I am building a new system around these components (my first build): RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156062 PNY VCG66256XPB Geforce 6600 256MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814133154 ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835186134 WINTEC AMPO 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail (2 Sets w/ silver heatspreader added)) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820161067 Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115004 GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128017 Case, 2 hard drives (SATA), 2 burners (IDE), keyboard/mouse (PS/2), floppy drive, and 17" LCD Monitor have already been acquired. I am looking for input on the core components while staying under $550. I don't do any gaming, but I want this system to be Vista-ready graphically (I'll add another GB of RAM later). I do, however, use Photoshop CS2 and Rebuilder/CCE/Procoder2 regularly. I want to be able to overclock to 3.2GHz or higher with this setup. Thanks in advance for all input/advice! OC settings from users with the same mobo/processor setup would be greatly appreciated as I have never overclocked before!!!
I have yet to have any experience with the core2duo cpu's so I'm not really one to ask. Everything looks ok. You might want to consider a 256 bit card instead of 128 bit so you don't bottleneck. You didn't list the mobo. From what I've read, asus or gigabit are the way to go for optimal oc capabilities. Ask kivory666 what he thinks. He's done a core2duo build.
hi buddy been awhile since we've crossed paths~ everything in your new build seems good, but if i may interject w/ a "better" motherboard by Gigabyte for about $30 more : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128012 a lot of overclocking enthusiasts have found great success using the GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard, it's probably one of the best mobos for the E6300/E6400 once you go up to the E6600 and above, i would suggest an ASUS personally (Asus P5W-DH deluxe that i currently use or the less expensive Asus P5B Deluxe--- the first one is a P975 chipset, while the 2nd is a P965 much like the Gigabyte board, both of them have seen some great overclocking success so it's just a toss up for the enthusiast...the difference in price is about $40 currently) as to everything else, my only other cause of concern would be the power supply unit that comes with that Raidmax case, would you by chance know who manufacturers it? is it Raidmax as well? if it is, i would personally suggest a "better" one for power to all your other system components...that's just MY personal take on it, i've found almost ALL the powersupplies i've received included when purchasing a case to be avg. or below avg. in build quality, often times failing in less than a year if that~ the "450w" output is sufficient for your system, but how EFFICIENT is it? not all powersupplies are to be considered "equal" just because the manufacturer puts their "total output" rating on them...the cheaper no name brand ones claim "600w" or "500w" but in reality, due to the build quality, it doesn't nearly output as much as they claim...and many of them don't offer protection to your system's components if said powersupply should fail... i've had a lot of good success with powersupplies from companies such as Antec, Enermax (Liberty series is what i have used), PC Power & Cooling, Zalman, and the assortment of memory companies that have gone into the powersupply market as of late (ie. Corsair, OCZ, Mushkin)...i'm currently using an OCZ GameXStream 700w for my own Core2Duo build and it has performed magnificiently i almost forgot the Ultra brand, i've used at least 1 unit from their various lines...the V-series, to their XFinity, to their X-Connect...i dont' recommend their V-series due to past experiences of one dying on me prematurely, but their XFinity and XConnect lines are very affordable post rebate at many online retailers i was using the Ultra X2-Connect modular 550w on my Core2Duo build initially, but when adding more high end components, i upgraded to the OCZ 700w just to be on the "safe side" of things but i'm sure the Ultra x2 would have been sufficient, i just didn't want to take that chance personally. other than that, seems like a very strong build you have planned for yourself i do not have personal experience with the Gigabyte mobos for the Core2Duo chips, my Gigabyte experience is limited in the older socket478 builds P4s of old but with it's feature rich overclocking options, 3.2ghz is POSSIBLE, but not guaranteed (just so you know) a lot depends on the stepping of your chip and the knowledge behind overclocking w/ the various settings...your choice of heatsink/fan is fine, i've used it before on my older systems and it does the job hope that helps ya out a little bit docTY
What RAID configurations do you all recommend? Also, how do you have Rebuilder (source, temp, output) set up using said config.? I may add an additional HD to this setup.
teflonmyk, I don't use raid (don't have any bugs), no really I don't. Kiv might be able to suggest something. As for dvd-rb I put the sorce folder on my D: drive (partition of C: drive) and then if you uncheck "enable output directory" under mode it will use the same folder for destination and work path, which I target to my E: drive.
re RAID - RAID 0 is only any good if you're prepared to lose data across both drives...(ie if one drive goes, data is lost)
Cool... I may forgo RAID and continue to use my 3 HD system for Rebuilder, and just back-up my data periodically... I have a 180 GB HD that I will get an IDE to SATA adapter for and use as a storage drive for back-ups, MP3s, etc... So, I guess the best setup would be one 80GB HD for OS and Apps, the second 80GB HD for data, and the 180GB HD for "storage?" Also, how would you all partition the 2 80GB SATA drives???
hi, im new to this forum i was going to start a new thread but i thought this one was too similar to my questions that i wanted to ask to warrant starting a whole new one. i too am thinking of creating a new core2duo rig, im thinking of the e6400, but im not too sure of the motherboard i dont know too much about overclocking, although i am interested in it. in your opinions do u think that overclocking the card is really worth it performance wise. im interested in playing games and audio editing mainly, im not sure what graphics card or motherboard and ram to get, everything else i have already. thanks in advance
matt read the last few pages (6or so) in the official pc building thread at the top of the list(its a sticky one) and most of your questions will be answered, and overclocking has its own thread as well. the things you will need to know is how much you want to spend and how much of your current pc you want to keep.
This chip is nice!!! I chose the mobo after extensive research vs. what I was willing to spend. The DS3 has proven to be a good mobo as well, and Asus has some proven performers as well... My temps under load are only 45 degrees C!!! I only changed FSB (to 360) and voltage slightly (from 1.325 to 1.35) for this O/C based on a review from Anandtech.com. I've seen this chip OC'ed over 3.2 on air cooling alone! I am still learning, so, the best has yet to come! I am sure that some better RAM will boost my gains. The O/C is well worth it! Being my first build, I have to say that it was pretty easy if you do even a little research and preparation... I saved hundreds doing it myself. Just a few months back, when I planned this build, I was set to base it on an AMD processor as they were smoking the Intel chips. This Core2Duo has definitely changed the game!
