I'm mainly going to use this setup for Photoshop and Starcraft 2 whenever it comes out, but would like some headroom for when/if I get into video editing. Other than that, I'd just like the system to be as quiet & green as possible.
Case: Lian-Li PC-V600B
Does anybody have any experience with this case? From reviews on Newegg, the impression is that Lian-Li fans are pretty loud. I also don't like where the PSU sits, but I can't justify the additional price & size of a PC-V1000 for my needs.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 or ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz
HD: SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB
Optical: Pioneer DVR-112D
A must for 360 backups.
GPU: EVGA 512-P2-N757-TR GeForce 8600GT
PSU: ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W
I don't think I'll ever need 500W, but according to Newegg's search, it's the cheapest & best rated PSU that fits my requirements; modular because I've read it makes working in the V600 much easier, and 80+.
RAM: Transcend AxeRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
HSF: Zalman FS-C77 Fatal1ty
If necessary. I don't plan on overclocking it, but if one is necessary, I'll need a low profile HSF because of the PSU's placement.
What do you guys think? I'd love to hear all comments/criticisms/suggestions.
Thanks
My first build: Lian-Li PC-V600B
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
I'd suggest reconsidering the PSU and Heatsink. Get something from the recommended lists (Heatsink, PSU).
If you want a modular PSU, I can recommend the corsair HX520 - works great in my system
.
If you want an 8600-based graphics card, you can probably find a passive models - search the cool and quiet vga forum.
I don't have any experience with that case, but I must say it is nice to see someone not going for the usual Solo or P180/182!
If you want a modular PSU, I can recommend the corsair HX520 - works great in my system
.If you want an 8600-based graphics card, you can probably find a passive models - search the cool and quiet vga forum.
I don't have any experience with that case, but I must say it is nice to see someone not going for the usual Solo or P180/182!
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N7SC
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Motherboard: after much research, I chose a Gigabyte for my system and am very happy with it. It is a GA-965P-DS3 rev. 3.3 , the generation before the P35 chipset, but still Gigabyte seems rock solid and reliable.
Video: If you make a living with Photoshop, and you use its more sophisticated features, you might want to consider the cards that Adobe has certified to work with Photoshop. For the nVidia line, that would be the Quadro cards, and from ATI (which I use am very happy with) the FireGL line.
Case: the placement of the power supply in that case troubles me too. But, the Core 2 Duos don't really generate that much heat. Even the lousy stock cooler usually does a good job of keeping them quite cool, so you should not have any problem with the Zalman. Lian-Li builds very high quality cases, you will be very happy about that aspect of the case. And your decision to avoid the extra size of the bigger case is very wise - at the last minute I chose a Lian-Li PC-A10A, thinking the metric measurements were only "slightly" larger than other cases I was considering. Well, truely a great case, quality and features wise, but honking HUGE. Have had it since last April and still am having a hard time trying to find a place to put the thing. But probably would choose it again anyway if I had to do it all over.
Note that you might have to apply some extra effort to quieting down an aluminum case. Lian-Li's fans are not really that noisy, but aluminum cases can drum, ring, and transmit noise very well. The smaller size of the case you are considering should mean that the side panels are somewhat stiffer and that works in your favor. Just be ready to go at it with the noise-reduction effort if you need to.
Video: If you make a living with Photoshop, and you use its more sophisticated features, you might want to consider the cards that Adobe has certified to work with Photoshop. For the nVidia line, that would be the Quadro cards, and from ATI (which I use am very happy with) the FireGL line.
Case: the placement of the power supply in that case troubles me too. But, the Core 2 Duos don't really generate that much heat. Even the lousy stock cooler usually does a good job of keeping them quite cool, so you should not have any problem with the Zalman. Lian-Li builds very high quality cases, you will be very happy about that aspect of the case. And your decision to avoid the extra size of the bigger case is very wise - at the last minute I chose a Lian-Li PC-A10A, thinking the metric measurements were only "slightly" larger than other cases I was considering. Well, truely a great case, quality and features wise, but honking HUGE. Have had it since last April and still am having a hard time trying to find a place to put the thing. But probably would choose it again anyway if I had to do it all over.
Note that you might have to apply some extra effort to quieting down an aluminum case. Lian-Li's fans are not really that noisy, but aluminum cases can drum, ring, and transmit noise very well. The smaller size of the case you are considering should mean that the side panels are somewhat stiffer and that works in your favor. Just be ready to go at it with the noise-reduction effort if you need to.