Need some advice on a few parts for new build.

[Dave21]

Hey,

I'll be using this as a gaming rig,

Case: Lian Li PC60B
PSU: Corsair Modular 620 W
Processor: E8400
MB: Asus P5K-E WIFI
RAM:: Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 4 GB
HDD: Seagate 7200.11 500 gb
OPTICAL: Lite-on
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...facture=Liteon

VIDEO: 9800GTX
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...A&promoid=1001

MONITOR: Samsung 24" 245bw
OS: VISTA 32 BIT

Questions:
1) Now I ran a power supply calculator and this is almost 600 W, around 550+ W. Will the 620 W be a bottle neck to the system? I originally wanted 750 W but I couldn't find one that was modular, could someone recommend a brand that is 750 W that is modular?

2) I'm not too up to date with the processors, are there any new dual core processors that is better than the E8400?

3) Is the optical drive selected a good one?

4) I've looked over some benchmarks and reviews for cards. Now I'm worried that the 512 mb memory on the 9800GTX may be a bottleneck to the monitor. I've seen charts of huge fps lost. Anyone have experience with 512 mb cards on 1920x1200 resolution? Any other card you think I should look into?

Thanks!

[shadowpr]

Looks good to me.

I think that power supply would work.

The e8400 is the sweet spot for dual cores. They do have the e8500, but I don't think it's worth the extra money.

That dvd drive is good.

[Dave21]

Originally Posted by shadowpr Looks good to me. I think that power supply would work. The e8400 is the sweet spot for dual cores. They do have the e8500, but I don't think it's worth the extra money. That dvd drive is good.

Another thing, what about the ram? For this build should I go for 4-4-4 or 5-5-5 timing?

[shadowpr]

If getting 4gb, get a 2x2 ddr2-800 of cas 5. That would be the 5-5-5 one.

[Doom]

Shadowpr hit the nail on the head. For pure peformance... the Intel Core 2 Extreme series are the best... but I don't think it's $800 better.

If you're ordering parts on-line... your LITE-ON drive is good. I had one last me for 6+ years. I bought my current drive at a store that didn't have LITE-ON, so I bought a Pioneer for pretty much the same price and it's working fine for me.

[Katreat]

build looks good. You could go for the Corsair 650 for just a few more $ but the 620 will handle your system fine. As for video cards I dont think you will have problems with a 24 in monitor. The older 8800 GTX does have some advantages over the newer 9800 GTX but it is a trade off. The 9800 is faster, but the 8800 with 768 mb on-board memory can help on certain games with resolution issues. Not sure if there is a clear answer for which is best.
You could wait for the 9900 release in June but I expect the 9800 GTX will work just fine.

Kat

[Dave21]

Originally Posted by Katreat build looks good. You could go for the Corsair 650 for just a few more $ but the 620 will handle your system fine. As for video cards I dont think you will have problems with a 24 in monitor. The older 8800 GTX does have some advantages over the newer 9800 GTX but it is a trade off. The 9800 is faster, but the 8800 with 768 mb on-board memory can help on certain games with resolution issues. Not sure if there is a clear answer for which is best. You could wait for the 9900 release in June but I expect the 9800 GTX will work just fine. Kat

I think the only 8800 that comes with 768 mb of memory is the Ultra which goes for 500 dollars. Not worth it. I'll probably get the 9800gtx and step it up when the 9900 comes out. Do you know if the step up program applies to Canadians?

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by Dave21 I think the only 8800 that comes with 768 mb of memory is the Ultra which goes for 500 dollars. Not worth it. I'll probably get the 9800gtx and step it up when the 9900 comes out. Do you know if the step up program applies to Canadians?

Both the 8800GTX and the 8800Ultra come with 768MB VRam and 384-bit memory buses. The only differences between the two is in the clock speeds which is higher for the Ultra. Unless you are planning on gaming with a 24 inch screen or larger and have AA enabled, 512MB memory is enough.

[Dave21]

Ok, so I revised my list and have a few quesitons left:

PSU: Corsair 750 W

RAM:: Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 2 gb 5-5-5 timing

VIDEO: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=eVGA

OPTICAL: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...facture=Liteon OR http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...facture=Liteon

Questions:
1) Ok, I've never purchased parts online before and was just wondering how shipping works from NCIX. Do they give you a discount for multiple orders?
2) shadowpr recommended I get the 5-5-5 timing, I was always curious about the reason why?
3) How is the +12V 60A rating on the TX750 W?
4) Lastly, for the optical drive, I don't know the difference between the two drives I listed, which is better? Also, I forget which one comes with nero, the retail or OEM version?

Thanks for all your help!

[shadowpr]

I would get the retail version of the lite-on drive. It comes with nero.

the 5-5-5 timing is suppposed to have better stability with intel processors, and the p35 chipset I believe.

That power supply is really good. Nothing to worry about.

[Dave21]

This will sound like a really silly question, it's my first time ordering parts online and I'm in the process of checking out of NCIX and they offer several forms of shipping. The first one is "free ground shipping". Now I'm in Toronto and they are in Vancouver so if I select that option, will it work or do I select another form of shipping like UPS or FedEx.

The order is around $1000. Based from your experiences, should I get the insurance for $30?