# Compatible? Good?



## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

Hi, 

I was wondering if someone could tell me if all of these parts will work good together, I made it by choosing parts off a website, and plan on buying it depending on your response. Also, is this a good computer? Im looking for something for games, movies, and working on animation, etc.

Thanks!

Case ( [$15 OFF Mail-In Rebate] Nzxt Apollo Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( [= Gaming Edition =] 1000 Watt Extreme Power Supply [Gaming Edition] --- Quad SLI + Active PFC + 80 Plus Ready )
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9770 (4x 3.2GHz/12MB L2 Cache/1600FSB) Free 4GB Pen Drive )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit )
Motherboard ( eVGA Nvidia nForce 790i Ultra SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, 3-Way PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module OCZ-Gold or Major Brand )
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB w/DVI + TV Out Video )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA )
Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( 16x DVD-ROM Drive Black )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] LG 20X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Network Card ( Killer M1- Online Gaming Accelerator - w/ 400Mhz Network Processing Unit + Lag & Latency Reduction Technology )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
2nd Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( Logitech Deluxe Keyboard Black )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in USB 2.0 Ports )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black )
Operation System ( Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) 64-Bit )
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
External Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )


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## ericgomes (Sep 18, 2008)

I think DDR3 is a waste of money but that's just my opinion. I love Gigabyte and ASUS boards. They're great for overclocking. You don't need a 1000 watts to run the computer you listed above. I wouldn't go over 750.


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

what is better then ddr3?
and I put 1000 because I saw on another website they required a 1200 watt one for better computers but idk anthing about it.

what about this
Case ( Nzxt Lexa Blackline Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 800 Watt -- Power Supply Quad SLI Ready )
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9650 (4x 3.0GHz/12MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) Free 4GB Pen Drive )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit )
Motherboard ( [CrossFire] Asus Rampage Formula Intel X48 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, Dual PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( 2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB w/DVI + TV Out Video - running SLI mode )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA )
Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( 16x DVD-ROM Drive Black )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] LG 20X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Network Card ( Killer M1- Online Gaming Accelerator - w/ 400Mhz Network Processing Unit + Lag & Latency Reduction Technology )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
2nd Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( Logitech Deluxe Keyboard Black )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in USB 2.0 Ports )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black )
Operation System ( Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) 64-Bit )
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
External Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

bump.... plz help


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## Toucan Sam (Jul 5, 2008)

ddr3 is the "best" but thats not saying much. ddr2 is sooo much better in value, and ddr3 gives a verrrry small performance increase.
I agree, 750w is fine for one 280. If you REALLY want two then certainly get a good 1000w. However, you might care to "downgrade" and save some money with the HD4870 (or 2 of them). For $200 less ($400 if you get two), you get nearly the same performance. On some benchmarks it even surpasses the 280.
That processor is also probably not quite necessary. Unless your animation programs are cpu-intensive a dual core will be fine (e8500), and save you literally $1000.
EDIT: that Killer network card is a complete waste of money unless you download stuff 24/7. The "reducing lag" part comes only if you're downloading. It is essentially a processor for downloads, but it's truly not worth even $50, let alone $200.


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

what is the good thing about the processor? will it make games faster or anything? what can i get to improve speed, reduce lag? perhaps if you wouldn't mind you could configure a pc (preferably intel) at the same place for me and I could think about ordering that? If not it dosn't matter i appreciate the help as it is.

http://www.ibuypower.com is the site... i basically need a computer that won't lag, that I can play games in high quality, watch movies in high quality, create 3d animation, work off of, etc...oh i forgot the most important part

im spending at most $3000, i can get a 3000 intrest free loan


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

i used cheaper parts and actually added a nice monitor- how would this work for what I need, are the parts compatible?
Case ( [$15 OFF Mail-In Rebate] Nzxt Apollo Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( [= Gaming Edition =] 1000 Watt Extreme Power Supply [Gaming Edition] --- Quad SLI + Active PFC + 80 Plus Ready )
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9650 (4x 3.0GHz/12MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) Free 4GB Pen Drive )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit )
Motherboard ( [CrossFire] Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, Dual PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [1 GB X4] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( 2x NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 1GB w/DVI + TV Out Video - running SLI mode )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA )
Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( 16x DVD-ROM Drive Black )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] LG 20X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Network Card ( Killer K1 - Online Gaming Accelerator - w/ 333Mhz Network Processing Unit + Lag & Latency Reduction Technology )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
2nd Monitor ( LCD Monitor Sceptre 24" LCD 16:9 Wide Screen HDTV Video & PC Monitor Support Resolution 1920x1200 [Black] )
Keyboard ( Logitech Deluxe Keyboard Black )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in USB 2.0 Ports )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black )
Operation System ( Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) 64-Bit )
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
External Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The QX9650 will be faster then the E8500 but the price is pretty steep for the gain
How good is Ibuypower's support? 
The 8600gt sli is very weak for this build you would be better off with a single 9800GTX+
or a HD 4850 and on an Intel Crossfire board SLI 2 Nvidia cards ???????


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## ericgomes (Sep 18, 2008)

Here's the deal: Don't go SLI or CrossFire unless you have a 26" screen or bigger. There's no point in spending money on more than one video card in your system because it'll perform just as well as a single video card. If you have more than one video card you'll have to upgrade your cooling to make sure everything's stable. Get some feedback with other users about using two or more video cards. I can tell you it wasn't worth the money and there's a lot of troubleshooting that you have to do in order for them to work correctly.

DDR2 with 4-4-4-12 timings are perfect. Don't waste money on DDR3 just yet. When Nahalem comes out, guaranteed you'll see price drops everywhere for RAM.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Good to see an honest review ericgomes!


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

thanks very much for the information... would this be better?
Case ( [$15 OFF Mail-In Rebate] Nzxt Apollo Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black ) 
Case Lighting ( None ) 
Power Supply ( 800 Watt -- Power Supply Quad SLI Ready ) 
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX6850 (4x 3.0GHz/8MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) ) 
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit ) 
Motherboard ( [SLI] eVGA Nvidia nForce 780i SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, 3-Way PCI-E MB 3-Way SLI ) 
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand ) 
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB w/DVI + TV Out Video ) 
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA ) 
Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] ) 
2nd Hard Drive ( None ) 
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None ) 
CD/DVD Drive ( 16x DVD-ROM Drive Black ) 
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] LG 20X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black ) 
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard ) 
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System ) 
Network Card ( Killer K1 - Online Gaming Accelerator - w/ 333Mhz Network Processing Unit + Lag & Latency Reduction Technology ) 
Floppy Drive ( None ) 
Monitor ( None ) 
2nd Monitor ( None ) 
Keyboard ( Logitech Deluxe Keyboard Black ) 
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black ) 
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in USB 2.0 Ports ) 
Meter Display ( None ) 
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black ) 
Operation System ( Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) 64-Bit ) 
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None ) 
USB Flash Drive ( None ) 
MP3 Player ( None ) 
Video Camera ( None ) 
Headset ( None ) 
Power Protection ( None ) 
Printer ( None ) 
External Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter ) 
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support ) 
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

btw, all ibuypower.com had was SLI and Crossfire motherboards


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## riley66 (Jul 23, 2005)

changes ive made

updated with links
NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146025

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136284

EVGA 01G-P3-1280-AR GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail (x2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130365

CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139007


G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail (x2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231122

EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813188026

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9650 - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115130

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit English 1pk DSP OEI DVD for System Builders - OEM 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116493

Pioneer Black Blu-Ray Reader and 12X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model BDC-2202B - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827129016

ALSO-----

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019
for if i want to overclock

$2619 


Comments? Concerns? Anything im missing? Anything I can replace/get rid of? Is it all compatible? How good is it for gaming/multitasking


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## Hardwarenerd (Sep 24, 2008)

yes, it is compatable, my only suggestion is to change HDD, i would suggest getting 2 separated drives, one for OS and programs and one for games and other stuff, or even a raptor drive for your os/games, but thats just my opinion...


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## Dr. Paul (Dec 7, 2004)

Two issues.
Unless I am reading your proposal incorrectly, why are you buying a case with a power supply and then purchasing a separate larger unit??
Second, alternative to your video card: look at the Sapphire 4850X2. $399.99. Less than the 4870, but still very good specs.

I was also planning to use DDR3, but after further review, I would agree that the biggest bang for your bucks is the DDR2 systems. You could go either with X48 or P45 looking at both Asus and Gigabyte.
Enjoy


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

your power supplys are no name brand ...... which means "watts mean nothing"

read the power supply selection article in my signature


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

linderman said:


> your power supplys are no name brand ...... which means "watts mean nothing"
> 
> read the power supply selection article in my signature


Um a Corsair 1000HX 4 th in the list the Flu must have really affected you:grin:


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

ahhhhhhhh *touche` Mon Wrench * ray:ray:


too many cough drops get you high :4-thatsba


I saw no name on the first listing or two


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

And you missed the 750i


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## dio9419 (Nov 11, 2008)

I myself used DDR3 on a DX38 board... tried running 2x MSI 8800 GTS (SLI) and had too many hiccups (like running SLI on a Crossfire only board) . So now... as per my post recently am taking a step forward, while taking a step back. Going back to more reliable, more reasonable priced DDR2, and running just 1 high end card, my pick was the SAPPHIRE HD 4870 (1GB). I did however opt to go with a card that I can Crossfire just incase I decide I need a little more juice. 

My order is actually getting shipped right now... I wont be able to test it out til after new years though. 

I ordered from IBuyPower a few years ago. I didnt mind it, but there were a few things I didnt like after a while. For instance, the case I got, was made out of cheap materials and enhanced with 15 different colored LEDs and neons. In the car tuning world, that is called "ricey". But, none the less, I got the system, plugged it in and started using it immediately. 

On the other hand, my second build, every component was selected by me, and the computer was assembled by me. There were a few more hiccups... buying the choice of GPUs and motherboard, werent a compatible combo as you were about to with your first post. But in the end, after the build was done, I felt like I knew a lot more about my system, and also had a sense of self accomplishment. Something more then swiping my credit card lol. But to each his own.

And here I am now, upgrading more, and not only looking forward to the increased performance, but also looking forward to putting it all together.

Seems to be a new hobby (extremely expensive) that I have picked up!

Best of luck to you with your build man!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

if it were not for the fact the next generation cpu is strictly DDR3 ....... then DDR3 and DDR3 motherboards IMHO would be classified as a flop ....... as for the new I7 cpu's salvaging the reputation of DDR3 ....... thats to be seen ......... but my wager wont be on that horse ...... not until it shows more


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I fought with a recent customer not to buy two 4870's ........ I advised him numerous times to try gaming with one single 4870 (all the card anyone needs TODAY) 

we'll he didnt listen ..... in the end ..... the games ran much better with ONE card than they did with two 4870's so now he has a very expensive spare which is loosing its value everyday 

dual video cards are far better in theory than in practice


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## Hardwarenerd (Sep 24, 2008)

linderman said:


> I fought with a recent customer not to buy two 4870's ........ I advised him numerous times to try gaming with one single 4870 (all the card anyone needs TODAY)
> 
> we'll he didnt listen ..... in the end ..... the games ran much better with ONE card than they did with two 4870's so now he has a very expensive spare which is loosing its value everyday
> 
> dual video cards are far better in theory than in practice


and no, thats not true, especially if you have high resolution...or if you are powering multiple monitors... which alot of people nowadays are doing....

I think what linderman was trying to say, is that is not necessary, and can even hurt your system, unless you can actually USE 2 4870s or 4870x2 or multi GTX280s...

what size monitor are you powering?? what is the resolution? if you are running 1900x1200 then you might consider the higher end video cards, but unless you are running 1900x1200 or higher, an nVidia 260 or ATI 4870 are more than adequate.... but again up to you, imo, not worth the extra cash on super-high end video card...


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the system was one 24inch monitor .......the user playing crysis on high settings and 1900 x 1200 

they system was far better off with one 4870 ........ with two 4870's game play was choppy and erratic ........ tried many diff drivers ......... I dont doubt the game is at fault ....... but regardless why pay an extra $300.00 in video cards and extra $100.00 for ultimate PSU only to suffer less than premium game play experience!


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## Hardwarenerd (Sep 24, 2008)

hmm, odd, anyways, im just a hardware nerd... and although i dont understand the other than obvious drawback of having multiple Video cards, is your mobo SLi or Xfire? if it is SLi, you CAN use one (and only 1) 4870 or 4850 or 4870x2.... so it is really up to you, imo, stick with one 4870, if it doesnt do the trick, get another...ray:


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Hardwarenerd said:


> hmm, odd, anyways, im just a hardware nerd... and although i dont understand the other than obvious drawback of having multiple Video cards, is your mobo SLi or Xfire? if it is SLi, you CAN use one (and only 1) 4870 or 4850 or 4870x2.... so it is really up to you, imo, stick with one 4870, if it doesnt do the trick, get another...ray:






*DITTO*


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## Hardwarenerd (Sep 24, 2008)

linderman said:


> *DITTO*


thank you for sharing my opinion, linderman.....


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