My final new computer build... maybe

[Ulyaoth]

Well, I didn't buy a new system I was planning on a few months ago because I figured I don't play games that much anymore, so I lowered my budget a bit, and made a pretty much similar system anyway, any suggestions?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017 Q6600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128337 Gigabyte DS3L

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231098 2gb G Skill DDR2 800

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133232 GeForce 8800GT

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005 650w corsair psu

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 Antec 300

I was going to get the E7200 originally, but I figured it's only a bit more to get the E8400 which would last longer, run better in the first place, I just don't want to have like with my current computer where the cpu was too slow within a year, this computer never really ran anything well. I want my new system to run things on high for a while, and when that runs out to just be a gpu and ram upgrade to be able to play things nice for a while, which is why I figured I'd spend a bit more on the cpu, so it'll actually be playable and worthwhile for a while.

And I'm wondering again, what would be better, a Q6600 or E8400? What does the difference actually do? Higher clock speed mean faster loading, quad means better if I have a bunch of programs running at once? I know the whole, dual cores better for gaming, quad for everything else, but would a lower clocked quad end up better in a year or so if quad core is more supported?

Was thinking of upping the RAm to 4 gigs(2x2gb), not sure if it'd be much of a difference but it's only $20 more for the same RAM pretty much.

Was thinking maybe I'd upgrade the 8800 to a 9800GT instead, still a bit cheaper than the 4850, and it isn't too much slower is it? Is it any better than the 8800 really?

I might use the same case as I have now, it's just it's a bit small and only has some tiny fans(only 1 90mm exhaust and some smaller intakes) and they don't work too well(make annoying noises and get stuck every once in a while) so I thought I'd get a new case too, don't want to have cooling issues, especially since I want to overclock.

Gonna use the same hard drive and dvd drive,

[Freddie]

I had a look on newegg yesterday at the 9800 GT was coming up cheaper then the 8800 GT. The 9800 GT is the same card as the 8800 GT but on a 55nm die (uses less power – less heat) and has hybrid technology which means if the motherboard uses a nforce chipset and has onboard video controller in the Northbridge (I’m not sure which boards have this) it can use it to increase performance but it’s a waste of time. In reality that only gives you a few extra frames.

If you wanted an alternative to the 9800/8800 GT the ATI HD 4850 512MB is currently the best value for money card on the market. There performance is quiet a bit superior to the cards just mentioned (but not enough to warrant an upgrade) to pay a few extra quid for. If did want to go and get a 4850 I suggest you get that has a dual slot cooler, don’t bother with cards that use the crappy single slot stock HSF it’s not good enough, HIS is a good ATI reseller. If your looking to build this PC with half an eye on Empire: Total War, you should consider getting the Nivdia cards, Empire uses technology called PhysX which can be processed on Nvidia cards, if you don’t have a Nvidia card the PhysX will probably be off loaded to the CPU which is worse.

I would concentrate on things like warranty, get a card that has at least threes years warranty (Leadtek/Winfast who make Nvidia cards for example have 3 year warranty in North America and 2 years in EU) that way if it breaks or starts to artefact you can get it replaced at no expense to yourself.

As for the CPU I would keep with what you have and overclock it a bit, some games like Supreme Commander and Unreal Tournament 3 work well with quad core others just prefer a higher clock rate. Also consider getting a decent 3rd party HSF for your CPU, the Intel stock HSF can get a noisy.

[Pent uP Rage]

As Freddy stated, E:TW will be supporting PhysX in some way. All new 9800 GTX and higher Nvidia cards can process PhysX. The new 9800 GTX+ is the new 55nm gpu AND a separate dedicated PhysX processor as well.
I got an EVGA 9800GTX+ a couple weeks ago and got free 2Gb OCZ SLi RAM from newegg. After rebates and such, it was about $160. So, that might be worth looking into.

[jankren]

Damn, you are getting exactly the same PNY 8800 GT which I got a week ago except it was for $109 + free shipping. By the way the free game is so cool!

[Roman Clone]

If you still play older games (IE Total War) and you want to stick with the Q6600, then I highly suggest that you overclock it. (Obviously. ) The best I can recommend.

[Freddie]

The best I can recommend.

A 404 - Not found? :hmmm:

[Roman Clone]

A 404 - Not found? :hmmm:

Lulz, this is what I meant:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186134

Well, for older games yeah, I've got things like Oblivion and a few other things that just never ran all that well on my computer. Like RTW for instance still runs too slow for my liking, the only reason I could think of is maybe too little RAM but mostly probably my cpu.

And the cheapest dual slot 4850 is still $170, $60 more than the 8800GT. Counting mail in rebates(which I hate) I could get a 9800GT for $105, or a GTX+ for $160, still a bit more. Maybe I'd be willing to spend that much more if there was a definite boost in performance and how long it'd last me. Maybe I will just get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161244
HIS 4850 dual slot cooler that's overclocked a little.

And yeah, I'm gonna overclock it, I'll probably get a Vendetta 2, but I might leave it for a while. I might just not get the case now, and whenever I feel like getting a new one I'll get the new heatsink and put it on when swapping the motherboard over. So the quad is a good choice? What about the Q8200? It's a little bit more(once it drops to $190) but has less cache and lower clockspeed, so I think that means smaller multiplier, which means less overclock adn with less cache maybe a little slower than a similar clocked 6600, but it's 45nm, so, I dunno. Meh, I'll just stick to the Q6600.

I really suggest the 9800 GTX over the 4850. I have the 8800 GTS, which is basically the same card with a bigger die, and it overclocks nice. (Just don't over do it.) Plus you get the PhysX which is great for Empire.

Stick with the Q6600. Nuff said.

will the 9800 GT handle the PhysX? or is it only GTX and up?

also if u want a computer that will last the longest, wouldn't it be better to get a motherboard with a PCIe 2.0 slot?

the ASUS PQ5 Pro comes with two of them, and (ending tomarrow) a $35 rebate with the E8400 or E8500 CPU combo.

I do not suggest that you hijack other's threads. When I was on Filefront they took it seriously there and one guy got reported like 10 times in one instant. He stopped posting after that....

I'll answer anyway. The 9800 GT can handle PhysX. Any 8,9, or 200 card can handle it.

It depends how long you want it to last. Last time I checked, Crysis can not even take full advantage of x16 + 2.0. If you are not getting it a billion dollars, (I.E a good price) that go ahead and get it.

[Hunter Makoy]

I do not suggest that you hijack other's threads. When I was on Filefront they took it seriously there and one guy got reported like 10 times in one instant. He stopped posting after that....

I'll answer anyway. The 9800 GT can handle PhysX. Any 8,9, or 200 card can handle it.

It depends how long you want it to last. Last time I checked, Crysis can not even take full advantage of x16 + 2.0. If you are not getting it a billion dollars, (I.E a good price) that go ahead and get it.

i didn't hijack anything, i mearly asked a question about something posted on this same thread, and then offered a suggestion to the OP.

while right now PCIe 1.0 and 2.0 seem pretty simliar, in the future it wont be that way, and considering u can get a MoBo with 2 2.0 slots for maybe $140 or so, its certianly not a big jump in price to stay that much ahead of the curve. plus they will handle everythign else the OP is trying to do anyway.

[Pent uP Rage]

I'll answer anyway. The 9800 GT can handle PhysX. Any 8,9, or 200 card can handle it.

It depends how long you want it to last. Last time I checked, Crysis can not even take full advantage of x16 + 2.0. If you are not getting it a billion dollars, (I.E a good price) that go ahead and get it.

Allow me to expand this a bit further....

Yes, and 8, 9, or 200 series Nvidia card can process PhysX now. BUT, the new GTX+ has a separate onboard, DEDICATED, PhysX processor built onto the card.
And with Nvidia owning PhysX now, you better believe that more games will start supporting it in the future.

[Freddie]

Allow me to expand this a bit further....

Yes, and 8, 9, or 200 series Nvidia card can process PhysX now. BUT, the new GTX+ has a separate onboard, DEDICATED, PhysX processor built onto the card.
And with Nvidia owning PhysX now, you better believe that more games will start supporting it in the future.

You mean the 9800GTX+? That's the first I've heard of it, I thought PhysX was all being handled via CUDA.

[Ulyaoth]

Well, for older games yeah, I've got things like Oblivion and a few other things that just never ran all that well on my computer. Like RTW for instance still runs too slow for my liking, the only reason I could think of is maybe too little RAM but mostly probably my cpu.

And the cheapest dual slot 4850 is still $170, $60 more than the 8800GT. Counting mail in rebates(which I hate) I could get a 9800GT for $105, or a GTX+ for $160, still a bit more. Maybe I'd be willing to spend that much more if there was a definite boost in performance and how long it'd last me. Maybe I will just get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161244
HIS 4850 dual slot cooler that's overclocked a little.

And yeah, I'm gonna overclock it, I'll probably get a Vendetta 2, but I might leave it for a while. I might just not get the case now, and whenever I feel like getting a new one I'll get the new heatsink and put it on when swapping the motherboard over. So the quad is a good choice? What about the Q8200? It's a little bit more(once it drops to $190) but has less cache and lower clockspeed, so I think that means smaller multiplier, which means less overclock adn with less cache maybe a little slower than a similar clocked 6600, but it's 45nm, so, I dunno. Meh, I'll just stick to the Q6600.

[Hunter Makoy]

will the 9800 GT handle the PhysX? or is it only GTX and up?

also if u want a computer that will last the longest, wouldn't it be better to get a motherboard with a PCIe 2.0 slot?

the ASUS PQ5 Pro comes with two of them, and (ending tomarrow) a $35 rebate with the E8400 or E8500 CPU combo.

[Ulyaoth]

well, I've been told it really doesn't matter, since a PCIe 2 video card will work just fine on a plain PCIe slot and there's only a tiny decrease in performance if any, so I figured I'd just go with the cheaper board.

[Roman Clone]

well, I've been told it really doesn't matter, since a PCIe 2 video card will work just fine on a plain PCIe slot and there's only a tiny decrease in performance if any, so I figured I'd just go with the cheaper board.

Exactly why I chose the 680i, it did the same as the 780i except with PCI-E 1.0. Plus, there were some glitches with videos on the 7** boards...

[Ulyaoth]

I've just gone checking benchmarks and it seems the 4850 is a little better or worse in games than the 9800GTX, a little worse than the GTX+, and as you scale things up the 4850 gets better, so I think it'd last longer, so I'll be going with that.

[jankren]

8800 GT will still last you for another year. Just keep it and get GTX 280 next year.

[Ulyaoth]

8800 GT will still last you for another year. Just keep it and get GTX 280 next year.

Well, it depends. If someone convinces me for upgradability I should get a better mobo with pcie 2, I'll get a better mobo and get a 9800GT, if there's no real reason to get a better mobo, then I'll get the 4850.

[Pent uP Rage]

Well, it depends. If someone convinces me for upgradability I should get a better mobo with pcie 2, I'll get a better mobo and get a 9800GT, if there's no real reason to get a better mobo, then I'll get the 4850.

IMHO, I'd get the best mobo I could afford. The keys to a long lasting system are motherboard and power supply. Always get the best mobo and PSU first as the rest can be upgraded easily down the road. Not that you can't upgrade the mobo later too, but it's a LOT easier to upgrade RAM, gpu, etc first.

If you get a sub-quality PSU, you run the risk of it going bad and taking your PC with it.

For instance, the last P4 system I built (the TWC record setting 4.3Ghz Intel/ RTW "Highest # of men on the battlefield" system...for those that were around to remember it.), I spent 3 months researching mobos before deciding on an ABIT IC7G. For the money, it was THE best s478 board available. And it lasted me for 6 years, simply upgrading the small stuff as it came out. Right before it finally died about this time last year, the s478 single-core Intel P4 3.0c was benchmarking faster than the dual core Intel chips.
What finally killed it was that I had to upgrade the PSU for the then new 7800GS (AGP). I got antsy and just went and picked up a half-decent Antec PSU. After about 4 months, a capacitor in the PSU failed and took my system w/ it.
Just my .02 about upgrades...

[Hunter Makoy]

IMHO, I'd get the best mobo I could afford. The keys to a long lasting system are motherboard and power supply. Always get the best mobo and PSU first as the rest can be upgraded easily down the road. Not that you can't upgrade the mobo later too, but it's a LOT easier to upgrade RAM, gpu, etc first.

If you get a sub-quality PSU, you run the risk of it going bad and taking your PC with it.

For instance, the last P4 system I built (the TWC record setting 4.3Ghz Intel/ RTW "Highest # of men on the battlefield" system...for those that were around to remember it.), I spent 3 months researching mobos before deciding on an ABIT IC7G. For the money, it was THE best s478 board available. And it lasted me for 6 years, simply upgrading the small stuff as it came out. Right before it finally died about this time last year, the s478 single-core Intel P4 3.0c was benchmarking faster than the dual core Intel chips.
What finally killed it was that I had to upgrade the PSU for the then new 7800GS (AGP). I got antsy and just went and picked up a half-decent Antec PSU. After about 4 months, a capacitor in the PSU failed and took my system w/ it.
Just my .02 about upgrades...

thats the premiss that i use also. besides, even the best highest quality super SLi mobos out there don't seem to be near as costly compared to the high level CPU's, GPU's, and PSU's. plus, lots of the good mother boards give great discounts on PSU's on newegg, some saving upwards of $100 on that alone.

[Ulyaoth]

IMHO, I'd get the best mobo I could afford. The keys to a long lasting system are motherboard and power supply. Always get the best mobo and PSU first as the rest can be upgraded easily down the road. Not that you can't upgrade the mobo later too, but it's a LOT easier to upgrade RAM, gpu, etc first.

If you get a sub-quality PSU, you run the risk of it going bad and taking your PC with it.

For instance, the last P4 system I built (the TWC record setting 4.3Ghz Intel/ RTW "Highest # of men on the battlefield" system...for those that were around to remember it.), I spent 3 months researching mobos before deciding on an ABIT IC7G. For the money, it was THE best s478 board available. And it lasted me for 6 years, simply upgrading the small stuff as it came out. Right before it finally died about this time last year, the s478 single-core Intel P4 3.0c was benchmarking faster than the dual core Intel chips.
What finally killed it was that I had to upgrade the PSU for the then new 7800GS (AGP). I got antsy and just went and picked up a half-decent Antec PSU. After about 4 months, a capacitor in the PSU failed and took my system w/ it.
Just my .02 about upgrades...

Well that was basically the point of why I was going for the best cpu I could afford(that's a good overclocker) and I was led to believe that was a really good mobo too. I couldn't really find any mobos with really realy good ratings that weren't over $200, and I really don't feel like spending that much on the mobo since I doubt I'll be upgrading the cpu without changing the mobo and everything as well anyway, unless I can get one of those extremes for cheap one day that it'd still be worth it.

How's the DFI lanparties? That's what I was going to get before I lowered my budget, a Lanparty x38, but I think the price went up actually, it's $184 now. It says it has 2 pcie 2.0 slots that work at 16x16, not 8x8, so that's better than the P45 one that has 2 pcie 2 slots but at 8x each. Although I kinda doubt I'll be using two video cards ever unless I go and get a new giant monitor(or hook my computer up to my hdtv, what resolution would that run at? would it be worth it?)

So, I guess I'll go get a better mobo and just get the 9800GT, that should last me fine for a while then I'll upgrade to whatever's best in a year or 2.