My new build - Q9300 under $1500

[drew and not u]

I'll throw in another vote for the P5K-E. I have one with an E8400 and it's most certainly the bees-knees.

[oldman_gamer]

Personally,I wonder why you want to go backwards with the 8600GT.The 8800 is a much better choice IMO especially if you plan on running any newer games and such with 2 monitors etc.

[azianai]

And also any reason why you want the Q9300? it really is a gimp processor, you'd be better off with the Q6600 with a slight OC. The Q9300 performs like 3-5% better than the Q6600 at stock, but its limited with a 7.5 Multiplier. Also the L2Cache thats configuration on the processor's a wonder to me too @_@

[b0nk3r]

Originally Posted by Boy'nBlack

Just a note, OCZ has learned long ago. FSP got one power supply right in their lifetime, and the PowerStream was it. If you can find one...that's a keeper. If not, it's been a Seasonic. Still a great unit.

Watch the Corsairs too though. You want the Seasonic builds, and not the others. Corsair has one Seasonic build, and the rest are the common knock-offs. The TX is a knock off...

Which corsair psu has the seasonic build?

Originally Posted by qazwsx

out of curiosity, have you got a 64 bit operation system already? you'll need a 64-bit one to use all 4gb of your RAM.

I did not know that but fortunately I do have a 64bit copy of winxp that came with my student bundle. My school gave me both 32 and 64 and I've never used the 64. At least this way I can use both on my old and then new pc.
Thanks for the heads up!

Originally Posted by drew and not u

I'll throw in another vote for the P5K-E. I have one with an E8400 and it's most certainly the bees-knees.

After reviewing the specs of the P5K-E, it does meet all my requirements and also drops the price from the P5E by about $100. I will be updating this on my wish list. Thanks your guy's inputs of this mb.

Originally Posted by oldman_gamer

Personally,I wonder why you want to go backwards with the 8600GT.The 8800 is a much better choice IMO especially if you plan on running any newer games and such with 2 monitors etc.

The reasons for choosing the 8600GT is because it's popular, cheap, and meets my needs. I will not play any games on this PC. The most video intense thing I would be doing is watching DVD and BD movies. The 8800 looks great but it costs nearly twice as much and I don't think it will make a different for me. Can you convince me based off my simple needs? :)

Originally Posted by azianai

And also any reason why you want the Q9300? it really is a gimp processor, you'd be better off with the Q6600 with a slight OC. The Q9300 performs like 3-5% better than the Q6600 at stock, but its limited with a 7.5 Multiplier. Also the L2Cache thats configuration on the processor's a wonder to me too @_@

I chose the Q9300 because it's newer, more power efficient (see link below), and a higher FSB/core appealed more to me.
Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9300 processor - The Tech Report - Page 15


I have never OC'd before and will have to do more research before considering it. If I really need to then I might but I think the benefits to me weighs less than the risk/hassle.

[azianai]

corsair's modular series is seasonic, the "HX" series.
Also, if performance is your key point, you should buy the E8500 dual core instead of the Q9300. 8500 costs the same if not cheaper, and you get better performance for 90% of applications. And its got the higher clock speed. And more power efficient than the Q9300. Honestly, its such a gimped processor, at least if you're lookin at 45nm quads, go a little more for the Q9450.

[b0nk3r]

Originally Posted by azianai

corsair's modular series is seasonic, the "HX" series.
Also, if performance is your key point, you should buy the E8500 dual core instead of the Q9300. 8500 costs the same if not cheaper, and you get better performance for 90% of applications. And its got the higher clock speed. And more power efficient than the Q9300. Honestly, its such a gimped processor, at least if you're lookin at 45nm quads, go a little more for the Q9450.

I went with the corsair 620hx PSU. Using Newegg's PSU calculator this is sufficient for the motherboard I chose, Intel quad cores, 4gb ram, 2x 10k Hdd, and 2x DVD combo drives.

For $75 more I think I will go with the Q9450. Too bad Newegg doesn't sell it so I'm going with tiger on this one.

Also I am focused on performance but I believe anything around 2.6 will be sufficient for my tasks, it's the quad core processing that attracts me the most since it allows for better multitasking. I'm probably going to have 10 major applications open simultaneously.

[garetjax]

Originally Posted by b0nk3r

For $75 more I think I will go with the Q9450. Too bad Newegg doesn't sell it so I'm going with tiger on this one.

That is an extremely solid choice for a quad-core processor, one in which will easily reach Q9550 speeds with a small bump in the FSB. But yes, you're correct. Finding the Q9450 available at Newegg is a lot like the Loch Ness monster... we know its there, just no-one has seen it.

[azianai]

microcenter.com had them before for 299.99. Don't know if its still there. I know the store had them when I was there last night.

[b0nk3r]

Originally Posted by azianai

microcenter.com had them before for 299.99. Don't know if its still there. I know the store had them when I was there last night.

Nice! Thanks for pointing that out, pricewatch didn't pick this one up =/

Ouch, I tried to add to cart and its not available online or in my state. Bummers! I guess tigerdirect is the cheapest so far - $349.

[b0nk3r]

Alright... so I'm almost close to finalizing my soon to be workstation. The following are the major components (please see link to my newegg wishlist for the rest):


Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Processor
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ


The only thing I am unsure about is the memory. I do want 4GB (yes I have winxp 64bit) but am not sure how to select the clock rate. Will you guys help me with some suggestions for ram that's compatible with the ASUS P5K-E? Or do you think the G.SKILL I selected is the best for my set up? I do WANT the best, but if it's not significantly better than the average ram then really it's not needed.