It has been 3 years since my last upgrade, so I have been looking at upgrading my current system. I have come up with this list of components. It seems like this list would make a good price-to-performance ratio with a nod to future upgrades. Considering dx-10 cards come out within the year, which would bring them to a decent price, this time next year for a video upgrade, assuming that a single dx-10 card would out perform an SLI 7950GT set.


I am also buying my first Sata drive. I can install Windows 2000 onto it , right? Just like a standard EIDE drive?
Any other input/suggestions/advice would be appreciated.


Processor-
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor
Model #: BX80557E6400

Memory-
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5

Motherboard-
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX Intel Motherboard
Model #: P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe

Video Card-
XFX PVT71JYHF9 Geforce 7950GT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card
Model #: PVT71JYHF9

Heatsink-
ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Blue LED Light Cooling Fan with Heatsink

Hard drive-
Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Model #: WD800JD

Power Supply-
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V EPS12V 610W Continuous @ 40°C Power Supply
Model #: Silencer 610 EPS12V

pretty nice

since your getting the E6400 why dont you just go for the E6600 and take full OC advantage of that 4MB L2 cache ?

but reading the reviews on the board its not of an OCer
so maybe you should stay with the one you have...

Though I would wait a little while to the nForce boards get better for core 2 duo because the overall performance doesnt come close to CrossFire branded boards like the ASUS P5W-D

as for as vid cards go
nVidia should release there next gen cards soon with GDDR4 to compete with ATI with their release of the x1950xtx which has GDDR4 also

Looks good. Though I'd say cheaper RAM, and bigger Harddrive.

I agree with Zaltan, no point in that RAM if you're not running a top speed CPU.

Check out the Gigabyte GA_965P_DS3 motherboard if you're planning to overclock, its pretty cheap is known to overclock well

Nice choice on the gfx and PSU tho, looking forward to seeing some results.

I have compiled a bunch of links in a thread for people just like you, make sure you watch the videos at the top, and check out Planets thread at the bottom.

http://forums.pcapex.com/intel_cpu_m...d_to_know.html

Also, you can see the CPU and memory performance differences in the Anandtech articles.

Are you planning on Overclocking this rig? it sure sounds like it!

Thank you for the input guys, I made these particular choices after pining over about 7 different ways, I could build a system. I scoured as much information as I could, even the Anandtech site among others. Which is what spurred the move to an Intel processor, since the 775 is supposed to be Quad core capable, just like AM2. This generation takes into account parts that will be able to carry over to the next system, saving me a few hundred dollars in the long run. And getting me a nice bang for the buck, since my newest piece of equipment is 3 years old. i.e. non PCI-express, and a 7 year old PSU. For those interested I will explain a few of my choices. And a voiced concern for the choice of Motherboard.


The cost difference between the DDR2-800 and 1066 is only 50 dollars, so I figure I might as well get the good stuff, so I don't have to buy better at a later date.

I have no intention to run Crossfire, unless they have fixed the little issue of the 60Hz refresh cap. 60 Hertz, seriously 'hertz' my eyes. I can't stand the screen flickering like a computer monitor does on a TV either.

The Hard drive is for the system OS, and programs, no storage. Storage is on a server, and on any one of my EIDE drives I have lying around here.

The processor is a nice middle ground, about $200, until the Quad-Core processors come out, and down to a reasonable price. And I have no intention to overclock. Just to run as cool, and silently as possible.


Which brings me to the only thing preventing me from spending the money today, the Motherboard.
I am unsure of the motherboard, because some of the new 775 boards are coming out, supposedly, Quad-Core compatible. Which is something I would really like to have, to help control how much I have to spend on a future upgrade. But the thing preventing me from spending the money on one of those, is that they are Crossfire, and not SLI. Anyone know of a better choice with respect to those concerns?


P.S. I already used that particular thread like a cheap date, 'Necro. Thanks

And yet the E6700 and E6400 are at about a 80 dollar difference, a quandry for sure. I wonder if the higher memory, or higher Processor would make the greater difference...... TO TEH INTERTRON!!!!!!

well fact as the matter is
ATI = Intel
nVidia = AMD

even though AMD owns ATI , they still perform better in a an intel based system :p
though with hacked drivers it may be possible to run CrossFire or SLi

Can I ask where that particular information is found, Joe'? I would be interested in seeing it.

Anandtech just released a Kentsfield compatibility chart, the P5N32 wasn't on it, unfortunately.
But it does appear that just buying DDR2-800 instead of DDR-2 1066 will have very little effect compared to getting the E6600 instead of the E6400. So the price stays about the same and performance is much higher, with the slower memory but faster processor, with the larger cache. Plus as an added bonus, a slight, further, futureproofing too.

SOLID

Thanks for the help guys.
Time to spend money