New computer

[Athas]

So I'm putting together a new computer, I'm recycling my hard drives as well as my video card and picking up the following so far:

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W Power Supply - Retail

RAM: CORSAIR] 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - Retail

Need to pick out a new motherboard, processor and a DVD drive. I'd like to try to get a very high end processor since they typically last the longest, any advice is appreciated.

[Kohan]

I'd like to try to get a very high end processor since they typically last the longest, any advice is appreciated.

Just a bit of advice: I'd recommend getting a high-end dual core rather than a quad core, because really, nothing utilizes quad core technology yet. By the time things do--and it's going to be a while--you'll probably be ready to upgrade again anyway, and can get a superior processor.

[Athas]

Like this?

[Kohan]

Like this?

The CPU looks good to me, but you may want to save a few bucks and just get the OEM version. Since you're concerned about performance, and surely the safety of your investment, it's better to get a nice heatsink and fan and not use the crappy retail one.

This'll only shave a few bucks off how much you spend--perhaps literally--but you really won't want the mediocre heatsink and fan it comes with.

[Calina]

The CPU looks good to me, but you may want to save a few bucks and just get the OEM version. Since you're concerned about performance, and surely the safety of your investment, it's better to get a nice heatsink and fan and not use the crappy retail one.

This'll only shave a few bucks off how much you spend--perhaps literally--but you really won't want the mediocre heatsink and fan it comes with.

ya agree with kohan definitly go with OEM and get an after market heatsync and fan

after reading hundreds and hundreds of reviews while picking CPU for my new comp i read time and time agen that the intel heatsinks are crappy and badly made

found like 50 reviews saying 1 leg on the heatsink acculy broke during instilation cuase its so hard to get on

[Shuemue]

You could comfortably drop down from the E8600 to an E8500 or even E8400, they both OC admirably and you'd save a chunk of change that'd more than cover some good cooling.

[Isiolia]

ya agree with kohan definitly go with OEM and get an after market heatsync and fan

after reading hundreds and hundreds of reviews while picking CPU for my new comp i read time and time agen that the intel heatsinks are crappy and badly made

found like 50 reviews saying 1 leg on the heatsink acculy broke during instilation cuase its so hard to get on

OEM heatsinks aren't the only ones using that same style. The common Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 has the same exact clips, which are no less annoying when on that >_>
It's just the common thing to find now.

At stock speeds, the OEM heatsink/fan is generally fine too. People like to justify buying something else, but not everyone complaining about the OEM part actually ever used it. While I may wind up replacing it, I'm currently using the OEM hs/fan on my E8500, and it's working just fine - just like the OEM coolers on every CPU I've had for the last 10 years ('cept an Athlon I returned).

IMO, if you're installing into a case with less airflow, or will be overclocking, then aftermarket cooling may be called for (I used the Arctic Cooling on the Q6600 for my mom, for example). For stock speeds in a case with good airflow, stock should be fine...Intel/AMD wouldn't be putting a warranty on the CPU when using the provided HS/fan otherwise.

[Olo401]

I'd go for the E8400 - you can easily overclock it with the stock cooler to match the speeds of the E8500 or E8600, and then use the money you save to buy a badass cooling unit for major OC action.

[Athas]

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

RAM: CORSAIR] 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

Board: ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard

CD/DVD: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe

Cooling: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

Ok, so how's this look? My old card by the way is a Radeon X1950, but I may be ungrading it this Christmas, so I thought to get a bit bigger power supply.

[Isiolia]

You really shouldn't need that big a PSU unless you're using 2+ reeeeally power hungry cards. While I would never suggest buying a crappy PSU to save a few bucks, I do think you could find something for significantly less money that would still be of high quality. I've used Antec's Earthwatts units recently, which are very basic, but quite functional. There are plenty of other choices too. I think you could spend $100-150+ less on a PSU and still get something very solid.

Honestly, your choice of motherboard is most likely overkill by a mile as well. If you picked it specifically for features that you want, then by all means...personally, I've used this board in a couple builds now and have only good things to say about it. There's an SLI version for about $20 more I believe. The only caveat is the space for a heatsink, but I think that's an issue for most any board with decent heat sinks/pipes these days.

If you plan to overclock, you may want to purchase RAM with a higher speed rating. DDR-800 is fine, but there are faster standards out there, which may be handy (or a small performance boost at stock).


Do you have a target/preferred budget, or a general goal for the system? Some components are a money-is-no-object type of choice (PSU, mobo), others are rather price conscious (CPU, RAM).
Based on personal experience, I tend to shy away from the higher end components like some you picked. When I built my previous system, I went more that route (though not quite that expensive). It is/was a solid box, but overall I don't think the benefits of the premium parts were worth the extra cost.
Last time I built a machine it was around $1700-1800, this time, roughly half that. Was I less impressed with the PSU/case/etc this time? Yeah. Did the motherboard come with fewer accessories n' stuff? Sure. Has that affected how well stuff runs? Not in the slightest.

My opinion is that, unless you have specific reasons for going with those particular components, to find parts that are a bit cheaper. In perspective, you can probably knock $250+ off the price of your build there - enough to add in a new video card off the bat (4870 even). Depending on what you're using for storage...you could consider getting a new system drive as well.
If all you're reusing is the HDDs and video card, then why not try to build so that you can leave the old machine intact? Use it as a living room PC, a Linux box, dedicated torrent machine, or give it to a friend/family member, whatever.

[Shuemue]

OP: Your board selection is much more expensive than you need, have to agree with Isiolia on something like that Gigabyte.

I'd also suggest this PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

It's plenty for your needs and it's really easy to work with, I have one in my latest machine. If you're happy to go with a PSU that isn't modular, there's a 650W Corsair that'd be ample for you, and it's only $80 after rebate. Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

[Kohan]

At stock speeds, the OEM heatsink/fan is generally fine too. People like to justify buying something else, but not everyone complaining about the OEM part actually ever used it. While I may wind up replacing it, I'm currently using the OEM hs/fan on my E8500, and it's working just fine - just like the OEM coolers on every CPU I've had for the last 10 years ('cept an Athlon I returned).

Coincidentally, I do agree with this. I've built plenty of machines for other people where I've bought the retail version of a processor, and installed its heatsink and fan for them. It's not absolute garbage, and installing a better heatsink and fan--especially if you're not overclocking--is only going to make a difference of a few degrees, at best.

In fact--and this is more for the OP's knowledge, as I'm certain Isiolia's already aware--it's been shown that the adhesive which ships on these OEM heatsinks usually performs very closely to stuff like Arctic Silver.

Even so, the reason I recommend going with a bare OEM processor and buying another heatsink and fan is longevity. Sometimes these inexpensive fans last longer than the rest of the computer, and sometimes they crap out after a couple years. Can that happen with after market parts, too? For sure. I usually find that they last longer if they're built by a good cooling products manufacturer though, and that couple of degrees difference can be nice if you live in a really hot place/don't have great cooling/have other hot-running parts.

In the end, it's up to you. I still recommend getting an aftermarket heatsink and fan, but you may be just fine with the OEM package.