New system build...which vid card...

[looper]

By the end of March hoping to get components for new gaming system (will OC the cpu) for son and I...probably the following, unless I change my mind again:
Asus P6x58D MB
Intel i7 920 cpu
Lian Li PC-A77f full tower case
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)... Or different memory?
Antec Signature SG-850 850W PS
Already have Intel x25 160gig SSD
Win 7-64 OS

Which video card, as of end of March? ATI 5870? nVidia 480? Or...?
And which @ 1TB HD as an internal backup?

Total budget is @ $2,500.

Thx for any help.

 

[1h4x4s3x]

5870 or 480
We don't know yet. Come back in a week.

HDD
Samsung SpinPoint F3

Where are you buying from btw? Newegg?

 

[Atls]

I would also suggest a 5870; it is pretty future-worthy, plus it provides great performance.

 

[Corporate Thug]

http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2010/3/3/sapphire-ready-to-launch-radeon-hd-5990-4gb.aspx

 

[Kenmitch]

If your an ATI guy go with the 5870 if not wait and see on fermi.

You could save some bucks and get a 5850 and overclock it to 5870 speeds or possibly above depending on how lucky you are.

A pair of 5770's is always an option also....But single card would be more future proof if such a thing does exhist as you can always pick up another and go cross-fire if needed.

If your into overclocking I'd suggest adding a good cooler on your list as the stock one sucks nutz!

 

[RussianSensation]

If you are finalizing your build by the end of March, then grab a 5870. Alternatively, I would wait until 1st week in April to see where GTX 470 and 480 drop in terms of market price and performance; and what price move ATI makes if any.

 

[TemjinGold]

With only a couple thousand Fermis to release, I wouldn't put too much stock in actually securing one by early April...

 

[looper]

Thanks for replies.

In the meantime, I can't play Bad Company2 nor COD-WaW... my nVidia 280 locks up comp w/ graphics glitches all over screen within 30 seconds of entering the game...computer works fine the rest of the time.

I have 2 120mm front fans 'in' / 2 120mm fans rear 'out' / and 120mm fan on Xigmatek 1283 HS on cpu.

Tonite or tomm. I'm removing cover from this EVGA 280, and putting on this ZalmanVF900 GPU cooler fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118001

If it takes care of the issue, then I will not get new rig now. If the fan doesn't solve it, then I can't see getting a new 280 for my current rig.

 

[guskline]

Thanks for replies.

In the meantime, I can't play Bad Company2 nor COD-WaW... my nVidia 280 locks up comp w/ graphics glitches all over screen within 30 seconds of entering the game...computer works fine the rest of the time.

I have 2 120mm front fans 'in' / 2 120mm fans rear 'out' / and 120mm fan on Xigmatek 1283 HS on cpu.

Tonite or tomm. I'm removing cover from this EVGA 280, and putting on this ZalmanVF900 GPU cooler fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118001

If it takes care of the issue, then I will not get new rig now. If the fan doesn't solve it, then I can't see getting a new 280 for my current rig.

Funny thing my XFX 5850 Black edition plays both of these games fine!

 

[looper]

No, the 280 has been great running these games at 1920x1200 and with tremendous frame rates...It's just been the last two weeks or so this has been happening...

Trying to get the case cover off the EVGA 280 so I can put the cooling fan on tomm when it arrives...got most of the screws out, but there are 2 really tiny ones I couldn't get out....just bought another jeweler's screw driver in smallest size available...hope this does it...

 

[MrK6]

No, the 280 has been great running these games at 1920x1200 and with tremendous frame rates...It's just been the last two weeks or so this has been happening...

Trying to get the case cover off the EVGA 280 so I can put the cooling fan on tomm when it arrives...got most of the screws out, but there are 2 really tiny ones I couldn't get out....just bought another jeweler's screw driver in smallest size available...hope this does it...

I take it the GTX280 is no longer under warranty (if not, then RMA it). If the new cooler doesn't fix the card, try baking it too: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=606658 . Earlier series of NVIDIA cards (8800GTX) had solder issues that showed up around two years into the product's life, and remelting the solder fixed it for a bit. We're now just entering that time frame for the GTX2xx parts, so it still might be an issue (and if you can't RMA it or fix it any other way, what else do you have to lose?).

If you can't fix the GTX280, I take it you'll use the same monitor, so you'll be gaming at 1920x1200? In that case, and overclocked 5850 is going to offer you your best bang-for-your-buck (wait for a deal when they're around $250-260, those pop up every now and then). However, if you have extra cash to spare, a 5870 or 5850 Crossfire (if you don't mind multi-GPU).

 

[looper]

I have just sent a service ticket in to EVGA(this morning). Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll help me out.... 'W' is nearly over or just past...I need to check exact purchase date. I'm waiting to hear from them before I open up the card case and put the Zalman fan on it.

Yes, we'll continue to 'game' at 1920x1200. That Dell is fairly new (great monitor- I love it...IPS quality but 'fast' enough for online FPS gaming). As far as the oven-trick is concerned...that's wild... I'm not the handiest guy around, and so tend to break things/blow up things when I try turning into 'Mr Handy Man'...

My case is a 'mid', and the 280 just fits. So the 5870 will never fit. Wonder if that 5850 would fit? And, better than the 280?

 

[MrK6]

I have just sent a service ticket in to EVGA(this morning). Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll help me out.... 'W' is nearly over or just past...I need to check exact purchase date. I'm waiting to hear from them before I open up the card case and put the Zalman fan on it.

Generally EVGA has a lifetime warranty if you registered, hopefully they'll help you out.

Yes, we'll continue to 'game' at 1920x1200. That Dell is fairly new (great monitor- I love it...IPS quality but 'fast' enough for online FPS gaming). As far as the oven-trick is concerned...that's wild... I'm not the handiest guy around, and so tend to break things/blow up things when I try turning into 'Mr Handy Man'...

Just letting you know your options .

My case is a 'mid', and the 280 just fits. So the 5870 will never fit. Wonder if that 5850 would fit? And, better than the 280?

The 5850 is about an inch shorter than the GTX280, so you should have no problems. It's also probably 20-25% faster at stock and overclocks very well (as opposed to the GTX280), so it'll be much faster if you crank it.

 

[waffleironhead]

5870 or 480
We don't know yet. Come back in a week.

HDD
Samsung SpinPoint F3

Where are you buying from btw? Newegg?

Will we know performance data on fermi by then, also will it be available?

 

[crazylegs]

I'd never buy another Samsung HD.

Buy a HD from a company thats main business is making HD's i.e. WD.

A WD 'Green' series drive will work perfeclty as an internal backup or anythign else for that matter

 

[Lonyo]

Will we know performance data on fermi by then, also will it be available?

NDA is supposed to lift by next Monday, availability is possibly supposed to be April 6th.

 

[looper]

Wonder why, suddenly now, the 280 locks up in those 2 games... I did blow quite a bit of dust out of the case a few times...

 

[Headfoot]

As for your GTX 280: what kind of temperatures are you getting in game? You can download Rivatuner to monitor that.

Don't buy anything yet for video cards. The performance reviews for Fermi come out on the 26th. Whether they are available then or not is a different question. But at least you can see what the reviewers say in conclusion, they are more qualified to do so than most forum goers.

 

[looper]

HeadFoot...
I don't know, and I don't think Rivatuner could get a temp on it, since it locks up so soon after the game starts.(5-10 seconds)

If I revise my plan about getting a new system, then the Fermi and 5870 are out of the mix because of my case size limitation. I think the 5850 is my best bet, if EVGA won't replace the nVidia 280, and I don't opt to get a whole new rig. (I'd like to do this of course, but I would have to get parts delivered when wife not home, hide said parts in my clothes closet, and assemble new rig when she is working...the new Lian Li case looks amazingly like my current Lian Li, just taller...she won't notice...) Wow...just call me the 'Tiger' of computerland....

 

[Headfoot]

Looper,
The case size limitation you are talking about is a bit sketchy. If you are already running a 10.5" GTX 280 then all Fermi cards will fit, nVidia has gone 10.5" for everything in recent memory. The 5870 is 11" iirc, so perhaps that one wont fit.

 

[looper]

Thx for that info.

Just DL'd and installed RivaTuner... at desktop, nothing running, core is 43c, ambient 36c...doesn't tell us anything, right?

 

[1h4x4s3x]

NDA is supposed to lift by next Monday, availability is possibly supposed to be April 6th.

Pretty sure It's 26th.
The article calming NDA would fall on the 29th is most likely wrong.

 

[Kenmitch]

(I'd like to do this of course, but I would have to get parts delivered when wife not home, hide said parts in my clothes closet, and assemble new rig when she is working...the new Lian Li case looks amazingly like my current Lian Li, just taller...she won't notice...) Wow...just call me the 'Tiger' of computerland....

Kinda strange how man has to do this....But it's ok for woman to get a new hairdo, shoes, clothes, etc.

 

[happy medium]

HeadFoot...
I don't know, and I don't think Rivatuner could get a temp on it, since it locks up so soon after the game starts.(5-10 seconds)

If I revise my plan about getting a new system, then the Fermi and 5870 are out of the mix because of my case size limitation. I think the 5850 is my best bet, if EVGA won't replace the nVidia 280, and I don't opt to get a whole new rig. (I'd like to do this of course, but I would have to get parts delivered when wife not home, hide said parts in my clothes closet, and assemble new rig when she is working...the new Lian Li case looks amazingly like my current Lian Li, just taller...she won't notice...) Wow...just call me the 'Tiger' of computerland....

I thought the Fermi cards were smaller? I read that somewhere.

Edit:
Says here that the gtx 480 is 267mm or 10.5 inches and the gtx 470 would be smaller.

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=23038

Gtx 470..Smaller ,about the same power draw as gtx 280, faster then the 5850 (mabe = to a 5870?) and supposed to retail for 350$ (i doubt it), but mabe under 400$.
I think you should wait and see.

Edit 2 : And now rumers of very good avalibility for the gtx 470/480 at launch should bring good prices for both sides.

http://www.brightsideofnews.com/News.aspx?id=1240&page=0

 

[looper]

Submitted RMA request to EVGA...they'll let me know in 2 days I hope. I bought the card from NewEgg January, 2009, and registered it right away...

Either way I'm happy...have money set aside..