My new Core 2 Duo rig!

[Zambini]

That's exactly what I wanted.

Looks like the ex6800, 6700, 6600, and 6400 pwned the entire board.

Now i've just got to figure what mobo to get with em..
How does this proc look?
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz 2M sharing L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115004

It is the most popular from Newegg.com and has great ratings, and its closest to 200 bucks in the E6*00 category.

or is there not much difference between the 6300 and the 6400 worth 40 bucks?
the only thing I can see is the ~.3ghz increase in speed. But I dont see the 6300 on the TH guide.

Probably the only problem I can see by going from AMD to Intel is the fact that Intel proc=>heatsink connection is incredibly difficult, where amd are very easy to install. (at least thats what my friend said after he installed his core2duo

[gvblake22]

The E6400 is one of the most popular Core 2 Duo processor. As for motherboards, it looks like the Gigabyte GA-965p-DS3 is getting pretty popular among the enthusiast crowd (and for good reason).

[drew and not u]

As a matter of fact, an E6400 should be at my door in the morning. As paul put it; it's the sweet spot between performance/OC headroom/price in the core2 line.

[One4yu2c]

Rich has been liking his DFI Infinity 975X/G ($182 shipped) more and more as time goes on. Let's get him in here for an update and see if that still holds true...

[Capper]

If you are planning on a E6300 or 6400 I'd recommend the DFI Infinity 975X as it overclocks extremely well. You might also consider the Gigabyte 965P-DS3 board as its proven to be a great overclocker as well....and those gigabyte boards (both the 965P-DS3 and 965P-DQ6) are good performers with more features than anyone deserves.

[Zambini]

The GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 looks great, but I dont know if I have enough money to get 2 gb of pc4200. ~240 for good quality ram is quite a bit.

Unless one gig is good enough to run with dual core.

What do you guys think?
Getting a pc3200 capable board with 2 gb of ram or get 1 gb of pc4200?

Also, how does this heatsink look;
KINGWIN TD-9225C 92mm Ball P4 Copper CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811999999

[polobunny]

Quite honestly i'd go for DDR2-800mhz. Really, if you're going to build a machine and you don't want to get deceived, don't go for 533mhz. The performance difference between 800mhz and 533mhz is rather easy to see even just under Windows, and the premium you're going to pay for 800mhz instead of 533mhz (on same quality memory) is not very big.
Also, definitely get 2GB. 6 months ago I would have said otherwise, but more and more games are using them now. It would be ridiculous to find yourself bottlenecked because of your amount of RAM.

[Capper]

You can get a 1GB kit now, and add another later. That Gigabyte board is a great inexpensive opition for what you're looking for

[Zambini]

How about this board?
So your all agreed on this board is the best one I can use?
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail








This is what I have so far:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz 2M sharing L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail $220.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115004

GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $142.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128012

KINGWIN TD-9225C 92mm Ball P4 Copper CPU Cooler - Retail $20.49 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811999999

And 2 of these:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $77.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144701


For a total of $539.56 so far.

Still needed:
Power Supply
Optic Drive
Case
Memory

[stinger608]

Looking good so far!!!

Here is a great power supply, and if you read reviews on these, you will see that for the money they are top of the class.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817128003

P.S. they are modular as well.