Help me choose upgrade parts

E

evanisthecoastie

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
4,708
Ok, upgrading from my sig, heres what i have so far on the way:

intel x6800 + Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
evga 8800 ultra
coolermaster 690 case
2gigs ddr2 800 ram

I will be using this new computer for primarily games, specifically crysis.

Now, the question is which motherboard should i go for? I want SLI, and while looking through the boards most of them dont run at x16 in both slots. Is there a major performance loss/gain with 16x both slots?

I will also be modding the 690 case, i have never done a case mod before, but i think this will be a simple first start, i own a dremel with the appropriate cutting tools, does anyone have a simple guide on how to put a window on the side?
 
Get a new power supply. The Gamexstream is a FSP Episilon based PSU that has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that will damage your PC parts over time. Granted your current system is fine I think BUT since you're going SLI Ultras with the new system I definitely recommending getting a better PSU. Any of these PSUs will run your new system fine:
Silverstone SST-ST75ZF Zeus 750W Power Supply - $160
Corsair TX750 750W PSU - $160
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad - $180

Also, ditch the Extreme CPU.They're not worth the $1000 price tag especially since you can OC an E6750 well past X6800 speeds. Also, the Crysis developers have said that it's best to go with a quad-core CPU rather than a faster dual-core. So go with the Q6600.

Mobo-wise, only mobos based on the 650i and 680i chipsets support SLI. As far as I know , those chipsets do provide full x16 in both slots. I could be wrong about since I don't usually keep up on SLI mobos. Though I really doubt the lower bandwidth will actually lower your performance.

And which RAM are you getting?

As for guides on how to put a window on a case, just google case window guides and you'll see a ton of guides on that.
 
Can you return that chip? because its a waste of money. Even the Q6700 is cheaper and would perform the same.

For SLI, look at the eVGA NF67-A1/T1 or NF68-A1/T1. The A1's have longer warranty (lifetime). The NF67 is the 680i SLI LT chipset... basically a lite version of the 680i SLI that seems to be more stable than the full blow 680i SLI.

Check the case mod forum for more help with adding a window.
 
Danny Bui said:
Get a new power supply. The Gamexstream is a FSP Episilon based PSU that has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that will damage your PC parts over time. Granted your current system is fine I think BUT since you're going SLI Ultras with the new system I definitely recommending getting a better PSU. Any of these PSUs will run your new system fine:
Silverstone SST-ST75ZF Zeus 750W Power Supply - $160
Corsair TX750 750W PSU - $160
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad - $180

Also, ditch the Extreme CPU.They're not worth the $1000 price tag especially since you can OC an E6750 well past X6800 speeds. Also, the Crysis developers have said that it's best to go with a quad-core CPU rather than a faster dual-core. So go with the Q6600.

Mobo-wise, only mobos based on the 650i and 680i chipsets support SLI. As far as I know , those chipsets do provide full x16 in both slots. I could be wrong about since I don't usually keep up on SLI mobos. Though I really doubt the lower bandwidth will actually lower your performance.

And which RAM are you getting?

As for guides on how to put a window on a case, just google case window guides and you'll see a ton of guides on that.
Click to expand...



the ram i am thinking on is here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

and for the chip, it came as a combo deal with tuniq tower 120, intel badaxe2 mobo, and the x6800 for only 450 bucks, so thats why i chose that for my cpu.

The only thing im worried about on the evga boards is the DOA possiblity :-/ I know it comes with all parts i can choose from but there seems to be alot of problems with them.
 
Good set of RAM.

Still a bad deal IMO since you're not even going to use the Tuniq or Bad Axe. Could've spent money on the following setup and still OC it way past X6800 speeds:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 CPU - $189
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
--
Total: $368 plus tax and shipping.

Actually problems are common among most of the 680i chipset mobos. But they're relatively stable now, especially the Evga mobos that Enginurd suggested. Not as stable as P35 chipset mobo but stable enough. And since you want SLI, they're pretty much your best bet for a stable mobo with SLI capability. Unless you're willing to wait for the 780i chipset though. Look around the Intel Mobo forums for advice on on to make sure that your Evga 680i mobo is stable.
 
Ok, so cpu wise, its too late for me to return, as it was a trade and i already have it. Im not a benchmarking person so i dont care about small performance gains. I just want it to run what i will be using it for, i dont think it is obsolete and weak, i will give it a small OC to run on air, maybe just to around 3ghz. Was the pick up of this chip really all that bad? i can sell the other parts for a little cash.

If possible maybe i can sell the stuff i wont be using in my sig + this new pickup of parts and pick up a quad?

opinions?
 
if u got badaxe2, you can consider running 2x ATI HD 3870 in crossfire, I heard HD3870s has better image quality than 8800GT:

http://vr-zone.com/articles/AMD_Radeon_HD3850_and_HD3870_-_AMD's_salvation?/5392-14.html

iq3difmu9.png

iq4difkp9.png


iq1.jpg

iq2.jpg
Click to expand...

some said that these screenshots are not taken at the same interval and angle, but in my opinion details like the first ss should be still noticeable in such a slight angle shift. You be the judge!
One thing is for sure tho, the current crossfire driver (7.10) is very unstable for crysis, but you can try the 7.11 beta driver which contain fixes specifically for it if I remember...
And remember this all depends on what resolution you are playing and how much AA/AF is turn on. I mean ultra is pretty good for 22" resolution
 
I have an ultra, eventually maybe pick up another ultra, and im not willing to drop that much cash on something for a little more eye candy.
 
then you can't go wrong with evga's 680i, get more than 2gb ram and you are all set :cool:
 
evanisthecoastie said:
i dont think it is obsolete and weak, i will give it a small OC to run on air, maybe just to around 3ghz. Was the pick up of this chip really all that bad? i can sell the other parts for a little cash.

If possible maybe i can sell the stuff i wont be using in my sig + this new pickup of parts and pick up a quad?
Click to expand...

The chip is far from obsolete... its just priced too high for little to no performance gain over cheaper alternatives. The chip is already clocked at 2.9Ghz... a bump to 3Ghz won't yield any noticeable performance difference. The chip can most likely reach around 3.6Ghz if you use the Tuniq. If you need the cash, sell 'em -- if not, keep 'em... good for testing.

I'd definately go the quad route... I don't think you'll see that much of an improvement over your 4800+ with the X6800 -- though, you will notice a difference in some things. With a quad, you'll notice it even more, especially since, clock for clock, the Core2's outperform the X2's.

What are you doing that you notice your system slowing down?
 
Currently i have been messing around compiling some video stuff for fun, plus i guess this chip is a year+ old and i would just like an upgrade to something more powerful. I notice drops in games when semi-large scale explosions go off, plus in supreme commander when theres alot of units on screen i notice drops, which i dont like. Im pretty picky when it comes to smooth play/quick satisfaction. (When i tell my computer to do something, i want it done NOW :cool:)
 
evanisthecoastie said:
Currently i have been messing around compiling some video stuff for fun, plus i guess this chip is a year+ old and i would just like an upgrade to something more powerful. I notice drops in games when semi-large scale explosions go off, plus in supreme commander when theres alot of units on screen i notice drops, which i dont like. Im pretty picky when it comes to smooth play/quick satisfaction. (When i tell my computer to do something, i want it done NOW :cool:)
Click to expand...

In that case, you'll be MUCH better off with a quadcore. Go Q6600 or wait for the new Yorkfields (Q9450 would probably be the best value).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top