New Intel Rig from Old AMD Enthusiast

Hey guys,

I'm planning my new build, and have most of my orders on hold so far. I've been out of the loop for about 4 years, so I'm rusty around the edges on current technologies. I'll start by listing what I have in mind, and I'm hoping some of you can give me some insight. I'm a casual user... although I multitask a lot on a 37" 1080p monitor and 24" monitor; email's, HD movies, game from time to time, chatting, internet browsing, photoshoping. Longevity of a new system matters to me; but with current industry pace, it's not a well known term. I also plan to overclock my system, like i've done to all my previous rigs; tradition needs to be carried.

(All prices Canadian)

Case:
I've been looking at the Kandalf LCS. Without W/C it's 190, with it, It's 299. So it's about 110 on-top for water cooling. I've also looked at the Antec Twelve Hundred or the Kandalf without W/C (both the same price @ 190). Whatever case, it needs to be full tower. I've preferred full case since my first Antec 8 years ago.

Cooling:
I want to do water cooling as long as it fits into my budget; that's why I gave TT's LCS some serious thought. Air cooling is an option to save cost, but I'm also looking for a very quiet PC; high end air cooling is around 90 dollars and loud (TT Ultra 120). I've read through researching so far a mediocre W/C (like this one) will perform the same as the highest grade air cooling. Cost of the LCS for watercool is 130. The specs are: 500L/hr pump, all copper cpu block 3/8" UV tube, 360MM radiator on the front chasis, amd 350cc resevoir. I'm down for air cooling if there are alternatives that fit expectations.

CPU:
I'll probably be going with the Q6600. I considered Q8200 which is the same price @ 215. The E8400 was considered too at @187... but for almost 30 dollars more, why not go quad right? Between the same price quads, chose Q6200 because of the higher multiplier over Q8200's lower power consumption (don't want to kill my FSB just to achieve decent clock). I also considered AMD, since I've been AMD for almost 9 years... Intel right now for the same cost, is clearly the choice right now.

Memory:
I got Corsair XMS2 DHX DDR-800 PC2-6400 4GIGS that runs at CL4 for a sick deal of 70 after MIR; so I think i'm covered on the ram end.

Vid Card:
I got a EVGA 8800GT so I'll be popping that guy in my new case.

Motherboard:
I've looked around and it looks like P5Q Pro will be the option. I'm picking it up on sale for $160. Another option is the P5Q-E for $30 more... but I'd like to pick a board that will suit my needs and not overstretch my budget. I'm looking for stability/overclockability.

PSU:
Was thinking to just use my 4 year old Enermax 450W by doing 20pin to 24pin if the mobo accepted; but decided I was being cheap in all the wrong places, lol. I decided going to get the corsair TX650W but now I'm reading it's REALLY loud after 50% loud. Because I'm buying a case, the Seasonic 600W M12 is now becoming an option for the same price. Both are $100.

Hard Drive:
My original order was for a Seagate Barracuda 1TB drive... but I can pick up the Samsung Spinpoint F1 for the same price. I'm considering making the switch given what I've read.

So i think that's everything. Everything listed is 1,088 all in, which is pretty decent thanks to my price matching, lol. I'd like to cut costs if possible, or stay the same; but while still maintaining what I need from my new system. Since I'm relearning the industry again, I'd really appreciate your opinions on my rig and what you think can be changed while still suiting the expectations sought.

Thanks for reading this gigantic post

Why do you want to do Water Cooling?

You could get a Q9450/Q9550 which would be faster than the Q6600 and it would not require the water cooling the Q6600 did because it would generate significantly less heat.

Thanks for the reply, those links helped quite a bit.

Here are my choices and in are in my cart:

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro ATX
PSU: Seasonic M12 600W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Modular
Paste: Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound Paste
Cooling: Xigmatek HDT-S1283 Fan + Thermalright LGA775 BOLT-THRU Kit
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core ($220) *OR* Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 ($190)
HD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 Series HD103UJ 1TB SATA2
Memory: Corsair XMS2 DHX TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240PIN Memory Kit
Vid Card: EVGA 8800 GT - transfer component from other system

Everything is pretty concrete.. fits a nice budget and their quality parts... but now i'm torn between either E8400 and Q6600... the debate online is everywhere even in that little FAQ site... but with recent changes with the VID so high for G0 Q6600 has made the decision that much harder, debates have changed

I do occasional gaming... mostly watch HD movies, chat, music, audio edit, run many applications; system tray has about 8 items in the background, and about maybe 10+ windows open at one time from Outlook, Firefox, DIVX, word, photoshop, etc... Q6600 before I learned about the VID (which overclocking and Vcore upping causing temp problems) seemed the perfect choice for needs and not wanting to upgrade for a while... now i'm torn :|

I want to sort of stay within my budget... the only one is Q8200 in my range... but it's my understanding Q6600 with it's 9x and with the worst VID (which is the only one you'll find now adays) will still have better leverage over the q8200.

I once had all 3 of those on my list, the E8400/Q6600/Q8200

I'm getting alot of my parts for cheap. My ram alone is 92 - 30 mail in rebate... which is 62 dollars... that's about 50 US
My seasonic 600 is running me 105 CDN which is about 80 US

I'm getting good deals, and i'm pretty proud of the other parts. My scope just covers E8400, Q6600, and well now Q8200 after learning about 6600's VID being so high now. You are definitely right, the higher Q's are worth it, but to be honest; for my scope, it's way out in left field. I just need to choose between the three that will provide 1) longevity 2) suit the needs i described above and 3) provide some moderate overclocking with nice temps

6600 still seems like the choice, but the more and more i read about VID... the more it worries me.. I just don't know how well those concerns are founded.

Wont be too far along with the I7's... you'll get a nice drop for the quads'. For me, I need to buy now and dont want to buy anytime soon. So out of the 3 processors, i need what will last me the most before i need to upgrade. Thanks though for your suggestions