^^ Hope the title caught your attention ^_^
I'll start by giving the specs of what I'm using right now:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo e800 wolfdale
GPU: 2 X Asus EN9600GT GeForce (512mb)
Mobo: Asus Rampage Formula LGA 775
PSU: Seasonic SS-550HT
RAM: 2 X 2GB G.Skill DDR2
Tower: Alienware EATX Server Workstation Chassis Case Logo (Grabbed this off ebay)
And some pictures of my current tower:
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7740/dsc2093.jpg
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/5323/dsc2094.jpg
Let me start off by saying that this is the FIRST computer I've ever built. Thus, I'm not exactly "pro" when it comes to building them I'm the type of guy that learns from experimenting, and this computer is a result of my experimenting. Obviously not every experiment goes right the first time, and my first revision is implementing a new cooling system.
Right now, on a fresh Windows 7 installation, with a load of about 5% (aka idle), both cores are sitting at about 64 degree celsius. Obviously not a great idle temperature.
If the pictures are not clear, the tower has one 120mm fan in the front pulling air in, and another 120mm on the back pushing it out. Besides that, there's a fan on top of the heat sink.
I've had people tell me that all I need is to upgrade to an aftermarket heatsink (I'm using the one that came with the processor) and make sure I'm good on contact, and that's probably true, but I'm not just looking at the problem now, but also problems in the future as I continue to revise the tower. (Not to mention I'm looking to OC with this awesome mobo. The poor thing isn't doing much right now).
Now, the first question I have is this: Would my money be better spent investing into a better tower, specifically one that focuses on cooling (and hopefully more aesthetics!)? Be honest. I could keep the one I have right now, invest in a nice cooling system, but not get the full benefit of the system because the tower simply prohibits it from doing it's best. Thus, a new tower would be a lot smarter. Then again, I'm still a beginner at these things, and my thinking might be flawed
So, what do you guys think? If I aim for a new tower, where should I begin my search, and what exactly should I be looking for?
One more note: My budget isn't infinite, but I'm looking to probably put in about $500-$1,000 on the cooling system alone. Keep in mind that's everything, so if you decide to suggest a tower, keep that figure in mind
Cheers,
Josh
I'll start by giving the specs of what I'm using right now:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo e800 wolfdale
GPU: 2 X Asus EN9600GT GeForce (512mb)
Mobo: Asus Rampage Formula LGA 775
PSU: Seasonic SS-550HT
RAM: 2 X 2GB G.Skill DDR2
Tower: Alienware EATX Server Workstation Chassis Case Logo (Grabbed this off ebay)
And some pictures of my current tower:
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7740/dsc2093.jpg
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/5323/dsc2094.jpg
Let me start off by saying that this is the FIRST computer I've ever built. Thus, I'm not exactly "pro" when it comes to building them I'm the type of guy that learns from experimenting, and this computer is a result of my experimenting. Obviously not every experiment goes right the first time, and my first revision is implementing a new cooling system.
Right now, on a fresh Windows 7 installation, with a load of about 5% (aka idle), both cores are sitting at about 64 degree celsius. Obviously not a great idle temperature.
If the pictures are not clear, the tower has one 120mm fan in the front pulling air in, and another 120mm on the back pushing it out. Besides that, there's a fan on top of the heat sink.
I've had people tell me that all I need is to upgrade to an aftermarket heatsink (I'm using the one that came with the processor) and make sure I'm good on contact, and that's probably true, but I'm not just looking at the problem now, but also problems in the future as I continue to revise the tower. (Not to mention I'm looking to OC with this awesome mobo. The poor thing isn't doing much right now).
Now, the first question I have is this: Would my money be better spent investing into a better tower, specifically one that focuses on cooling (and hopefully more aesthetics!)? Be honest. I could keep the one I have right now, invest in a nice cooling system, but not get the full benefit of the system because the tower simply prohibits it from doing it's best. Thus, a new tower would be a lot smarter. Then again, I'm still a beginner at these things, and my thinking might be flawed
So, what do you guys think? If I aim for a new tower, where should I begin my search, and what exactly should I be looking for?
One more note: My budget isn't infinite, but I'm looking to probably put in about $500-$1,000 on the cooling system alone. Keep in mind that's everything, so if you decide to suggest a tower, keep that figure in mind
Cheers,
Josh