New Build Config: Please Advise

[codepath]

Case:
Aerocool ExtremEngine-3T-BK
Antec 900

PSU:
Ultra X-Finity 2G Titanium 600W
Thermaltake Purepower 600W

MOBO:
eVGA nVidia nForce 680i SLI 775 A1

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz

CPU Cooler:
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Cooler

RAM:
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2/800 EPP
Crucial Ballistix 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2/800 EPP

GPU:
MSI GeForce 8600GT OC 256MB
XFX GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB

Other:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB SATA3 16MB Cache Hard Drive
Lite-On LH-20A1L LightScribe DL DVD Burner
Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000
Thermaltake Thunderblade 120mm Blue LED High Performance Case Fan

------------------------------

Budget: $1100

I will mostly be doing mostly web dev (.Net/SQL Server) and multimedia encoding (audio/video) as well as being a general purpose machine, but I will not be gaming. So here is my thinking on the components.

On the case, they both look great. I saw great reviews of the 900 and I like the industrial look, but the Aerocool looks like a 747. Sweet!

For the CPU, the E6750 is the cheapest and gives me a nice upgrade path later on (grabbing a Quad later for super cheap when there is more SW to take advantage of it). But, as I currently have an approved budget from my wife/CFO, I am also thinking that I should grab all the power I can now (you know, bird in the hand...). So I may need go for the Quad now. Benchmarks I have seen comparing these two procs seem to trade off the win for the various tasks that I will need.

I gather that both of these PSUs are good. The TT costs more and don't know if the benefits are worth it.

The RAM, as far as I can tell is basically the same except for the LEDs. But, the price difference is minimal so I am leaning toward the cool-factor.

As I will not be gaming, I cannot justify the 8800GTS. So it seems a toss up between these two 8600GTs.

Well, there you have it. As you can see from my sig, I am well overdue for a new box. I have run this one into the ground. I have priced all of these components on PriceGrabber and they are squeezed very tightly within my budget. And that's a hard budget too. Any bump in one part means a dip in another. So, any advise is most appreciated. I getting itchy to pull the trigger.


Thanks,

codepath

[gvblake22]

Looks like you're off to a good start with the build process, but I would like to make some suggestions to your current configuration. Starting from the top, case selection is a very personal thing and there is rarely a right or wrong answer, so just get whatever you feel will suit your needs the best.

The power supply is definitely something I want to press home as being important. I tink the power supply is responsible for more hardware failures and problems than anything else. So I really suggest sticking with a quality unit that you know will be reliable and has a good warranty and the company offers solid customer service. Ultra power supplies usually don't come highly recommended compared to the likes of Seasonic, Antec, OCZ, Silverstone, Fortron, and Tagan (just to name a few). That Thermaltake PurePower RX unit looks to be decent, but it doesn't appear to have a very good selection of cables and connections. One of my personal favorite power supplies is probably the Silverstone Olympia 650W OP650 It features a single, very beefy 12V rail so there is no chance of uneven power distribution like on some of the split 12v rail units. You can read HardwareLogic's full review of the OP650 here...

To be honest though, any 600W PSU is overkill for the system you are setting up. Something like the Corsair 520W or Corsair 450W unit would work fine, even with a quad core processor.

It is a little more expensive (~$15) than the Thermatake unit, but you can easily save that cost by downgrading another component. Which brings me to my next point, the video card. If you are not a gamer and don't plan on playing the latest games, even an 8600GT is overkill. You can save yourself a good chunk of cash by going with a lower end card like the nVidia GeForce 8500 or ATI Radeon HD 2400 if you want current generation technology. You can probably save even more by going with a previous generation card like the 7300GT or X1300Pro. Those are all very capable cards for everything but 3D at higher resolutions (anything above 1024x768).

That motherboard also comes highly recommended, but it also comes with a fairly high price tag. You might also want to check out some of the P35 based Intel motherboards to see if you can find something that suits your needs at a lower price. The Gigabyte boards seem to be getting the most press recently and would probably be a fine choice.

As for RAM, you've really got a lot of choices in the 2x1GB CAS 4 DDR2-800 category. Basically it will just come down to price since it doesn't sound like you will be overclocking. If you want to try and save more money on the memory, the best thing to do is to drop down to the next lower latency kits (CAS 5) of DDR2-800 rather than dropping down to the next lower speed (DDR2-667). I doubt you will notice a difference between a CAS 4 and CAS 5 kit of DDR2-800 RAM.

Other than that, I would highly suggest a SATA DVD-Burner (which it looks like you have). Just to make your decision harder, I have the Samsung SH-S183L drive and it is quiet as a mouse and I've not had a problem reading or writing any particular kind of media yet; I would purchase another one of these drives any day.

[sean126]

For the cpu....They say that quads are better. If you get the q6600 you could easily overclock it to the same speed as the e6750 and not hurt it. I've also been hearing that the next generation quads are going to be even better/faster for video encoding, so keep that in mind also. If you think you might go that upgrade route later on...make sure you get a board that supports the new architecture for them. (I think that's the right terminology)

I've got 2 of the lite-on dvd burners 20x. They aren't lightscribe...but I've got no complaints about them. Works like a charm.

I'm partial to the antec 900 case I got. I love it. But it's also the first case I've ever bought though. I'd easily recommend this case to someone to consider.

For the psu's....I haven't followed that closely lately, but the things I've read have said that the thermaltake "tough power" series are really good if your looking at that brand.

I've got a seagate 320.....no problems out of it.

[gvblake22]

AAHH, yes, that's what I forgot to touch on: processors. Looking at these performance charts, it's hard to call a clear winner between more cores or more MHz. Some encoding applications work great on quad core and outperform higher clocked dual core parts (like DivX, Windows Media Encoder and QuickTime) while others seem to benefit from the higher clock speeds regardless of how many cores (like Windows Movie Maker and iTunes).

[Elysium]

At this point, I think you should grab the dual core. Unless you are doing heavy movie encoding/decoding, I think speed trumps cores, correct me if I'm wrong.

About the PSU, I had a Tt Toughpowers in the past (I had the 650W version) and I never had any complaints. But the Silverstone PSU that Blake mentioned is probably you best bet, based on what I've heard about it (very stable rails, very reliable)

That is a great motherboard you picked out, but I have a feeling you could with somethng lesser. I think a P965 board or a P35 board are you best bets. Maybe even a nForce 680i LT.

[codepath]

Thanks for all of your insight. Each post has given me more to think about.

I know that a lot of the parts that I proposed are overkill for what I am doing now, but who knows what I will be doing in the down the road so I am trying to give myself add in a little future-proofing. I have one shot at this. It will be a long, loooong time before I get approval from my CFO/wife for any upgrades later.

I will currently be doing some fairly heavy video encoding (capture in lossless AVI, editing with multiple effects, etc). Most audio work will involve encoding FLAC, MP3, and WMA, but will also include processing of audio from old analog sources. And of course watching full screen DVD (gotta have some fun right).

That's the heavy lifting. Web devving is light on resource needs (except for SQL Server). And photo editing doesn't really eat up much comparatively.


codepath

[Computer-Ed]

While you have chosen a solid motherbaord for the needs you mentioned you have done a TON of overkill with it. The best feature it has SLI, is not needed for what you will be doing so I would go with a single PCIE solution, like one of the Gigabyte DS3 series. This will chop $100 at least off the price and give you cash for other areas.

Because this is a WORK computer I would go with the Quad Core and bump the RAM to 4 Gig looking at Vista 64 if the software you use will support it. Unless you are planning to overclock the stock Intel cooler will be fine and if you use the Nine Hundred case you could even do some decent overclocking with it.

Speaking fo the RAM skip the tracer, again you can keep the cost down. Personally I would go with Corsair XMS2 but the Ballistic has a solid reputation. The savings off the motherbaord would let you pick up a second 2x1 set and put you to 4 Gig.

As for the video I am torn between the 8600 and the ATI 2600. I have read good stuff on both for their video capabilities outside of gaming. Either however would do you fine.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by codepath

As I will not be gaming, I cannot justify the 8800GTS. So it seems a toss up between these two 8600GTs.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

The best feature it has SLI, is not needed for what you will be doing so I would go with a single PCIE solution, like one of the Gigabyte DS3 series. This will chop $100 at least off the price and give you cash for other areas.

He never said he was going to use SLI. He is just trying to decide between the two different cards. You will notice in his list, he shows the parts he is trying to decide between.

[Mithosphere]

What about an OS?

[Elysium]

If you are doing video encoding and photoshopping, then you should get the quadcore most definetly. I still think 2GB of RAM is enough, but what do I know. I agree with Ed, the DS3 should be enough for your need (no SLI).

About the RAM, I think you should skip the Tracers. They are the same memory as the Ballistix, but without the lights.