Upgrade Assistance Needed - Thanks!

[rajs]

I had built the following machine in Mid August 2005 and used it until now and just sold it to a friend. I need to build a new machine for myself ... what would you recommend I choose -- BTW -- I ONLY use the machine for gaming @ 1920 x 1200 resolution with a 24" LCD (Dell).

Machine Sold off
Mobo -- EPoX 9NPA-Ultra
CPU -- AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz OC'ed and ROCK SOLID STABLE at 2.645 GHz
CPU Cooler - XP-90 w/ SilentCat 90mm fan
RAM - 2 GB Crucial (2x1GB sticks) DDR400 - CT12864Z40B
eVGA 7800GTX OC @ 475 / 1375 MHz STABLE
CoolerMaster Centurion 5 CAC-T05 Side Window Case
Enermax Noisetaker EG495P 485W Power Supply.
Maxtor 300 GB SATA with 16mb cache Drive
Plextor DVD 740A Dual Layer Burner
Gigabyte PCI Wireless G NIC
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value

What would you recommend I build my new machine with -- BTW I loved the EPoX board in regards to how easy it is to configure and play with while OC'ing -- is DFI all jumper based or BIOS based changes -- since I would prefer to make changes via BIOS so I don't have to play with jumpers.

MOBO -- ASUS or DFI -- looking for a SLI type board or crossfire board.
Video Card -- I guess an nVidia 7800 GTX 512 MB or should I go with an ATI card and get an ATI capable Mobo that can handle two cards ? I will run at 1920 x 1200 res with everything turned up as much as possible. Play BF2 and a lot of the Valve Source games (DoD:S and HL2:S)
CPU -- Already have an Opteron for this PC and it will OC very well
CPU Cooler -- Anything better then the item I already have above -- Air cooling based ?
RAM -- Looking for some recommendations (Eclipse) -- for something that will OC better then the very nice and reasonable Crucial value sticks I had. Would like something that is DDR500 capable and fast -- reasonable prices would help though -- so I will make a decision based on a balance of speed / value. Is 1T type available in these speeds ?
Case - Was happy with the CoolerMaster Centurion 5 CAC-T05 Side Window Case
PSU - Was happy with the Enermax Noisetaker EG495P 485W Power Supply
HD - Thinking about a WD4000 Series SATA drive in the 300 GB capacity
DVD - Was happy with the Plextor DVD 740A Dual Layer Burner
NIC - Wireless NIC -- need something that is Pre-MIMO wireless
Wireless Router / FW - Pre-MIMO -- need suggustion here -- thinking maybe Belkin ?
Sound Card -- Audigy 2 Value - This was just fine for me -- using it with a headset only -- Beyerdynamic DT 234 Pro.

Appreciate any suggustions or nudges -- I'd like to put my order in the next few days *grin*.

Thanks!!!!

 

[Bobthelost]

I'd go ATI if i were you, at the high end they seem to be more easily obtained, not to mention a fair bit cheaper the 512 were like gold dust a while back, probably still are.

 

[hmorphone]

Perhaps the DFI expert, ATI 1800 XT, and OCZ 2 X 1gb Gold.

DFI makes some great motherboards without much in the way of jumpers, the expert is their newest and greatest in SLI, and there don't seem to be any good crossfire boards out yet with much in the way of features.

The ATI's are at thier best on the Halflife engine games, I believe the 1800 XT tops anything but the 512 meg 7800, and some of the cards get great overclocks.

Not so sure about the ram. I'd suggest the Ballistix but the DFI boards seem happiest with OCZ. The stock timings are a hair better on the OCZ too. Just don't get Corsair!

 

[rajs]

Been reading here for a while and now looking at the following issue --

A) Get a single X1800XT and down the road do crossfire on it. This should give me better performance then my "old" 7800 GTX 256 MB. Issue though is what MoBo that supports ATI Crossfire and is stable and good at OC'ing

B) Or on the NVIDIA side get a ASUS of DFI SLI mobo and get two 7800 GT cards and put them into SLI mode -- since the 7800GTX's 512 are impossible to find and I'll get better perf and cheaper using 2 7800GT's instead.

Which option would you recommed A or B and then what MOBO ?

Thanks

 

[rajs]

As I've been reading more and more on the forums tonight -- it seems like it is coming down to the following -

I know the nVidia SLI solution is more elegant but the ATI X1800XT card (Single) just by itself seems to be pretty good ... if not better then my "old" single nVidia 7800 GTX 256 MB card.

So I guess I really need to be deciding on the following then:

Either go with nVidia NFORCE4 SLI MoBo such as a DFI or ASUS and get two 7800 GT cards and pony up the $$$

or

get a SINGLE X1800XT card with a ASUS or DFI Mobo based on the ATI chipset ... since the ATI Crossfire solution seems pretty messy right now.

The question comes down to which of the above two would serve me best for BF2 and DOD:Source at 1920x1200 using a Dell 24" 2405 LCD monitor. I would like to use the highest possible AA / AF and when available HDR.

 

[kwarkers]

Get a DFI!

 

[hmorphone]

Problem is that with the single 1800 XT solution you've probably going to have to go with the recent Asus board that came out. There is a DFI board that beat it to market, but (unless they've been solved by now) it has a number of problems. The Asus board seems to be more problem free but comes with more of a minimal set of features. On the other hand, they're apparently both great overclockers. The GT's on a DFI expert might get you the best motherboard but your upgrade path is already shot with that option, and both ATI and Nvidia are getting close to releasing their next gen of video cards. The best option might be then to get the DFI expert and a 1800 XT and then sell the 1800 XT and get an 1900 XT in a few months.

 

[rajs]

hmorphone -- I'm coming around to what you suggusted above ... for the new gaming system I am building ... I am thinking I should do the following -- will it work ? Also can you confirm are you talking about a DFI Mobo that is based on the ATI chipset or the DFI mobo based on the NFORCE4 chipset ?

I was thinking ... Get a DFI Expert SLI (I need someone to tell me which model # exactly so I don't screw this up *grin* -- there are soooo many various models / sub models)
Get a single X1800XT PCIe card (I can pick one up for ~ 490 bucks right now) and use it until the next gen comes out and I am ready to upgrade. At that point sell the X1800XT and get whatever I want as a next gen single card if ATI or potentially a 2 next gen nVidia Cards (which would be an option based on the NFORCE DFI mobo).

 

[hmorphone]

I would get the "LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert" which is a Nforce 4 SLI chipset, which is probably the best overclocker's board out there right now.
If you weren't going to overclock I'd consider the new Asus Nforce 4 SLI board with the dual X16 PCIe lanes (going to be a while before we can take advantage of that feature!) and the heatpipe. If you wanted to experiment and didn't care if there were problems I'd look at the LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR board from DFI (Crossfire chipset.) If you just had to have Crossfire and were willing to get a board with less features to get less teething problems there is the new Asus Crossfire board. The Crossfire boards may end up being even better overclockers than the Nforce 4 boards but it doesn't look like it's worth jumping into that pond just yet. I love my DFI board. Haven't had to mess with a jumper except the time I cleared the CMOS.
It would be nice to have Crossfire but it looks like Crossfire and SLI setups aren't worth it unless you get two top end boards right off the bat. If you don't do that then one next gen card seems to come close to meeting or beating two last gen cards hooked together. That's why I would probably go with the 1800 XT (single card) and the DFI expert. Then you could sell it and get a 1900 XT when they're out. If you had tons of money you could always get two Nvidia 8800's (or whatever Nvidia decides to call them) when they come out instead because your DFI expert supports SLI. Heck, by then Crossfire might even run on a SLI motherboard:Q

 

[hmorphone]

Update?

 

[SuperSilicon]

ASUS board with a eVGA or BFG 7800GTX these will run valve games flawless ive seen the chart showing the exact performance between the latest ati card in (hl2 & mods) and its so minimal its not worth even buying it. This comming from a ATI fanatic.

Or run SLI

 

[hmorphone]

Even if we decided Asus makes the best all around boards the DFI would still be the best overclocker. rajs has already had a 7800 GTX OC and I would imagine got pretty familiar with what it will and won't do. Looking at the Anandtech crossfire article, in Battlefield 2 (which rajs mentioned), the 1800 XT was 57.3 fps and the 7800 GTX was 42.9 fps at 1600X1200 4xAA, single card to single card. Decent little difference, and rajs has mentioned he's going to be playing at some pretty high resolutions.

 

[RussianSensation]

wow....your original rig was amazing. If you are thinking of "upgrading" that, please come back when R580 and G71 are released because besides going with current high end SLI boards, you really wont upgrade from 7800GTX OC you had. Sure x1800xt will be faster than 7800GTX, but selling your whole system for 10-15% faster framerates if that is not worth it. Your processor was already fast enough, so Opteron will provide 0 gains in gaming. In all honesty the only way to improve performance for you is to wait for newest cards; going with 7800 512mb is not smart at all imo.

 

[ShadowBlade]

Motherboard - if youre going to be overclocking, go with a DFI lanparty, I personally would get the Asus though, overclocks just as well and I like them better

Video Card - If you want the biggest ePenis around, get an Asus EN7800GT Dual. Realistically, get a 256MB GTX though, BFG is soon discontinuing the 512MB ones, plus theyre really expensive.

CPU cooler - get a Thermalright SI-120 or Scythe Ninja from Jab-tech.

Memory - I reccomend OCZ's non-value RAM in 1GB modules. If you're looking for value RAM, get Corsair.

PSU - Thats a great PSU, but for high-power cards like 7800GT/X you need approx 500W with plenty of amps on all rails.

Dont' have any good reccomendations for networking, except that I have been happy with my D-Link router and wireless NIC.

Sound Card - Onboard should work great for you.

 

[rajs]

hmophone -- Thanks for the suggustions and the update to the rest of the members on what my reasons where.

RussianSensation -- Thanks ... unfortunately or fortunately -- one of my friends wanted to buy a system and asked if he could just purchase mine ... since he knows I'm afflicted with the disease known as upgradeitis. So that is why I am losing my old system. In regards to the Opteron -- you are right for gaming it won't give me anything probably ... but I already purchased it since I had to put together a new system and the price was good for it where it didn't make sense to get a 3000+ again at near the same price.

Also I thought since I'd be putting together a new rig -- I might want to go with a MoBo that supported two cards so if I wanted down the road I could go that direction. I am "evaluating" a X1800XT currently in my old rig over this extended weekend to get an idea if I like it enough to purchase as an interim solution until the next gen cards come out.

The X1800XT with its FAN is definitely LOUDER then the eVGA 7800GTX OC (256 MB). The ATI rendering in DOD:Source looks a little better to me compared to the nVidia. Framerate wise they both seem pretty good to me ... liquid smooth, etc so no issues there in this game at least. I haven't bothered really benchmarking it much at all but it is faster in 3DMark05 by around ~ 500 rating points in speed over the nVidia.

ShadowBlade -- Thanks for the suggustions ... I think my current PS has been great with the eVGA 7800GTX that I had in the old system ... and the PSU is around 485 or 495W already with no issues. I suspect I'll but it again or get a Seasonic. In regards to RAM if I went the value route ... I would get Crucial not Corsair ... but in regards to OC type RAM which is the route I will go this time ... I'll probably end up getting OCZ if I go with DFI for the MoBo (I think they work without issues with DFI) ... otherwise if I get the ASUS mobo ... I just get something that has been rated well be E(c)lipse.

Thanks again everyone ... I'll let you all know what I end up purchasing ... but back to abusing the X1800XT to see if I like it enough to buy as an interim solution (man is that FAN LOUD). Also the temps on the X1800XT go up higer the the nVidia 7800GTX when playing games ... but a good ~ 10 degrees c at least.

 

[hmorphone]

How's it working out rajs?