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I was just looking at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6829102019
and it has the SDPIF in/outs listed. I will just go with this one, even though the 64mb of ram in the sound card is apparently useless in this version of the x-fi, at least it has the extra connecter I need. Now that the sale is over the front panel would be 60 bucks more and would just be redundant.
Two quick questions, one is should I be worried about stickers on the back of my video card? Also I bought an arctic freezer 7 pro for my cpu, and it has the preapplied thermal stuff on it, will that be enough for me or should I be investing in real thermal paste?
EDIT:
I am thinking about (possibly!) going with an ATI graphics solution after all, in part because the Rampage Extreme is so awesome and there is no comparable SLI board.
Were I to go with a single Radeon 4870 instead of the EVGA GTX260 216 core, what card would you guys recommend? I don't think I want to shell out 550 bucks for the Crossfire cards, but I like the idea that later on when they are (cheaper) mid-range cards I could buy another and put them in Crossfire mode.
I would want to go with the 1gb version recently released, but here is a problem I am seeing on Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi … der=PRICED
as you can see, there is no MSI single 4870 card. (WHY?) Is there a good option here to compete with the factory OC EVGA 216 core? (310 bucks btw)
also I don't know if I need feedback on this, but for the record I think I am reconsidering my case and am going to go with a Thermaltake Xaser instead. The Armorplus I think now looks more flashy but less functional, and this Xaser is still really sexy. Also I don't know if I like the flappy doors on the front of the Armor plus series
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6811133052
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-01 16:39)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6814131120
Factory OCed and 1GB. 10 bucks cheaper and probably performs like-wise. It's really up to you.
Also,
I was just looking at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6829102019
and it has the SDPIF in/outs listed. I will just go with this one, even though the 64mb of ram in the sound card is apparently useless in this version of the x-fi, at least it has the extra connecter I need. Now that the sale is over the front panel would be 60 bucks more and would just be redundant.
If you read the comment on that product, there's one on the first page that says it isn't compatible with front panel audio. S/PDIF isn't front panel audio, it's a digital output for other audio components, I only mentioned it because it looks similar and is located near the front panel connector.
Two quick questions, one is should I be worried about stickers on the back of my video card? Also I bought an arctic freezer 7 pro for my cpu, and it has the preapplied thermal stuff on it, will that be enough for me or should I be investing in real thermal paste?
You shouldn't have to worry about them, but if they're huge you might as well tear them off. The preapplied thermal paste is fine. I think it's ceramic, but either way it should be good enough.
Last edited by Errrrrrr (2008-10-01 17:09)
Thanks for spotting that about my sound card Errr
Also I just noticed something - can the power supply noted for the high end builds REALLY handle crossfire 4870s? Those things are power hungry monsters
Can get 150 dollars off this PSU in a combo deal with my CPU. Know nothing about Rosewill but thought I would ask about it since the discount is so massive, I can effectively get this PSU for 100 bucks. Would also be nice to have the breathing room should I ever want to go Crossfire. So sorry to ask about yet another PSU but didn't see this combo deal until now. Even if you tell me its shitty at least I looked in to it, eh
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6817182097
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-01 21:34)
If you're getting the 850w Errrrrrr linked. Yes it will be sufficient.
It should even be enough for a future 2nd card when needed.
Glad you're considering ATi.
also I don't know if I need feedback on this, but for the record I think I am reconsidering my case and am going to go with a Thermaltake Xaser instead. The Armorplus I think now looks more flashy but less functional, and this Xaser is still really sexy. Also I don't know if I like the flappy doors on the front of the Armor plus series
That's a nice case. If flaps bother you take a look at the Antec Twelve Hundred as well.
Last edited by Taknarosh (2008-10-01 21:13)
The review Errr linked basically rated the 4870 as above the core 216, but then another one I read basically showed that the 216 generally beat the 4870 at lower levels of AA, and at 4xAA and especially 8xAA the 4870 pulls out ahead. Really the difference doesn't seem to be that massive it seems, and its hard to predict which card would be better in the long run. I do like that the 4870 supports DX10.1 though which might give it the edge in future games I would think, although I haven't read up on DX10.1 I am assuming it is slightly more graphics features and upgrades versions of old ones. Maybe its indistinguishable from DX10 though, I don't know.
Thats the whole reason I can even use my 9800 I still have in this old PC today, at the time the Shader 3.0 was a big fancy new feature that my card supported, and now basically the only reason my card is often the minimum reqs for games is because it has support for that. Anything less than Shader 3.0 support and you are fucked in many games
But anyway just thought I would ask about the PSU thing because most people who are buying Crossfire cards and linking their rig's specs have like 1000+ wattage PSUs, but they are probably just flexing their e-peen.
Although, I was meaning to ask about it being enough power for a Crossfire setup just out of curiousity. Like I said, if I did go with ATi then eventually when the cards are cheaper I would maybe pick up another 4870 and put them in crossfire, and I wouldn't want to upgrade my PSU to do it
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-01 22:16)
Unless every component in your system is the highest power drawing option you can get on the market today, and you're running CF 4870X2 and 3+ hard drives, and that you overclock everything, you don't need a 1000W PSU.
There's a good article on this, actually, also from Anandtech:
http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsu … spx?i=3413
Last edited by Errrrrrr (2008-10-01 22:31)
Thats a pretty interesting article.
It makes me have more confidence in the numbers my wattage calculator I posted earlier are accurate too. 
Good to know I have the kind of room to grow with that PSU you suggested Errrrrr. I'll just say fuck the Rosewill even if it is cheaper, gogo peace of mind knowing I at least have quality.
If flaps bother you take a look at the Antec Twelve Hundred as well.
I am just not sure why the flaps are there. People in newegg reviews talk about how flimsy they are so that is a turn-off. They obviously don't really serve as doors, so I am not sure the point of them is obvious. Are they there just to keep some dust out of the intake fans you can put in the front of it? I don't know.
EDIT:
I just read that apparently you can remove them anyway, so I don't care about that anymore. No reason to complain about something you easily can modify to your liking.
Now I am just comparing the Antec twelve hundred to that TT VA8003BWS. I still like that Xaser but my computer bill is already looking pretty high, and it isn't even apparent that the Xaser will cool as well as either the Antec or the VA8003BWS.
The Antec is on sale for a similar price to the VA8003BWS. It looks like an outstanding case except for the fact that the washable dust filters, although a good idea sound like a huge hassel to clean all the time. (you apparently have to do a lot of work to remove them for cleaning)
Decisions decisions.
BTW if you guys are wondering why I don't just pick something and order the damned computer already, I am delaying because of a couple reasons. One is I have been sick and away from the computer for a few days. The other reason is I am waiting for an issue with my paypal account to be resolved. (its taking forever)
Thus, I am bored enough and have the time on my hands that I am scrutinizing every single part of the computer. I think its fun and its a good chance for me to get caught up on hardware. Sorry if I come off as annoyingly indecisive, I am just in a situation such that I have nothing better to do and at least I am learning useful knowledge doing this.
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-02 15:21)
The deal on this Antec 1200 can't be beat.
...well, unless of course it can be beat.
Right now it is 60 dollars off, and it gives you a promo code to get another 35 dollars off. Then if you get it in a package with this Antec PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6817371009
that is already 60 dollars off, you get another 40 dollars off in the package deal.
When all is said and done I am getting the case and the PSU for 290 dollars.
The PSU *seems* like great quality, but Errrrrrr may still come and correct me. Assuming he doesn't have an unkind word for it, then this is probably the best deal I am going to find.
Also as a side thing, I figured I could use some computer tools 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6899261003
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-02 17:32)
The Antec has 4x 12V rails each at 18A, the Zalman has 6x 12V rails, 4 at 18A, 2 at 28A; the Antec has a 80mm fan, the Zalman has a 140mm fan. I understand that you're looking at price, but if you're already spending this much money, I'm not sure if a 40 dollar discount really justifies getting something quite a bit inferior. The difference between a 80mm and a 140mm is immense, and you'd later regret the noise. The 12V rails of the Antec will likely be sufficient if you use separate rails, but the Zalman is still vastly superior in specs and features. I remember the Zalman was free shipping when I linked it, now it's got a 15 dollar shipping, but still at the same price which is a steal. The real difference of the two is only 5 bucks, and for 45 bucks difference in a $1000+ computer I'd rather get the Zalman.
Of course, it's your money and your choice.
Alright thanks for your recommendation as always. If the Zalman really is that much better then I will stick with it.
Why are you guys recommending $240 power supplies? Is this some sort of joke? Just get a Corsair modular PSU and call it a day. What the hell?
Why are you guys recommending $240 power supplies? Is this some sort of joke? Just get a Corsair modular PSU and call it a day. What the hell?
He was asking which ones to buy between his options, and his options are all in the $179 range, and I merely recommend the best. If he wants superb power efficiency in a SLI/CF setup, and if he's already spending that much money on the other parts, getting a PSU of that quality isn't a bad idea. He specifically said he wants the PSU to have room for a possible future SLI/CF upgrade.
I myself certainly wouldn't buy a PSU that costs that much, simply because I just don't spend that kind of money on a computer.
I am having a hell of a time finding the correct monitor to buy. All I want is a monitor thats mostly for gaming but also great for watching movies and acting as a display for my 360. So basically a widescreen LCD with 2ms response time, at least an average contrast ratio, and otherwise no random glaring display problems. Easy right? Ya until you realize that its basically futile to compare contrast ratios cross-manufacturer, and you have to read a review of a fucking monitor to make sure that the display actually delivers on everything it says it will do in its specs.
In one case there is a 24" LG monitor listed on Newegg as having 2ms GTG, however that is incorrect as every other online merchant or retailer, and LG itself lists the display as being 5ms.
In another case, there are two 22" Samsung monitors listed on Newegg that have no apparant differences other than stand options, but differ 30 dollars in price. I went as far to look at Samsung's site to try and find an actual difference between the two and nothing is clear.
In yet another case a Samsung monitor is listed as 2ms GTG but in its specs, both on Newegg and on the Samsung site, its response time is listed as "5ms, 2ms GTG". No further explanation. WHAT THE FUCK?
I was originally trying to decide whether a 24" was worth the money, but now I am almost tempted to buy a 24" out of spite to Samsung as they apparently don't make have any 2ms specced 24" displays, and with how vague they are in their specs they make me feel like they are trying to slip one by me somewhere and rip me off.
Picking out a monitor without being at a store with the display items is basically a fucking crapshoot.
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-03 18:37)
Decisions decisions.
BTW if you guys are wondering why I don't just pick something and order the damned computer already, I am delaying because of a couple reasons. One is I have been sick and away from the computer for a few days. The other reason is I am waiting for an issue with my paypal account to be resolved. (its taking forever)
Thus, I am bored enough and have the time on my hands that I am scrutinizing every single part of the computer. I think its fun and its a good chance for me to get caught up on hardware. Sorry if I come off as annoyingly indecisive, I am just in a situation such that I have nothing better to do and at least I am learning useful knowledge doing this.
No need to excuse yourself. It's great to see that you are doing your research, a lot of people take the easy way out buying a pre-built PC then bitching that it does meet their needs.
the ram you posted, or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6820220300 for the good deal?
did a little research and discovered why 4gb of ram isnt worth it in 32bit windows 
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-05 19:53)
3.25GB isn't exactly negligible.
2GB is the bare minimum by today's standards.
Now that you mention it if you really want to future proof you could get 2x 2GB sticks now. Then when you make the migration to Vista or Windows 7 (assuming you get the 64-bit edition) you now have the option to upgrade to 8GB (2 more sticks of 2GB) without having to get rid of lower capacity modules.
Last edited by Taknarosh (2008-10-05 22:52)
Thats true. I could just stick with what I have now. Only thing I would be worried about is by the time I go to 64-bit Windows, my RAM will suck.
The thing is though (just saying all of this to make sure we are on the same page), Windows does technically use 4gb of memory. Its just that it can only address 4gb of memory total - video memory included. Obviously the new Radeons have 1gb memory, so right there I would be only using 3gb of memory right off the bat, and then any other random memory in the computer gets priority to address over the RAM.
So I would definitely be limited to 3gb of RAM, and then nickel and dimed down who knows how much lower than that.
EDIT: thinking of just giving 64bit windows a spin
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-06 17:53)
Tak, for the purposes of your hardware list I thought you might want to know that MSI has a 1gb 4870 offering now, FINALLY
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6814127389
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-08 13:47)
T-T-T-TRIPLE POST!
I wish that U2Us were working, but I wanted to thank you Errrrrr and Tak so much for all the help and advice you have given me. Honestly, thanks for the time. Didn't think anybody around here would lend me that sort of help.
I am super gay.
Let us know how it turns out. Pics plz.
I have to go find access to a printer because I am STILL having issues with PayPal after calling them on at least three occasions. I feel cockblocked. So I am just going for the old fashioned mail-in check once I get that going.
Last edited by Legal_My_Deagle (2008-10-09 19:27)
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