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GrimR

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Messages
187
Okay, first new PC in a few years and I just want to make sure I'm balancing this out correctly. Using an existing Aerocool full tower case.

UPDATED SPECS BELOW...

I'm planning on some mild overclocking and I'm pretty sure that the BFT90 should work out fine. I wanted the Ultra120 but I'm not sure if it will fit in my case ( I still have to take some measurements). My biggest question, like many others, is the graphics card and display. From what I've read the GTS will handle 1680x1050 with no problems but 1920x1200 might be a bit much for it. At the moment I can't afford a GTX as the cheapest I've seen are about $100 more than the GTS plus the difference between a 22" and a 24" puts me over budget.

Other question is regarding overclocking. I've done it with my current P4 2.8 so I am familiar with what to do but I'm not sure about the RAM. Should I spend the extra money and get DDR2 1066 so the RAM is not a factor? Again, this would be a mild overclock, probably 400ish FSB, but I would like to go higher if I could without WC.

Any feedback would be helpful. :)

Thanks
 
Looks like you've put together an excellent build. Take note, however, that in order to utilize four gigs of RAM, you will need to run a 64-bit OS. 32-bit Windows is limited to 4 gigs MINUS the sum amount of component memory installed in your system (i.e. memory in your video card.) Vista x64 is the most recommended OS for new 4gig builds on General Hardware because it offers superior application and driver support compared to XP-64 when used in a home / gaming environment.

The 8800 GTS G92 is a much better choice than a GTX, as performs on par or better in many games for 2/3rds the price. A GTX by itself can only barely handle 1920x1200 at high or max settings... To get the most out of 1920x1200 and higher resolutions, an SLI or Crossfire setup is warranted.

You should be able to easily get by with PC-6400 RAM for an E8400 OC. Most PC-6400 RAM can overclock quite easily to 450mhz (900mhz DDR,) which gives you a 4.05ghz E8400. If you're shooting between 4.0ghz and 4.5ghz, you might want to take a look at PC-8000 RAM, which runs at 500mhz (1000mhz DDR.) To run PC-8000 RAM at stock, you'll need a 4.5ghz OC unless you drop the E8400's multiplier (which is never really necessarily unless you're trying to overcome an FSB hole with your motherboard.) Note that the E8400 still has some teething problems with many boards, making it a finicky chip to get stable above 4.0-4.2ghz at the moment. This may change with future BIOS updates, but just note that 4.5ghz is very difficult to get stable at the moment, regardless of cooling used.

Keep in mind that the above explanation assumes that you'll run your RAM at a 1:1 timing with your FSB. Doing otherwise may net you a few points in a benchmark, but you won't notice a difference in everyday performance. Unlike K8 or some Netburst chips, memory bandwidth isn't an issue with Core 2 and DDR2 RAM.
 
Thanks!! My current build is overclocked and I've always tried to stick to a 1:1 ratio.

I know of the RAM limitations but Im always hesitant jumping to a new OS (still running XP32). Probably has something to do with me hurredly upgrading to ME from 98....*shudders* My question with Vista x64 is how good is the backwards compatibility for older games? I still like to revisit some of the older ones from the Win98 days.

Additionally (boy I'm full of questions today, sorry), could I just dual-boot with XP for the older games?

I had actually posting in the Vid Card forum but I might as well toss it in here as well. Would it be worth it to change the MB to something that supports Crossfire and changing the GFX card to a HD3870X2 with plans on adding a second when the driver support is there and the single card is struggeling(sp?)?

I know the 3870 is more than the 8800GTS but I really don't want to have to upgrade much for a while.

Thanks again and sorry for the rambling...:eek:
 
I have had no problems running older games on Vista x64, although I'm not sure if I've tried anything from the Win98 days besides Grim Fandango.

You can always dual boot if you find a game doesn't run as it should under Vista x64.

As for the second video card, it's only worth it if you're gaming at a res of 1920x1200 or higher and if you can afford to get two cards now. Keeping Crossfire or SLI as an upgrade path is usually a bad idea. By the time you are ready to get that second card, a newer single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, if you sell the original card, upgrading to the newer card will likely be cheaper than just adding a second card. You'll also benefit by keeping a cooler, simpler running system.
 
Good point. Definitely can't afford two of those HD3870's now. I might be able to this summer (if that Government rebate goes through) but I guess by then the new NVidia cards will be out.

The good news for the time being is that I'm strictly playing WoW, NWN2 and BF2142 so the 8800GTS should be able to handle those at 19x12. Even with the res increase (19" widescreen at the moment) I should still see a preformance increase over the 7600GT I have now. Right?
 
:D

I'm giddy with anticipation. Just waiting for my refund check.

Any thoughts on the cooler I selected? I did look around and it seemed to have a good balance between cooling preformance and noise. I'm not looking for completely silent but I think I still have hearing damage from the 60mm Delta screamer I had on my old Athlon XP years ago.
 
Zerotherm has impressed a lot of people as of late. The Butterfly you've selected is a very strong alternative to the Thermalright Optima 90, and their Nirvana matches Ultra 120 performance for less money. The wolfdale should get to 4.0-4.2 with the Butterfly... Above that and the processor becomes very difficult to get stable, regardless of the cooling method used.
 
So I've heard about the E8400. I was going to get the E6750 as it was a good price but I saw the E8400 for only about $40 more and decided to go that route. Not sure how much the prices will change in the next month or so.

My thought was that if I chicken out with the overclocking at least I would have a fast stock chip.
 
The E8400 is a better buy than the now obsolete E6750. The E8400 has a higher stock clock, and even if you don't OC, you benefit from the 5% advantage at clock, SSE 4.1, and the fact that it's a cooler running, more efficient chip.
 
I'm sticking with the E6750 for now as my brother gave me his as he just moved to the E8400. I'll be using it for now and then probably pick up one of the new Quads later this summer.

Please take a look below and let me know if all looks well or if I'm missing something. I'll be using onboard sound as I, personally, cannot seem to tell the difference between it and a dedicated card. My only concern would be OC'ing past 3.2 as that would be past the spec on the RAM. I'm not sure if I should move up to the 1066 to increase my headroom or not but there is about a $50 price difference between the 800 and the 1066.


Updated...

DFI LANPARTY DK P35-T2RS
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model
Hanns·G HW-223DPB Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black
ZALMAN MFC1 Plus-B Black 6 Channel Multi Fan Controller
Microsoft Vista64 Home Premium


Thanks again...:D
 
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