Best Bang For Your Buck C2D Build?

[mawsoccer]

Here is what I am looking at right now:

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS - Zipzoomfly - $110
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 - Zipzoomfly - $312.80
Asus P5B-E - Zipzoomfly - $163.00
eVGA 256-P2-N554-AX e-Geforce 7600 GT KO 256MB - Zipzoomfly - $119.99
NEC 7170A-0B OEM - Newegg.com - $32.00
OCZ OCZ600GXSSLI GameXStream 600W - Zipzoomfly - $96.99 (After Rebate)
OCZ (2x1GB) PC2-6400 Platinum Edition Revision 2 4-4-4-15 - Frys - $210 (After Rebate)
Scythe SCINF-1000 Infinity - Newegg - $49.99
Artic Silver 5 - Newegg - $5.99
Total $980.77

I could also go with the Conroe E6400 for $887.47.

Also, I hope to OC either chip to 3.6 GHz.

Please tell me if you think there are any problems with my setup.

I am also looking for a good fan to replace the Scythe one with. I am very open to suggestions.

Here are a couple of other parts I was considering...

eVGA 256-P2-N584-AR Geforce 7900GT KO 256MB - Zipzoomfly - $199.99 (After Rebates)
OCZ OCZ700GXSSLI GameXStream 700W - Zipzoomfly - $115.00 (After Rebates)
GEIL GX22GB6400PDC PC2-6400 3-3-3-8 (2x1GB) - NextWarehouse - $316.00 (After Rebates)
G.SKILL F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ 4-4-4-12 (2x1GB) - Newegg - $305.00 (After Rebates)
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower - Newegg - $132.00
Seasonic S12 Series S12-600W - Zipzoomfly - $135.00

Please let me know if there is anything you would swap out or anything I am missing (Besides a monitor and a hard drive, both of which I already have.[/B]

I am in no immediate hurry, so hopefully some prices will go down between now and the time I will buy. (Waiting till the day after Thanksgiving)

As far as the graphics card goes, I really only play a few EA games and GTA San Andreas so I really shouldn't need the best card out there.

[ScythedBlade]

Arctic Freezer Pro Cooler 7 $16.39
Best bang for buck CPU Cooler @ provantage.com

[mawsoccer]

Is it a better cooler than the Infinity though?

[gr8golf]

It is an awesome cooler - especially for the money.

[Fr3ak]

Looks good.
The 600W psu is a little overkill for those components, but you have a lot of room with it for future upgrades.

I would also get a Freezer. The infinity is a bit better, but not that much better to justify its higher price.

[DAK1640]

Rig A looks sweet. I would swap out mobo & get P5B-D instead, all else looks great:toast:

[mawsoccer]

I am not necessarily going for cheapest C2D overclockable PC, I just want the best money can buy.

But if I went with that heatsink, I wouldnt mind spending $20 bucks on a good silverstone fan for to replace the stock Artic Freezer hsf as much.

DAK, why get the P5B-D (Do you mean Deluxe?), Most of the research I have done shows the P5B-E as the top overclocker.

[ssabripo]

stick with the Scythe Infinity...dont skimp out on CPU cooling.

But I would definitely consider getting an e6400 and save!! unless you just want to build to get higher "scores" per se, you can get the e6400 to 3.5ghz pretty easy on air with decent temps.

I myself actually went with teh e6300 for even more savings, running 3.3ghz 24/7 with 47/55C idle/load temps, 13K 3Dmark05, 17.1 SuperPi 1m.

Spent about $900, including hard drives (see sig), and $240 on an X1900XT, and I am more than capable of hanging with the big boys.

.02

[mawsoccer]

Actually, I was going for the E6600 because I have never OC'd before and I am trying to make it as easy as possible on myself. Also, I might be selling it in a few years when I go off to college, and the E6600 would run faster than the E6400 without ocing.

Am I making any sense?

[DAK1640]

I am not necessarily going for cheapest C2D overclockable PC, I just want the best money can buy.

But if I went with that heatsink, I wouldnt mind spending $20 bucks on a good silverstone fan for to replace the stock Artic Freezer hsf as much.

DAK, why get the P5B-D (Do you mean Deluxe?), Most of the research I have done shows the P5B-E as the top overclocker.
(Do you mean Deluxe?), Yes I mean Deluxe...The Deluxe & WiFi are Tops...Not that the E is bad though...I would consider Wifi or at least the Deluxe. Also, agreed, spend a few more on the Scythe, great cooling is Key to OC'ing & lower Vcore. Yes, you make sense on the E6600 being easier to reach your OC goal.:toast:

[ScythedBlade]

ssabripo ... dude ... he said best bang for buck you nub .... anyway, arctic freezer will allow you to do 1.5V ... at max fan ... without going past 80 ... or 76 ... same thing ... anyway, if you awnt to overclock to 3.6, stick with the freezer.

[mawsoccer]

So for the best overclocking experience should I go with the Artic Freezer or the Infinity?

[zert]

the freezer 7 pro is without a doubt the best and unbeatable bang for the buck lga775 cooler out there. but performance wise it simply cannot compete with the infinity.
bottom line =>
raw cooling performance: infinity
best bang for the buck: freezer 7

[Shootist]

Don't know as all I have used is the Infinity. I'm running my E6600 at 3.4GHz 378 bus and the CPU temp read by Core Temp 93 is in the high 30c to low 40c range @ idle and with Orthos ruinning for 6+ hours in the low 50c. With Intel TAT it hits 56c.
What do you want a heatsink that is proven over and over again or one that is cheaper.


So for the best overclocking experience should I go with the Artic Freezer or the Infinity?

[2k7zero]

Shootist, how is the noise level with the infinity on high?

[Shootist]

Well to my knowledge there is no speed adjustment on the stock fan that comes with the Infinity, which is what I'm using. I have it connected to the CPU fan connector on the motherboard. So It runs at whatever speed the motherboard sets it at. Right now it is running at 1240RPM's and if I turn all the other fans off, I have a 120mm adjustable silverstone in the back of the case, a 120mm & a 80mm mounted to the side of the hard drive cage blowing on the RAM and motherboard and connected to the Fan Only connectors of the PSU and I used the included fan for a P5B Dlx that normally mounts to the fins behind the CPU to keep the NB heatpipe system cool in a fanless system to the actual NB heatsink fins after taking the stupid Asus decal cover off of it, I can't hear the Infinity fan running. And that is with the side of the case off.
NOTE: I run my system with the case side off. I've tried it both ways and for some reason I am just not getting enough air flow through the case with the side on. I think it is because of the Antec True Power 2 550W PSU I'm using. The fan in that PSU will only spin at 800+/- RPM's and really doesn't help getting airflow through the case. If I turn up the back case fan to it's max speed, around 2500 RPM's, with the case side on then for some reason the PSU fan will spin at 970+/-. I think this is because the back case fan is drawing so much air out of the box that it is actually stopping the PSU fan from moving air out through the PSU and it gets hotter making the PSU fan spin faster to keep the PSU cool. It doesn't matter what the temp of the CPU and all other parts are the PSU will only spin at the 800 RPM speed. I have run Orthos for 1 hour with a CPU temp around 60c+/- and MB temp at 40c and a NB temp of 48. The PSU fan still spins at the 800 mark. My temps go up 5-7 degrees across all components with the case side on. Actually I can hear my old P4 system fans from across the room when I'm sitting right next to the new C2D system. So if there is no noise in the room I can hear the C2D system but if the house heat comes on all I hear it the air blowing through the ductwork of the house. All in all this new C2D system is the quitest I've ever owned even with all those fans running.

Shootist, how is the noise level with the infinity on high?

[ssabripo]

ssabripo ... dude ... he said best bang for buck you nub .... anyway, arctic freezer will allow you to do 1.5V ... at max fan ... without going past 80 ... or 76 ... same thing ... anyway, if you awnt to overclock to 3.6, stick with the freezer.
scythedBlade...dude....dunno why your panties are wet but by that logic the e6300 would then be the best bang for buck you @sshat! Artic Freezer is excellent, but Scythe is better and it's only $30 more in the big scheme of things. That's my personal opinion and that's that. an e6400 will reach 3.5 fairly easy with a Scythe and 1.4-1.45 Vcore, temps around 60C load, 65-68C TAT.

anyways, that's what opinions are.....just like buttholes, everyone has one! :fact:

[mawsoccer]

How about the E6600, would that be easier to achieve 3.6 or 3.5 on?

Would I need a different motherboard for the e6600?

[zert]

How about the E6600, would that be easier to achieve 3.6 or 3.5 on?

Would I need a different motherboard for the e6600?
off course it will be easier. an e6600 has a higher multi so it will reach those clocks with a lower fsb

[rob725]

With a 6600 you get a little bump 5-10% from the cache and a better multiplier so that you can achieve higher clocks at lower fsbs, which gives you a wider choice of mobos and ram; less has to go right to hit 400x9 than 450 x 8 or 514 x 7. That said, even with a 6300 or 6400 you have an excellent chance of hitting 3.4-3.5 without too much trouble.

If the price of the Infinity doesn't scare you, get it; it's a great cooler.

[mawsoccer]

does anyone know how the e6600 oc's on the p5b-e?

[NO1B4ME]

does anyone know how the 36600 oc's on the p5b-e?

It clocks Well.