New CPU cooler help.

[GPRs]

I want to buy this system and reading on the internet they advise I replace the cpu fan.

What would you advise me to do.
Is this spec worth the money.

Have just bought this


Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor(2.4GHz,8MB Cache,1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
Aluminium ATX Midi Tower + 550W PSU PCI-Express Mainboard - SLI nForce 650i SLI(C55) - Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad-Core - ATX
4GB DDR2 667MHz Memory -( 4x 1GB )
1TB (2x 500GB) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
768MB nVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX - Dual DVI, HDTV, TV-Out
]
Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Sound Card (oem)
Logitech S500 - 5.1 Speakers with Subwoofer
Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
Free Cyberlink Video Editing Suite - 7 titles (oem)
6x USB 2.0 Ports (10x possible on motherboard)
2x IEEE1394 Firewire (onboard)
1x Gigabit LAN (onboard)
Multi-format Memory Card Reader (ATX)
Free Upgrade to 1 Year On Site* - UK Mainland Only (Repairline Ltd Warranty)

[Alex]

Originally Posted by GPRs

I want to buy this system and reading on the internet they advise I replace the cpu fan.
What would you advise me to do.
Is this spec worth the money.
Have just bought this
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor(2.4GHz,8MB Cache,1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
Aluminium ATX Midi Tower + 550W PSU PCI-Express Mainboard - SLI nForce 650i SLI(C55) - Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad-Core - ATX
4GB DDR2 667MHz Memory -( 4x 1GB )
1TB (2x 500GB) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
768MB nVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX - Dual DVI, HDTV, TV-Out
]
Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Sound Card (oem)
Logitech S500 - 5.1 Speakers with Subwoofer
Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
Free Cyberlink Video Editing Suite - 7 titles (oem)
6x USB 2.0 Ports (10x possible on motherboard)
2x IEEE1394 Firewire (onboard)
1x Gigabit LAN (onboard)
Multi-format Memory Card Reader (ATX)
Free Upgrade to 1 Year On Site* - UK Mainland Only (Repairline Ltd Warranty)

Firstly, yup, replace the reference Intel hsf. Quad's run hot, make no mistake, especially when running at peak. With the reference hsf and the generic t.i.m (thermal interface material) i'd expect temps in the 50-60c region. Even with decent case cooling.

Choice of two air cooler's really: Tuniq tower or Arctic cooling freezer 7 pro.

The Tuniq tower is big, heavy (exceeds a mobo's design limits by a long way) but an awesome hsf.

The AC7 is smaller, light and also awesome.

The AC7 cools a cpu to nearly the temps of a Tuniq but does so at much lower noise volumes. I've oc'd and overvolted a Q6600 to 3.2ghz on the AC7. Stable.

The AC7 is also about half the price of the Tuniq.

Don't just replace the hsf though. Purchase some Arctic Silver 5 t.i.m. It'll move heat away from the cpu to the hsf much faster than the generic t.i.m that comes with the chip.

(If you follow the advice re the AC5 and want some help on cleaning off the t.i.m you already have on the cpu, shout up).

Also, bin the 667mhz ram. Quad's need a lot of bandwidth to run at their potential. That ram will strangle the quad. Go for pc6400 (800mhz) or ideally (if you're a gamer as your card suggests) Pc8500 (1066mhz). Also, you're wasting money going for 4gb ram. Due to memory mapping and i/o requirements Vista 32bit (which you quote) can only 'see' 3.12gb ram. Even Vista 64bit (which no self-respecting home user should be seen dead with) can only support 3.5gb ram. You won't need anymore than 2gb ram, regardless of your usage and especially if you go for the higher frequency ram I've quoted.

Lastly, bin the psu. I can't stress this enough. You're going to need at least 600w for that build. A 8800GTX can draw 200w by itself from a psu, and you've also got a quad cpu in there. Whichever psu you do go for I'd advise, strongly, you check the amp rating on the 12v rail to ensure it has enough juice to handle a GTX running at peak. I'd recommend the Enermax Liberty 620w or Enermax Infiniti 650w. Awesome psu's both and you simply cannot get better for the money.

Also, if you're gaming at anything less than 1920x1200 (24-27" tft) then that card is wasted. A quick rule of thumb for you:

1280x1024/1440x900 (17-19" screen) - 256mb 8600GTS/320mb 8800gts/ 512mb 8800gt (512mb is overkill, massively, at this resolution but the GT doesn't come in any other flavour).

1650x1050 (20-22" screen) - 512mb 2900XT (but you'd be mad)/320mb 8800GTS/512mb 8800gt/640mb 8800gts.

1920x1200 - 640mb 8800gts/768mb 8800gtx/ultra.

[GPRs]

Thankyou for the help and advise. The base unit was already built as a package , but upon taking your advise I will change some parts.

The Ram 4GB DDR2 667MHz I will change to Pc8500 (1066mhz) 2GB.
Is the Pc8500 (1066mhz). DDR2 as [Because I am new to computers] I thought I can only use DDR2?.

The price for Ram differs so much for Pc8500 [1066] 2GB Ebuyer - Cheap Computers, Laptops, Digital Cameras, TVs & more!
pc6400 (800mhz)Ebuyer - Cheap Computers, Laptops, Digital Cameras, TVs & more!

Is there that much difference between Pc6400 and Pc8500 to warrant the price increase?
Will I notice the difference between the 667MHZ and the Pc6400?. And the jump upto Pc8500 is this a vast jump from 667MHZ

The Power supply I will change Enermax Liberty 620W Modular ATX2.2 PSU - Ebuyer.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by GPRs

Thankyou for the help and advise. The base unit was already built as a package , but upon taking your advise I will change some parts.
The Ram 4GB DDR2 667MHz I will change to Pc8500 (1066mhz) 2GB.
Is the Pc8500 (1066mhz). DDR2 as [Because I am new to computers] I thought I can only use DDR2?.
The price for Ram differs so much for Pc8500 [1066] 2GB Ebuyer - Cheap Computers, Laptops, Digital Cameras, TVs & more!
pc6400 (800mhz)Ebuyer - Cheap Computers, Laptops, Digital Cameras, TVs & more!
Is there that much difference between Pc6400 and Pc8500 to warrant the price increase?
Will I notice the difference between the 667MHZ and the Pc6400?. And the jump upto Pc8500 is this a vast jump from 667MHZ
The Power supply I will change Enermax Liberty 620W Modular ATX2.2 PSU - Ebuyer.

Regarding your first question; pc8500 ram comes in both ddr2 and ddr3 flavours. So, yeah, ensure you get ddr2.

If you're going quad and your main usage is gaming i would recommend pc8500 ram simply for future proofing. There aren't many games yet that are multi-threaded so make use of 4 cores (there aren't, comparatively, that many that make use of dual-core although the newer titles do) so right now you're not going to see the benefit of a quad, but you will in a year or so. Simply because the cpu has 4, very capable, core's it needs a lot of bandwidth. I realise that games are mostly gpu dependent but you still require a balanced cpu and bandwidth from it so it doesn't choke your gaming experience.

Now, regarding the difference in price versus performance boost. No, in my opinion it isn't worth it. But as DDR3 becomes more mainstream you'll see DDR2 prices drop.

You will see a difference in performance between a system having 667mhz ram and 800mhz ram but only if you put the exact same builds side by side, one with the faster ram, and run the exact same benchmark tests.

Same goes for 1066mhz opposed to 667mhz.

Bottom line? If you've got the budget, go for the 1066mhz, if you haven't then go for the 800mhz (you can pick up 2x1gb dimms of Corsair XMS2 for peanuts nowadays-very very good ram).

But whichever way you go stay well away from 667mhz.

[Alex]

Sorry, just noticed something else in your initial post.

Why a SLI board? You're only getting one gpu. And the 650 chipset..... And also, as I'm sure you're aware, not very many games are coded for dual card.

You'd be much better off with the P965 or P35 chipsets (the p35 is basically the new revision of the p965)

[aeiouc]

Hi, you configuration is excellent nevertheless consider the ideas of alex.

I might orientate it only in his first purchase, your first compute you would use to do what!?

I eat not knife, that 10 years behind I bought for Impulse a computer of $2.300 in the time he was almost a top.
Pentium III 800mhz, 128mb, dvd, cdrw, 17monitor, 5.1sound card, modem, lan 10/100, 32mb creative gforce 256.


But sincerely a top for Internet, Download, play video, mp3, Word, lotus, and a waste.

[karim 6123]

i think its a good idea and good luck