Buying New PC (Some Q's and others)

[imported_Baka]

As the topic suggests and as my description of my current pc below states, I desperately need a new pc.

Stuff I am sure of buying so far:
Asus P5E IX38 Asus' MOBO Asus MOBO
Corsair Dominator DDR2-1066Mhz 2x 1GB
Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu LED CPU CoolerZalman Cooler Zalman Cooler
Sapphire ATi Radeon HD 3870 512MB

Now, the Q's:
1. Get a C2D E8400 or a C2Q Q6600? I am just going to game with this pc.
(I am going too overclock hence the RAM and cooler)
2. This motheboard is DDR2. Will future Nehalem Processors with the onboard memory ontrollers have DDR2 support on them? If not should I stick with this mobo or go a other route?
3. My current Athlon XP 2600+ is standard 1.9GHz. I have it now at 2.1Ghz. The voltage on CPU-Z says 1.584-1.6V. Is it normal for it to be this high?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bryanW1995]

nehalem will be ddr3 only iirc. ddr3 is SO FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE however, that I would recommend just keeping it at ddr2. go with the e8400 if you're just keeping it a year or two, go with the Q6600 or maybe a Q9450 if you're going to keep it for the long haul. Your cooler will not be sufficient for a Q6600, it MIGHT work ok on a Q9450 but I would recommend doing research first.

 

[DSF]

If you're just going to game, the E8400 is probably the better choice. It will produce less heat but offer equivalent or better performance than a lower-clocked quad.

You might consider a P35 motherboard rather than X38 unless you see Crossfire in your future. Also, at this point in the game I'd be buying 2x2GB for a new computer, especially one with a budget that can afford X38 and quad core.

 

[Denithor]

BryanW1995 +1
DSF +1

1) DDR3 too expensive to even consider right now, go with 2x2GB DDR2-800/1066 (for Q6600/E8400 respectively).
2) Also keep in mind that Nehalem processor will be on a different socket from today's motherboards, there will not be a drop-in upgrade to the next generation of chips.
3) In line with #2, don't go all that crazy with your motherboard selection. P35 is a much cheaper option if you don't plan to use crossfire. And even if you do, the 3870X2 or 9800GX2 single card options are probably better optimized than a standard crossfire/SLI setup and work fine on a cheaper single-PCIe slot motherboard.
4) Not many games today are optimized for four cores. For gaming you are generally better off with a faster dual core than a slower quadcore.

Basically, build for what you need today, not for what you expect to need two years from now. It is much cheaper to upgrade later than to attempt to "future-proof" your system today.

 

[YueHong]

If you are going to build the PC with upgradability, then I would recommends you to get AMD Phonem instead of Intel. Because Nehalem will required new socket. Therefore, there is no way you can upgrade your Core 2 PC to Nehalem. However, on AMD side, AMD has promised that it's future next generation processor will be workable on current socket and motherboard. Although right now, Intel's Core 2 quad is outperform AMD's Phonem. But I am 100% sure that AMD next generation processor will be outperform Intel's current most high end processor, but may not with Nehalem. Therefore, if you are planning to get a new PC now or anytime sooner, I would say AMD is the better choice.

 

[Phynaz]

Originally posted by: YueHong
AMD has promised that it's future next generation processor will be workable on current socket and motherboard.

While they may promise socket compatability, there is no way AMD would ever promise motherboard compatability.

 

[bryanW1995]

that's an interesting post, yuehong. On the surface it looks like a fanboyish statement, but if AMD purchasers today really will be able to drop in a shanghai and/or the high-k 45nm replacement for it then it's just barely possible that he might have a valid point. The only problem with it is this: 99% or more of all g-0 kentsfield or newer core-2 quads will run 24/7 stable at 3ghz+. MOST of the quads in the $350 range for intel now (aka Q9450 and X3350) will run at 3.5 ghz+ 24/7 stable. Intel has kickass chipsets. Intel chipsets can run crossfire just like amd can (other than that ridiculous 4-way crossfire with 4x3870).

Intel has a strong clock/clock advantage with penryn vs phenom. Let's just assume that the 45nm phenoms close that gap and, amazingly, the 45nm high-k cpus actually surpass penryn by, say, 5 % clock/clock. How many 45 nm high-k phenoms that are capable of 3.3-3.4 ghz 24/7 stable do you expect to see by march 31, 2009????? Will their high-k even be out by then? How many low-k 45nm phenoms will clock even to 3.5 or greater?

I personally think that there are too many what-ifs that have to go amd's way for the next 12 months for this to make sense at all. Intel currently has amd stomped at the high end and it will be a miracle if amd gets up off the mat before mainstream nehalem comes along and whacks them some more.

oh, and by the way, I counted my list of cpus on that "what chips have you owned thead", and I've only had 2 intel cpus including my current e6750. If AMD does produce a winner they have a pretty large enthusiast fan base out there waiting to support them, but right now they're just intel's bitch.

 

[imported_Baka]

Interesting post from all you. I have looked into AMD as well and myself I am a huge AMD fan (See my old pc on my signature), BUT for me they are now just clowning around and my money goes to the one which will bring me more performance.

bryanW1995: I have upgrade the cooler to the Zalman CNPS9500A LED. I kinda like that it throws the hot air out the back of the case and not onto the motherboard.
Your last post is precisely what I was worrying about for the future. When the CPU gets old I would throw in the best cpu which the board can support at that time and stick with it. After that I can use it for a server or something in that line when it gets to slow.

Denithor: I have decided that i want to go crossfire at a later stage but like u said Denithor, the 3870X2 would be better. The only problem I have is I live in South Africa. If you work out what i pay for the 3870 its 143.75 Pounds (R16=1 Pound) or 287.5 USDollars (R8=1 Dollar). Which is alright for me but does not justify the overcharge we are getting at 288Pounds or 575Dollars for a X2 version.

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[Denithor]

Baka--

Things just changed in video cards yesterday. The 9800GTX launched. Take a look at the review here on Anandtech and you will see that it rivals the 3870X2 card by itself, while using less energy (cheaper long term as well). All this for roughly $100 (here in the US) less than the 3870X2.

Depending on what resolution you game at it might make more sense to get a 3870, 9600GT, or a 8800GTS (512MB version, second fastest single-GPU card available, very small step down from the 9800GTX). The first two will work well for up to 1600x1200 in most games, go with the 8800GTS or 9800GTX if you are gaming at higher resolutions.

 

[imported_Baka]

Sorry for ressurecting my post from the grave but my system is up and running!

Final Specs:
C2D E8400 3Ghz (Not for long)
Zalman CNPS9500 Cooler
Asus P5E X38 Mothaboard
2GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2 Ram (Will buy another pair soon)
PowerColor ATi Radeon HD3870 512MB GFX Card
Omega 600W PSU
Samsung DVD Writer
500Gig Samsung SataII Harddrive 16MB + NCQ
Javelin Eliminator Case (Lots o fans... ooo)
Windows XP SP2

Thx for all your help guys providing feedback in buying this system.
Regards