• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Confused by upcoming BTX... wanted to build new system

B

Bruck

Senior member
I was thinking of building the following specs for Doom3/HL2:

Mobo: Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
Processor: Intel P4- 3.4ghz Prescott
Ram: Kingston DDR PC 3200 1GB
Case: Antec Sonata
Video Card: either X800XT or 6800 ultra
HD: TBD but currently 10k scsi (20gb) + 120gb wd

Before I consider this setup should I consider a 775 based board? do the 775 based boards offer pci-x slots? will the newer graphics cards be offered in both styles?

Thanks for any advice
 
Not to be negative but right now is the worst time to make a system with all of the upcoming changes. You pretty much just have to pick something and go for it. Waiting for BTX may take awhile, and PCI Express doesnt show any urgent advantages as of right now. The video cards being made aren't going to run any faster per say on a PCI Express than AGP8x.

What you have listed looks like a great setup, very similar to mine 😉

oh yeah, go for the 6800 GT instead of those two...you can OC the GT to the U speeds as long as you have good cooling.
 
I would hold off on BTX. I believe there is some question as to the fate of the 775 socket design as the Tejas have been canceled - they were the chips first in line to go into the 775 socket w/ the BTX form factor. My understanding is that the BTX form factor is being pushed by intel because they can't make fast chips without making tons of heat and drawing tons of power and that BTX form factor is meant to provide improved cooling and adquate power. GOing with a 478 socket prescott would be a fine choice (although I would go w/ an Athlon64 if you are mainly building a gaming system as the Athlon64s destroy the intel systems in gaming, but I am not trying to start an amd vs intel thing). Going w/ PCI-X is also fine for down the road, but if you are trying to save a little cash (which by the specs I'd guess you arent 🙂 ) then getting a board w/o pci-x would do. I am not sure on the avaliability of the pci-x video cards. I think that nVidia is just taking their agp cards and putting some conversion circuits on it, so I dont think you would get any real boost from pci-x.
 
Originally posted by: dmw16
I would hold off on BTX. I believe there is some question as to the fate of the 775 socket design as the Tejas have been canceled - they were the chips first in line to go into the 775 socket w/ the BTX form factor. My understanding is that the BTX form factor is being pushed by intel because they can't make fast chips without making tons of heat and drawing tons of power and that BTX form factor is meant to provide improved cooling and adquate power. GOing with a 478 socket prescott would be a fine choice (although I would go w/ an Athlon64 if you are mainly building a gaming system as the Athlon64s destroy the intel systems in gaming, but I am not trying to start an amd vs intel thing). Going w/ PCI-X is also fine for down the road, but if you are trying to save a little cash (which by the specs I'd guess you arent 🙂 ) then getting a board w/o pci-x would do. I am not sure on the avaliability of the pci-x video cards. I think that nVidia is just taking their agp cards and putting some conversion circuits on it, so I dont think you would get any real boost from pci-x.
Click to expand...

Nit: pci-x != pci express, pci express is pci-e
 
was that really need Chronoshock? He wrote it first, I stuck with what he called it. I knew what he meant, he knew what he meant. But good thread crap just the same.
 
Actually, with all the upcoming technologies its the PERFECT time to upgrade to the high-end "old" gen technologies at a "comparatively" lower price.

Performance is great either way you go i875/Northwood or nf3/a64 combos.
 
tangent: yaya intel could be pushing btx because theirs procs are too hot(what about them switching all their cores to m's which are cooler then any amd?) but when your A64 heatsink snaps off your atx motherboards retention clip and lands on your 6800ultra you will see the logic behind btx
 
Originally posted by: dmw16
was that really need Chronoshock? He wrote it first, I stuck with what he called it. I knew what he meant, he knew what he meant. But good thread crap just the same.
Click to expand...
Would you have let it go if he called DDR RAM, RAMBUS instead? Both are RAM, but both are totally different technologies. Had he have gone into a shop and asked for a PCI-X board instead of a PCI-E board, I'm sure the OP would be quite disappointed that he cannot plug his shiny new PCI-E video card in.
 
Originally posted by: AndyHui
Originally posted by: dmw16
was that really need Chronoshock? He wrote it first, I stuck with what he called it. I knew what he meant, he knew what he meant. But good thread crap just the same.
Click to expand...
Would you have let it go if he called DDR RAM, RAMBUS instead? Both are RAM, but both are totally different technologies. Had he have gone into a shop and asked for a PCI-X board instead of a PCI-E board, I'm sure the OP would be quite disappointed that he cannot plug his shiny new PCI-E video card in.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kindly worded 0wnage of the acronym-challenged. 😀

- M4H
 
Originally posted by: Wahsapa
tangent: yaya intel could be pushing btx because theirs procs are too hot(what about them switching all their cores to m's which are cooler then any amd?) but when your A64 heatsink snaps off your atx motherboards retention clip and lands on your 6800ultra you will see the logic behind btx
Click to expand...
You haven't used, or even seen, a A64 retension mechanism, have you?
It can't snap off the motherboard. It is screwed on, and clips on the HSFs (reatil) are tough, and most good aftermarket HSFs screw on themselves, making it all but impossible, as well. I would easily trust dropping a A64 PC with a Hyper6 installed. I'd be more worried about the case itself being dented than anything else inside of it.
 
Originally posted by: Bruck
Wouldn't going northwood force me to choose another motherboard?
Click to expand...
Er, no. P4C800-E Deluxe is a socket 478 mobo, which will perform slightly better and use less power with a Northwood.
 
So intel's older cpu the one that is replaced by prescott (because prescott is supposed to run cooler and a little faster with more L2 cache) is the better choice for a gaming intended machine?

Please don't argue with me, i am pretty sure I don't want AMD , im an intel loyal.


Anyone care to comment on the Extreeme P4 / Northwood / Prescott choice i will have to make? So the best of the 3 for gaming is the extreme, then northwood, then prescott?
 
I really like the antec sonata, but thats for the suggestions (i have a height requirement i'm trying to fit in a desk opening and a "look" requirement i'm going for.
 
Originally posted by: Bruck
So intel's older cpu the one that is replaced by prescott (because prescott is supposed to run cooler and a little faster with more L2 cache) is the better choice for a gaming intended machine?

Please don't argue with me, i am pretty sure I don't want AMD , im an intel loyal.


Anyone care to comment on the Extreeme P4 / Northwood / Prescott choice i will have to make? So the best of the 3 for gaming is the extreme, then northwood, then prescott?
Click to expand...

P4EE's are fast! Too pricey that I'd take P4 3.0 over other intel. Or do what I did with one of my sys: 2.8C @3.5Ghz paired with i875 chipset.

Dont' worry about flamers. I both have P4 2.8C@3.5 and A64 3400+ and they both equally provide smooth gameplay. Who really looks at fraps while gaming? I'm busy fraggin their a$$es. Some people are busy putting more time in benching to get a bit ounce higher number. Whatever floats your boat, I get my fun out of gaming and not benching.
 
Originally posted by: Cerb
Originally posted by: Wahsapa
tangent: yaya intel could be pushing btx because theirs procs are too hot(what about them switching all their cores to m's which are cooler then any amd?) but when your A64 heatsink snaps off your atx motherboards retention clip and lands on your 6800ultra you will see the logic behind btx
Click to expand...
You haven't used, or even seen, a A64 retension mechanism, have you?
It can't snap off the motherboard. It is screwed on, and clips on the HSFs (reatil) are tough, and most good aftermarket HSFs screw on themselves, making it all but impossible, as well. I would easily trust dropping a A64 PC with a Hyper6 installed. I'd be more worried about the case itself being dented than anything else inside of it.
Click to expand...

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=1332664 - tell that to engenzero
 
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: AndyHui
Originally posted by: dmw16
was that really need Chronoshock? He wrote it first, I stuck with what he called it. I knew what he meant, he knew what he meant. But good thread crap just the same.
Click to expand...
Would you have let it go if he called DDR RAM, RAMBUS instead? Both are RAM, but both are totally different technologies. Had he have gone into a shop and asked for a PCI-X board instead of a PCI-E board, I'm sure the OP would be quite disappointed that he cannot plug his shiny new PCI-E video card in.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kindly worded 0wnage of the acronym-challenged. 😀

- M4H
Click to expand...

Yes, I was going to do it myself but I thought I'd check to see if anyone else had first 🙂
 
So intel's older cpu the one that is replaced by prescott (because prescott is supposed to run cooler and a little faster with more L2 cache) is the better choice for a gaming intended machine?
Click to expand...

You?ve got part of that backwards, Northwood runs much cooler than Prescott, and yeah it?s mostly faster at the same clock speed. The Extreme Edition chips are complete rip offs.

Please don't argue with me, i am pretty sure I don't want AMD , im an intel loyal.
Click to expand...

Just so long as you understand how badly an Athlon 64 at the same price usually destroys a P4 (for gaming and general usage). In some cases a $220 chip outperforms a $1000 Extreme Edition P4. Nothing wrong with picking an Intel chip, but don?t kid yourself about that.

Oh, and I like the Sonata. It?s a nice case to work in, and comes with a good quality power supply.
 
The Prescott runs very hot. It was made to reach very high clock speeds at all costs. A Northwood also performs better on the 865/875 chipset(s).
 
Originally posted by: Bruck
Please don't argue with me, i am pretty sure I don't want AMD , im an intel loyal.
Click to expand...

I must ask, in all seriousness, why are you loyal to intel. I think 99% of the forum population would say that there are valid reasons for going with Intel or AMD so I'd like to hear your reasoning.
 
Originally posted by: Wahsapa
Originally posted by: Cerb
Originally posted by: Wahsapa
tangent: yaya intel could be pushing btx because theirs procs are too hot(what about them switching all their cores to m's which are cooler then any amd?) but when your A64 heatsink snaps off your atx motherboards retention clip and lands on your 6800ultra you will see the logic behind btx
Click to expand...
You haven't used, or even seen, a A64 retension mechanism, have you?
It can't snap off the motherboard. It is screwed on, and clips on the HSFs (reatil) are tough, and most good aftermarket HSFs screw on themselves, making it all but impossible, as well. I would easily trust dropping a A64 PC with a Hyper6 installed. I'd be more worried about the case itself being dented than anything else inside of it.
Click to expand...

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=1332664 - tell that to engenzero
Click to expand...

truley, the stock retention brackets they are POS. if you dont think it can break think again, mine did and luckily my BFG 6800 Ultra was not damaged. I can provide you with pictuers if you really want them. get a nice aftermarket cooler like the swiftech mcx6400.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top