Support NeoGAF

[chespace]

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.

Yeah but aren't more games going quad-core in the future?

Also, can I even take advantage of quad if I don't use 64-bit Vista?

 

[brain_stew]

Yeah but aren't more games going quad-core in the future?

Also, can I even take advantage of quad if I don't use 64-bit Vista?

Why is that even a question? With 4 gigs of RAM and a modern setup, Vista 64 bit is damn near mandatory anyway.

 

[brain_stew]

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.

Gigabyte and Asus, are your best bet for both affordable but solid motherboards.

 

[Big Takeover]

Yeah but aren't more games going quad-core in the future?

Also, can I even take advantage of quad if I don't use 64-bit Vista?

Well, sure, but when is pretty debatable. My understanding is scaling up to more cores is a difficult and time consuming task. Hell, a lot of things don't even support dual cores, let alone four.

It's a bridge that devs will have to cross at some point, but it's really too hard to say when at this point. Not anytime soon, despite the fact that Intel is ramping up the number of cores.

64bit Vista - you should move to it regardless of how many cores you go with. You're going to need the ram support with 4gigs of system, and a gig of video ram. I'd be sure to make this a priority with whatever system you choose.

 

[chespace]

Well, sure, but when is pretty debatable. My understanding is scaling up to more cores is a difficult and time consuming task. Hell, a lot of things don't even support dual cores, let alone four.

It's a bridge that devs will have to cross at some point, but it's really too hard to say when at this point. Not anytime soon, despite the fact that Intel is ramping up the number of cores.

64bit Vista - you should move to it regardless of how many cores you go with. You're going to need the ram support with 4gigs of system, and a gig of video ram. I'd be sure to make this a priority with whatever system you choose.

Given where I work, a copy of 64-bit Vista isn't going to be hard to come by.

Thanks for the advice, all.

 

[Chiggs]

Yeah but aren't more games going quad-core in the future?

That's a killer setup you're looking at and, yes, games will definitely be using quad cores in the future. Personally, I think you'll be kicking yourself if you choose to forgo it.

It's a bridge that devs will have to cross at some point, but it's really too hard to say when at this point. Not anytime soon, despite the fact that Intel is ramping up the number of cores.

I strongly disagree with this.

 

[senahorse]

I would strongly consider getting something else than the 280, it's very overpriced for what it is capable of. For the money you could get 2 x 260GTX's which will destroy it, or better yet just go with a 4870 or an X2. If you want to save money you could even look at getting 1 260GTX and overclocking it to close to 280GTX specs.

 

[Finaika]

Just bought my very first laptop a Dell XPS M1530... been quite satisfied with it

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB Cache, 800 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium 32 bit SP1 Edition (English)
15.4" UltraSharp(TM) Widescreen WSXGA+ (1680x1050) TFT Display with TrueLife(TM)
Tuxedo Black LCD display with Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam
3GB (1X1GB+1X2GB) 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
200GB SATA 7200RPM Performance Hard Drive
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 8600M GT
Integrated Stereo Sound

I'll be playing Wrath of the Lich King with this

 

[brain_stew]

Just bought my very first laptop a Dell XPS M1530... been quite satisfied with it

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB Cache, 800 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium 32 bit SP1 Edition (English)
15.4" UltraSharp(TM) Widescreen WSXGA+ (1680x1050) TFT Display with TrueLife(TM)
Tuxedo Black LCD display with Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam
3GB (1X1GB+1X2GB) 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
200GB SATA 7200RPM Performance Hard Drive
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 8600M GT
Integrated Stereo Sound

I'll be playing Wrath of the Lich King with this

Uh oh.

Be afraid be very afraid.

 

[border]

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.

Someone earlier made the following claim:

As for power consumption, Anandtech's test shows that a full system with the HD4850 at load uses 227W. Your 300W power supply is probably okay (if it's a good quality one) considering their test computer was running and overclocked Quadcore.

Is this true? Only 227W for a 4850 on an OC'ed machine? Here is the link to Anandtech's power-consumption chart:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3338&p=5

If it's true then I don't see the problem. The Dell XPS 420 supposedly ships with a 375W PSU. Even if it were only 300W it seems like you would have power to spare, so long as you didn't do SLI (which Dell's cheap mobos probably prohibit anyway). If those numbers are right, even 4850's in Crossfire will only draw 335W.

 

[DarthWoo]

I'm thinking of the Asus P5Q SE, but unless I'm imagining it, the PATA port is directly under the PCI ports, oriented horizontally, so wouldn't that make it difficult to use the IDE cable if there are any PCI cards installed?

 

[SRG01]

Someone earlier made the following claim:



Is this true? Only 227W for a 4850 on an OC'ed machine? Here is the link to Anandtech's power-consumption chart:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3338&p=5

If it's true then I don't see the problem. The Dell XPS 420 supposedly ships with a 375W PSU. Even if it were only 300W it seems like you would have power to spare, so long as you didn't do SLI (which Dell's cheap mobos probably prohibit anyway). If those numbers are right, even 4850's in Crossfire will only draw 335W.

Remember the 12V rail...

 

[border]

Remember the 12V rail...

I'm going to need further explanation on that.

I'm assuming the XPS 420 would have a PCI-e 12V connector, since it ships with an HD 2400 card....is this a bad assumption?

 

[Finaika]

Uh oh.

Be afraid be very afraid.

Why? Is it not powerful enough?

 

[SRG01]

I'm going to need further explanation on that.

I'm assuming the XPS 420 would have a PCI-e 12V connector, since it ships with an HD 2400 card....is this a bad assumption?

Regardless of a PSU's power rating, it needs to output enough amps on the 12V rail to power a video card. Generally, a smaller PSU means less amps on the rails (unless it's a highly efficient and high quality one). I would doubt that a prebuilt system from Dell/HP can handle anything more than a 8800GT (which, coincidentally, is I think the fastest video card I've seen in a pre-built Dell so far).

Why? Is it not powerful enough?

It's fine for a notebook. Desktop replacement notebooks are a whole other ballgame.

 

[TheWolf]

ok' i've decided to try and build my own PC. here's what i got so far.

- COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

- Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

- G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

- Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300 - Retail

- ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

can anyone recommend me a good mobo and power supply? any other recommendations would be appreciated too.

also, the 4850 is preferred over the 9800GT, correct?

 

[border]

Regardless of a PSU's power rating, it needs to output enough amps on the 12V rail to power a video card. Generally, a smaller PSU means less amps on the rails (unless it's a highly efficient and high quality one). I would doubt that a prebuilt system from Dell/HP can handle anything more than a 8800GT (which, coincidentally, is I think the fastest video card I've seen in a pre-built Dell so far).

Dell offers a 9800 GT in their XPS line, though I guess that's pretty much the same as the 8800 GT. If the Anandtech chart is reliable though, the 4850 only demands about 20W more than an 8800 GT (200W versus 227W). That's only a 10% difference. Would the amps on the 12V rail make that much of a difference?

 

[chespace]

I would strongly consider getting something else than the 280, it's very overpriced for what it is capable of. For the money you could get 2 x 260GTX's which will destroy it, or better yet just go with a 4870 or an X2. If you want to save money you could even look at getting 1 260GTX and overclocking it to close to 280GTX specs.

Hmm, what you say is very interesting.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? I'm not that interested in OC'ing my hardware if I could help it, but if the 260 GTX isn't that far off in terms of performance, it might be more bang for the buck.

How is the 4870 in terms of bang for the buck? I know it's better than a 260 GTX but what I'm basically looking for is a system where I don't have to worry about specs for a good 2-3 years.

 

[SRG01]

Dell offers a 9800 GT in their XPS line, though I guess that's pretty much the same as the 8800 GT. If the Anandtech chart is reliable though, the 4850 only demands about 20W more than an 8800 GT (200W versus 227W). That's only a 10% difference. Would the amps on the 12V rail make that much of a difference?

Many prebuilt systems are upgraded to the absolute limit of the PSU. Case in point, some of HP's slimlines (160W for AMD models) have ridiculous parts inside (such as TV tuner, video card, etc) and greatly strain the PSU. HardOCP has an entire thread on this as they tinker with this little box.

The same is for prebuilt boxes like the Vostro 400. It comes with a 8800GT as an option, but I seriously wonder how far they're stressing the PSU.

And yes, ~20W more supply side is actually quite a bit more amps, since that equates to about 1.5-2A or so.

edit: And not to scare you, but if you have to end up upgrading the PSU, you'll have to make some adjustments to the power connectors since HP and Dell both have proprietary motherboards and connectors.

- Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300 - Retail

Why choose this processor? You're better off either getting the E8400 for performance or the E5200 for cost.

 

[TheWolf]

Why choose this processor? You're better off either getting the E8400 for performance or the E5200 for cost.

just cause it was what i was going to get in the Crysis PC. i'll look into those other two. i hear the E7300 overclocks to 3Ghz really easy.

can you recommend a power supply/motherboard?

 

[Chiggs]

How is the 4870 in terms of bang for the buck? I know it's better than a 260 GTX but what I'm basically looking for is a system where I don't have to worry about specs for a good 2-3 years.

4870 is a fantastic card, and it's even better with 1gb of memory. As far as it being better than the GTX 260, that's sort of of a toss up, IMO. I think both are pretty much equal, especially with the new 216 core version.

If pressed, I would give the slight edge to the 4870 as long as you get the 1gb version. Some reviews for you:

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

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

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=3&id=2684

 

[SRG01]

just cause it was what i was going to get in the Crysis PC. i'll look into those other two. i hear the E7300 overclocks to 3Ghz really easy.

can you recommend a power supply/motherboard?

Any of the regular names are fine: Antec Earthwatts, Sparkle, and so on and so on. Go by Newegg and look up their reviews.

As for motherboards, I have completely no clue since I have not been following chipsets at all. Again, Newegg reviews are a good place to start.

edit: IIRC, both the E8400 and E5200 are 45nm parts, so they should OC better. However, the E5200 has less cache than the E7300, but it's cheaper and you'll hardly notice the performance difference.

 

[TheWolf]

400W or 500W? i'm stupid.

 

[SRG01]

400W or 500W? i'm stupid.

Did a little digging, and this thread mentions that AMD recommends 30A on the 12V rail. Probably an overestimate (manufacturers tend to do that), but go by that line of thought.

edit: By the way, if you're OCing, just go with the 500W so you won't run into any problems.

 

[TheWolf]

well, pretty sure this is what i've settled on...

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA

CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

about $700 without an OS. hopefully i can pick up Vista Ultimate 64 on the cheap at school. will probably place the order Monday.

 

[TheHeretic]

Hmm, what you say is very interesting.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? I'm not that interested in OC'ing my hardware if I could help it, but if the 260 GTX isn't that far off in terms of performance, it might be more bang for the buck.

How is the 4870 in terms of bang for the buck? I know it's better than a 260 GTX but what I'm basically looking for is a system where I don't have to worry about specs for a good 2-3 years.

The 4870X2 is what you are looking for i'd say. You can even save on money by getting one now with an SLi board, and getting the second one later at a cheaper price when you need a better performance increase. But as you are pretty much going all out, get a 4870X2.

And your case looks a bit dodgy. Inbuilt PSU's with what I perceive to be a no-name case is asking for trouble. Your are going to be better off with a Coolermaster, Antec or Gigabyte case and a standalone PSU.

You might have researched it and its actually a great case, I only just jumped into this thread.

Edit: I just realised you are buying a case with a PSU and a standalone PSU??? I'd get a better case and a PSU by a better company, Seasonic or Antec.

 

[chespace]

4870 is a fantastic card, and it's even better with 1gb of memory. As far as it being better than the GTX 260, that's sort of of a toss up, IMO. I think both are pretty much equal, especially with the new 216 core version.

If pressed, I would give the slight edge to the 4870 as long as you get the 1gb version. Some reviews for you:

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

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

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=3&id=2684

Great reference articles. Looks like the 4870X2 is very nice and also good bang for the buck.

Also seems like the GTX 260 SLI is a beast combo as well.

Heretic, thanks for the case and PSU recommendations. I'm just going off what's available for them to build for me at http://ibuypower.com. It might very well be shit, but I'm a little intimidated to buy loose parts to put completely together.

Two questions:

1). If I get a 4870 X2, I can SLI it later as long as my mobo is SLI capable, correct? Do I need anything else when I order my PC now?

2). Is 1680x1050 a pretty common resolution and is it good enough? I'm looking at monitors and all of them support 1680x1050 but not too many support 1920x1200. Is 1920x1200 pretty impractical for gaming (horsepower demands, etc.) anyway? Basically, how important is it for me to get a monitor that does 1920x1200?

 

[Chiggs]

Two questions:

1). If I get a 4870 X2, I can SLI it later as long as my mobo is SLI capable, correct? Do I need anything else when I order my PC now?

2). Is 1680x1050 a pretty common resolution and is it good enough? I'm looking at monitors and all of them support 1680x1050 but not too many support 1920x1200. Is 1920x1200 pretty impractical for gaming (horsepower demands, etc.) anyway? Basically, how important is it for me to get a monitor that does 1920x1200?

1. Yes, but you need a Crossfire mobo - SLI is Nvidia.

2. That's a very common resolution. I do all my gaming at it. I personally don't need 1920 X 1200, but if you've got the cash, go for it.

 

[chespace]

1. Yes, but you need a Crossfire mobo - SLI is Nvidia.

2. That's a very common resolution. I do all my gaming at it. I personally don't need 1920 X 1200, but if you've got the cash, go for it.

Cool, thanks for the answers. Based on recent discussion then, I'm feeling pretty good about the following:

Case ( Gigabyte Poseidon 310 Aluminum Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( Standard Case Power Supply )
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9550 (4x 2.83GHz/12MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) Free 4GB Pen Drive )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit )
Motherboard ( [CrossFire] Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, Dual PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [1 GB X4] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon HD 4870-X2 DDR5 2GB PCI-Express x16 )
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 ( [** Special !!! ***] LG 20X 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 ( Thermal Temperature LCD Display Blue )
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 )
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 )

Sub Total: $1,789.00

 

[Kabouter]

When you have a 4870X2, 1920x1200 shouldn't be much of a problem

 

[TheHeretic]

Ok chespace, the only major problems I can see from here are that your PSU probably isn't powerful enough for a Crossfire card, especially one of questionable quality. Try to get a case without a PSU included, or otherwise talk to the site managers and get them to replace the stock PSU with a better one.

Those speakers you are getting are going to be terrible, and whilst you are adverse to setting up a PC by yourself, you really should look into getting some worthwhile speakers which are dead simple to setup. It seems you want a stereo system so i'll recommend the Logitech Z2300's, which is what I own. They aren't expensive and work wonderfully.

Also make sure your keyboard, mouse, case, speakers and monitor are all the same colour scheme or it'll look a bit silly on your desk.

Apart from that you've got a very powerful rig going.

 

[senahorse]

Che, I hate to push you to spending more money on your rig, but if you want to run the X2 you will need a better PSU. I believe the minimum for an X2 (especially with a quad core) is about 550W. I am running my X2 with a dual core (8500 3.16Ghz, overclocked to 4.2Ghz) and am using a Corsair 620HX PSU, and I am considering buying the next model up.

You probably want to get a separate case and PSU. A couple of good cases are the Antec P182 and Silverstone TJ07. And I would suggest you get a Corsair 620HX PSU as the minimum.

 

[chespace]

That speaker setup is basically free from ibuypower.com.

All those other things outside of the PC I can buy on my own later.

I'm pretty sure I can get a separate PSU. So how much wattage do I need given the setup above?

 

[senahorse]

Considering your setup is very similar to mine (only major difference is my C2D vs your Quad) I think you will get away with the PSU I linked to. Especially considering I have mine overclocked ~35%, hence I am using more power.

Edit: HERE is a decent PSU calculator you can use to determine your requirements.

 

[Nemo]

So I received my 4850 today. The box seems like the standard Sapphire reference card, but instead I find the Dual Slot Cooler version inside. Does this mean the card was used already or something? Can't be a manufacturer fault can it? Should I keep it? They say it's about 10-15 degrees cooler.

 

[Big Takeover]

2). Is 1680x1050 a pretty common resolution and is it good enough? I'm looking at monitors and all of them support 1680x1050 but not too many support 1920x1200. Is 1920x1200 pretty impractical for gaming (horsepower demands, etc.) anyway? Basically, how important is it for me to get a monitor that does 1920x1200?

With the kind of horsepower you're buying, you should absolutely go with 1680x1050.

What you have in your build is only WSXGA, which is 1440x900:

Monitor ( LCD Monitor [--- Special ---] 20.1" LCD 16:10 Wide WSXGA HD(HDCP) Monitor Support DVI Video up to 1080P(HDMI) )

Pairing any of these high end videocards with that low of a resolution would be a waste of money. These cards pretty much exist to provide solid frame rates at high resolutions. The only reason I wouldn't recommend you jump right to 1920x1200 with the setup you're looking at is it would negatively impact your futureproofedness (?!).

Wise move on ditching the funky Q9400.

 

[border]

edit: And not to scare you, but if you have to end up upgrading the PSU, you'll have to make some adjustments to the power connectors since HP and Dell both have proprietary motherboards and connectors.

Ehhh, if I have to replace the PSU I'll just have someone else do it

How will I know of the PSU is insufficient? What are the symptoms? Computer just shuts off and on during games or high-drain situations?

 

[chespace]

With the kind of horsepower you're buying, you should absolutely go with 1680x1050.

What you have in your build is only WSXGA, which is 1440x900:

Monitor ( LCD Monitor [--- Special ---] 20.1" LCD 16:10 Wide WSXGA HD(HDCP) Monitor Support DVI Video up to 1080P(HDMI) )

Pairing any of these high end videocards with that low of a resolution would be a waste of money. These cards pretty much exist to provide solid frame rates at high resolutions. The only reason I wouldn't recommend you jump right to 1920x1200 with the setup you're looking at is it would negatively impact your futureproofedness (?!).

Wise move on ditching the funky Q9400.

Here are the specs on this monitor. If you tell me it's shit, I will just buy it from another retailer. Also, why is the Q9400 funky and the Q9550 better?

LCD Monitor [--- Special ---] 20.1" LCD 16:10 Wide WSXGA HD(HDCP) Monitor Support DVI Video up to 1080P(HDMI)

Description:

20.1" LCD 16:10 Wide WSXGA HD(HDCP) Monitor Support DVI Video up to 1080P(HDMI)

Specification:
LCD Panel
20.1" 16:10 wide WSXGA HD (HDCP) LCD Monitor
2 Dual CCFTS
433.44 mm x 270.90 mm Display Area Display 16.7M colors
Ultra Wide Screen allow "Dual Page display"
simultaneously

Resolutions
Ultra High WSXGA+ 1680x1050/60Hz, 1280x720/75Hz, 1024x768/75Hz

Brightness & Contrast Ratio
Brightness: 300 nit (cd/m²)
Ultra high Contrast ratio 1000:1

Response Time(GTG)
2ms

Viewing Angle
160º (horizontal)
160º (vertical)

Input Signal and Connector
VGA, DVI,
1.5 M detachable cable 15-pin mini D-Sub VGA Connector

User controls
Power on/off, OSD (On Screen Display), Contrast, Brightness, Clock, phase, H-Position, V-Position, H-Size, V-Size, Graph/Text Mode Selection, Auto-adjust, Color Temperature, Audio Volume, OSD H-Position, OSD V-Position, Display Mode Detection, and Reset: Basic Setting, Position, Miscellaneous, & All Functions

Features
Flicker and Static Free
PNP: DDC1/2B (Analog), DDC2B (Digital)
Less Than VLMF Radiation Standard
Panel & Neck detachable
Ergotron Arm Compatible (VESA 100mm)

Options
Other stands (desktop & wall-mount)

Power Source
45w max
100V to 240V AC @ 50/60 Hz

Certifications
UL, FCC-B, EPA

Scanning Frequency
Analog: 24-82 kHz (H), 50-75 Hz (V)
Digital: 31-80 kHz (H), 50-75 Hz (V)

Size and Weight
Monitor: 18.72"(W) x 15.14" (H) x 6.89"(D)
Package: 20.92"(W) x 18.62"(H) x 6.89"(D)
Net Weight : 13.15 lbs
Gross Weight : 17.55 lbs

 

[Big Takeover]

Well it lists the max resolution at 1680x1050/60. Kind of bizarre that the description is WSXGA. Maybe it needs to do that resolution at 75Hz? I don't know actually.

That appears to be fine. If you wanted more control over what you were getting, you could always buy the monitor separately.

Here's a 22" Acer on Newegg for the same money. I'd personally rather have this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094

 

[chespace]

Well it lists the max resolution at 1680x1050/60. Kind of bizarre that the description is WSXGA. Maybe it needs to do that resolution at 75Hz? I don't know actually.

That appears to be fine. If you wanted more control over what you were getting, you could always buy the monitor separately.

Here's a 22" Acer on Newegg for the same money. I'd personally rather have this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to leave the monitor out of the package, which brings the overall price down to $1769. Haha, it's such a slippery slope. I was targeting something under $1500 but I thought "with just a couple hundred bucks more, I could have this!" I was even looking at the 4870 X2 crossfire option.

Here's a question. If I want to crossfire the 4870 X2 in a year for whatever reason, would I need to buy the same brand of video card and as long as the chipset was the same, it'd work?

PC gaming is so simple and intuitive sometimes.

 

[godhandiscen]

Coming from a 4870x2, owner here. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE CARD! Get a 4870 1GB and call it a day. I feel like I wasted money on so much "power" that isnt even used, and the one game that actually requires the power, is the one game on which the 4870x2 fails horribly, Crysis. I actually paid for a 3 year warranty on the card, and with shipping, it all came close to $700. I had the money, so I do not regret my purchase, but it doesn't "tame" Crysis which makes all this unlimited power worthless imo. Ohh, and WAR doesnt even run that well on that card, but that is due to WAR's horrible optimization issues, but I swear I was getting the same performance with my 3870x2. If you really want something future proof, buy a 4870 1GB and save the rest of the money for a better card later that will be designed with newer games in mind. I really hope the drivers improve the performance of the 4870x2, or that it at least excells at FarCry.

 

[Big Takeover]

I forgot to answer the Quad question.

The Q9400 only has 6MB of L2 cache. It's advantage over the previous generation quads (Q6600, etc) is it's 45nm, and has a higher bus speed, but actually has less cache.

The step to the Q9550 doubles the cache to 12MB, along with being 45nm, and the higher bus speed.

The Q9400 is just kind of an oddball product.

 

[SRG01]

Ehhh, if I have to replace the PSU I'll just have someone else do it

How will I know of the PSU is insufficient? What are the symptoms? Computer just shuts off and on during games or high-drain situations?

Lockups and/or reboots and crashes. Usually reboots.

 

[Big Takeover]

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to leave the monitor out of the package, which brings the overall price down to $1769. Haha, it's such a slippery slope. I was targeting something under $1500 but I thought "with just a couple hundred bucks more, I could have this!" I was even looking at the 4870 X2 crossfire option.

Here's a question. If I want to crossfire the 4870 X2 in a year for whatever reason, would I need to buy the same brand of video card and as long as the chipset was the same, it'd work?

PC gaming is so simple and intuitive sometimes.

To be perfectly honest, if it were me and my money, I'd go along with what godhandiscen just said.

Buy the best single chip card you can afford (4870/280), and enjoy the hell out of it now, and for the near future. Down the road when you feel you need some more juice, pick up whatever the hot new card is, or get another 4870/280 for sli/crossfire.

These cards are really powerful, a x2 even more so. I think you're underestimating what kind of sick rig you're putting together here. You're not going to be left wanting, especially at 1680x1050.

I see the 4870 1GB isn't yet offered at ibuypower. Let me look to see what the easiest/best/afforable way to approach that issue is.

 

[Chiggs]

or that it at least excells at FarCry.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_gtx_280.html

Watch the first video. Dollars to donuts FC2 is optimized for Nvidia.

Co I actually paid for a 3 year warranty on the card, and with shipping, it all came close to $700.

A good rule of thumb, even for enthusiasts: don't go over $300.00.

 

[SRG01]

Other money saving measure: Ask yourself again if you need the Q9550.

 

[DarthWoo]

With the ASUS P5Q SE and Pro being the same price at the moment with the Pro's MIR, there's really no reason to get the SE? They look essentially the same, with an edge toward the Pro.

Edit: Actually, with the Pro having free shipping, it's even a better deal at the moment.

 

[Kadey]

Hey Che.

The guys already said one standard 4870 is more than enough for your native res. One X2 is overkill for that monitor. Crossfire an X2 and you basically bought a 200 mph car that is useless with the speed limit.

I find that many 1680x1050 monitors can support 1080p, via downscaling of course, when the GPU drivers override the monitor drivers and that'll happen pretty often.

 

[Kadey]

Coming from a 4870x2, owner here. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE CARD! Get a 4870 1GB and call it a day. I feel like I wasted money on so much "power" that isnt even used, and the one game that actually requires the power, is the one game on which the 4870x2 fails horribly, Crysis. I actually paid for a 3 year warranty on the card, and with shipping, it all came close to $700. I had the money, so I do not regret my purchase, but it doesn't "tame" Crysis which makes all this unlimited power worthless imo. Ohh, and WAR doesnt even run that well on that card, but that is due to WAR's horrible optimization issues, but I swear I was getting the same performance with my 3870x2. If you really want something future proof, buy a 4870 1GB and save the rest of the money for a better card later that will be designed with newer games in mind. I really hope the drivers improve the performance of the 4870x2, or that it at least excells at FarCry.

I've been saying this all along. Key word. Drivers drivers drivers. ATI continues to hold back their 4800 series cards with these drivers. They should be well ahead of what's seen in benches.

 

[Chiggs]

Other money saving measure: Ask yourself again if you need the Q9550.

He said he wanted to to make this pc last as long as possible. The Q9550 is an excellent choice.