New Rig time!

[skool h8r]

Thanks for that Sam. That Etasis ET850 does look very good with 4 +12v rails giving 18A each. Whether they go to the PCI-E where i'll need 60A for the SLi is another question though. But it does state that there's 4 6-pin PCI connectors which is what a pair of GTX's would need.

And i can get it for about the same price (maybe cheaper) than the OCZ i had originally. And it's from Scan which is UK Based!

Cheers Sam!

[skool h8r]

Ok, i have a solution to my IDE "problems". As long as the board has at least 1 IDE connector, i'll simply Plug my HDD's into that. If i then buy a cheap PCI IDE controller card, i'm all sorted.

This presents another "challenge" as i need at least 2 PCI slots (one for IDE controller, another for LPT port for Case LCD Display). So people, other motherboards are available. The requirements:

* Passive Cooling
* SLi (preferably 2x16 as opposed to 2x8)
* 1 FDD Port
* 1 IDE Port
* 4 SATA I/II Ports

[Samuknow]

There are SATA optical drives also. I would eventually like to go to all SATA drives.

[aghastpumpkin]

Most motherboards now only have 2 PCI slots. My board isn't even SLI and I only have 2.

[skool h8r]

Originally Posted by aghastpumpkin

Most motherboards now only have 2 PCI slots. My board isn't even SLI and I only have 2.

And you put an X1950 in a low-end motherboard!

But i do need at least 2 PCI slots, unless i go for that Abit and then i'll only need 1, unless it has a LPT/25 Parallel port in which case i won't need any (but i'd still like some just in case).

I've solved my desk-space problems. I'll simply move the desk away from the wall a bit!

In fact, i've just sone that as i was writing this message. The only thing i need to be wary of is if the case feet are located right at the back and rigth at the front. Unless i can remove the case feet which would be even better. My desk is roughly 50cm from front to back. It's about 1.2m from end to end and about 72cm high. There's the other thing that there's a shelf above the desk which gives me just about 55cm to work within.

I think another, slightly smaller case would be better.

[Favu]

Stop wingeing! My desk is 80cm deep. My monitor is 50cm deep... go figure

I would pose the question - can you put your PC on the floor? that would certainly save desk space and means you don't have to worry about the tower size as much. Just a thought.

[skool h8r]

I could put in on the floor, but it would be at the side of a radiator or in the middle of the room. Neither are really good for me, or my mum when she "cleans" (more like snoops around) my bedroom. Someone will end up getting hurt.

There's is this list: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/index...at_fit_8800gtx

It's all the cases that the 8800GTX will fit in. The Antec P180 is there, as well as the Nine-Hundred, but it does mean removing a drive cage. Whether it'll affect my 4 HDD + 2 other Disc drives or not is another matter. If i can still fit all 4 HDD's in the 3.5" bays without having to buy adapters to put them into 5.25" bays, then it's ideal as the dimension for both those cases are right. And they both look awesome IMO (except the P180 has a door which means the LCD display is hidden). It's a tough job finding the perfect case to compliment the hardware. It needs a window as well, show off my uber-leet watercooling .

[keithwalton]

If you want 2x16 sli you will have to go with something based on the 680i sli or 680i lt chipset from nvidia as the 650i is 2x8. The 8800 is hurt by lower pci-e speeds.
Two pci ports shouldnt be a problem in a full atx boards, some do have addon ide controllers anyway. Though i think you can get ide controllers in pci-e which would make use of the x1 slot.

[gedon]

go for a Samsung SH-S183A/L if a SATA optical drive makes things easier.
it's a fast, quiet and cheap drive, a perfect allrounder

[aghastpumpkin]

Originally Posted by skool h8r

And you put an X1950 in a low-end motherboard!

My board isn't low end - thank you very much.

[keithwalton]

Just because its small aye doesn't mean it cant pack a punch

[aghastpumpkin]

Indeed. As far as I'm concerned. I have one of ATIs current top-line GPUs, a modern HD Audio Sata 2 Motherboard, a processor which is one of the worlds fastest domestically available, plenty of Ram for my needs a very capable PSU and the Custom PC tested fastest commercially available Sata 2 HDD on the market.
The equivalent Dell PC sells for £1,400 and is arguably made from porrer quality parts. I think thats high end enough for my needs and hardly low end. Cheers!

[skool h8r]

Change of plan. I've decided that i'm not going with SLi GTX. I'm not sure whether to go with SLi GTS, or a single GTX. The latter would allow me to SLi later. I'm not sure which to go with. There's the 640GTS, or the 320GTS as well as the 768GTX. The CPU is definately gonna be an E6600. The motherboard is probably gonna be the EVGA or the BFG 680 based. The case, well that might end up being a custom one (with probably an Antec nine-hundred until then).

And AP, you have to understand the smilies. = wink/joking. = laughing/joking. = big grin/joking. You know, when i said a low-end motherboard, it had all 3, as in, i'm just kidding. Sometimes i think you come into threads i post just to argue .

[aztec61]

skool -

I might be picking up a HD2900 to go in a new E6600-based boxen. I recently bought a Corsair HX520W PSU that is holding up well thus far in an older rig, but the real test for it will come with the new rig. It's rated for 54A total on the +12V so I think it'll be sufficient for the total amount of components I'll have in it according to this.

For example, it gives "Recommended PSU wattage" as 489W for my specs (E6600, HD2900XT, 2 SATA HDD's, etc.), and that's with 25% added for capacitor aging & 24/7 use.

You might want to look into Corsair's 620W unit if you're going to water cool and/or 2x GPU's. I must say that these are very decent PSU's.