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[Skenzin]

Modest? That is a friggin' beautiful setup. :lol

Sounds pretty darn good to me. I know some people might recommend the Core i7 here, but I really question their worth since the motherboards are all near $300. It's a huge bump in price for the extra performance.

Oh also, I just checked UPS tracking, and my MSI GTX 275 came in today! Upgrading from my 8800GT. So excited!

Thanks. I say modest cause I see all these Core i7 SLI setups. I spent alot of time trying to get the best bang for my buck. I couldn't justify the Core i7 price either. BTW Whats are the more popular multiplayer fps game on PC these days? I already own l4d. Is Crysis MP and good?

 

[TheExodu5]

Thanks. I say modest cause I see all these Core i7 SLI setups. I spent alot of time trying to get the best bang for my buck. I couldn't justify the Core i7 price either. BTW Whats are the more popular multiplayer fps game on PC these days? I already own l4d. Is Crysis MP and good?

Counter-Strike Source (or 1.6 if you're oldschool) is still the most popular shooters out there.

TF2 seems to be getting a pretty huge player base nowadays.

CoD4 is a great online title if you want to flex a bit more graphic muscle.

Unreal Tournament 3 can be had for $10, and retail copies can be registered with Steam (at least, I think they still can). The game is much better than it was upon release.

Really, most shooters on the PC have at least some player base. Your options are pretty limitless.

 

[letsbereasonable]

Any Windows Home Server users out there with impressions? I'm finally going to put together my home server and need any last minute for or against.

 

[DyTonic]

Never built anything before....

Here is another barebone I found...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4630639&RSort=4&csid=ITD&body=#ReviewStart

With a diablotek 550 watt power supply and a Genuine GeForce 9800 gt, it should be good according to the reviews i read.

help..

 

[brain_stew]

help..

I'd really urge you to step away from these barebones bundles, the case, motherboard and PSUs included, are, for lack of a better term, junk. You'll be able to keep your case and PSU (possibly even motherboard if you're smart) through several upgrades so its silly cheaping out in these areas. Its only going to cost you more in the long run. I'll put together a nice $500/$600 system for you on Newegg and see what you think. Give me a moment.

 

[BravoSuperStar]

help..

Personally I would not go for it.

Any Windows Home Server users out there with impressions? I'm finally going to put together my home server and need any last minute for or against.

Don't have much personal experience with it but I have a friend that runs it and he just raves about it.

 

[Deadly Monk]

This is my setup:

AMD 64X2 3800+ Dual Core 2.0GHZ
4GB Corsair DDR2 Memory
640GB HDD
700W PSU
Radeon 4850 512 mb memory

Should I upgrade my CPU to a AMD 6400+ (I have an AM2 slot) or should I update my bios and go for an AM2+ cpu? Problem is, I have no idea how to change/update my bios and the one time I tried, I had to re-install everything. My cpu right now, the 3800+, is holding everything else back as far as games and speed in general. I just don't know if it's worth it to figure out how to "upgrade" my bios to use an AM2+ cpu or just go with the 6400+ which would be a HUGE improvement over my 3800.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Its not bad, not ideal, but its the underpwered graphics that are going to be the major bottleneck.

There are much better notebook solutions and a 9600m is like a desktop 8600GT, so that's not gaming grade either. You're getting neither power or portability out of this machine, so its a bad buy if you ask me.

Take a look at this, you're getting a huge upgrade in power (specifically gaming ability) and portability yet paying roughly the same price. Imposible to ignore in my book.

This Asus is worth a look as well:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220489

thanks for the links but the asus is over my budget ($800). what i want is a notebook that can handle all the multimedia tasks like downloading movies, downloading music, surfing the web, porn (only on lonely nights) and one that also has a large screen and good sound. gaming would be a bonus but isnt needed. if you or anybody else have any suggestions let me know.

 

[BravoSuperStar]

Should I upgrade my CPU to a AMD 6400+ (I have an AM2 slot) or should I update my bios and go for an AM2+ cpu? Problem is, I have no idea how to change/update my bios and the one time I tried, I had to re-install everything. My cpu right now, the 3800+, is holding everything else back as far as games and speed in general. I just don't know if it's worth it to figure out how to "upgrade" my bios to use an AM2+ cpu or just go with the 6400+ which would be a HUGE improvement over my 3800.

What brand/model is your motherboard? Updating the bios is a pretty straightforward process these days, usually just need a USB thumb drive to save it to or something.

 

[brain_stew]

thanks for the links but the asus is over my budget ($800). what i want is a notebook that can handle all the multimedia tasks like downloading movies, downloading music, surfing the web, porn (only on lonely nights) and one that also has a large screen and good sound. gaming would be a bonus but isnt needed. if you or anybody else have any suggestions let me know.

No laptop has "good sound," you're absolutely going to have to buy external speakers if you plan to use it for any multimedia purposes but any laptop on the market will do all of those other tasks just fine. You'd be much better served going with an external monitor as you'll actually be able to get a large screen that way, and without making the laptop too bulky to be a practical mobile computer.

You're compromising so much by cramming that screen into the actual laptop unit itself when you really don't need to and even then the results are pretty damn poor, 17" is rather tiny considering 23" 1080p monitors are the current standard (and sub $200 at that).

A custom built SFF PC might actually be better suited to your needs if you feel you're up for it.

 

[DyTonic]

Anything?

 

[shadowsdarknes]

No laptop has "good sound," you're absolutely going to have to buy external speakers if you plan to use it for any multimedia purposes but any laptop on the market will do all of those other tasks just fine. You'd be much better served going with an external monitor as you'll actually be able to get a large screen that way, and without making the laptop too bulky to be a practical mobile computer.

You're compromising so much by cramming that screen into the actual laptop unit itself when you really don't need to and even then the results are pretty damn poor, 17" is rather tiny considering 23" 1080p monitors are the current standard (and sub $200 at that).

A custom built SFF PC might actually be better suited to your needs if you feel you're up for it.

i would go for a custom built pc but i need a laptop for college.

 

[Deadly Monk]

What brand/model is your motherboard? Updating the bios is a pretty straightforward process these days, usually just need a USB thumb drive to save it to or something.

I have an ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition. I searched everywhere on their site for the updated Bios to use an AM2+ cpu but nothing came up. Latest one says nothing about being able to use AM2+. Should I just get a 6400+ so my cpu finally matches the rest of my system in terms of power?

 

[BravoSuperStar]

I have an ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition. I searched everywhere on their site for the updated Bios to use an AM2+ cpu but nothing came up. Latest one says nothing about being able to use AM2+. Should I just get a 6400+ so my cpu finally matches the rest of my system in terms of power?

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=M2N32-SLI Deluxe

I put in WinXp as the OS and it found a ton of bios updates, latest one was just released from the looks of it. All you need to do is copy the bios file, then the flash utility to a USB drive or CD-R or something that can boot to DOS. You can download the files for that from a place like bootdisk.com or even from MS directly.

 

[brain_stew]

Anything?

Hey be patient! I'm busy atm! :lol

I said I'd put something together for you and here it is! By spending just a little bit more you're getting such, a much, much better machine with aprts that you can use time and time again in the future:

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=8730654

Less than $550 in total, and you're getting an excellent machine for that. Max out all current games, huge OCing potential, plenty of future upgrades, roomy case and excellent, efficient PSU, its all there.

Actually after rebates and promo codes its closer to $500!!

 

[DyTonic]

Hey be patient! I'm busy atm! :lol

I said I'd put something together for you and here it is! By spending just a little bit more you're getting such, a much, much better machine with aprts that you can use time and time again in the future:

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=8730654

Less than $550 in total, and you're getting an excellent machine for that. Max out all current games, huge OCing potential, plenty of future upgrades, roomy case and excellent, efficient PSU, its all there.

Actually after rebates and promo codes its closer to $500!!

The link isn't working hmmm

 

[brain_stew]

i would go for a custom built pc but i need a laptop for college.

Why? Just asking, at university myself and much prefer the flexability of my desktop. You're not going to be bringing a 17" laptop with you to class.

A netbook + desktop solution might work best for you, worth looking into anyway, its worth exploring all possibilities anyway, cannot hurt.

 

[brain_stew]

The link isn't working hmmm

Ahh shit, I feared that, well enter in these product codes:

N82E16813128387

N82E16827136152

N82E16811129024

N82E16814161259

N82E16819103681

N82E16820145184

N82E16822136319

And for anyone that knows, how do I make a Newegg wish list public?

 

[DarthWoo]

In your experiences, what would you all say are the better companies to buy video cards from? I've read reviews of a lot of cards, and also from having one I think that on the nVidia side, EVGA seems to be one of the better manufacturers. They definitely have a nice warranty policy generally. I'm not so sure about the Ati side, but Sapphire seems fairly popular.

 

[Hazaro]

Here's what I have now:

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P --- ???
Processor: Intel Core2Duo E8500 3.16GHz 1333 FSB --- i7? Phenom ii?
Video Card: Diamond Radeon HD 4870 512 MB --- Radeon HD 4890 1 GB

What would be the "step up" from this build that is the least I need to pay in order to upgrade to a motherboard that has longevity and compatability with future CPU's/DDR3 RAM?

GPU is always the easiest to upgrade, but if you want to avoid hassle you might as well get a cheap 4890.
An i7 920 and a x58 motherboard (Like GB's or Asus's main boards on newegg) are great. They offer 4 cores, a new socket, and overall are a good step up in many normal computer tasks.
Phenom I am not as well versed in.

Airflow is fine in that case, a Core2Quad would run on your mobo, but if you are spending 1k on a rig i7 is the way to go.

Ahh shit, I feared that, well enter in these product codes:

And for anyone that knows, how do I make a Newegg wish list public?

I mail it to myself. Then make it public from there.

In your experiences, what would you all say are the better companies to buy video cards from? I've read reviews of a lot of cards, and also from having one I think that on the nVidia side, EVGA seems to be one of the better manufacturers. They definitely have a nice warranty policy generally. I'm not so sure about the Ati side, but Sapphire seems fairly popular.

nVidia: eVGA, XFX, BFG
ATi: XFX, HIS, Powercolor (Not so sure on the last two, I recall them not being bad)
Sapphire had a stint a while back about bad support, not sure about now. Their cards are usually cheaper.

 

[larvi]

And for anyone that knows, how do I make a Newegg wish list public?

Go to the page that shows all of your wish lists, check the box on the one you want to make public then click on the share button on the bottom

 

[brain_stew]

Go to the page that shows all of your wish lists, check the box on the one you want to make public then click on the share button on the bottom

Hmm, I did that but apparently the link still doesn't work?

 

[larvi]

Hmm, I did that but apparently the link still doesn't work?

Sorry, you also have then either go search for it in the public wishlists to get the URL or just check out the url of one of the other public wish lists and substitute your wishlist number in it. I.e. this is yours:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8730654

 

[offtopic]

Whats the current thinking on the Nvidia 260 v. ATI 4890? The seem to be pretty close in price now. Mostly play WoW on my pc but would like to dabble with other stuff as well.

 

[DyTonic]

Ahh shit, I feared that, well enter in these product codes:

N82E16813128387

N82E16827136152

N82E16811129024

N82E16814161259

N82E16819103681

N82E16820145184

N82E16822136319

And for anyone that knows, how do I make a Newegg wish list public?

Alright thanks, went over my budget.. but hopefully i can buy 2 parts a week.

 

[noonche]

Do you guys usually just buy everything from Newegg? Do you typically save enough on shipping everything together that it's not worth it to pricewatch all the parts individually?

 

[Hazaro]

Do you guys usually just buy everything from Newegg? Do you typically save enough on shipping everything together that it's not worth it to pricewatch all the parts individually?

Yup. Customer service is hard to beat

 

[MisterAnderson]

GPU is always the easiest to upgrade, but if you want to avoid hassle you might as well get a cheap 4890.
An i7 920 and a x58 motherboard (Like GB's or Asus's main boards on newegg) are great. They offer 4 cores, a new socket, and overall are a good step up in many normal computer tasks.
Phenom I am not as well versed in.
.

So do these look good?

i7: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

x58 hardcore: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362

x58 softcore: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375

Wondering if the 90ish bucks for the more expensive x58 is worth it for the extra bells and whistles since the cheaper one seems like a pretty good deal... but figure I might as well go big to maximize my upgrade potential in the future.

And would this be a good 4980 card to get? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161276 It's the cheapest one I could find on newegg... if anyone knows of a cheaper one please let me know.

 

[Chris R]

Do you guys usually just buy everything from Newegg? Do you typically save enough on shipping everything together that it's not worth it to pricewatch all the parts individually?

I ordered all my shit for my last build from Newegg. Thing that sucks is I have to make 100% sure that I get everything. Shipping on a single item is never cheaper than 25$ to Alaska (yes, even on a 2 oz thumb drive) so it sucks to not be able to take my time and piece a build together bit by bit over time to get the "best" deals. For instance, that 4890 looks like a great deal with the rebate, but the shipping kills it, and I'm done dealing with rebates for the most part (had one awesome company deny the rebate because I didn't live in the lower48 :lol )

 

[Hazaro]

So do these look good?

i7: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

x58 hardcore: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362

x58 softcore: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375

Wondering if the 90ish bucks for the more expensive x58 is worth it for the extra bells and whistles since the cheaper one seems like a pretty good deal... but figure I might as well go big to maximize my upgrade potential in the future.

And would this be a good 4980 card to get? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161276 It's the cheapest one I could find on newegg... if anyone knows of a cheaper one please let me know.

'Soft Core' x58 is fine. 3 Lanes is silly for almost everyone. 6GB or 12GB should be more than good for a while I would think.
Here's a cheaper 4890: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131152
Make sure to add the free gift combo at the bottom of the page.

 

[MisterAnderson]

'Soft Core' x58 is fine. 3 Lanes is silly for almost everyone. 6GB or 12GB should be more than good for a while I would think.
Here's a cheaper 4890: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131152
Make sure to add the free gift combo at the bottom of the page.

Awesome man, thanks.

And you're probably right about getting the cheaper x58, I'll probably just get that instead... 3 lanes is overkill lol.

Another quick question though, with crossfire - do both cards need to be identical? As in, if I get that brand of 4890 and in 6 months get another brand of a 4890, will they be compatable or do they both have to be the same exact brand?

 

[Artadius]

Getting in this tomorrow from Newegg:

Antec Sonata Plus 550 Black/ Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 550W Power Supply
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Edition
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
BFG Tech BFGEGTX260MC896OCDE GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE

$700 flat

Comments / concerns welcome. Replacing a 5+ year old Alienware I never wanted to get rid of and couldn't really upgrade very well because it cost me a fortune (2.5k) originally and most of the tech was end of life cycle. I chose alot of the component above specifically to give room for future-proof upgrades.

This is my first home built system. I'm pretty excited. Will probably load up Windows 7 RC on it instead of Vista.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

I've been getting into some amateur film making lately and would like a machine that can run Premiere Pro with lots and LOTS of clips loaded, which probably means crazy RAM or an extremely speedy drive. Of course, I'm trying to lower the cost as much as possible, or else I would just go buy some pre-build dream computer. Would one of the gaming PCs you guys describe in the many pages here work for me or do I need something more specific?

EDIT: I don't do a lot of gaming, but every year or so I'll buy something with buzz. A year ago I bought Orange Box (and then the Eps. I/II pack) and I'll probably get Alan Wake when it comes out.

Also, and this is OT, if anyone has deep knowledge of camcorders, I'd ask for some advice.

Thanks.

 

[TheExodu5]

So I tested out my GTX 275 tonight. Holy shit!

Runs beautifully. What my 8800GT could manage with reduced settings and no anti-aliasing, my GTX 275 has no problem pulling off 60fps. Mirror's Edge looks absolutely gorgeous now.

And another holy shit! I have got to recommend the MSI GTX 275. The cooler is absolutely incredible.

Here are my temps:

Idle: 33 degrees
Load: 49 degrees

What's more amazing? The fan is only running at 40%! I totally did not expect this performance from this cooler. I'm astounded.

I just brought the fan speed down to 30%, which makes it completely inaudible. I'll report tomorrow with overclocking results and my final temps with the fans this low.

 

[Hazaro]

Awesome man, thanks.

And you're probably right about getting the cheaper x58, I'll probably just get that instead... 3 lanes is overkill lol.

Another quick question though, with crossfire - do both cards need to be identical? As in, if I get that brand of 4890 and in 6 months get another brand of a 4890, will they be compatable or do they both have to be the same exact brand?

Different brands will do, even different cards will, but I believe that it slows down your faster card to the slower card speed.
Honestly I wouldn't worry about xFire with a 4890 anytime soon.

Getting in this tomorrow from Newegg:

BFG Tech BFGEGTX260MC896OCDE GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE

$700 flat

Comments / concerns welcome. Replacing a 5+ year old Alienware I never wanted to get rid of and couldn't really upgrade very well because it cost me a fortune (2.5k) originally and most of the tech was end of life cycle. I chose alot of the component above specifically to give room for future-proof upgrades.

This is my first home built system. I'm pretty excited. Will probably load up Windows 7 RC on it instead of Vista.

This GFX instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329
Free Farcry 2 and shipping

Also get a SATA DVD burner instead of IDE, cleaner.

Good build.

 

[DarthWoo]

There are a ton of 4850/70/90 deals popping up on Fatwallet tonight. I guess ATi was reducing the prices on the entire line already anyway, but they seem like decent deals.

 

[tahrikmili]

Unreal Tournament 3 can be had for $10, and retail copies can be registered with Steam (at least, I think they still can). The game is much better than it was upon release.

Isn't this, like, a bad idea? You can't resell the game anymore, no?

 

[Grayman]

Isn't this, like, a bad idea? You can't resell the game anymore, no?

you could resell it before? it retails for 10 dollars!

 

[dalyr95]

Just built my i7, 4870x2 and ran 3d mark vantage on Win 7. The CPU smoked the test at ~22000 but the gpu on extreme was ~7000 on performance it was ~15000. But compared to similar rigs it's not as good a score. Got the latest catalyst and MB drivers. Any ideas how to improve performance or any setup tweaks I might of missed??

 

[MWS Natural]

There are a ton of 4850/70/90 deals popping up on Fatwallet tonight. I guess ATi was reducing the prices on the entire line already anyway, but they seem like decent deals.

I could have saved $40 bucks + a new game if I had waited 2 weeks! :lol

 

[Hazaro]

Just built my i7, 4870x2 and ran 3d mark vantage on Win 7. The CPU smoked the test at ~22000 but the gpu on extreme was ~7000 on performance it was ~15000. But compared to similar rigs it's not as good a score. Got the latest catalyst and MB drivers. Any ideas how to improve performance or any setup tweaks I might of missed??

Overclock? :lol

Xtreme Systems, Overclockers Forums, and another or two should have some tweak guides to improve your scores.

 

[DieH@rd]

If i manage to collect enought gold thiese days, i will purchase new motherboard and AMD Phenom II X2 550. Even if i cant unlock all 4 cores at least i will clock it to 3.8... at least.

 

[MisterAnderson]

If i manage to collect enought gold thiese days, i will purchase new motherboard and AMD Phenom II X2 550. Even if i cant unlock all 4 cores at least i will clock it to 3.8... at least.

What do you mean "unlock" all 4 cores? And also, can anyone compare i7's to phenom II's because right now I'm planning on getting the i7 but phenom ii's seem pretty cheap in comparison. Are they the same "class" cpu for each company and intel just charges more or are i7's noticably better?

 

[TheExodu5]

So I set my MSI GTX 275 to inaudible levels (30%) fan speed. The temperature maxes out at 75. Not bad at all. It's already clocked to 666 (card comes OC'ed a bit), so I'll push it tonight once I can get ATi Tool or something similar working. Shouldn't have to raise the fan speed at all to manage an OC.

 

[BravoSuperStar]

What do you mean "unlock" all 4 cores? And also, can anyone compare i7's to phenom II's because right now I'm planning on getting the i7 but phenom ii's seem pretty cheap in comparison. Are they the same "class" cpu for each company and intel just charges more or are i7's noticably better?

It's possible to unlock the 4th core on some of the new 3 core AMD chips. And a core i7 VS a phenom II are fairly evenly matched when it comes to gaming benchmarks but the i7 will beat it by fair margins in pretty much every other aspect. Personally I just built a phenom II X4 rig, running win 7 RC and it rocks, but i'm the kind of PC guy that will likely build a new PC within 8-12 months. If you want something "future-proof" and don't want to upgrade for a couple years, go with core i7. But if you want the best "bang for your buck" today, I would go for a phenom II X4 and use the money saved to buy a better vid card, larger hdd, or ssd drive or something.

 

[TheExodu5]

It's possible to unlock the 4th core on some of the new 3 core AMD chips. And a core i7 VS a phenom II are fairly evenly matched when it comes to gaming benchmarks but the i7 will beat it by fair margins in pretty much every other aspect. Personally I just built a phenom II X4 rig, running win 7 RC and it rocks, but i'm the kind of PC guy that will likely build a new PC within 8-12 months. If you want something "future-proof" and don't want to upgrade for a couple years, go with core i7. But if you want the best "bang for your buck" today, I would go for a phenom II X4 and use the money saved to buy a better vid card, larger hdd, or ssd drive or something.

Honestly, I wouldnt even recommend the Core i7 for people who want to future-proof their CPU. You're talking about $200+ to upgrade from the i7 from any Core Quad or Phenom II X4 rigs. You're basically paying most of the premium for the motherboard. I'd only recommend it to those who plan on upgrading the CPU within the life span of the computer (or those who need the non-gaming related performance boosts). Then again, if you decide to run GTX 295 or high-end SLI setups, you probably need all the performance you can get and $200 extra isn't much to you.

Oh yeah, and coming back to my GTX 275...damn this card is long. :lol Thanks god I upgraded to my CM690 case...I don't know if it could have fit in my Sonata II. Fits perfectly in the CM690 though. I think I'm going to add a case fan on the side panel above the card to help my ambient temps a bit.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Honestly, I wouldnt even recommend the Core i7 for people who want to future-proof their CPU. You're talking about $200+ to upgrade from the i7 from any Core Quad or Phenom II X4 rigs. You're basically paying most of the premium for the motherboard. I'd only recommend it to those who plan on upgrading the CPU within the life span of the computer (or those who need the non-gaming related performance boosts). Then again, if you decide to run GTX 295 or high-end SLI setups, you probably need all the performance you can get and $200 extra isn't much to you.

What do you mean exactly when you say "...$200 to upgrade from the i7 from any Core Quad or Phenom II X4 rigs."?

Also the x58 motherboard actually isn't that expensive, with mail in rebate it's only $185 which is only about $50 more than the motherboard I got for the Core2 Duo.

Oh yeah, and coming back to my GTX 275...damn this card is long. Thanks god I upgraded to my CM690 case...I don't know if it could have fit in my Sonata II. Fits perfectly in the CM690 though. I think I'm going to add a case fan on the side panel above the card to help my ambient temps a bit.

This worries me a bit as the 4870 I got fit just right in my Sonate Designer 500 case, so I'm a little worried that as high end cards get cheaper in a few years that I might be limited in what I can put in there as I upgrade. Also at this point is there any advantage to ATI vs Nvidia with their cards or it's all just preference? What's the verdict on GTX 260 vs HD 4890?

 

[TheExodu5]

What do you mean exactly when you say "...$200 to upgrade from the i7 from any Core Quad or Phenom II X4 rigs."?

Also the x58 motherboard actually isn't that expensive, with mail in rebate it's only $185 which is only about $50 more than the motherboard I got for the Core2 Duo.

I mean you'll end up paying over $200 more if you go with a Core i7 than if you go with another setup. You can get a C2D mobo for under $100.

The Gigabyte P35 or w/e it was a year ago was like $70.

 

[MisterAnderson]

I mean you'll end up paying over $200 more if you go with a Core i7 than if you go with another setup. You can get a C2D mobo for under $100.

The Gigabyte P35 or w/e it was a year ago was like $70.

I'm mainly interested in investing in a motherboard that will give me room to upgrade in the future, will an i7 build be better for that than a C2D build? And just in case there is any confusion, I'm not upgrading my PC to an i7, I bought C2D parts for a new computer a few days ago and am thinking about exchanging them for i7 parts, so it's not like I'm wasting my C2D parts in favor of i7, those are going to be returned.

 

[TheExodu5]

I'm mainly interested in investing in a motherboard that will give me room to upgrade in the future, will an i7 build be better for that than a C2D build? And just in case there is any confusion, I'm not upgrading my PC to an i7, I bought C2D parts for a new computer a few days ago and am thinking about exchanging them for i7 parts, so it's not like I'm wasting my C2D parts in favor of i7, those are going to be returned.

Like I said, it's worth it if you plan on upgrading the CPU in the future. With a C2D, you're buying into a dead-end market in terms of CPU upgrades. If you plan on just sticking with that initial i7, then I'd say it's not worth it.

Just remember though, by the time you want to upgrade, you might be looking at sub $100 mobos (which may be better than current mobos), which means you'd still be able to upgrade by getting a newer mobo.

You're certainly getting a better CPU with the i7...it's just a question of whether or not the extra cash is worth the premium to you. What video card are you getting for your build?