[Granz00]

Ok, I have pretty much picked out everything.

Case: Antec 900
MOBO: GA-EP35-DS3R
CPU: E8400 Wolfdale
CPU Cooler: Freezer 7 Pro
CPU Compound: Artic Silver 5
GPU: 8800 GT
HDD: WD 500GB
RAM: Mushkin 2GB
PSU: Enermax 600W
DVD Drive: Samsung 20X
Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech Slim

I already bought the case. Next I was thinking of buying the keyboard and mouse, then buying the rest of it together. This is intended to be a Gaming PC, so I want a big enough bang for my buck without having to spend too much.

I will be connecting this to a 32" 780p LCD. Let me know if I am missing anything.

Edit - Also, if you have any suggestions to reduce price, without really losing strength, then feel free to make a suggestion. Also, I have never OCed before, so if I am going to try it out, it will be on a small scale for now.

Edited by Granz00, 29 June 2008 - 10:18 PM.

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I have heard people recommend that Enermax power supply but I think you can save some money by getting this Silverstone 600W instead for $89.99.

To me, everything looks great

Kamille

[kamille316]

I have heard people recommend that Enermax power supply but I think you can save some money by getting this Silverstone 600W instead for $89.99.

To me, everything looks great

Kamille

[stettybet0]

Do not get Arctic Silver 5. OCZ Freeze is a better performing thermal compound which won't destroy your motherboard if you spill a little.

Also, the XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 will provide much better cooling for only a few dollars more.

To save you a few dollars, I'd get the Gigabye GA-EP35-DS3L, which is nearly identical to the one you picked out, but with fewer SATA ports (4 instead of 8), USB ports (6 instead of 8), and cables. But unless you will be using 3+ hard drives, this shouldn't be an issue.

I'd also recommend this Seagate 500GB hard drive over the one you selected, as the Seagate has a larger 32MB cache and a longer 5 year warranty.

Also, from a gamer's perspective, you probably don't want a cordless keyboard and mouse, as they tend to be less responsive, less sensitive, and less reliable than your corded versions.

[Granz00]

Ok, I made changes based on your suggestions.

Case: Antec 900
MOBO: GA-EP35-DS3L
CPU: E8400 Wolfdale
CPU Cooler: Freezer 7 Pro
CPU Compound: OCZ Freeze
GPU: 8800 GT
HDD: Seagate 500GB
RAM: Mushkin 2GB
PSU: Silverstone 600W
DVD Drive: Samsung 20X
Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech Slim

Any other comments are welcome. Also, before switching to the other heatsink, I would like some opinions from other on it. The reviews at NewEgg seem to have one thing in common. They all seem to list the push pins as a horrible con. Breaking the pushpin or the mobo is definitely something that would worry me since I'm sorta accident prone as it is...

PS - I want to be able to use my keyboard and mouse from a distance, so if you have a better suggestion, then feel free to comment.

[stettybet0]

The push-pins are pretty bad. I personally spent several hours trying to get those things in. However, you could buy this retention bracket, which eliminates the need for the push-pins. As for performance, it is ranked as the 2nd best HSF at FrostyTech. (Link) In case you were wondering, the best rated HSF there only performs very marginally better and it is nearly impossible to find in the US.

As for using your keyboard and mouse from a distance, I know exactly where you're coming from as I use my 40" 1080p HDTV as a monitor. So, what I use is a USB extension cord connected to a USB hub. Then I connect all my peripherals (keyboard, mouse, 2 controllers) to the hub. Things can get a little tangled if you're not careful, but it works great otherwise. It's definitely worth it if you are into online shooters, where you will really need a responsive mouse if you want to live long.

[Granz00]

OK, I have taken the suggestions and decided to create a wish list on NewEgg. Also, I need a suggestion for the video cable. I should already have the audio already taken care of. Six feet is preferable for the cable. I have slots for VGA, HDMI, and whatnot, so whatever you think is good will suffice. One last remark, when do you think I should buy this? I prefer to buy it sooner then later, but I thought there may be some savings coming up soon since we have a holiday (even though its not really a gift giving holiday).

[Granz00]

Ok, my desktop is built. I will be installing the 64bit version of Ubuntu on it for now. I have all of the hardware installed except for one. I have the stock fan installed instead of the other fan that I bought. I decided to not get the retention brackets yet due to the everlasting effect... So I tried to install it using the pushpins. About 20 minutes of failure later, I realized that one of the pushpins was broken. So I installed the stock fan for now. I might buy the brackets, then install the fan at that time. So now I have a few questions.

First off, on the fan I bought, I bent some of the radiation plates while trying to install it. They seem real easy to bend. Also, the top plate came off. I put the top plate back on, and tried straitening them out again. Should they be fine?

Also, there is the matter of overclocking. This is my current setup, giving me an idle temperature around 33-35 degrees.

Robust Graphics Booster - Auto
CPU Clock Ratio - 9.0x
Fine CPU Clock Ration - +0.0
CPU Host Frequency - 445 MHz
PCI Express Frequency - Auto
C.I.A.2 - Turbo
Performance Enhance - Turbo
System Memory Multiplier - Auto (went from 1066 to 1424)
DRAM Timing Selectable - Auto (5-7-7-24 Standard Timing/ 4-4-8-56-4-6-0 Advanced Timing)
All voltage set to normal (Normal CPU Vcore - 1.22500V)

Please give me some feedback on what I should try setting all of these at for SAFE (obviously some risk involved) yet optimized performance. Include it for the stock fan and the other fan please? Also, what temperatures should I be aiming for? Lastly, any free software you would suggest for monitoring my PC health (mainly temperatures)? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[platophoon]