HELP!

[xWilDx]

Hi im concerned about the motherboard im going to use on my next rig, it is a X38 ASUS Maximus Extreme but i dont know much about graphics cards

Crossfire mode: Which 2 ati cards would be the best for gaming and video editing?
or
Hack SLI mode : Which two Nvidia cards would be the best for gaming and video editing?

 

[imported_wired247]

What is your budget?

Search much? Didn't think so....

Shop around much? Didn't think so...

 

[Quiksilver]

What excellent first posts you have, they are all "Help me plz, I can't figure out what parts to get". Rather than breaking them into separate threads(like you did) for each section you could have just made one thread in general hardware with "Plz help me I'm clueless and don't know anything about what to choose for my new computer" because at this point, I would have to agree with the above poster you haven't done any research of your own and just signed up here. So I'll just give you a nice hint because I'm feeling nice.

Read Reviews:
anandtech.com
tomshardware.com
madshrimps.be
techpowerup.com
hardocp.com

Once you've taken the time to do your own research please come back and try again.

 

[Syntax Error]

Originally posted by: Quiksilver
Once you've taken the time to do your own research please come back and try again.

:thumbsup:

 

[BlueAcolyte]

To be kind, I will tell you that that board only does crossfire.

 

[sutahz]

Well he knows the X38 is a crossfire board, thats why he's asking if he should/could go hacked-SLi.
All caps, now thats classy!
What you should do research on also is if hacked sli is availible for the X38 chipset, that should really help you find your way.

What made you choose the Maximus Extreme?
Video editing is cpu based, not gpu (or so I gather from being in these forums).

 

[xWilDx]

sorry for posting it all wrong, I was considering 2 sapphire 3870 hd 512mb or 2 xfx 8800gt
alpha dog series (if hack sli is available) can i actual put 1 8800ultra in?. The reason for this is to be able to display on a 32" lcd screen which will be used for tv and gaming and video editing, I am fresh(new)to these forum thingy majigs

 

[Tempered81]

get 1 8800 ultra for dual display gaming. (in your situation)

 

[BassBomb]

Get a single 8800GT and you should be fine.

Sounds like you only want to do single display @ 1080p?

 

[xWilDx]

Well with what ive learned i think i'll just get 1 ultra and use the sli 780 mobo(then i will have the option to upgrade to 3U's) all just to play my little pony at more than 40 fps lol

 

[batmang]

Originally posted by: wired247
What is your budget?

Search much? Didn't think so....

Shop around much? Didn't think so...

Your absolutely no help to the OP, you should'nt have even posted anything.

On to the topic. I personally would look into a CrossFire capable setup. The motherboards are cheaper and you have more to choose from. The 3000 series from AMD/ATi gives you more options when it comes to multiple GPU's. You could pair a 3850 with a 3870, you could go all 3850's or 3870's, of you could even pair them with a 2000 series card. You have more options with CrossFire in my opinion. I would say go with CrossFire personally. If you go with SLI, I would go with two 9600GT's. You would be dumb not to go with that model specifically. They give awesome results for the price of the cards.


A good site that has some recent CrossFire and SLI reviews is TechSpot.com. Alot of people overlook them, but I like their reviews.

http://www.techspot.com/articl...-versus-radeon-hd3870/

 

[imported_wired247]

Sorry batmang, but you are VASTLY closer to the wrong side of the moral grey area here.

Encouraging people to help themselves is #1, even if the encouragement is a bit cold, and far more valuable than spoon feeding. Que the "teach a man to fish" proverb.

Once people have shown that they have done some level of research on their own, I am more than willing to help.

And I'm not trying to pimp my credentials here, but I am a super moderator on my350z which has 90k members, and I'm a well-liked and respected moderator. ("research first, ask questions later" is the policy that's not only enforced on my350z, but is also explicitly stated in the terms of use)

When you get new enthusiastic members every day asking the first question that pops into their head, but they have not done the minimum amount of research, that is a HUGE insult to the people who have spent HOURS of their time making VALUABLE posts on the forum that are easily searchable using forum tools such as the SEARCH function, not to mention google, newegg, etc.

It's like saying "Hey, you guys, who have spent hours helping people like me... can you spoon feed me everything from A through Z? Plz? PLZ??? PLEASZEE?"

It's just wrong. Look at this guy's post history and tell me you disagree. You, as a senior member of this site, should help people help themselves.

 

[JPB]

Originally posted by: wired247
Sorry batmang, but you are VASTLY closer to the wrong side of the moral grey area here.

Encouraging people to help themselves is #1, even if the encouragement is a bit cold, and far more valuable than spoon feeding. Que the "teach a man to fish" proverb.

Once people have shown that they have done some level of research on their own, I am more than willing to help.

And I'm not trying to pimp my credentials here, but I am a super moderator on my350z which has 90k members, and I'm a well-liked and respected moderator.

When you get new enthusiastic members every day asking the first question that pops into their head, but they have not done the minimum amount of research, that is a HUGE insult to the people who have spent HOURS of their time making VALUABLE posts on the forum that are easily searchable using forum tools such as the SEARCH function, not to mention google, newegg, etc.

It's like saying "Hey, you guys, who have spent hours helping people like me... can you spoon feed me everything from A through Z? Plz? PLZ??? PLEASZEE?"

It's just wrong. Look at this guy's post history and tell me you disagree. You, as a senior member of this site, should help people help themselves.

 

[NinjaJedi]

What's worse? This guy asking for help or the forum nazis? Since one of the reasons for this forum is to allow people to ask for advice I say it is the Nazi attitude of others.
Leave the guy alone if you don't like his threads don't read them or add him to your ignore list so you don't see them at all.

xwildx I would suggest going to the "my forums" page and clicking the "add ignored user" and add all those who insist on thinking they are the moderators or the forums gods of AT.

 

[imported_wired247]

It's very sweet that you're standing up for the OP... someone you don't even know. Very heart touching...

I fail to see how encouraging people to at least take the first step by doing some homework themselves is not helping.

I fail to see how it helps anyone to spoon feed them information, when they won't even come 5% of the way to asking a proper question.

NinjaJedi would you agree or disagree that somebody would get MORE and BETTER help if they come half-way with their question, as opposed to what the OP has done, which was spam multiple forums with zero-research questions?

That said, I'm not trying to moderate anything or play god. I am respectfully (without namecalling or personal attacks) telling people what I think of the situation.

NinjaJedi I find your statement ironic, as you are actually the one playing mini-mod here, in other words butting in to a conversation that I am having with users other than yourself, whilst attempting to reduce the severity of my words.

moderate
verb (used with object)
8. to reduce the excessiveness of; make less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous: to moderate the sharpness of one's words.
9. to preside over or at (a public forum, meeting, discussion, etc.).
?verb (used without object)
10. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.
11. to act as moderator; preside.

I'm not telling anyone to do anything (unlike yourself). I am giving my opinion of the virtues of spoon feeding information to someone, and everyone here is free to ignore it if they wish.

 

[imported_wired247]

New post, so I can address the OP directly.


(copied from one of xwildx's many threads)

As i see it, it would be best for me to opt for the ocz 750w Psu unit with the nvidia 780 tri sli mobo a qx6600 go step(up it to 3.4ghz) and have 4x2 ddr2 1200 ocz memory also (trying to get a valued high end pc)with 3 8800gt's 1 raptor 150gb 1 WD 1Tb hd and a few coolers chucked in (hoping the antec 900 case) is a good all round choice i was going to go with max ex asus x38 mobo with a thermaltake toughpower 850w x2 hd3870's with 2x2Gb of ocz ddr3 pc10666 and other stuff which is similar to above..

xWildx - First of all, I see that you have started to do lots of research on your own, which is great. But I fear you still have some over-hyped plans for what you might actually build in the end. I would suggest making a **new post** in GENERAL HARDWARE, following this guideline

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2090214&enterthread=y

First, Fill out the questions that are in the above link, with some nice formatting.

Then, when it comes to your ideal parts, format your parts nicely such as

1. CPU - Q6600
2. motherboard - ....

etc.

and you are sure to get lots of helpful replies.

You said you are new to internet forums. Believe me when I say you get very little respect for treating a forum like an AIM chat window. So, please take some time to make your posts look nice.

I don't believe that 4x2 ddr2 1200 (if 2GB modules even exist) is worth it. You will spend a lot of money and gain very little from it, especially if you are using a Q6600. I would tell you to get 4x2GB DDR2-800 if you want 8GB of RAM.


Also, people will tell you that SLi, and Tri-SLi is not a very good "Upgrade strategy" because by the time price comes down enough that you decide to upgrade with 2 more of the same video card, your tri-sli setup will likely be WEAKER than a newer, high end single-card solution.

in other words, either choose to do SLI when you do the build, or just use a powerful single card. In general, most people are quite happy with a powerful single card.

hope this gets you on your way

And finally, unless you said it somewhere I have NOT seen you list a budget yet. You are talking about TRI-SLI, it gets expensive. If you can spend $2000 or so, then you can definitely do it. Whether it's worth it is up to you, but most people wouldn't recommend paying for more than "normal" SLi




signed,
the helpful Wired 24/7

 

[SickBeast]

My vote is for NEITHER, especially if you're going to spend $300 on a 780i motherboard.

Get the best motherboard you can for ~$100, whether that be AMD or intel (personally I would go the intel route).

From there, you can get a single card that will be fine. If you must, you can get a GTX. If you're hell-bent on xfire/SLI, you can either get a 3870X2 or wait for the 9800GX2.

Considering the additional motherboard/PSU costs, along with the increased heat and power consumption AND the fact that some games do not scale well, I think you should re-think your plan. :light:

 

[NinjaJedi]

Originally posted by: wired247
It's very sweet that you're standing up for the OP... someone you don't even know. Very heart touching...

I fail to see how encouraging people to at least take the first step by doing some homework themselves is not helping.

I fail to see how it helps anyone to spoon feed them information, when they won't even come 5% of the way to asking a proper question.

NinjaJedi would you agree or disagree that somebody would get MORE and BETTER help if they come half-way with their question, as opposed to what the OP has done, which was spam multiple forums with zero-research questions?

That said, I'm not trying to moderate anything or play god. I am respectfully (without namecalling or personal attacks) telling people what I think of the situation.

NinjaJedi I find your statement ironic, as you are actually the one playing mini-mod here, in other words butting in to a conversation that I am having with users other than yourself, whilst attempting to reduce the severity of my words.

moderate
verb (used with object)
8. to reduce the excessiveness of; make less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous: to moderate the sharpness of one's words.
9. to preside over or at (a public forum, meeting, discussion, etc.).
?verb (used without object)
10. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.
11. to act as moderator; preside.

I'm not telling anyone to do anything (unlike yourself). I am giving my opinion of the virtues of spoon feeding information to someone, and everyone here is free to ignore it if they wish.

Why do you care what he does? Why does it bother you so much?

edit. I did not mention any names in my defense of the OP. To answer your question. I don't care if someone "comes half-way" It does not bother me at all. I will help anyone regardless of their prior knowledge or lack of. As far as calling anyone a name if by the word Nazi or god again I did not mention anyone by name. Also I did not tell anyone to do anything. I gave advice like you did. I said if you don't like it ignore him or don't read the threads. Maybe I should have used the word suggest like I did with my advice to the OP. I don't see how 6 threads is an extreme amount of posting. I searched his name and he has 6 threads.

 

[imported_wired247]

You're all backwards... I am the one helping and you are just arguing for the sake of arguing now. Plus, you side stepped my question, you might try reading it again.


Plus, my first post in this thread was 1) asking for budget (the primary consideration when it comes to SLi / Xfire) and 2) implying that the OP should search.

The rest of the argument came about when batmang came around with his spoon for feeding.

Plus, why are YOU so concerned with someone getting the typical noob treatment on a forum? When I am in fact trying to help, although you seem to have missed it twice now.

You aren't going to win this one Jedi... just stay out of it.

 

[NinjaJedi]

1st I don't see how some snide remark is really helping. 2nd I'm not arguing at all. 3rd I'll answer your question if you answer mine. I guess it would probably help if he read around like he said he did. But again it does not bother me at all if he did or didn't.

Why does it bother you?

Edit: You said you didn't resort to name calling yet in another of his threads you said he reminded you of someone who has ADD.

Originally posted by: wired247
The OP is reminding me of people I know personally who have ADD... and they are virtually impossible to communicate with via internet.

Wild: please spend 2 minutes to formulate complete thoughts and then follow them up with forming complete sentences. Don't forget to make your post readable with line breaks instead of one gigantic run-on sentence/paragraph. This is not a blog or an instant messenger... this is standard internet protocol when you are asking for help.

May I ask how old you are?

 

[imported_wired247]

No I'm done with this... thanks

 

[mwmorph]

Sooo. anyways, sorry for that, we're not all like that, not all of us bite, well, not much anyways, but I digress. Some people forget that a forum is just another source for doing research with a wider sample size.

As for what you want, please state your budget, as it looks right now, it seems almost unlimited and you'll be running it on a 32" 1080p tv I presume?

At 1920x1080, take a look at this
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.html
and this
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_sli2007.html

It'll list most of the cards available as well as the framerates that they get in certain configs.

I'd say a SLIed pair of8800GTS(320mb, though 640mb would be nice) would give you buttery smooth framerates while a SLIed pair of 8800GT will give pretty damn acceptable and pretty much smooth framerates at 1920x1080i in most games, at varying grades of AA and at the highest quality, but I'd bet most games would get you 2-4xaa

Slied 9600GT would also be a great value, not necessarily as fast as the 8800gt sli nor the 8800gts sli, but for the price it's great.

As for ATI, 1x 3870x2 will do well if you don't run everything at max detail levels, maybe a high instead of max here and there and no AA. I cant recommend 4x Crossfire or even 3x(and neither will I recommend 3x SLI) yet since the drivers aren't mature yet and it doesn't always work all too well.

As far as value goes, the GPU market is really pretty linear until you get up to the price of the 8800GTX and 8800Ultra which cost much more per performance gained.

Please note that my opinions tend to be very subjective and I am very bothered by lowered fps, more than the average user and you could probably get away with slightly less and still perceive gameplay as completely smooth. I'm sure most people will say 2x 8800gts at 1920x1080 is overkill but if your budget will fit around it...

As for video editing, that's mostly CPU based and as you can see,
http://www23.tomshardware.com/...6&model2=882&chart=432
The more mhz you can afford and the more cores the better. Video encoding is one of those things that end up scaling well with more than 2 cores. Not many programs take advantage of quad core, yet but video editing is one of them. In most video encoding applications, Quad core 2.4ghz will beat out even a dual core 3.166ghz by quite a margin.

 

[xWilDx]

Well thankyou guys for your replies most appreciated, you gotta take the rough with the smooth i say ^^ so bearing in mind ive have made up my mind on my final spec for a new build(For you WIRED ):laugh:

PSU: Ocz silencerQuad 750w
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/news/2209
CASE: Thermaltake Xaser VI VG4000SWA http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811133054
MOBO: DFI lputx48-t3r FSB1600MHz,DDR31333 http://us.dfi.com.tw/Upload/News/US/arch476.html
CPU:Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 2.4ghz http://www.clubit.com/product_...0M_c7ZECFQ8YQgodbDjDxg
MEMORY: 2X1GB Twin3x2048-1066 c7 ddr3
http://www.pricebat.ca/Corsair...al-Channel.p_10060875/
Graphics: Sapphire's water cooled x2 Hd3870 512mb
http://www.nordichardware.com/news,7309.html

This is the definately finished list all other components are easy to find

 

[xWilDx]

Lol i dont need anyone to stick up for me but thanks anyhow im nearing 30

 

[xWilDx]

I think ive choosen this new product
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2158855&enterthread=y