OK, I think I found the comp I want (finally)

rebal88

After a month of customizing and different variations and set-ups i think i found what im looking for. Im going to be using it for playing top of the line games. I think this rig will do it without me spending thousands. Here are the specs



($20 off Mail-in Rebate) X-Cruiser Mid-Tower 420W Case W/ WINDOW, MultiMeter Display & Control (Black Color)

CPU: (Socket AM2) AMD Athlon™64 X2 4800+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology

MOTHERBOARD: (Socket AM2)GigaByte GA-M57SLI-S4 nForce 570-SLI Chipset DDR2/800 SATA RAID PCI-Express MBoard w/GbLAN, IEEE1394, USB2.0, & 7.1Audio

MEMORY: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

VIDEO CARD: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB 16X PCI Express (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA)

HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)

Optical Drive: LiteOn LH-20A1H 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology (Black Color)

SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO

Operating System: VVindows Vista Home Premium

Keyboard and Mouse: Microsoft® Wireless Desktop w/ Wireless Internet Keyboard & Mouse

Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer

USB Ports: 2x USB 2.0 Ports

Other Software: Microsoft® Works v8.5, McAfee Anti Virus 7

Warranty: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Approx Cost: $1,600-$1,650

What do you think?

rebal88

No one thinks?

gpett

If it were me I would get an Intel core 2 duo with the 965P mobo.   Also, loose that case because that power supply cannot handle the 8800GTX.  Look at the corsair 520 or 620W power supplies.

RK-Mara

Yup, you should get a C2D. They outperform Athlon easily.

lyonman24

also dont go with evga graphics card that brand isnt good try xfx or bfg

Chase05

but why vista.. not many games can run good on it yet

notgoneglock

Stay away from vista- YOU WILL BE SORRY.  XP sp2 is pretty solid- stick with it until it is no longer supported by anything; because vista is a nightmare. 

Spathotan

If he is going to build a system for the future, why the hell should he buy an outdated past version OS? The "STAY AWAZ FUM VIZTA" just needs to shut the hell up, as these people are clueless. Vista runs just fine, espically with all this powerful hardware he wants to get.



Anyways, youre system looks preety good on paper, but as a few others said, ditch the case supplied power supply for a good 600-750W, maybe a Thermaltake Toughpower. Also, go with a Intel Core 2 Duo and a 975X or P965 chipset motherboard, avoid the 680i boards unless you want to encounter endless memory problems, and a few RMA's, trust me I used to own one.



As for the video card, if you planned on running SLi you wont be able to with an Intel chipset, but you CAN run Crossfire on an Intel chipset, and with ATi's 2900XT comming out monday, you can look at that as an option. If you drop the 8800GTX for the 2900XT, youll save yourself $200, which you can use to get another 2 gigs of RAM, and barely lose anything in the graphics department. The 2900XT crushes the 8800gts in benchmarking, and barely comes up short against the GTX, for $150-200 cheaper.

notgoneglock

Who said anything about buying an operating system?  There are plenty of ways to obtain a copy of XP sp2; he may already have one.

Anyhow- that said... my friend ignored my advice and got a store-bought OEM gateway with windows vista.  He told me every time I've put computers together for him he's had nothing but problems with them.  To which I always reply; that's because the computers you've had me work on have parts in them from 1994; and you don't know how to maintain a windows based machine- and never listen to me when I explain it to you. 

So as his big "fuck you" to me- he went out and bought that gateway I mentioned earlier with vista.  He had it for barely 3 hours before he called me telling me his computer isn't working right.  Couldn't connect to the internet.  When we fixed that the next day he called me again.  Now that he's on the internet, he managed to catch some virus that sends vista's explorer into an endless crash cycle.  After I fixed that- i got another call about why will vista not let him watch this or that content; saying his system isn't secure enough for it and the content's precious copyright protection or some such thing.  Seeing as there are no other drivers for his OEM hardware- I explained he'd probably need to buy new hardware or wait for new drivers to fix the issue.  "But I just bought a new computer," he said "why don't it work?"  lol.  Oh- and that's not all; the printer they gave him didn't even come with windows vista drivers.  Had to hunt those down on the internet.

Seriously- stay away from windows vista.  Even if it isn't just a bloated OS with copyright protection nazism-  Don't be a guinea pig for microsoft.

Wraithmire

Originally posted by notgoneglock


Who said anything about buying an operating system?  There are plenty of ways to obtain a copy of XP sp2; he may already have one.
Anyhow- that said... my friend ignored my advice and got a store-bought OEM gateway with windows vista.  He told me every time I've put computers together for him he's had nothing but problems with them.  To which I always reply; that's because the computers you've had me work on have parts in them from 1994; and you don't know how to maintain a windows based machine- and never listen to me when I explain it to you. 
So as his big "fuck you" to me- he went out and bought that gateway I mentioned earlier with vista.  He had it for barely 3 hours before he called me telling me his computer isn't working right.  Couldn't connect to the internet.  When we fixed that the next day he called me again.  Now that he's on the internet, he managed to catch some virus that sends vista's explorer into an endless crash cycle.  After I fixed that- i got another call about why will vista not let him watch this or that content; saying his system isn't secure enough for it and the content's precious copyright protection or some such thing.  Seeing as there are no other drivers for his OEM hardware- I explained he'd probably need to buy new hardware or wait for new drivers to fix the issue.  "But I just bought a new computer," he said "why don't it work?"  lol.  Oh- and that's not all; the printer they gave him didn't even come with windows vista drivers.  Had to hunt those down on the internet.
Seriously- stay away from windows vista.  Even if it isn't just a bloated OS with copyright protection nazism-  Don't be a guinea pig for microsoft.

Could it be actually be something cause of gateway or some outdated stuff in his pc? I have vista and it runs just fine...but I do have a good pc so maybe that is why.

gpett

Originally posted by notgoneglock

Stay away from vista- YOU WILL BE SORRY.  XP sp2 is pretty solid- stick with it until it is no longer supported by anything; because vista is a nightmare. 

I disagree.  Unless you play a lot of low budget asian titles, Vista64 is the way to go.  I know a lot of people that have vista64 up and running no problem.



I agree that if your choices are XP and vista 32 stick with XP.  There is a recent article up on [H]OCP stating that vista32 performances is slightly less than XP.  But, Vista64 outperforms both and is the future.  Besides, why pay for XP when it will not be supported as long as Vista?  If you have to purchase an OS right now there is no reason to get anything other than Vista64.



P.S. I am not saying to upgrade from XP if you already have that.  But if you have to purchase an OS, go with Vista64.

Spathotan

Originally posted by gpett

Originally posted by notgoneglock

Stay away from vista- YOU WILL BE SORRY.  XP sp2 is pretty solid- stick with it until it is no longer supported by anything; because vista is a nightmare. 

I disagree.  Unless you play a lot of low budget asian titles, Vista64 is the way to go.  I know a lot of people that have vista64 up and running no problem.



I agree that if your choices are XP and vista 32 stick with XP.  There is a recent article up on [H]OCP stating that vista32 performances is slightly less than XP.  But, Vista64 outperforms both and is the future.  Besides, why pay for XP when it will not be supported as long as Vista?  If you have to purchase an OS right now there is no reason to get anything other than Vista64.



P.S. I am not saying to upgrade from XP if you already have that.  But if you have to purchase an OS, go with Vista64. Im one of those people. And exactly what I was saying, if you are going to buy a pc for the future, why would you buy an OS for the past? You will only delay the inevitable.

rebal88

Ok ill look into the intel C2D and the 2900XT looks sick!  And sorry but i forgot to add that im getting a 700W thermaltake PSU wich i forgot to add before. What C2D processor is good or equal to the one i had in the first specs? And also how much is the 2900XT going to be?



So here is what i have so far for an intel desktop.



Case: X-Cruiser Mid-Tower Case W/ WINDOW, MultiMeter Display & Control (Black Color)

CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6420 CPU @ 2.13GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache 64-bit

MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core Supports) MSI P965 Neo-F P965 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1066 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN, USB2.0, & 7.1Audio

MEMORY: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory(possibly another 2gigs after i see how much i save  with the 2900XT)

VIDEO CARD: 2900XT(going to be)

HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)

Optical Drive: LiteOn LH-20A1H 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology (Black Color)

SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO

LCD Monitor: TBA

Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium

PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 700W Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready

Keyboard and mouse: Microsoft® Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 w/ Wireless Internet Keyboard & Laser Mouse

Flash Drive: Internal Reader/Writer

USB: Built-in USB 2.0 ports

Network: Onboard 10/100 card

Other Software: McAfee Anti-Virus 7, Microsoft Works 8.5

Warranty: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT



Also which monitor is better?  www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx

or                                                   www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx

rebal88

Im going to go with the AMD and Nvidia actually, I want the upcomming AMD3 which my board is compatible with. Thanks for the info.

notgoneglock

Im sorry; any idiot willfully using windows vista deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed when they have to call tech support. 

Operating systems like Windows ME were "the future" once too.  Bitch please.

gpett

Those are small monitors for the video cards you are going to be running.  Usually for high end video cards you would be running 1600X1200, 1680X1050, or 1920X1200 native resolution monitors.



So, you can either save some money on a lesser video card, or look at larger monitors.



Oh, The sweet spot for non-overclocking C2D is the E6600 or E6700.  Otherwise look at the E6320 if you want to save some money and dabble in overclocking.

rebal88

I was thinking of going for 2 8600GTS overclocked or a single 8800GTX, I just want one that will last me the longest with games

n25philly

Originally posted by notgoneglock


Who said anything about buying an operating system?  There are plenty of ways to obtain a copy of XP sp2; he may already have one.
Anyhow- that said... my friend ignored my advice and got a store-bought OEM gateway with windows vista.  He told me every time I've put computers together for him he's had nothing but problems with them.  To which I always reply; that's because the computers you've had me work on have parts in them from 1994; and you don't know how to maintain a windows based machine- and never listen to me when I explain it to you. 
So as his big "fuck you" to me- he went out and bought that gateway I mentioned earlier with vista.  He had it for barely 3 hours before he called me telling me his computer isn't working right.  Couldn't connect to the internet.  When we fixed that the next day he called me again.  Now that he's on the internet, he managed to catch some virus that sends vista's explorer into an endless crash cycle.  After I fixed that- i got another call about why will vista not let him watch this or that content; saying his system isn't secure enough for it and the content's precious copyright protection or some such thing.  Seeing as there are no other drivers for his OEM hardware- I explained he'd probably need to buy new hardware or wait for new drivers to fix the issue.  "But I just bought a new computer," he said "why don't it work?"  lol.  Oh- and that's not all; the printer they gave him didn't even come with windows vista drivers.  Had to hunt those down on the internet.
Seriously- stay away from windows vista.  Even if it isn't just a bloated OS with copyright protection nazism-  Don't be a guinea pig for microsoft.

So, apparently it's microsoft's fault that your friend is an idiot?

gpett

Here is the recent Anandtech.com review of the 2900XT.



The first pages are highly technical, you can skip to the benchmarks and the last page for the conclusion. Basically, The 2900XT comes in between the 8800GTS 320 and 8800GTS 640 but uses more power than an 8800GTX.  Gaming at 1600X1200, 1680X1050, or 1920X1200 is what these cards were ment to do..  You do not even plan to use those resolutions.  The monitors you were considering were 1440X900.  So basically all of these video cards are overkill for your intended native resolution.



Don't bother with SLI.  With SLI/Crossfire you end up spending more for the motherboard, powersupply, and video cards.  Not to mention that you double your power cunsumption, and heat inside the case.   Just get one video card that suits your needs. 



At this point, the 8800s are the answer.  It is up to you and your budget to decide between the GTS 320, GTS 640, or GTX.  If you stick with those 1400X900 monitors you linked before you do not need the GTX.  You will be perfectly happy with either GTS.

rebal88

Yeah im going with a 8800GTX, Vista(idc what ya say), 700W thermaltake PSU, AMD Athlon™64 X2 4800+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology,

ValiumSummer

The E6600 core 2 Duo is a great chip at a great price ($225 on New egg).



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003



It runs cool, is extremely over  clockable  at $225 is a great deal.



If you have been researching your parts I'm surprised you chose an AMD proc.



I also feel that you will regret not getting a better Power supply.



Here is a decent board...

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTMyNSw3LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

Spathotan

You will have a great system for sure, regardless if you go AMD/Intel and nVidia/ATi because of all the high end software. All 4 companies are great, in todays world it basiaclly comes down to personal preference, but unfortunatly, AMD buying ATi is going to change that in the months/years to come, as the Intel/ATi people are going to be left with no choice but to switch to nVidia simply because AMD chipsets suck hard right now. Dont think youre gonna keep seeing AMD compatable nforce boards.

rebal88

Is AMD really that bad? It would be like $100 more to go with a 6600 or whatever it is