SamuraiGaijin Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) You're heading in the right direction ... now keep in mind, this advice is for someone who I assume is looking to build a capable, somewhat "future proof" (upgradable) gaming system - I'd have different advice for someone wanting to build an internet/office apps box. - Motherboard - - SLI or Crossfire compatibility is a good idea (you might have the cash to upgrade in the future) - - Intel/AMD is IMO a personal preference - AMD is currently the speed king, and Intel is generally more stable but more expensive - Intel chipsets do not support Crossfire (yet), but boards that support Crossfire n general are limited in selection - - 2GB minimum RAM support (1GB is all you REALLY need today, but next year ...) - - I prefer ASUS boards for quality and stability (or overclock potential), but ABIT, MSI, GigaByte, etc. are all reputable - shop around - Processor - I've been out of the proc market for a while, so all the new naming conventions have my head spinning - best to really consult some experts - www.tomshardware.com is my personal favorite for no-BS comparisons - RAM - good (name brand) matched (same brand, same size, same speed) RAM - unless you plan on mad overclocking, go with the speed your mobo best supports - start with 2 1GB sticks - you can always upgrade (and by the time you need it, it will be much cheaper) - Video - ATI vs. NVidia is, again, a personal preference thing to me. If you plan on going dual-card in the future, probably best to go ATI, as NVidia's SLI, while better supported by more mobo's, requires you have the exact same (same model, same brand) video cards - if you're not going dual card, pick a price range and shop around - I wouldn't buy anything less powerful than a NV 6800 GTX or ATI 9800, unless you just want to be forced to upgrade in the next year. - HD - imagine the most HD space you think you could possibly ever need, then double it - HD's are relatively cheap - most mobo's have onboard RAID-0 support, and it seriously increases performance (think barely enough time to light a cigarette between KOTOR level loads) but if a drive crashes, you're screwed (i.e. - back up everything important) - Intel's "Matrix RAID" kicks serious tail, but comes at a high price (four drives required, I think) for the performance and stability of a very flexible RAID-5-type set-up, configurable in Windows. Western Digital's "RAPTOR" is still the speed king (it should be, with a 10K RPM platter speed - compared to the standard 7200 - but is ridiculously high-priced for the storage space) - Optical - DVD burners are cheap - pick features you need and shop around - chances are, if you've heard of the company more than a few times, it's respectable - Sound - Audigy II's prices should be dropping rapidly with their newly released X-Fi - I haven't priced an X-Fi (yet), but I've barely scraped the surface of my AII's capability, and have never been dissappointed - today, I wouldn't recommend anyone anything less than an AII. Well - those are my two credits ... Edited December 5, 2005 by SamuraiGaijin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 I take it your putting it together yourself? $1500 is alot to work with, imo. Me, I was thinking of picking up this computer (emachines have served me well in the past): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?sk...d=1124431830447 Double the ram and put in a 6800 GT in the PCI-E slot, I walk away for about $800 thoughts? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was working on one of those awhile ago for my dad's girlfriend, nice little machine. Cheaper than buying the components seperately, and since they got bought out by Gateway they use stock parts rather than the refurbed crap. Looking at it that's a newer model, hers had a smaller HDD, and none of the PCI-E, but it had the same processor, I think, mighta been a 3200. Keep in mind you'll be buggering up your warranty if anything does go wrong, and they have those fancy new stickers on the back that mean you can't take everything you added out and pretend like you never touched it. The case should be big enough, and probably has enough ventilation, but I'd advise installing a new PS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarjahurmaaja. Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 SLI is a scam so don't waste your precious moneys on it. 9/30 -- NEVER FORGET! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaftan Barlast Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 SLI is not a scam, ut you dont get 200% performance just because you have dual cards. What you DO get is a 30-40% increase in running really heavy graphics with maxed resolution and AA where just one card will have too much to process. DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself. Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture. "I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spider Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 - HD - imagine the most HD space you think you could possibly ever need, then double it - HD's are relatively cheap - most mobo's have onboard RAID-0 support, and it seriously increases performance (think barely enough time to light a cigarette between KOTOR level loads) but if a drive crashes, you're screwed (i.e. - back up everything important) - Intel's "Matrix RAID" kicks serious tail, but comes at a high price (four drives required, I think) for the performance and stability of a very flexible RAID-5-type set-up, configurable in Windows. Western Digital's "RAPTOR" is still the speed king (it should be, with a 10K RPM platter speed - compared to the standard 7200 - but is ridiculously high-priced for the storage space)Well - those are my two credits ... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Raptor may be expensive, but it's so worth it. It really is MUCH faster. Personally, if I could afford it, I'd get a small Raptor (36 GB) for the os and apps then another HD for storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarjahurmaaja. Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 "SLI is not a scam, ut you dont get 200% performance just because you have dual cards. What you DO get is a 30-40% increase in running really heavy graphics with maxed resolution and AA where just one card will have too much to process." Yeah, and that's only good for people with no monetary concerns when buying computers. It certainly isn't an upgrade solution. 9/30 -- NEVER FORGET! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) Asus A8N32-SLI <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's all well and good and everything, but what would I do with it after I bought it? I've never put together a computer before. I probably could put one together, as long as I had all the resources necessary (cables, screws, etc.)...and had some sort of guide or tutorial, hehe. Edited December 5, 2005 by Arkan "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) Hmm...how about this for a motherboard? http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...MBM-NI8SLI-7800 or this one: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...p?EdpNo=1696401 Edited December 5, 2005 by Arkan "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveThaiBinh Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 That's all well and good and everything, but what would I do with it after I bought it? I've never put together a computer before. CNet has videos that guide you through some of the important points, though there's really no substitute for having someone around who knows what they're doing. "An electric puddle is not what I need right now." (Nina Kalenkov) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 That's all well and good and everything, but what would I do with it after I bought it? I've never put together a computer before. CNet has videos that guide you through some of the important points, though there's really no substitute for having someone around who knows what they're doing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmm...buy all the parts and have someone else do it locally? "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Eh, you'll never learn if you always farm it out. I just ordered a bunch of parts at the advice of the friendly folks over at Tech Support Guy and then threw them together. It turned out okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 Eh, you'll never learn if you always farm it out. I just ordered a bunch of parts at the advice of the friendly folks over at Tech Support Guy and then threw them together. It turned out okay. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Define ok "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) Ok, here's what I have so far, and the price is going to be cheaper after rebates: ABIT NI8 SLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard with Two (2) PNY 7800 GT 256MB PCIe Video Cards (512 total), Ultra 600 Watt Power Supply & Call Of Duty 2 PC Game Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0Ghz / 2MB Cache / 800 FSB / Socket 775 / HyperThreading / Processor with Fan Ultra UV Wizard Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with UV Reactive Clear Side, Front USB and Firewire Ports Seagate / 250GB / 7200 / 8MB / ATA-100 / EIDE / OEM / Hard Drive NEC ND3550A / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD+R DL / 6x DVD-R DL / 48x32x48x CD-RW / Black / Dual Layer / OEM DVD Burner with Software Lite-On / 52x32x52x CD-RW / Black / CD Burner Ultra Commander 7-Channel Fan Controller Plus 3 Titanium Finish 80mm Fans Mushkin 2048MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB) Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live 24-Bit PCI Sound Card (Retail Box) so far, this costs $1640 before rebates. What else am I going to need? Edited December 5, 2005 by Arkan "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumquatq3 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 AMD AMD AMD AMD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 AMD AMD AMD AMD! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But the motherboard I have there doesn't support AMD, at least not according to the specs. "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumquatq3 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 AMD AMD AMD AMD! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But the motherboard I have there doesn't support AMD, at least not according to the specs. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> New motherboard! New motherboard! New motherboard! New motherboard! That 64bit tech will be nice when the new windows hits in 06 (it will support the chip, hence other things prolly will start to as well) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Eh, you'll never learn if you always farm it out. I just ordered a bunch of parts at the advice of the friendly folks over at Tech Support Guy and then threw them together. It turned out okay. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Define ok <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hm, everything has been working for over a year now, it isn't the neatest job, as the wires and cables aren't tied, and I'm lazy and haven't gone in and done it, and I screwed up the mountings a little bit around the optical drives. But like I said, it's working, and I've since overclocked the CPU a few times, I've been satisfied with my endeavour overall, and when I upgrade I'll get a new case and do a neater job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 AMD AMD AMD AMD! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But the motherboard I have there doesn't support AMD, at least not according to the specs. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> New motherboard! New motherboard! New motherboard! New motherboard! That 64bit tech will be nice when the new windows hits in 06 (it will support the chip, hence other things prolly will start to as well) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't know. That seems to be a pretty good deal for a mothorboard with two brand new video cards and a new video game included. "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Child of Flame Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Ok, here's what I have so far, and the price is going to be cheaper after rebates: ABIT NI8 SLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard with Two (2) PNY 7800 GT 256MB PCIe Video Cards (512 total), Ultra 600 Watt Power Supply & Call Of Duty 2 PC Game Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0Ghz / 2MB Cache / 800 FSB / Socket 775 / HyperThreading / Processor with Fan Ultra UV Wizard Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with UV Reactive Clear Side, Front USB and Firewire Ports Seagate / 250GB / 7200 / 8MB / ATA-100 / EIDE / OEM / Hard Drive NEC ND3550A / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD+R DL / 6x DVD-R DL / 48x32x48x CD-RW / Black / Dual Layer / OEM DVD Burner with Software Lite-On / 52x32x52x CD-RW / Black / CD Burner Ultra Commander 7-Channel Fan Controller Plus 3 Titanium Finish 80mm Fans Mushkin 2048MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB) Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live 24-Bit PCI Sound Card (Retail Box) so far, this costs $1640 before rebates. What else am I going to need? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A lawyer to get all the rebates. Also, forego one of the sticks of RAM unless you plan on doing 3D rendering or other heavy graphics work. 1GB is enough for any but the most overkill of gaming rigs....then again that seems to be what you're going for. Fool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 Ok, here's what I have so far, and the price is going to be cheaper after rebates: ABIT NI8 SLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard with Two (2) PNY 7800 GT 256MB PCIe Video Cards (512 total), Ultra 600 Watt Power Supply & Call Of Duty 2 PC Game Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0Ghz / 2MB Cache / 800 FSB / Socket 775 / HyperThreading / Processor with Fan Ultra UV Wizard Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with UV Reactive Clear Side, Front USB and Firewire Ports Seagate / 250GB / 7200 / 8MB / ATA-100 / EIDE / OEM / Hard Drive NEC ND3550A / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD+R DL / 6x DVD-R DL / 48x32x48x CD-RW / Black / Dual Layer / OEM DVD Burner with Software Lite-On / 52x32x52x CD-RW / Black / CD Burner Ultra Commander 7-Channel Fan Controller Plus 3 Titanium Finish 80mm Fans Mushkin 2048MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB) Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live 24-Bit PCI Sound Card (Retail Box) so far, this costs $1640 before rebates. What else am I going to need? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A lawyer to get all the rebates. Also, forego one of the sticks of RAM unless you plan on doing 3D rendering or other heavy graphics work. 1GB is enough for any but the most overkill of gaming rigs....then again that seems to be what you're going for. Fool. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've never had a problem getting rebates before... And getting this stuff now means I won't have to later, doesn't it? "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarjahurmaaja. Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 "I don't know. That seems to be a pretty good deal for a mothorboard with two brand new video cards and a new video game included." It seems like a pretty good deal. You'll probably would like to switch to AMD ASAP, though. 9/30 -- NEVER FORGET! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumquatq3 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) And getting this stuff now means I won't have to later, doesn't it? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If you go top of the line you pay a HEAVY premium for it. For example, if you take a step or two back from the best processor out there, you can get a chip for half the cost and 95% of the performance (note: all number pulled from my ass and are subject to change, but their ballpark) Edited December 5, 2005 by kumquatq3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkan Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 I get that, but what I don't get is, I've given myself a (what I thought to be rather modest) price range of around 1500. Other than the AMD chip (I'm searching around for something similar atm), what else is there to change? What's wrong with simply having more memory? "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowPaladin V1.0 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Rather you than me I have to agree with Volourn. Bioware is pretty much dead now. Deals like this kills development studios. 478327[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumquatq3 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 (edited) I guess, it should be said, if you can afford it, get whatever the **** you want. I'm thinking from a penny pinching perspective (say that ten times fast), but if you can afford it comfortably, F it, get top of the line stuff. Edited December 5, 2005 by kumquatq3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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