I've been researching for a few days and still don't really have a clear picture of what direction to take. I haven't really been keeping up with the finer points of components for quite some time.
I do a major new build-out only every 3-4 years, switching out a component or two in between to keep my system plugging along. Currently, I've got a P4 2.6 with a 6800GT video card, and it's really getting long in the tooth, particularly for my main use, gaming. I've already picked up a 8800GT since I found it for, wonder of wonders, a reasonable price. Now I need some new components to complement it, specifically MB, CPU, RAM, and power supply. However, like I said, I've been reading the forums here and on other sites, along with reviews, and I still don't feel knowledgable enough to make a decision. So, here are my questions:
1. Processor-wise, I'm leaning towards a Q6600, since it seems like that will keep me current for quite awhile. Or is that incorrect?
2. MB-wise, I'm leaning strongly towards an SLI solution under the assumption I can add a second 8800GT in several months and squeeze some addtional performance out of the system, but I'm confused about which MBs actually support SLI as opposed to Crossfire (which is specifically mentioned as a "con" for the Abit IP35 Pro in the review on this site), or whether there's really a difference anymore. I also am not clear on whether there's a real benefit to a MB that supports two PCIe slots running at 16x in SLI mode as opposed to one slot running at 16x and one at 8x or 4x. So, do I need a nvidia 680i-based MB, or can I get an Intel-based one? Which one is best for my proposed processor and also with SLI support? Also, I'd like to do an OC to 3-3.2GHz eventually, but nothing outrageous.
3. I'm not sure about how much power I'll need for the aforementioned parts, plus a couple of SATA hard drives, a couple of IDE optical drives, and at least one PCI card (Audigy2)?
4. As far as RAM, I'm hoping any good DDR2 800 with low timing will be sufficient (Kingston HyperX, OCZ, etc.), and I'm guessing 4GB is the way to go?
Thanks in advance for your input.
I do a major new build-out only every 3-4 years, switching out a component or two in between to keep my system plugging along. Currently, I've got a P4 2.6 with a 6800GT video card, and it's really getting long in the tooth, particularly for my main use, gaming. I've already picked up a 8800GT since I found it for, wonder of wonders, a reasonable price. Now I need some new components to complement it, specifically MB, CPU, RAM, and power supply. However, like I said, I've been reading the forums here and on other sites, along with reviews, and I still don't feel knowledgable enough to make a decision. So, here are my questions:
1. Processor-wise, I'm leaning towards a Q6600, since it seems like that will keep me current for quite awhile. Or is that incorrect?
2. MB-wise, I'm leaning strongly towards an SLI solution under the assumption I can add a second 8800GT in several months and squeeze some addtional performance out of the system, but I'm confused about which MBs actually support SLI as opposed to Crossfire (which is specifically mentioned as a "con" for the Abit IP35 Pro in the review on this site), or whether there's really a difference anymore. I also am not clear on whether there's a real benefit to a MB that supports two PCIe slots running at 16x in SLI mode as opposed to one slot running at 16x and one at 8x or 4x. So, do I need a nvidia 680i-based MB, or can I get an Intel-based one? Which one is best for my proposed processor and also with SLI support? Also, I'd like to do an OC to 3-3.2GHz eventually, but nothing outrageous.
3. I'm not sure about how much power I'll need for the aforementioned parts, plus a couple of SATA hard drives, a couple of IDE optical drives, and at least one PCI card (Audigy2)?
4. As far as RAM, I'm hoping any good DDR2 800 with low timing will be sufficient (Kingston HyperX, OCZ, etc.), and I'm guessing 4GB is the way to go?
Thanks in advance for your input.
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