Gaming Build, please advise

[Starcra2itsabouttime]

Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600
Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooling Fan
MSI P6N SLI-F nForce 650i
2048MB Corsair XMS2 Xtreme w/Heat Spreader
8800GTS 640mb
320 GB Hard Drive [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache]
Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi ExtremeGamer
MS Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition
NZXT PF-500 Power Supply

Is 500watts enough?
Also, is it worth it to get a 8800GTX over the 8800GTS?
Not too computer savy so any help is appreciated.

[peterhuang913]

Go with the Corsair 520watt PSU, it's a recommended part. Also, do you really need an SLI board? Go with either the G-skills 2GB HZs or the Crucial Ballistix 2GB ram. Unless your playing games up at Crysis level, a 8800GTS 320MB card is enough. What brand is the HD? Get Windows XP Pro instead of MCE.

[vernong1992]

Originally Posted by peterhuang913

Go with the Corsair 520watt PSU, it's a recommended part. Also, do you really need an SLI board? Go with either the G-skills 2GB HZs or the Crucial Ballistix 2GB ram. Unless your playing games up at Crysis level, a 8800GTS 320MB card is enough. What brand is the HD? Get Windows XP Pro instead of MCE.

also if he's going quad-core and overclocking a p35-ds3r with a tuniq tower is an overall better choice

[j12]

+1 on the PSU because i am using it right now, it is super reliable and very very stable. I am using the psu with a 8800gts 640mb superclocked a E6300@3.2ghz, 2 hard drives, 2 optical drives an several case fans.

[the:megalon]

i strongly suggest go with the 8800 gtx. why?

the price difference between the gts and the gtx also has a noticable performance difference, so go with the better for the extra hundred dollars.

also, on another note: even though the quadcore is incredibly cheap compared to 3+ months ago, i really think you're wasting its potential if you go with a quad core cpu and a single 8800 gtx. if you want the quad core, you need it for multiple programs or with two 8800 gtx's running in SLI. it's a waste to get a quad core then one 8800gtx.

[even though the 8800gtx is magestic, the quadcore is too much; you gotta have two components with equal potential to bring out their best]

[Pinscher]

Originally Posted by the:megalon

i strongly suggest go with the 8800 gtx. why?

the price difference between the gts and the gtx also has a noticable performance difference, so go with the better for the extra hundred dollars.

also, on another note: even though the quadcore is incredibly cheap compared to 3+ months ago, i really think you're wasting its potential if you go with a quad core cpu and a single 8800 gtx. if you want the quad core, you need it for multiple programs or with two 8800 gtx's running in SLI. it's a waste to get a quad core then one 8800gtx.

[even though the 8800gtx is magestic, the quadcore is too much; you gotta have two components with equal potential to bring out their best]

No offense, but this makes no sense to me. Why would you need 2 GTX's for them to bring out the full potential of each other. I have a GTX and a QX6700 and they both run beautifully. Your logic makes no sense to me.

[Starcra2itsabouttime]

Oh yea, probably shoulda mentioned that I'm not building this myself. I'm getting it off ibuypower.com(yea yea i know its more expensive then building, but building is beyond me atm) so I'm limited somewhat on the different parts I can use.

Should I use a diff motherboard?
Asus P5N-E SLI nForce® 650i
eVGA NForce 680i
MSI P35 Neo-F P35
The above are in my preferred price range but the others offered are:

Asus P5N32-E SLI nForce® 680i
Asus Striker Extreme nForce® 680i
MSI P6N Diamond nForce 680i

As for ram, they only offer corsair or mushkin directly, but it does say corsair "or other major brand" so I was just going to pick corsair straight out.

No idea on HD brand and thanks for the XP Pro suggestion.

[vernong1992]

Originally Posted by Starcra2itsabouttime

Oh yea, probably shoulda mentioned that I'm not building this myself. I'm getting it off ibuypower.com(yea yea i know its more expensive then building, but building is beyond me atm) so I'm limited somewhat on the different parts I can use.

Should I use a diff motherboard?
Asus P5N-E SLI nForce® 650i
eVGA NForce 680i
MSI P35 Neo-F P35
The above are in my preferred price range but the others offered are:

Asus P5N32-E SLI nForce® 680i
Asus Striker Extreme nForce® 680i
MSI P6N Diamond nForce 680i

As for ram, they only offer corsair or mushkin directly, but it does say corsair "or other major brand" so I was just going to pick corsair straight out.

No idea on HD brand and thanks for the XP Pro suggestion.

sorta saw that coming... cuz i knew that only cyberpower and ibuypower have that CPU Cooler, btw don't buy from ibuypower, go cyberpower, go to cyberpowerpc.com cheaper there

[Gabb]

The Asus Striker Extreme nForce® 680i has to be the biggest waste of money ever. Sure its the fastest mobo around, but only by about 5% and it basically costs more then DOUBLE the price ( last time I checked ) of a regular 650 mobo.

[baron5]

man i wish i got better mobo i was noob back then
but has been running my quad pretty well. 1.3 volts not bad i guess