Processor/Motherboard advice

[jrf23]

Hi, sorry, another noob to the slaughter here, building my first custom PC and I’m looking for advice on what processor to go for and what motherboard to use with it. I’m trying to go for a budget gaming PC with the view to upgrading in the future
I think I’m looking at either the Intel Quad Core Q6600 or the Intel Core 2 Duo E6850. They are selling for roughly the same price (£160 ish) and I can’t decide, as they seem fairly even in all the tests I’ve been reading. Any advice on which to go for?
I have no idea what motherboard to go for so any advice on that would be much appreciated!
Cheers!

[fritzi93]

I presume you're in the UK? I'd advise you read the customer reviews at Newegg, although it's US based. The reviews typically are numerous and can be helpful, so long as you separate the wheat from the chaff. That's what I do when considering parts I've not used previously. Make very certain your CPU and mobo are a good match, and don't go too cheap on the power supply.

Here's the page for the Q6600:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017

And the E6850:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115028

There are lots of guides on the net to help you build a computer. I think this one is very clear, and there are good photos of each step:

http://pages.suddenlink.net/sredwudz/index.htm

Good luck.

[EDIT] I see both CPUs are 65nm architecture, that's good, they should run (relatively) cool. Both are EM64T capable, meaning they'll run a 64 bit OS. Make certain the motherboard is EM64T. Both CPUs are socket 775, you'll have plenty of mobos to choose from. I'd suggest getting a mobo with PCIe slot for graphics. Pay attention to cooling/fans. If your mobo is ATX form-factor, get an ATX case, that should be self-evident, but it's easy to miss details. You'll figure it out, take your time and methodically match up parts, starting with CPU and mobo.

[jrf23]

Cheers for replying! Still a bit unsure as both seem to have awesome reviews! I think I prefer the idea of the quad core, but does it having a slower clock and bus speed compared to the duo really set it back that far? I saw some tests and I couldn't see much difference but the duo out-performed the quad in most games...
Next, the mobo, what sort of stuff should I be looking for?
Are these any good?
Asustek S775 nForce 590SLI ATX Audio Wireless Lan
XFX S775 nForce 680i LT SLI DDR2 ATX
MSI S775 nForce 650i SLI DDR2 ATX Audio Lan
Cheers!

[fritzi93]

Originally Posted by jrf23

Cheers for replying! Still a bit unsure as both seem to have awesome reviews! I think I prefer the idea of the quad core, but does it having a slower clock and bus speed compared to the duo really set it back that far? I saw some tests and I couldn't see much difference but the duo out-performed the quad in most games...
Next, the mobo, what sort of stuff should I be looking for?
Are these any good?
Asustek S775 nForce 590SLI ATX Audio Wireless Lan
XFX S775 nForce 680i LT SLI DDR2 ATX
MSI S775 nForce 650i SLI DDR2 ATX Audio Lan
Cheers!

Heh, I'm not gunna bull$hit you, I'm not a gamer and haven't built a comp for that purpose.

I suspect there are members here who CAN give you more specific advice.

However, I'm always interested in this subject and will have a look at your links. Good luck.

[fritzi93]

Well, I had a look at your first link and I for one would like more details and more reviews. Like here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131071

Note that from the above page you can go to the product page at the Asus website to double-check the specs. At Newegg there are 122 reviews you can read on this mobo. Opinions seem to be mixed, although favorable overall.

[EDIT] I don't see that this board is explicitly Core 2 Quad compatible. (?)

[fritzi93]

The XFX mobo has a higher CPU Front Side Bus rating than the Asus, viz: 1333MHz.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813141002

Only 41 reviews on this one, newish board?

[fritzi93]

My only comment about MSI is that most folks I know have at some time gotten a board that's DOA. But if it will P.O.S.T., you're in business and they seem no less durable than other mobos. This one has 370 reviews. Mostly favorable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130081

[jrf23]

I think I'm swinging toward the XFX board at the moment, but I may have a major boost in my budget soon (probably going to be selling my old computer instead of giving it to a family member) so I might be able to look at the next model up in both processor and mobo. Which would be ncie! I may aswell ask if you have any recommendations for all the other bits and bobs I'll need! Especially graphics card.
Thanks again!

[fritzi93]

I'm surprised no one else has jumped in yet.

No, no specific recommendations, but a few general observations:

Your mobo/CPU pairing is your critical choice, but you know that. From there, it's easy to get bogged down in too many details. For instance, say you want to re-use some PATA devices and the mobo you want has only one IDE controller, as SATA becomes the standard. I myself have 4 PATA hard drives in this box and 4 PATA optical drives. Only two IDE slots. No problem, a controller card in a PCI slot will do the job, and cheap. I have a crapload of SATA connectors to use as old devices are replaced.

Perhaps you should write down what you think you want, pruning away inessentials. If you want to re-use anything, e.g. monitor, etc., take that into consideration.

-Get a big enough case, with provision for some fans. I have 6 in mine, 3 intakes situated low, 3 exhausts high up. One intake blows over the hard drives, another is aimed at the video card, the third towards the heatsink.
-Make sure your power supply has enough wattage and enough connectors. A few splitters are okay if necessary. Don't be cheap. Read the reviews at Newegg, it'll save you from buying a crap PSU, and maybe frying your mobo.
-PCI Express slot, at true 16x. Enough extra PCI slots.
-PCIe graphics card.

Okay, I leave the floor to someone else. Good luck.

[jrf23]

I thought someone else would have jumped in too, but it's good to have advice from one person as when too many people get involved, they all have their own opinions and you get too much information that you just don't need!

I don't want to re-use anything, completely clean build! The monitor is going to be my new HD TV. Looked so sweet when I hooked my mates comp up the other day.

[jrf23]

Right, if anyone out there reads this, you can ignore everything else and just answer this one question...
Q6600 or E6850 for gaming and everyday use?
I think E6850 and this review sort of solidifies that (go to page 8).

[fritzi93]

Very informative. Damn, I think you're gunna cost me some money.

I've been following this thread at videohelp:

http://forum.videohelp.com/topic336144.html

I'm a video hobbyist, and capturing/encoding would be my main concern. So my choice would be the reverse of yours. (Most video encoders are now multithreaded and the performance gain would be considerable.)

If "true" quad-core gets down to that price range, it'll be time for me to build another computer.

I believe you're right, if you go with the results on page 8 of the AnandTech review, your choice should now be easy.

[jrf23]

Yeah, I've made my decision, I'm going with the E6850, but am going to get a motherboard that is capable of taking a quad-core with the view of upgrading to one in the future when my need requires it. I think this EVGA motherboard one is the way forward for me, as it's a reasonable price in the Uk and has everything else I'm looking for!

Sorry for costing you any money, but at least you know it'll be well spend now!

[jrf23]

Right, onto the last thing, the graphics card! What should I be looking for? I thought I had a budget of around £200 for one, but I think I have to half that now that I've splashed out on the mobo and cpu. I keep seeing cheaper cards with faster speeds, ans so don't really know what is better!

[fritzi93]

You might have a look at this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062

Number #1 customer choice, blah blah. Not too expensive, but any cheaper and the card won't support nVidia PureVideo. But actually, I dunno, not really my area.

[EDIT] Looks decent. Resolution is quite good, speed is good. Dual-link DVI. You could sell it later to get the super-duper one you really want. [shrugs]