# Gaming Computer Parts List - Want Feedback



## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

I've got a "Frankenstein-esque" gaming computer and I'd like some feedback on what I could improve, as well as how much it'll run me $$$. It's been with me since 2004 (i think?) and I've had to replace a few parts here and there.
Most notably, about a year or so ago, my GeForce 6800GT failed on me while I was playing Crysis, (go ahead and laugh; I sure as hell did) and I decided to go ahead and ditch AGP and go all out for the PCI-e, which of course meant that my motherboard, processor, and RAM all had to go too.

Mobo: Intel P35DPM
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad-Core 2.4GHz (Q6600)
RAM: 2x1GB DDR2 (not sure what brand - assume standard grade stuff - I know this is the FIRST thing that needs to be replaced, but with what?)
HDD: 2x120GB RAID 0 (same as the RAM: unknown brand, I know I need to replace them esp. since they are now pushing 5 years of faithful service)
Video Card: EVGA 8800GT

Ive also got a sound card in there (Audigy 2 something, it's been around since I originally built the computer, in all honesty I may have not hooked it back up when I replaced the mobo; I realize now that I've gotten rather lazy when it comes to maintainence)

Is it worth upgrading the RAM and HDD's again?
If so what do you recommend?
Should I wait and/or maybe spring for a new custom computer based around Core i7 or Core i5?
If so when, and what should I look into getting?

Reply with any thoughts or questions. Thanks in advance.


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## mrquick42 (Jan 21, 2009)

Most of your components look like they should still be pretty solid performers. The first thing (maybe the only thing I would do if it was my system) is upgrade the RAM and DDR2 800 RAM is cheap and a very strong performer.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

If you feel like spending a little bit of money you could upgrade the video card as well. A 9800GT card will probably get you a few more FPS in your favorite game.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339

As far as the core I7 stuff goes, I would probably wait most of a year for some of the bugs to get worked out and for the price to come down. Personally I don't see the point in paying $1000+ for a new mobo and CPU that *might* perform 10% better than what you already have.


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

Thank you for the imput. You don't think the HDD's need to go too? I ask because I'm worried about mechanical failure, and since I'm set up in RAID 0, it would not be pleasant. Perhaps I should just back up my drives to an external HDD to give me a little peace of mind. I wouldn't be too upset if I lost all of my data, but it would be nice to be able to keep some important files.

I realized that I completely forgot to include information about my operating system, which used to be Windows XP Pro 32-bit, but when I had the video card failure, I "upgraded" to Windows Vista Business 64-bit. I'd also like any thoughts on what operating systems are best for gaming PC's.


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

Sorry for the double-post... I tried to edit my last post, but it was past the 30min timer.

I wanted to include some more information about my parts outside of the box itself so I could get recommendations about them as well as update on some of things I couldn't remember while I wasn't at the PC in question.

The sound card is a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, it is hooked up, I don't remember if I wired in the front panel though.

The case itself is a Thermaltake Tsunami Dream that has held up fairly strong, though it can be a bit noisy and occasionally will vibrate my desk (probably the result of a dying fan off it's axis) adding to the noise and annoyance.

The speakers are Creative SBS 5.1 560 that work fine, although (this may just be the games themselves, or the settings) I play a lot of FPS's and they get VERY quiet VERY quickly when I am next to someone who is talking or shooting etc. and I am not facing them. Also, the center speaker doesn't put out sound. I've moved the speakers around, but it's always the center one that doesn't work.

I have a dual monitor setup and really enjoy it. My main monitor is a decent 19" (maybe) Neovo F-419 LCD that only gets resolution up to 1280x1024, which is fine but I'd like to look into other monitors that can get 1600x1200. My secondary monitor is an old Optiquest Q41 CRT (I dug it out of the basement) that gets 1024x768. It takes up too much desk space which is why I want a new monitor so I can move the Neovo to secondary.

I have a Logitech S510 cordless keyboard/mouse that work fine, though I'd like to look at some keyboard/mouse setups that were designed with gaming in mind. I like the wireless, but I would like rechargeable batteries this time around. (I'm sick of buying batteries... and whose freaking idea was it to make the mouse take AA and the keyboard AAA!?)


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

*Bump*

...while I'm thinking about it would it also be worthwhile to get 8g of RAM (2x what mrquick42 suggested) or would the other 4g basically go to waste as "too excessive"?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

What OS are you running if 32 bit windows the 4Gig is the max it will see.
The P35/ Q6600 can still be a potent set up maybe a pair of 2Gig sticks in DDR2 800 and a good heat sink and fan then OC the Q6600 to around 3Gig.

As for the HD's 5 years is time especially since the brand is unknown I would just use 1 Seagate 320 or 500 Gig drive with the 32meg cache. 

You will not see a lot of difference between the 8800GT and the 9800GT if any, A GTX260, 280 or 285 yes but what power supply are you using?


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

64-bit windows vista business on a 64-bit processor... I hear tell that I need AT LEAST 4g of RAM to take advantage of 64-bit technology, which is why i thought why not go for 8g if it's only gonna run me another $40?

As a side note I was wondering about changing my OS:
I've heard that Vista Ultimate is faster than any other edition, but I've also heard that there is a 64-bit version of XP floating around somewhere. I've heard the 64-bit XP has some stability issues but other than that I know next to nothing about it. Additionally, would it be stupid to downgrade to 32-bit XP Pro? (which I actually have)

I was looking into some velociraptor HDD's... are they worth it for my setup?

_"The P35/ Q6600 can still be a potent set up maybe a pair of 2Gig sticks in DDR2 800 and a good heat sink and fan then OC the Q6600 to around 3Gig."_

I assume you meant 3GHz, but my immediate problem then becomes my case. It's fairly cramped in there as it is, and I need to invest in at least one or two new fans (the one installed now are noisy esp. the main one in the rear which has become such an annoyance I have disconnected it from the PSU and left the side of my case open to help compensate... yes I know it's a bad idea, but I'm not currently OCing, so I'm not very worried)

I am unsure what kind of PSU I have installed, but it WAS replaced along with the mobo, ram, and video card; I just forgot to mention it. It was a little bit bigger than my previous one, and I had trouble actually fitting it into the case. I think it should provide enough power for most anything I would want to put in there, though I could do some math when I get off work and am actually in front of the PC in question.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

With the side off the label should be easy to see on the PSU.

64 bit XP is 64 bit XP be it Home or Pro Same with Vista Business it is not faster or slower the Ultimate or Home Premium just a different feature set.

Task manager will show you how much ram you are using I bet not even close to 4Gig I've had 4 person work stations in a graphics environment that didn't log over 6gig of usage with 4 people using the machine at the same time.

If the Case does not have good cooling then I would consider upgrading it, I think the i7 setup needs more time they are not that much faster then a current P45/P35 with a E8500 Dual core(since most software only runs on 2 cores) are expensive and have a few bugs yet, The point being maybe you should start working your way to the next setup with a Case, The ram will not go forward as i7's are DDR3 only boards so I would stay with 4Gig, D\L Cpuz it will ID the ram you currently have and the speed> http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Raptors are a waste of cash IMHO they are not much faster then the latest Sata Drives may save you .2 of a second opening a program but costly and fail quicker then standard drives.

Next question is budget do you have an amount in mind?


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

Frankly I didn't think budget would be much of an issue at first, but I would say I am not looking to drop thousands to make my PC a "top-of-the-line" super computer, but I am willing to spend enough to upgrade what I think is already a well-built machine with a few weak areas to a solid, all-around gaming setup that any gamer would be proud to own.

Things I would like some more information or newegg links to:
*HDD's* - good, dependable, fast (does RAID0 read/write noticibly faster than a single HDD? and if so how many HDD's does it take to notice a difference?)
*Cases* - I'm not a flashy guy, so somthing with customizable Case LED's that strobe to the beat of your iTunes isn't my kind of thing, (actually that would be pretty cool to see) but I do like style.
*OS's* - what's the "best" 64-bit OS to play games on?

*Monitor's, Speakers, Keyboards/Mice*


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Hard drives = I agree it would be very SMART to add two 500gb sata drives to your rig ......... like seagate sata300 drives with 32mb cache

case ................. smart money = COOL temps and plenty of room = FULL tower

antec 1200 or this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160


ram choice

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214


cpu has plenty of wallop proividing your motherboard is capable of overclocking ..... am checking that now

you could use a good cpu cooler = zalman 9700


you must verify power supply ............... your video card has plenty of muscle IMHO ....... in fact the Q6600 at stock speeds cant drain the muscle out of that card .......... plus that card will overclock very well !!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

nix the memory I listed above ............ I dont see support for 1066mhz ram ........... so grab the next closest thing

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194



these will be almost darn near as good and as fast


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The Os you have is fine all it's missing that Ultimate has is Media Center for recording TV/Movies and bitlocker to encrypt the hard drive in case it gets stolen, maybe a good thing on a laptop but if someone steals your desktop you probably have larger problems.

Raid0 is faster you already have raid so not a learning curve so much for installation.
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/raid/levels/singleLevel0-c.html
2 or 3 of these would be fast> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288

Cases I use a lot of Coolermaster cases and like them a lot > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...mList=N82E16811119068,N82E16811119152&bop=And
Just got one of these for a build today can't tell you yet how bright the light is> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133074
But the neon is part of the fan so easy to get rid of if necessary.

Monitors > In what size?

Speakers> Bad thing to ask a tone deaf guy like me

Keyboard and Mice need to feel right to you, I use a lot of everything, anything but I do like the Razors. > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153003


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm glad to hear all my research and work putting this PC together paid off. :smile:
I looked into some Corsair RAM, but to be honest is it worth paying over twice the price for Corsair as I would for these?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
What are the bonus's in going with Corsair so I know if it's worth the extra $$$ to me?
I also wasn't a big fan of the case designs either... not sure why. Maybe I'm just looking for something thats not black this time around. It might just be that simple.
As for the HDD's, I think getting more speed for my money than space is more important to me. I'd guesstimate I won't need more than 500G total.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

that Gskil ram is not bad ram ......... but that model is not a really good one either ........ high performance ram is rated for 2.1 volts ........... I am assuming you are chasing "performance" other wise why bother with this adventure at all ?

your linked ram is kind of like higher class economy ram ................. not bad stuff ...... just not great


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148212

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227371


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

I've always fear OCing my computer because of some nasty rumors I've heard about what it can do, plus I know if I didn't want to be one of those who blew up their system trying to push it too far, I'd have to invest in some other higher quality "aftermarket" parts like fans and a nice heatsink. Maybe it is just good fortune that I either NEED to replace my fans, or buy a whole new case outright. If I got my hands on some nice fans, and a bigger heatsink, I'd be ok with OCing my system to get a little bit more performance out of it. I wouldn't want to push it, but I see no point in playing it safe having my nice, expensive computer operate at half of what it's capable of. (esp. since the way technology is if it doesn't fail after a year it's obsolete and needs to be replaced anyway)

The point is I *NEED* some more RAM the 2x 1G Kingston DDR2 800 RAM I have in there now is pretty much laughable when compared to the rest of the system. Would Corsair RAM operate faster and perform better than those other RAM's? Or would it not be noticeable until after I've heavily overclocked my system?

Of the RAM linked throughout this thread which would you recommend for my system if I chose not to OC it, or only _slightly _OC it, and would I still need to get a better heatsink if I plan to do ANY OCing?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I dont push or suggest pusing ANY systems to breaking edge........... your Q6600 is plenty capable of hitting 3.0ghz with zero danger !

all you need is good case air flow ............ a roomy case thats not all cramped up / good memory / good psu >>>>> you still havent given us this info ......... 

all DDR2-800 I have linked will meet your needs at prices of $59.00 to buy 4 gigs ??????


kingston is economy ram (for the most part) ................. there is no need for that in todays cheap ram prices !


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

Just got home...

PSU: NSpire PSH450V
Monitor: Not good with numbers... something LCD for sure (maybe 22" or at least around it?) preferrably of a decent size with good resolution
Speakers: Good quality sound preferrably with a good woofer that can really bring those FPS's to life

If I push the CPU to 3.0GHz, do I need to purchase any aftermarket heatsinks or fans? (please specify if it's a CPU fan or a case fan etc.)
If so, do you have any recommendations?
It looks like the OCZ Platinum RAM is a better deal... Any thoughts?
I still need to find a good case that I like too... do you know of any that are recommended that maybe come in a silver or gunmetal color or something other than flat black?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.pugetsystems.com/part_info.php?part=4591


the oCZ ram is very good .......... no worry there

cpu heatsink/ cooler = zalman 9700 .......... go to the zalman website and you will find an install movie there too !

I am shocked youre getting by with that 450 watt power supply .............. hope I didnt just jinx you !


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

> http://www.pugetsystems.com/part_info.php?part=4591
> 
> 
> 
> ...


haha so you're saying that my PSU will need to be replaced as well? What do you recommend there?
I saw that case a while ago and I really liked it, have you ever use a case with an air filter like that one? I assumed it would be VERY quiet and clean, (which I would love) but might be prone to overheating. I've looked at it more closely and seen that it's got a lot of features I would love. I'm sold on the case thank you very much!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

if this adventure goes over budget on you ........ simply prioritize the purchases!

the Antec P182 is an awesoem case ...... I have sold a fair number of them ...... they are sharp looking for sure ......

as for the filter it really depends on the individual circumstances ........ some of my customers complained they had to clean the filter every two weeks to address dust collection ............. others said cleaning every two months >>>>... what makes one person's house less dusty than another ?

personally I like the filter because I dont like the dust in my cpu cooler !

as for PSU ................. you will be able to sell off all your old stuff on ebay

I sell and prefer Corsair 750-TX ............. about $110.00

the PC power & Cooling 750 is an awesome unit also


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

I like the idea of having a clean interior because I'm sick of having dust-induced sneezing attacks every time I open up a computer... I assume if I get sick of changing the filter, I could just remove it and not put it back in.

*Here's what I've got so far for my "new" PC:*
Mobo - unchanged
CPU - unchanged
RAM - OCZ Platinum 2x2GB 240-pin DDR2 800 ~$60
HDD - ???
Video Card - Unchanged
PSU - 750W ~$100?
CPU Cooler - Zalman CNPS9700 ~$50

Case - Antec P182 (gunmetal finish) ~$150
Monitor - ???
KB/M - ???
Speakers - ???

I think it's looking good so far... I'll probably be either slowly upgrading over the next month or two, or I'll just snap and go all-in at once.

I'd like some more suggestions of HDD's. Like I said, I won't really use more than 500G or so, but I want to set up several in RAID0 to make them perform faster. Anyone know of any cheap, low capacity, fast HDD's?

I also want to know if anyones knows of a good deal for monitors or sound setups. The keyboard and mouse are probably too much about personal taste and as such, I'll just have to look around for something I like myself. Does anyone use a ZBoard and REALLY like it?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the only real advice I can give on the monitors (there are just too many variations and info to discuss ) is look for a monitor capable of 1900 resolution and youll have plenty of quality!


as for drives ............. they really dont get cheaper because they are smaller in data capability ! weird but tru

my fav is the 500gb .........seagate sata 300 drives with 32mb cache


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

> the only real advice I can give on the monitors (there are just too many variations and info to discuss ) is look for a monitor capable of 1900 resolution and youll have plenty of quality!
> 
> 
> as for drives ............. they really dont get cheaper because they are smaller in data capability ! weird but tru
> ...


Do you feel widescreen monitors are better or worse for gaming purposes? Can you send me just a link or two of good monitors so I know what to look for?

I've heard rumors that Seagates can be rather loud... know idea if there's any truth behind it. I may be mistaken, but it's possible the HDD's I have right now are Seagate's.

Have you ever used XP 64-bit? I realized I had a copy lying around the office, and have been playing around with it today. I think I would absolutely LOVE it, if it weren't for driver issues, which are always a pain. However I really want to just set it up on my gaming PC; if for no other reason than to see if I can find drivers for everything).
I read an article online somewhere that XP handles current-gen multi-core processing WAY better than either Vista or 7. When the days comes that we have 32+core processors, they say Vista and 7 will overtake XP in terms of speed. The simplicity and out-of-date nature of XP makes it run current-gen technology better... or at least thats what I got out of the article...


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the feedback I have been getting from win 7 beta users is all positive .............. the worse stuff they report is really what I call a "neutral comment"

even users I know that dont like vista; do like win 7

as for 64bit windows xp ............. it has improved alot in the last couple of years ....... the driver support has gotten drastically better ............. I use both ....... both I see no speed advantage whatsoever using win 64 vs win 32

64bit is really a server environment thing ............. a server being accessed for data and programs from multiple desktops can really hog up bus bandwidth ............a common desktop can not 


but in as much as you have a copy of 64 ready to fly ......... I would roll with it


BTW: I dont kind seagate drives to be noisey ...... at least not any more so than any other ?


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

I've been playing with the 7 beta, both 32 and 64. I really like it as well. It's definetly a step up from Vista, and the thing that really sold me from the beginning was the LONG overdue changes to the UI. Being able to pull a window up to the top of the screen to maximize, and pull down to restore, Aero Shake, the desktop peek, or whatever they're calling it, all GREAT stuff that makes just interfacing with your OS soooo much quicker and better. However, in my benchmark testing, I've found that all these extra features and improvements make the OS slower. It's about on par with Vista; a little faster in some areas, a little slower in others, but it does still have a year or so in development, so I'm hopeful. Despite how much I love the UI of 7, I've got to say that, for a gaming setup where speed takes priority over UI and ease of access, XP still appears to be king.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Turn off Aero and you save the resources.


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

OK... I know it might be redundant at this point but I've got OCD for these kind of things so please bear with me lol.

*This is a list of what's in my computer right now:*
OS: Windows Vista Business 64-bit
Mobo: Intel P35DPM
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad-Core 2.4GHz (Q6600)
*PSU: NSpire PSH650V* _(I mistyped in an earlier post that this was a 450V PSU; it is not, it's 650V)_
RAM: 2x1GB Kingston DDR2 800
*HDD: 2x120GB Western Digital Caviar SATA 8MB Cache (RAID0)* _(I hadn't yet specified much about my HDD's other than their capacity and age...)_
Video Card: EVGA 8800GT
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS

*This is a list of what I plan on having in my computer:*
OS: Windows XP 64-bit
Mobo: Intel P35DPM
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad-Core 2.4GHz (OC'd to 3.0GHz)
PSU: NSpire PSH650V
RAM: 2x2GB OCZ Platinum DDR2 800
_http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227371_
HDD: 2x500GB Western Digital Caviar Black SATA 32MB Cache (RAID0)
_http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320&Tpk=western%20digital%20caviar%20black%20500gb_
Video Card: EVGA 8800GT
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS

*Additional changes include:*
Replacing PC case (Thermaltake Tsunami Dream with Antec P182)
_http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025&Tpk=antec%20p182_
Replacing stock CPU fan/heatsink with Zalman CNPS9700
_http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019&Tpk=Zalman%20CNPS9700_

OK then... does this meet with the approval of those that know better than I? lol. I want to make sure everything is 100% compatible, and that I haven't done anything stupid like not replacing something that should be replaced or replacing something with a terrible product. I also want to be assured that overclocking to 3GHz isn't an insane idea. I've never OC'd before and am understandably nevous. Will I be able to figure it all out by reading linderman's noobie guide? _(http://www.techsupportforum.com/f273/if-you-are-new-to-overclocking-read-here-for-starters-232382.html)_

Finally I'd like to thank linderman and wrench97 for helping me with this upgrade. I've used these forums before for research and help troubleshooting, but haven't posted until about a week ago. techsupportforum.com rules.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Looks good, the Nspire PSU doesn't thrill me but as long as the voltages look good and you keep an eye on them you should be ok.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I personally would not keep the nspire PSU .......... sell that puppy off on ebay with the old case to some know it all thinks mediocre power supplies will run anything ........ a power supply has to be a strong player in the overclocking areana ......... that nspire will not fill those shoes


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## veritas88 (Feb 4, 2009)

Alright so in order to OC my CPU, I will also need to replace the power supply:
_http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=Corsair%20750-TX_
I think I will hold off on the OCing, the PSU, and the heatsink/fan until next month when I get another paycheck. I'm going to put in an order for the RAM, HDD's, and the case in the next day or two. Once again thank you for all your help; if I have any problems with the build, I'll let you know.


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