Comments on new PC Setup?

[stoneysilence]

Well I am really close to buying my new system, it is really stretching my budget because I need another $200 for a 20" Widescreen LCD from Dell. In fact I may have to downgrade the video card a little because of expense. I wish ATI would release their cards so nVidia would drop their prices. I am almost tempted at just buying a cheapo $25-50 video card for now (almost anything would be better than my current Radeon 9800 Pro). And buy a new video card when the ATI's come out.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...spx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5123
http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wis...cWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=3881745

 

[Dashel]

Just my 2cents, but I'm building a new PC soon as well and from what I've been seeing here's a couple of changes I'd make.

Go with a 7200.10 over the Raptor and save 100 bucks or more, get more storage and not lose much performance.

Expensive motherboard, why that particular one?

8800GTS 640, I've read the 320 is really close in performance and 100 bucks cheaper.

Huge PS, I was gonna go for a 700W but realized I didnt need near that much juice. Can knock of 50-60 bucks with a 500W, the 520 Corsair I'm looking at for instance:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe...oductCode=373100&prodlist=pricegrabber

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139001


Just some thoughts on where to trim some cost. Good luck with your build!

 

[stoneysilence]

I used a Power Calculator and it figured my system as it is would use 606w and PSU's as they get older lose some power capability so I went with the 700w.

I really like the 680i chipset mainly because it can have 2 full x16 PCI-E cards not the normal x8 per card. It also has a PCI-E slot for future physics card. Haven't heard much about speed of the perpendicular recording hd's. Got any benchmarks for them vs. the raptors?

Edit: NM, I found some benchmarks.

 

[Phantomaniac]

You should go with the EVGA 680i LT. It still has the full 2x16 PCI-E and its $65 less than the 680i. It doesn't have the extra x8 PCI-E, but current physics cards use PCI anyhow. Also that 2GB of DDR2 1066 might not give you as much of a performance advantage as you think over a low latency kit of DDR2 800. And finally, if you're only using a 20" monitor, I believe the 320MB version of the 8800GTS should be more than enough. Most benchmarks show that overall performance of the of the 640Mb version doesen't exceed that of the 320Mb version untill resolutions beyond 1600x1200.

EVGA 680i LT

 

[stoneysilence]

However for games like EQ2 and Vanguard they need extra ram on the video card for that high of resolution. Plus I plan on possibly a second monitor otherwise I would get the 320mb version.

 

[daftpunkit]

If you need a huge PSU go with the OCZ 700W GameXStream for $102 AR, or even better (but more expensive but still cheaper than your choice) Seasonic S12 650W for $150. Another good choice is Silverstone Olympia 650W for $127. The Corsair 620HX is also another good choice for $124.

Looks like a gaming rig, if you do game, you know you will be able to fit like 3 games, small amount of media (mp3s and movies) on that raptor. Get a Seagate drive thats easily 5-6 times that size and nearly the same performance. You'll lose a few seconds in game loads, nothing tremendous.

 

[stoneysilence]

Yes I game but I have another Data drive in my current system that is 250gb which will hold my normal stuff. The raptor will only hold a few games like EQ2, Vanguard and a few other games that need top notch performance and my Windows Virtual Memory.

Will check out the OCZ PSU.

EDIT: Checked out the OCZ, it's $125 after rebate at Newegg. However it doesn't have Modular cabling like the Thermaltake does and it is only $144 after rebate. So for an extra $20 I get modular cabling.

 

[Boyo]

Go for modular cabling. You won't regret it.

 

[stoneysilence]

Ok, I updated my thing a little. Mainly I dropped my 8800GTS for now and am getting a cheapo 7300GT. It's better than my Radeon 9800 Pro (I think?). This will allow me to save a little bit of money until the end of May, begining of June when the ATI cards are released. Hopefully by then nVidia will drop the prices on their 8800GTS a little bit.

Think that's a good idea? I play all my games now on a Radeon 9800 Pro so I figure I can survive another month or so with a 7300GT (256mb, 128bit).

 

[Phantomaniac]

This X1650 is about the same price as a 7300GT and has 12 piplines instead of 8. It also has higher clockspeeds.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102035

Other than that you have a good idea. The video card market will completely change in around a month when AMD/ATI releases the R600.

 

[stoneysilence]

Great catch. Only $3 more and has a $20 rebate. When I am done with it I can probably resell it online for $50.

 

[stoneysilence]

Well I went ahead and purchased the parts this morning. You can see what I bought in my OP link. I went for the 8500GT for $100 instead of the 7300GS or the X1650. It is DX10 capable and only $100 with about the same speed as probably the other two. I figure with it's DX10 capability I can sell it for $75-100 again when I am done with it on Craig's List.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
Well I went ahead and purchased the parts this morning. You can see what I bought in my OP link. I went for the 8500GT for $100 instead of the 7300GS or the X1650. It is DX10 capable and only $100 with about the same speed as probably the other two. I figure with it's DX10 capability I can sell it for $75-100 again when I am done with it on Craig's List.

Honestly...your configuration is a mess right now.

- Too expensive of a motherboard for the other parts

- too much power supply

- Too much money spent on mobo, CPU, Hard drive, memory and too little on a video card

- Expensive memory is pointless unless you are majorly OCing. I see no aftermarket heatsink so I will assume you are not. Plus its not even a gaming rig at this point. Get 2x 1GB of DDR2 667 and be cheap.

Here is the computer build I am looking at for my brother. It's approximately the same cost as yours...but much better performance.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=2037778

EDIT: Didn't see that purchased it...sorry

 

[stoneysilence]

-The motherboard is perfect, it allows alot of future expandability which is what I need considering this pc will last me the next 4-5 years with little upgrades. It also has 2 FULL 16x each PCI-E slots and a 3rd at 8x, so I can SLI and put in a physics card.

-I used a Power supply Calc with what all I wanted in my pc, it said I needed 606w PSU. PSU's also lose wattage over time as they get older. Plus I may go Dual video cards+physics which would up that 606w even higher. I originally was going to get a 700w, but the 750 was only $15 more after rebate.

-Too much money spent on CPU? Same CPU you linked. I also bought the cheapo video card for a reason if you read the whole thread I stated what I was doing and why. I wanted a 10k Raptor because games like EQ2/Vanguard which I play really benefit from the faster hd's.

-The memory isn't expensive considering it is 1066 ram which matches the FSB of my CPU and the FSB capability of the mb. Best to have all those in line for optimum performance otherwise your ram will be hindering your CPU.

Sorry but I don't see that your system will beat mine in performance in any way other than graphics card. In 2-3 months that will change. And no I don't OC and don't plan on it right now. But that doesn't mean I might not later.

 

[stevty2889]

power supply calcs are usualy full of crap. I am using a 650W PSU for my overclocked E6600(soon to be Q6600) with an 8800GTX, and even that was an overkill. For SLI, you would need a bigger PSU, but does the thermaltake even have 4 PCIe power connectors you would need for 8800GTX's in SLI? Plus you can do much better than thermaltake, they are far from the best, and that one is pretty well overpriced compared to the much higher quality competition.

The memory doesn't match the CPU FSB, 533mhz DDR-2 matches with 1066mhz FSB(FSB=266x4, DDR-2(DOUBLE data rate) to match that FSB is 266x2, or 533mhz) 1066mhz memory would run 1:1 with a 533x4 FSB or 2132mhz FSB.

As for the raptor, it'll help with load times some, but not a huge differance.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
-The motherboard is perfect, it allows alot of future expandability which is what I need considering this pc will last me the next 4-5 years with little upgrades. It also has 2 FULL 16x each PCI-E slots and a 3rd at 8x, so I can SLI and put in a physics card.

-I used a Power supply Calc with what all I wanted in my pc, it said I needed 606w PSU. PSU's also lose wattage over time as they get older. Plus I may go Dual video cards+physics which would up that 606w even higher. I originally was going to get a 700w, but the 750 was only $15 more after rebate.

-Too much money spent on CPU? Same CPU you linked. I also bought the cheapo video card for a reason if you read the whole thread I stated what I was doing and why. I wanted a 10k Raptor because games like EQ2/Vanguard which I play really benefit from the faster hd's.

-The memory isn't expensive considering it is 1066 ram which matches the FSB of my CPU and the FSB capability of the mb. Best to have all those in line for optimum performance otherwise your ram will be hindering your CPU.

Sorry but I don't see that your system will beat mine in performance in any way other than graphics card. In 2-3 months that will change. And no I don't OC and don't plan on it right now. But that doesn't mean I might not later.

Memory:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2813&p=6

You could have gone with DDR 667 and only noticed a maybe 1 FPS decrease in performance.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

For instance that would be $100 cheaper and roughly the same performance.

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

Use that power supply calculator. Power supplies do not "lose wattage" over time.

No sense in beating a dead horse though...you already purchased

 

[stoneysilence]

The memory doesn't match the CPU FSB, 533mhz DDR-2 matches with 1066mhz FSB(FSB=266x4, DDR-2(DOUBLE data rate) to match that FSB is 266x2, or 533mhz) 1066mhz memory would run 1:1 with a 533x4 FSB or 2132mhz FSB.

Doh, oh well, guess my ram is good for several years of FSB upgrades. *shrug*

but does the thermaltake even have 4 PCIe power connectors you would need for 8800GTX's in SLI

Apparently not. It only has 2. Sli won't happen for me for a few years down the road, guess I can scrounge up another $150 for a better PSU at that time.

they are far from the best, and that one is pretty well overpriced compared to the much higher quality competition.

Like what? Everything else that I saw like PC P&C, Corsair, Antec, etc.. were alot more expensive for the same wattage. From what I researched the Thermaltakes under 700w are made cheaply but the 700w+ are made by a name brand. Never heard who made them but read only good things about them. I also have a 450w Thermaltake in my current system and been running beautifully for 3 years now.

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine
Use that power supply calculator. Power supplies do not "lose wattage" over time

That is the Calc that I used. And as quoted from that Calc:

4 Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years

I leave my PC on 24/7 and will have that PSU for 4-5 years why I got the extra growing room.

 

[Sdiver2489]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence

The memory doesn't match the CPU FSB, 533mhz DDR-2 matches with 1066mhz FSB(FSB=266x4, DDR-2(DOUBLE data rate) to match that FSB is 266x2, or 533mhz) 1066mhz memory would run 1:1 with a 533x4 FSB or 2132mhz FSB.

Doh, oh well, guess my ram is good for several years of FSB upgrades. *shrug*

but does the thermaltake even have 4 PCIe power connectors you would need for 8800GTX's in SLI

Apparently not. It only has 2. Sli won't happen for me for a few years down the road, guess I can scrounge up another $150 for a better PSU at that time.

they are far from the best, and that one is pretty well overpriced compared to the much higher quality competition.

Like what? Everything else that I saw like PC P&C, Corsair, Antec, etc.. were alot more expensive for the same wattage. From what I researched the Thermaltakes under 700w are made cheaply but the 700w+ are made by a name brand. Never heard who made them but read only good things about them. I also have a 450w Thermaltake in my current system and been running beautifully for 3 years now.

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine
Use that power supply calculator. Power supplies do not "lose wattage" over time

That is the Calc that I used. And as quoted from that Calc:

4 Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years

I leave my PC on 24/7 and will have that PSU for 4-5 years why I got the extra growing room.

Out of curiosity...what did you put in your configuration to get it up to 600 watts?

 

[stoneysilence]

I had alot of stuff in there, some of it I had to cut at this time but plan on getting. Like a second video card, Physics card, K1 (NIC), X-Fi, etc..

Had to cut the Physics card and the K1 at this time.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
-The memory isn't expensive considering it is 1066 ram which matches the FSB of my CPU and the FSB capability of the mb. Best to have all those in line for optimum performance otherwise your ram will be hindering your CPU.

rofl... no

Oh well, let this thread be a lesson to other system builders; do your reading and your research before you buy!

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
I had alot of stuff in there, some of it I had to cut at this time but plan on getting. Like a second video card, Physics card, K1 (NIC), X-Fi, etc..

Had to cut the Physics card and the K1 at this time.

SLI and a physics card? K1? :laugh:

You should definitely buy the KILLER NIC. You'll be able to pwnzor teh haxors at like 938040 fps.

 

[stoneysilence]

I looked into getting some DDR2 800 instead and of all the ram that is approved for that EVGA board, I wouldn't save any money for the DDR2 800. It was all ~$150+. If I returned my current 1066 ram it would cost me ~$40 in restocking fee's and it only costs me $200 after rebates. So it's basically too late and I am happy with my 1066 ram. Won't have to worry about upgrading my ram if they come out with faster FSB for that board/cpu.

 

[stoneysilence]

Originally posted by: Roguestar

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
I had alot of stuff in there, some of it I had to cut at this time but plan on getting. Like a second video card, Physics card, K1 (NIC), X-Fi, etc..

Had to cut the Physics card and the K1 at this time.

SLI and a physics card? K1? :laugh:

You should definitely buy the KILLER NIC. You'll be able to pwnzor teh haxors at like 938040 fps.

If all you do is ridicule people then why do you post? Take your trolling somewhere else.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
I looked into getting some DDR2 800 instead and of all the ram that is approved for that EVGA board, I wouldn't save any money for the DDR2 800. It was all ~$150+. If I returned my current 1066 ram it would cost me ~$40 in restocking fee's and it only costs me $200 after rebates. So it's basically too late and I am happy with my 1066 ram. Won't have to worry about upgrading my ram if they come out with faster FSB for that board/cpu.

Fair enough. But they'd have to double the FSB speed of the average Conroe for that RAM to be running 1:1 with it, and more to be inadequate. You'll have an easier time overclocking, and if you set the memory multiplier in the BIOS to 1:2 you might get a bit more memory bandwidth from your RAM, but you probably won't notice an appreciable difference with a Core 2 system.

If you get a good deal on higher speeded RAM it's better, especially if you're overclocking, but if you're not then unless you're getting good quality, fast RAM for about the price of some generic DDR2-533 then you'll end up with unused performance that you're paying for.

Originally posted by: stoneysilence

Originally posted by: Roguestar

Originally posted by: stoneysilence
I had alot of stuff in there, some of it I had to cut at this time but plan on getting. Like a second video card, Physics card, K1 (NIC), X-Fi, etc..

Had to cut the Physics card and the K1 at this time.

SLI and a physics card? K1? :laugh:

You should definitely buy the KILLER NIC. You'll be able to pwnzor teh haxors at like 938040 fps.

If all you do is ridicule people then why do you post? Take your trolling somewhere else.

Lighten up! I obviously can't help you retroactively with any advice I could give but the best I can say from here would definitely be "don't buy a Killer NIC". If you were seriously considering it, scrap it from your list and add the money to something else; a better sound card or monitor for example.

I consider SLI a total waste of money compared to the performance increase for the doubling in price. Physics cards, at the moment are also easily grouped into the same bracket as the Killer NIC (gamers who have been bombarded with marketing then purchase based on big numbers and promises made in advertisements instead of reading tech news, reviews and forums), and even with the rise of "stream processors" in newer graphics card which can do physics processing themselves (not to mention all the CPU cores we're lying idle these days with our dual-core and quad-core processors not being fully utilised).