Recommendations: Processor and Motherboard

[darkdestroyer6]

I am looking to build a new computer and would appreciate any help / recommendations.

I am looking at getting the Intel Q6600 or the Q6700 or the Q9300, which should i go for?

Also i am unsure on what motherboard to go for, i am after a top of the range motherboard with RAID and ive been told to look out for crossfire....any recommendations / help would be great :)

[gwai lo]

What's your total budget?

What's your computer going to be used for?

Is this a new build or upgrade?

Do you have any parts right now?

What size is your monitor?

Are you going to be overclocking?

[darkdestroyer6]

What's your total budget? - about ?500- ?550

What's your computer going to be used for? - General day to day use, playing some games from time to time, some work such as word documents, spreadsheets, photoshop work.

Is this a new build or upgrade? - It will be a complete new build

Do you have any parts right now? - No i don't

What size is your monitor? - My monitor is 17"

Are you going to be overclocking? - No i probably wont be overclocking

[gwai lo]

Well with that budget, you're going to be stuck with lower mid end boards, but you're not necessarily missing out on too much from a features perspective unless you NEED Crossfire (which you don't with that size monitor), DDR3, or something... So I'd say take a look for the Abit IP35-E, Gigabyte P35-DS3L, P35-DS3R, DFI P35-T2RL, or MSI P35-Neo2 FR.

Same with the processor, get either the Q6600 or Q9300 depending on which one is cheaper. The Q9300 will perform *slightly* better, run cooler, and has more overclocking potential...however you don't have a budget to pick and choose.

RAM - 2?1GB DDR2-800

GPU - 9600GT

PSU - Corsair 450VX or 520W, Seasonic unit in the 500W range, Antec Earthwatts, Thermaltake RX units...

That should come up to being a pretty solid core.

[darkdestroyer6]

Thanks for your advice :)

I can spend more then ?550 on it all i just thought that would be a reasonable price (maybe im wrong)

[Max Veteran]

Thanks for your advice :)

I can spend more then ?550 on it all i just thought that would be a reasonable price (maybe im wrong)

?650 would help you alot if you could stretch to that.

[Raa]

The suggestions put forward by gwai are excellent. I'd go with that recommendation for the budget you've given (Y)

[darkdestroyer6]

Erm... possibly, ive worked out everything else im getting its just the motherboard and processor.

What do u suggest? :)

[gwai lo]

What else are you getting?

[darkdestroyer6]

I had thought:

Maxtor 320gb sata hard drive

Corsair 4GB Kit (2x2GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Memory Non-ECC Unbuffered CL5(5-5-5-18) Heat Spreader - or memory that goes with chosen motherboard.

550W ATX Silent Neon PSU - 12cm Fan/PPFC

Using old case

XFX 8600GT 512MB GDDR2 DVI HDCP HDTV out PCI-E Graphics Card

Edited April 30, 2008 by darkdestroyer6

[CrashG]

Erm... possibly, ive worked out everything else im getting its just the motherboard and processor.

What do u suggest? :)

The Asus P5K-E or Gigabyte P35-DS3R would be good mid range boards. CPU's either Q6600 or Q9300.

[darkdestroyer6]

Thanks.

Why the Q6600 and not the Q6700? and would it be better to get the Q9300 then the Q6600?

[cbosdell]

Thanks.

Why the Q6600 and not the Q6700? and would it be better to get the Q9300 then the Q6600?

It's all about the $70 price difference from the Q6600 to Q6700 just not worth it for the 1x higher multilplier imo.

I'm building a new computer this summer and I'm going with the Q9300 -- it's built on the new 45nm technology and therefore runs cooler and a bit more efficently. Also it has the new SSE 4.1 tech which will speed up video encoding.

[+shift. MVC]

The Gigabyte budget boards are pretty good.

That 550W ATX Neon Silent PSU that you had originally worries me a little.

[CrashG]

Thanks.

Why the Q6600 and not the Q6700? and would it be better to get the Q9300 then the Q6600?

For the price of the Q6700 you would be better off getting the Q9300. I know you can't order from Newegg but here's their prices:

Q6600 $220

Q6700 $280

Q9300 $285

For the price difference I'd have to go with the Q9300 over the Q6700 as cbosdell said. Also -SHiFT- brings up a good point about the PSU. Don't skimp on the PSU, it'll come back to haunt you. It's the least respected part in the machine. :laugh:

[darkdestroyer6]

Thanks all.

So far ive now decided its either going to be the Q6600 or the Q9300 and for motherboard its either going to be an Asus or Gigabyte board.

[CrashG]

Thanks all.

So far ive now decided its either going to be the Q6600 or the Q9300 and for motherboard its either going to be an Asus or Gigabyte board.

For mobo's Gigabyte P35-DS3L (low end), P35-DS3R (mid range) or Asus P5K (low end), P5K-E (mid range). It really depends on what features you want. Also depends on how much they cost where you're ordering them from.

[darkdestroyer6]

Thanks, i was looking at spending around ?70 - ?90 on a motherboard and i was after (if possible) a high end motherboard.

The only features i can think of is RAID and up to about 8GB max memory to be installed.

I dont really know a great deal about motherboards, i just thought (maybe stupidly) i want to get one of the high end boards, which will last a while and i wont have to upgrade for a few years.

I can spend more then ?70 - ?90, just thought that was a good price to be spending on one.

[+PeterUK MVC]

Hows this for ?550 @ http://www.scan.co.uk ?

Asus P5K-E/WIFI-AP

512MB PNY 8800GT

2GB (2x1GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2

500w Seasonic S12II-500

320 GB Western Digital WD3200AAKS

Coolermaster RC-331 Elite Black/Silver

Optiarc/NEC AD 7200S-0B

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700

[darkdestroyer6]

Thanks il look into it :)

Quick Question... does it matter what make graphics card you go for? or are they all pretty similar, just depends on what spec card you want?

[+PeterUK MVC]

Quick Question... does it matter what make graphics card you go for? or are they all pretty similar, just depends on what spec card you want?

If you go for a Asus motherboard you don't have to go for a Asus Graphics Card if thats what you mean.

[darkdestroyer6]

Sorry, i just meant like theres so many makes of graphics cards e.g. asus,pny,xfx etc

does it matter which make you choose?

[+PeterUK MVC]

Sorry, i just meant like theres so many makes of graphics cards e.g. asus,pny,xfx etc

does it matter which make you choose?

Nope only what bad experience some people have with one make then the other.

[SMELTN]

I have a very similuar question.. I have an old AMD dual core, but its old.. Mobo is old also. So I need a new mobo and processor. I currently have 2 gigs of ram but its DDR2. I have a GeForce 8800 GT so my graphics are great, but I am being bottlenecked by my proc/mobo..

Suggestions on a new mobo/proc? And do I need new ram since my old ram is DDR2? Budget is $300 US MAX!!

[+PeterUK MVC]

I have a very similuar question.. I have an old AMD dual core, but its old.. Mobo is old also. So I need a new mobo and processor. I currently have 2 gigs of ram but its DDR2. I have a GeForce 8800 GT so my graphics are great, but I am being bottlenecked by my proc/mobo..

Suggestions on a new mobo/proc? And do I need new ram since my old ram is DDR2? Budget is $300 US MAX!!

If your RAM is DDR2 667 then your ok.

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L & Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 or Q6600 would be the max for your budget.