Build a PC for peanuts

[jaguars4ever]

Hmm.

[metadigital]

... And you can SLI it with another card, later! :D

 

But you don't need SLI unless you have a large monitor.

 

7 series nVIDIA has some extra stuff that the 6 series doesn't.

[jaguars4ever]

Okay then. :D

 

Also: Wouldn't I need a dedicated power supply (those 6-pin auxiliary power supply connectors) for a dual 7900 rig?

Edited March 26, 2006 by jaguars4ever

[metadigital]

They don't keep the models going indefinitely; if you are planning to SLI in the future don't buy a card that has been out for a while, expecting to buy another in six months or so. It won't be available.

[jaguars4ever]

Meta, doesn't the 7600GT actually have a smaller memory bandwidth than the 6800's?

[metadigital]

Short answer: No.

Long Answer:

• Both have 12 pixel pipelines.
  
• 7600GT: faster core 450MHz, faster 128MB DDR3 700MHz (1.4GHz effective)
  
• 90nm die
  
• also has more overclock headroom (core 680MHz, DDR3 850MHz = 1.7GHz effective)
  
• plays FEAR @ 1,280 x 960 with 2x AA and 2x AF
  
• 67W power drain
  
• 7 series features
  

[Gabrielle]

nice really

[metadigital]

Not bad for <

[Gabrielle]

wish i had that much

[angshuman]

Meta, doesn't the 7600GT actually have a smaller memory bandwidth than the 6800's?

Yes, you are correct.

 

The 6800's have a 256-bit memory bus, while the 7600GT has a 128-bit bus. Further, this bus is fed via 8 ROP's in the 7600GT while the 6800 has 16 ROP's (same as the 7800's). The reason memory bandwidth and number of ROP's are important is because these two are the critical factors that determine the performance impact due to antialiasing.

 

These two factors coupled with the number of shaders on the two GPU's effectively make the 7600GT a much narrower processor than, say, the 6800GT. However, this narrow width and the 90nm process technology enables nVidia to clock the 7600GT at very high speeds, thereby making up for the lost performance while keeping manufacturing costs much lower than the 6800's.

 

At high resolutions and AA settings, the 7600GT's memory bandwidth will start becoming more and more of a bottleck, but at this point it's possible that neither of the two GPU's will be giving you a playable frame rate.

[jaguars4ever]

Thanks for that very informed contribution, angshuman.

[Janmanden]

I was providing an example of a PC that will play the latest games, for about the same price as a console.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But there is still an OS requirement, I assume? "

[metadigital]

Yes.

[Janmanden]

Which isn't included in that rig?

[Bokishi]

A 128 mb card being made today is just pitiful.

[Yst]

Trying to break the pricing of PCs down to single-purchase examples is only useful in demonstrating what buying a PC is like for someone who does not own one, nor any PC parts whatsoever, at present, or who for whatever reason, buys their PCs absolutely-all-parts-at-once for reasons which would generally elude me, if they have the means to do otherwise. I haven't bought a PC in one purchase as-is as a full and complete system since my 486SX/33. A majority of my computer parts last at least two generations, and some last far more. An ATX case from TEN YEARS AGO is still an ATX case today. And though it may not be the one you want, if it's sitting under a desk hidden from sight like mine generally are, the fact that it doesn't have all sorts of coloured flourescent lights and pretty shiny things all over it (as many cases today do) may not matter to you, as it doesn't to me. At my former workplace, a local ISP, as an extreme example, we were still using a full tower server case which had originally housed a dual P-Pro 200 as of the year 2004 to house a critical system. PSUs may last a few generations as well. Antec was widely selling 350W supplies eight years ago, and 350W is still generally all you need today for your average user, despite the load on the 12V rail having generally increased as proportion of required total amperage in recent years. My Radeon 9700 Pro is four years old, and I have no immediate intention of replacing it. It'll probably last a couple more.

 

Essentially, 'upgraders' and the type who buy a new Dell box every three years and toss the old one out the window (or off to a friend or relative) are dealing with completely unrelated purchase decisions and financial requirements. This is why comparing console pricing and PC pricing has never worked and probably never will for active PC tinkerers. Some of my PC parts I've gotten for free from work or friends, some have been around for years and years (I'm typing on a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD IBM Model M keyboard right now, though my oldest Model M is nineteen years old), some I've added recently from older systems and just a couple have been bought in the last couple years (new mobo and CPU, kept the old RAM and everything else).

[angshuman]

A 128 mb card being made today is just pitiful.

1.4GHz GDDR3 memory is freaking expensive. More than 128MB would likely escalate 7600GT prices to unacceptable levels. Don't just look at the amount of memory. Even 1GB of el-cheapo DDR memory used on 6200's and 6600's is probably a lot cheaper than the high-end 128MB on the 7600GT.

[metadigital]

Can't really argue with either of the two posts; further to Yst's post, I have a couple of copies of Windows NT 4 around, for example.

 

I am gearing up to build & create a new gaming PC purchase within the next quarter, or so. As I have laptops at the moment, I am planning to create a perfect gaming environment, and I am pleased to provde the fruits of my research for others to benefit from (free to take or leave it).

 

And now, for everyone's delectation, the cheapest Media Centre (Home Theatre PC, or HTPC):

[*]a stylist case that doesn't scream "I am a computer",

either a small form factor (SFF), or

a vertical full-size form factor (to allow cheaper, non-laptop components)

e.g. Silverstone's Lascala LC13B (

[Bokishi]

I think you can use a cheaper and less advanced card for simple "media" use.

[Pidesco]

That Asrock motherboard is the one I got about a month ago. I'm rather pleased with it and it was very cheap. Plus, the onboard graphics card is good enough for me to manage until I can afford a proper PCI-E graphics card. Surprisingly it handles Rome: Total War quite well.

[metadigital]

I think you can use a cheaper and less advanced card for simple "media" use.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cheaper than

[Bokishi]

I don't know pounds.

[metadigital]

[CoM_Solaufein]

A 128 mb card being made today is just pitiful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What? They still make those things? I thought 256 was the standard at the moment.

[Bokishi]

Well anyway I think you can get decent media performance with a geforce 2.