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[DeadTrees]

I was wondering what I could buy to improve this computer's game playing performance. It just has a standard, integrated graphics card right now.

If it is a Pentium 4 (the Dell site says that the Dimension 4200 is a Pentium III!) and it has an AGP slot, AND your power supply can support it, there is an AGP version of the HD 3850 card available for around $200.

Still won't be enough to play Supreme Commander or Crysis worth a damn, though.

 

[trh]

Here's my 3 weeks old comp:

pictured is:
Antec P182 case
Gigabyte P35C-DS3R
two Corsair 800 sticks
Corsair HX620W psu
EVGA 8800GT
Intel C2D E8400
Samsung 500GB hard drive and Samsung DVD drive

It's absolutely great, I wish I didn't have to pull the audio cable from the case all the way to the back of the mobo, but it's not like it really matters.

 

[The Chef]

Just thought I would give a headsup on how my setup is running.

Here is again what I built:

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black

OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB)

ASRock Penryn1600SLI-110dB LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor

And 2 of these:

ZOTAC ZT-88TES3P-FCP GeForce 8800GT 512MB - Single Slot SLI

Over the weekend I overclocked the CPU to a very stable and very cool 3.1Mhz after running stress tests for about 15 hours.
Fired up Crysis for the first time and I selected the option to adjust my video settings for me. It set everything to High settings plus I went ahead and turned Antialiasing on to 2x and played for about an hour.

To my absolute amazement Crysis ran a constant 50-60 fps with no lag even in intense gun fights. I honestly dont know how you could get a better PC for under $1300. This thing is a BEAST

 

[rabhw]

Just thought I would give a headsup on how my setup is running.

To my absolute amazement Crysis ran a constant 50-60 fps with no lag even in intense gun fights. I honestly dont know how you could get a better PC for under $1300. This thing is a BEAST

Lies. Nice setup though.

 

[eznark]

Over the weekend I overclocked the CPU to a very stable and very cool 3.1Mhz after running stress tests for about 15 hours.
Fired up Crysis for the first time and I selected the option to adjust my video settings for me. It set everything to High settings plus I went ahead and turned Antialiasing on to 2x and played for about an hour.

To my absolute amazement Crysis ran a constant 50-60 fps with no lag even in intense gun fights. I honestly dont know how you could get a better PC for under $1300. This thing is a BEAST

I have about the same set up, how does the Zalman fit in there, and what temps are you running at?

 

[The Chef]

I have about the same set up, how does the Zalman fit in there, and what temps are you running at?

Its a little snug but it fits.
My temp hovers around 46-48C but after playing Crysis its around 53C

 

[eznark]

Its a little snug but it fits.
My temp hovers around 46-48C but after playing Crysis its around 53C

Cool, thanks. I ended up ordering the $30 Arctic cooling freezer 7 pro as it's cheap and supposedly an easy install. Since I'm running at 52/51/48/52 after Crysis OC'd to 3.0 I figured a cheaper and quieter heat sink was prudent as it doesn't need to do a whole lot of work to keep me stable.

 

[godhandiscen]

To my absolute amazement Crysis ran a constant 50-60 fps with no lag even in intense gun fights. I honestly dont know how you could get a better PC for under $1300. This thing is a BEAST

What resolution? Even if you were playing at 1024X768 you would be beating the TomsHardware scores by a mile, how did you achieve that? Did you overclock your GPU?

 

[SRG01]

What settings and resolution?

 

[aeolist]

What resolution? Even if you were playing at 1024X768 you would be beating the TomsHardware scores by a mile, how did you achieve that? Did you overclock your GPU?

I think with SLI this is achievable. I have a much slower Core 2 Duo and a 8800GT and Crysis runs almost locked at 60FPS with everything to Medium except shaders, shadows, postprocessing, and textures at 1440x900. I could probably turn a few more settings up, I'm still tweaking but it looks amazing.

 

[eznark]

I think with SLI this is achievable. I have a much slower Core 2 Duo and a 8800GT and Crysis runs almost locked at 60FPS with everything to Medium except shaders, shadows, postprocessing, and textures at 1440x900. I could probably turn a few more settings up, I'm still tweaking but it looks amazing.

How are you guys measuring the frame rates in Crysis?

 

[aeolist]

How are you guys measuring the frame rates in Crysis?

I have vsync on and it's definitely not running at 30.

 

[godhandiscen]

VICTORY!!!!!!!



After installing the replacement RAM I got, now I am able to run Crysis @ 1280x800 everything on High, DX10 mode 64Bit version @ at an average of 30+ fps, (with a few drops around the beach). I asume I could teawk the game for better performance, but I am happy with what I am getting now. I am going to overclock my GPU and CPU and see if I get better performance. These are my specs in case you want to know:

AMD Phenom 9850 Black Edition
Corsair XMS2 4GB 2 x 2GB DDR2
ATI RADEON HD3870X2 1.024GB GDDR3
ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi AMD 790FX
Windows Vista 64
I will get 4GB more of RAM after my RMA goes through. I am loving my system now.

 

[aznpxdd]

How are you guys measuring the frame rates in Crysis?

FRAPS.

 

[trh]

there's also something along the lines of r_showinfo 1 in the crysis console

 

[Scum]

I'm setting up a new PC soon. Here's what I have in mind :-

RAM
Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2 PC2-6400C5 TwinX (2x2GB)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-136-CS

CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) – Retail
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-161-IN

GPU
XFX GeForce 8800 GTX Extreme 768MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (PV-T80F-SHE9)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-099-XF

OS
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit Edition DVD - OEM - 1Pk (66R-02034)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SW-041-MS

CD/DVD DRIVE
Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) – OEM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-096-SA

THERMAL COMPOUND
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=AC-000-AC

PSU
OCZ ModXStream 780w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-024-OC

CPU FAN/HEATSINK
Zalman CNPS9700-NT nVidia Tritium CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/LGA775)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-027-ZA

CASE
Antec P182 Super Midi Tower Case - No PSU (Gun Metal Black)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-070-AN

MOTHERBOARD
??

HDD
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10000RPM SATA 16MB Cache - OEM (WD740ADFD)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-087-WD

Any ideas on a motherboard would be more than welcome. Thanks.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Just a heads up to anyone who needs the E8400 for their build. Newegg has it in stock (for the moment), but I would hurry. I, on the other hand, just got the Q6600 in the mail from Frys. It's the G0 SLACR model, so I am happy.

Now to wait for the other parts....


And that high fps in Crysis seems kind of amazing. I hear Crysis doesn't even benefit from SLI that much, but awesome nonetheless.

 

[derder]

Dell Link

What is to prevent me from buying this for $420 and putting a 8800 GT in there?

Would it be space, power supply, both?

I need your help GAF, I'm about to take the plunge!

 

[zaidr]

Dell Link

What is to prevent me from buying this for $420 and putting a 8800 GT in there?

Would it be space, power supply, both?

I need your help GAF, I'm about to take the plunge!

Nothing wrong with that...sounds good. I doubt space would be a concern...and most boards have PCIe standard now, so your only avenue for concern should be the powersupply. You'll be opening this baby up, right? So you can find out if you have a good enough one when you do. If not, spring for a good 500W and you're golden.

 

[derder]

Nothing wrong with that...sounds good. I doubt space would be a concern...and most boards have PCIe standard now, so your only avenue for concern should be the powersupply. You'll be opening this baby up, right? So you can find out if you have a good enough one when you do. If not, spring for a good 500W and you're golden.

Yeah, i just found this and am so close to ordering it. Is it good price?

It comes complete and features:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)

at about 550 shipped.

I would be adding:
8800 GT for160 shipped.
Power Supply for 50

= $760

I'm really concerned that I wouldn't be able to upgrade much past that, as I have no clue which mb is in there :/

 

[zaidr]

Yeah, i just found this and am so close to ordering it. Is it good price?

It comes complete and features:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)

at about 550 shipped.

I would be adding:
8800 GT for160 shipped.
Power Supply for 50

= $760

I'm really concerned that I wouldn't be able to upgrade much past that, as I have no clue which mb is in there :/

The price is actually pretty good. For a fully assembled PC with those specs, 499 is a bargain.

Retail prices:
CPU ~250
RAM ~80
HDD ~100
Mobo ~60
Case ~40

I'd say its a good buy.

 

[Kosma]

I can't believe it's possible to get the 9600GT for as little as 119 euro now. How can I resist the upgrade?

 

[Jacobi]

I can't believe it's possible to get the 9600GT for as little as 119 euro now. How can I resist the upgrade?

I've already found one for 100 Euros. Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Might be overkill for an X2 4400+ system, but I'll definitely get one too.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Just a heads up to anyone who needs the E8400 for their build. Newegg has it in stock (for the moment), but I would hurry. I, on the other hand, just got the Q6600 in the mail from Frys. It's the G0 SLACR model, so I am happy.

Now to wait for the other parts....


And that high fps in Crysis seems kind of amazing. I hear Crysis doesn't even benefit from SLI that much, but awesome nonetheless.

Hey Hyde.... you're still playing the waiting game huh? Yeah I got the G0 SLACR model too. I was amazed that the batch I got was a Dec. '07 batch from NewEgg. However I'm glad I got it in case I want to overclock in the future.

 

[Kosma]

I've already found one for 100 Euros. Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Might be overkill for an X2 4400+ system, but I'll definitely get one too.

Yeah, but it still can function as the GPU for our next system I think.

Yeah, i just found this and am so close to ordering it. Is it good price?

It comes complete and features:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)

at about 550 shipped.

I would be adding:
8800 GT for160 shipped.
Power Supply for 50

= $760

I'm really concerned that I wouldn't be able to upgrade much past that, as I have no clue which mb is in there :/

Sounds like a beast to me. 4GB ram though?

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Hey Hyde.... you're still playing the waiting game huh? Yeah I got the G0 SLACR model too. I was amazed that the batch I got was a Dec. '07 batch from NewEgg. However I'm glad I got it in case I want to overclock in the future.

Yeah, I am. Everything EXCEPT the case is coming today. Tomorrow the case is supposed to come. I understand that the case shipped from elsewhere, but UPS tracking showed the case being in Orlando along with everything else, but then it showed the case go to my city and then back to Orlando. I guess UPS follows their estimated delivery date to a T.


My Q6600 shows the pack date as 3/19/08. I plan to overclock it after making sure everything is stable for a couple of weeks.

 

[Kadey]

Added way better cooler and vga cooler with someone's help. I no longer have to worry about my PC blowing up. A lesson well learned.
Now both CPU and GPU are well overclocked 4.0ghz, 700 core clock, 1200 memory and 1700 shader, and and running very cool as if stock. I still have more room for clocking. I upped my 3dmark from 16k to 19k.
And gah, I'm actually freezing my behind off sitting here with the case open and all fans going.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Kadey, which VGA cooler are you using? I am planning to either use one or modify my case with an exhaust fan up top. That's if I decide to overclock the card.

And gah! Everything is in my possession besides the case. Tomorrow is going to be a long workday.

 

[eznark]

Kadey, any trouble getting the heatsink installed?

 

[Kadey]

If I can do it, anyone can. Pretty big statement there. I usually get other people to hook up my hardware. It's as easy as plugging and twisting.

 

[SRG01]

Please tell us what coolers you are using!!

 

[TheGreatDave]

OK, my new computer comes tomorrow, 8800GT; are NVIDIAs Vista drivers any good yet? Should I go with XP 64bit of Vista 64bit?

 

[Kadey]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10658816&postcount=926

Latest drivers are 174.85. I haven't tried it but there are mixed opinions. 174.74 is the latest official and they work great for me so far.

 

[rabhw]

the .85's MIGHT fix a pretty serious display bug in Assassin's Creed, I'm not sure though. It was either one of two things and I changed them both, then the bug was fixed. So yeah, just a heads up incase you plan on playing AC.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Here they are :

Specs :
Lian-Li PC-60 Case
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard Rev 2.0
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
XFX PVT94PYDDU GeForce 9600GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
A-DATA 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
LG 19" Widescreen Digital Monitor @ 1440x900
Western Digital 74GB Raptor 10k RPM SATA
Western Digital 250GB SATA
ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E616A3T OEM
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B
ZALMAN 9500A 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000
Logitech MX500 mouse

Proc is running at stock speed of 2.4GHz for a while. No need to overclock yet. RAM is running stock. 9600GT is also running stock. My system burn in is usually about a month or so.

Temps :
CPU : *UPDATED* 30C idle | Max 36-39C
GPU : 44C average.

Software :
OS : Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit
NVIDIA : 174.74 WHQL Drivers

 

[bee]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/kade215/PC.jpg

how come you got the cpu cooler blowing back into the case instead of out the back?

 

[mr stroke]

VICTORY!!!!!!!



After installing the replacement RAM I got, now I am able to run Crysis @ 1280x800 everything on High, DX10 mode 64Bit version @ at an average of 30+ fps, (with a few drops around the beach). I asume I could teawk the game for better performance, but I am happy with what I am getting now. I am going to overclock my GPU and CPU and see if I get better performance. These are my specs in case you want to know:

AMD Phenom 9850 Black Edition
Corsair XMS2 4GB 2 x 2GB DDR2
ATI RADEON HD3870X2 1.024GB GDDR3
ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi AMD 790FX
Windows Vista 64
I will get 4GB more of RAM after my RMA goes through. I am loving my system now.

are you getting drops in the single digits during heavy shoting? I just got the same rig as you(except 6400+ vs Phenom9850) and I thought the 3870x2 would be able to handle 25-30 fps at 1980x1200 on high:lol ....Crysis has been a slide show during heavy gunfights for me even with a 3870x2+4gigs

 

[aznpxdd]

Grief, you need this!

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...duct_info&manufacturers_id=37&products_id=636

 

[Cheeto]

I think I want a new case. Quiet and big enough to fit a 9600GT, if I decide to get one. Current case is pretty crap for wire management and it's got a lot of lights. Any suggestions?

 

[Kadey]

how come you got the cpu cooler blowing back into the case instead of out the back?

That was realized after the picture was taken. I have a bigger exhaust fan installed at the end also not pictured.

 

[Davidion]

I think I want a new case. Quiet and big enough to fit a 9600GT, if I decide to get one. Current case is pretty crap for wire management and it's got a lot of lights. Any suggestions?

Lian-li's have a great rep.

i have a NZXT Zero. Huge case, looks nice, seven 120 mm fans and 2 more 80mm ports. Really quiet, with one simple blue LED in the front, not noisy in terms sight and sound.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146029

I'd recommend it, unless you're looking for a simple profile case like a Lian-li or Antex 183 of the sort.

Thermaltake Armor and Cooler Master Stacker has good reps as well. However, if you have the money, I'd aim for a Cooler Master Cosmos; it's such a gorgeous case, and is very functional as well.

 

[aznpxdd]

I think I want a new case. Quiet and big enough to fit a 9600GT, if I decide to get one. Current case is pretty crap for wire management and it's got a lot of lights. Any suggestions?

Lian Li or Silverstone my friend.

 

[godhandiscen]

are you getting drops in the single digits during heavy shoting? I just got the same rig as you(except 6400+ vs Phenom9850) and I thought the 3870x2 would be able to handle 25-30 fps at 1980x1200 on high:lol ....Crysis has been a slide show during heavy gunfights for me even with a 3870x2+4gigs

I am running the game in 1280x800. Also I do get horrible drops in very heavy shooting. It isnt that bad, its still playable. However, I just cannot stand it. I am installing the CubanConfig right now. If that doesn't fix the problem then its bye bye Crysis, I am not going to put up with this shit anymore. I can still play UT3 everything maxed without any stupid framerate drop. Crytek dropped the ball imo.

 

[SRG01]

Not a flame, but I really dislike the look and layout of Lian Li cases...

 

[TheGreatDave]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10658816&postcount=926

Latest drivers are 174.85. I haven't tried it but there are mixed opinions. 174.74 is the latest official and they work great for me so far.

Are they up to the XP driver's levels? I know back when Vista came out I had huge problems with the drivers, a quick switch to XP and it was much better.

 

[aznpxdd]

Not a flame, but I really dislike the look and layout of Lian Li cases...

I guess looks is preference, but most people like the clean and simple looks of Lian Li. As for the layout...you would really have to work with one to understand. The build quality and sound isolation they offer is really a step above most cases.

 

[SlaughterX]

Ok I just got this 1066MHz Dominator RAM in the mail today, but I can't get it to run at 1066MHz (it's only running at 800)! I took some pics of my BIOS settings... It didn't boot up at all when I enabled SLi memory (even though it's supposed to support it). So I set everything up manually, but it's still only running at 800MHz, and yes, I did turn the voltage up to 2.1. Any ideas?

By the way I have an Nvidia GeForce 650i motherboard and an Intel® Core™2 Q6600 Quad-Core 2.4GHz Processor...

 

[Pachinko]

I upgraded my video card and bought a new monitor. I grabbed an 8800gt, didn't expect the increase in preformance I got with it actually, I was simply looking to run everything at 1680X1050 as well as things were running on the old card at 1280X1024. What I got was everything runs better at the higher resolution then it did on the old card at a lower res.

Not using fraps or anything but everything other then crysis runs at what I'll call a consistent framerate now. Crysis on the other hand showcased gigantic improvements. I've only tried it 2 ways so far- 1680X1050 with everything on high, this was the demo mind you, and it looked great and ran smooth right up until I got stuck in a decent sized firefight where it nosedived to the single digits.

Attempt #2 I decided to lower the resolution to 1280X1024, turned particle effects and physics to low , left everything else on high and it still ran pretty smoothly right up until big firefights which were now much more playable, the FPS I'd guess was around the teens instead of single digits. Still hardly what I'd call optimal playability.

More imporantly supcom runs like a hot knife through butter now.

 

[SRG01]

Ok I just got this 1066MHz Dominator RAM in the mail today, but I can't get it to run at 1066MHz (it's only running at 800)! I took some pics of my BIOS settings... It didn't boot up at all when I enabled SLi memory (even though it's supposed to support it). So I set everything up manually, but it's still only running at 800MHz, and yes, I did turn the voltage up to 2.1. Any ideas?

By the way I have an Nvidia GeForce 650i motherboard and an Intel® Core™2 Q6600 Quad-Core 2.4GHz Processor...

Silly question, but your motherboard does support those speeds, right?

 

[SlaughterX]

I guess not...