Help Choosing Components!

[Ramo]

Hello everyone!

I really need help. I can't decide on what to buy for my Gaming Computer.

The E8400 an the E3110 or the same. I have a E8400 in my HTPC, and I HATE the broken sensor (Stuck around 40). Does the Xeon have the same issue? Heard the Xeon are hand-picked Wolfdale, so they should be better right? (Better OC, Less Voltage? )

I can't decide :
ASUS P5Q-E OR Gigabyte EP45-DS3P

They all have some nice features, like the Express-Gate or the LED for Diagnostic. The layout seems good on both. But I'm wondering... Which one has better audio? (ADI AD2000B VS Realtek ALC 889) Which one has better cooling, the heat-pipe on the ASUS seems bigger. It's really hard to decide.

As for the HDD, I was going for the SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS (7200RPM 250GB 32MB Dual Platter), but then found the SEAGATE Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS (7200RPM 250GB 32MB Single Platter). The ES.2 is a serveur class HDD, I was finding the 250GB version pretty good, in my case storage space is not a priority. I just want a silent, fast, reliable drive.

Finally, is it worth going for a PCI-E WIFI card? The D-LINK DWA-556 seems good but the D-LINK DWA-547 offers about the same stuff, except for the interface. The price difference isn't that much.

Thanks for your help.

[Cerb]

HDD is a tough one. Seagate seems to have given up on quiet 3.5". I wonder how the 320GB WD compare? *browses Newegg* Or, the 250GB, for that matter...

Heatpipes on the board = marketing.

Audio quality will depend far less on the chip used than the nuances of the motherboard. Actual experience with the board is about the only way to tell.

I would personally go with the Asus.
+ the +12V power connector is not right up against a heatsink.
+ the SIL5723 and its kin are sweet little chips.
+ the Silicon image's ports are side-facing, with side-facing PATA next to it, and one Intel SATA normal to the others, which should make for neater cabling options (like wrapping behind the mobo).
- OTOH, Gigabyte's has SATAs well placed at the bottom, which would make for easy cabling in a case similar to the Solo (mobo near bottom, drive cage near bottom), as they could rest with no special guidance, yet still be out of the way.
+ eSATA right on the back.
- Gigabyte's should come with a eSATA bracket covering an expansion slot to give two eSata ports, not just one (but, at the cost of a slot).
+ Gigabyte's has a clear CMOS button right near many connectors on the bottom. Hair-pulling moments waiting to happen, IMO.
- the big heatpipe cooler could get in the way more easily than Gigabyte's cooler.

That's of course based over a couple reviews and photos, so who knows which is better in terms of actual implementation, and BIOS stability/maturity.

Won't pre-N wifi kill G networks around? Discounting that, it probably makes no difference whether the wifi is PCI or PCI-e. N might be able to stretch PCI's bandwidth, though.

[Monkeh16]

N might be able to stretch PCI's bandwidth, though.

Not really. PCI is capable of 133MB/s. 802.11n has a maximum speed of 600Mb/s (note that you'll never actually get close to those speeds, and most don't support more than 300). That's 75MB/s.

[Cerb]

...before overhead. GbE should be able to get close to max, too, but usually stops around 40MB/s. Sure you probably won't get even that in real terms, but...

[Monkeh16]

...before overhead. GbE should be able to get close to max, too, but usually stops around 40MB/s. Sure you probably won't get even that in real terms, but...

Exactly. 802.3ab almost never stresses a standard PCI bus, 802.11n can't even come close.