PCFormat Forum Archive

Mkay, I'm a total noob here So hey everyone.

Haven't had a decent PC in years, so not sure if this stuff is recommended or not but anyvay.....

This is it:

Q9300 cpu

OCZ reaper hpc 2x2gb DDR2 1066

DFI LT X48T2R mobo

HIS ATI 4870 512Mb (will go crossfire as soon as prices drop)

Antec 1200 case

Antec truepower 850w quattro PSU

Heard the mobo can't use really big CPU coolers, what would you guys recommend? ie not the ultra 120....

TIA

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Please introduce yourself here.

I honestly can't fault your system - looks like a good one. I can't recommend a cooler to you though (I'm not too clued up on them), so you'll have to wait for someone else to give you advice there.

Awesome system, how about the Thermalright Ultima 90?

I really can't see that board having an issue with the Thermalright cooler. In fact, if I am correct in my assumption about a typo, it seems that Anandtech used an Ultra 120 in their review of this board. If you don't want Thermalright, however, your next best bet ... locally ... is probably the Zalman range (think CNPS9700LED).

I'm not really a expert on coolers, but with that 4GB RAM, don't you need a 64bit OS to use all 4 GB? Do you have 64 bit Vista schase?

schase wrote:I really can't see that board having an issue with the Thermalright cooler. In fact, if I am correct in my assumption about a typo, it seems that Anandtech used an Ultra 120 in their review of this board. If you don't want Thermalright, however, your next best bet ... locally ... is probably the Zalman range (think CNPS9700LED).

Yeah, Andy from landmark recommended the zalman, I really like the 120, it's an awesome cooler! Only issue with the thermalright, is you have to file down the std heatminator NB cooler to fit the 120 properly, or so I've read. Not going to OC a lot when I first get it, wanna get a feel for it first, check temps etc.

DVDL wrote:I'm not really a expert on coolers, but with that 4GB RAM, don't you need a 64bit OS to use all 4 GB? Do you have 64 bit Vista schase?

I do.

Nolifer wrote:Only issue with the thermalright, is you have to file down the std heatminator NB cooler to fit the 120 properly, or so I've read.

Where'd you read that?

I meant properly as in vertical mount, here's an awesome review thread

http://www.clunk.org.uk/forums/reviews/ ... eview.html

More or less what I'm looking to upgrade to. I haven't researched mobos as much as I'd like to (because I'm now considering Intel chipset and not SLI as originally anticipated) but if someone put a gun to my head (:P) and said choose a system now or your dead, your system is basically what I'd choose. Except I'd do CF 4870s from the start, I already got a bad a$$ PSU to drive the puppies.

Think I'll wait for the 48xx range to expand before I go xfire Changed my mind WRT the case, getting a cosmos s case instead

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1481/1 ... _crossfire

Review of xfire 4870's, for the price, not such a huge gain compared to the xfire 4850's

Thats a good system you got planned there.
On the cpu cooler side i have the Zalman 9700LED and i gota say its not bad. Q6600.

On the CF HD4870`s vs CF HD4850`s id go for the 4870`s cause it scales beter than 280gtx`s in sli.

The mobo is damn good choice. Ive never had one of them but i keep hearing good things about them.

The cpu you wana get is a decent quad but seeing as your not gona OC from the get go but you do want to CF later on Might i suggest a Q9450. It has the 12MB cashe and higher clock speed plus it aint that much more than the Q9300

Damn had to edit twice! Im not gona post again after a hectic night

R1000 not that much more??

http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/intel ... 28_79.html

Well he is spending allot already. Maybe just worth mentioning.

Thanks everyone, gotta say the service I got from Andy from landmark was fantastico!

So does that mean you got your new PC? Or ordered it? If so, let us know what you eventually settled on.

Ordered it, hopefully getting the components on friday

Still Q9300, cosmos s case, and pretty much the same setup.

Wanted Xfire 4870's, but I'll wait for the x2's

Nice. Have fun with it!

Good spec system, im going to be building something very similar to yours, but im just waiting for the ATi 4870X2 and see whats it price performance ratio, then i will decide.

terminator2 wrote: Good spec system, im going to be building something very similar to yours, but im just waiting for the ATi 4870X2 and see whats it price performance ratio, then i will decide.

Yeah, same here!

If xfire 4870x2's don't yield amazing gains, then I can still go xfire 4870

Dude , you got hardrives in there ?

Mow wrote:Dude , you got hardrives in there ?

Oh noeeeezzzz I forget yup 2x seagate 250GB 32MB cache drives

RAID?