Support NeoGAF

[LordK]

Ah didn't think about that. Best off saving for a Core Duo/Quad rig then. If you're comfortable with clocking an E5200 + 4GB RAM + P43-DS3L will run rings around your current setup and will only be a hair over $200. Clock that E5200 to 3.2ghz+ (mine's running at 3.6ghz fwiw) and you're looking at insane value for money.

Ofcourse the Quad core route is certainly justifiable if you have the cash.

Yeah initially I was gonna get a quad core. I still will. But I'm going to wait a lot longer since gaming at 60 fps 1080p for now is working. Who knows... if black friday yields a cheap ass quad core, I'll probably jump on it. And yeah, I'm running my X2 at stock, haha.

 

[Cheeto]

Yeah initially I was gonna get a quad core. I still will. But I'm going to wait a lot longer since gaming at 60 fps 1080p for now is working. Who knows... if black friday yields a cheap ass quad core, I'll probably jump on it. And yeah, I'm running my X2 at stock, haha.

If everything you throw at your current rig runs fine for you, there's no need to upgrade. Games usually aren't *that* CPU dependant...so most games should(and they are) run fine for you. But I would say that you should build a new rig from the ground up, moving your current GPU to a new system..when you decide that you need an upgrade.

 

[Shinz Kicker]

ok gaf i have a x800xt 256. the circuit city near me is closing and has a 4850 512 for 160 (20% off of 199) i only game at max 1280 by 1024 and sometimes 720p i dont have anything higher res at the moment. Should i go for broke or wait this one out.

 

[brain_stew]

ok gaf i have a x800xt 256. the circuit city near me is closing and has a 4850 512 for 160 (20% off of 199) i only game at max 1280 by 1024 and sometimes 720p i dont have anything higher res at the moment. Should i go for broke or wait this one out.

What's the rest of your specs? Unless you're still on a P4, absolutely go for it. The 4850 totally tears up that resolution.

 

[Vaporak]

ok gaf i have a x800xt 256. the circuit city near me is closing and has a 4850 512 for 160 (20% off of 199) i only game at max 1280 by 1024 and sometimes 720p i dont have anything higher res at the moment. Should i go for broke or wait this one out.

Wait:
1) You can get it for cheaper online at newegg.
2) If you are running an X800 you probably are on an AGP slot, and I don't think any HD 4800 series comes in AGP.

 

[Shinz Kicker]

... im still on a P4 3.4 2.5 gigs =(. with the price its at with out any rebates and such i could easily roll it into my new computer since when i make my new computer im going to roll my current monitor and tv into it. I think im going to bite.

i have a PCI-E x16 slot its not 2.0 but i am assuming it will downgrade to 1.0

 

[brain_stew]

... im still on a P4 3.4 2.5 gigs =(. with the price its at with out any rebates and such i could easily roll it into my new computer since when i make my new computer im going to roll my current monitor and tv into it. I think im going to bite.

i have a PCI-E x16 slot its not 2.0 but i am assuming it will downgrade to 1.0

PCIe 1.0 is not a factor at all but that old P4 really is, its going to severely hold back the 4850, and you may be better off waiting on doing a full upgrade before splashing out on a graphics card. What motherboard do you have, is it socket 775? As some early Core 2s"may" be compatible, although its unlikely.

If a CPU upgrade is out of the picture for the forseeable future then don't go waisting your cash on a 4850, if you must upgrade your GPU now then, this would be a much better idea:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131122

Given the massive CPU bottleneck it'd be pointless getting anything more than a 4670, and even then its still a massive upgrade for the X800XT.

 

[Shinz Kicker]

pretty much my decision is either buy a card now and use it gimped then feel it get unleashed when i get a new tower mobo cpu and ram in the near future (early 09). But the only downfall to this would i could probably get a better card when i actually do build my computer at a later date. Thanks for all the info.

Edit: if i bought that 4670 it would crossfire nicely into my new comp....

 

[brain_stew]

pretty much my decision is either buy a card now and use it gimped then feel it get unleashed when i get a new tower mobo cpu and ram in the near future (early 09). But the only downfall to this would i could probably get a better card when i actually do build my computer at a later date. Thanks for all the info.

Edit: if i bought that 4670 it would crossfire nicely into my new comp....

I'd personally never recommend that route. You'd be much better served with buying a better single card come upgrade time, plus X48 based boards are very expensive and your only real option for Crossfire.

So long as you're definitely going to be upgrading early in the new year, and 1280x1024 is still going to be your resolution, then you may as well just pick up the 4850. Nothing that's going to be released in the next year or two is going to push the 4850 at 1280x1024.

 

[SapientWolf]

pretty much my decision is either buy a card now and use it gimped then feel it get unleashed when i get a new tower mobo cpu and ram in the near future (early 09). But the only downfall to this would i could probably get a better card when i actually do build my computer at a later date. Thanks for all the info.

Edit: if i bought that 4670 it would crossfire nicely into my new comp....

I would get the 3850 over the 4670 right now. There's one going for $50 after a $50 rebate on Newegg. The Powercolor card is going for $65 and it overclocks like a monster, reaching speeds higher than what is listed for factor overclocked 3870s.

Save your cash for a full upgrade in a year or so. The 4850 will be dated by then anyway.

 

[Sciz]

Nearly finished with this. Need to do some price checking against other sites, and I haven't decided on a case yet.

Intel C2D E8400
Sapphire Radeon 4850 512MB
Corsair 4GB DDR2 800 RAM
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard
Corsair VX550 PSU
Seagate 640GB 7200 RPM HDD
Some cheap keyboard and DVD drive
Vista Home Premium 64-bit upgrade

Totals to nearly $900, factoring in 9.25% sales tax (largely why I need to scour other sites), rebates, some shipping, and a theoretical case.


Any problems or incompatibilities, suggestions, and whatnot? Am I likely to need additional cables or cooling for anything? I'll gladly take case recommendations as long as they aren't for monsters like the Antec 1200. :lol

 

[Archie]

I'm contemplating a new PC and I have a few questions. This is my current build:

Cooler Master Case
Western Digital 500GB HDD
Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB
Gigabyte Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 GHz
Corsair 520W PSU
Corsair 4 GB DDR2 RAM
and Vista 64 bit OEM

I really don't have a clue what I'm doing with picking parts, but a friend gave me some links and I kinda went from there. :lol The total is $772 before rebates. The total with rebates is $692. I was wondering:

-How would this PC run Crysis? I currently play at 1280x1024 max but I might buy a new monitor after Christmas that would go to 1680x1050 max. I'm not really looking to run it at max everything but I would like some eye candy.
-How practical is it to upgrade right now with Core i7 looming? I'm not a giant PC gaming nut, but there are about half a dozen PC games I want to play that my current computer can't run. I've waited over 5 years for a new PC, I think I can wait a few more months.
-Would it be practical just for me to toss in a new graphics card in a year or two when the 4850 becomes out dated or would I have to start from scratch?

Thanks!

 

[Hazaro]

-How would this PC run Crysis?
-How practical is it to upgrade right now with Core i7 looming? I'm not a giant PC gaming nut, but there are about half a dozen PC games I want to play that my current computer can't run. I've waited over 5 years for a new PC, I think I can wait a few more months.
-Would it be practical just for me to toss in a new graphics card in a year or two when the 4850 becomes out dated or would I have to start from scratch?

-High at 1680x1050
-Practical since i7 only affects multi GPU at 1920 and above currently, otherwise you are GPU bound
-Yes, you have many upgrade paths from here

My only suggestion would be to swap from the 500GB to the 640GB WD6400AAKS for $15 more. Speedier and a little more room.

 

[brain_stew]

Nearly finished with this. Need to do some price checking against other sites, and I haven't decided on a case yet.

Intel C2D E8400
Sapphire Radeon 4850 512MB
Corsair 4GB DDR2 800 RAM
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard
Corsair VX550 PSU
Seagate 640GB 7200 RPM HDD
Some cheap keyboard and DVD drive
Vista Home Premium 64-bit upgrade

Totals to nearly $900, factoring in 9.25% sales tax (largely why I need to scour other sites), rebates, some shipping, and a theoretical case.


Any problems or incompatibilities, suggestions, and whatnot? Am I likely to need additional cables or cooling for anything? I'll gladly take case recommendations as long as they aren't for monsters like the Antec 1200. :lol

Some very nice choices there, I'd add an aftermarket cooler personally so that overclocking is an option, and I'd at least give the Q6600 some thought.

 

[Sciz]

Some very nice choices there, I'd add an aftermarket cooler personally so that overclocking is an option, and I'd at least give the Q6600 some thought.

I did think about a Q6600 for a bit, but it seemed like it was going to end up costing me more (both upfront and on the power bill) for only a potential future increase in performance for most games. As for overclocking, maybe in the future, though I can't imagine I'm ever going to run into something that's CPU-bound with this system short of SupCom.

 

[SapientWolf]

I'm contemplating a new PC and I have a few questions. This is my current build:

Cooler Master Case
Western Digital 500GB HDD
Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB
Gigabyte Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 GHz
Corsair 520W PSU
Corsair 4 GB DDR2 RAM
and Vista 64 bit OEM

I really don't have a clue what I'm doing with picking parts, but a friend gave me some links and I kinda went from there. :lol The total is $772 before rebates. The total with rebates is $692. I was wondering:

-How would this PC run Crysis? I currently play at 1280x1024 max but I might buy a new monitor after Christmas that would go to 1680x1050 max. I'm not really looking to run it at max everything but I would like some eye candy.
-How practical is it to upgrade right now with Core i7 looming? I'm not a giant PC gaming nut, but there are about half a dozen PC games I want to play that my current computer can't run. I've waited over 5 years for a new PC, I think I can wait a few more months.
-Would it be practical just for me to toss in a new graphics card in a year or two when the 4850 becomes out dated or would I have to start from scratch?

Thanks!

Crysis will run at about 30fps at high settings at 1680x1050 on that card. But it's hard to say if the upgrade is worth it without knowing what you're upgrading from. Almost all of the AAA PC releases in 2009 will run well on a modest computer so you could very well end up paying $700 to run Crysis. You might be able upgrade your current kit for much less.

i7 won't really be worth it until the prices go down, but keep in mind that you are buying a dead end chipset right now. If you think you are going to need a processor faster than the Core Quads in 2 years then you will have to replace your motherboard and buy new memory as well. PCIe will be the same so at least you won't have to chuck your video card. If DMC4's benchmark is any indication Crossfire may actually be worth it in the future.

 

[Archie]

i7 won't really be worth it until the prices go down, but keep in mind that you are buying a dead end chipset right now.

That is what I was afraid of and why I'm hesitant to pull the trigger right now. I'm running a P4 2.8 ghz, 1 gig of RAM and 6600 GT 128mb atm. It was a modest computer back in 2004, now it can barely run Left 4 Dead. :lol That build is a quantum leap based on where I currently stand.

 

[Hazaro]

That is what I was afraid of and why I'm hesitant to pull the trigger right now. I'm running a P4 2.8 ghz, 1 gig of RAM and 6600 GT 128mb atm. It was a modest computer back in 2004, now it can barely run Left 4 Dead. :lol That build is a quantum leap based on where I currently stand.

Way I see it is that prices on i7 packages (CPU, RAM, mobo) will fall down enough when you need to upgrade. Plus there will be a lot more choices.

And if games were to take advantage of i7 then a quad upgrade should be fine. imo

I'm stickin to my dual core and single card, and plan to for a long time.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Core 2 Duo platform right now is really the sweet spot of gaming. The i7 gives you bragging rights for sure, but unless you go SLi or Cross-Fire, the damn thing ain't worth it unless you really, really want it.

I'm building a nice little system for a client of mine now with a mATX board, E7300 and 2GB of DDR2 for under $470. You cannot beat the prices that are out there right now.

 

[SapientWolf]

That is what I was afraid of and why I'm hesitant to pull the trigger right now. I'm running a P4 2.8 ghz, 1 gig of RAM and 6600 GT 128mb atm. It was a modest computer back in 2004, now it can barely run Left 4 Dead. :lol That build is a quantum leap based on where I currently stand.

I just put a x1950GT in my old P4 and now it runs Left 4 Dead maxxed out at 1280x1024@4xAA. The framerate dips during the zombies rushes though, so it must be CPU limited. I wish I could overclock my processor but my mobo doesn't support it

 

[dork]

motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
hd:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152096
video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112
drives: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136149
case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

hope to run crysis/company of heroes/red alert 3, etc etc

missing anything?

 

[mambadragon]

motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
hd:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152096
video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112
drives: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136149
case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

hope to run crysis/company of heroes/red alert 3, etc etc

missing anything?

looks great.

You also will probably have to buy fans for your case and I'd get a different heatsink/fan than the stock one. I'd recommend the OCZ Vendetta 2 or Xigmatek 1283 (they're essentially the same).

 

[brain_stew]

Way I see it is that prices on i7 packages (CPU, RAM, mobo) will fall down enough when you need to upgrade. Plus there will be a lot more choices.

And if games were to take advantage of i7 then a quad upgrade should be fine. imo

I'm stickin to my dual core and single card, and plan to for a long time.

Very good points, i'd hardly call the 775 socket "dead" for people currently running a 2-4GB dual core setup, as there's still a very cheap upgrade to a 45nm quad, 6-8GB RAM and a brand new GPU waiting for you whenever it becomes necessary.

That's why I'm perfectly happy with my 3.6ghz OCed E5200, because by the time it starts showing its age I'll probably be able to pick up a 45nm quad for a pittance, and I'm not scared to dip into the second hand market if that becomes necessary.

Intel aren't just going to stop producing 775 chips overnight either, there's still a huge slice of the market on that socket and it'd be foolish not to give them options. That could very well mean cheap "Pentium Quad Core" chips which I'd be more than happy to take them up on.

 

[dork]

looks great.

You also will probably have to buy fans for your case and I'd get a different heatsink/fan than the stock one. I'd recommend the OCZ Vendetta 2 or Xigmatek 1283 (they're essentially the same).

roger that, thanks sir

 

[SRG01]

That's why I'm perfectly happy with my 3.6ghz OCed E5200, because by the time it starts showing its age I'll probably be able to pick up a 45nm quad for a pittance, and I'm not scared to dip into the second hand market if that becomes necessary.

That is perhaps why Core2 isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Cheap, power-efficient, and easy as hell to OC. My next system (once CDN improves versus USD) will have an OCed E5200. I'm hoping that i7 improves within the next tock, since its power draw is absolutely ridiculous at this point.

 

[LordK]

Should we be expecting a price drop on the current quad cores (at least on black friday) with the i7's out and black friday coming up?

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Should we be expecting a price drop on the current quad cores (at least on black friday) with the i7's out and black friday coming up?

Doubtful. Intel's not forecasted to drop it's Quad core prices I think until Mar/Apr of '09

 

[zoku88]

Should we be expecting a price drop on the current quad cores (at least on black friday) with the i7's out and black friday coming up?

The prices were actually recently dropped like a couple of weeks ago, preparing for the i7 launch...

 

[LordK]

The prices were actually recently dropped like a couple of weeks ago, preparing for the i7 launch...

Really? Whoa. I thought the Q6600 has been around 180 for a long time now.

 

[zoku88]

Really? Whoa. I thought the Q6600 has been around 180 for a long time now.

Well, the Q6600 isn't really that "current"

I was talking aboutt he 45nm ones.

EDIT: or maybe the price did drop for Q6600, by $10

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Really? Whoa. I thought the Q6600 has been around 180 for a long time now.

In comparison, I bought the Q6600 for $249 in April of 08 and now look at the thing... it's $180 bucks. :lol

 

[Mr.City]

My games have been crashing a lot. Hate to be so vague, but any idea what it could be?

 

[zoku88]

My games have been crashing a lot. Hate to be so vague, but any idea what it could be?

Try new gfx drivers?

Also try checking your memory just in case?

 

[Mr.City]

Tried updating the gpu through device manager. It's up to date. How do I check my memory though?

 

[zoku88]

Tried updating the gpu through device manager. It's up to date. How do I check my memory though?

memtest

 

[LordK]

In comparison, I bought the Q6600 for $249 in April of 08 and now look at the thing... it's $180 bucks. :lol

Really? My roommate said he got his Q6600 (with G0 stepping) at frys (it was on sale) for 180 in April. It's 175 on Amazon with guaranteed G0. Newegg and Mwave couldn'te guarantee me G0.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Well I got mine online @ the Egg and didn't shop locally. Just easier getting all the parts from one spot.

Anyways, wouldn't expect the Q9x series to drop in price until next year.

 

[dork]

motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
hd:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152096
video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112
drives: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136149
case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

hope to run crysis/company of heroes/red alert 3, etc etc

missing anything?

quoting myself, can anyone find me a good heatsink to go with this build from newegg

thank you

and will games run good for me?

 

[Opus Angelorum]

...quoting myself, can anyone find me a good heatsink to go with this build from newegg

Probably the most recommended and used (Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro) or arguably the better performer (Tuniq Tower 120):

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

Tuniq Tower 120

The system will run games very well, no worries there.

 

[vandalvideo]

Wait:
1) You can get it for cheaper online at newegg.
2) If you are running an X800 you probably are on an AGP slot, and I don't think any HD 4800 series comes in AGP.

Pricewatch is even cheaper than newegg tbqh. It also has free shipping for like 80% of the products on the site.

 

[dork]

hell yeah thanks

last question

newegg makes selecting my OS so difficult with their 900 versions, and microsoft didnt help with their 7 versions

should i get 64 or 32bit windows vista? and is this one ok?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488


according to a site company of heroes only works on 32bit..that better be wrong

 

[YuriLowell]

I currently game at 1920x1080, and running a 8800gt with a 6400+ Black Edition at 3.4. I want to run everything that has just come out at max, but I dont know if I should get a newer cpu or grab a 4870 1gb.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[dork]

I currently game at 1920x1080, and running a 8800gt with a 6400+ Black Edition at 3.4. I want to run everything that has just come out at max, but I dont know if I should get a newer cpu or grab a 4870 1gb.

Any help is appreciated.

very first post has a cool chart that may help, shows FPS in crysis and stuff

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Personally if I was purchasing a third copy of Vista it would be the 64-bit version, issues that existed at the launch of Vista (Jan 07) have all but disappeared.

 

[dork]

Personally if I was purchasing a third copy of Vista it would be the 64-bit version, issues that existed at the launch of Vista (Jan 07) have all but disappeared.

ok thanks, that link i posted is ok then? I know they sell weird versions sometimes

This is my first copy of vista, i wish i could wait till windows 7 but this will have to do

 

[Opus Angelorum]

...according to a site company of heroes only works on 32bit..that better be wrong

Company of Heroes is a Games for Windows title, and has been certified compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit. I believe there were some initial problems that have since been rectified with the ForceWare drivers.

That version is fine, it's basically an OEM disk without the retail packaging.

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

I currently game at 1920x1080, and running a 8800gt with a 6400+ Black Edition at 3.4. I want to run everything that has just come out at max, but I dont know if I should get a newer cpu or grab a 4870 1gb.

Any help is appreciated.

Wow, you have the exact same setup as me.

 

[Kadey]

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 (8 core models during time frame)
Memory: 12GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 6 x 2048MB
Intel® X-58 Motherboard- Socket 1366 Core i7 Ready, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Memory
8x Dual Layer Blu-ray Burner (BD-RE, DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeGamer High Definition 7.1 Audio

A look into next year.

 

[Hazaro]

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 (8 core models during time frame)
Memory: 12GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 6 x 2048MB
Intel® X-58 Motherboard- Socket 1366 Core i7 Ready, Dual Triple Channel DDR3 Memory
8x Dual Layer Blu-ray Burner (BD-RE, DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeGamer High Definition 7.1 Audio

A look into next year.

8x Intel X-25 RAID 0 :lol

 

[zoku88]

8x Intel X-25 RAID 0 :lol

OMG, that would be so hot. :lol :lol