Thread: Intel core 2 Quad Q9650 3.00 ghz processor package

Originally Posted by Disco_owner

need your opinions on the following system;

*Intel core 2 Quad Q9650 3.00 ghz processor
*Asus pQ5 - intel chipset Motherboard
*1TB 7200 rpm dual channel IDE hard drive
*1GB Nvidia 9400GT 16 x 3D PCI-E video card
*21.5" Samsung 2233SW 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
*Dual Layer DVD-RW Drive
*ASUS AC97 digital Audio sound card
*5.1 channel speaker system
*ATX medium tower case
*Gigabit Network card
for extra $165 upgrade to 2TB

hmmmm always interesting looking at systems especially top end stuff

Quad core, have a quick look at the cost of low end i7 processors, they cost a bit more maybe 200 approx, but will obliterate any off the shelf dual/quad core.
Saying that theres very little you will be able to do with a 3Gb Quad that it will struggle with, very little as in, well, probably nothing.

Asus pQ : don't really know anything about them I stick to intel or gigabite

Hard drive, curious that you have chosen IDE when sATA is faster, check out sATA drives the actual cost difference will be negligible.

1GB Nvidia 9400GT: The 9400GT is a re-badged and overclocked 8500GT. You would be better off going for a 9500GT, 9600GT or derivative with 512MB of ram instead of the 1GB the better chipset will make much more of an improvement then the additional DDR2 512MB ram.
Failing that look out for anything with DDR3 ram, It would be better for video. I suppose it depends if your a heavy gamer pay for a slightly better card if, like me you play a game about once every two months then I wouldn't worry about it. Get a quote for the next card up though, it might only be $20-30 ?

*21.5" Samsung 2233SW 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
for me usually a screen is a screen if you like it buy it, i'm not that much into audio/picture quality as long as it works I'm happy.

*Dual Layer DVD-RW Drive
usually more or less the same not even worth buying a more expensive one unless you burn a LOT of dvds/cds or you want blue-ray.

ASUS AC97 digital Audio sound card
I havent looked but i think the AC97 sound is inbuilt to the motherboard? so you cant do anything abut that anyhow * see my comments about audio/video as long as it works

*5.1 channel speaker system
*ATX medium tower case
*Gigabit Network card
pretty much common an all systems now, no need to change.

As for the 2TB upgrade don't bother unless you want to raid them.
By the time you fill 1TB an additional 1TB will have dropped in price so you can fit one later for cheaper

You didn't mention ram?

Hope i gave you some stuff to think about

Just a couple of things...

You might consider a 1GB ATI 4870 graphics card. Much cheaper than Nvidia and the Asus mobo aupports crossfire, so you can add another one if you feel like it.

I presume the mobo is a P5Q not PQ5?

Also, don't underestimate the value of a good power supply with decent cable management. It's a PC so you'll be poking around in there periodically out of necessity so it pays to keep it tidy. Also, a higher spec power supply will give you more grunt down the track when you swap out the graphics card for a 4GB model and an 8-core processor, and it will probably be quieter too. I got an OCZ Stealth X-Stream 600W one and it just transformed my box from the cr@ppy one the manufacturer stuck in there.

Originally Posted by HangOver

hmmmm always interesting looking at systems especially top end stuff

You didn't mention ram?

4GB DDR2 800.

Originally Posted by solmanic

Just a couple of things...

You might consider a 1GB ATI 4870 graphics card. Much cheaper than Nvidia and the Asus mobo aupports crossfire, so you can add another one if you feel like it.

I presume the mobo is a P5Q not PQ5?

Also, don't underestimate the value of a good power supply with decent cable management. It's a PC so you'll be poking around in there periodically out of necessity so it pays to keep it tidy. Also, a higher spec power supply will give you more grunt down the track when you swap out the graphics card for a 4GB model and an 8-core processor, and it will probably be quieter too. I got an OCZ Stealth X-Stream 600W one and it just transformed my box from the cr@ppy one the manufacturer stuck in there.

Sorry , that would be correct , it is P5Q.

Originally Posted by Disco_owner

4GB DDR2 800.

Can you go DDR2 1066?

hmmm I would say in practicle terms the dsifference between 800 and 1066 ram is about > < this much for day to day tasks you wont even tell the difference.

Max your board out with DDR ram as much as it will take, price for 1GB DDR ram at the moment about $10

this post looks like it could be a good can of worms to poke around in

re: the PSU, I sort of agree with you but from a cost/performance point of view a 400w would be adequate and 500w would have room to spare.
Bear in mind a PSU works to peak performance at about 80% load.

I buy 400w PSUs for 3.0 GB dcore's and they seem to stand the test so far.
But as you say buy bigger and if you need and extra video card or two it'll handle it. The only downsie to that is the cost from a 4--W to a 600W would be about 2 to 3 times the cost.

Originally Posted by HangOver

hmmmm always interesting looking at systems especially top end stuff

Quad core, have a quick look at the cost of low end i7 processors, they cost a bit more maybe 200 approx, but will obliterate any off the shelf dual/quad core.
Saying that theres very little you will be able to do with a 3Gb Quad that it will struggle with, very little as in, well, probably nothing..

I have to agree , there probably won't any be applications ,tasks or games that I can throw at this processor that it would lack in performance ,it would keep up quite nicely , even with the amount of video work I'm planning on doing later down the track

Originally Posted by HangOver

Asus pQ : don't really know anything about them I stick to intel or gigabite

Neither did I , I asked one the IT Guys at work what he thought of this particular card , he reckons it was one of the better card on the market.

Originally Posted by HangOver

Hard drive, curious that you have chosen IDE when sATA is faster, check out sATA drives the actual cost difference will be negligible.

Actually I hadn't chosen this option , the package inluded IDE 2 dual channel hard-drive , But I'd probably have the option of going to SATA2. as you said , it may cost a little more , I'll look into it.

Originally Posted by HangOver

1GB Nvidia 9400GT: The 9400GT is a re-badged and overclocked 8500GT. You would be better off going for a 9500GT, 9600GT or derivative with 512MB of ram instead of the 1GB the better chipset will make much more of an improvement then the additional DDR2 512MB ram.
Failing that look out for anything with DDR3 ram, It would be better for video. I suppose it depends if your a heavy gamer pay for a slightly better card if, like me you play a game about once every two months then I wouldn't worry about it. Get a quote for the next card up though, it might only be $20-30 ?

I'll investigate this option , if the price difference is not significant i'd be looking at the 9500 or 9600 card.

Originally Posted by HangOver

*21.5" Samsung 2233SW 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
for me usually a screen is a screen if you like it buy it, i'm not that much into audio/picture quality as long as it works I'm happy.

I was the same until recently when my Employer replaced all the CRT screen with LCD monitors , to be honest they're are nice to look and I found less harsher on the eyes , but it's more of a space saving thing .

Originally Posted by HangOver

ASUS AC97 digital Audio sound card
I havent looked but i think the AC97 sound is inbuilt to the motherboard? so you cant do anything abut that anyhow * see my comments about audio/video as long as it works

Agree , the 5.1 Surround sound thingy doesn't really appeal to be that much ,I'm more of a believer of Function than Form.

Originally Posted by HangOver

As for the 2TB upgrade don't bother unless you want to raid them.
By the time you fill 1TB an additional 1TB will have dropped in price so you can fit one later for cheaper

I wouldn't , Just put it out there for opinions of what people thought of the upgrade , I doubt I'll ever Fill 1TB , but as you said If I did ,I'd have the option of purchasing another 1TB HDD or even 2TB down the track.

Originally Posted by solmanic

Just a couple of things...

You might consider a 1GB ATI 4870 graphics card. Much cheaper than Nvidia and the Asus mobo aupports crossfire, so you can add another one if you feel like it.

I had an earlier Ver of an ATI graphics card in my Media centre I built a while back , I was quite happy with it's performance until the Fan on top of the processor came off but the fan design on the new card seems to be more robust and a better desgin. so I bought another ATI card and installed it, no issues so Far.

Originally Posted by solmanic

Also, don't underestimate the value of a good power supply with decent cable management. It's a PC so you'll be poking around in there periodically out of necessity so it pays to keep it tidy. Also, a higher spec power supply will give you more grunt down the track when you swap out the graphics card for a 4GB model and an 8-core processor, and it will probably be quieter too. I got an OCZ Stealth X-Stream 600W one and it just transformed my box from the cr@ppy one the manufacturer stuck in there.

I've got true 500w ATX power supply lying around somewhere , which I could install if I think the power supply that is supplied with the package is inadequate. and I agree with better cable management set up , I spent a few more $$$ and had this set up in my Media centre , much easier to work inside the box where everything is nice and Tidy.

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

Can you go DDR2 1066?

As mentioned Difference between 800 DDR2 and 1066DDR2 would be hardly noticeable.

Originally Posted by HangOver

...I buy 400w PSUs for 3.0 GB dcore's and they seem to stand the test so far.
But as you say buy bigger and if you need and extra video card or two it'll handle it. The only downsie to that is the cost from a 4--W to a 600W would be about 2 to 3 times the cost.

which brings me back to a point , If I was to put together a system with all the options mentioned above then I'd be better off Just buying all the Bits seperately from the computer markets like I did with my Media centre and put it together myself instead of buying a complete Package . may be I should do a Poll , what parts would you buy seperately to put a High end system together...

CPU...
Motherboard...
RAM...
Harddrive...ie SATA2 IDE2 , etc
Graphics card...
Monitor...
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