Cheap Desktop

[Prototype]

How much can I overclock the E2180?

which one should i pick? EVGA/ECS 9600GSO, Galaxy/BIOSTAR/CHAINTECH 9600GT or ASUS/ZOTAC/GIGABYTE 8800GT?

Should they get an aftermarket cooler for the GPU?

What is the disadvantage of having an older south bridge?

Are Crucial good? I was thinking of getting them Newegg.com - Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

 

[veedubfreak]

Personally, to me, its worth paying extra for Evga just because if something goes bad, they will take care of you. They also warranty their items even when overclocked.

 

[NightSurge]

Overclocking the 2180 is always different for everyone, but if you use the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro, you should be able to get at least 2.8GHz and possibly as high as 3.2GHz.

You won't need an aftermarket cooler on the GPU unless you notice that your temperatures are higher than normal and want the better cooling. Also, I have heard lately the the Crucial's are not as good as they used to be. I would not know from personal experience with the Tracers, but one brand that has performed wonderfully for me and is usually right there with the cheapest prices is G. Skill ram. It has low latencies, low price, high performance!

 

[Puddle Jumper]

The Ballistix Tracers are still good. The regualr Ballistix are the ones that are not as good anymore.

Also the 9600gso is the same card as the 8800gs which is cheaper.

Newegg.com - XFX PVT88SFDFU GeForce 8800 GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

XFX has a double lifetime waranty that covers overclocking and the installation of aftermarket cooling.

 

[dario03]

My e2180 does 3.3ghz on a cheap cooler with little tweaking. I could maybe get a bit more but haven't tried due to temperature being higher in summer.
Also with a 8800gt I can play Crysis on very high with no aa/af so a e2180 and 9600gt would work good.

 

[Prototype]

What is the disadvantage of having an older south bridge?

Step-Up/Warranty is not important to me for this rig.

Which GPU wil be good for at least 2 years or more? Will the E2180 be fine for 2 years or more also?