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[VictimOfGrief]

Well folks, stuff is on order.

Ordering in batches as I have to wait until a check clears..... anyways... see below:

Case: Custom Cool Master 690 ($69.99 @ Fry's)
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 w/ stock heatsink ($274.99 @ Newegg)
Mobo: Gigabyte X58-UD4P ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill 3x1GB DDR3 1333 Tri-Channel Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
PSU: BFG 800W ($139.99 @ Newegg)
GPU: eVGA 9800GT Stock ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Drives:
Seagate 750GB 7200.10 (reused from old system) |
Samsung 22X DVD Burner (25.99 @ Newegg)
Input:
Microsoft Wireless Keyboard Elite | (reused from old system)
Logitech MX500 mouse (reused from old system)
Monitor: LG 19" Widescreen 2ms 3000:1 contrast DVI/VGA 1440x900 (for now. ) ((reused from old system))

All together....
Cost : $975 bucks minus rebates of $30 bucks for BFG, $20 for Gigabyte, $15 for eVGA ='s $910 bucks for a damn near future proof PC for the next 4-5 years with really only memory, heatsink and GPU updates needed.

Who says PC gaming is dead?

 

[vumpler]

Guys I need true help with this new video card I bought. Here's the whole story if you have a minute.

Preface:

- System Build Preupgrade -

PSU: Antec SP-500 from back when my wife bought me the 6800GT
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L
Ram: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Proc: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 65W
Vid: PCI-E 6800GT from Launch like 5 years ago.
HDD's: 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3750640AS
and one old IDE HDD
Optical drive: Old sony single layer DVD Burner


-----
The Drama
-----

I purchased: ASUS EAH4850 video card. It is pci-e 2.0, however until i can afford a new mobo it sounded like a good idea to get it since it's backwards compatible. I would assume it would still be an upgrade from the 6800.

Card came in so I ran driver cleaner in safemode to remove all nvidia drivers. I installed the card and powered her up. After 3 seconds it turned off completely before posting. I repeated 2 times with the same effect. I unplugged 2 hdd's and the optical drive and the pc went all the way to windows. I immediately thought: 'seriously? this card is pulling that much power that I need a new PSU?"

So I went on the antec sp-500 site and found the calculator. i'm assuming I filled it out incorrectly because i came up below 500w.

I purchased a 650w PSU last night from bestbuy to see if this was the issue.

I Installed the PSU, and powered her up. It went to windows fine. I installed the ASUS ati drivers, gpu temperature monitor and restarted. I fired up world of warcraft. Got in game, and turned the settings up to high to see if I could run it. Ran at about 7fps, so I went in game and lowered the settings to one step below high. When i hit apply the PC shutoff.

(at this point I say to myself "WTF overheating?" I restarted and got to windows and looked at the gpu temp and it was at 55C. I clearly have no idea at this point.

I fire up WoW again and get ingame, and bam it turns off again.

I turn on the PC again and now it gets to the windows log on screen and restarts a couple times.

I got in to safemode for a second and it restarted again the next time.

What's going on here and what are my solutions?

Thanks guy's it's killing me.

 

[iam220]

I had my 4850 overheat and shut down. The problem is that I had a sound card installed into the PCI slot that's right underneath the GPU fan. There was less then half an inch between the GPU fan and the sound card. So make sure you have at least 2-3 inches of room bellow your GPU fan.

Also, if you're looking at GPU temps make sure to look at them when your GPU is under load! That thing cools down fast. The 4850 can reach temps of 90C+ and still be safe. There are some video card stress tests that you can run, do this in a window and monitor the temps.

You can use this: http://www.ozone3d.net/gpu_caps_viewer/

Click the "fur test" on the bottom left of the first tab once downloaded.

Finally, make sure card is seated well and make absolutely sure that your GPU fan works!

 

[Ranger X]

I need to shop a PC. While the opening post made things generally clearer I still don't know what to buy.

1- My budget is ~ 1500$ Can. Of course I'd like to shop this in Canada to minimise shipping and vibration.

2- My priority uses will be capturing/encoding multimedia, gaming and some graphic/level design work.

3- I'm looking for durability and being futur proof the more possible. I don't want to buy a new PC because I can't run stuff good in 2011. Anyhow, i'd like this thing to last 3 years.

4- I need everything. It's a PC from scratch, i'm not using any pieces I already have, no even the mouse.


Would some of you knowledgeable and patient enough to suggest me some setups/bundles?


tks alot.

 

[Ranger X]

oh and as far as capture cards go... I'm impressed by the quality of this one:

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

Sadly I can't plug the PS3 in HDMI in it because of HDCP protection... but I could live with it.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I need to shop a PC. While the opening post made things generally clearer I still don't know what to buy.

1- My budget is ~ 1500$ Can. Of course I'd like to shop this in Canada to minimise shipping and vibration.

2- My priority uses will be capturing/encoding multimedia, gaming and some graphic/level design work.

3- I'm looking for durability and being futur proof the more possible. I don't want to buy a new PC because I can't run stuff good in 2011. Anyhow, i'd like this thing to last 3 years.

4- I need everything. It's a PC from scratch, i'm not using any pieces I already have, no even the mouse.


Would some of you knowledgeable and patient enough to suggest me some setups/bundles?


tks alot.

If you don't skimp on the CPU, the GPU can simply be upgraded in 18 months time to keep up with games.

 

[PatzCU]

Well folks, stuff is on order.

Ordering in batches as I have to wait until a check clears..... anyways... see below:

*Good Stuff*

All together....
Cost : $975 bucks minus rebates of $30 bucks for BFG, $20 for Gigabyte, $15 for eVGA ='s $910 bucks for a damn near future proof PC for the next 4-5 years with really only memory, heatsink and GPU updates needed.

Who says PC gaming is dead?

I was going to wait until summer to grab a gaming laptop with the next line of mobile GPU's, but you guys are making it harder and harder. The last time I built a PC (approx. 4 years ago), a middle-of-the-line would cost you about $1,000. Times have changed and I may need to consider a desktop again. Although, I wouldn't mind paying an extra $500 if a gaming laptop could put out similar power.

 

[avaya]

I was going to wait until summer to grab a gaming laptop with the next line of mobile GPU's, but you guys are making it harder and harder. The last time I built a PC (approx. 4 years ago), a middle-of-the-line would cost you about $1,000. Times have changed and I may need to consider a desktop again. Although, I wouldn't mind paying an extra $500 if a gaming laptop could put out similar power.

If cost is a concern to you buy on Intel's die shrinks. Buy on the tick. Nehalem (i7) will become Westmere at the end of the year as they reach 32nm. Build in Q4. Mobile GPUs and Westmere brings the new microarchticture for laptops as well - so a good choice on laptops. Bargain basement prices on desktops.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Guys I need true help with this new video card I bought. Here's the whole story if you have a minute.

Maybe somebody has some better advice, but when stuff like this happens, I start pulling. Anything you don't need to boot should get unplugged. DVD, spare HDs, USB stuff, whatever. Even take out your videocard if you have motherboard video as a backup. Build it back one by one. Run memtest86 if you can get it to stay on after that.

Don't assume it has anything to do with new components. I swapped cards once, and in the process fried RAM slot 2. That's it.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Ok guys, I have not sent back this 9800GT yet that's been giving me problems. I did some overclocking, changed a few motherboard options and have gotten my 3Dmark06 score up to 10.5k from 6k. Still not quite where it should be, but it gives a pretty good framerate in games.

HOWEVER...I am getting tons of stuttering when new things load or when I swivel the camera around. This is incredibly annoying, especially in WoW. I can't figure out what's causing it. Any ideas, or should I just send the card in anyway and hope the replacement fixes the problem?

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Ok guys, I have not sent back this 9800GT yet that's been giving me problems. I did some overclocking, changed a few motherboard options and have gotten my 3Dmark06 score up to 10.5k from 6k. Still not quite where it should be, but it still gives a pretty good framerate in games.

HOWEVER...I am getting tons of stuttering when new things load or when I swivel the camera around. This is incredibly annoying, especially in WoW. I can't figure out what's causing it. Any ideas, or should I just send the card in anyway and hope the replacement fixes the problem?

I'm still guessing bad card and needs to be replaced.

 

[Amneisac]

Okay, GAF PC crew, I have a question for you:

I want a gaming PC, should I add a video card to my existing computer or build a new one?

Here what I have now:

2 x (2.66QX Intel Xeon Quad-core 64 bit processors)
2GB DDR2 667
1KW PSU
250 GB SATA HDD
Superdrive
1 x PCI-e 1.1 16x slot

As you may have guessed it's a Mac Pro, but it's free and a pretty nice computer. What I'd like to do is run Windows permanently through Boot Camp and just use it for a gaming PC. The "internet" says I can use any PC video card in it as long as I don't expect OSX to work and I get a SATA to Molex power adapter or build my own 6-pin PCI-e power cable because the Apple logic board doesn't have a regular 6-pin connection (that's Mac for you).

Here's what I am looking at buying:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
ASUS P5Q SE PLUS LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
4 GB DDR2 800
Antec earthwatts EA430 430W ATX12V v2.0 80 plus PSU
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX

Bottom line:

With the Mac Pro all I need to buy is 2GB memory (obviously dirt cheap) and a video card, but it's only going to be PCI-e 1.1 (will I notice PCI-e 1.1 vs 2.0?).

If I build a PC it's going to cost about an extra $~300 to build, but the specs will probably be a little better. Would you think that the computer I'm looking at buying would greatly outperform what I've already got if they had the exact same GPU (probably something in the 4850/9800 GTX range)?

 

[brain_stew]

Nope that Mac Pro will be much better PCIe 1.1 is a non factor, it only causes issues on Crossfire or SLI setups, and with an increasing number of games optimised for quads, its got a much better suited CPU. Just add a 4830 or 4850 and you're good to go, assuming you sort out the PSU issues.

Edit: That thing's got 2 quad cores? Damn, that'll have you set in terms of CPU grunt for a long, long time. Any game that is going to be demanding on a CPU is going to optimised for more and more threads, so having a base speed of "just" 2.66ghz (which is still plenty fast for most anything) is more than enough.

 

[JudgeN]

Ok guys, I have not sent back this 9800GT yet that's been giving me problems. I did some overclocking, changed a few motherboard options and have gotten my 3Dmark06 score up to 10.5k from 6k. Still not quite where it should be, but it gives a pretty good framerate in games.

HOWEVER...I am getting tons of stuttering when new things load or when I swivel the camera around. This is incredibly annoying, especially in WoW. I can't figure out what's causing it. Any ideas, or should I just send the card in anyway and hope the replacement fixes the problem?

*cough* CPU *Cough* :lol

But really though, do you run fraps? If you do it maybe fraps sapping your frames because it might be recording or taking screenshots.

 

[Amneisac]

Is it possible to use a completely separate PSU just to power the video card "externally"? In other words, could I just use a PSU I have already that has the right 6-pin connection and run the cable to the video card? (not ideal with how airtight the Mac Pro is designed for cooling, but I could work something out.

 

[Minsc]

Also, couldn't you just buy the video card you would be buying anyway if you built a new PC, throw that in your Mac and then decide?

Essentially you'd have to get that either way, so if you wanted to save some money now, that might be a way to do it.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

*cough* CPU *Cough* :lol

But really though, do you run fraps? If you do it maybe fraps sapping your frames because it might be recording or taking screenshots.

I can't possibly see how it could be the CPU. Everything I've read on the internet has said it's definitely a bit of a bottleneck, but it shouldn't be giving single digit FPS during combat like it sometimes does in Fallout or rendering WoW nearly unplayable at 1280x1024 with high settings.

As far as Fraps and stuff goes, I usually only have MSN or Pidgin in the background, sometimes Winamp.

 

[Amneisac]

Okay, edited to start over because I didn't have all my facts straight (sorry).

Here's what my processors actually are:

Two Xeon 5150 "Woodcrest" Dual-Core processors -- 4 MB of level 2 cache per processor, 128-bit SSE vector engine, 64-bit data paths and registers.

Will two of these Xeon 5150s (with 4GB DDR2 667) perform better in games than a single e7400 Wolfdale (with 4GB DDR2 800)? (with both running the same video card of course)

Clearly there aren't going to be any benchmarks between the two, and most Xeon benchmarks aren't really game related, so I'm hoping someone out there can "theoretically" tell me whether I'd get $300 better performance (if better at all) out of the Wolfdale proc.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Okay, GAF PC crew, I have a question for you:

I want a gaming PC, should I add a video card to my existing computer or build a new one?

Here what I have now:

2 x (2.66QX Intel Xeon Quad-core 64 bit processors)
2GB DDR2 667
1KW PSU
250 GB SATA HDD
Superdrive
1 x PCI-e 1.1 16x slot

As you may have guessed it's a Mac Pro, but it's free and a pretty nice computer. What I'd like to do is run Windows permanently through Boot Camp and just use it for a gaming PC. The "internet" says I can use any PC video card in it as long as I don't expect OSX to work and I get a SATA to Molex power adapter or build my own 6-pin PCI-e power cable because the Apple logic board doesn't have a regular 6-pin connection (that's Mac for you).

Here's what I am looking at buying:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
ASUS P5Q SE PLUS LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
4 GB DDR2 800
Antec earthwatts EA430 430W ATX12V v2.0 80 plus PSU
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX

Bottom line:

With the Mac Pro all I need to buy is 2GB memory (obviously dirt cheap) and a video card, but it's only going to be PCI-e 1.1 (will I notice PCI-e 1.1 vs 2.0?).

If I build a PC it's going to cost about an extra $~300 to build, but the specs will probably be a little better. Would you think that the computer I'm looking at buying would greatly outperform what I've already got if they had the exact same GPU (probably something in the 4850/9800 GTX range)?

I think you might want to sit tight because IIRC correctly, the new Mac Pro's are due out soon with a refreshed lineup of GPU's of which should then be backwards compatible with your system.

PCI-E v1.1 is a non issue as even the 2.0 spec isn't using all of the v1.1 bandwidth. What is important though is having 2 x 16 PCI-E lanes for SLi or Cross-Fire as anything less gimps the setup.

Either way though.... you are talking about building this one in addition to your Mac Pro right?

 

[Amneisac]

No, basically I would be using the Mac Pro only as a Windows gaming machine (and using my Macbook Pro for Apple stuff) OR keeping the Mac Pro like it is and building a Windows gaming machine from scratch.

The thing is, I don't really need the Mac Pro, I got it from work and if I can cheaply convert into a respectable gaming rig for windows with just a new video card and memory I'd gladly do that instead of spending an extra $300-400 to start from scratch.

 

[Ranger X]

I've been checking PC bundles and seriously, they aren't helping the average customer and making things clear to him

I see dozens of version of Intel processors like the 2 Core, Dual Core, Core 2 Dual and sometimes they throw in Quad.

I mean, wtf is this shit? Wich CPU is a 4 core one? The Dual Core Quad or Core 2 Quad or whatever. They put 2s and 4s everywhere in the fucking names lol

Anyhow, i'm quite discouraged right now as I don't know jackshit the difference between videocards too. Right now i'm looking at bundles in many different stores but it's still kinda confusing, I'm never certain if it's a good deal for the price.

Also, no suggestions from you guys.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I need to shop a PC. While the opening post made things generally clearer I still don't know what to buy.

1- My budget is ~ 1500$ Can. Of course I'd like to shop this in Canada to minimise shipping and vibration.

2- My priority uses will be capturing/encoding multimedia, gaming and some graphic/level design work.

3- I'm looking for durability and being futur proof the more possible. I don't want to buy a new PC because I can't run stuff good in 2011. Anyhow, i'd like this thing to last 3 years.

4- I need everything. It's a PC from scratch, i'm not using any pieces I already have, no even the mouse.


Would some of you knowledgeable and patient enough to suggest me some setups/bundles?


tks alot.

Quick hits:
- For longevity, go with the Core i7.
- It will be perfect for all your gaming/multimedia needs
- Core i7 will last you 5-7 years with new CPU's coming out to upgrade later.
- Get a 22" monitor / Get Vista 64-bit SP1 / Don't speed a shit ton on a keyboard... get a good mouse

 

[seat]

Saw this deal on SlickDeals for a 500W power supply and couldn't resist:

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS 500W $19 AR /AC + FS @ Newegg.com
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1131469&highlight=power+supply

Looked like a pretty darn good deal to me.

 

[rohlfinator]

I've been checking PC bundles and seriously, they aren't helping the average customer and making things clear to him

I see dozens of version of Intel processors like the 2 Core, Dual Core, Core 2 Dual and sometimes they throw in Quad.

I mean, wtf is this shit? Wich CPU is a 4 core one? The Dual Core Quad or Core 2 Quad or whatever. They put 2s and 4s everywhere in the fucking names lol

Anyhow, i'm quite discouraged right now as I don't know jackshit the difference between videocards too. Right now i'm looking at bundles in many different stores but it's still kinda confusing, I'm never certain if it's a good deal for the price.

Also, no suggestions from you guys.

"Core 2" is just Intel's branding for the successor to their "Core" line of processors -- it doesn't necessarily mean it has two cores. Core 2 Duo is dual-core, Core 2 Quad is quad-core. Since you're going to be doing multimedia work, you'll probably want to go with a quad-core, but like VictimOfGrief said, a Core i7 will be much more future-proof for you.

For choosing components, the guides at Tom's Hardware, bit-tech, or Tech Report are a pretty good place to start. You'll probably want to swap out a few things based on your needs or budget, but those any of those systems would make a really solid baseline.

For video cards, the ones in those guides are pretty safe bets. If you want to check different price ranges, Tom's Hardware has recommendations for pretty much any budget. For simplicity, you'll probably want to stick with something on that list, but if you find a good deal on something else, you can always look up the benchmarks to see how it compares to other cards and whether it's worth the price.

 

[Brandon F]

Just wondering what people recommend in terms of mice?

I have a Logitech MX Revolution...which is kinda cool for non-gaming stuff, but is very impractical for actual gaming thanks to the kooky mechanics of the wheel(basically 3rd mouse button is a bad button).

I'd like a wireless laser with 2 side buttons(I'm not elitist that fears deficiencies with going cordless).

The new Logitech G-whatever they showed off at CES could be kewl...but its massively ugly and looks really uncomfortable.

 

[garath]

Just wondering what people recommend in terms of mice?

I have a Logitech MX Revolution...which is kinda cool for non-gaming stuff, but is very impractical for actual gaming thanks to the kooky mechanics of the wheel(basically 3rd mouse button is a bad button).

I'd like a wireless laser with 2 side buttons(I'm not elitist that fears deficiencies with going cordless).

The new Logitech G-whatever they showed off at CES could be kewl...but its massively ugly and looks really uncomfortable.

I love my MX518. The G5 is great as well. Both have 2 thumb buttons which I consider invaluable in gaming.

 

[sugaki]

I just bought the MSI 260GTX vid card, Q6600 2.4ghz Quadcore from Newegg. Dang, it runs everything so fast!

I HIGHLY recommend the 260GTX. Such awesome bang for the buck. $189 is a great price for the power you're getting.

 

[Druz]

I can't possibly see how it could be the CPU. Everything I've read on the internet has said it's definitely a bit of a bottleneck, but it shouldn't be giving single digit FPS during combat like it sometimes does in Fallout or rendering WoW nearly unplayable at 1280x1024 with high settings.

As far as Fraps and stuff goes, I usually only have MSN or Pidgin in the background, sometimes Winamp.

Install drivers one version before the shit you're using currently. If your card was bad you'd see artifacts.

 

[Chris Remo]

Just got my new Radeon HD 4870 1GB that I ordered earlier this week. I have mail-order stuff delivered to my office, so now it's just sitting on my desk pleading me to go home and install it.

 

[Ranger X]

"Core 2" is just Intel's branding for the successor to their "Core" line of processors -- it doesn't necessarily mean it has two cores. Core 2 Duo is dual-core, Core 2 Quad is quad-core. Since you're going to be doing multimedia work, you'll probably want to go with a quad-core, but like VictimOfGrief said, a Core i7 will be much more future-proof for you.

For choosing components, the guides at Tom's Hardware, bit-tech, or Tech Report are a pretty good place to start. You'll probably want to swap out a few things based on your needs or budget, but those any of those systems would make a really solid baseline.

For video cards, the ones in those guides are pretty safe bets. If you want to check different price ranges, Tom's Hardware has recommendations for pretty much any budget. For simplicity, you'll probably want to stick with something on that list, but if you find a good deal on something else, you can always look up the benchmarks to see how it compares to other cards and whether it's worth the price.

Tks alot. This is really valuable info for me.
Core i7 is the name of a motherboard or it's the name of an Intel CPU? (or type of CPU?)

I'm also curious about something. Do people still have problems with compability for 32 bit stuff on Vista 64? Last year and before they was some really bad talks about 64 version. I want the 64 version so I can have a truckload of memory but maybe not if the compatibility is average...

Lastly, I see Vista Home, Vista Pro, Vista Ultimate, etc. What's the difference? Is there one in particular I will really need? I own XP Home right now and I was happy with that.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Tks alot. This is really valuable info for me.
Core i7 is the name of a motherboard or it's the name of an Intel CPU? (or type of CPU?)

I'm also curious about something. Do people still have problems with compability for 32 bit stuff on Vista 64? Last year and before they was some really bad talks about 64 version. I want the 64 version so I can have a truckload of memory but maybe not if the compatibility is average...

Lastly, I see Vista Home, Vista Pro, Vista Ultimate, etc. What's the difference? Is there one in particular I will really need? I own XP Home right now and I was happy with that.

i7 is a new line of CPUs succedding the Core 2 series. (The Core one was notebook based, I believe). The Core 2 series was the flagship line up until November, succeeded by i7. There are usually a bunch of models of each line. i7 currently has three quad core models; the 920, the 940 and the 965. Nobody other than hardcore overclockers really needs the 940 or 965. The 920 is still quite expensive at ~$289.

The motherboard chipset is X58. It's the only chipset compatible with i7 becuase it has a new socket. Chipsets can be produced by any manufacturer with a license to do so.

I dont' notice compatibility problems with Vista64? I would recommend Ultimate if you've got the money, and Home Premium at a minimum.

 

[avaya]

Tks alot. This is really valuable info for me.
Core i7 is the name of a motherboard or it's the name of an Intel CPU? (or type of CPU?)

I'm also curious about something. Do people still have problems with compability for 32 bit stuff on Vista 64? Last year and before they was some really bad talks about 64 version. I want the 64 version so I can have a truckload of memory but maybe not if the compatibility is average...

Lastly, I see Vista Home, Vista Pro, Vista Ultimate, etc. What's the difference? Is there one in particular I will really need? I own XP Home right now and I was happy with that.

The Core i7 is the retail name of the brand new Nehalem CPU microarchitecture. The current iteration in retail is called Bloomfield (i7 920, i7 940 and i7 965 Extreme Edition).

 

[desertdroog]

...gave awesome, educational links...

Kudos to you rholfinator, the past hour I spent reading those techreport.com articles and subsequent links in said articles has brought me up to speed. I have been out of the PC building arena for about 10 years and was confounded over what worked with what etc..

I hope to start buying my components this weekened, either in town or online, whichever I find to be cheaper...but at least the recipe's they offered give a good starting point, with thoughtful consideration over the why vs. it's tha besttest!

 

[desertdroog]

For the guru's, will the following build be compatible together? Any recommendation on a graphics card (left absent for your advisment) with this architecture and case? Anything you can offer will help me out in this build.

*will repost later in thread*

 

[rohlfinator]

No prob, glad to help!

I've been pretty out of the loop myself up until a few weeks ago, and I found those articles really helpful for getting a feel for the current hardware situation.

 

[Ranger X]

i7 is a new line of CPUs succedding the Core 2 series. (The Core one was notebook based, I believe). The Core 2 series was the flagship line up until November, succeeded by i7. There are usually a bunch of models of each line. i7 currently has three quad core models; the 920, the 940 and the 965. Nobody other than hardcore overclockers really needs the 940 or 965. The 920 is still quite expensive at ~$289.

The motherboard chipset is X58. It's the only chipset compatible with i7 becuase it has a new socket. Chipsets can be produced by any manufacturer with a license to do so.

I dont' notice compatibility problems with Vista64? I would recommend Ultimate if you've got the money, and Home Premium at a minimum.

Have you tried to run old XP games on Vista Ultimate? (it's the 64 one?).
I plan on some GTR2, Sim City 4, etc

Looks like I want a Core i7. That's starting somewhere. I'm really pissed to be buying a PC right before an OS change though. (Windows 7)

 

[sugaki]

IMO the Kentsfield Q6600 has the best bang for the buck. I have that and a 260GTX, it's running Far Cry 2 in Ultra High/Very High without dipping below 30 FPS.

 

[UltimaPooh]

Hey guys, let me know if this is good. I have little to no idea what I'm doing, this is based on suggestions from friends. I need my computer to be good at rendering first and foremost. Is this setup good for that?

Anyway check it out:

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner
Cool Master Case
PSU:BFG 800W
RAM:OCZ Platinum 4GB
MoBo:GIGABYTE GA-EP45
CPU:Intel Core i7 920
Case fan
Another fan
GPU:GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

question time!!

I have two EVGA 9600GT 1GB running in SLI of course should I go ahead and...

1. buy two GTX260, and 8Gb of RAM @1066 to max out my system

or

2. keep my cards, buy the ram and a physx card that i saw at newegg, got good reviews and it seems to help with Frame rates..... will my 800W PSU(4 12v rails?) be able to run either of those set ups?

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Install drivers one version before the shit you're using currently. If your card was bad you'd see artifacts.

Did the same thing with the previous drivers. I'm gonna send the card back regardless. I'm not gonna risk running out of time to RMA jut "in case" it's something else.

Did a clean install of both Vista and the Windows 7 beta and have the same problem in both, so that rules out a software problem : /

 

[sugaki]

question time!!

I have two EVGA 9600GT 1GB running in SLI of course should I go ahead and...

1. buy two GTX260, and 8Gb of RAM @1066 to max out my system

or

2. keep my cards, buy the ram and a physx card that i saw at newegg, got good reviews and it seems to help with Frame rates..... will my 800W PSU(4 12v rails?) be able to run either of those set ups?

The only reason to get two GPUs is if the top-of-the-line doesn't cut it. Instead of two GTX 260s I'd get a single 280GTX. Dual cards don't scale as well as spending the same amount on a single, stronger video card.

 

[Wired]

Well, my computer parts arrived today and after picking them up (god damn it was cold outside) I set out on the amazing adventure of assembling the damn thing. Five+ hours later I was done, yes five... I've never been more anxious in my life. I thought I was going to crack the motherboard installing the damn stock CPU cooler, but somehow it made it out alive.

Finally been able to play some Bioshock in all its glory (bought it at release but my laptop was to damn weak), pretty neat. (Even though everything seems to be working so far I'm afraid to turn it off... heh.)

edit: The Samsung T220 IS wobbly as hell. I'll live with it.

 

[Vaporak]

question time!!

I have two EVGA 9600GT 1GB running in SLI of course should I go ahead and...

1. buy two GTX260, and 8Gb of RAM @1066 to max out my system

or

2. keep my cards, buy the ram and a physx card that i saw at newegg, got good reviews and it seems to help with Frame rates..... will my 800W PSU(4 12v rails?) be able to run either of those set ups?

If we're supposed to be picking between these two options, the first will be more performance in every way, but I imagine will cost a good amount more than the second option.

 

[Vaporak]

Well, my computer parts arrived today and after picking them up (god damn it was cold outside) I set out on the amazing adventure of assembling the damn thing. Five+ hours later I was done, yes five... I've never been more anxious in my life. I thought I was going to crack the motherboard installing the damn stock CPU cooler, but somehow it made it out alive.

Finally been able to play some Bioshock in all its glory (bought it at release but my laptop was to damn weak), pretty neat. (Even though everything seems to be working so far I'm afraid to turn it off... heh.)

edit: The Samsung T220 IS wobbly as hell. I'll live with it.

Congratulations on getting everything together. And welcome to the dark side, we have the best cookies.

 

[Wired]

Congratulations on getting everything together. And welcome to the dark side, we have the best cookies.

chocolate?

edit: it's damn weird using a regular sized mouse after two years with a laptop mouse... manly somehow. ;P

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

well...... should i instead buy the GTX295 and the RAM and forget about the physX card?

I get great results with what i Have now.... but i want more.(greedy me) all my games I can max out at 1920x1200 (or come close to) and crysis runs at a.... price isn't the issue but i don't want to break ther bank.

 

[Clever Pun]

quick question:

I'm going to be putting together a Q6600 machine in the next week or so. If I will only be playing games on 1440x900 is it worth purchasing a 4850, or will the 4830 be sufficient? Not for Crysis, but for CoD4, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Valve games?

 

[Wired]

quick question:

I'm going to be putting together a Q6600 machine in the next week or so. If I will only be playing games on 1440x900 is it worth purchasing a 4850, or will the 4830 be sufficient? Not for Crysis, but for CoD4, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Valve games?

Unless I'm way off base I'd say that a 4830 would be fine for that, still a 4850 is not that much more expensive. I guess it depends on how long you'll wait until the next upgrade.

 

[Clever Pun]

Unless I'm way off base I'd say that a 4830 would be fine for that, still a 4850 is not that much more expensive. I guess it depends on how long you'll wait until the next upgrade.

Thanks - you're right, it's not a huge difference in cost. However, my goal is to keep things as close to $700 as I can and at the moment I'm right around $720 (with the 4830) so if it will suffice for the majority of current games, I'd prefer to just stick with that rather than spend (even the little bit extra) on the 4850.

 

[SapientWolf]

quick question:

I'm going to be putting together a Q6600 machine in the next week or so. If I will only be playing games on 1440x900 is it worth purchasing a 4850, or will the 4830 be sufficient? Not for Crysis, but for CoD4, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Valve games?

You won't notice much of a difference. Just buy the cheapest card with a good cooling solution so you'll have some room to overclock. I always go for the 'budget performance' level cards because they're usually just an underclocked version of the premium part.