# Building a new super spec PC from scratch, need help w/ parts to buy...



## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi there. I'm a PC newb about to buy some parts for a super spec PC for rendering & maybe games (Steam). I have a list of components I'm going to purchase & hope that I can build something w/ the help of others that are experienced is stable & yet v. powerful.:grin:

Here are the components I want so far...
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme Edition QX6850 "LGA775 Kentsfield" 3.00GHz.

GPU: ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT SILENT Heatpipe 1024MB GDDR4 VIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express).

Memory: Corsair 2GB DDR2 XMS2 DHX PC2-6400C4DHX TwinX (2x1GB).

Sound: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Sound Card.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB 5000AAKS SATA-II 16MB Cache.

Disc drive: Pioneer BDC-202BK 5x BD-ROM + 12x12 DVD±RW Serial ATA Dual Layer ReWriter - (Black).

Casing: Lian Li PC-B20B Aluminium Midi-Tower - Black.

PPU: Asus Ageia PhysX Accelerator.

Power supply: Enermax Galaxy 1000W EGX1000EWL ATX2.2 Modular PSU.

Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Midnight Grey.

I don't know what kind of cooling to get but I picked these for the GPU & CPU...

Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 VGA Cooler.
Zalman CNPS9700-LED Aero Flower (Socket AM2/939/754/775) CPU Cooler.

I'm still thinking about buying these parts & would like to know what works & what doesn't in my little assortment. What is the right cooling solution to go w/ etc. 

Can you help me please?:1angel:
My budget is £2,500. I went to Alienware for reference & then ebuyer & Overclockers.
I'm looking to get a PC for future-proofing. I don't want to think of getting a new PC in the next 3-4yrs. lol

Thanks for taking your time to read this. 
I am here to learn, please teach me.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Hi, and welcome to TSF! :wave:

A couple points I want to make:

You really won't be able to fully utilize all four cores of a quad core processor. I would instead go for the E6850 and upgrade later.

Any 8800GTX or Ultra card will beat the HD 2900XT. It currently has a flaw that might be fixed with new drivers but it isn't certain. Needless to say, I would go for the 8800 GTX for about the same price.

While the case is mostly for looks, I would take a look at the Antec Nine Hundred if you really want a mid-tower or better yet the thermaltake armor cases. You will need good cooling for an 8800 card.

To be honest, a PPU today is really a waste of money. DX10 cards do Physics processing onboard so the CPU doesn't have to do it, and only a handful of games actually a utilize PPUs. I would forget about it.

Also, you didn't include a motherboard. I would suggest the MSI P6N Diamond and use the onboard Creative Soundblaster X-Fi. As for the heatsink, go with the Zalman 9700 you listed.


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## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

Wow! Thanks for the reply. I was dying for a solution. lol
Sure I'll ditch the ATI Radeon either for the NVIDIA 8800 GTX or Ultra. In fact the reference I had setup over at Alienware recommended the NVIDIA GPUs. 

But I'm glad you offered the cooling solutions as that bit was giving me a headache. I'll definitely follow through w/ your suggestions though. I will discard the PPU also. I wasn't thinking properly & was using future-proofing as factor. But thank you for your guidance.ray:


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

You're welcome. Any other questions? What will be your final build?


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## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

Motherboard: EVGA nForce 680i SLi (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (122-CK-NF68-A1).

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme Edition QX6850 "LGA775 Kentsfield" 3.00GHz (1333FSB).

GPU: Leadtek GeForce 8800 Ultra Leviathan ***Water-Cooled*** 768MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express).

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case.

Wireless solution: Netgear WPN111 108Mbps Rangemax Wireless USB 2.0 Network Adapter.

Disc drive: Pioneer BDC-202BK 5x BD-ROM + 12x12 DVD±RW Serial ATA Dual Layer ReWriter - (Black).

Display: Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Midnight Grey.

RAM: Corsair 2GB DDR2 XMS2 DHX PC2-6400C4DHX TwinX (2x1GB).

HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB 5000AAKS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM.

Power supply: Enermax Galaxy 1000W EGX1000EWL ATX2.2 Modular PSU.

Cooling: Zalman CNPS9700-LED Aero Flower (Socket AM2/939/754/775) CPU Cooler.

I stayed w/ the Quad Extreme as I don't want to have to upgrade again for a looooong time & I managed to get all of this right below my budget of £2.5k, so far it has reached £2,414.44 including VAT. I'll probably save the remaining £86 or so for the OS. XP or Vista?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

IMO the eVGA boards aren't the best quality. Look at the MSI P6N Diamond as I suggested as it has an onboard Creative Soundblaster X-Fi on it. The Gigabyte GA-N680SLI-DQ6 is another good choice. Foxconn also has a 680i board for around the same price as some of the eVGA boards.

Also, what water cooling system will you be using for the water cooled 8800 Ultra? I think air should be fine as long as you get something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835888309


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## pharoah (Aug 28, 2006)

i second the pci slot cooler.i got one setting under my 8800,and it keeps a decent temp.you can also increase the gpu's fan speed with riva tuner.


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## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

The new parts you recommended couldn't be found on the website I'm thinking of buying from; Overclockers.co.uk. So I made some alterations along the lines of what you recommended.

I discarded the NVIDIA 8800 Ultra for this GTX model.
GeForce 8800 GTX OC2 768MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express).

& I added these too.
Thermalright HR-03-PLUS (8800 GTX) VGA Cooler.
MSI K9A Platinum Crossfire (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard.

What do you think? I also removed the USB Wi-Fi dongle. I might need to get a dedicated network card. The overall price now is £2,261.69.


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## HawMan (May 12, 2006)

The Motherboard you listed is for AMD Socket AM2. Your looking for Socket 775 (Intel):grin:


As TheMatt says, Get the P6N Diamond ( ill have a look on some UK based websites )



Edit - have a look at this

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/129036


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## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

Oh I see... lol Silly me. I'll get an Intel 1 to match the Intel CPU.

Like this 1?... Abit IP35 Pro (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard.


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## HawMan (May 12, 2006)

Take a look at the link i added.


I like Ebuyer - Lots of Free shipping & Good prices.


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## M1de23 (Jul 30, 2007)

^ Awesome! I might need to rever t back to ebuyer now... lol:tongue:


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

The P35 chipset is good, but I would go with the 680i because you have the option to throw in another 8800 later in SLI. Also, the P6N Diamond has an onboard Creative Soundblaster X-Fi


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