How does this gaming rig sound

***Corey*** · 12-26-2007, 12:02 PM

Here are some specs I am looking at, and a few links provided.
The one for the Antec case has a video review too.

Case
Antec 900
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15900

CPU
Intel dual core 3.0G (4 MB cache) E6850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115028

Ram
Corsair PC-8500 2x1 GB sticks

Motherboard
Asus P5N 32-E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131073

Video card (one for now, may go SLI down the road)
EVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB superclocked
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInf...640-P2-N821-AR

Hard drive SATA
WD 250 MB 7200 RPM

Soundcard
Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102005

Pioneer DVD+RW 16x16 black

PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower 650 watt
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/produc...0104/w0104.asp

NCSU-4runner · 12-26-2007, 12:17 PM

everything looks fine but the video card, just get a 8800GT, cheaper and all the reviews i've read show the same performance as the GTS. The GTS is actually an older core, I'd have to go look but I think the GTS is 90nm node while the newer 8800GT is based on 65nm. The naming nomenclature is somewhat confusing. If you don't already know of it check out Anandtech.com, thats where I go for all my computer parts reviews. They have a great 8800 review in the vid card section.

edit, link added

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3140

***Corey*** · 12-26-2007, 02:49 PM

Here is another link I saw on comparisons of cards.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...1 6&chart=318

Yes, I have been to Anandtech's quite often.
I am kind of locked into that vid card for now, as the local shop where I am getting the tower, mother board, and CPU from are putting that together.
They do not have the GT one in stock right now.
A few there though game with the GTS, they said it did pretty well.

Anything should work better for UT III than my current outdated system.

The rest of the stuff I have on order from NewEgg, should be here soon.
I will finish the build by adding the other components to it.

Going with XP Pro again, so I picked up a new copy.
While Vista is getting better with patches, I would prefer to try it out later.
XP Pro has proven itself as a very good gaming OS.

This is exciting building a new gaming PC.
My current one I put together way back in mid 2002, and upgraded it early 2006 from 512 RAM to two GBs, took out the ATI 9600 Pro and put in the current EVGA 7800 AGP, added a SATA drive as the main drive, and a few other things.

While it plays the new UT III very good at 1080x768, I would rather crank it all the way up to 1680x1050 and have the eye candy on full blast.
This new PC should do that fine.

Someone had mentioned to me about the Intel quad cores, maybe down the road, but the dual core will be a huge jump in performance for me over my current PC.

I really like the case, two 120 mm fans up front, one 120 mm fan back aft, and a huge 200 mm fan on top.
The top one sucks the hot air out, the other three bring in outside air.
The case gets pretty good reviews.

NCSU-4runner · 12-26-2007, 04:20 PM

Assembling a computer yourself is so easy, a screwdriver and an hour and you're done. As long as you do your research and make sure the CPU/MB/RAM are compatible the rest is plug and play. Every computer shop I've been to was a ripoff for both their component prices and labor, but then again thats how they pay for the retail space and employees. Not saying they shouldn't make a buck, but for something ANYONE can do on their own I wouldn't bother.

What does it matter if its not in stock at this shop, shipping is <$5 most of the time from newegg, and you'd have it by monday, and save $100 for a superior product.

Are they price matching newegg?

linuxrunner · 12-26-2007, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCSU-4runner

Assembling a computer yourself is so easy, a screwdriver and an hour and you're done. As long as you do your research and make sure the CPU/MB/RAM are compatible the rest is plug and play. Every computer shop I've been to was a ripoff for both their component prices and labor, but then again thats how they pay for the retail space and employees. Not saying they shouldn't make a buck, but for something ANYONE can do on their own I wouldn't bother.

What does it matter if its not in stock at this shop, shipping is <$5 most of the time from newegg, and you'd have it by monday, and save $100 for a superior product.

Are they price matching newegg?

This is very true... However many people's time is VERY valuable to them, so the hours it takes to research, purchase, install, setup and troubleshoot is soemthing they are willing to pay for.

Also the biggest reason is that many people like to have somebody to turn to when things stop working. If you install all your hardware and software yourself you then have to spend your own time trying to troubleshoot if something stops working. But if you have a local shop do your setup you just tell them "the sound is cutting out on this pc you built please fix it" And assuming you have a service agreement (many do) you don't have to worry your little head about it.

***Corey*** · 12-26-2007, 04:39 PM

Yes, I am just getting the tower, mother board, and CPU from them.
Assembling all the other goodies myself.

Also been doing more research, going with the EVGA or FXF 8800 GT in a 512 MB one.
From what I have read, it is better than the 640 MB 8800 GTS model.

I should have all the parts here by Monday if I finalize it down tonight.
The shop is matching NewEgg on the few items I am getting there.

This PC is gonna own UT III with all settings to maximum

Also I goofed on the HD.
Going with a Seagate SATA 350 GB one.
I prefer Seagate over WD.

89macrunner · 12-26-2007, 07:52 PM

that case is SUPER loud and pretty bright, but it will keep your stuff cool. my roommate has one and it keeps me up at night.

anyways.

get more ram its so cheap. max out xp with 4gb

good choice on xp pro...SP3 is supposed to be overall faster than vista SP1

maybe a quad core cpu..they arent TOO much more

Consider getting two HDD and running them in RAID 0..the speed difference is nuts!

the stock intel cpu cooler is pretty good but getting a little better one with some quality thermal paste never hurt anyone. especially if you are looking for a long lasting system!

Overall seems like a good setup!

***Corey*** · 12-26-2007, 08:04 PM

Thanks, will give the 2 GB of RAM a run for awhile, then when I see that Corsair RAM go on sale, I will grab a few more sticks.

Was thinking about a 24" LCD to replace my current Dell 22" one, but my son and I came to the conclusion that the 22" one I have now is perfect for my deck, as we both sit a little more than 2' back from it.

A 24" might overwhelm us.
So I may pick up a 19" widescreen from that local shop by me.
That would go in the spare bedroom where my current tower will retire too.
My son is in there now with his Dell XPS with a 13.4" screen playing WOW with some friends, and he would be able to hook it up to the new 19" one.
Or he could load up WOW on my PC that is going to retire to that room.

Crap, I got PCs all over the place

I have my old P III 500 in there, that thing was last turned on when I formatted my current PC last July.
It does not get used much.

onesojourner · 12-27-2007, 07:50 AM

you should just get the e6750. its 100 bucks cheaper and you can OC it to 3.2 one the stock cooler. plenty of people are running over 3.6 on better air coolers.

***Corey*** · 12-27-2007, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesojourner

you should just get the e6750. its 100 bucks cheaper and you can OC it to 3.2 one the stock cooler. plenty of people are running over 3.6 on better air coolers.

Thanks, I already paid for the other CPU, and an eVGA 8800 GT.
I am not really into OC'ing.
I have done my present 2.4c chip up to 3.12 GHz fine, but strange things start to happen when overclocked and heat mix.

If I was going watercooled like my friends gaming rig, then I would do it.
But the 3.0 I got should be fine, and dual core.
Remember I am jumping up from technology from 2002, so this will be a screamer to me.

Now after ordering that vid card, I hear there is a new kid on the block even better.
The new 8800GTS.

That is the problem with computers.
You can spend $10K on a beautiful gaming rig, and it will be outdated within a week.

At least the 8800GT I ordered is a good step up from the other 8800GTS I was thinking about.

DudeBud · 12-28-2007, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey

At least the 8800GT I ordered is a good step up from the other 8800GTS I was thinking about.

i have an evga 8800gt 512 and so far so good. I built a new system about 2 months ago.

***Corey*** · 12-28-2007, 06:17 PM

Sounds good Dan.
I am seriously thinking now of putting my present PC out in the living room to let it still perform its PVR duties, this way I do not have to stuff the two TV cards into the new PC.

If I put the present PC out there, is this what I need to connect to the new wireless network I setup last Monday?

http://infotechnow.com/shop/shopping... 14&pr_no=5332

I am building this new PC to mainly handle the new UT III.
It looks OK on mine now, can not wait to get a much better frame rate and colors with the new one.

Eventually I will replace the 3.0 with a quad core and put in a second video card.

What are the specs on yours?

DudeBud · 12-28-2007, 06:53 PM

i went with an amd 5000+ black edition dual core, 4 gigs of ddr2 800, 8800 gt and a asus m2n e sli board that sucks because it wont let me change my vcore past 1.35v, but i can still get 3.1 ghz out of this cpu and the hottest it gets is 50c

***Corey*** · 12-28-2007, 06:59 PM

I have heard I can OC the 3.0 with proper cooling to almost 4.0, but I am not going to try that for quite awhile.

I have to see how much more faster this is over my present 2.4c Intel with 2 GB of RAM and the eVGA 7800 card (APG) in it.

Avsfreak1234 · 12-28-2007, 07:36 PM

this reminds me, I need to rebuild my comp.

***Corey*** · 01-17-2008, 09:13 AM

Found more info on my motherboard.
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...&modelme nu=1

One thing I hear and a good friend of mine hears on his Asus mobo (his also has the heat pipes on it) is a clicking noise once in awhile.
I do not think it is a system beep from a mobo speaker.

Anyone familiar with these type of mobos that have the heat pipes on them?
Could that sound I hear be the heat pipes expanding or contracting as heat moves through them?

Mystickal · 01-27-2008, 11:27 PM

Your heatpipes should be silent, not making a clicking noise. I can't think of any way they'd make your noise - even if they weren't functioning properly. Any clicking that you hear is coming from a different source. Likely culprits are:

Wires rubbing against a fan
Bad bearing on a fan
Hard drive (or optical drive) stalling
Power supply

If the clicking is constant, I'd suspect a fan over anything else - try running your system with the side panel off, and stop each fan one at a time *DISCLAIMER - dont' get your fingertip sliced if you have a high powered fan in there - use your own judgement. I usually press down on the hub of the fan away from the blades, or I'll disconnect the fan from it's power supply source before turning the computer on. Don't forget the videocard fan!

~Bill

12-26-2007, 12:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	How does this gaming rig sound Here are some specs I am looking at, and a few links provided. The one for the Antec case has a video review too. Case Antec 900 http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15900 CPU Intel dual core 3.0G (4 MB cache) E6850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115028 Ram Corsair PC-8500 2x1 GB sticks Motherboard Asus P5N 32-E http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131073 Video card (one for now, may go SLI down the road) EVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB superclocked http://www.evga.com/products/moreInf...640-P2-N821-AR Hard drive SATA WD 250 MB 7200 RPM Soundcard Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102005 Pioneer DVD+RW 16x16 black PSU Thermaltake Toughpower 650 watt http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/produc...0104/w0104.asp __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-26-2007, 12:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
NCSU-4runner Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 1,599	everything looks fine but the video card, just get a 8800GT, cheaper and all the reviews i've read show the same performance as the GTS. The GTS is actually an older core, I'd have to go look but I think the GTS is 90nm node while the newer 8800GT is based on 65nm. The naming nomenclature is somewhat confusing. If you don't already know of it check out Anandtech.com, thats where I go for all my computer parts reviews. They have a great 8800 review in the vid card section. edit, link added http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3140 __________________ Jeremy, 94 4Runner Turbo Leaf Spring SAS front - Coilover 4link rear (starts December) / Supra Swap My Truck is featured on Supracharged.com - Home of the original Supra swap and Forum One of two things will happen, I will die, or the truck will be finished. I'm not sure which will be first. Last edited by NCSU-4runner : 12-26-2007 at 12:19 PM.

12-26-2007, 02:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Here is another link I saw on comparisons of cards. http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...1 6&chart=318 Yes, I have been to Anandtech's quite often. I am kind of locked into that vid card for now, as the local shop where I am getting the tower, mother board, and CPU from are putting that together. They do not have the GT one in stock right now. A few there though game with the GTS, they said it did pretty well. Anything should work better for UT III than my current outdated system. The rest of the stuff I have on order from NewEgg, should be here soon. I will finish the build by adding the other components to it. Going with XP Pro again, so I picked up a new copy. While Vista is getting better with patches, I would prefer to try it out later. XP Pro has proven itself as a very good gaming OS. This is exciting building a new gaming PC. My current one I put together way back in mid 2002, and upgraded it early 2006 from 512 RAM to two GBs, took out the ATI 9600 Pro and put in the current EVGA 7800 AGP, added a SATA drive as the main drive, and a few other things. While it plays the new UT III very good at 1080x768, I would rather crank it all the way up to 1680x1050 and have the eye candy on full blast. This new PC should do that fine. Someone had mentioned to me about the Intel quad cores, maybe down the road, but the dual core will be a huge jump in performance for me over my current PC. I really like the case, two 120 mm fans up front, one 120 mm fan back aft, and a huge 200 mm fan on top. The top one sucks the hot air out, the other three bring in outside air. The case gets pretty good reviews. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-26-2007, 04:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
NCSU-4runner Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 1,599	Assembling a computer yourself is so easy, a screwdriver and an hour and you're done. As long as you do your research and make sure the CPU/MB/RAM are compatible the rest is plug and play. Every computer shop I've been to was a ripoff for both their component prices and labor, but then again thats how they pay for the retail space and employees. Not saying they shouldn't make a buck, but for something ANYONE can do on their own I wouldn't bother. What does it matter if its not in stock at this shop, shipping is <$5 most of the time from newegg, and you'd have it by monday, and save $100 for a superior product. Are they price matching newegg? __________________ Jeremy, 94 4Runner Turbo Leaf Spring SAS front - Coilover 4link rear (starts December) / Supra Swap My Truck is featured on Supracharged.com - Home of the original Supra swap and Forum One of two things will happen, I will die, or the truck will be finished. I'm not sure which will be first. Last edited by NCSU-4runner : 12-26-2007 at 04:21 PM.

12-26-2007, 04:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Yes, I am just getting the tower, mother board, and CPU from them. Assembling all the other goodies myself. Also been doing more research, going with the EVGA or FXF 8800 GT in a 512 MB one. From what I have read, it is better than the 640 MB 8800 GTS model. I should have all the parts here by Monday if I finalize it down tonight. The shop is matching NewEgg on the few items I am getting there. This PC is gonna own UT III with all settings to maximum Also I goofed on the HD. Going with a Seagate SATA 350 GB one. I prefer Seagate over WD. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-26-2007, 07:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
89macrunner Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 2,067	that case is SUPER loud and pretty bright, but it will keep your stuff cool. my roommate has one and it keeps me up at night. anyways. get more ram its so cheap. max out xp with 4gb good choice on xp pro...SP3 is supposed to be overall faster than vista SP1 maybe a quad core cpu..they arent TOO much more Consider getting two HDD and running them in RAID 0..the speed difference is nuts! the stock intel cpu cooler is pretty good but getting a little better one with some quality thermal paste never hurt anyone. especially if you are looking for a long lasting system! Overall seems like a good setup! __________________ Daily Driver: 2007 Windsor "The Hour" Fixed Gear 250 miles Crouch Rocket 2005 Felt F80 1100mi (purchased new in Jan 2008) 2006 Mazda3 GT 2000 TRD Tacoma..Bought back and crushed 1988 4Runner SR5 V6 5 speed..sold

12-26-2007, 08:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Thanks, will give the 2 GB of RAM a run for awhile, then when I see that Corsair RAM go on sale, I will grab a few more sticks. Was thinking about a 24" LCD to replace my current Dell 22" one, but my son and I came to the conclusion that the 22" one I have now is perfect for my deck, as we both sit a little more than 2' back from it. A 24" might overwhelm us. So I may pick up a 19" widescreen from that local shop by me. That would go in the spare bedroom where my current tower will retire too. My son is in there now with his Dell XPS with a 13.4" screen playing WOW with some friends, and he would be able to hook it up to the new 19" one. Or he could load up WOW on my PC that is going to retire to that room. Crap, I got PCs all over the place I have my old P III 500 in there, that thing was last turned on when I formatted my current PC last July. It does not get used much. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-27-2007, 07:50 AM	#9 (permalink)
onesojourner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Springfield, mo Posts: 153	you should just get the e6750. its 100 bucks cheaper and you can OC it to 3.2 one the stock cooler. plenty of people are running over 3.6 on better air coolers. __________________ 98 4x4 limited 4Runner, e-locker, 4.30 gears

12-28-2007, 06:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Sounds good Dan. I am seriously thinking now of putting my present PC out in the living room to let it still perform its PVR duties, this way I do not have to stuff the two TV cards into the new PC. If I put the present PC out there, is this what I need to connect to the new wireless network I setup last Monday? http://infotechnow.com/shop/shopping... 14&pr_no=5332 I am building this new PC to mainly handle the new UT III. It looks OK on mine now, can not wait to get a much better frame rate and colors with the new one. Eventually I will replace the 3.0 with a quad core and put in a second video card. What are the specs on yours? __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-28-2007, 06:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
DudeBud Contributing Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: WA ,monroe Posts: 1,821	i went with an amd 5000+ black edition dual core, 4 gigs of ddr2 800, 8800 gt and a asus m2n e sli board that sucks because it wont let me change my vcore past 1.35v, but i can still get 3.1 ghz out of this cpu and the hottest it gets is 50c __________________ Dan 84 4runner sr5 Ford 302 T-18 4spd yota t-case yota front and rear both open 37X13.00 boggers 88 4runner 22re 5spd

12-28-2007, 06:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	I have heard I can OC the 3.0 with proper cooling to almost 4.0, but I am not going to try that for quite awhile. I have to see how much more faster this is over my present 2.4c Intel with 2 GB of RAM and the eVGA 7800 card (APG) in it. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-28-2007, 07:36 PM	#15 (permalink)
Avsfreak1234 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Estes Park Co Posts: 430	this reminds me, I need to rebuild my comp. __________________ My Rides 98 Taco 4X4 2.7 2003 Gary Fisher Sugar Cessna 172...not really mine

01-17-2008, 09:13 AM	#16 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Found more info on my motherboard. http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...&modelme nu=1 One thing I hear and a good friend of mine hears on his Asus mobo (his also has the heat pipes on it) is a clicking noise once in awhile. I do not think it is a system beep from a mobo speaker. Anyone familiar with these type of mobos that have the heat pipes on them? Could that sound I hear be the heat pipes expanding or contracting as heat moves through them? __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

01-27-2008, 11:27 PM	#17 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	Your heatpipes should be silent, not making a clicking noise. I can't think of any way they'd make your noise - even if they weren't functioning properly. Any clicking that you hear is coming from a different source. Likely culprits are: Wires rubbing against a fan Bad bearing on a fan Hard drive (or optical drive) stalling Power supply If the clicking is constant, I'd suspect a fan over anything else - try running your system with the side panel off, and stop each fan one at a time *DISCLAIMER - dont' get your fingertip sliced if you have a high powered fan in there - use your own judgement. I usually press down on the hub of the fan away from the blades, or I'll disconnect the fan from it's power supply source before turning the computer on. Don't forget the videocard fan! ~Bill

01-28-2008, 06:41 AM	#18 (permalink)
*Corey*