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[bee]

So will current motherboards support nehalem processors? I have to build a new pc in a few days, since I'm selling my system I have now(x2 4000+, 8600gt, 4 gig ddr2 800, 320g hd). Still contemplating if I should go quad or dual core, buy something lower end now and upgrade in another year or two, and how much ram I should get. I've heard the e8500 and e8600 processors are easily overclocked just by increasing the fsb in the bios. Is this true? Could I do the same with the quad core? I'm not going to be running anything but stock cooling. Also I would like to get 8 gigs of ram if possible. Should I go for ddr2 or go for ddr3? Is the difference noticeable?

no, nehalem i think is gonna use 3 different sockets , certainly the high end ones use socket 1366, the mainstream ones use socket 1160 and i think there's also another one

 

[Labombadog]

So will current motherboards support nehalem processors? I have to build a new pc in a few days, since I'm selling my system I have now(x2 4000+, 8600gt, 4 gig ddr2 800, 320g hd). Still contemplating if I should go quad or dual core, buy something lower end now and upgrade in another year or two, and how much ram I should get. I've heard the e8500 and e8600 processors are easily overclocked just by increasing the fsb in the bios. Is this true? Could I do the same with the quad core? I'm not going to be running anything but stock cooling. Also I would like to get 8 gigs of ram if possible. Should I go for ddr2 or go for ddr3? Is the difference noticeable?

No, Nehalem will use socket 1366. Core 2 duo's and quads are 775 socket. Yes, the 8x00 C2D's seem to overclock pretty easily. Average I've seen was 3.8ghz, but I've seen many 4.0ghz or higher. Also, if you going to build a PC around gaming then C2D is probably the best route now. I have the same problem as you though, because I want quad but at the same time you cant OC a quad like you can with a C2D. Plus Quads are semi expensive compared to Duo's.

Edit: Go for DDR2 800 or 1066.

 

[BoboBrazil]

is 1066 a big difference over 800? If I go dual core on the processor I'll most likely do the no effort overclock of the fsb to 1333mhz. Supposedly this will take a 8600 to 4.0ghz on stock cooling stable.

 

[rampur]

Looking for some advice, I'm going to Fry's on labor day and I have 2 choices to make
I'm gonna buy the q6600 combo deal for $150. (also gonna replace the crappy motherboard)
I was wondering which ram to buy along with it

ignoring the price:

Kingston 4gb pc6400 HyperX : http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=32664&adid=6820473&subid=23186783&type=

Corsair 2gb pc8500 Twinx : http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=32664&adid=6820477&subid=23189666&type=


Eventually I plan to overclock but not immediately
Mainly looking for gaming performance.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Supposedly that motherboard doesn't support 800mhz or higher ram. Why can't they do good bundles with decent motherboards at fry's?

 

[madmook]

Hi guys, a quick cpu question:

I bought a new amd x2 cpu, and the included heatsink has a sticky square "sticker" attached to it's center. Is that a thermal pad and does this mean I don't need to apply any thermal compound?

 

[DarthWoo]

Does anyone know whether these are good budget gaming rig choices, and not prone to failure?

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail ($66.00)
MoBo - ASUS M3A78 Pro AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail ($94.99)
HDD - Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS 250GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($79.99)
OR
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($64.99)
RAM - Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Retail ($79.99)

What would be a decent video card range to fit in with the rest of all that, and also be able to be supported by my PSU? I've already ordered a 610W PSU, but I will also have to power two optical drives and possibly 3-4 hard drives initially, but eventually just two once I've salvaged everything I need off the older two. Also, can I just buy any cheapy IDE/PATA controller for my old hard drives, or should I go with a reliable name? How easy is it to accidently ruin a hard drive with an external USB enclosure? Can I rely on the stock heatsink/fan/paste in a retail CPU package if I plan to do no overclocking ever?

 

[DarthWoo]

Hi guys, a quick cpu question:

I bought a new amd x2 cpu, and the included heatsink has a sticky square "sticker" attached to it's center. Is that a thermal pad and does this mean I don't need to apply any thermal compound?

Don't rely on my knowledge, but as far as I know from what I've read in manuals, that IS a thermal pad, and you CAN use it to attach the heatsink (it should say so in the manual for the CPU I'd have thought). However, a lot of people like to use third party paste, and if you do, you have to scrape off the pad carefully before you apply the new paste.

 

[Ikuu]

That's the thermal paste/pad, I wouldn't use stock HS or paste, just get some thirdparty solution, it'll be so much better.

 

[Open Source]

Does anyone know whether these are good budget gaming rig choices, and not prone to failure?

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail ($66.00)
MoBo - ASUS M3A78 Pro AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail ($94.99)
HDD - Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS 250GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($79.99)
OR
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($64.99)
RAM - Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Retail ($79.99)

What would be a decent video card range to fit in with the rest of all that, and also be able to be supported by my PSU? I've already ordered a 610W PSU, but I will also have to power two optical drives and possibly 3-4 hard drives initially, but eventually just two once I've salvaged everything I need off the older two. Also, can I just buy any cheapy IDE/PATA controller for my old hard drives, or should I go with a reliable name? How easy is it to accidently ruin a hard drive with an external USB enclosure? Can I rely on the stock heatsink/fan/paste in a retail CPU package if I plan to do no overclocking ever?

610W is plenty for what you are running.
The 4850 is a good card to pair with that CPU, which is a tad weak compared to the C2Ds. If you want to spend even less, and your choice of CPU makes me think you do, there have been a lot of deals for 8800GTs at around $100. Places like slickdeals.net post them regularly.
No idea on the PATA controlller and enclosure.
Stock HSF will be fine.
This RAM is a better deal with MIR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220227

 

[DarthWoo]

Thanks, yeah I am trying to get it down a little more if possible, at least until my job picks up again. I could afford more, but I don't want to invest too much into something I really should spend less time on anyway.

How is the Patriot brand compared to Kingston, Corsair and Crucial? Those three are the brands I've typically bought in the past.

 

[SRG01]

By new Phenoms, you mean the 45nm dual-core ones? Uhhh, still the same architecture, just a bit smaller process. Don't expect miracles.

If you're talking about Shanghai, that will probably be only competitive with Penyrn, the way it looks now.

As far as Penyrn versus Nehalem goes, Nehalem should be a big jump in almost everything but gaming performance (even though it did see a really big jump in Vantage for some reason, when they put in HyperThreading. Is that heavily multithreaded?)

I thought the thermals/power consumption tests were much better, and they had more cache?

 

[zoku88]

I thought the thermals/power consumption tests were much better, and they had more cache?

About which?

 

[SRG01]

About which?

Denebs/45nm Phenoms.

 

[zoku88]

Denebs/45nm Phenoms.

Well, I was just talking raw performance compared to Intel's chips.

 

[madmook]

Don't rely on my knowledge, but as far as I know from what I've read in manuals, that IS a thermal pad, and you CAN use it to attach the heatsink (it should say so in the manual for the CPU I'd have thought). However, a lot of people like to use third party paste, and if you do, you have to scrape off the pad carefully before you apply the new paste.

That's the thermal paste/pad, I wouldn't use stock HS or paste, just get some thirdparty solution, it'll be so much better.

Thanks for the knowledge, guys. I just kept the old heatsink/fan and swapped out the old cpu (used new arctic silver 5).

I can't believe the drastically lower temps that hwmonitor is reporting! Went from 36-54C with the old 90nm 89watt 2.6ghz X2 5000+ down to 18-31C thusfar with the new 65nm 65watt 2.9ghz 5600+.

It was my first time ever messing with a desktop cpu, so I'm just happy my computer didn't blow itself up.

Edit: Holy shit I'm running Norton ghost (trying to migrate to a larger harddrive) and now the cpu temps are only 7-11C! Goddamn it, if only AMD's performed on par with Core2's.

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for the knowledge, guys. I just kept the old heatsink/fan and swapped out the old cpu (used new arctic silver 5).

I can't believe the drastically lower temps that hwmonitor is reporting! Went from 36-54C with the old 90nm 89watt 2.6ghz X2 5000+ down to 18-31C thusfar with the new 65nm 65watt 2.9ghz 5600+.

It was my first time ever messing with a desktop cpu, so I'm just happy my computer didn't blow itself up.

Edit: Holy shit I'm running Norton ghost (trying to migrate to a larger harddrive) and now the cpu temps are only 7-11C! Goddamn it, if only AMD's performed on par with Core2's.

You realise that's impossible unless the temps there are like 3C right :lol

That's Intels temps being silly, they weren't made for low temp calibration.

 

[Labombadog]

Thanks, yeah I am trying to get it down a little more if possible, at least until my job picks up again. I could afford more, but I don't want to invest too much into something I really should spend less time on anyway.

How is the Patriot brand compared to Kingston, Corsair and Crucial? Those three are the brands I've typically bought in the past.

If you really want to bring the money down then order the Athlon 64X2 BE 2400 2.3GHz for $35. Doesnt come with a heatsink though.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16819103215

Code for discount: AMD83015
Credit goes to SP33DFR43K from slickdeals.net

 

[BoboBrazil]

I think I might jump on this deal at frys tomorrow for the e8500 and ecs motherboard for 179, hopefully they have some kind of upgrade option where I can get a better motherboard discounted...

 

[BoboBrazil]

Should I get Radeon 4850 or 4870? Also best monitor(preferably 22 inch)?

 

[Cosmonaut X]

Just bouncing in case it got missed from the last page: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12602846&postcount=4096

Any tips?

 

[BoboBrazil]

Okay this is what my build is looking like:

core 2 duo e8400 e0 stepping(easy overclock to 4.0 i'm told)
8 gig ddr800 or ddr1066(1066 worth the price difference?)
dfi lanparty or biostar tpower i45 motherboard
500 gig hd(whatever is on sale tomorrow)
radeon 4850 or 4870(which do i go for?)
samsung touch of color 22 inch or 24 inch monitor(not sure how big i want to go, but 1080p on the 24 inch would be nice)

 

[Lv99 Slacker]

Can anybody pm me some suggestions on what you think would make a kick ass pre-Vista/DX10 pc build? Why pre-Vista? Well, I bought my computer nearly five years ago, so I don't really know what's up with the today's hardware, but anyway: when checking out the latest gen video cards on Newegg, most of them say that they use DX10. I don't know if you can downgrade and try to make them run DX9, but I have a feeling that the answer to that is "no". I don't know if I'm confined to AGP video cards or if there are any DX9 PCIe cards. Also, I'd preferably like to buy the hardware you recommend from retail sites like Newegg, Mwave, etc (no eBay or Craigslist hunting for me, thanks).

 

[SRG01]

Well, I was just talking raw performance compared to Intel's chips.

Haha, I don't think they'll even approach any of Intel's chips in terms of performance. However, the new Phenom based X2s -- and any possible future 45nm X2s -- may put the cost-performance ratio back into AMD's favor.

That is, of course, if Nehalem and next-gen tech stays prohibitively expensive in the near future.

Does anyone know whether these are good budget gaming rig choices, and not prone to failure?

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail ($66.00)
MoBo - ASUS M3A78 Pro AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail ($94.99)
HDD - Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS 250GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($79.99)
OR
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($64.99)
RAM - Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Retail ($79.99)

What would be a decent video card range to fit in with the rest of all that, and also be able to be supported by my PSU? I've already ordered a 610W PSU, but I will also have to power two optical drives and possibly 3-4 hard drives initially, but eventually just two once I've salvaged everything I need off the older two. Also, can I just buy any cheapy IDE/PATA controller for my old hard drives, or should I go with a reliable name? How easy is it to accidently ruin a hard drive with an external USB enclosure? Can I rely on the stock heatsink/fan/paste in a retail CPU package if I plan to do no overclocking ever?

DarthWoo, there is no reason why you shouldn't go for a higher model AMD chip. The X2 5000+ isn't worth its price anymore. I think the 5600+ (is that the correct number?) may be under a hundred bucks.

And yes, you can rely on stock supplies if you don't overclock.

 

[Blizzard]

Man I'm lazy...well anyway, before I finalize my build, what do you people think of these monitors and prices:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5123
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5205

I might get by with 19" also but I figure a 20" might fit on my desk. If those prices are bad, any suggestions? Also I need to check and see if I get any employee discount prices on that...I might have a 5-10% off or something.

*edit* Oh, and I'll be running this on a HD 4850 Toxic, or at least, that's my current plan. So I'll need to not go to TOO high native resolutions if I run high-end games. I see the 20" is like 1680xsomething.

*edit again* I see newegg is running deals on Hanns-G monitors? They look okay, but apparently the stands are kind of flimsy and not very adjustable. Anyone have any input on THOSE?

 

[ColdDeckEd]

I might get by with 19" also but I figure a 20" might fit on my desk. If those prices are bad, any suggestions? Also I need to check and see if I get any employee discount prices on that...I might have a 5-10% off or something.

Well you might get by with 20'' but a 22'' might fit on your desk .

Nothing wrong with that 20'' Dell, I'd have no problem getting that if my budget was absolutely set at 200.

When facing a decision similar to your recently, I went with a generic (HannSpree) 22'' for on sale for 200, and I'm happy with it so far. But at 22'', my max resolution is the same as the 20'' dell, so you wouldn't be sacrificing much.

 

[papercut]

Hey guys, I have a question that I'm hoping someone can help answer:

I'll be moving out in the coming months into a one-room setup, and I need a new TV and monitor. Given the limited space that I'm going to have, I was hoping to consolidate the two devices into one.

As TV's are a lot cheaper compared to LCD monitors of the same size, I was thinking of getting a 32" 1080p LCD and using it for day-to-day computing. Unfortunately I have no way of previewing the results, so if anyone has tried to do this: Does everyday computing work decently on this kind of setup? Am I going to run into problems when trying to view small fonts and whatnot? How are the response times on TV's these days?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Kccitystar]

I'm going to attempt to build a Home Theater PC for a friend of mine and I do not know exactly where to start.

I have an idea as to what I want in this home theater PC, but I just don't know what parts to get. He wants to record TV shows, have access to all his music/videos/pictures and be able to play movies.

If it's the same as building a regular desktop PC, I guess I'm on the right street then :lol

 

[otake]

I'm going to attempt to build a Home Theater PC for a friend of mine and I do not know exactly where to start.

I have an idea as to what I want in this home theater PC, but I just don't know what parts to get. He wants to record TV shows, have access to all his music/videos/pictures and be able to play movies.

If it's the same as building a regular desktop PC, I guess I'm on the right street then :lol

it is. you can use one of those radeon all in wonder cards, a motherboard with at least 4 sata ports for 4 hard drives and you should be good.

 

[Kccitystar]

it is. you can use one of those radeon all in wonder cards, a motherboard with at least 4 sata ports for 4 hard drives and you should be good.

I know about the AIW card, disk space and case form, but when it comes to other things, like, is there any specifics, like what kind of mobo I should be using or anything else? I'll post the items I managed to add later.

 

[Valpurgis]

Allright, checked the availability of stuff in my area and this is what I came up with now:

INTEL Core 2 Duo 3.16GHz E8500 + Ventilateur [ LGA775 - 6MB - 45nm - 1333MHz]
ASUS Extreme AH4850/HTDI PCIe ( Radeon HD4850 512DDR 2xDVI HDCP HDTV)
ASUS P5Q-E ( Intel P45/ICH10R - Socket 775 - FSB 1600 ) 2 x PCI Express
DDR2 4GB [2GBx2] DDR800 (PC2-6400) - CORSAIR TwinX XMS2 DHX [TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX]
Power supply 550W CORSAIR VX Series
Case ANTEC Three Hundred Boîtiers pour jeux ( 3 x 5.25 )
MICROSOFT Windows OEM Vista Ultimate 64-bit DVD
LCD 22" VIEWSONIC VX2255wmb ( 280cd, 700:1, 3ms, V160/H170, Analog/DVI )

I got the option of adding another 4850 later on with that MoBo, not sure if that power supply could handle it though, seems 550W is a tad overkill for this setup and not enough for a crossfire configuration.

Other than that anyone got feedback on this?

Additionally I can add that I'm now roughly twice over my starting budget. Seems half the stuff falls in the "ah damn it's just 60$ over what I wanted for a 23% performance upgrade!!" category

 

[Wallach]

*edit* Oh, and I'll be running this on a HD 4850 Toxic, or at least, that's my current plan. So I'll need to not go to TOO high native resolutions if I run high-end games. I see the 20" is like 1680xsomething.

Hey, just as a heads up - I ordered a second Toxic after talking about it with you a few pages back, and on this new one the Zalman they have attached to it has a very high-pitched whine to it. It has some variance, so I'm hoping that it just needs a bit of wear to silence it (I already inspected it and it's definitely either the bearings or something in the fan motor), but I figured you might want the info as you said you were concerned with noise levels. The noise is not audible to my ears at all once the side panel is closed up, but if you have a side-panel fan or something where there is an opening near the video card fan, it may be audible and would probably be really annoying.

 

[Blizzard]

Hey, just as a heads up - I ordered a second Toxic after talking about it with you a few pages back, and on this new one the Zalman they have attached to it has a very high-pitched whine to it. It has some variance, so I'm hoping that it just needs a bit of wear to silence it (I already inspected it and it's definitely either the bearings or something in the fan motor), but I figured you might want the info as you said you were concerned with noise levels. The noise is not audible to my ears at all once the side panel is closed up, but if you have a side-panel fan or something where there is an opening near the video card fan, it may be audible and would probably be really annoying.

Thanks, that -is- something important to me. My hearing isn't great (I have trouble following conversations in crowded rooms), but I can hear weird high-pitched stuff that other people can't even detect sometimes. My best bet may just be to go with the normal Sapphire 4850 and use the fanfix to handle the heat problem. Ordering tonight, so I'll post my decisions for people to look over. (you didn't make a comment about the 20"/22" resolution and the 4850 card, so I assume that matchup is okay)

 

[Wallach]

Thanks, that -is- something important to me. My hearing isn't great (I have trouble following conversations in crowded rooms), but I can hear weird high-pitched stuff that other people can't even detect sometimes. My best bet may just be to go with the normal Sapphire 4850 and use the fanfix to handle the heat problem. Ordering tonight, so I'll post my decisions for people to look over. (you didn't make a comment about the 20"/22" resolution and the 4850 card, so I assume that matchup is okay)

Yes, the 4850 will handle 1680 x 1050 resolution gaming quite well.

 

[Kadey]

Riva tuner v.10 is out but I found something way better for fan control for the 4000 series. I'm using Expertool and set my fan speed to only 50%. The 4870X2 is idling at 47 degrees which is way better than what I was getting with RT and the GX2 setting to 100% and getting 55+. Very pleased.

 

[waxer]

My computer (new build) wont shut down. Fans are all still going but no video being displayed. Acts like a normal shutdown except you then have to hold the power to shut it off at that point. Doesnt say any errors or anything when you start back up either. Have tried the power symbol and selecting the word shutdown.
Using vista ultimate 64, p5q pro.
Completly new to computers Really sucks cause everything else seems fine.

 

[bee]

Riva tuner v.10 is out but I found something way better for fan control for the 4000 series. I'm using Expertool and set my fan speed to only 50%. The 4870X2 is idling at 47 degrees which is way better than what I was getting with RT and the GX2 setting to 100% and getting 55+. Very pleased.

probably because rivatuner fan control doesn't work on 4870x2, but it works flawless on the rest

 

[Blizzard]

Stupid newegg question: I'm putting stuff in my cart before I post my full build in this thread. Does anyone know why a promo code wouldn't work? I joined the email list like last week, and I have the PSU8028 promo code, but it says it's invalid when I try applying it in my cart.

 

[Blizzard]

Okay, here goes this giant thing:

PC parts:
=================================================================

$60 Antec Three Hundred Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
$55 Antec 500w Earthwatts PSU (promo code doesn't work)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
$62 Corsair XMS2 4GB DDR2 PC2 6400 (after mail-in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145184

$160-190 Sapphire HD 4850 Video Card
(the heck, the old HD 4850 I was going to get is "deactivated"...and gah, this one's out of stock: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102770...and the NEXT Sapphire 4850 I find is out of stock...)
I could wait one week or so and order this HD 4850 with 1 GB RAM for $190 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102759

So, any suggestions? Are the Sapphires the best HD 4850 variant, and I should wait until one of them comes in stock? Is the 1 GB RAM a drastically better option than the others I was considering? HALP! I'm now ticked since like all week those 4850's were in stock, and now nearly every single one is out of stock.

$85 Western Digital Caviar 640GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
$28 Samsung 22x DVD Burner w/ LightScribe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173
This DVD burner only has a 66% 5-star rating...anyone know anything about this? Is there a better one for a similar or cheaper price?

Sadly, the combo expired for these two so I get the regular price:
$85 Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337
$170 Intel C2D E8400 Wolfdale 3.0Ghz CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037


Peripherals/software: (PLEASE tell me if I've missed something)
=================================================================
* $100 after promo code: Windows Vista 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...EFL082808-_-OperatingSystems-_-L0A-_-32116488
* Avast! antivirus (free)
* Windows Vista firewall...I'd like to add another (probably free) one...which?
* Do I need thermal paste for the processor heatsink? Any suggestions?
(I see this for $6: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007 -- apparently mildly conductive, so be careful etc.)
* $10 6' DVI cable (I think the video card only has DVI out?)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189047
(and is that the one I want? I'm dumb in regard to DVI)


Monitor options:
=================================================================
$180: Hanns·G Hi-221DPB Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 Built in Speakers - Retail (native resolution 1680x1050, I think)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254035
(does anyone know what

$200: Dell 20" widescreen (leaning towards this by default)
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5123

$250: Dell 22" widescreen
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5205

Both Dell monitors are on sale, and 1680x1050. They both have 5 ms response time, 16.7 million colors, and 800:1 contrast.

(all three monitors seem to have 3-year warranties)

Total cost for everything, assuming free shipping/no tax on stuff:
=================================================================
$545 PC itself (after mail-in rebates on stuff, which I will actually try to DO)
$116 software/peripherals
$17 shipping for newegg stuff
$200 monitor

This comes out to $878 -without- a video card, including mail-in rebates. Does anyone have any suggestions to take the price down and bring this under $1000? I could go under $1000, but I was hoping I could build a decent PC for UNDER that price, especially after seeing other people do $700-800 builds. Thanks a ton, and sorry for the huge post!

 

[Broseybrose]

What are the budget / sweet spot boards for an e8400 and SLI?

i would like to spend $150 or less and have very good overclocking potential. oh, DDR2 please : )

this is the first one to catch my eye browsing newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131232

im currently using

X2 5000+
ECS nForce 430 mobo
2BG DDR2 667
8000GTX
OCZ SXS 600W
Vista 32-bit Home Premium

what i would need to buy for my upgrade
case? (i always liked the Antec 900, ill have to see whats new)
e8400
mobo?
4GB DDR2 1066/1333
DVD-R Burner
Vista 64-bit Home Premium
another 8800GTX for SLI
new psu? 600W for 2x 8800GTX is too low i think.

 

[Blizzard]

Bump for semi-urgent question:

If anyone can make comments (maybe some price drops?) on my build above, they would be greatly appreciated. Or note anything I forgot.

My main question: newegg just got these two in stock, apparently.

After rebate prices:
$190 Sapphire HD 4850 with 1 GB memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102759

$150 Sapphire HD 4850 with 512 MB memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...102770&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-102-770-_-Product

Running at 1680x, it sounds like I don't really NEED the extra 512 MB memory...but it's tempting. Does anyone have any input? If I run and get the cheap 4850 (which looks like it has a different cooler) I run the risk of it being loud or something. Does anyone have any experience or can make an educated guess about the fan/cooler quality on it? There aren't any real ratings on the item so far since it's a new deal.

 

[cryptic]

Any deals on 500W+ PSUs?

 

[Hazaro]

What are the budget / sweet spot boards for an e8400 and SLI?

i would like to spend $150 or less and have very good overclocking potential. oh, DDR2 please : )


what i would need to buy for my upgrade

case?
e8400
mobo?
4GB DDR2 1066/1333
DVD-R Burner
Vista 64-bit Home Premium
another 8800GTX for SLI
new psu? 600W for 2x 8800GTX is too low i think.

CPU: E8400 (If you can get verified E0 (or was it C0?) stepping, the better.
Mobo: Non-SLi boards are nicer than SLi boards (Since a lot of it is unique to your choices, mostly up to you. Gigabyte DS3 boards are nice and cheap, you can go Asus P5K if you want though)
4GB G.Skill 1000 sticks (500*9 = 4.5Ghz) more than enough
Samsung SH-203 (If you can find it in stock)
Sell GTX, buy a better single card, save money on PSU. GTX still rocks the house, what are you planning to do that needs the extra kick? I'm waiting for the next real jump in value with my 8800GT here.

Bump for semi-urgent question:

Just chill a bit :lol

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112

Grab the ASUS or Visiontek, I doubt you'll be seeing that rebate from Sapphire anytime soon.

At the price point for only a few more dollars it's hard to say no to the 1GB though...

I don't think the memory will go over 512MB much since the only game that can do that for me is Crysis with past very high settings at 1680x1050. (No AA though).

I'd choose the better 512MB.

Any deals on 500W+ PSUs?

Some Corsairs are on rebates, that's about it tmk.

 

[Blizzard]

Just chill a bit :lol

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112

Grab the ASUS or Visiontek, I doubt you'll be seeing that rebate from Sapphire anytime soon.

I'd choose the better 512MB.

WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAAAAH :lol

Thanks for the fast response though...do you guys really think the Asus/VisionTek are better than the Sapphires? Like I said, one of those Sapphires was cheap/the same price, even before rebate (the 512 MB one especially). I just don't know about the extra fan on it. Feedback on the Asus and VisionTek were iffy, with some of them noting that the fan got quite loud over 50%.

 

[Hazaro]

WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAAAAH :lol

Thanks for the fast response though...do you guys really think the Asus/VisionTek are better than the Sapphires? Like I said, one of those Sapphires was cheap/the same price, even before rebate (the 512 MB one especially). I just don't know about the extra fan on it. Feedback on the Asus and VisionTek were iffy, with some of them noting that the fan got quite loud over 50%.

Sapp 4850 512MB is OOS
the 1GB uses the same reference HS design as the Asus/Visiontek

Just set the fan higher when it gets hotter (aka playing games).

Sapphire was bad customer support / service and the turnaround for dead cards is long too.
You're over thinking too much, plus if it's too loud you can just return it to newegg.

 

[zoku88]

Does the 4850 even benefit from the extra 512 MB of RAM? I never really checked.

 

[Wallach]

Well, I'm not sure I'd recommend Sapphire myself anymore.

This second 4850 Toxic I ordered is bunk, and Hazaro's right when he says their support is useless. I'd never needed to talk to them before so I had no idea. Their support forum is probably the single worst "help" forum I've ever seen.

I think I'm done buying ATI cards for a while, Sapphire or otherwise.

 

[bee]

Does the 4850 even benefit from the extra 512 MB of RAM? I never really checked.

no its pointless, its the same situation as the 8800gt, it doesn't have the bandwidth necessary to utilize the extra memory so its gimped

 

[zoku88]

no its pointless, its the same situation as the 8800gt, it doesn't have the bandwidth necessary to utilize the extra memory so its gimped

Ok, I never really looked it up.

I remember the 9800Pro's case very well, though. Were the 256MB version was worse than the 128MB version in a lot of cases :lol :lol

 

[Hazaro]

For you budget / HTPC people

RV730 core (aka HD4600 series) is looking pretty nice.

http://en.expreview.com/2008/09/02/rv730-reviewed-prforms-close-to-3850/

Basically:

320 shaders (same as rv670)
128-bit (this is what is holding this card back but also contributes to its small dye size and low power draw)
around the performance of a 3850 512mb in games without AA
crippled by the memory bus in synthetics

and here is the big one:
no external power plug = 75 watt max power draw (PCI-E power only!)

expected MSRP is:
HD4650- $70-$80
HD4670- $90-$100

Note that there will be a few versions with combinations of HDMI,S-Video, DVI, VGA, probably some HDMI out with audio too.