New C2D Build

[Syd]

Looking to upgrade Main PC and move accross to Vista (lappy is already on Ultimate32)

Have a 939 4600X2/Asutek Dual sata atm and looking to upgrade, I am considering the below bits as I am on bit of a budget right now.

I will be using this PC for gaming (1900x1200) Photoshop (elements) and Itunes mainly. I have an external HD which is esata/usb but I would prefer to use the esata.

Gigabyte GAP31-DS3L £49
TwinX XMS2 6400 2GB x 2 £68
E2160 £45 OR E4500 £78.00 (Is the money spent worth the difference?)
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 £13
BFG 8800GTS512 £199
Windows Vista Home Premium64 £70

Firstly will it all work well together and allow me to get a bit of an overclock?

I intend to use my existing Hd's, Optical Drive and my XiFi - are there still issues with compatibility and 64bit Vista ????


Thanks in advance for your help

[cougarslam]

I would get the EVGA 8800gts over the BFG one if you plan to change its heatsink ever as EVGAs warranty covers this they also have a step up program. £196.23 scan today only

alot of the people on this forum seem to be reccomending the abit ip35 as the mobo of choice

[Syd]

I would get the EVGA 8800gts over the BFG one if you plan to change its heatsink ever as EVGAs warranty covers this they also have a step up program. £196.23 scan today only

alot of the people on this forum seem to be reccomending the abit ip35 as the mobo of choice

Ok I will bear that in mind about the GC (are the GTS's Noisy out of the box)

Abit IP35-E (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Is that the board you mentioned?

[Russ]

i have the BFG and its not that noisy. the hsf on it is huge though, cant see why you would want to replace it unless you want silence

[staffsMike]

You probably are getting a P35 based motherboard like the Abit IP-35E. The IP-35 dark raider is often around £60 on scan today only and represents the best value for money imo.

If it's for gaming the the pentium dual core is fine. There is 1mb extra cache of the E4500 so it will be handy for photoshop I suppose.
Overclocking wise you should get to around 3.0GHz on the CPU, no idea about the graphics card.

[hermeticist]

At the high resolution that you`ll be using, you might be better off with this:

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

The GTS doesn`t seem to be worth the extra £60 over the 8800gt, which can now be had for £140 (see current bargains on Hexus).

Would agree with staffsMike about the Abit, although the MSI Neo2 FR might be worth looking into, E-SATA & £66:

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

[Blitzen]

I would get the EVGA 8800gts over the BFG one if you plan to change its heatsink ever as EVGAs warranty covers this they also have a step up program. £196.23 scan today only

alot of the people on this forum seem to be reccomending the abit ip35 as the mobo of choice

I have the BFG one and i cannot see the point in this.

The HS/Fan on this card is great so there is no need to swap it out with a 3rd party cooler.

BTW...THe BFG is clocked faster aswell.

At the high resolution that you`ll be using, you might be better off with this:

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

The GTS doesn`t seem to be worth the extra £60 over the 8800gt, which can now be had for £140 (see current bargains on Hexus).

Would agree with staffsMike about the Abit, although the MSI Neo2 FR might be worth looking into, E-SATA & £66:

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

This debate will rage forever and a day...but, i can say i am VERY HAPPY i didnt get a GT over the GTS.

[Buzzsaw]

TwinX XMS2 6400 2GB x 2 £68

I'd say 4Gb is a minimum for Vista. 2 x 2Gb is also very reasonably priced atm on various sites.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 £13
allow me to get a bit of an overclock?

If your going to overclock, I'd get a bigger cooler, my Scythe mine runs very quiet and cool.
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

I will be using this PC for gaming (1900x1200)

Thats a good sized monitor, and about the point that a GT would struggle. Smaller, and you could get away with a GT. I'd have to say that a GTS would be a safer bet (and probably cooler and quiter because of its bigger heat sink).

For a PSU, see http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardwa...uld-i-get.html

[Syd]

Thanks for the advice guys

I'm now looking at :

Intel E8200 £115
MSI NEO02 FR £66
Corsair TwinX XMS2 PC2-6400 2x2GB £67

I assume using the arctic freezer or the Scythe Miné Quiet Heatpipe CPU Cooler
I could get a decent overclock, but would I need to use a fan with the scythe? and if so what is the quietest I could use?

Also as I mentioned before If I used Vista64 Home premium would I have any issues with my XiFi card?

Does anyone have any experience comparing a named 8800GTS512 and a scan 8800GTX768
at 1920x1200 is there much in it, as I would feel more conmfortable buying named.

Lastly If I dual boot Vista and XP - can anyone point me in the direction of a straightforward guide on the procedure plz

Thanks for reading and any input

[Blitzen]

Thanks for the advice guys

I'm now looking at :

Intel E8200 £115
MSI NEO02 FR £66
Corsair TwinX XMS2 PC2-6400 2x2GB £67

I assume using the arctic freezer or the Scythe Miné Quiet Heatpipe CPU Cooler
I could get a decent overclock, but would I need to use a fan with the scythe? and if so what is the quietest I could use?

Also as I mentioned before If I used Vista64 Home premium would I have any issues with my XiFi card?

Does anyone have any experience comparing a named 8800GTS512 and a scan 8800GTX768
at 1920x1200 is there much in it, as I would feel more conmfortable buying named.

Lastly If I dual boot Vista and XP - can anyone point me in the direction of a straightforward guide on the procedure plz

Thanks for reading and any input

Yep...your OC should be decent. I have my E6400 @ 2.8ghz (32% oc)and under load, using the Scythe Mine, it never goes above 39 degrees.
I have had it to 3.2ghz and it never went above 42 degrees.

As good as the 8800GTS G92 is, with your monitor being 24", you would almost certainly beneffit from a GTX rather than the GTS.

[Syd]

Yep...your OC should be decent. I have my E6400 @ 2.8ghz (32% oc)and under load, using the Scythe Mine, it never goes above 39 degrees.
I have had it to 3.2ghz and it never went above 42 degrees.

As good as the 8800GTS G92 is, with your monitor being 24", you would almost certainly beneffit from a GTX rather than the GTS.

Do you have a fan on the Scythe?

and do you know how the Scan graphics cards are?

[staffsMike]

Mine comes with a 100mm fan as I remember.

Do you mean the scan OEM GTX's? Technically they should be no different to all the other GTX's.. all made in the same factory.

[Syd]

Mine comes with a 100mm fan as I remember.

Do you mean the scan OEM GTX's? Technically they should be no different to all the other GTX's.. all made in the same factory.

oh cool, thanks Mike. With the GTS v GTX do you think its worth the difference in cost/potential lack of interest with resale?

[staffsMike]

I think a quality branded GTS will sell better than a non branded GTX.

I don't know the typical buying trends on ebay as I don't use it but I imagine it's driven more by brand than a knowledge of what they are buying in a lot of cases.

The GTS use's less power and is more compact so it to me is the one to go for given the similar performance.

[Syd]

I think a quality branded GTS will sell better than a non branded GTX.

I don't know the typical buying trends on ebay as I don't use it but I imagine it's driven more by brand than a knowledge of what they are buying in a lot of cases.

The GTS use's less power and is more compact so it to me is the one to go for given the similar performance.

Exactly what I was thinking

I dont suppose you have any thoughts on:

Also as I mentioned before If I used Vista64 Home premium would I have any issues with my XiFi card?

or

Lastly If I dual boot Vista and XP - can anyone point me in the direction of a straightforward guide on the procedure plz

[Thorsson]

Creative now have drivers for Vista64. I'm not sure how good they are. ATM my XiFi is staying in my XP machine.