Please help rebuild my AM2 plan for Core 2 Duo

[dancingmatt]

Hi all

I've got a Socket A system and a few weeks ago I planned to replace it with the AM2 when it came out, but whilst I was waiting for the processors and boards to hit the market I looked into the Conroe I'd heard so much about... and whilst I do understand you can't always wait for the Next Big Thing, Core 2 Duo seems to be a Next Big Thing worth waiting for!

Believe me, I am researching ATI options, 975X and 965 boards, trying to get my head around RAM timings... but I would greatly appreciate your suggestions please to replace components from my AM2 plan. One part of it or the whole deal, whatever you can! I'm not an overclocker, that doesn't bother me, I don't have a window case or want LEDs for the sake of it, what I want is a quiet but fast at stock system. The prices below are the approximate costs of my plan:

Motherboard - passive cooled and dual graphics supporting
Was going to be ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe, ~£135

PSU - needs to be quiet, guessing I need at least 500W
Was looking at Enermax Liberty 500W, or Coolermaster iGreen 500W, ~£70

RAM - I'm a bit lost with timings etc, at least 1GB DDR2 and quick
Was looking at Corsair Twin2X but hadn't decided what speed, ~£75

Graphics - one good card now, and then maybe another alongside it for extra screens and SLI/Crossfire later
Had picked out XFX 7900 GT 256MB 1520/520 VIVO... but maybe I should consider ATI? Although X1800XT is massive and noisy? ~£220

HSF - Most importantly quiet, I won't be running a permanently overclocked system
I'd chosen Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro, ~£16

The CPU will be E6600, I have the drives etc. I'm kind of hoping the nForce 590 will be out soon but maybe I should just get an nF4 board... whilst there are few boards out now, I guess most of all I need help with the memory, PSU and graphics.

If you could please recommend me something, I'd be very grateful...

Thanks in advance

DM

[BUFF]

There's very limited availability of Core 2 supporting boards at the moment esp. ones that support SLI & there are suggestions that CPU availability may also be limited initially.
My vote is to wait a few weeks for feedback on the good boards etc. & also to see what AMD's response is - rumour is that they know that they can't compete on pure performance so they are going to compete on value for money.

[xrob]

for the mobo i agree with BUFF you do need to wait a little longer unfortunetly, give it a few more weeks for some reviews to filter through and there will be a better picture of which are performers and which arnt. although asus is always a safe bet in my books.

PSU: seasonic 500w
RAM: if you can stretch your budget try and get 2G lower rated ram, or if you plan to overclock then get some ddr2 800 or even 1000 1g if you find any cheap enough. http://pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk has a good range.
HSF: scythe ninja, note: think about where the airflow is going, i have a xp120 which blows onto my mobo, if i was you i'd be looking at the scythe anyway, it performed extremely well in tests, is very quiet and would more than likely be able to run fanless. thats not to say the Arctic isnt any good, far from it.
personally i'd go with nvidia for the gfx, but thats just me, i dont like the look of the ati cards, the black/green xfx 7900gt's look pretty tasty to me, you might get a slightly better performance with an ati but its hardly going to be a great amount.

wish i could afford a conroe

[-ChEM-]

theres a s775 equivalent of the arctic cooler

[dancingmatt]

PSU: seasonic 500w
RAM: if you can stretch your budget try and get 2G lower rated ram, or if you plan to overclock then get some ddr2 800 or even 1000 1g if you find any cheap enough. http://pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk has a good range.

I keep seeing Seasonic's name come up about PSUs, I hadn't ever considered them. I'll dig around for some reviews. Any particular model that you can recommend which is quiet?

I also thought I'd be better off with 2GB RAM but was holding back due to the cost. That said, I gather I don't need DDR2-800 for Conroe - someone said it doesn't need 800, 667 would do? I really don't know what I'm looking for here. I'm not going to overclock it, I've used Corsair before so I'd be happy with their stuff. Can someone please tell me what speed I need (isn't the FSB 1066?) and what timings etc. to look for - I can't even get a definitive answers as to which a-b-c-d timings are better than others!

HSF: scythe ninja...is very quiet and would more than likely be able to run fanless. thats not to say the Arctic isnt any good, far from it.
personally i'd go with nvidia for the gfx, but thats just me, i dont like the look of the ati cards, the black/green xfx 7900gt's look pretty tasty to me, you might get a slightly better performance with an ati but its hardly going to be a great amount.

Scythe Ninja - never heard of it, will look into it, thanks!

And I do want to go with nVidia because I hear they have better multi-monitor support (which is important to me) and better gaming performance (also v important!). I couldn't really care less how they look, like I said I don't have a window. But whether I get nV depends on an SLI board or not... argh wish nVidia would get a move on!

Thanks all, more suggestions appreciated too

DM

[shaithis]

One of the few motherboards at the moment to look at is the Asus P5W DH Deluxe

[toolsong]

I gather I don't need DDR2-800 for Conroe - someone said it doesn't need 800, 667 would do? I really don't know what I'm looking for here. I'm not going to overclock it, I've used Corsair before so I'd be happy with their stuff.

You should listen to Chainbolt discuss Conroe in OCAU Podcast 15
http://www.overclockers.com.au/

His interview starts at around the 46 minute mark.

[nvening]

I would stretch another £20 for a 600w seasonic - they rule - i love em - i may marry one

*runs away but also admits it may be over kill*

Also its much better to have 2GB of ram and slightly more lax timings over 1GB with better timings.

You say you are not overclocking anyway so it should not be of huge concern.

Just get some basic TwinX DDR800 2X1GB

The 7900GTs are much more efficient and thus cooler than the x1800xts and have a small PCB iirc - and the 1800xt also has a double cooler iirc.

[dancingmatt]

TwinX DDR800? Not 667?

I've downloaded that podcast, will listen to it tomorrow at work hee hee

Thanks guys

[EtheAv8r]

I keep seeing Seasonic's name come up about PSUs, I hadn't ever considered them. I'll dig around for some reviews. Any particular model that you can recommend which is quiet?

Check out Custom PC Labs reviews on PSUs - they are very detailed and revealing and they don't pull any punches when it comes to naming tho poor ones..... www.custompc.co.uk