Hi,
I'm planning to do a basic system upgrade to my existing machine and have picked out these components - would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Would be used for gaming as well as video encoding applications etc.
1. ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe - $167
2. eVGA 6800 GT 256MB PCIe - $340
3. AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego - $325
4. Cooler Master Real Power 550W SLI-ready - $130
= $962
Prices may differ very slightly, but these are the best I could find after considering taxes/shipping etc. Already have a decent case, hard drives, memory etc.
Some reasoning:
1. Motherboard was reviewed very well in general - the DFI LanParty is probably better at overclocking, but don't see myself doing this too much anyway.
2. 6800GT gives the best value right now, as the 6800Ultra is still overpriced. Not going with ATI simply due to SLI allows for simple expansion later on - Crossfire is too far down the line. eVGA brand seems to be quite stable and has the best value right now.
3. A64 3700+ is right around my budget and the ~150 price increase for the 4000+ is too much for the added performance imo. Anyone know if the 3800+ Venice might be a better choice? Higher speed, but 1/2 the cache with an added cost of approx 45 - is it worth it?
4. Also looked at the Antec TruePower 550 and there was very little difference. 600W seems like overkill, and this PSU has received good reviews in general.
Anything I'm missing with regards to these items? Down the line, I should be able to add another 6800GT or replace the CPU with an Athlon 64 X2 when the latter drops in price.
Thanks in advance.
ps: just read a couple of threads saying SLI is not a good upgrade path? My view is that since I need to upgrade several items, the 7800 is out of my league at this time. Sure, I could wait a while for prices to drop, but when is that ever going to stop?
I'm planning to do a basic system upgrade to my existing machine and have picked out these components - would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Would be used for gaming as well as video encoding applications etc.
1. ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe - $167
2. eVGA 6800 GT 256MB PCIe - $340
3. AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego - $325
4. Cooler Master Real Power 550W SLI-ready - $130
= $962
Prices may differ very slightly, but these are the best I could find after considering taxes/shipping etc. Already have a decent case, hard drives, memory etc.
Some reasoning:
1. Motherboard was reviewed very well in general - the DFI LanParty is probably better at overclocking, but don't see myself doing this too much anyway.
2. 6800GT gives the best value right now, as the 6800Ultra is still overpriced. Not going with ATI simply due to SLI allows for simple expansion later on - Crossfire is too far down the line. eVGA brand seems to be quite stable and has the best value right now.
3. A64 3700+ is right around my budget and the ~150 price increase for the 4000+ is too much for the added performance imo. Anyone know if the 3800+ Venice might be a better choice? Higher speed, but 1/2 the cache with an added cost of approx 45 - is it worth it?
4. Also looked at the Antec TruePower 550 and there was very little difference. 600W seems like overkill, and this PSU has received good reviews in general.
Anything I'm missing with regards to these items? Down the line, I should be able to add another 6800GT or replace the CPU with an Athlon 64 X2 when the latter drops in price.
Thanks in advance.
ps: just read a couple of threads saying SLI is not a good upgrade path? My view is that since I need to upgrade several items, the 7800 is out of my league at this time. Sure, I could wait a while for prices to drop, but when is that ever going to stop?
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