Advice needed - New system build

[DigitalReich]

Hi there. I'm in the process of building a new system. This system is oriented towards excellent performance at a reasonably high cost, budget of 2000-2200$.

requirements :
excellent graphics performance 8800GTX
FSB1333 on Motherboard - upgradability
800MHZ DDR2 SDRAM - 4GB
Reliable power supply
Upgradability, relative silence.

Here's what I have settled on so far.

MoBo : ASUS s775 P5K deluxe @ ~270$
CPU : Intel Core 2 duo E6850 @ ~335$
GPU : BFG 8800GTX OC @ ~606$
RAM : Kingston HyperX 800mhz 4-4-4-12 PC2-6400 (twice) @ ~169$
PSU : Enermax 620w modular @ ~ 185$
CASE : Antec p182 @ ~165$

that's about 1900$ ... then i'll need an extra fan, and i might change the cpu power supply. Depending.

Now for the questions

RAM : what I'd really like to do is fill only two slots with one kit of two 2048MB modules. However when I look at the QVL of the motherboard The kingston seems like the only logical choice. What do I need to know before I venture outside of the QVL? How do I make the difference between real incompatibilities and unscrupulous deals with memory manufacturers?

What would the performance drop be like if i went for cheaper PC2-5300?

CPU : The quad Q6600 is still a on the side of my head. Any opinions?
How noisy are the stock fans on these processors? would you recommand changing it to, say, something sexy like the Coolermaster Mars or something efficient like the Thermaltake BigTyphoon?

GPU : another noise question : are there viable and safe fan alternatives? once again, how noisy is the stock cooler of the 8800GTX?

Would changing the manually controlled tri-cool fans that come with the p182 case beinfit being changed for 3-pin MoBo-controlled silent fans like the thermaltake 120mm Stealthfan?

 

[Tedster]

read the upgrading ram guide in the guides forum.

The best cooling out there (besides water cooling) are FANS. You got to MOVE the air to cool it. Peltier coolers and thermalelectric coolers and heatpipe coolers are out there, they may cool your system, may not depending on how hot it gets from gaming.

Orient your fans the thermaldynamic way. intakes on bottom, outtakes up top.

 

[sghiznaneck]

If you're running an 8800 GTX and not using watercooling, I'd advise picking up a pci fan. I inserted one into my system (1st pci slot - just below primary PCI-e 16X slot) and it brought the temp of my 8800 down an average of 7-10 degrees celsius. It was running pretty hot at 60 degrees celsius prior to installing the pci fan. Now when gaming (even with games like fear and ESPECIALLY with Bioshock), it's running between 45-50 celsius.

 

[DigitalReich]

Codex computing : about the ram issue, if you read the QVL of the asus p5k, you'll notice that the ONLY viable option for 4gb of acceptable performance ram is the one i've choosen. basically there is ONE option for 2gb dimms and it's way out of my ram budget. now i might choose to opt for the gigabyte DQ6 or DS3R instead, wich leaves me as empty-handed as before. I'm really confused here on how ASUS can advertise a 8GB of maximum ram capability and not even support all DIMMS full on their only 2GB modules option. (??)

Tedster, thanks for the read, it was helpful in stating that I had to be careful about it, but again, am I completely in the dark if I choose to go outside of the precise QVL? what QVL information can be used to help me find memory characteristics wich might be suitable for this certain type of motherboard?

I pretty much decided to go for an ultra120 CPU cooler. a scythe s-flex 800RPM might even be enough to cool it. It's not too expensive, and it fits my needs. Also thinking about changing the tri-cool fans with Scythe S-Flex fans, MB controlled.

It's the motherboard and ram issue that's really holding me back now. Building computers has certainly come a long way towards complexity since i've been (sparsely) doing it.

sghiznaneck : I'll consider a Zalman VF1000 before this. As a matter of fact I AM considering a zalman vf1000

Cheers!

_______________________
Needing someone is like needing a parachute.
If she's not there the first time you need her,
Chances are you won't be needing her again.

 

[SNGX1275]

One thing to consider with 4+ GB of RAM is the OS. You'll want XP64 or Vista64 for that.

 

[DigitalReich]

is x64 something i should even consider driver-wise?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Yes. The 4GB RAM limit in 32-bit versions of XP and Vista includes VRAM as well, so the OS may only recognize 3GB or so of your memory. Check out my system in my profile. It's very similar to yours so if you want any pointers, feel free to PM me.

 

[DigitalReich]

i have an audigy2 zs in my current system as well... can you even get it to run properly under vista? .

my question was more like: are the 64 bit drivers evolved enough so that i don't loose too much functionnality if i switch to vista ultimate x64?