How will an X800XT help my rig?

[Concillian]

You can't install DDR RAM in a motherboard meant for RDRAM.

Therein lies the problem. It's an all or nothing kind of thing. 512 is still acceptable (barely) for now, just live with it a while longer.

Also power requirements for the x800XT and pro are similar, ATi website recommends either 300 or 350, I forget. It will require a connector. What you can do is run it and UNDERCLOCK it to be more stable with your smaller power supply.

Congrats on living on your own. $450 is a small price to pay for a huge Quality of living improvement.

 

[jason11279]

Well now THATS unfortunate. But i suppose i could wait a month till DOOM 3 is expected to arrive at my doorstep, try it out, scream in disgust, and THEN see what prices are like for the whole deal. Unfortunately that still leaves the issue of me looking at motherboards, reading the specs, and not having the slightest clue if im looking at a good mobo or not, or what its compatible with in terms of RAM as well as processors, maybe even the power supply, i wouldnt know =\
Ive really only worked inside my case with video and sound cards, everything else for me is just guesswork in terms of what to use and where to use it.

The gig of DDR RAM sounds right, and i'm figuring a hop up from 2.0 GHz to 3.0GHz would be enough (the fastest right now appears to be 3.66, i could be wrong). Is there a good medium-to-upper-level range motherboard that will allow me to plunk that type/amount of RAM into it, AND accept a 3.0 GHz intel chip?


I'm really enjoying this thread, i always wanted to learn to build my own comp, and if i can carry out all these upgrades, thatll fill in ALOT of gaps for what i do and dont know =D

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
Right now, I'm all for ATI and I stay sway from nVidia. I just have one more question; If I do upgrade to an A64+ 939 system, and keep my 9800Pro, will I see at least 60FPS constant in FarCry? I think my 9800Pro is worth keeping for at least a year.

Pity The 6800 GT is the best buy right now you know. If you're going to dish out that much money for an XT PE tho, I guess money's not an obstacle.

 

[Concillian]

Pretty much any modern P4 board out will support a 3GHz + 1GB DDR.

A couple to keep in mind:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-479&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-128-231&depa=0

The SiS 655TX or Intel 865PE chipset is probably best suited for your needs. There are a lot of new boards on the i915 and i925 chipsets coming out with the new socket, but at this point, they seem not really worth the added expense.

 

[jason11279]

Well thats not too terrible. And perhaps i can split it up this way: Just buy the x800 Pro and power supply its going to require, and simply ACCEPT the limitations imposed on it, for now. I could (hypothetically) get, say 10x better graphics over my GeForce3 instead of 20x, and just do the other upgrading later to bring out its full potential. Point being, it seems like i can indeed do some upgrading now, save up, and do more later, while still getting some immediate (and impressive) results.

I could live with that

 

[jason11279]

Speaking of which, how hard is it to install/replace a power supply, anyway?

 

[Concillian]

PS change should be easy.

The thing to look for is if you have proprietary power connections or some kind of heatsink/fan built into the power supply.

The ATX power connector should look like the 20 pin connector shown near the bottom of this page:
http://www.waterwheel.com/Guides/how_to/case_power_supply/cases_power_supply.htm

The power supply should be a smooth box with dimensions of 14cm (W) x 8.6 cm (H) x 15cm (L) or the case needs to have room for a power supply of that size, as that is the standard size.

The 'bad' kind of power supply to have would be one with an oddly attached fan and no fan on the CPU heatsink. I've seen this before, where the CPU fan and the power supply fan are the same fan. This means you likely won't be able to upgrade just the PS, but that kind of situation should be rare.

 

[jason11279]

Well this is interesting. Ive installed a new power supply with no problem, and gotten my hands on a Radeon x800 Pro made by Sapphire. But when install it, and turn the computer on, it reaches the screen where i can switch to the Setup or Boot Menu. Then, no matter what i choose, or if i just let it go normally, the screen disappears and the next one will NOT come up, it simply wont boot any furthur. Then when i reverse it and put the old card back in, it boots normally. I even uninstalled the GeForce 3 drivers first. My fear, since i cant think of what else it could be, is on the side of the box where one of the system requirements is "...compatible with AGP 8X (0.8V), 4X (1.5V) or Universal AGP 3.0 bus configuration (8X/4X)." I get the distinct feeling my motherboard may be too old to support those (maybe its AGP 2X or something). That being the case, im worried that getting one of the motherboards suggested earlier in this thread wont *physically* fit into my comp, and ill run the risk of wasting money.

How can i make SURE all these dang things will work on my Dell Dimension 8200? Can i really buy one of the motherboards above safely?

 

[dguy6789]

Originally posted by: caz67
Get the 6800GT, and more memory. The difference in speed is really neglible IMO. Nvidia offer better drivers, and the cards will get faster. Nvidia also offer IMO, a better overall package.

Nvidia has better drivers. LMAO. That is the most incorrect statement, it is as bad as "amd chips arent as compatible as intels"

ATI has MASSIVELY improved on their drivers since the release of the r300(radeon 9700). They release a new driver once a month or more, fixing all kinds of bugs right now, and nvidia only releases a new driver once or twice a year, and they really dont fix as much as ati drivers do.

Saying either company has superior drivers is moot, as they both seem to be at a stalemate

 

[jim1976]

While you will certainly benefit from whichever gpu you buy you might want to take into consideration that you will be cpu limited. A lot.
I'm talkin from my own experiences with a P4 2.8c with 1gb of ram and 6800GT.
These new high end cards require vast amounts of proccesing power to show their real potential.
So it's up to you to decide which are your priorities. Just a friendly warning from someone who has the honey and he's only able to dip his hand in it.

 

[Rage187]

ATI has MASSIVELY improved on their drivers since the release of the r300(radeon 9700).

I agree

They release a new driver once a month or more, fixing all kinds of bugs right now and nvidia only releases a new driver once or twice a year, and they really dont fix as much as ati drivers do.

LOL, so since Ati has to put out more drivers to fix problems w/ their cards, they are somewhat better than a company who has such solid drivers that only require a follow up every couple of months????


Give me a break.

Thats like saying Ford is a better car maker since they have the more recalls.

 

[dguy6789]

ATI used to have buggy drivers when nvidia didnt, but now both are almost bug free, and ati STILL makes new drivers with performance enhancing features and bug fixes, and very often at that.

Nvidia has the quality, but not the frequency to keep up with the games.

 

[JBT]

I think an XT is overkill for your rig.. I would go with something less like a GT.

 

[Rent]

Originally posted by: dguy6789
ATI used to have buggy drivers when nvidia didnt, but now both are almost bug free, and ati STILL makes new drivers with performance enhancing features and bug fixes, and very often at that.

Nvidia has the quality, but not the frequency to keep up with the games.

Uh yeah... if you need a WHQL stamp to get you off, then keep running your Radeon.

New nVidia drivers are released all the damn time, they're just not official. I could care less, I get more performance without having to wait for a stupid certification.

 

[GeneralGrievous]

$400 for an XT should be a no brainer.