Inherited a CPU, need building advice

[elconejito]

OK, so for the sake of argument let's say the difference between UD3P+DDR2+slightly cheaper & X48+DDR3+slightly more expensive is a wash. Let's take that out of the equation because one is just as good as the other (if it costs more it's in your allowable budget, so why not? right?).

So the difference maker will be the crossfire ability. So then the question boils down to:
At the resolution I plan to game at (1920 x 1080 lets say), with 2 ATI 4890s would I get a noticeable improvement with 16x/16x over 8x/8x?

If the answer is "Meh, a few FPS here and there" then I'd say go with the cheaper UD3P+DDR2 and spend the cash you save on that second GPU right now (or an SSD, or buy a round of drinks at the bar)

If the answer is "Dude X48 KILLZ P45 in Xfire!!!" then get the X48+DDR3.

First stop would be google and search for benchmarks/comparisons, and you may also post in the video card forum for more insight.

I think either way you go, you'll be quite happy with the setup. Looking at the last few newegg links you put up the difference in cost is maybe 150-200 between the two platforms.

EDIT: Also, please double check if you can use Nvidia cards in a crossfire board before you buy. If I recall right (my memory is a bit fuzzy on this) P45 can only do ATI cards, but the X48 can go either way. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong about that...

 

[czarnybaran5150]

If the answer is "Meh, a few FPS here and there" then I'd say go with the cheaper UD3P+DDR2 and spend the cash you save on that second GPU right now (or an SSD, or buy a round of drinks at the bar.

I owe everyone here a round of drinks for all of the great help you've given me.

I guess I just have to make a decision here. All of the options are making my brain swim. I could spend as much or as little as I want on this thing. While the qx9750 is a nice CPU, it's also not the newest CPU. Plus, I agree with brblx that I should just go for what is proven , not just the newest glitziest component. I should probably order this stuff tonight if I want to take advantage of the deals.

I was thinking about a SSD. I know the Intel ones are awesome, but I'm not spending $300 to $600 for a drive. Once again, can you recommend something?

BTRY B 529th FA BN, I've seen that LG in Frys and I wasn't all that impressed with it, despite the specs on it.

So here's the current build as it stands:

MOTHERBOARD + WINDOWS HOME 64 (Combo)

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ombo.205100.13-128-358

$239.98

HEATSINK + FANS

Prolimatech Megahalems + Noctua NF S12B FLX Fan
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com...halems-cpu-cooler.html

$83.98
CASE & POWER SUPPLY

Antec Signature CP-850

Antec P183
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.208555

$225.45
RAM: 8 Gigs

(2) G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1100 (PC2 8800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8800CL5D-4GBPI - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...4&ref=dynamitedata.com

$64.99 x 2 = $129.98

VIDEO CARD:

ASUS ATI Radeon 4890
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121311

$190.00 after rebate

DVD DRIVE

Samsung
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151171

$25.99

HARD DRIVE
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284

$99.00

MOTHERBOARD + WINDOWS HOME 64 (Combo)

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ombo.205100.13-128-358

$239.98

HEATSINK + FANS

Prolimatech Megahalems + Noctua NF S12B FLX Fan
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com...halems-cpu-cooler.html

$83.98
CASE & POWER SUPPLY

Antec Signature CP-850

Antec P183
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.208555

$225.45
RAM: 8 Gigs

(2) G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1100 (PC2 8800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8800CL5D-4GBPI - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...4&ref=dynamitedata.com

$64.99 x 2 = $129.98

VIDEO CARD:

ASUS ATI Radeon 4890
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121311

$190.00 after rebate

DVD DRIVE

Samsung
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151171

$25.99

HARD DRIVE
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284

$99.00

MONITOR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001280

SAMSUNG ToC T240HD Rose-Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 10000:1 Built in DTV Tuner & Dolby Digital Surround Speakers - Retail

$309.00

 

[deputc26]

When it come to SSDs here is the low down (I just copied this from another thread I posted in)

Excellent questions, yes SSDs use a bunch of flash memory chips all working together. The data flow is organized by a controller. Which controller the SSD has determines largely how good the drive is, the first controllers (made by JMicron) were terrible and caused stuttering issues that most users would find unacceptable. Many(most) of the drives you see on the market still have this controller, avoid it. There are three other types of controllers on the market, the best is:

Intel's (also the most expensive) which comes only in Intel SSDs and Kingston SSDNow SSDs.

The (arguably) second best controller is made by Indilinx and is called the Barefoot controller, it is excellent and beats Intel at somethings but is not as all-round solid. SSDs using this controller are OCZ Vertex, OCZ Agility, Supertalent Ultradrive ME, G.Skill Falcon, Patriot Torqx. I believe the Falcon is currently best value at $200 for 60gb but I would get the Vertex for OCZ's superior customer service and slightly better firmware.

Last is Samsung's controller which is used in (obviously) Samsung SSDs, OCZ Summit and others though I forget the full list it is not that long.

Any of the above SSD's are excellent, Since price is an issue I'd recommend an Indilinx based drive, they are (currently) most cost effective.

 

[czarnybaran5150]

So I'm trying to determine which monitor to get and I would REALLY appreciate a recommendation. I see a lot of complaints regarding TN panels. I found these on newegg and they have received good reviews. Thoughts?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824254026

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824005126

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001280

 

[Denithor]

You guys seem to have forgotten the OP has a QX9750. Meaning he will be overclocking by simply increasing the CPU multiplier. So high-performance motherboard/memory/etc really brings nothing but extra cost (board/ram don't have to be able to go fast - they won't be overclocked at all).

The one advantage the UD3P brings is very very stable voltage for the CPU. This is actually critical in overclocking quads making this board still a very good choice.

If you are seriously considering a multiGPU setup you need to read this first.

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Originally posted by: Denithor
You guys seem to have forgotten the OP has a QX9750. Meaning he will be overclocking by simply increasing the CPU multiplier. So high-performance motherboard/memory/etc really brings nothing but extra cost (board/ram don't have to be able to go fast - they won't be overclocked at all).

The one advantage the UD3P brings is very very stable voltage for the CPU. This is actually critical in overclocking quads making this board still a very good choice.

If you are seriously considering a multiGPU setup you need to read this first.

Denithor, thank you for the useful information.

So if I understand you correctly, loading up on a fancy mobo and RAM will essentially give me no additional benefit because the CPU will be doing all of the work since it has unlocked multipliers?

So, maybe I shouldn?t have a dual card setup b/c it will be too taxing on my QX9750? So if I should only have ONE gpu on the system, do you think the ATI radeon 4890 is a good choice?

Thanks!

PS: Oh, and what does OP mean?

 

[betasub]

Denithor does make a good point. The beauty of Intel's "Extreme" processors is the unlocked multiplier, giving easy overclocking without needing to make any changes to the FSB, Northbridge or memory sub-system. Super-fast CPU speeds can be achieved with a fairly basic board & BIOS. Of course, most overclockers will still want to play with those settings anyway.

BTW, OP = "orignal post" or "original poster".

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: czarnybaran5150
Denithor, thank you for the useful information.

No problemo.

So if I understand you correctly, loading up on a fancy mobo and RAM will essentially give me no additional benefit because the CPU will be doing all of the work since it has unlocked multipliers?

Exactly. A stock QX9750 is going to run 3.16GHz on a 333 fsb (9.5x333=3.16GHz). A normal (non extreme) CPU would be overclocked by increasing the fsb (9.5x400=3.8GHz, etc) so your motherboard/ram have to be able to handle the higher-than-stock speeds (DDR2-800 will handle up to 400 fsb, DDR2-1066 will go to 533 fsb, etc). These extreme edition chips are different beasties altogether - you just adjust the cpu multiplier and your speed goes up - with no strain on the other system components at all. So you want to go 4GHz? Just set your CPU multi to 12 and you're there (12x333=4GHz). Make sure you've got enough cooling though!

So, maybe I shouldn?t have a dual card setup b/c it will be too taxing on my QX9750? So if I should only have ONE gpu on the system, do you think the ATI radeon 4890 is a good choice?

Too taxing? Not really. You just won't necessarily get as many fps in games with 2x4890 on QX9750 as you would with the same two video cards on an i7 setup. Right now the 4890 offers perhaps the best performance/cost ratio for single cards (note - not the highest raw power, just the best "bang-for-the-buck"). Besides which you seriously don't need a multiGPU setup unless you're planning on running the newest games on a 30" LCD at 25x16.

PS: Oh, and what does OP mean?

OP = Original Poster = You

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Denithor and Betasub, excellent info. Thank you!

Just a couple more questions:

1.) Is there another GPU I should look at? I?m not married to either ATI or NVIDIA, I just want the best card for the money. I?m willing to spend $250ish.

2.) Could you please look at my previous post concerning a monitor? I?m totally lost on choosing an LCD monitor. I?m willing to drop around $300 for a 24inch screen. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Denithor]

XFX 4890 $195 shipped

XFX GTX 275 $210 shipped

In the <$250 range those are your best options. There's a Gigabyte GTX 275 for $185AR but you gotta mess with a rebate and Gigabyte doesn't stand behind their cards like XFX does (just love the double lifetime warranty that covers overclocking & aftermarket coolers - remember to register within 30 days of purchase).

Between those two I'd pick the 4890.

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Originally posted by: Denithor
XFX 4890 $195 shipped

XFX GTX 275 $210 shipped

In the <$250 range those are your best options. There's a Gigabyte GTX 275 for $185AR but you gotta mess with a rebate and Gigabyte doesn't stand behind their cards like XFX does (just love the double lifetime warranty that covers overclocking & aftermarket coolers - remember to register within 30 days of purchase).

Between those two I'd pick the 4890.

Thanks for the response Denithor. One final question concerning video cards. What is your take between the XFX 4890 and the ASUS 4890? (I know I'm splitting hairs here, but I've read reviews that the XFX has a pretty noisy fan)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...1311%2CN82E16814150359

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Well, I took the plunge, placed my order and I can't wait.

As this thread winds to a close I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who gave me their recommendations. I want to thank Lunyone, Swanysto, Bruceb, Zerogear, betasub
and deputc26 for jumping into the discussion to give me some good pointers.

I am EXTREMELY grateful and thankful to Elconejito, BTRY B 529th FA BN, Brblx, Nsafreak, and Denithor. You guys went above and beyond the type of help I would have ever expected from a forum. I'll be honest that I posted my "original" specs for my computer on 5 different computer forums and this one had by far the nicest, most knowledgeable and most helpful people (not to mention patient. It got to the point where I simply didn't check the other 4 anymore, I just kept coming back here. I really learned a lot from you guys.

You guys should be commended for making this forum such a great place. You all rule.

(Cue The Oscars music...)

 

[elconejito]

post back after your done and let us know how it all went. Maybe post a final parts list?

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: elconejito
post back after your done and let us know how it all went. Maybe post a final parts list?

What he said.

Also - the reason I recommend XFX video cards is their outstanding warranty (double lifetime - you can transfer it if you ever sell the card - and covers overclocking and even aftermarket coolers) and excellent customer service/support. These guys are one of only three companies I would even consider buying a GPU from today - the others being EVGA and BFG. Hope you got the XFX card and if you did - don't forget to register it within 30 days of receipt for the full warranty (otherwise I think you only get a 2 year warranty).

Finally, you will find that most all of this forum is filled with the same sort of helpful friendly people you experience here in General Hardware. You should stick around a bit here - there's lots of great info available and nice people to meet.

 

[czarnybaran5150]

I did roll with the XFX card, but I got the XXX edition which was 50mhz faster for about $25 more (It may or may not have been worth it but I couldn?t resist at that price point). The XXX also has the double lifetime warranty just like the other card you suggested. I did get a Zalman after market cooler for the card because I heard the stock fans are louder than a leaf blower.

The parts list is the same as the previously posted list except for the change in the aforementioned GPU + the Zalman VF1000.

Overall, I?m really happy with the parts and the price. I don?t think I would have considered half the parts if it weren?t for you guys.

 

[betasub]

Good luck! Hopefully the build will go smoothly, and everything will fit/power up/work together. Do post back to let us know your experience.

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Originally posted by: betasub
Good luck! Hopefully the build will go smoothly, and everything will fit/power up/work together. Do post back to let us know your experience.

God I hope so

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

You are quite welcome czarnybaran5150

Take care and have fun!

 

[czarnybaran5150]

Well, I got all of the parts and turned it on and it won't post.

The power fans all turn on, but none of the USB, keyboard, mouse stuff works. Plus, no beeping from the BIOS and the video will not come on my monitor.

Any ideas? (sigh)

 

[brblx]

you try pulling everything but one stick of ram and the video card?

 

[czarnybaran5150]

brblx, thanks for the response. I figured it out. I overlooked the 8 pin power connector b/c it was being obscured by the Megahalems.