Support NeoGAF

[TheHeretic]

The best way to get a PC outside of building it yourself is to find an online retailer with competitive prices, buy the parts you want individually and get them to build it for you. The "custom" PC building websites on Dell and all equivalents will overcharge you and limit your options.

And I agree with Trax that Crysis Warhead is the new standard, not Crysis.

 

[dLMN8R]

People need to stop using Crysis as a gaming benchmark. It's a horribly coded game that works better with certain companies drivers better then others. Warhead will be a much better benchmark, and will look as good if not better.

For what Crysis is, it should run better on a 4870X2. It's not the graphic cards that are the problem, it's the unoptimized game.

You say this as if Warhead had yet to be released and prove that, although it runs better, it's due to a whole lot more texture streaming and other tricks going on that in some cases make the game look worse than the original. Not that it's not beautiful, but having just beaten warhead, and going back to the original today, both performance and looks in DX9 and DX10 are pretty damn close.


Other than Warhead, absolutely nothing comes close to Crysis. I've seen people use the same "horribly coded" and "unoptimized" bullshit responses about the game since its release, yet have never seen someone provide comparative evidence to back up that claim. Oh right. That's because there's nothing to compare it to.

 

[TheHeretic]

Other than Warhead, absolutely nothing comes close to Crysis. I've seen people use the same "horribly coded" and "unoptimized" bullshit responses about the game since its release, yet have never seen someone provide comparative evidence to back up that claim. Oh right. That's because there's nothing to compare it to.

Despite how it looks, it doesn't look good enough to justify what it does to high end systems and how horribly it scales to lesser hardware. There are a tonne of great looking PC games, it doesn't begin and end with Crysis.

 

[dLMN8R]

I never said anything about how it scales, and obviously that's a valid complaint. But on the high-end, how can you possibly say it doesn't perform well enough for how it looks? Massive environments + impressive AI + unparalleled detail in those massive environments + unmatched destructibility in those environments = low frame rates. There's simply no way around it.


It's the best looking game on the face of this planet, has some of the most impressive physics of any game out there, and those exist in levels that are sometimes square miles in size. Nothing else comes close, and until something does, like I already said, the claim that it "should" run better is nothing but a hypothetical claim with no comparative example to put it up against.

 

[chespace]

The best way to get a PC outside of building it yourself is to find an online retailer with competitive prices, buy the parts you want individually and get them to build it for you. The "custom" PC building websites on Dell and all equivalents will overcharge you and limit your options.

I've never considered the Dell or Alienware options, but I'm not sure which online retailers you're referring to.

 

[TheHeretic]

I've never considered the Dell or Alienware options, but I'm not sure which online retailers you're referring to.

Well I use umart.net.au, which is useless to you unfortunately because its (obviously) in Australia. I order the parts individually and they build + test them for me for about 30 bucks. They also offer warranties, though I never buy them.

I never said anything about how it scales, and obviously that's a valid complaint. But on the high-end, how can you possibly say it doesn't perform well enough for how it looks? Massive environments + impressive AI + unparalleled detail in those massive environments + unmatched destructibility in those environments = low frame rates. There's simply no way around it.


It's the best looking game on the face of this planet, has some of the most impressive physics of any game out there, and those exist in levels that are sometimes square miles in size. Nothing else comes close, and until something does, like I already said, the claim that it "should" run better is nothing but a hypothetical claim with no comparative example to put it up against.

I remember when Doom 3 came out and I had a PC well past its prime. Everyone was telling how amazing the game looked, though because I had to send the settings into oblivion to make it playable games like Max Payne (which I could actually run) actually looked much better.

The same is true with Crysis. Its great that its the best looking game ever, but its useless without scalability. I have an 8800GTS512 and I pretty much had to run it on medium to get it working. At that level it looks very mediocre considering I can max out Gears of War (and pretty much every other PC game).

I suppose you are right in that theres no other game that tries to do what Crysis does, but the game seems to run poorly considering how it looks, as amazing as it does. I think the onslaught of custom configuration files is evidence enough theres definite room for improvement on all fronts. I find it very hard to believe the same results couldn't be achieved in a game that was better optimised.

 

[Zzoram]

I've never considered the Dell or Alienware options, but I'm not sure which online retailers you're referring to.

I think these guys assemble a computer for you for $25 if you pick all the parts:

http://www.ncixus.com/

Their Canadian version (ncix.com) does, so I'd assume the US one does too. Make an account, add all the parts to your cart, and I think you can add the assembly from the checkout but I'm not 100% sure. Someone else on GAF claimed that they do it.

I have bought parts from NCIX Canada and I've had no problem with them.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Just a quick question I had for a friend:

Is it better to have a gig stick and a 256mb stick of RAM, or just the gig stick? I know the RAM can only run as fast as the slowest stick or something, but is it that big of deal?

 

[Woo-Fu]

Despite how it looks, it doesn't look good enough to justify what it does to high end systems and how horribly it scales to lesser hardware.

Purely subjective.

You can't make a blanket statement like that and expect it to qualify for everybody.

For me, it looks plenty good enough to justify the high requirements. Leaving a pile of twenty twitching bodies at the base of a staircase and knowing that they'll still be there when I come back is priceless.

 

[tirant]

Just a quick question I had for a friend:

Is it better to have a gig stick and a 256mb stick of RAM, or just the gig stick? I know the RAM can only run as fast as the slowest stick or something, but is it that big of deal?

Use both.

 

[TheHeretic]

Purely subjective.

You can't make a blanket statement like that and expect it to qualify for everybody.

For me, it looks plenty good enough to justify the high requirements. Leaving a pile of twenty twitching bodies at the base of a staircase and knowing that they'll still be there when I come back is priceless.

Q6600 @ 3.6ghz, 8800GTS512, 4gb of ram. When Crysis came out that was the best build money could buy without pissing it away on ultra enthusiast hardware. Crysis 1.0 ran at anywhere from 15-40FPS depending on the situation on high. The only way to keep it consistently playable was to play it on medium, on which it looked incredibly average considering the hype.

 

[Anno]

Alright guys, I could use some help with a new graphics card. I bought a new computer last month when my laptop died and couldn't afford to put one in at the time, now I can. Everyone says that an 8800GT is about the best bang-for-your-buck out there, but there seems to be able 50 different versions of it in different speeds. I don't play very graphically intense games, so I'd like to just find a good compromise on price, say around $100-$125, and hopefully something I can pick up from a retailer as my apartment complex sucks in taking in delivery items. Any suggestions?

 

[Gully State]

If you're wiling to spend up to $150, I would say go for the visiontek 4850 at bestbuy. If you can find one in the store, they're throwing in a free $10 GC too. The card is also on average better than the 8800GT..

 

[SRG01]

I think these guys assemble a computer for you for $25 if you pick all the parts:

http://www.ncixus.com/

Their Canadian version (ncix.com) does, so I'd assume the US one does too. Make an account, add all the parts to your cart, and I think you can add the assembly from the checkout but I'm not 100% sure. Someone else on GAF claimed that they do it.

I have bought parts from NCIX Canada and I've had no problem with them.

I had to use the classic PC builder to get the assembly option.

 

[Anno]

If you're wiling to spend up to $150, I would say go for the visiontek 4850 at bestbuy. If you can find one in the store, they're throwing in a free $10 GC too. The card is also on average better than the 8800GT..

Bestbuy.com claims $200 for that card =/

 

[chespace]

I had to use the classic PC builder to get the assembly option.

What's the classic PC builder on NCIXUS?

I'm thinking about going with these guys so they can put it all together for me and test it, but it'll cost me at least a couple hundred more for all the parts I picked out.

 

[SRG01]

The NCIXUS equivalent may be http://www.ncixus.com/products/1172/Assembly Options/

 

[SRG01]

Bestbuy.com claims $200 for that card =/

$190-$200 is still the average street price, I think. Some retailers and manufacturers are offering it at around $180, and an additional discount with mail-in rebate. Both Palit and HIS have rebates at the moment.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121266
Asus 9800GT(X) card.

128 Stream Processors- $124.99 after rebate and does circles around the normal 9800GT cards.

BTW, the difference been this card and the regular 8800GT cards is a BIOS flash + more stream processors.

If I was picking a card in the sub $150 category, I'd get that one.

 

[Hazaro]

Get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121266
Asus 9800GT(X) card.

128 Stream Processors- $124.99 after rebate and does circles around the normal 9800GT cards.

BTW, the difference been this card and the regular 8800GT cards is a BIOS flash + more stream processors.

If I was picking a card in the sub $150 category, I'd get that one.

Looks like a 8800GTS to me.
Don't like rebates, 8800GT/9800GT can be had for just $100, GTS's better OC isn't worth $25 or $50 imo.

Wait's patiently with his 8800GT*

Spoiler

Maybe

Cons: Multiple choice:
a) it's a 9800GT
b) it used to be a 8800GT
c) it's an ultimate so it's a 9800GT+ , or maybe an 8800GT+
d) it's really a 8800GTS with 128SP, flashed to a 9800GT
e) it's a 9800GTS
Nvidia what has become of you?
The answer btw is all of the above
collapse

 

[dLMN8R]

Q6600 @ 3.6ghz, 8800GTS512, 4gb of ram. When Crysis came out that was the best build money could buy without pissing it away on ultra enthusiast hardware. Crysis 1.0 ran at anywhere from 15-40FPS depending on the situation on high. The only way to keep it consistently playable was to play it on medium, on which it looked incredibly average considering the hype.

I'm not sure why, because on my Opteron 165, 2GB DDR ram, and 8800GT 512, I played about 90% of the game with everything set to High.

Only a glitch after exiting the ice sphere, and the final boss, did I have to lower down to medium.

The thing is that Crysis, while it may have only been running at 15-40FPS according to you, remains perfectly playable for me at that frame rate. While I'd balk at the idea of ever playing Half-Life, or Unreal Tournament, or any other FPS at 20fps, the combination of instantaneous input routines and decent motion blurring make 20fps a decent and smoothly-playable FPS in Crysis and Crysis Warhead.


They definitely could have done a much better job scaling down to medium and low settings though, I completely agree with you about that.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Looks like a 8800GTS to me.
Don't like rebates, 8800GT/9800GT can be had for just $100, GTS's better OC isn't worth $25 or $50 imo.

Wait's patiently with his 8800GT*

Spoiler

Maybe

Well for me who has an 8800GT, there's no point in me getting that, however someone looking for a solid mid-range card, you can't deny the 9800GT with 128 stream procs. is a great buy.

Personally I'm waiting for past the 55nm GTX refresh which should be sometime in Dec/Jan time for Nvidia.

By that time, ATI will be debuting their next gen cards as well.

 

[Gully State]

Bestbuy.com claims $200 for that card =/

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=999998200050006&st=visiontek+4850&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=pcmprd98300050006

I picked up this same exact card last weekend.

 

[chespace]

Put this beast of a system together at NCIXUS.com. Thoughts?

Also, I've convinced myself that I will have to be in the 2000-2500 range now (including monitor). :lol

HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI Sound Card 24BIT DTS Dolby Digital Live S/PDIF IN/OUT Coaxial
In Stock 22973 $69.39 $69.39

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18


YOUR TOTAL $2,303.99

 

[Chiggs]

Put this beast of a system together at NCIXUS.com. Thoughts?

Also, I've convinced myself that I will have to be in the 2000-2500 range now (including monitor). :lol

HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI Sound Card 24BIT DTS Dolby Digital Live S/PDIF IN/OUT Coaxial
In Stock 22973 $69.39 $69.39

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18


YOUR TOTAL $2,303.99

Pants-shittingly awesome. I know you're looking for a system that's going to have some legs, and I believe you've found a good solution. Don't let anyone talk you out of that Quad, either. As far as cases go, I do like the Antec 1200 over the 900.

 

[chespace]

Sweet, I got Chiggs approval.

I upgraded to an Antec 1200. Yup this sucker is going to be 2500 bucks with shipping, no doubt.

I'm trying to put the same system or approx. together at newegg to compare cost, but one thing newegg doesn't have is someone to put it all together for you. Heck, for 45 bucks at NCIXUS, it doesn't sound like a bad deal at all.

Right now, my big question is re: CPU fan/heatsink. Any suggestions for what I should use with my mobo and CPU combo there? Also, keep in mind size of the case, etc.

Thanks.

Edit: shit, I can get a comparable system at newegg WITH an M-Audio MIDI controller (about $100 bucks) shipped for $2269 grand total. I wonder if I should just build this thing myself.

 

[Chiggs]

Sweet, I got Chiggs approval.

I upgraded to an Antec 1200. Yup this sucker is going to be 2500 bucks with shipping, no doubt.

I'm trying to put the same system or approx. together at newegg to compare cost, but one thing newegg doesn't have is someone to put it all together for you. Heck, for 45 bucks at NCIXUS, it doesn't sound like a bad deal at all.

Right now, my big question is re: CPU fan/heatsink. Any suggestions for what I should use with my mobo and CPU combo there? Also, keep in mind size of the case, etc.

Thanks.

I just use a Blue Orb in my Antec 1200. It's not the best thing out there, but it's pretty close. And size is not an issue with the 1200, so if you want to get some retardedly huge cooler because you can't stand the thought of your CPU breaking 40C at load, then go for it.

One other thing: there isn't a case on the market that has better air cooling than the 1200. If anyone would like to dispute that, please post the case. Because I looked and couldn't find it.

 

[Hunter D]

Put this beast of a system together at NCIXUS.com. Thoughts?

Also, I've convinced myself that I will have to be in the 2000-2500 range now (including monitor). :lol

HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI Sound Card 24BIT DTS Dolby Digital Live S/PDIF IN/OUT Coaxial
In Stock 22973 $69.39 $69.39

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18


YOUR TOTAL $2,303.99

Holy shit you trying to launch nukes!?!

 

[Chiggs]

Holy shit you trying to launch nukes!?!

They don't call it Crysis Warhead for nothing.

 

[Hazaro]

Holy shit you trying to launch nukes!?!

:lol

They don't call it Crysis Warhead for nothing.

:lol :lol

 

[godhandiscen]

How do I add Steam games to the Windows Game explorer menu? I am tired of opening steam every time I want to play Trackmania. I could use a shorcut, but I like my desktop clean. Is there a way to do this?

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Put this beast of a system together at NCIXUS.com. Thoughts?

Also, I've convinced myself that I will have to be in the 2000-2500 range now (including monitor). :lol

HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI Sound Card 24BIT DTS Dolby Digital Live S/PDIF IN/OUT Coaxial
In Stock 22973 $69.39 $69.39

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18


YOUR TOTAL $2,303.99

Good build Che. That will give you at least 3 years of love.

 

[Kabouter]

How do I add Steam games to the Windows Game explorer menu? I am tired of opening steam every time I want to play Trackmania. I could use a shorcut, but I like my desktop clean. Is there a way to do this?

You can drag shortcuts into the games explorer.

 

[chespace]

I just use a Blue Orb in my Antec 1200. It's not the best thing out there, but it's pretty close. And size is not an issue with the 1200, so if you want to get some retardedly huge cooler because you can't stand the thought of your CPU breaking 40C at load, then go for it.

One other thing: there isn't a case on the market that has better air cooling than the 1200. If anyone would like to dispute that, please post the case. Because I looked and couldn't find it.

Will the Blue Orb work on my CPU/mobo combo? If so, I'll switch to it based on your recommendation. If it's not the best thing out there, what is the best?

It's kind of hard to tell, looking at the long list of available heatsinks and fans, what will work with a core 2 quad.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Will the Blue Orb work on my CPU/mobo combo? If so, I'll switch to it based on your recommendation. If it's not the best thing out there, what is the best?

It's kind of hard to tell, looking at the long list of available heatsinks and fans, what will work with a core 2 quad.

I use the Zalman 92M Heatsink on my Quad and I never go above 52C.

 

[Chiggs]

It's kind of hard to tell, looking at the long list of available heatsinks and fans, what will work with a core 2 quad.

Blue Orb should work, but make sure there are no tall heatsinks that interfere. Like Victim mentioned, Zalman's are good, too.

 

[Hazaro]

Will the Blue Orb work on my CPU/mobo combo? If so, I'll switch to it based on your recommendation. If it's not the best thing out there, what is the best?

It's kind of hard to tell, looking at the long list of available heatsinks and fans, what will work with a core 2 quad.

If you are spending 2.3 grand don't skimp on the Heatsink, get a badass Black TRUE Heatsink :lol

Or get the normal TRUE whatever.

 

[Zzoram]

I think Che should get a bigger power supply if he wants to crossfire his HD4870x2 later. The Anandtech test found the HD4870x2 crossfire system (with quadcore and 4gb ddr3 ram) at 100% load uses 753W.

The 1000W Corsair is modular but $273 , so maybe the $205 Antec Truepower 850W would work.

 

[Blackface]

Just want to give a +rep for Ncix. Since I am Canadian I do all my business with them, and they are fast and efficient. (have not tried their PC builder though)

 

[firehawk12]

I'm looking at gaming laptops and I'm just wondering if there's been any news on the 9000 series of mobile GPUs from nVidia. I may not go crazy and go highend, but at the very least 8000 series GPU laptops should drop in price.

 

[Hazaro]

I think Che should get a bigger power supply if he wants to crossfire his HD4870x2 later. The Anandtech test found the HD4870x2 crossfire system (with quadcore and 4gb ddr3 ram) at 100% load uses 753W.

The 1000W Corsair is modular but $273 , so maybe the $205 Antec Truepower 850W would work.

Christ.

He can upgrade when he decides to go crossfire, PSU's hopefully will be a bit cheaper.

 

[Zzoram]

I'm looking at gaming laptops and I'm just wondering if there's been any news on the 9000 series of mobile GPUs from nVidia. I may not go crazy and go highend, but at the very least 8000 series GPU laptops should drop in price.

The 9000 series is just a renamed 8000 series, I hope you know. The 9800GT is identical in every way to the 8800GT except for the name. The 9800GTX is the same as the 8800GTS 512, and the 9800GTX+ is an overclocked 8800GTS 512.

 

[chespace]

The 9000 series is just a renamed 8000 series, I hope you know. The 9800GT is identical in every way to the 8800GT except for the name. The 9800GTX is the same as the 8800GTS 512, and the 9800GTX+ is an overclocked 8800GTS 512.

No shit? That's awful.

Yeah I think I'll hold off on the PSU preemptive upgrade for now. :lol Not sure how long the 4870X2 will last me, but I guess I can cross that bridge later. At least my mobo is crossfire capable.

Question: So if in a couple years Nvidia comes out with a shit hot card, does that mean I will have to switch my mobo or it just means I can't SLI the Nvidia card later?

And okay, I will look into the recommended heatsinks and fans. So far, there's the TRUE, the Blue Orb and the Zalman 92M.

Lastly, for a noob like myself, if I just bought all the parts on Newegg, will I have an awful time physically building the system? Is it not recommended?

I'm suddenly obsessed with PC gaming.

 

[Kadey]

You should be okay with that PSU. At the same time next year if need be, the 5870X2 or whatever ATI decides to name it, will be out and be a much better purchase than buying another 4870X2. For one, Crossfire X just like Quad-SLI, is useless and driver support for them continues to be poor. The X2 is already considered a Crossfire card, you'd be going into another territory. You'll benefit more with added features that usually come with new series of cards and you won't need another PSU.

 

[firehawk12]

The 9000 series is just a renamed 8000 series, I hope you know. The 9800GT is identical in every way to the 8800GT except for the name. The 9800GTX is the same as the 8800GTS 512, and the 9800GTX+ is an overclocked 8800GTS 512.

Hah, which probably makes getting a laptop with an 8000 series GPU a better proposition.
I just remember the press release that said they were coming soon, but Dell and Alienware are still doing 8800Ms in their highend machines at the moment.

 

[Zzoram]

No shit? That's awful.

Yeah I think I'll hold off on the PSU preemptive upgrade for now. :lol Not sure how long the 4870X2 will last me, but I guess I can cross that bridge later. At least my mobo is crossfire capable.

Question: So if in a couple years Nvidia comes out with a shit hot card, does that mean I will have to switch my mobo or it just means I can't SLI the Nvidia card later?

And okay, I will look into the recommended heatsinks and fans. So far, there's the TRUE, the Blue Orb and the Zalman 92M.

Lastly, for a noob like myself, if I just bought all the parts on Newegg, will I have an awful time physically building the system? Is it not recommended?

I'm suddenly obsessed with PC gaming.

It's possible to put it together yourself, and I'm sure you've got to have a friend that could help, given your field of work and employer. Just take your time and read the manuals.

Right now, no chipset does both SLI and Crossfire. The upcoming X58 chipset (which will be uber expensive when it first comes out, probably $350-400 motherboards) will support both SLI and Crossfire, but it's only for the new Intel CPUs coming out later this year and isn't pin-compatible with current gen Core 2 Duo/Quad. The P55 will not support both, because nVidia doesn't want it to, since they want to sell motherboards with nVidia chipsets.

Even if in 2 years nVidia's top chip is better than ATI's, that doesn't mean ATI won't have a very close chip. Also, when not at the top, companies tend to compete in the performance per $ area, and may have a better value at just below the top card.

 

[zoku88]

Hah, which probably makes getting a laptop with an 8000 series GPU a better proposition.
I just remember the press release that said they were coming soon, but Dell and Alienware are still doing 8800Ms in their highend machines at the moment.

Not necessarily...

First of all, at least for laptops, the 9x00 series had a die shrink, which means more power savings.

That, and from a power/performance scale, ATI/AMD make the better mobile GPUs (though, they lack high-end options.)

 

[Big Takeover]

Put this beast of a system together at NCIXUS.com. Thoughts?

Also, I've convinced myself that I will have to be in the 2000-2500 range now (including monitor). :lol

HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI Sound Card 24BIT DTS Dolby Digital Live S/PDIF IN/OUT Coaxial
In Stock 22973 $69.39 $69.39

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18


YOUR TOTAL $2,303.99

:lol :lol :lol

You've lost your mind, Dude.

 

[Zzoram]

Not necessarily...

First of all, at least for laptops, the 9x00 series had a die shrink, which means more power savings.

That, and from a power/performance scale, ATI/AMD make the better mobile GPUs (though, they lack high-end options.)

On desktops, the 8800GT and 8800GT 512 were die shrinks of the original 8800GTS 320/640 and 8800GTX. On the desktop, the 9800GT and 9800GTX+ are the same die size as 8800GT and 8800GTS.

 

[Zzoram]

:lol :lol :lol

You've lost your mind, Dude.

I feel like he should remove the soundcard and get a cheaper CPU:

Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
In Stock 26415 $122.91 $122.91

Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM
In Stock 33142 $29.41 $29.41

Powercolor Radeon HD 4870 X2 750MHZ 2GB GDDR5 2XDVI HDTV PCI-E Video Card
In Stock 32659 $540.62 $540.62

ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard
In Stock 30418 $155.00 $155.00

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 Quad Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB Retail Box
In Stock 32564 $602.29 $602.29

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Quad Core Processor LGA775 2.66GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 12MB OEM No HSF $324.17

Logitech Cordless Desktop Ex 110 Wireless RF Keyboard & Optical Mouse USB/PS2
In Stock 18788 $33.42 $33.42

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive OEM
In Stock 27144 $78.83 $78.83

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 5-5-5-18 240PIN Memory Kit
In Stock 25228 $88.93 $88.93

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
In Stock 21123 $103.52 $103.52

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM
In Stock 17225 $29.92 $29.92

PC Assembly and Testing (PRE-CONFIG OS If Purchased)
Assembly and testing requires an additional 4-5 days to ship your order once all parts are in stock.
In Stock 7842 $41.39 $41.39

Samsung 2443BW-HAS 24IN LCD Black 1920X1200 20000:1 DC 5MS VGA DVI HDCP USB Pivot Height Adjustable
Check this box for EXPRESS COVERAGE for this item. ($16.66)
Buy this LCD with Express Coverage and get our 30 day zero dead pixel guarantee. FIND OUT MORE >
In Stock 32738 $333.18 $333.18

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System Black 70W RMS W/ FDD2 & Wired Remote
In Stock 21092 $75.18 $75.18

=

YOUR TOTAL $1,956.48

Getting the no HSF version saves about as much money as your after market cooler costs (maybe even more actually), so that's a great deal. I personally don't think you should spend $600 on a CPU, ever.

I know how easy it is to get caught in Upgraditis when building a PC. It's so easy to keep wanting more, but you have to stop yourself at some point.