and my first real endeavor with over-clocking.

Edited by dhitchner, 16 April 2008 - 08:10 AM.

[Troy]

Hi there,

I don't think you'd need to grab an extra RAM set for now. You could always order the same kit in a few weeks if you think lack of RAM is a problem for you, but for your gaming purposes, you shouldn't need 8GB at all. Think of RAM as allowing your computer to do more at once, not necessarily faster. It's a bit more complicated than that, really, but it generally is what it is.

And yes, that looks more like an overclock.

Cheers

Troy