New Gaming System Build - (Your thoughts)

[ironwarrior]

What is the best recommended chip for my money?
Should I go with the Q6600 or is there a better choice?
I think I have decided on the Gigabyte board that I mentioned.
And with 1900 x 1200 playing the current games in the high level mode
do you think the HD4870 1gb card will be the best choice?
Also will the 750 corsair power supply be enough to later add up to like 3-5 hard drives in a raid environment as well as like a blue ray burner and the possibility of another future 4870 in a crossfire setup.

 

[ironwarrior]

I'm going with Mark's recommendation to get the E8500 Processor.
I have (2) motherboards narrowed down..

1. GA-EP45-UD3P Gigabyte DDR2

(Or should I pay like 50.00 bucks more and get the DDR3)

2. GA-EP45T-UD3P Gigabyte DDR3

Would the extra 50.00 cost of the DDR 3 board plus extra cost of DDR3 memory be
the way to go for the money. Or should I stick with the DDR2 board. Either one I was going to couple with the E8500 DUO core as Mark suggested.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: motojeff
I don't know. I am going i7. You can seem my components list if you do a search on me. My reasoning is:
1) Quad core will be a bigger factor in the coming years than it is now.
2) 8 threads will be a bigger factor in the coming years than it is now.
3) New i7 instructions will be a bigger factor in the coming years than it is now.
4) I don't want to be limited to an ATI graphics card solution 2 years from now.
5) Maybe, just maybe, I can upgrade to a new processor that fits 1366 2 years from now.
6) Maybe, just maybe, I can reuse my ddr3 4 years from now.

5/6 are a stretch, but 1-4 are important to me.

I hate to say, but 5/6 are the only ones that aren't a stretch.

1) It's been over 2-3 years since dual cores came out, most software and games only support up to (if even) 2 cores, with 4 cores only even being necessary for AI/Physics heavy games (mainly rts I suppose).
2) Same reasoning as 1, software can barely utilize 2 cores, having 8 might actually be worse in some instances.
3) I'd disagree for GAMING on the basis that the industry doesn't want to sell games only the top 10% of computers can play, dual core machines are becoming more commonplace now, and quads have no real use for gamers except for the occasional rts fan (SupComm anyone?). So most game companies would base the game's engine off the instructions an E6xxx or Q6xxx uses.
4) How would using Core2 or i7 make a difference in the video card you use?
5) Upgrade for what? Games won't see a benefit.
6) I gotta give you this point at least.

Unfortunately Intel advertises the i7 as the best gaming CPUs on the market. Truth of the matter being, virtually no game will see any performance difference between a good dual/quad core (overclocking would make it even better) and an i7 platform (unless the ddr3 ram made an impact for some reason).

The only reason to go for an i7 system if you're a gamer is... well there is none, unless for some reason you're allowed to spend several grand now but won't be allowed access to it later, there is no reason to opt for the i7 system. Costs are against you and there's virtually no performance increase. So unless you do something that actually benefits from an i7, no reason to build one (unless you just HAVE to do it, then no one can really stop you).

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: ironwarrior
I'm going with Mark's recommendation to get the E8500 Processor.
I have (2) motherboards narrowed down..

1. GA-EP45-UD3P Gigabyte DDR2

(Or should I pay like 50.00 bucks more and get the DDR3)

2. GA-EP45T-UD3P Gigabyte DDR3

Would the extra 50.00 cost of the DDR 3 board plus extra cost of DDR3 memory be
the way to go for the money. Or should I stick with the DDR2 board. Either one I was going to couple with the E8500 DUO core as Mark suggested.

I'd go with the DDR2 and put the saved money towards something else, like a nice mouse or something. When you need a system upgrade ddr3 will be much cheaper, and as of now the performance difference between ddr2 and ddr3 doesn't justify the cost.

 

[MarcVenice]

P45 mobo's like the GA-EP45-UD3P and P5Q Pro support crossfire just fine! But for CF you'll also have to factor in a bigger PSU, which luckily isn't a big problem in the US, coz PSU's are dirtcheap.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
The only reason to go for an i7 system if you're a gamer is... well there is none,

Costs are against you and there's virtually no performance increase. So unless you do something that actually benefits from an i7, no reason to build one (unless you just HAVE to do it, then no one can really stop you).

Very true for "gaming"...