I'll be moving my hard drives to my new unit soon, but I'm wondering if I should install the nvidia drivers before or after. I'm currently using ATI video card and drivers so I'm not sure what would happen in either situation since I'd have to run with the other companies drivers at least once. Can they both work together?
Forgive the inaccuracy if I can't remember the exact bits of some of this, been a while since I've built this computer. Here's my dilema though, with going to PAX don't have much budget to upgrade my computer but figuring I can do a little as part of my PAX spending since I'm taking it with me. Now problem is that at this point there just isn't much I can do with what's on the market anymore. Running an Athlon 3700+ Socket 939 (San Diego I believe), an x1800gto and 2GB of DDR 600 or whatever the number is. As far as I can tell what's holding me back is the processor since I skimped on that a bit when I built. Graphics card seems to be holding up fine and my framerate only really takes a hit in scenes where the lighting's really intensive to process with a lot of shadows and as far as I understand that's more on the processor. My only real option to upgrade though without spending more then it's worth is:
Now it's obviously a lateral move as far as things that are only going to utilize the one core, but do most games and Windows in general take enough advantage of the two cores that I'm going to see a significant jump or only a minimal one?
Now if I don't go that route going to need a new mobo and memory at minimum on top of the CPU. With the more powerful components a new case is probably in order too since the proprietary 300w one in the one I have now isn't going to cut it. Probably want to stay the little shuttle sized box since since even though it puts more strain on the cooling and limits what you can stick in it I'm going to be lugging it across the country soon, and don't have much room for it at home anyway. So here's what I'm looking at if I go the new SFF route.
Whatever decent quality DDR2 800 I can get cheap at the time and an 8800GT 512MB. Would throw my current card in there but I'm sure it would just cripple the system and be a total waste. Leaning towards the Intel setup even though it's more expensive because it should perform better and will definitely support the quads which the AMD board should with bios flash but I hear it's been hit and miss. Top it off with an Apevia X-Qpack2 which has more room and a 500W PSU. Would just grab a PSU for my nice Thermaltake case but that thing's big enough to take up most trunks by itself.
So yea, think I got a bit rambly there but thoughts, alternatives, should I just get the $50 processor and be happy? And does anyone else find the way Intel's been labeling/pricing their processors since the early P4 days terribly confusing when it comes to quickly telling what's better then what.
So quick question as it's been awhile since I've built my last computer.
I'm looking at the 3.0 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo cpus and the FSB is 1333 MHz. I can't remember if I need to be looking for DDR2 at 667 MHz (PC2-5300) or DDR3 at 1333 MHz(PC3-10000ish) to function properly. I'm hoping 667 as the 1333 is pretty darn rare and everyone seems to be buying at or around the lower speed.
So yea, think I got a bit rambly there but thoughts, alternatives, should I just get the $50 processor and be happy? And does anyone else find the way Intel's been labeling/pricing their processors since the early P4 days terribly confusing when it comes to quickly telling what's better then what.
This is all up to you and your budget. Going from 1 core to 2 will make a big difference, and it's hard to say no to a $50 upgrade. On the other hand, going from that to an e8400 (which you should get, btw, instead of the 6750) will be another huge leap. It will also cost you another $150. So like I said...up to you, and your budget. Either way, the 8800gt will provide the biggest boost to gaming performance, so obviously don't sacrifice there for a faster processor.
Forgive the inaccuracy if I can't remember the exact bits of some of this, been a while since I've built this computer. Here's my dilema though, with going to PAX don't have much budget to upgrade my computer but figuring I can do a little as part of my PAX spending since I'm taking it with me. Now problem is that at this point there just isn't much I can do with what's on the market anymore. Running an Athlon 3700+ Socket 939 (San Diego I believe), an x1800gto and 2GB of DDR 600 or whatever the number is. As far as I can tell what's holding me back is the processor since I skimped on that a bit when I built. Graphics card seems to be holding up fine and my framerate only really takes a hit in scenes where the lighting's really intensive to process with a lot of shadows and as far as I understand that's more on the processor. My only real option to upgrade though without spending more then it's worth is:
Now it's obviously a lateral move as far as things that are only going to utilize the one core, but do most games and Windows in general take enough advantage of the two cores that I'm going to see a significant jump or only a minimal one?
Now if I don't go that route going to need a new mobo and memory at minimum on top of the CPU. With the more powerful components a new case is probably in order too since the proprietary 300w one in the one I have now isn't going to cut it. Probably want to stay the little shuttle sized box since since even though it puts more strain on the cooling and limits what you can stick in it I'm going to be lugging it across the country soon, and don't have much room for it at home anyway. So here's what I'm looking at if I go the new SFF route.
Whatever decent quality DDR2 800 I can get cheap at the time and an 8800GT 512MB. Would throw my current card in there but I'm sure it would just cripple the system and be a total waste. Leaning towards the Intel setup even though it's more expensive because it should perform better and will definitely support the quads which the AMD board should with bios flash but I hear it's been hit and miss. Top it off with an Apevia X-Qpack2 which has more room and a 500W PSU. Would just grab a PSU for my nice Thermaltake case but that thing's big enough to take up most trunks by itself.
So yea, think I got a bit rambly there but thoughts, alternatives, should I just get the $50 processor and be happy? And does anyone else find the way Intel's been labeling/pricing their processors since the early P4 days terribly confusing when it comes to quickly telling what's better then what.
I recently replaced the Athlon 64 processor of a friend's system with an 4200 X2 (also socket 939 - the fastest you can get for this socket) and installed a Geforce 8800GT. (previously he had a ATI x800) Its a world of difference, especially while working with multiple applications. He is able to play Bioshock in 1900x1080. For a 300EUR upgrade it is worth it. - and if he decides to buy a new system, he can still continue using the 8800 GT.
Secondly, I would recommend spending 30 Eur ($ whatever) more and get the fastest CPU.
One question - I accidentally bought a passive cooled 8800GT for him, with a huge passive cooler. It came with a "turbo pack" - two fans you can clip on it. Are these really necessary? The manual didn't made it clear. Just to be on the save side I decided to clip 'em on.
Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
edited February 2008
Hey guys,
I'm currently sporting a mild build
1GB ram
AMD 3800 x2
7900 GS card
Windows XP
I'm thinking about upgrading soon.
I know I need another 2GB of ram, that's only $100 and no big deal.
What about the graphic card? I'm not really big on gaming on the PC, and I don't want to upgrade to Vista yet. Is it better off to wait until I get Vista (later on this year, maybe) and upgrade my graphic card then?
or
Is the 7900GS old enough to justify upgrading to something else? If so, what should I upgrade to that is reasonably price?
I know I need another 2GB of ram, that's only $100 and no big deal.
What about the graphic card? I'm not really big on gaming on the PC, and I don't want to upgrade to Vista yet. Is it better off to wait until I get Vista (later on this year, maybe) and upgrade my graphic card then?
or
Is the 7900GS old enough to justify upgrading to something else? If so, what should I upgrade to that is reasonably price?
You've reached the limit of DX9 with your current card, you end up paying a premium price and end up with something only marginally better(as in, a 7950ultra).
If you need a new card(as in, you can't run games at playable frames) right now, then you should pick up an 8 series card, regardless of Vista. You don't need Vista to get the exrta power from the card, just the DX10 capabilities.
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
I filed my taxes today and I'll be getting $1300, total. Half of it in the next two weeks, and the other half in the next four-six weeks. I'm willing to go above this, of course with money I'll be making from working. So, I'll say $1500-$1600.
Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?
I prefer AMD and NVIDIA, but won't brush off Intel or ATI if there's obviously better hardware, for a better price.
Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?
A lot?
Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
YES. After this, I will be keeping up on all games.
Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?
It's something I'm interested in, but have been held back because of my computer.
Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
No, I don't trust myself to do that. But it would be nice to have that option? I don't really know too much about overclocking.
Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
150GB should do it.
Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?
I'd have to research more and see exactly what types I would need personally.
Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
I'll be using Windows XP Pro, but I would like Vista to work on it in case I ever feel the need to upgrade. I'm also interested in dual-booting Linux in the future.
Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
Preferablly Full Sized ATX with a tool less design. My hardware book recommends a case by Foxconn... I'm looking for it on Newegg now.
Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?
Keyboard, I plan on buying the Logitech G-14.
Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?
NO.
Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be wide screen?
Wide screen and 20-22 inches should do... I think?
Stores: Do you have any on line stores that you prefer to purchase from?
I just want good deals and reliability.
Location: What country do you live in?
USA.
Some more information:
I definitely want to have a capture card, so I can record game play videos or what have you from my Xbox 360.
I'm not interested in a wireless network card.
If you need anything else, just ask. I'm going to be reading my hardware reference book. All your recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I'll be building this myself. I'm 99% sure that it doesn't matter, but I'm a wannabe (game?) programmer, I'll definitely be entering the mod scene with this computer. :pray:
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
I filed my taxes today and I'll be getting $1300, total.
Jesus, man. Do you like letting the IRS borrow that much money from your paycheck?
If I didn't, I wouldn't be planning to build a computer right now. Also, that's from 15 months. I didn't file for the three months I work in 2006 until yesterday.
Carnarvon - This is the set up I'm considering now. Thanks for that link, I'm going to compare now.
Regicid3 on
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
edited February 2008
I also get about $1300 back from the IRS. That brings by total savings up to about $2500. I am holding off on the video card for the next month or so (new Nvidia line, going to be out of town anyway) but this is what I have configured right now. I already have a 27in LCD so this money is just for the build.
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
I filed my taxes today and I'll be getting $1300, total.
Jesus, man. Do you like letting the IRS borrow that much money from your paycheck?
If I didn't, I wouldn't be planning to build a computer right now. Also, that's from 15 months. I didn't file for the three months I work in 2006 until yesterday.
Carnarvon - This is the set up I'm considering now. Thanks for that link, I'm going to compare now.
Going to steal your list here Regicid3, cause it saves me time and all that, hope you don't mind.
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
Im looking to spend 1000-1200, a little more if it helps future-proof the system.
Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?
I prefer AMD and NVIDIA, but won't brush off Intel or ATI if there's obviously better hardware, for a better price. (stealing again)
Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?
Yes, not much though.
Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
YES. Definitely, quite a bit, and would like to be able to keep up with the newer games.
Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?
No.
Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
Probably not, but would like to have the option.
Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
150GB should be much much more then enough.
Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?
Planning on building a whole new PC, minus a monitor (plan on upgrading that later), so no.
Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
I'll be using Windows XP Home, but it would be nice to have the option to upgrade to Vista down the road.
Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
I like to have a Full Sized ATX case with a tool less design, also looking into a Koolance case maybe, as I currently own one and it is quite nice.
Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?
Well, I have a kb/m already but wouldn't mind upgrading if there is room in the budget after the main pc is built (can always upgrade easily later on). Would love suggestions though.
Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?
Just a Monitor.
Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be wide screen?
Would love suggestions on a new monitor but don't plan on buying one for several months. A 22-24 or so monitor would be great (Wide screen wise I dont know, not sure what all the benefits for going that route as opposed to regular are).
Stores: Do you have any on line stores that you prefer to purchase from?
I just want good deals and reliability, although newegg and tigerdirect are where I usually shop from.
Location: What country do you live in?
USA.
Havent built a PC in about 5 years (lack of spare funds), so im a bit out of touch with the best makeup of a gaming computer nowadays. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
TL;DR Looking to spend 1000-1200 on a mainly gaming PC, not buying monitor at this time, but would like recommendations on one. Prefer AMD, will be running XP Home.
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster...For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you."
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
I filed my taxes today and I'll be getting $1300, total.
Jesus, man. Do you like letting the IRS borrow that much money from your paycheck?
If I didn't, I wouldn't be planning to build a computer right now. Also, that's from 15 months. I didn't file for the three months I work in 2006 until yesterday.
Carnarvon - This is the set up I'm considering now. Thanks for that link, I'm going to compare now.
Glad I could help you with that there DVD burner.
We had the same burner from the beginning. I haven't compared yet. :P
Hey folks, I'm building my new rig and have all the components picked out, but had a question after looking at video card prices today. The last new rig I built was a 2.0ghz single core with a blazing fast 128mb ti4600, so it's obviously been a while. And I've been out of the country and away from computers for the past 13 months, so I have no idea what the newest tech out there is.
Anyways, I've budgeted for $500-700 for the video card in the new system I'm building. The plan was to go with a GeForce 8800 Ultra or GTX. But it looks like I could get 2 8800 GTs for a cheaper price and run them in/with SLI. I'm looking at a EVGA mobo that will support this, but I have no experience with SLI/dual video card systems. Will the 2 GT cards give me comparable performance? I know they run hot, and I wasn't planning on adding extra cooling to this system - is that do-able? Or should I just stick with a single, higher priced card? I'm looking a 122-CK-NF67-TI from EVGA for the mobo, and a Cosmos 1000 for the case. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
Hey, so I've been in the market for a newish computer, and none of the major manufacturers seem to bother putting in things like decent power-supplies on even a reasonably priced computer, unless you spend upwards of 2,000 dollars. Poking around, I found that you can put one together at half the cost, and put better components in, and as much as I am loathe to do that again, given a few poor past experiences with home-built computers, it seems to be worth it this time around. I was looking at putting something together using components from tigerdirect, as they have these barebones kits that you can build around. It seems like a neat deal, and here's what I was looking at. The questions I have are about a) quality of the brands and b) whether I can get better value with a different component. Thanks for your help, everyone!
The total price, including rebates, is $1,020. I'm not really willing to pay much more than this, unless it's a phenomenally useful reason for upgrading.
Oh, and the primary use of this computer will be light-moderate gaming, and at some point it seems likely that I will use some sort of CAD or other engineering program as well, and if it's high-end enough, I will likely change the video card. Thanks again!
Ok, a lot going on in this thread. Important stuff first:
The 8800GTX is a terrible buy right now.
Seriously. Grab one of the many offerings of the 8800GTS (512mb) instead, and watch as you save yourself $100 and get a card with less heat and noise. Oh, you'll also be within 10% in terms of performance...in other words, you likely wouldn't notice a gap at all. SLI is really not necessary nor will you get a great return on that investment in terms of price/performance.
Next, those of you with $1,000 budgets should be looking at Intel
because AMD, though great for budget systems, still can't compete at mid/high end. The e8400 is a great dual-core option for gaming rigs (though apparently out of stock everywhere right now...I got mine a couple weeks ago for $210 at mwave). The q6600 is the best quad core option for that budget range and is really nice if you also want to do some heavy encoding or folding. Both of these processors can be great overclockers as well with a good aftermarket cooler and a reliable mobo.
Litejedi: I would ditch the nvidia 680 chipset for the intel p35 unless you really want SLI (edit: also, I see you're getting 4x1 gb sticks...it's much better to get 2x2 gb if you can, the deals forum at hardocp always has a link to somewhere selling 2x2's for under $90). Also that brand of psu is not considered reliable, I'll throw out my favorite link that I love to throw out every time I give computer advice: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=39758
Actually, that last bit is just as important as the first. So I lied.
Here's the build I've settled on. Anybody see anything terribly wrong with it? My goal was to keep it under $2000 and this comes in at $1984 at Newegg.
Case : Cooler Master Cosmos 1000
Mobo : EVGA 122-CK-NF67-T1 nForce 680i LT SLI
Proc : Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core
RAM : OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) x 2
VIDEO : EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 x 2
POWR : CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply
HDD : Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM (plus 2 IDE drives salvaged from old rig)
DVDW : ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
DVDR : ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E616A3T
OS : 32-bit Vista Ultimate
EDIT: I'll be pulling my X-FI soundcard out of an old rig also
I'll probably be ordering this within the next 2 days, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. This will be the first system I've built in ~4 years, and I have not followed the industry at all in that time, so most of this tech is completely knew to me.
Hensler, just thought I'd chime in while I'm still up...you're only going to see 3gb of that ram on a 32 bit OS, you're probably better off with just getting 2 for now or getting vista 64. Also, see above for my opinion on SLI...I'm sure you've done the research relative to your own budget, but for my money it isn't worth the cost.
Hensler, just thought I'd chime in while I'm still up...you're only going to see 3gb of that ram on a 32 bit OS, you're probably better off with just getting 2 for now or getting vista 64. Also, see above for my opinion on SLI...I'm sure you've done the research relative to your own budget, but for my money it isn't worth the cost.
I've never built or run a 2 card system, but from what I've read online, SLI will give me better performance than a single card in the same price range. Why specifically wouldn't you recommend it? Those 2 cards are costing me $240 each. Is there a single card around $500 that you would recommend that could outperform both of those?
And thanks for the advice on the RAM, I completely forgot about that. And I have no idea what the pros/cons of a 64 bit OS are. Are there any special hardware requirements? How would running 64 Bit Vista effect gaming?
I've never built or run a 2 card system, but from what I've read online, SLI will give me better performance than a single card in the same price range. Why specifically wouldn't you recommend it? Those 2 cards are costing me $240 each. Is there a single card around $500 that you would recommend that could outperform both of those?
And thanks for the advice on the RAM, I completely forgot about that. And I have no idea what the pros/cons of a 64 bit OS are. Are there any special hardware requirements? How would running 64 Bit Vista effect gaming?
You have to define better performance. Best case scenario you will get ~75% more fps from an SLI setup vs a single card for a 100% increase in price (and usually it's more like 25-50% more fps, if it even works at all). So already from a price/performance standpoint, SLI starts out behind. Aside from that, what are you really getting out of the extra card? If the difference is 150fps vs 120fps, I don't see the value in that increase outside of benchmark contests. Now if you are playing at 1920x1200, then maybe you'll see some real benefit in some games as you're pushing the limits of what one card can reasonably do. Of course in the most demanding game out there, Crysis, I'd pull a 10-20% increase in fps (something like going from 30 to 34). Worth it? Not to me. My thinking was basically, do I want to get 2 cards now for $500, or one card now for $250 and save the rest and buy a new card in a couple years (about half my upgrade cycle)? It was an easy call for me, as I'm still at 1280x1024 and probably wouldn't even notice if another 8800gt magically appeared in my case tomorrow. Even if I was buying a bigger monitor I still would stick with the single card though just due to the steep price for marginal performance gains. If money is no object though, I guess there are worse ways to spend it. But if I were you I'd just drop $300 on a factory overclocked GTS.
Whew that was long. As for the 64 bit OS, I'm sure you can read up more than I know off hand, but basically there are no special hardware requirements. Driver support used to be poor, but apparently is not much of an issue anymore. As far as gaming, some very old games won't work on 64 bit. I don't know just how old or which games are affected. Some applications don't like 64 bit either, so check the ones you use and make sure they'll be ok before you decide.
Litejedi: I would ditch the nvidia 680 chipset for the intel p35 unless you really want SLI (edit: also, I see you're getting 4x1 gb sticks...it's much better to get 2x2 gb if you can, the deals forum at hardocp always has a link to somewhere selling 2x2's for under $90). Also that brand of psu is not considered reliable, I'll throw out my favorite link that I love to throw out every time I give computer advice: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=39758
The ideas about memory and the PSU are solid, I'll look into both of those.
Why not the NVIDIA chipset? I've been a fan of the company and have heard only good things about the chipset. Is the P35 that much better? How about the X38?
It's looking like I'll have to split up my plan of a barebones kit, now, and buy things piecemeal anyway. The PSU of the original kit was from a horrible brand, it seems.
I'm going to use that list as well, it's really useful Regicid3! I threw it behind a spoiler though to prevent wall-o-text.
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? If I could get what I need for under $1,500, that would be grand.
Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? Any brand, so long as it's reliable.
Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? Not heavily... At worst I'd have say, Blender going while working with VS2005.
Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? No, not really. If anything I'd using it to work on one.
Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? Yes.
Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much? No.
Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? 100 - 150GB. Mostly Music/Video if anything/
Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? Doubtful. My other systems are all laptops.
Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? Windows XP, perhaps Vista later.
Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it? Sure. I'd prefer something small and compact. It can look snazzy but yea. I like small.
Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? Nah.
Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? USB Keyboard, Mouse, Tablet, pretty much every USB accessory that I use with my laptops. Plus speakers.
Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be wide screen? I'd like to get something that would work will with 3d modelling, namely with Blender. I'd imagine a widescreen in the 19-22" range would work nicely?
Stores: Do you have any on line stores that you prefer to purchase from? Cheaper is better, so long as it'll actually arrive :P
Location: What country do you live in? USA.
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Thoughts on the 3870 x2?
It's one of them or 8800 GTS in Sli. Which is a better buy?
If those are my options I'm going to say 3870x2, assuming it's still in the $450 range. All the reasons I'm against SLI are laid out in my last post. I think I have most of the hardware community on my side in this one when I say only to get SLI if you have infinite money or care about getting the highest benchmark scores. Keep an eye out for the 9800 gx2 though...should be out soon and might be an interesting alternative.
Oh and Litejedi: I was just saying that about the nvidia 680 because unless you want sli, there's no reason to spend more money on it as the p35 is a very solid chipset. The x38 is very overpriced, so unless it has a feature you just have to have, it's not any better than the p35, despite costing twice as much.
Thoughts on the 3870 x2?
It's one of them or 8800 GTS in Sli. Which is a better buy?
If those are my options I'm going to say 3870x2, assuming it's still in the $450 range. All the reasons I'm against SLI are laid out in my last post. I think I have most of the hardware community on my side in this one when I say only to get SLI if you have infinite money or care about getting the highest benchmark scores. Keep an eye out for the 9800 gx2 though...should be out soon and might be an interesting alternative.
Oh and Litejedi: I was just saying that about the nvidia 680 because unless you want sli, there's no reason to spend more money on it as the p35 is a very solid chipset. The x38 is very overpriced, so unless it has a feature you just have to have, it's not any better than the p35, despite costing twice as much.
It seems like you know a lot more about current tech than I do, so let me ask for your suggestions. If you had $2000 to spend on a gaming rig, what parts would you pick? Or what are currently popular with the hardware community? This question is open to anybody: You have $2000 to build a tower for playing games... what do you put into it? This does not count monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. I liked the rig I came up with, but SLI seems to be unpopular. If not SLI, where could I put the money I'm saving?
If I had 2 grand I'd probably still only spend 1500, not including monitor. Beyond that is overkill.
Abit IP35 pro - $150 AR
e8400 (or q6600) - $220 (or $275)
evga 8800gts - $310 AR (free Crysis included)
WD 500gb aaks hd - $100
Antec p182 case - $90 AR
Corsair 520hx psu - $100 AR
2x2gb ddr2 800 (any reputable brand) - $100
Zalman 9700 hsf - $60
Vista ultimate 64 oem - $170
Total after rebates: $1300 (or $1355 w/ quad core). About a hundred more before rebates, and there might be some shipping in the area of $20.
Other things you might add on:
-e8500 instead of 8400 (if you can find one, they should cost around $290), or waiting a until intel's new quad cores come out (I believe the q9450 will cost ~$350 and is due in March).
-3870x2 instead of 8800gts (does better in most benchmarks, though hardocp is less enthusiastic noting the closeness in real-world performance...and it runs $450).
-wd 'raptor' hard drive - these may be faster but you won't notice in gaming ($170 for 150gb).
If I had 2 grand I'd probably still only spend 1500, not including monitor. Beyond that is overkill.
Abit IP35 pro - $150 AR
e8400 (or q6600) - $220 (or $275)
evga 8800gts - $310 AR (free Crysis included)
WD 500gb aaks hd - $100
Antec p182 case - $90 AR
Corsair 520hx psu - $100 AR
2x2gb ddr2 800 (any reputable brand) - $100
Zalman 9700 hsf - $60
Vista ultimate 64 oem - $170
Total after rebates: $1300 (or $1355 w/ quad core). About a hundred more before rebates, and there might be some shipping in the area of $20.
Other things you might add on:
-e8500 instead of 8400 (if you can find one, they should cost around $290), or waiting a until intel's new quad cores come out (I believe the q9450 will cost ~$350 and is due in March).
-3870x2 instead of 8800gts (does better in most benchmarks, though hardocp is less enthusiastic noting the closeness in real-world performance...and it runs $450).
-wd 'raptor' hard drive - these may be faster but you won't notice in gaming ($170 for 150gb).
THANK YOU! You've given me a lot to think about and research, and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this. This forum is great. I'll let you know what I end up getting and how it performs in the next few days.
If I had 2 grand I'd probably still only spend 1500, not including monitor. Beyond that is overkill.
Abit IP35 pro - $150 AR
e8400 (or q6600) - $220 (or $275)
evga 8800gts - $310 AR (free Crysis included)
WD 500gb aaks hd - $100
Antec p182 case - $90 AR
Corsair 520hx psu - $100 AR
2x2gb ddr2 800 (any reputable brand) - $100
Zalman 9700 hsf - $60
Vista ultimate 64 oem - $170
Total after rebates: $1300 (or $1355 w/ quad core). About a hundred more before rebates, and there might be some shipping in the area of $20.
Other things you might add on:
-e8500 instead of 8400 (if you can find one, they should cost around $290), or waiting a until intel's new quad cores come out (I believe the q9450 will cost ~$350 and is due in March).
-3870x2 instead of 8800gts (does better in most benchmarks, though hardocp is less enthusiastic noting the closeness in real-world performance...and it runs $450).
-wd 'raptor' hard drive - these may be faster but you won't notice in gaming ($170 for 150gb).
THANK YOU! You've given me a lot to think about and research, and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this. This forum is great. I'll let you know what I end up getting and how it performs in the next few days.
I ended up buying something similar to this about a week ago and can't recommend it enough.
I went for the Q6600 as I'm not planning on upgrading for a while and increasingly more and more applications are going to be utilising multiple cores. Also, with no previous experience and an arctic cooling freezer 7 pro (about $30 maybe? I paid around £15) I was able to get it running stable at 3.51 ghz.
I went for corsair ram, and while I haven't really tested it fully yet, i've had no problems with it (or any other components) yet.
64-bit vista is obviously a good idea if you want to get the most out of that ram, but I ended up dual booting to XP for a few programs. A minor inconvenience, but something to take into consideration. Maybe just check out 64-bit compatibility on any programs you use often.
I also went for an 8800gt over the gts, though that's really just personal preference over how much you want out of your graphics card and how much you're looking to spend on it.
The Antec case is awesome. I don't know if these features are standard with a lot of cases these days, but things like removable enclosures for just about everything, a little area at the back side of the case for routing cables through to keep it neat and external case fan controls really make it awesome.
If I had 2 grand I'd probably still only spend 1500, not including monitor. Beyond that is overkill.
Abit IP35 pro - $150 AR
e8400 (or q6600) - $220 (or $275)
evga 8800gts - $310 AR (free Crysis included)
WD 500gb aaks hd - $100
Antec p182 case - $90 AR
Corsair 520hx psu - $100 AR
2x2gb ddr2 800 (any reputable brand) - $100
Zalman 9700 hsf - $60
Vista ultimate 64 oem - $170
Total after rebates: $1300 (or $1355 w/ quad core). About a hundred more before rebates, and there might be some shipping in the area of $20.
Other things you might add on:
-e8500 instead of 8400 (if you can find one, they should cost around $290), or waiting a until intel's new quad cores come out (I believe the q9450 will cost ~$350 and is due in March).
-3870x2 instead of 8800gts (does better in most benchmarks, though hardocp is less enthusiastic noting the closeness in real-world performance...and it runs $450).
-wd 'raptor' hard drive - these may be faster but you won't notice in gaming ($170 for 150gb).
Did some research around and ended up with this list for my pc. Ended up going with most of what you suggested, still might tweak a few things like the HD, and memory.
I plan on sticking with regular XP for the moment so I know id only get about 3gb from the memory, but my question is would it still work fine regardless of that? Id assume yes it would but with it being dual-channel im not entirely certain. Would you get better performance from a dual-core with hyper-threading, or a quad-core, with gaming primarily in mind (common sense says the quad, but you never know).
Also, any suggestions on that build? Memory/HD wise, would like to look into possibly getting a SLI mobo, for future-proofing if you have any suggestions.
Thanks for all the help guys, you stop paying attention to this stuff for a year or so and you feel left in the dust heh.
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster...For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you."
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster...For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you."
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
I'd get this video card instead. It is $30 more though.
And I'd probably get the E8400 instead of the Q6600.
And maybe this mobo.
I'd wait to see what other people thought too though. I'm no expert.
How long does NewEgg usually take to process a big order? I'm get anxious for my stuff to get here, and it hasn't even processed yet
They are usually pretty fast, within a day or two to ship things out. Gotta love all the free shipping they have though...man last time I bought a pc it cost a ton of shipping.
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster...For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you."
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
I'd get this video card instead. It is $30 more though.
And I'd probably get the E8400 instead of the Q6600.
And maybe this mobo.
I'd wait to see what other people thought too though. I'm no expert.
Clayburn, Rizzi is right on the vid card. The 640mb version you have picked out is the older version of the GTS that just doesn't perform as well despite its slight memory edge. I'd also agree on the processor if it is primarily for gaming, as the 3.0 ghz stock clock (vs 2.4 on the quad) will benefit you more than having 2 extra cores that games don't even use (most games don't use more than 1 core, though newer games are finally starting to use 2, just to give you an idea of how long it will be before they start using 4). As for the mobo I'd stick with abit over that asus; the asus is getting terrible reviews, and the abit is one of the best selling, best reviewed boards available.
edit: That 520hx is much cheaper at buy.com, if you want. I got mine there. Also if you don't want crysis, you could get a different brand (pny, xfx, etc) GTS for a good bit cheaper than the evga. But if you do want crysis it's a good deal.
Posts
Athlon 64 X2 3600+ $54
Now it's obviously a lateral move as far as things that are only going to utilize the one core, but do most games and Windows in general take enough advantage of the two cores that I'm going to see a significant jump or only a minimal one?
Now if I don't go that route going to need a new mobo and memory at minimum on top of the CPU. With the more powerful components a new case is probably in order too since the proprietary 300w one in the one I have now isn't going to cut it. Probably want to stay the little shuttle sized box since since even though it puts more strain on the cooling and limits what you can stick in it I'm going to be lugging it across the country soon, and don't have much room for it at home anyway. So here's what I'm looking at if I go the new SFF route.
If I go AMD again it'll be:
Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor Core $159.99
GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H $79.99
Or for Intel:
Core 2 Duo E6750 $189.99
G33 based mobo ~$100
Whatever decent quality DDR2 800 I can get cheap at the time and an 8800GT 512MB. Would throw my current card in there but I'm sure it would just cripple the system and be a total waste. Leaning towards the Intel setup even though it's more expensive because it should perform better and will definitely support the quads which the AMD board should with bios flash but I hear it's been hit and miss. Top it off with an Apevia X-Qpack2 which has more room and a 500W PSU. Would just grab a PSU for my nice Thermaltake case but that thing's big enough to take up most trunks by itself.
So yea, think I got a bit rambly there but thoughts, alternatives, should I just get the $50 processor and be happy? And does anyone else find the way Intel's been labeling/pricing their processors since the early P4 days terribly confusing when it comes to quickly telling what's better then what.
I'm looking at the 3.0 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo cpus and the FSB is 1333 MHz. I can't remember if I need to be looking for DDR2 at 667 MHz (PC2-5300) or DDR3 at 1333 MHz(PC3-10000ish) to function properly. I'm hoping 667 as the 1333 is pretty darn rare and everyone seems to be buying at or around the lower speed.
This is all up to you and your budget. Going from 1 core to 2 will make a big difference, and it's hard to say no to a $50 upgrade. On the other hand, going from that to an e8400 (which you should get, btw, instead of the 6750) will be another huge leap. It will also cost you another $150. So like I said...up to you, and your budget. Either way, the 8800gt will provide the biggest boost to gaming performance, so obviously don't sacrifice there for a faster processor.
I recently replaced the Athlon 64 processor of a friend's system with an 4200 X2 (also socket 939 - the fastest you can get for this socket) and installed a Geforce 8800GT. (previously he had a ATI x800) Its a world of difference, especially while working with multiple applications. He is able to play Bioshock in 1900x1080. For a 300EUR upgrade it is worth it. - and if he decides to buy a new system, he can still continue using the 8800 GT.
Secondly, I would recommend spending 30 Eur ($ whatever) more and get the fastest CPU.
One question - I accidentally bought a passive cooled 8800GT for him, with a huge passive cooler. It came with a "turbo pack" - two fans you can clip on it. Are these really necessary? The manual didn't made it clear. Just to be on the save side I decided to clip 'em on.
I'm currently sporting a mild build
1GB ram
AMD 3800 x2
7900 GS card
Windows XP
I'm thinking about upgrading soon.
I know I need another 2GB of ram, that's only $100 and no big deal.
What about the graphic card? I'm not really big on gaming on the PC, and I don't want to upgrade to Vista yet. Is it better off to wait until I get Vista (later on this year, maybe) and upgrade my graphic card then?
or
Is the 7900GS old enough to justify upgrading to something else? If so, what should I upgrade to that is reasonably price?
You've reached the limit of DX9 with your current card, you end up paying a premium price and end up with something only marginally better(as in, a 7950ultra).
If you need a new card(as in, you can't run games at playable frames) right now, then you should pick up an 8 series card, regardless of Vista. You don't need Vista to get the exrta power from the card, just the DX10 capabilities.
Recommendation:
$100 8600GT 512mb
$175 8600GTS 512mb
$230 8800GT 512mb, or the XFX 256mb XXX
$300 8800GTS G92 512mb
^^Edited in links
I filed my taxes today and I'll be getting $1300, total. Half of it in the next two weeks, and the other half in the next four-six weeks. I'm willing to go above this, of course with money I'll be making from working. So, I'll say $1500-$1600.
I prefer AMD and NVIDIA, but won't brush off Intel or ATI if there's obviously better hardware, for a better price.
A lot?
YES. After this, I will be keeping up on all games.
It's something I'm interested in, but have been held back because of my computer.
No, I don't trust myself to do that. But it would be nice to have that option? I don't really know too much about overclocking.
150GB should do it.
I'd have to research more and see exactly what types I would need personally.
I'll be using Windows XP Pro, but I would like Vista to work on it in case I ever feel the need to upgrade. I'm also interested in dual-booting Linux in the future.
Preferablly Full Sized ATX with a tool less design. My hardware book recommends a case by Foxconn... I'm looking for it on Newegg now.
Keyboard, I plan on buying the Logitech G-14.
NO.
Wide screen and 20-22 inches should do... I think?
I just want good deals and reliability.
USA.
Some more information:
I definitely want to have a capture card, so I can record game play videos or what have you from my Xbox 360.
I'm not interested in a wireless network card.
If you need anything else, just ask. I'm going to be reading my hardware reference book. All your recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I'll be building this myself. I'm 99% sure that it doesn't matter, but I'm a wannabe (game?) programmer, I'll definitely be entering the mod scene with this computer. :pray:
Thank you!
Jesus, man. Do you like letting the IRS borrow that much money from your paycheck?
That link should send you to the system I priced out, but it may screw itself up.
If I didn't, I wouldn't be planning to build a computer right now. Also, that's from 15 months. I didn't file for the three months I work in 2006 until yesterday.
Carnarvon - This is the set up I'm considering now. Thanks for that link, I'm going to compare now.
http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=5499485
Glad I could help you with that there DVD burner.
Im looking to spend 1000-1200, a little more if it helps future-proof the system.
I prefer AMD and NVIDIA, but won't brush off Intel or ATI if there's obviously better hardware, for a better price. (stealing again)
Yes, not much though.
YES. Definitely, quite a bit, and would like to be able to keep up with the newer games.
No.
Probably not, but would like to have the option.
150GB should be much much more then enough.
Planning on building a whole new PC, minus a monitor (plan on upgrading that later), so no.
I'll be using Windows XP Home, but it would be nice to have the option to upgrade to Vista down the road.
I like to have a Full Sized ATX case with a tool less design, also looking into a Koolance case maybe, as I currently own one and it is quite nice.
Well, I have a kb/m already but wouldn't mind upgrading if there is room in the budget after the main pc is built (can always upgrade easily later on). Would love suggestions though.
Just a Monitor.
Would love suggestions on a new monitor but don't plan on buying one for several months. A 22-24 or so monitor would be great (Wide screen wise I dont know, not sure what all the benefits for going that route as opposed to regular are).
I just want good deals and reliability, although newegg and tigerdirect are where I usually shop from.
USA.
Havent built a PC in about 5 years (lack of spare funds), so im a bit out of touch with the best makeup of a gaming computer nowadays. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
TL;DR Looking to spend 1000-1200 on a mainly gaming PC, not buying monitor at this time, but would like recommendations on one. Prefer AMD, will be running XP Home.
PS3 FriendNameThing: Caerus | Steam: clayburnp
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
We had the same burner from the beginning. I haven't compared yet. :P
Anyways, I've budgeted for $500-700 for the video card in the new system I'm building. The plan was to go with a GeForce 8800 Ultra or GTX. But it looks like I could get 2 8800 GTs for a cheaper price and run them in/with SLI. I'm looking at a EVGA mobo that will support this, but I have no experience with SLI/dual video card systems. Will the 2 GT cards give me comparable performance? I know they run hot, and I wasn't planning on adding extra cooling to this system - is that do-able? Or should I just stick with a single, higher priced card? I'm looking a 122-CK-NF67-TI from EVGA for the mobo, and a Cosmos 1000 for the case. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
Barebones Kit:
XFX nForce 680i LT SLI Socket 775 Barebone Kit - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz OEM, ATX Mid-Tower Case, Clear Side, 600 Watt Power Supply
Memory:
Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz E.P.P. Memory (2 x 1024)
Heatsink and Fan:
ThermalTake Golden Orb II / Socket 939/754/775 / Copper Core / CPU Cooling Fan
Hard Drive:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM
Memory:
Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz E.P.P. Memory (2 x 1024) X2 (total of four gigabytes)
Graphics Card:
XFX GeForce 8600 GT Video Card - 512MB DDR3, PCI Express, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, Video Card (Not as good as the 8800, but I just don't see myself using an 8800 any time soon)
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 OEM (I'm choosing the 64-bit version for a few reasons, even though I know the driver support kind of sucks).
DVD Drive:
Aopen 16X DVD-ROM 1648L Pro Chameleon w/SW Retail
The total price, including rebates, is $1,020. I'm not really willing to pay much more than this, unless it's a phenomenally useful reason for upgrading.
Oh, and the primary use of this computer will be light-moderate gaming, and at some point it seems likely that I will use some sort of CAD or other engineering program as well, and if it's high-end enough, I will likely change the video card. Thanks again!
The 8800GTX is a terrible buy right now.
Seriously. Grab one of the many offerings of the 8800GTS (512mb) instead, and watch as you save yourself $100 and get a card with less heat and noise. Oh, you'll also be within 10% in terms of performance...in other words, you likely wouldn't notice a gap at all. SLI is really not necessary nor will you get a great return on that investment in terms of price/performance.
Next, those of you with $1,000 budgets should be looking at Intel
because AMD, though great for budget systems, still can't compete at mid/high end. The e8400 is a great dual-core option for gaming rigs (though apparently out of stock everywhere right now...I got mine a couple weeks ago for $210 at mwave). The q6600 is the best quad core option for that budget range and is really nice if you also want to do some heavy encoding or folding. Both of these processors can be great overclockers as well with a good aftermarket cooler and a reliable mobo.
Litejedi: I would ditch the nvidia 680 chipset for the intel p35 unless you really want SLI (edit: also, I see you're getting 4x1 gb sticks...it's much better to get 2x2 gb if you can, the deals forum at hardocp always has a link to somewhere selling 2x2's for under $90). Also that brand of psu is not considered reliable, I'll throw out my favorite link that I love to throw out every time I give computer advice: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=39758
Actually, that last bit is just as important as the first. So I lied.
Case : Cooler Master Cosmos 1000
Mobo : EVGA 122-CK-NF67-T1 nForce 680i LT SLI
Proc : Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core
RAM : OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) x 2
VIDEO : EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 x 2
POWR : CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply
HDD : Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM (plus 2 IDE drives salvaged from old rig)
DVDW : ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
DVDR : ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E616A3T
OS : 32-bit Vista Ultimate
EDIT: I'll be pulling my X-FI soundcard out of an old rig also
I'll probably be ordering this within the next 2 days, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. This will be the first system I've built in ~4 years, and I have not followed the industry at all in that time, so most of this tech is completely knew to me.
I've never built or run a 2 card system, but from what I've read online, SLI will give me better performance than a single card in the same price range. Why specifically wouldn't you recommend it? Those 2 cards are costing me $240 each. Is there a single card around $500 that you would recommend that could outperform both of those?
And thanks for the advice on the RAM, I completely forgot about that. And I have no idea what the pros/cons of a 64 bit OS are. Are there any special hardware requirements? How would running 64 Bit Vista effect gaming?
You have to define better performance. Best case scenario you will get ~75% more fps from an SLI setup vs a single card for a 100% increase in price (and usually it's more like 25-50% more fps, if it even works at all). So already from a price/performance standpoint, SLI starts out behind. Aside from that, what are you really getting out of the extra card? If the difference is 150fps vs 120fps, I don't see the value in that increase outside of benchmark contests. Now if you are playing at 1920x1200, then maybe you'll see some real benefit in some games as you're pushing the limits of what one card can reasonably do. Of course in the most demanding game out there, Crysis, I'd pull a 10-20% increase in fps (something like going from 30 to 34). Worth it? Not to me. My thinking was basically, do I want to get 2 cards now for $500, or one card now for $250 and save the rest and buy a new card in a couple years (about half my upgrade cycle)? It was an easy call for me, as I'm still at 1280x1024 and probably wouldn't even notice if another 8800gt magically appeared in my case tomorrow. Even if I was buying a bigger monitor I still would stick with the single card though just due to the steep price for marginal performance gains. If money is no object though, I guess there are worse ways to spend it. But if I were you I'd just drop $300 on a factory overclocked GTS.
Whew that was long. As for the 64 bit OS, I'm sure you can read up more than I know off hand, but basically there are no special hardware requirements. Driver support used to be poor, but apparently is not much of an issue anymore. As far as gaming, some very old games won't work on 64 bit. I don't know just how old or which games are affected. Some applications don't like 64 bit either, so check the ones you use and make sure they'll be ok before you decide.
The ideas about memory and the PSU are solid, I'll look into both of those.
Why not the NVIDIA chipset? I've been a fan of the company and have heard only good things about the chipset. Is the P35 that much better? How about the X38?
It's looking like I'll have to split up my plan of a barebones kit, now, and buy things piecemeal anyway. The PSU of the original kit was from a horrible brand, it seems.
It's one of them or 8800 GTS in Sli. Which is a better buy?
If I could get what I need for under $1,500, that would be grand.
Any brand, so long as it's reliable.
Not heavily... At worst I'd have say, Blender going while working with VS2005.
No, not really. If anything I'd using it to work on one.
Yes.
No.
100 - 150GB. Mostly Music/Video if anything/
Doubtful. My other systems are all laptops.
Windows XP, perhaps Vista later.
Sure. I'd prefer something small and compact. It can look snazzy but yea. I like small.
Nah.
USB Keyboard, Mouse, Tablet, pretty much every USB accessory that I use with my laptops. Plus speakers.
I'd like to get something that would work will with 3d modelling, namely with Blender. I'd imagine a widescreen in the 19-22" range would work nicely?
Cheaper is better, so long as it'll actually arrive :P
USA.
If those are my options I'm going to say 3870x2, assuming it's still in the $450 range. All the reasons I'm against SLI are laid out in my last post. I think I have most of the hardware community on my side in this one when I say only to get SLI if you have infinite money or care about getting the highest benchmark scores. Keep an eye out for the 9800 gx2 though...should be out soon and might be an interesting alternative.
Oh and Litejedi: I was just saying that about the nvidia 680 because unless you want sli, there's no reason to spend more money on it as the p35 is a very solid chipset. The x38 is very overpriced, so unless it has a feature you just have to have, it's not any better than the p35, despite costing twice as much.
It seems like you know a lot more about current tech than I do, so let me ask for your suggestions. If you had $2000 to spend on a gaming rig, what parts would you pick? Or what are currently popular with the hardware community? This question is open to anybody: You have $2000 to build a tower for playing games... what do you put into it? This does not count monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. I liked the rig I came up with, but SLI seems to be unpopular. If not SLI, where could I put the money I'm saving?
Abit IP35 pro - $150 AR
e8400 (or q6600) - $220 (or $275)
evga 8800gts - $310 AR (free Crysis included)
WD 500gb aaks hd - $100
Antec p182 case - $90 AR
Corsair 520hx psu - $100 AR
2x2gb ddr2 800 (any reputable brand) - $100
Zalman 9700 hsf - $60
Vista ultimate 64 oem - $170
Total after rebates: $1300 (or $1355 w/ quad core). About a hundred more before rebates, and there might be some shipping in the area of $20.
Other things you might add on:
-e8500 instead of 8400 (if you can find one, they should cost around $290), or waiting a until intel's new quad cores come out (I believe the q9450 will cost ~$350 and is due in March).
-3870x2 instead of 8800gts (does better in most benchmarks, though hardocp is less enthusiastic noting the closeness in real-world performance...and it runs $450).
-wd 'raptor' hard drive - these may be faster but you won't notice in gaming ($170 for 150gb).
THANK YOU! You've given me a lot to think about and research, and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this. This forum is great. I'll let you know what I end up getting and how it performs in the next few days.
I ended up buying something similar to this about a week ago and can't recommend it enough.
I went for the Q6600 as I'm not planning on upgrading for a while and increasingly more and more applications are going to be utilising multiple cores. Also, with no previous experience and an arctic cooling freezer 7 pro (about $30 maybe? I paid around £15) I was able to get it running stable at 3.51 ghz.
I went for corsair ram, and while I haven't really tested it fully yet, i've had no problems with it (or any other components) yet.
64-bit vista is obviously a good idea if you want to get the most out of that ram, but I ended up dual booting to XP for a few programs. A minor inconvenience, but something to take into consideration. Maybe just check out 64-bit compatibility on any programs you use often.
I also went for an 8800gt over the gts, though that's really just personal preference over how much you want out of your graphics card and how much you're looking to spend on it.
The Antec case is awesome. I don't know if these features are standard with a lot of cases these days, but things like removable enclosures for just about everything, a little area at the back side of the case for routing cables through to keep it neat and external case fan controls really make it awesome.
Also check out Staticice for pricing on components from a number of online retailers:
http://staticice.com.au/index.html
Did some research around and ended up with this list for my pc. Ended up going with most of what you suggested, still might tweak a few things like the HD, and memory.
I plan on sticking with regular XP for the moment so I know id only get about 3gb from the memory, but my question is would it still work fine regardless of that? Id assume yes it would but with it being dual-channel im not entirely certain. Would you get better performance from a dual-core with hyper-threading, or a quad-core, with gaming primarily in mind (common sense says the quad, but you never know).
Also, any suggestions on that build? Memory/HD wise, would like to look into possibly getting a SLI mobo, for future-proofing if you have any suggestions.
Thanks for all the help guys, you stop paying attention to this stuff for a year or so and you feel left in the dust heh.
PS3 FriendNameThing: Caerus | Steam: clayburnp
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
PS3 FriendNameThing: Caerus | Steam: clayburnp
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
And I'd probably get the E8400 instead of the Q6600.
And maybe this mobo.
I'd wait to see what other people thought too though. I'm no expert.
They are usually pretty fast, within a day or two to ship things out. Gotta love all the free shipping they have though...man last time I bought a pc it cost a ton of shipping.
PS3 FriendNameThing: Caerus | Steam: clayburnp
"Ónen i-Estel mellyn, ú-chebin estel anim"
Clayburn, Rizzi is right on the vid card. The 640mb version you have picked out is the older version of the GTS that just doesn't perform as well despite its slight memory edge. I'd also agree on the processor if it is primarily for gaming, as the 3.0 ghz stock clock (vs 2.4 on the quad) will benefit you more than having 2 extra cores that games don't even use (most games don't use more than 1 core, though newer games are finally starting to use 2, just to give you an idea of how long it will be before they start using 4). As for the mobo I'd stick with abit over that asus; the asus is getting terrible reviews, and the abit is one of the best selling, best reviewed boards available.
edit: That 520hx is much cheaper at buy.com, if you want. I got mine there. Also if you don't want crysis, you could get a different brand (pny, xfx, etc) GTS for a good bit cheaper than the evga. But if you do want crysis it's a good deal.