Final Parts for ANOTHER New Build

[Caddywompus81]

Heya everyone. Getting ready for another gaming machine, and just wanted to finalize all my final parts. I am looking for exandability into SLi in a future where the chipset doesn't suck! So just keep that in mind as we take an adventure!

• Motherboard:ASUS P5B Deluxe ATX Motherboard
  Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz Processor
  Ram:Corsair 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 SDRAM TWIN2X2048-6400
  PSU: Here's a question, I'm not sure which one I like/want more. Any compare contrast would be great--Silverstone SST-ST75ZF 750W SLi Certified -=or=- Etasis ET750 750W PSU
  HDD(s): WD Raptor 74GB HDD, SATA for OS and programs. Seagate 7200.10 250GB HDD, SATA for data and storage
  GFX Card: EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
  Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
  Case: Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan - Retail
  Fans & Cables: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooling
  OS:Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 with Vista Upgrade

As far as optical drives go, I have a retail Lite-On burner, and a SATA Asus DVD drive so I can guarantee a smooth install of the OS. Let me know how everything looks? And which PSU would you experts recommend over the other? Thanks in advance

[LeftyAce]

My one comment (And you'll probably get a couple of these) is, are you SURE you want/need SLI? Performance-wise, unless you're getting two 8800s now, it's not economical (And that's not economical either :-) By the time you decide to add a second one, the 9800's will be out, and one of them will beat two 8800s in sli. Save some money by not gettign an SLI PSU and mobo and plan to upgrade to the next gen a little sooner.

[Caddywompus81]

Originally Posted by LeftyAce My one comment (And you'll probably get a couple of these) is, are you SURE you want/need SLI? Performance-wise, unless you're getting two 8800s now, it's not economical (And that's not economical either :-) By the time you decide to add a second one, the 9800's will be out, and one of them will beat two 8800s in sli. Save some money by not gettign an SLI PSU and mobo and plan to upgrade to the next gen a little sooner.

Thanks Lefty! That is a pretty good point. My MOBO is not SLi, its a P965 Chipset--reason for a sata optical drive! I was partial to the SLi PSU's because I enjoy the headroom, and the quality. I am very open for suggestions though =).

[SuprchargdMazda]

You chose the same cpu/mobo/ram I'm running right now. I'm completely satisfied with it if you had any concerns as far as those components, now I'm just waiting to see if the new 45nm chips will work in the P965 mobo's *crossing fingers*

[Mr.Ferrari]

The Etasis is the OEM that Silverstone uses for their ZF series of powersupplies. So basically the two psu's are the exact same thing.

The only major difference is the Etasis comes with 4 pci-e connectors. Useful for 2 8800GTX's in SLI. If this is something you will be doing in the future, go for the Etasis.

The Etasis also has the fan mounted towards the interior side. This might mean a quieter powersupply. Since the fan noise will be muffled.

[chuck4456]

With the exception of the case, and the fact that I used a PC POWER & COOLING SILENCER 750 Quad, I did an identical build very recently. I used the 8800GTS 320mb superclocked video card. There's no real need to blow heavy cash on those bigger 8800s. You have plenty of time with DX10 stuff. One 320 astounded me. I've only seen it in action with BATTLEFIELD 2 and HALF LIFE, but it is truly amazing. Save youself a couple of hundred.

[Caddywompus81]

Thanks all for the great suggestions. I should clarify by stating I have a large sum to spend right now, and updating in the near future is a little unreasonable. This is why I chose the 8800GTX, and a large power supply that can accomodate my build with headroom.

Basically Ferrari, you're saying they are identical PSU's? Figures...their stats were quite similar. I think I would prefer the Etasis, as it has SLi--just in case--and is 20 dollars cheaper. Thanks for all the great input so far.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Yup, good choice.