new comp build need advice?

[JazzyJake]

unless it's a huge monitor SLI will hardly help your performance.
which really makes me wonder why nvidia hasn't figured out how to do that...make 2 cards perform well at lower resolution as well.
maybe instead of splitting the image up it renders it as 1 card with double the specs of a single card?
idk
sorry to get this thread off topic = D

Corsair and OCZ have always been great memory brands for me and the place i work for. I'd also like to mention G.Skill and super talent with the middle-of-the-road ram. that new stuff HL just reviewed.
if i were you, i would wait just a bit longer. Tomorrow they release nvidia's mid-range DX10 cards, which i wouldn't get, but they still help with price cuts.
as for the PSU, OCZ would be my #1 choice, and Antec would be my #2...even though they have been having problems in the recent past.

[gvblake22]

I wouldn't even bother with SLI to be honest. Just ends up being more money and hassle than it's worth. Here's what I would do...

Antec p180 case (already have)
BFG 650W PSU (already have)
Intel 6420 processor ~$183 (when it becomes available in a few weeks)
Asus P5B Deluxe motherboard ~ $180
XFX PVT80GGHF9 GeForce 8800GTS 320MB video card ~$300 (-$30 MIR)
2x1GB OCZ Platinum Rev. 2 DDR2-800 CAS 4 memory ~$170 (-$50 MIR)
320GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 hard drive ~$85
Samsung SATA DVD burner ~$39
______________________
TOTAL: $957
($877 after $30 MIR and $50 MIR)

[JazzyJake]

good calls all around, blake.
i would like to point out he can save a few bucks on the burner if he doesn't want litescribe, (one of the most useless technologies ever imo)
Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with Replaceable White Front Panel - Retail
lite-on is what i always use, and i have never had a single drive fail on me. That's over 30 consumer builds for me, 2 in my desktop, 1 in my laptop, (after the hp one failed)

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Yowza, a SATA/Lightscribe drive for $40! I'd buy it.

[Elysium]

If you insist on SLI, then a cheaper SLI motherboard then a 680i is the ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus, which has most of the same features that teh 680i motherboards do.

For an air cooler, the Thermaltake MaxOrb looks really nice!

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Originally Posted by yellowhello

If you insist on SLI, then a cheaper SLI motherboard then a 680i is the ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus, which has most of the same features that teh 680i motherboards do.

For an air cooler, the Thermaltake MaxOrb looks really nice!

Nah, drop SLI... It's not worth the money.

[Hitman]

IMO you would be better off buying a single GTX then 2 GTS cards in SLI. It also gives you the upgrade path to 2 GTX cards in SLI if you so desire. But honestly, unless your running a large monitor at high resolutions a GTS will suite your needs just fine.

[john28]

man u guys really have given me some really helpful insight on what I'd like to buy and weed out, this is exactly what I was hoping for with joining this site. Now all I have to do is decide on a case I was going to go with a P180 but now with all of your compelling arguments I have started looking at the P182 and the Nine Hundred. Good news is that I don't have to be in a rush and I can take my time with help of this site. Thanks again guys, john.

[gvblake22]

Also check out the Antec Sonata II if you want something a little more compact. The Thermaltake Armor and Armor Jr are nice if you want something with a little more "flair" or room inside. The Cooler Master Centurion 534 is another nice classicly styled case that is both sturdy and very reasonably priced.

[JazzyJake]

also the stacker 830
i feel like that case is left out a lot recently.
it's a shame considering how nice it is
and that there are now a few variations of it