Steve07

Hey guys whats up I'm a bit new here. If this is not the right section I apologize. Anyways let me get right into it. I'm building a new computer and wanted to know what you guys think of the setups I am choosing from. Consider that I will be using for everyday work/school, browsing the web, Gaming.

First set up:
Amd Phenom II x940-cpu
Gigabyte GA-Ma780GUD3H or GA-MA78GMS2H-motherboard
Coolmaster-690-KKN1-GP-Case
2x2GB(4GB) DDR2 Mushkin or OCZ-memory
Western Digital(WD5000AACS) 500GB-HDD
ATI Saphire Radeon HD4850- Video Card
OCZ 600Watt-Power Supply
Running XPS2 and Windows & when it comes out and I feel like switching
Can get it for $1064.62 Tax in

Second set up:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550-cpu
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P-Motherboard
Coolmaster-690-KKN1-GP-Case
2x2GB(4GB) DDR2 Mushkin or OCZ-memory
Western Digital(WD5000AACS) 500GB-HDD
ATI Saphire Radeon HD4850- Video Card
OCZ 600Watt-Power Supply
Running XPS2 and Windows & when it comes out and I feel like switching
Can get it for $1267.96 Tax in


Third Set Up:
i7920-cpu
Asus P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Maniboad- Motherboard
Antec Sonata III - Mid tower - ATX - power supply 500 Watt (ATX12V 2.01)- case
Western Digital(WD5000AACS) 500GB-HDD
3x2GB(6GB) OCZ-memory
Keep my Nvidia 8600 form my old set up
Running XPS2 and Windows & when it comes out and I feel like switching
I can get it for $1015.65 tax in

So ya what do you guys think? Please don't be too harsh lol. Oh and what do you guys think about AMD vs the Intel chip in the first 2 set ups?

Thanks
Steve

linderman

I'll take set-up #2


Intel has AMD beat rather decently right now .................. I would dump the OCZ 600 watt power supply ............ those are mid grade and rather skimpy for those set-ups too!

substitute for the Corsair 750-TX


The I7 - 920 system is all kinds of mismatched .............. antec 500 watt power supply is really a bottom feeder .............. and that 8600 video card wont game worth a hoot ..........

systems 1 & 2 will smoke it gaming wise

linderman

set-up number 2 will overclock very well ................ with a better power supply though !

Steve07

Ya I'm leaning towards the Q9550 set up. Now I hear that to overclock it you need the Q9550 OE? is that true? Also what is the verdict on motherboards Asus or Gigabyte? Oh and should I look for a better motherboard for that setup? If so give me some suggestions.

Thanks

Net Jockey

What one needs to know about...the relation of the negative effects of heat on the computer...That can be caused by the power supply.

Manufacturers test their PSU's at a set temperature...from this their rating is determined... for most this No. is 25 degrees Celsius...which falls short of the temperature that most computers are capable of achieving.

Given that a PSU will actually lose 2-5 watts per one degree of heat above the 25 Degree Celsius testing temperature...coupled with the fact that computers tend to run at 10 degrees higher than room temperature... In the summer time when the room temperature can easily reach 80 degrees F... your computer will be running at 33 Degrees C. or 90 Degrees F.

So the...math can make...your 500 watt power supply into a 460 watt unit.

In addition to this...what needs to be taken into account is that each degree that your computer components are operating at...under powered...adds more heat to the equation.

Consider also...the possibility...that ratings given by the manufacturer of single components...such as graphics cards...need to be treated with skepticism...Manufacturers may minimize support issues and under rate the power required...in order to make a larger profit.

The above has not taken into account...the issue of high quality vs poor quality units...Power supplies convert voltages from wall outlets to lower levels used by the PC. During this conversion, some power is lost as heat. The efficiency level of the PSU determines how much extra power must be put into the power supply to run the PC. A high quality PSU can help reduce the noise and heat generated within a computer system. The higher the efficiency rating the less heat the PSU has to deal with.

Therefore heat is the computers enemy...The hotter the temperature your PSU is forced to run at...the poorer the supply of power the rest of the components will receive...which has been known to lead to such things as crashes, freezing, rebooting, BSOD’s, and video distortion, as well as partial and complete failure of other components.

The fact is very few PSU’s are capable of producing the wattage that the companies advertise.

For a very good comprehension of recommended brand names, wattage, and models in listed categories...Plus much more...check out this link. Power Supply Information and Selection

wrench97

You can overclock any of the Quads, I suspect the OE your referring to is OEM(?), which is the CPU sold without the heat sink and fan so you can add a larger aftermarket one for better cooling when overclocking.

Steve07

Sorry I meant E0 not OE lol. Ya I was told to watch out when buying this chip and make sure I get the Q9550 E0 because the C1 is harder to overclock or something. Anyways I appreciate the info you guys have given me about everything. Thanks for the PSU read it makes allot more sense now to not skimp out on a PSU. Also still have a few questions before I take the plunge on the new unit.
1) Gigabyte vs Asus motherboard is there a reason I should go one over the other?
2)is the motherboard I posted in the 2nd set up good? Is there another one I should be looking for instead?

linderman

Asus and Gigabyte are even IMHO ............both make excellent performance boards ....... IMHO they are tied for first place in the motherboard market .......... when you start reading alot of mothereboard reviews you will see that also seems to be the consenus in the reviewers opionions as well