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[Hazaro]

Any heat sink suggestions?

edit: Oh and is it possible to purchase Vista OEM licenses online, like with XP? Or do I have to buy a retail version? (My department didn't fix their MSDN-AA licensing server before I graduated )

If you are a student then you can do something to get it really cheap.

As for HS, a AC7 Pro or Rosewill is fine. Just deal with the pins :lol

A cheap Ultra-90/Ultima-90 or Mini Ninja is also fine.

 

[SRG01]

If you are a student then you can do something to get it really cheap.

As for HS, a AC7 Pro or Rosewill is fine. Just deal with the pins :lol

A cheap Ultra-90/Ultima-90 or Mini Ninja is also fine.

Wait, is the AC7 the one that cuts everyone? :lol

I'm not a student anymore... finished a month ago! :/

 

[Hazaro]

Wait, is the AC7 the one that cuts everyone? :lol

I'm not a student anymore... finished a month ago! :/

That's the Zalman 9500/9700

Maybe their other models too. :lol

 

[SRG01]

:lol

Now the only question is whether I want to build it myself. I used to build systems for a living and all, but that $25 pre-assembly from NCIX is pretty tempting...

 

[brain_stew]

Any heat sink suggestions?

edit: Oh and is it possible to purchase Vista OEM licenses online, like with XP? Or do I have to buy a retail version? (My department didn't fix their MSDN-AA licensing server before I graduated )

The Akasa AK-965 is the best budget cooler around.

 

[Kadey]

Wait, is the AC7 the one that cuts everyone? :lol

I'm not a student anymore... finished a month ago! :/

It cut me up and all I did was hold it.

 

[Hazaro]

The Akasa AK-965 is the best budget cooler around.

That's what Rosewill uses for their rebrand from Newegg.

So same thing, very cheap, good cooler.

 

[Zzoram]

Okay, so I was using NCIX's system builder tool and this is what I have so far:

Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 Dual Core Processor LGA775 2.5GHZ 800FSB 2MB Retail Box $94.99
Gigabyte EP43-DS3L ATX LGA775 P43 FSB 1600 OC 1PCI-E 2PCI DDR2 OC SATA2 HD Sound GBLAN Motherboard $108.99
Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory $49.99
Palit Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E Video Card $177.99
Compucase 6C28B ATX Case Black 4X5.25 2X3.5 4X.3.5INT W/ Front USB & Audio No PS $37.78
Antec Earthwatts 430W Power Supply ATX12V V2.0 20/24PIN Active PFC 80PLUS 80MM Fan $72.89
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive OEM 5YR MFR Warranty $57.72
Samsung SH-S223F Black SATA DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 16X/12X DL INT DVD Writer OEM $32.59
No assembly 	$0.00

YOUR TOTAL
All quoted prices are in CANADIAN DOLLARS 	$632.94

Any thoughts/changes? (I won't be buying this system for another month at least... until I get a paycheque )

edit: Er, crap. I forgot the HSF. :lol Any suggestions?

I would recommend 4gb RAM, especially if you'll end up with Vista in the near future. Everything else looks pretty good. If you don't buy this for a month, the prices will probably be lower by then, so that's good for you. A good cheap HSF is the Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 (uses same push pins as the stock HSF you get). The best ones are the Thermalright Ultra-90 or 120, but those are sold as heatsinks without a fan, so you have to get a fan for them. They are screwed on I believe, so it may be harder to attach.

 

[Zzoram]

:lol

Now the only question is whether I want to build it myself. I used to build systems for a living and all, but that $25 pre-assembly from NCIX is pretty tempting...

Only $25? Wow that's cheap. If they build it, are they liable if it doesn't work when it arrives?

 

[Hazaro]

Screw mounting is much easier, just remember to attach it outside of the case.

For $25 Go for NCIX, I think they are pretty good about it.

 

[Ydahs]

I think this might be an adequate place to most my issue, as I might end up needing a new PC:

Recently I've noticed red dots appearing on my screen. At first I thought it was the monitor, but when I print screen, the dots appear as black. Now, when I play TF2, I'm getting massive frame rate slowdowns and some weird graphical glitches where a polygon or point on the gun is stretched out. Normally when this happens, other things occur too. I can sometimes see shadows through walls (which can give me an unfair advantage...), messed up animations and big red, green or blue circles littered around the map.

The red dots become most prominent when watching a video on full screen where at least a couple hundred dots appear .

Could the problem be my graphics card? Can leaving the PC on for days on end affect and even damage the graphics card?

 

[Hazaro]

I think this might be an adequate place to most my issue, as I might end up needing a new PC:

Recently I've noticed red dots appearing on my screen.
Could the problem be my graphics card? Can leaving the PC on for days on end affect and even damage the graphics card?

Your GPU is artifacting and dying.

Replace it.

 

[brain_stew]

Your GPU is artifacting and dying.

Replace it.

Have to agree, most definitely sounds like that GPU is all but dead. Never fear, its a great excuse for an upgrade! There couldn't be a better time as well, so many affordable high performance cards around at the moment.

 

[Ydahs]

Bloody hell. Would keeping it for a bit longer pose any danger to the PC? Is there a chance of it overheating?

It wasn't a bad graphics card for the games I was playing, but I guess there's nothing wrong with an upgrade. Just need the money first.

 

[Hazaro]

Bloody hell. Would keeping it for a bit longer pose any danger to the PC? Is there a chance of it overheating?

It wasn't a bad graphics card for the games I was playing, but I guess there's nothing wrong with an upgrade. Just need the money first.

Well... I don't think so?

Just the longer you use it the more chance you get lock-ups and artifacts, eventually going out.

Your card is dyin mate, you should do the right thing and put it down.

 

[brain_stew]

Bloody hell. Would keeping it for a bit longer pose any danger to the PC? Is there a chance of it overheating?

It wasn't a bad graphics card for the games I was playing, but I guess there's nothing wrong with an upgrade. Just need the money first.

What card were you using btw? Oh and what are the rest of your system specs? You can get very capable cards from less than $100 now.

 

[Ydahs]

What card were you using btw? Oh and what are the rest of your system specs? You can get very capable cards from less than $100 now.

Nothing too flashy, though it does the job:

GeForce 7900 GT
Intel Core 2 6400 @ 2.13 Ghz
300 GB HDD
2 GB RAM

Got any recommendations?

I'm not really a tech-savvy person, so I don't know what type of RAM I have nor do I know if my graphics card is over clocked. I think my brother overclocked it when we bought it, but it was overheating, so he probably reverted it back to factory settings. I'll ask him when I see him.

 

[acura_speed]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could take a look at what would be my first build. I'm looking for a budget gaming/everyday use computer. I was also toying with the idea of duel os setup with vista and osx86 (Anyone had any experience with this?) I've been doing alot of searching around here and tomshardware forums and I think I've come up with a good system. I'm using mostly newegg with a few pieces from Micro Center down the street. So here goes:

SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM $23.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit $69.99 - 20MIR = 49.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146692

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337
+
GIGABYTE GV-R485ZL-512H Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125238
Combo Deal $239.99 - 20 MIR= 219.99

Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99 http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0283272

Caviar Blue 640GB 7,200RPM Serial ATA-300 Hard Drive OEM $79.99 http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0295159

Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001
+
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018
Combo Deal $234.98

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail $33.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail $6.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM $5.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

Total $695.90 after rebates + tax/shipping.

 

[SRG01]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could take a look at what would be my first build. I'm looking for a budget gaming/everyday use computer. I was also toying with the idea of duel os setup with vista and osx86 (Anyone had any experience with this?) I've been doing alot of searching around here and tomshardware forums and I think I've come up with a good system. I'm using mostly newegg with a few pieces from Micro Center down the street. So here goes:

SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM $23.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit $69.99 - 20MIR = 49.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146692

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337
+
GIGABYTE GV-R485ZL-512H Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125238
Combo Deal $239.99 - 20 MIR= 219.99

Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99 http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0283272

Caviar Blue 640GB 7,200RPM Serial ATA-300 Hard Drive OEM $79.99 http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0295159

Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001
+
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018
Combo Deal $234.98

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail $33.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail $6.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM $5.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

Total $695.90 after rebates + tax/shipping.

If you're going for budget gaming, don't get the Q6600. Just go for the E5200 and call it a day, since it overclocks extremely well for its price.

 

[Jamesfrom818]

http://frys.com/product/5729662#detailed


I'm not exactly in the market for a desktop but this seems like a great deal. Just plug in a good card and you're good to go.

 

[acura_speed]

If you're going for budget gaming, don't get the Q6600. Just go for the E5200 and call it a day, since it overclocks extremely well for its price.

I was thinking about doing something like that and go with a dual core, but this system fits right into my budget. If I can afford the q6600, should I go for it or is there no real reason to pay the extra cash. Would I be better off putting the money elsewhere?

 

[SRG01]

I was thinking about doing something like that and go with a dual core, but this system fits right into my budget. If I can afford the q6600, should I go for it or is there no real reason to pay the extra cash. Would I be better off putting the money elsewhere?

If it fits into your budget, then go right ahead! You'd be able to save quite a bit of money by moving to a dual core (I think the E8400 is cheaper than than Q6600 too, but I could be wrong). And saving money is always nice.

 

[Chiggs]

As a heads up, I'm selling my GTX 260 for $150.00. 2 months old, have all the stuff. My PNY model is for sale, whereas my BFG is going into my lanbox.

Edit: not anymore.

 

[Chiggs]

4870 1GB Review from Hothardware.com:

http://hothardware.com/Articles/PowerColor-PCS-HD-4870-1GB-GDDR5/?page=1

Not nearly as kind as the Anandtech review. 216 comes out on top quite a bit. Oooooooh! Who to trust, who to trust?

Note: Hothardware is using a far more mainstream (sort of) CPU.

 

[godhandiscen]

Didn't you just purchased a 4870 1GB? Please tell me you can still cancel. Even though I was set on purchasing a 4870x2, I waited for benchmarks from almost all sites before jumping the gun. Even when Bee pointed me to the dual monitor problem (which only happens to one kind of configuration tbh), I did a huge amount of research to make sure I was safe. Your GTX260 is fine still, but if you are still selling it, can you hold on for a little bit, I might just sell my 3870x2 in time to get your card

 

[Chiggs]

Didn't you just purchased a 4870 1GB? Please tell me you can still cancel. All this time I was set on purchasing a 4870x2, but I waited for benchmarks from almost all sites before jumping the gun. Even when Bee pointed me to the dual monitor problem (which only happens to one kind of configuration tbh), I did a huge amount of research to make sure I was safe. Your GTX260 is fine still, but if you are still selling it, can you hold on for a little bit, I might just sell my 3870x2 in time to get your card

Dude, the money was just taken from my account, and I got a buyer lined up for early next week for my GTX 260. I went with the OC'd Powercolor model. I always wanted the 4870, but refused to buy a 512mb model.

Also, I trust Anandtech quite a bit more than Hothardware.com (who the fuck are they anyway? :lol).

 

[senahorse]

Nothing too flashy, though it does the job:

GeForce 7900 GT
Intel Core 2 6400 @ 2.13 Ghz
300 GB HDD
2 GB RAM

Got any recommendations?

I'm not really a tech-savvy person, so I don't know what type of RAM I have nor do I know if my graphics card is over clocked. I think my brother overclocked it when we bought it, but it was overheating, so he probably reverted it back to factory settings. I'll ask him when I see him.

Just reinstall the drivers if you're unsure, also check to see if you have a program called rivatuner installed (program used for overclocking gpu's). Also you might want to try reapplying some AS5 (arctic silver thermal compound) to the gpu, as it might be an overheating problem, and check the fan isn't jammed full of dust and crap.

 

[godhandiscen]

Dude, the money was just taken from my account, and I got a buyer lined up for early next week for my GTX 260. I went with the OC'd Powercolor model. I always wanted the 4870, but refused to buy a 512mb model.

Also, I trust Anandtech quite a bit more than Hothardware.com (who the fuck are they anyway? :lol).

Aww, I guess I'll fish around for a 8800 for my lil bro. He is getting into PC gaming now, so I am looking at ways to beef up his rig.

BTW, Maybe expecting VeryHigh from the 4870x2 at a constant 40fps was too much, but at those settings it handles just as well as my 3870x2 handled High which is 20~35fps. I don't do configs, so I don't know if I should just settle for HIGH and finish the game at a decent framerate once and for all. The 4870x2 is either a mixed bag or maybe I need a 3.0GHz Quad. AMD won't release such Quad until January, so I guess I'll just wait

 

[Chiggs]

The 4870x2 is either a mixed bag or maybe I need a 3.0GHz Quad. AMD won't release such Quad until January, so I guess I'll just wait

The 4870X2's performance is quite baffling at times. On paper it is such a beast, but in some games you wonder why it's not decimating like it should. Driver issues? Almost seems like a cop-out.

 

[DarthWoo]

Could anyone offer some advice on my previously posted mobo question? I've already purchased the CPU and RAM finally, and the mobo, HDD and OS are the only necessary things left to get (Well, OS is optional, but everyone says Vista 64-bit is great for a 4GB system).

The CPU is an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (800MHz FSB) and the RAM is PC6400 DDR2 800MHz. My question is what restrictions does this put on what motherboard I can buy, apart from obviously needing socket 775 and DDR2 compatibility. Does the FSB of the motherboard matter greatly, or can I just get anything above 800?

Also I was thinking of getting a front 3.5" bay USB/multicard reader, and I wasn't sure exactly how they connect to the motherboard. The pictures I see on Newegg all have some sort of black ten pin connector, but do all motherboards have a place that that would connect to?

 

[border]

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to end up buying some cheapo Dell and tossing a good videocard into it.

I would love to build a system capable of running Leopard and XP, but at the moment it's just too cost-prohibitive. $700 for the hardware, $140 for XP, $130 for Leopard, $170 for the Efix dongle that lets you run Leopard.....plus another $80 if I get Mwave to assemble/test. Meanwhile Dell has Vista systems with more RAM, better CPU, and bigger hard drives for a mere $500 with Vista included.

So what's the best sub-$200 card for gaming at 1440x900? The 8800/9800 or the 4850?

 

[Chiggs]

So what's the sub-$200 card for gaming at 1440x900? The 8800/9800 or the 4850?

4850, no question.

 

[lachesis]

Could anyone offer some advice on my previously posted mobo question? I've already purchased the CPU and RAM finally, and the mobo, HDD and OS are the only necessary things left to get (Well, OS is optional, but everyone says Vista 64-bit is great for a 4GB system).

The CPU is an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (800MHz FSB) and the RAM is PC6400 DDR2 800MHz. My question is what restrictions does this put on what motherboard I can buy, apart from obviously needing socket 775 and DDR2 compatibility. Does the FSB of the motherboard matter greatly, or can I just get anything above 800?

Also I was thinking of getting a front 3.5" bay USB/multicard reader, and I wasn't sure exactly how they connect to the motherboard. The pictures I see on Newegg all have some sort of black ten pin connector, but do all motherboards have a place that that would connect to?

Your E5200's actual FSB would be 200mhz. It's usually the face value (in your case, 800mhz) divided by 4 - so it should be 200mhz. (don't know why you divide by 4, but that's just the way it is.)

And your PC6400 DDR2's bus speed would be not 800, but 400. Dual Channel, which makes 400 + 400 = 800mhz.

Which means, your CPU is running at 200mhz, and your Ram's running at 400mhz. This would click as 1:2 ratio, and works great.

Your optimal (say you are not touching any settings on RAM) CPU would be something that runs at 1600mhz. It will create 1:1 ratio (400mhz for CPU, and 400mhz for RAM) - but 1:2 is good too. Also, even if you OC your CPU to 333mhz or whatnot - your motherboard will create something called "Divider". So even if your CPU FSB and Ram FSB doesn't really match as 1:2 or 1:1 - it will run fine. (such as 5:8, etc.)

FSB supported on the MB does matter, so I'd make sure that your MB support your 800mhz fsb by checking the specifications - but I have a feeling that most MBs would support 800mhz. Most MBs have harder time to run higher FSBs than lower FSB (and 800mhz isn't that high, these days).

Myself is relatively new to this whole computer building scene, so I can't say for the 100% - but I just don't see why any MBs these days wouldn't support 800mhz. But some do have problem running newer 45nm core CPUs, and sometimes you need to update your bios to begin with. If your MB doesn't support 45nm CPUs from the get go, you'd need a older CPU that would recognize to boot, then update bios, then change the CPU... and that's a chore..

As per 3.5inch media six pin connector or whatnot - perhaps it would go to one of the internal USB port on MB? Just a guess...

 

[DarthWoo]

Thanks. I guess I'm going to have to research the manufacturer websites to make sure whichever I buy supports the E5200.

As for the connector, I just noticed my old mobo actually does have a connector called EXTERNAL_USB, so I guess that's it. I just hope all mobos have it.

 

[bee]

As per 3.5inch media six pin connector or whatnot - perhaps it would go to one of the internal USB port on MB? Just a guess...

most do

 

[lachesis]

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to end up buying some cheapo Dell and tossing a good videocard into it.

I would love to build a system capable of running Leopard and XP, but at the moment it's just too cost-prohibitive. $700 for the hardware, $140 for XP, $130 for Leopard, $170 for the Efix dongle that lets you run Leopard.....plus another $80 if I get Mwave to assemble/test. Meanwhile Dell has Vista systems with more RAM, better CPU, and bigger hard drives for a mere $500 with Vista included.

So what's the best sub-$200 card for gaming at 1440x900? The 8800/9800 or the 4850?

Well, I'd say go with 4850, and make sure your Dell's MB support PCIe at least. I think some of their cheaper ones still (gasp) have AGP, it seems. If you end up with AGP... Then I think 3850 might have AGP version. Also consider your PSU, and maybe think about upgrading the PSU too.

 

[border]

I was thinking of getting a refurbished Dell XPS 420, or the Inspirion 530 that was discussed a page or two ago. Is there any decent place where I can check up on the slots and PSU offered in these Dell models? Dell's site rarely goes into such detail about their systems.

The XPS 420 is the low-end of their gamer/enthusiast line, so I gotta imagine it'd ship with at least an 8x PCI-e.....am I taking a big hit if I don't get 16x? The XPS 420 ships with a Radeon 2400 Pro, which I assume was probably a PCI-e card.

 

[lachesis]

I was thinking of getting a refurbished Dell XPS 420, or the Inspirion 530 that was discussed a page or two ago. Is there any decent place where I can check up on the slots and PSU offered in these Dell models? Dell's site rarely goes into such detail about their systems.

The XPS 420 is the low-end of their gamer/enthusiast line, so I gotta imagine it'd ship with at least an 8x PCI-e.....am I taking a big hit if I don't get 16x? The XPS 420 ships with a Radeon 2400 Pro, which I assume was probably a PCI-e card.

As far as I could tell, XPS 420 comes with 375w PSU, and higher end version comes with 425w, and it does seem to have PCIEx16. with Inspiron 530... not so sure. It does seem to have PCIex16, but a while ago when I searched, I could swear that it didn't have PCIex16...?

I also had a 6 year old dell - and PSU was a dinky sub 200w one. I couldn't upgrade my vga as I wanted back then... (I could have gotten a better PSU then, but at that time, I was also afraid of what I would mess up the wiring too.) 375w.. might be good enough for something mid-range card, but highly doubt it woud be any good for higher end cards...

 

[SRG01]

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to end up buying some cheapo Dell and tossing a good videocard into it.

I would love to build a system capable of running Leopard and XP, but at the moment it's just too cost-prohibitive. $700 for the hardware, $140 for XP, $130 for Leopard, $170 for the Efix dongle that lets you run Leopard.....plus another $80 if I get Mwave to assemble/test. Meanwhile Dell has Vista systems with more RAM, better CPU, and bigger hard drives for a mere $500 with Vista included.

So what's the best sub-$200 card for gaming at 1440x900? The 8800/9800 or the 4850?

Most run-of-the-mill Dell/HP systems won't be able to handle the 4850 if you pop it in. The only way you can do it is if you replace the PSU. The best it can do is the 8800GT.

 

[hitsugi]

All right, I need suggestions for a graphic card that can handle 1650 x 1080 with relative ease. I understand that the 4850 is a fine card for 1024 and 1440, but how is it at 1650? Currently working with an E8400 and 4 gigs of PC6400 ram... assuming that's "enough" at this point.

 

[Chiggs]

All right, I need suggestions for a graphic card that can handle 1650 x 1080 with relative ease. I understand that the 4850 is a fine card for 1024 and 1440, but how is it at 1650? Currently working with an E8400 and 4 gigs of PC6400 ram... assuming that's "enough" at this point.

4870 or GTX 260.

With the 4870, I would certainly recommend a model with 1 GB of ram, and as far as the GTX 260 goes, the 216 core version is the best, but the original can be had for as low as $230.00.

Edit: A 4850 would be serviceable, but not preferable.

 

[hitsugi]

Thanks for the suggestions there's a pretty decent price difference between the 260 core and the 4870 1 GB.. how significant of a performance difference do you think we'd be talking between those two?

 

[SRG01]

4870 or GTX 260.

With the 4870, I would certainly recommend a model with 1 GB of ram, and as far as the GTX 260 goes, the 216 core version is the best, but the original can be had for as low as $230.00.

Edit: A 4850 would be serviceable, but not preferable.

Why not just crossfire two 4850s? Or the 4850x2?

 

[brain_stew]

That's what Rosewill uses for their rebrand from Newegg.

So same thing, very cheap, good cooler.

Always wondered why Newegg never carried it, great little cooler.

 

[Chiggs]

Why not just crossfire two 4850s? Or the 4850x2?

Two 4850's is a great idea, but the poster stated "graphic card."

 

[prodystopian]

Thanks for the suggestions there's a pretty decent price difference between the 260 core and the 4870 1 GB.. how significant of a performance difference do you think we'd be talking between those two?

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415

 

[Chiggs]

Thanks for the suggestions there's a pretty decent price difference between the 260 core and the 4870 1 GB.. how significant of a performance difference do you think we'd be talking between those two?

Speaking as someone who has owned a GTX 260, I can say they're great cards with lots of oc headroom, but I'm ditching mine for an oc'd 1GB 4870, simply because I prefer ATI image quality and their AA is superior.

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415

Good article, but one thing to point out is that Nvidia released their new drivers yesterday, and they're pretty impressive. Here are the highlights:

Includes several 3D application performance improvements. The following are examples of improvements measured with v178.13 WHQL versus v175.19 WHQL driver:
Single GPU increases up to 11% in 3DMark Vantage (performance preset)
Single GPU increases up to 11% in Assassin's Creed DX10
Single GPU increases up to 15% in Bioshock DX10
Single GPU increases up to 15% in Call of Duty 4
Single GPU increases up to 8% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
2-way SLI increases up to 7% in Bioshock DX10
2-way SLI increases up to 10% in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts DX10
2-way SLI increases up to 12% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
2-way SLI increases up to 10% in World in Conflict DX10
Includes numerous 3D application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.

Also, it should be noted that the Anandtech review was using the 177.43 drivers, which are even older than the old drivers mentioned in the release notes I just posted.

 

[DarthWoo]

What are the most reliable brands of motherboards that I should be choosing one from, or alternatively, are there any brands I should absolutely avoid? I was thinking that, based on what most people seem to like here, Asus, MSI and Gigabyte seem favored. A lot of Foxconn mobos seem to have horrible reviews. I'm mainly looking for a Socket 775, DDR2, with at least 3 PCI slots, PCI-e 2.0. Onboard audio and video aren't necessary, but it seems they all come at least with the audio. I have an old Soundblaster Live that I'm going to use, since I've read using onboard audio will take up system resources at best, and will be scratchy due to interference at worst. A Firewire port would be nice, but I suppose not absolutely necessary since I can just buy a PCI firewire, though I'd rather save the PCI slots for important things.

 

[chespace]

Case ( Nzxt Alpha Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 650 Watt -- Casegears ECO-Element 80 Plus Certificated High Efficiency Power Supply SLI Ready )
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9400 (4x 2.66GHz/6MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) Free 4GB Pen Drive )
Processor Cooling ( [=== Silent ===] Extreme-Performance INTEL CPU Cooling Fan System Kit Silent & Overclocking Proof = Maximum cooling efficiency for quietness and performance )
Motherboard ( [SLI] Asus P5N-D Nvidia nForce 750i SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, Dual PCI-E MB EPU Technology )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB w/DVI + TV Out Video )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA )
Hard Drive ( 500 GB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( [Lightscribe Technology] LG 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( None )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( LCD Monitor [--- Special ---] 20.1" LCD 16:10 Wide WSXGA HD(HDCP) Monitor Support DVI Video up to 1080P(HDMI) )
2nd Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( PS/2 104 Key Windows 98 Keyboard Beige )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in USB 2.0 Ports )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black )
Operation System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None )
Case Round Cable ( Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower )
Case Round Cable ( Rounded Cables for Floppy/HDD/CD/DVD/CD-RW/DVD-RW Drives )
Case Round Cable ( Tuniq TX-2 High Performance Thermal Compound the best interface between your CPU and the heatsinks by its unique designed molecular size and shape )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

$1835 SHIPPED via Fedex Express.

What do you guys think?

Configured over at iBuypower.com. Anyone have any opinions about these guys?

 

[Big Takeover]

I'd stick with the core2 you posted in the other thread. 1440x900 with a GTX280, and a half way decent cpu will get you max af/aa on pretty much everything for the foreseeable future. Spending more is totally overkill.