Support NeoGAF

[Cheeto]

Yeah I haven't really seen much of a difference from recent reviews except that the 8800gt performs better at certain resolutions.

Nvidia needs to start distinguishing their product lines again.

Interesting Tidbit:

Running 2 9600GTs in SLI costs $360, and apparently out performs the $600(I think that's still the price) 8800 Ultra.

 

[RickA238]

It doesn't make sense to me to get anything higher than an 8800GT unless you're playing on a massive monitor at crazy high resolutions; look at all the benchmarks. I'm planning on getting one 8800GT + an SLI ready mobo, and then I will just buy another 8800GT in a ~1-1 1/2 years or so when games are more demanding. Will probly be playing on 22" LCD

 

[Davidion]

Interesting Tidbit:
Running 2 9600GTs in SLI costs $360, and apparently out performs the $600(I think that's still the price) 8800 Ultra.

That is interesting.

Check it out though, this is new 9 series roadmap for Nvidia. There seems to be a lot of performance value points overlap with the 8 series, as well as the introduction of the new flagship high performance card (something around 30% performance increase from the Ultra).

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/22/geforce-9-roadmap-revealed-9800-gx2-due-march-11th/
http://www.nordichardware.com/news,7386.html

 

[SRG01]

Forum post with lots of 9600GT reviews. Looks like it's pretty good!

 

[Wraith]

Is there any way to have a PC that I can connect via HDMI to my TV(presumably through a DVI/HDMI converter) while still outputting to two monitors via DVI? Basically, I want a dual monitor setup with the option of going to the TV without the need to switch cables.

 

[Cheeto]

Is there any way to have a PC that I can connect via HDMI to my TV(presumably through a DVI/HDMI converter) while still outputting to two monitors via DVI? Basically, I want a dual monitor setup with the option of going to the TV without the need to switch cables.

I had an old ATI card and that was possible via the control panel software that came with it. I'd imagine it's possible to switch like that on todays cards.

 

[SRG01]

Is there any way to have a PC that I can connect via HDMI to my TV(presumably through a DVI/HDMI converter) while still outputting to two monitors via DVI? Basically, I want a dual monitor setup with the option of going to the TV without the need to switch cables.

Cloning doesn't work? nVidia control panel has some similar settinsg...

 

[Kosma]

Updated with 9600 info.

 

[Sanjay]

http://www.tomshardware.com - Conclusion

"The bottom line is that the performance of this GeForce 9600 GT came as a pleasant surprise. Despite the chip having only 64 stream processors, 38% lower processing power, and 33% fewer transistors, gaming performance was only 12% below the 8800 GT on average."

not bad indeed but i want to see the gtx of the 9 series

 

[zoku88]

Are you talking about Nehalem?

The socket should be LGA1366.

Thanks, I always forget the name of that architecture (and apparently the socket )

 

[SRG01]

Should we also include some stuff on motherboard chipsets? Like that P35 Intel stuff.

 

[Kosma]

Should we also include some stuff on motherboard chipsets? Like that P35 Intel stuff.

Sure why not, some OC stuff would be nice too at some point.

 

[bee]

anyone waiting to build a pc, p45 chipset should be out within the next few months and seems like it should be worth waiting for in that it should perform really well and wont cost the earth aka x38/x48

also anyone waiting for 9800gt/gtx may not want to, vrzone are usually very reliable

http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=5589

VR-Zone got hold of some specifications of the GeForce 9800 GTX (D9E-20) card and it is confirmed that it is G92-based with 128 stream processors. The clock speeds aren't finalized yet but there is a little note saying clocks are higher than G92GTS (obviously). The card has 512MB GDDR3 memories onboard and has two SLI connectors to support 3-way SLI. Lastly, it should be priced at around €399 range.

so its basically just an overclocked 8800gts 512mb

 

[Kadey]

The 9 series sounds disappointing thus far.

Two 8800GTs are faster than an Ultra by a margin. The 9800GX2 is only supposed to be 30% faster than the Ultra. So what does the GX2 have to justify the $200 difference?

It's like Nvidia is playing around and letting ATI catch up.

 

[xero273]

The 9 series sounds disappointing thus far.

Two 8800GTs are faster than an Ultra by a margin. The 9800GX2 is only supposed to be 30% faster than the Ultra. So what does the GX2 have to justify the $200 difference?

It's like Nvidia is playing around and letting ATI catch up.

The 9 series is a refresh of the g80 family, just like RV670 was to r600. You won't get anything new and improve until the next gen card R700 and GT200.

 

[Kadey]

I guess the real goodies could come out Fall if at all this year. Ah well.

 

[NovemberMike]

If you look at it, the G92 cores should all have been the 9xxx series.

 

[Finguo]

What could be useful are some premade configurations for different budgets. The following are from a German message board which helped me a lot in building my recent budget gaming rig without knowing a lot about current PC hardware parts. The prices are in Euro, but it should give newcomers a pretty good orientation on what they should choose for their own specific budget.



450€

AMD X2 4000+ 65nm Boxed
Gigabyte GA-MA69G-S3H
Alternativ: ASUS M2A-VM oder ABIT AN-M2 oder Foxconn A690GM2MA-8KRS2H
2GB MDT 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 2GB A-Data Vitesta 800MHz CL5
HD 3850, 256MB
Alternativ: HD 2900 Pro
Seasonic S12II 380W
Alternativ: be Quiet! Straight Power 350W oder Antec EarthWatts 380W
Samsung T166 250GB
Alternativ: Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB oder Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203


600€

AMD X2 4800+ 65nm Boxed
Alternativ: AMD X2 5200+ 65nm Boxed
Gigabyte GA-MA69G-S3H
Alternativ: ASUS M2A-VM oder ABIT AN-M2 oder Foxconn A690GM2MA-8KRS2H
2GB MDT 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 2GB A-Data Vitesta 800MHz CL5
8800 GT
Alternativ: HD 3870
Seasonic S12II 430W
Alternativ: be Quiet! Straight Power 400W oder Enermax Liberty 400W oder SilverStone Element 400W
Samsung T166 320GB
Alternativ: Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB oder Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203


700€

Intel E8400 Boxed
Alternativ: Intel E8200 Boxed oder Intel E6750 Boxed
Abit IP35
Alternativ: MSI P35 Neo2-FIR oder Foxconn P35A-S oder Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3 oder Biostar TForce TP35D2-A7
2GB MDT 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 2GB A-Data Vitesta 800MHz CL5
8800 GT
Alternativ: HD 3870
Seasonic S12II 430W
Alternativ: be Quiet! Straight Power 400W oder Enermax Liberty 400W oder NesteQ E²CS 400W
Samsung T166 320GB
Alternativ: Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB oder Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203


850€

Intel E8400 Boxed
Alternativ: Intel E8200 Boxed oder Intel E6750 Boxed
Abit IP35
Alternativ: MSI P35 Neo2-FIR oder Foxconn P35A-S oder Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3 oder Biostar TForce TP35D2-A7
4GB A-DATA Vitesta 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 4GB G.Skill 800MHz CL5
8800 GTS (G92)
Alternativ: 8800 GTX
Seasonic S12II 430W
Alternativ: be Quiet! Straight Power 450W oder Corsair VX 450W oder NesteQ E²CS 450W
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB
Alternativ: Samsung T166 500GB oder Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203


1000€

Intel E8400 Boxed
Alternativ: Intel E8200 Boxed oder Intel E6750 Boxed
ASUS P5K-E WiFi
Alternativ: Abit IP35 Pro oder Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 (Rev. 2.0!) oder MSI P35 Platinum
4GB A-DATA Vitesta 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 4GB G.Skill 800MHz CL5
HD 3870 X2
be Quiet! Straight Power 550W
Alternativ: Corsair VX 550W oder Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 550W
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB
Alternativ: Samsung T166 500GB oder Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203


1250€

Intel Q6600 G0 Boxed (95W)
ABIT IX38-QuadGT
Alternativ: ASUS P5E oder Foxconn Mars
4GB G.Skill 800MHz CL5
Alternativ: 2x 2GB Crucial Ballistix 800MHz CL4
HD 3870 X2
be quiet Dark Power Pro P7 550W
Alternativ: Seasonic M12 600W oder Corsair HX 620W
2x Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB
Alternativ: 2x Samsung T166 500GB oder 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
LG GH20NS
Alternativ: ASUS DRW-2014L1T oder LG GSA-H66N oder Samsung SH-S203

Case recommendations:
Coolermaster Centurion 5
Antec Nine Hundred
Sharkoon Rebel 9
NZXT Hush

Alternative CPU cooler recommendations:
AMD:
Arctic Freezer 64 Pro oder Coolermaster Hyper TX2

Intel:
without OC: Arctic Freezer 7 Pro oder Coolermaster Hyper TX2
with OC: Xigmatec HDT-S1283 oder Scythe Mugen oder Zalman 9700 oder Thermalright Ultra 120-eXtreme with Scythe S-Flex

source: http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=215394

 

[NovemberMike]

We should set up a thread where people create PCs in different price ranges ($300, $500, $750, $1000, $1500 and ridiculous might work) and people vote on which one works best (or something). Then we can just point to that whenever somebody asks for a build in X price range.

 

[Kadey]

Now I'm wondering if I should get another 8800GT.

 

[NovemberMike]

Now I'm wondering if I should get another 8800GT.

I wouldn't recommend it. You would have had to buy an Nvidia mobo, and you are really only looking at a 20-30% increase over a single card.

 

[isamu]

I would be interested in knowing if the 9800 series will launch before July.

 

[Kadey]

Apparently EVGA released these Akimbo 8800GTs which they dubbed the fastest of the bunch. I wonder what the benchmarks are.


The Superior Solution

It's time to suit up and join the front lines with the fastest 8800GT card in its class, the EVGA 8800GT AKIMBO card: Featuring a 65nm GPU with an astonishing GPU Core clock of 720MHz, the exclusive dual slot heat sink and fan drops temperatures as much as 25 degrees Celsius, keeping your card cool and ready to perform at any given notice. Your new secret weapon supports 2-way SLI and the latest PCI-E 2.0 standard, now is the time to lock, load, and game. Frag it up with the EVGA 8800GT AKIMBO card.

Specs:
65nm GPU boosted to a mind blowing 720MHz
3 phase power design for extreme overclocking
Incredible fillrate of 40.3 Billion pixels per second
2GHz Memory clock
Superior Cooling lowers temps as much as 25c


e-GeForce 8800GT AKIMBO SC 512MB
Part Number 512-P3-N808-AR
Core Clock Speed 720MHz
Stream Processors 112
Memory Clock Speed 2000MHz
Memory Bandwidth 64.0GB/sec
Shader Clock Speed 1728MHz
Bus PCI-E
Interface DVI-I, DVI-I, HDTV-7

e-GeForce 8800GT AKIMBO 512MB
Part Number 512-P3-N807-AR
Core Clock Speed 600MHz
Stream Processors 112
Memory Clock Speed 1800MHz
Memory Bandwidth 57.6GB/sec
Shader Clock Speed 1500MHz
Bus PCI-E
Interface DVI-I, DVI-I, HDTV-7

 

[MoxManiac]

So guys, is SLI worth getting in a mobo? I'm planning on building a new rig, and even if I got a SLI motherboard I wouldn't do SLI right away, if at all. But I certainly want upgrade paths in the future.

Also, are we due for a socket change soon, for Intel? Looks like LGA 775 is what i'll end up with, with the new E8400 3.0 dual core. But I have this nasty habit of jumping into a socket at the tail end of it's life, cutting off upgrade possiblities without changing mobos.

 

[SleazyC]

So guys, is SLI worth getting in a mobo? I'm planning on building a new rig, and even if I got a SLI motherboard I wouldn't do SLI right away, if at all. But I certainly want upgrade paths in the future.

Also, are we due for a socket change soon, for Intel? Looks like LGA 775 is what i'll end up with, with the new E8400 3.0 dual core. But I have this nasty habit of jumping into a socket at the tail end of it's life, cutting off upgrade possiblities without changing mobos.

We might be looking at a socket change at the end of the year with the release of Intel's next architect Nehalem. Not 100% sure on that though.

 

[MoxManiac]

Hm. Well, the E8400 should last me awhile anyways, esp if i can OC it a bit. I'm certainly not waiting until the end of the year to upgrade.

 

[Kosma]

As for the new socket I think it's coming this year, or early next year. Jumping in at the end of a sockets life does seem sour yeah, then again the e8400 is really good.

With so many 360 <> PC development I don't think requirements for most games will jump up that high in the next two years, except for those few PC benchmark games and exclusives that are bound to be released.

 

[SRG01]

So guys, is SLI worth getting in a mobo? I'm planning on building a new rig, and even if I got a SLI motherboard I wouldn't do SLI right away, if at all. But I certainly want upgrade paths in the future.

Also, are we due for a socket change soon, for Intel? Looks like LGA 775 is what i'll end up with, with the new E8400 3.0 dual core. But I have this nasty habit of jumping into a socket at the tail end of it's life, cutting off upgrade possiblities without changing mobos.

The rationale for SLI/Crossfire should be: if two cards beats the next card by both price and performance, you should SLI. Otherwise, don't do it unless you really want to. Remember that SLI/Crossfire rarely gives you double the performance.

 

[Kadey]

The E8400 is the best CPU purchase I've made ever. Especially since it's so cheap for excellent performance.

And it stacks up pretty well against the grand and up Yorkfield. I'd say it's the best of the wolfdales. It's leagues ahead of the E8200. The E8500 is better slightly but the $100+ difference doesn't justify that since all three are highly clockable even with stock cooling.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/02/13/wolfdale_shrinks_transistors/page5.html

 

[isamu]

what the hell is SLI?

Also, how much faster are dual-core CPUs over single cores? Is it like a MASSIVE improvement for games(yes, I'm extremely LTTP with these new PCs)?

 

[zoku88]

what the hell is SLI?

Also, how much faster are dual-core CPUs over single cores? Is it like a MASSIVE improvement for games(yes, I'm extremely LTTP with these new PCs)?

SLI is a Nvidia technology. It's basically the analogue of Crossfire. Both allow two or more video cards to exist on a motherboard (of course, that MB needs to have the corresponding support.) I think the way Nvidia's tech works is that it splits the screen in half and each card renders one half.

 

[Ravenn17]

Anybody have any good recommendations for 19-22" inch monitors?

 

[Kosma]

Anybody have any good recommendations for 19-22" inch monitors?

I´d say the best a man can get is the Samsung Syncmaster line.

Is it like a MASSIVE improvement for games(yes, I'm extremely LTTP with these new PCs)?

For some older games you won´t notice any difference with Dual Core cpu´s, newer games are built in mind with multiple core structures, and games like Supreme Commander seem to rely heavily on multiple cpu´s.

So for WoW = it doesn't matter that much
Crysis = you betcha

 

[PantherLotus]

I need to buy my wife a laptop and I have about 300-400 to spend. Ideas?

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

It appears to me that Nvidia's G9x series of cards are just slight updates to the G8x series. It has DX10.1 support, correct? So, it looks like I should be able to skip that gen *cross's fingers*. Any news if the following gen is a "true" design change?

Any info about ATI's "next gen" cards?

 

[Ravenn17]

I´d say the best a man can get is the Samsung Syncmaster line.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001096

That looks good. I may be over indulging though.

 

[Lhadatt]

OK, I just got a Core 2 Quad Q6600 ($200 at Micro Center BTW. Not sure how long that deal will go). What are some good motherboards for this thing? I've been looking at the Asus P5K-E. How are Intel's boards? What about the Asus P5N line? Any recommendations welcome.

Also, I'm trying to decide between the Nvidia 8800 GT 512MB or the 9600 GT 512MB. The benchmarks indicate the 8800 GT is still better, but what can GAF tell me? Newegg's got a couple cards from Zotac on both chips that are overclocked and look like good deals. The 9600GT is $75 cheaper than their 8600 GT. Is the extra scratch worth it?

 

[NIghtWolf]

Budget: $526.00 paypals

What I got so far:

Antec Nine Hundred Case:

Motherboard Compatibility ATX / m-ATX
Expansion Slots 7
Cooling System:
120mm Fans 1 x 120mm TriCool rear fan with 3-speed switch control
2 x 120mm TriCool blue LED front fans with 3-speed switch control to cool HDDs

Intel Dual Core E2160

CPU Socket Type LGA 775
Operating Frequency 1.8GHz
FSB 800MHz
L2 Cache 1MB
Manufacturing Tech 65 nm
64 bit Support Yes
Voltage 0.85V – 1.5V
Thermal Power 65W
Cooling Device Heatsink and Fan included

YOU should now already, thats a highly overclockable CPU.

DVD-RW Drive

------------------------------------------------------------

Thats all I have.


I need:

-- Motherboard (It can be any one that overclocks good, i must confess i have a weird preference for ASUS though.)

-- PSU (I don't really get the efficiency thing neither how much Watts ill need for my PC i guess is around 600 to 700 watts?)

-- RAM (this one is easy just if you have any good ramDDR2* for overclocking would be better)

-- GPU (completely optional right now, but if theres any that can not exceed the budget then I could get it)

-- Monitor (also optional, what I need right now is the PC, the monitor can be worked on later, but to keep the tradition any recommendations are well taken.)


Thanks to Dog$ for the instructions, he is very helpful.

-------------------------------

The mobo i was thinking is the:

ASUS P5K-VM INTEL G33 CHIPSET

Only let down is that Max FSB is 1333 and max memory speed is 1066 so it would have to run at 1066 for 1:1. If theres cheaper at 1066 or faster memory allowance for the same price i would be more happy.

edit: removed pics.

 

[Cheeto]

What'd I'd do for that budget.

 

[Kosma]

Yeah I'd go with that what WhatRuOn picked too.

I need to buy my wife a laptop and I have about 300-400 to spend. Ideas?

That's really cheap for a laptop. I wouldn't know anything decent for under 450 myself, unless your wife would like an UMPC like the Asus EEE PC.

That looks good. I may be over indulging though.

Well it is the best of the best as far as monitors go.

Any info about ATI's "next gen" cards?

I thought the 9800 would be a new card with new tech, I may be wrong though.

 

[Ranger X]

I want to buy a computer this year. Probably before September.
I'd like to know if there is stuff coming out that i should wait for, something that would really be worth it and make my new computer a freaking bomb.

tks

 

[NovemberMike]

I need to buy my wife a laptop and I have about 300-400 to spend. Ideas?

That is pretty cheap. I am going to have to recommend looking at the cheapest laptops on newegg and other sites, and checking ebay. At this price point it is going to be more of "what is out there" rather than "what I want".

Only let down is that Max FSB is 1333 and max memory speed is 1066 so it would have to run at 1066 for 1:1. If theres cheaper at 1066 or faster memory allowance for the same price i would be more happy.

Er, should 1:1 for a FSB of 1333 mean 667 ram? 1333/4 and 667/2 both = 333.

What'd I'd do for that budget.

I would go for an intel (P35, probably) chipset over nvidia. Nvidia is good for SLI, but their stuff runs hot, which isn't good for overclocking.

I want to buy a computer this year. Probably before September.
I'd like to know if there is stuff coming out that i should wait for, something that would really be worth it and make my new computer a freaking bomb.

tks

Nehalem comes out late this year, which means a new socket. At that point, however, it would be between getting cheap stuff that is proven or expensive stuff that might still have some defects. Personally, I would just build in september if you don't have anything worthwhile now.

Also, I'm trying to decide between the Nvidia 8800 GT 512MB or the 9600 GT 512MB. The benchmarks indicate the 8800 GT is still better, but what can GAF tell me? Newegg's got a couple cards from Zotac on both chips that are overclocked and look like good deals. The 9600GT is $75 cheaper than their 8600 GT. Is the extra scratch worth it?

The 8800gt is faster than the 9600gt, but they are both great performance per the dollar. It really just depends on how much you want to spend and how critical getting every last bit of performance is to you.

 

[zoku88]

I want to buy a computer this year. Probably before September.
I'd like to know if there is stuff coming out that i should wait for, something that would really be worth it and make my new computer a freaking bomb.

tks

If it's before Sept, that's before Nehalem, so no new interesting CPUs..

I guess we should see more of Nvidia's new series by then and maybe AMD/ATI would have released their newest series? I don't really know. Nothing announced so far, I'd say.

 

[Lhadatt]

The 8800gt is faster than the 9600gt, but they are both great performance per the dollar. It really just depends on how much you want to spend and how critical getting every last bit of performance is to you.

Probably the 8800GT. This build should last for a few years.

What about the motherboard? Any recommendations?

 

[Jaagen]

Me and my roommate are looking into buying a living room PC, for about $500. The only requirement(aside from HD content playback) is that it can run Team Fortress 2 at 720p with a decent framerate. I'm thinking about an all AMD system, with a passively cooled(I want a silent system) HD 2600. Also, the mobo must be ready for future AMD CPU's. I have a PSU, as well as 1 GB of RAM(DDR2, 400MHz), but I'm looking into buying a new set. For factor wise, I want a miniATX board for space issues, but go ahead and suggest regular ATX boards too.

Summary:

Thing I have:

400 Watt F/S Power Supply
1GB of RAM(DDR2, 400MHz)
I do have a Pentium 805D, but I don't know if it's a viable option because it generates a lot of heat.

Things I need:

New CPU. Low powered, but powerfull(good performance/Watt)
Potentially new RAM. 2GB, maybe 667MHz sticks?
Two HDD drives, one small for the OS and one for general storage. I'm thinking about 120 for OS+apps and 500 for content.
Motherboard
Videocard, mid-end
Good and silent cooling(air)
A case reccomendation
Wi-Fi card/dongle with good Linux support
DVD-drive

Oh, and I might be running Linux(how's the TF2 compatibility on that, I've heard it runs fine) If not, I'll just dual boot.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Zalman 9700 is awesome.

 

[Cheeto]

Zalman 9700 is awesome.

Co-signed...my C2D idles at 27c because of that thing.

 

[zoku88]

.

I don't understand why you need two harddrives. You could just take a 750GB drive and partition it. It might be cheaper than what you're thinking of unless you were thinking of making the HDD that houses your OS super fast or something...

667 MHz is basically the minimum for RAM nowadays and that speed is probably fine.

 

[Pachael]

Budget: $526.00 paypals

What I got so far:

Antec Nine Hundred Case:

Motherboard Compatibility ATX / m-ATX
Expansion Slots 7
Cooling System:
120mm Fans 1 x 120mm TriCool rear fan with 3-speed switch control
2 x 120mm TriCool blue LED front fans with 3-speed switch control to cool HDDs

Intel Dual Core E2160

CPU Socket Type LGA 775
Operating Frequency 1.8GHz
FSB 800MHz
L2 Cache 1MB
Manufacturing Tech 65 nm
64 bit Support Yes
Voltage 0.85V – 1.5V
Thermal Power 65W
Cooling Device Heatsink and Fan included

YOU should now already, thats a highly overclockable CPU.

DVD-RW Drive

------------------------------------------------------------

Thats all I have.


I need:

-- Motherboard (It can be any one that overclocks good, i must confess i have a weird preference for ASUS though.)

-- PSU (I don't really get the efficiency thing neither how much Watts ill need for my PC i guess is around 600 to 700 watts?)

-- RAM (this one is easy just if you have any good ramDDR2* for overclocking would be better)

-- GPU (completely optional right now, but if theres any that can not exceed the budget then I could get it)

-- Monitor (also optional, what I need right now is the PC, the monitor can be worked on later, but to keep the tradition any recommendations are well taken.)


Thanks to Dog$ for the instructions, he is very helpful.

-------------------------------

The mobo i was thinking is the:

ASUS P5K-VM INTEL G33 CHIPSET

Only let down is that Max FSB is 1333 and max memory speed is 1066 so it would have to run at 1066 for 1:1. If theres cheaper at 1066 or faster memory allowance for the same price i would be more happy.

edit: removed pics.

I can help, since that's like my basic setup.

Agreed on the E2160, great overclocker. There's a great article on Tom's Hardware on this that inspired me to get it. http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/09/12/pentium_dual_core/

Note that getting a E2180 is better since I hear it's better on the overclock than the E2160 since it has a higher multiplier.

Talking about multipliers, the E2160 comes with 200Mhz bus and a 9x multiplier to give it 1.8Ghz. What you'd like to have, if you want to overclock, is a good quality board (which you mentioned ASUS, which is a good brand and you should be OK with it. I use the gigabyte P35-DS3, which is a good OC board too).

PSU wise I think you should be able to get away with a 400-450W if you're not overclocking. Make sure there is enough amperes on the 12v line for your GPU etc. If you are then maybe go for 500W. There's already some great recommendations in this thread, eg. the CoolMax.

For RAM, it depends on how future oriented you are. I think the DDR3s are too expensive (PS check your motherboards as mine doesn't support DDR3) so DDR2-800 is good to go. I went for the cheaper (at that time) DDR2-667 and since I knew I was going to overclock to 3Ghz (333Mhz x9), the RAM's a god send as I can run it 1:1 timing.

GPU is crucial for 3D gaming, and the resolution of your monitor determines the price range of the GPU you require. So for someone who's not as concerned on big resolutions, a cheaper GPU is OK like the 8600. Go for a 8800GT for high res goodness. Monitors - depends on what you're comfortable with and like. I like mine widescreen and large (22").

If you're OCing like me you may want to consider a cooler like the Zalman (9700). I run my chip on stock cooling which is effective for now but really I should get a cooler to keep the CPU temp low.

PS your case is great.

 

[Kosma]

I don't understand why you need two harddrives. You could just take a 750GB drive and partition it. It might be cheaper than what you're thinking of unless you were thinking of making the HDD that houses your OS super fast or something...

Thing is, even if you partition it and the HDD dies that wouldn't help you much. Having two drives solves that problem.