Suggestion for new system build

Hi all, I'm looking at building a new system pretty soon, just waiting
for the new Intel CPUs to drop. Here's a general idea of what I want
to build.

Intel Q9450 (Penryn)
4GB RAM (not yet decided on brand, might go with Kingston or Crucial)
2x 8800GT 512MB (looking at EVGA)
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750W (is it overkill?)
EVGA nForce 780i SLI A1
Seagate 7200.11 HD (not decided yet on size)

This is what I'm looking at right now, but I'm looking for your input
on this. I haven't built a completely new system in years, have not
played with SLI or Crossfire either.

It's my understanding that Penryn runs best with DDR3 (which the
nForce 780i doesn't support), but that also nForce is the only way to
go for SLI. I'm not against running an Intel chipset (which probably
would require me to run ATI video cards in Crossfire), but I'm
hesitant. From what I understand, the 8800GT cards are pretty much the
soft spot for quality/price ratio right now. I've also been looking at
DDR3 price vs DDR2, and am wondering if the price difference is worth
it, seeing that DDR3 seems to be extremely overpriced.

So, I still have a lot of loose ends, and really want input on this,
as this will be a system I'll probably be keeping at least 3 years,
maybe more. It's gonna be used for gaming (not a hardcore gamer, but
appreciate a good gaming machine). Also, Vista or XP, and what 22" LCD
would you recommend? (I might add a second display in the future, or
depending on total system price, add it right now).

Thanks for the input.

"mctwist" <mctwixt RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote...
> Hi all, I'm looking at building a new system pretty soon, just waiting
> for the new Intel CPUs to drop. Here's a general idea of what I want
> to build.
>
> Intel Q9450 (Penryn)
> 4GB RAM (not yet decided on brand, might go with Kingston or Crucial)

Any RAM over 3 GB is pretty much a waste in 32-bit Windoze, and 2 GB will handle
just about anything. Save your $$ and get 2 1GB sticks. I like Crucial; bought
Ballistix for my current machine.


> 2x 8800GT 512MB (looking at EVGA)
> PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750W (is it overkill?)

Probably not overkill for the SLI rig.


> EVGA nForce 780i SLI A1
> Seagate 7200.11 HD (not decided yet on size)

With all that power, why not a Raptor or 2 for the OS?


> This is what I'm looking at right now, but I'm looking for your input
> on this. I haven't built a completely new system in years, have not
> played with SLI or Crossfire either.
>
> It's my understanding that Penryn runs best with DDR3 (which the
> nForce 780i doesn't support), but that also nForce is the only way to
> go for SLI. I'm not against running an Intel chipset (which probably
> would require me to run ATI video cards in Crossfire), but I'm
> hesitant. From what I understand, the 8800GT cards are pretty much the
> soft spot for quality/price ratio right now. I've also been looking at
> DDR3 price vs DDR2, and am wondering if the price difference is worth
> it, seeing that DDR3 seems to be extremely overpriced.

I have seen no real advantage for DDR3. Again, save your $$ and get a good DDR2
MoBo.


> So, I still have a lot of loose ends, and really want input on this,
> as this will be a system I'll probably be keeping at least 3 years,
> maybe more. It's gonna be used for gaming (not a hardcore gamer, but
> appreciate a good gaming machine). Also, Vista or XP, and what 22" LCD
> would you recommend? (I might add a second display in the future, or
> depending on total system price, add it right now).

Samsung T series (not the cheaper B series) LCD. I have a 193P (earlier version
of their high end) and a 244T.

I'd still stay away from Vista, though it may finally become viable with SP2...