What's Your Video Card?

[TasmanianDevil]

azrach:

 

I'm learning much about SLI from your posts and doing my own research also.

 

I plan to build my new gaming rig along the SLI line within a week and set it up as a HTPC. Maybe you can help clarify some issues for me.

 

1) You mentioned in a few posts above that the7600 GTX is superior to the 7900 GT? In what ways? Does it apply for both single and dual SLI modes? Specs wise 7900 is better right? How does the GTX edge translate in actual gaming?

 

2) I'll be purchasing a single 7900 GT initially and add-on the second card in a month or two. Re: SLI mode, does it only work for two cards? What are the gains of a single card over the same in a non-sli mobo? Just curious.

 

3) Which northbridge do you recommend? nforce ultra, nforce 4 x16, etc.

 

4) I plan to buy an Athlon 64 x2. Right now some say, is not be the best cpu for gaming. I'm planning more for a future scenario where many games may be designed to utilize such technology. Do you think it's a fairly safe assumption? The FX are beyond my budget.

 

5) is a 500w PS good enough, even for addons? What scenario would i need more than 500w? I'll also be setting up 2 SATA drives in RAID 0.

 

6) just curious also. Does ATI have a counterpart to SLI? How does it stack up against Nvidia's?

 

Thanks.

[GM Ruy Lopez]

128MB GeForce 6600GT (AGP)

[TheRaven]

Eversince I used nVidia GPUs eh nde nako nag-switch sa ibang brands kahit pa sabihing, ATI Radeon runs the game like ur part of it. nVidia lang ako, pre. I only have the 5500 256-bit series with video out. It plays all the Elder Scrolls games superbly except the latest, Oblivion (runs like ur in thick mud kc nde pa ako naka-upgrade nung procesor at memory ko eh). Hrmmph, I gotta buy even just the 6600GT series + upgrade of procesor (AMD ako all my life).

 

What's your video card? Not sure? Check your BIOS.

 

Anyways, for all those hardcore gamers out there able to play Doom III, BF 2, HL2, Quake 4, FEAR, etc. show what drive your graphics.

 

I used to have a Radeon 9800XT, but I had so much friggin problem with that hard ware (heat sinks sucks and the fan was too damn noisy = overheats after 4 hours of gametime = just when I'm getting warmed up)

 

So I bought this one, nVidia GeForce 6600GT that kicks major ass, but I'm thinking of upgrading to nVidia GeForce 6800GT in the near future. Anyways, if you are interested in purchasing it PM me (the price stands at $ 160, minus shipping) and we could make arrangements.

 

I might just hold on to it till I can afford a 6800GT without selling my old one...

 

Here's my EVGA nVidia GeForce 6600GT's specs:

 

Core clock: 500MHz

D-SUB: 1

DirectX: DirectX 9

DVI: 1

Memory Clock: 900MHz

Memory Interface: 128-bit

OpenGL: OpenGL 2.0

PixelPipelines: 8

TV-Out: HDTV/S-Video Out

AGP slot 4x/8x for those interested in buying it.

 

Oh yeah, I'll never buy another Radeon in my natural life...  :thumbsdownsmiley:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[pistonring_man]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm currently upgrading my system.

[azrach187]

azrach:

 

I'm learning much about SLI from your posts and doing my own research also.

 

I plan to build my new gaming rig along the SLI line within a week and set it up as a HTPC. Maybe you can help clarify some issues for me.

 

1) You mentioned in a few posts above that the7600 GTX is superior to the 7900 GT? In what ways? Does it apply for both single and dual SLI modes? Specs wise 7900 is better right? How does the GTX edge translate in actual gaming?

 

2) I'll be purchasing a single 7900 GT initially and add-on the second card in a month or two. Re: SLI mode, does it only work for two cards? What are the gains of a single card over the same in a non-sli mobo? Just curious.

 

3) Which northbridge do you recommend? nforce ultra, nforce 4 x16, etc.

 

4) I plan to buy an Athlon 64 x2. Right now some say, is not be the best cpu for gaming. I'm planning more for a future scenario where many games may be designed to utilize such technology. Do you think it's a fairly safe assumption? The FX are beyond my budget.

 

5) is a 500w PS good enough, even for addons? What scenario would i need more than 500w? I'll also be setting up 2 SATA drives in RAID 0.

 

6) just curious also. Does ATI have a counterpart to SLI? How does it stack up against Nvidia's?

 

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First and foremost, take out a paper and pencil and right down what you REALLY want. There are ways to approach this problem. If you are building for the future is a different aproach to build or upgrade as you go.

 

To build for the future - basically finding the best parts for your money today to last you two or three years down the line, since we know how fast the technology moves. Most people save up enough to buy everything in a single swing.

 

To build or upgrade as you go - is buying the basis for your dream system by purchasing mostly the most recent motherboard that accepts the "next-gen" upgrades. This is much trickier since you must have a clear plan on what you want, a year or a month from now. Not too mention, you must do alot of research, preparing for near changes in the future, such as the death of AGP slot. People prefers this method since it is the most economical and practical.

 

I prefer the former although a combination of the the two approach above is the best and what I recommend. I upgrade what is afforded by my current system, but I tend to build a PC powerful enough at the current standard, so I worry less about upgrades and more gaming/creating. My process in building a PC is simple:

 

Processor->mobo (mother board)->vid card->accessories (hd, fan, memory, etc.) = Multi-media PC

 

vid card->mobo->processor->accessories = Gaming PC

 

mobo->vid card or processor->accessories = All-around PC

 

1) A rule from gamers "A GTX two steps down (from 7900 to 7600) would perform better because it has been refined." Remember, only a GTX compared to a "bare minimum" (sometimes called LE or GS) video card, which means 7600GTX would run faster than 7900GS/LE, but not 7900GT, for the simple fact that 7600 had been around longer than 7900, manufacturers have had time to refine the product enough to be labeled GTX at a price less than the newer issued card. Basically, it is a way to clear their old inventory by beefing it up. On the other hand, manufacturers takes advantage of this by beefing up a recent issue vid card for a price sometimes more expensive than all other PC components combined.

 

What's the difference between LE, GS, GT, GTX (providing they are from the same vid card)? Some specs are arguable, but it boils to these factors: vid card's on-board memory and its clock speed, heatsink/fan, and the accessories such DVI or HDVI, VIVO, tuner, etc. that comes with it.

 

What's the difference between a 7600GTX compared to 7900GS? On what reason 7600GTX would beat a 7900GS? First would be speed. The 7600GTX would beat the bare 7900GS in redering, shading, etc. Basically, the 7900GS would "stutter" at some graphics before the 7600GTX. But on what way the 7900GS shine compared to 7600GTX? Newer games that takes advantage of the "shading" ability, bleeding graphics, etc. Basically, new technologies not available at the conception of 7600s would be handled by 7900s much better. Can you really tell? Not really. It could be as minute as pixel of light in the distance.

 

That is why some gamers prefer buying a "lower" card with GTX build. Others, like me, prefer the GT since it comes with enough "beefing up" minus excessive accessories or overheat capability. And others, prefer to wait to find out problematic cards such as the now infamous 6800 series.

 

2) SLi is built for two cards BUT you can run a single video card, as a matter of fact, you can control both video card (temperature, threshold, etc.) from the nVidia desktop manager and have the option to run a single card. It would have no consequence as far as running a single card as a matter of fact, most mobos are advertised as "SLi ready" which basically translate to "run an SLi when you are ready."

 

3) Depends on what processor you are getting and what PCI cards you plan on getting (such as SLi setting). Sometimes, to tell you the truth, you really have no choice what your northbridge is, since this is mobo-reliant. If I do have a choice, I'll go with nforce 4, seems like this is the only northbridge I ever got/used. Really, this is not something to be loosing sleep over since it will be more likely decided once you choose what mobo you want.

 

4) I've heard from others the same thing, that AMD 64 x 2 isn't the best choice for gaming, but I had my heart set on getting a Pentium D 950 (dual core) seeing the capability from other film students, who like me, have to have a crapload of programs and application open to edit a movie.

 

Right now, I can tell you that the 950 handled all what I threw against it without freeze-ups or slow-downs. AMDs have been the gamer's choice but that was when they came out with AMD 64, now it seems like the benchmark is on Pentium side again. Again, this is arguable.

 

5) 500 watts of power should be more than enough. The avg. = 2X 5.25"/ 1X 3.5"/ 4 PCI cards/ 2X 120mm fans/ 1X 80mm fan/ CPU cooling fan/2X HD is only rated for 450W. So 500w ATX or after-market should be more than enough.

 

Just don't be excessive on your accessories and you should be good. Heck I have two 500GB HD and realized what I need that much storage for since I burn the movies I shoot, on DVD. So now I only have 500GB interior and have an external one, 500GB that is still a virgin. My point is, to cut down on power, don't throw a bunch of accessories just because you can. This cut down on your power consumption and the internal heat of your PC.

 

I'm sure, some would prefer two hard drives over one, but I learned over the years to "streamline" since each fan, light, any 5.25" drive, any 3.5" drive, PCI card, etc. adds up to the power burden and overall internal temperature of your PC.

 

6) Yes. It is called ATI Cross-Fire. Unlike the SLi technology which was developed with running two video cards in mind, Cross-fire is a way for ATI to just merely keep-up with nVidia; evident of the adaptor running from one card to the other ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR CASE!!!. If you've been a gamer like me, you'd know that ATI is barely keeping up with nVidia these past two years. Comparing the two now is not even a comparison. Heck, since I had a bad experience with ATI, I don't go near it with a ten foot pole.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/azrach187/build-edge.jpg

ATI Cross-Fire: Wow, imagine that... another wire for the back of your PC!!!

 

I hope I answered your question.

Edited May 18, 2006 by azrach187

[johnlove]

Sir Azrach,

 

The main reason why I am asking so many questions is because I want to build a gaming PC that could be at par with Sony's PS3, and could safely operate in a non-airconditioned room, and hopefully would not break the bank. Any suggestions?

[azrach187]

The main reason why I am asking so many questions is because I want to build a gaming PC that could be at par with Sony's PS3, and could safely operate in a non-airconditioned room, and hopefully would not break the bank.  Any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sure thing. First, what is your budget? Lets use dollars, since most of the products I research is in dollars.

 

Making a pure gaming machine is cheaper than a multi-media PC per se, if you do your homework.

 

Since we know you're going to use this machine on "room temperature", you must start with a good ATX case. Usually, I would start at vid card for a gaming machine but we need to consider two things, your budget and the room temperature. For under $50 you can have a nice gaming tower such as a Raidmax Scorpio 420w that have three 80mm fans. Yes, it looks really good.

 

Then on to the motherboard. First, I suggest AMD 64 since this is for gaming and would be running a little warmer than usual. AMD runs good at a higher temperature. Depending if you do want an SLi compatible mobo, you can expect to buy one at around $80. I do recommend an SLi mobo just in case you do want to upgrade later on, SLi would save you a bunch, I'll explain later.

 

On to the processor, I suggest investing on an AMD 64 3200+ or higher. They are worth the money, if you ask me. Lets just say you want an AMD 64 3200+ which would cost you around $140.

 

Now, on to video card. You can have a GeForce 7600GT with 256MB at around $170. With the games nowadays, investing in a 7 series nVidia cards is a must, or else your gaming PC would be absolete before you can even build it.

 

Now we go to the hard drive. If this is purely for gaming, I suggest just buying an 80GB one. If you are like me, more than likely, you'll get rid of a game once you have beaten it to open more space in your HD. So let's say you bought an 80GB hard drive, this would cost you around $40.

 

On to the CD/DVD drive. For around $40, you can have a DVD/CD combo burner. I suggest DVD because some games are now being issued in DVD-Rom format or in case, you want to burn or watch DVD.

 

You now have a top-of-the line gaming PC for just merely $500. Yes, you can go a little more lower if you want. That's less than a PS3 price. And here's the good news, not even Xbox 360, Wii or PS3 could touch your machine, the Xbox 360 vid card is made by nVidia modeled after 6800 series vid card. Nintendo's Wii is made by ATI based on their (now outdated) 9600 card. PS3 is handled byNvidia too, which rumored to be using the 7300GT card.

 

Here's my point at the SLi motherboard: Let's say your 7600GT starts to stutter at games released a year or two from now, instead of buying a recent video card (which means more money) just drop another 7600GT (which would be then greatly reduce in price) in your motherboard and you are set, theoritically, until the year 2012. Here's the catch: it must be the same model, from the same manufacturer! Anyways, my point is, you can enjoy playing the games while saving for the other video card!

 

Other consideration: CPU fan: Most mobos come free with the CPU heatsink and the CPU fan. If you invest on a $40 good CPU fan, you can have your piece of mind about the temperature of the room you will be using this PC. Operating system: I don't have to tell you this, but you can use pirated versions of XP or else face buying one for a little less than $100. Just use the same one from your old system. I suggest XP because some games have problem operating in Win 98 and ME (2000).

 

I hope I gave you more insights. Feel free to ask questions.

[azrach187]

LOL. I forgot the memory... 512 should be sufficient which would cost you around $30.

[cheesekeso2004]

Dunno, I'm just relaying the problem. I didn't really do any research on it. Maybe that's a culprit... he's trying to run non-SLi mobos...

Well, I just roasted an AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz (o'clocked @ 2.6) from my old system. Knowing AMDs runs good at extreme temperatures but I pushed my luck too far. I didn't have a UPS on the old system and I left my PC on for two weeks while at a film location shoot and came home with a fried processor (it wasn't pretty!).

 

Over-clocking my new Pent. D 950? Why? I never had any problem with the programs, 2GB of memory does make a difference. I usually run Limewire, Norton Liveupdate, Norton Autoprotect, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Media Center (I must have music to listen to!), HD Sound driver, Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe Image Ready and Macromedia Flash while surfing a bunch of sites in the net at the same time (like right now) on a regular basis with no slowdowns. I'm a film student/animator so I am more inclined to have all these programs running.

 

Likewise, I run the video stress test (on CS Source/HL2) with some background programs still running, namely Limewire and Norton Liveupdate/Autoprotect and get 175.85 FPS, something I couldn't get on my old video card (I think my old 6800GT vid card's best was 132 FPS!).

 

So overclocking my system now is a bit of an overkill, not to mention an undue harm to the processor (although I must admit Dual Cores are very tempting!).

 

Maybe someday when programs are a bit more tasking and I become more demanding. For now I'll let the CPU sit at a cool 5º F - 8º F (-15º C to -13º C). Likewise, after what happened to my old CPU, I don't recommend overclocking if your cooling system is less to be desired, heck I don't recommend overclocking at all :hypocritesmiley: (so I don't get any blame!)

 

I bought the liquid coolant for two reasons: this is my first one and I'm curious how good they really are, so far I must admit they are much better than a fan, since mine comes with fan control. Second, like I said earlier, when the day comes, I will overclock.

 

Here's the con of a liquid CPU cooler so far: A bit harder to install. Make sure your power supply is sufficient. Sounds like a jet plane taking-off when you start your PC (it quiets down when the desired temperature is achieved). Requires a special ATX (the ones that have or could have a second 120mm case fan enclosure/input).

 

I thought of cooling the two video cards, too, but my wallet is crying murder at this moment. Maybe in the future. So far my 7800GTs are running at a cool 30º F - 35º F (around 0º C) according to nVidia Desktop Manager, so I don't see any reason just yet.

 

:mtc:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

When playing games such as CS Source and HL2 and the likes, turn on VSync Will help a lot getting smooth framerates, remember, too much speed in vc w/o VSync can cause:

 

1. Tearing

2. Polygon/Pixel corruption

 

Anyway, when you said I'll overclock it in the future, I remember myself saying that when I was a few years younger. Which, never really happened. I spend nearly $1k every 3-4 months for upgrades, depending on what are the best bang for the buck thingies out there Now that's one New year's resolution I'll have to deal with

 

Overclocking is never an option if you're quite new to the thing, I killed tons of procs already, but lately Im starting to play safe now I remember the time when I was using H20 cooling, I dipped my radiator in a bucket of ice LOL

 

Anyway, I was gone for a while, but while reading your posts about SLI, you don't need the same brand actually, as long as it is the same model. The 8x.xx drivers of Nvidia fixed that problem a long time ago

[azrach187]

Anyway, I was gone for a while, but while reading your posts about SLI, you don't need the same brand actually, as long as it is the same model.  The 8x.xx drivers of Nvidia fixed that problem a long time ago

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Price wise that is... if you bought an MSI 7600GT now, more than likely they will be selling it at a lower price someday. The desktop manager/driver would recognize it, faster, too and for new builders, I wont take a chance with hardware conflicts. Just something to keep the price and the confusion at a minimum. :hypocritesmiley:

Edited May 18, 2006 by azrach187

[TasmanianDevil]

azrach:

 

your reply has been so helpful to me.

 

right now i'll probably hold back a week more on my purchase. i'm waiting for savings come memorial day sale. Tigerdirect or newegg are my favorite sites. I'll try to post a pic of my rig once I'm done. Yours btw, looked "mean".

 

Goodluck on your film career. looks like you are a fit , at least, on the technical aspect of film. My brother likes to tinker with film editing as a hobbyist/enthusiast. your feedback would do him good as he is planning also on setting up a new configuration.

 

Thanks again.

[azrach187]

azrach:

 

your reply has been so helpful to me.

 

right now i'll probably hold back a week more on my purchase. i'm waiting for savings come memorial day sale. Tigerdirect or newegg are my favorite sites. I'll try to post a pic of my rig once I'm done. Yours btw, looked "mean".

 

Goodluck on your film career. looks like you are a fit , at least, on the technical aspect of film. My brother likes to tinker with film editing as a hobbyist/enthusiast. your feedback would do him good as he is planning also on setting up a new configuration.

 

Thanks again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good call on the upcoming sales. Rebates abound in Newegg if you look closely.

 

I can't wait to check out your rig, which I mean no pressure on "spend-a-thon" rig. Just one that you can be proud that you have built from scratch.

 

Stay in-touch, just in case you need help in setting it up.

[johnlove]

Hi Azrach,

 

Thanks you for the information.

 

Re: f.e.a.r.

I read in one of your earlier post that f.e.a.r. would "stutter" in a 7600, does that include the 7600GT?

 

Re: PS3

How true are the comments from magazines that the graphics capability of a PS3 is comparable to a P4 3.2 based computer loaded with 2 6800GT in SLI? Can a single 7600GT out perform 2 6800GT in SLI?

[azrach187]

Hi Azrach,

 

Thanks you for the information.

 

Re:  f.e.a.r.

I read in one of your earlier post that f.e.a.r. would "stutter" in a 7600, does that include the 7600GT?

 

Re:  PS3

How true are the comments from magazines that the graphics capability of a PS3 is comparable to a P4 3.2 based computer loaded with 2 6800GT in SLI?  Can a single 7600GT out perform 2 6800GT in SLI?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A "stutter" is just a gamer's jargon to jittery graphics, not quite as bad as a lag, if you've played on line. Another is a "hic cup" or when a frame freezes then resumes with a "jump." Most are brought on by different factors, by the hard drive, disc drive, background programs running while playing, memory and even the processors.

 

Given that FEAR is a very graphics demanding game (so is HL2 and Far Cry) a single 7600GS/LE (non-GT or GTX) tend to be overcome on some parts of the game. This does not make it a weaker video card, per se, but just an indication that game programmers are pushing the technology forward while hardware technology is barely keeping up.

 

Five months ago, a 6800GT might have been a good bet at being "middle of the road." FEAR was released October of last year. Today, it seems that everyone is on the 7000 series cards (sorry ATI owners for me using nVidia as the benchmark!) for the simple fact that FEAR requires a great deal of resources, and gamers is just doing what developers want, to move along with the technology. In a way, it benefits both the consumer and the technology. PC games never gets "stale" as far as innovation is concerned since new innovation comes out on a weekly basis, unlike console games (such as Xbox) limited only at the technology given during its conception.

 

I remember an old girlfriend who always told me to "just wait six months and the prices would be less." Unfortunately, if you want to be updated with the current gaming trend, six-months mean the difference between playing a cutting edge games or playing a "bargain bin" game. Online players know this. Even a good game such as Far Cry and BF Vietnam, as time pass by, so does internet support. I doubt developers would continue providing servers for games older than three years, albeit the Counter-Strike phenomenon.

 

No one knows how truly capable PS3 is yet since most tech. specs. now are just hearsay. I remember the buzz on Xbox 360 on how it would knock top of the line gaming PC only to be laughed at by PC gamers as it performs like gaming PCs three years ago. I own one and found the better use for it is a paper weight.

 

On a different note, more than likely a 7600GT or even a GTX would be blown away by two 6800GS, heck even two 6600GTs, as far as performance is concerned. Graphics wise, 7600GT would shine since it has technologies not available to 6800's. Basically, a game would look very good and play really good on two 6800s and not have 'stutters' while in 7600s, it would look the very best but at the cost of performace as it may stutter.

 

Some gaming puritans argue that compensation for single video card should be done using a powerful processor and more memory (at least 2GB), others argue to simply switch to dual by changing the mobo and adding another video card, but my question is, which way is the cheaper?

 

No. A single 7600 (any model) cannot out perform dual 6800 (any model) given the same processor. However, a good boost on both the processor and memory might the give 7600 an edge, giving the dual 6800 a good run for its money.

 

In my opinion, it is a safer bet and cheaper to invest in a dual card, since you open your possibilities for upgrades in the near future. An SLI mobo can run two 6600 and then move to 7900 by next year, while a singular vid card might be extinct three years from now.

 

I hope I answered your question.

[cheesekeso2004]

Hi Azrach,

 

Thanks you for the information.

 

Re:  f.e.a.r.

I read in one of your earlier post that f.e.a.r. would "stutter" in a 7600, does that include the 7600GT?

 

Re:  PS3

How true are the comments from magazines that the graphics capability of a PS3 is comparable to a P4 3.2 based computer loaded with 2 6800GT in SLI?  Can a single 7600GT out perform 2 6800GT in SLI?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, here my opinion re: this issue...

 

Having played thru different video cards (6100, 6600, 6600gt, 6800gs, 6800gt, 7600gt, 7800gt, 7800gtx, and my current 7900gt), one comment I could say is that 7600gt is the new bang of the buck card out there.

 

Although yes, a 7600gt can't beat an SLI'd 6800gt, given the 6800gt's edge over the 7600gt which are:

 

1. More pipelines (16 vs 12)

2. 256mb 256bit GDDR3 vs 256mb 128bit GDDR3

 

but... here's the catch. The 7600gt's advantages over the 6800gt are:

 

1. 90nm core

1.a Higher clocks

1.b Less heat

1.c Less electricity consumption

2. Better support for current graphical technology

 

Remember, @ 16AF w/ a 7600gt, your FPS will be around 30+ fps average, which is below the average smooth frame rate (40).

 

You can play FEAR @ w/ higher FPS if you turn off the eye candies (shaders).

 

And remember, Stick w/ PSU's above 500W (better if with Active PFC) if you plan to buy another vc for an SLI setup soon. If you think this is overkill, to be honest, its not. PSU is going to be the backbone of your rig, once your PSU trips, pray that your system won't go loco on you, remember that here in our country, power fluctuation is really at a dangerous rate (reason for having a PSU w/ APFC).

 

My OCZ 520W Powerstream couldn't handle the load of 5 (3x200 and 2x250) hdds, that comes with an SLI'd 7900GT, an Opteron 170, 2 Optical Drives, an MSI Diamond Plus, 5 120mm fans, couple of 92mm fans, a floppy and a mmc reader. I was forced to sell most of my hdds and sticked w/ 1x250 and 1x200, then sold one DVDRW, and removed some of my 120mm fans. The reason Im shifting to the 700W division now

 

And btw, don't compare PS3 w/ the PC Seriously, IFEVER PS3 is really good, give it a month or two and PC will crush that console in every aspect

 

PS. Buy a decent monitor too, as a gamer, Im sure you want to play at the best resolution you can play with. If you don't have the money, stick to the 17"-21" Flat CRT Monitors. If you have the dough, buy a 20" above LCD Widescreen.

 

GL bro

[kenji_1989]

Mga pre, eto yung specs ng PC ko

 

Intel P4 2.66 Ghz FSB 533Mhz

ASUS P5P800S

768Mb DDR333 RAM

40 GB HDD

 

Gamit kong video card ngayon is yung dying Inno3d FX5200 128Mb. D me mahilig sa gfx intensive na laro gaya ng HL2 Doom3 etc. Favorite kong game pala is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Gusto ko xia malaro sa max settings without choppy figures. Any recommended AGP 8X na card? Mas gaganda kaya kung magshift ako sa AMD narin or stick na ko sa config ko and video card upgrade nalang?

 

State narin po kung magkano yung ganun and kung san may mabblhan. Kung may nagbebenta man dyan, inform me naman please thanks.

[azrach187]

Well, here my opinion re: this issue...

My OCZ 520W Powerstream couldn't handle the load of 5 (3x200 and 2x250) hdds, that comes with an SLI'd 7900GT, an Opteron 170, 2 Optical Drives, an MSI Diamond Plus, 5 120mm fans, couple of 92mm fans, a floppy and a mmc reader.  I was forced to sell most of my hdds and sticked w/ 1x250 and 1x200, then sold one DVDRW, and removed some of my 120mm fans.  The reason Im shifting to the 700W division now

 

PS. Buy a decent monitor too, as a gamer, Im sure you want to play at the best resolution you can play with.  If you don't have the money, stick to the 17"-21" Flat CRT Monitors.  If you have the dough, buy a 20" above LCD Widescreen.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HOLY Sh!t! 5 120mm fans? A total of 7 fans? Do your system hover as you play it?

 

Power fluctuations could be fixed by investing on a UPS. Trust me, I fried an overclocked processor during a power spike. My current build cost around $2K, so you think a $20 UPS is not worth investing that could prevent it from going tits up?

 

I don't understand why you need 700w power. Even SLI approved power supply, most are rated between 400w to 500w. If you are streamlining, then you should be lowering power consumption. I have three 160GB to 250GB hdds from my old builds, but I don't see any reason to add them in my PC, just because, knowing the power consumption and temperature contribution isn't worth it.

 

I have a 500GB internal but doubt I will ever see that sucker filled near 400GB in its lifetime. I mean, I edit movies but I don't recall reaching 220GB on any of my hdisc. Yes, I know, I have two 500Gb, but the other one is an external one (I built it, too!) that I need to move movies from my PC to the school's computer.

 

Can you show us the picture of the your rig (interior) so I can see how you got all these hdd and fan configured. I'm just really curious.

 

I ronically, since combo drives (DVD/CD/Burner), the USB devices, and huge storage hdd, are now cheaper than ever, people, expecially lan gamers, such as myself, are building "streamlined" machines geared more for ventilation and cooling, lightness (weight) and low power consumption. These are the trends I see my gaming friends are adopting.

 

Boasting only a singular 500GB HDD, 1 optical (DVD/CD/Burner/Lightscribe) 5.25," 2 vid cards, 1 X 120mm fan, 1 X 80mm fan, 1 liquid CPU cooler, the mobo and everything else, this is my rig, which doubtfully needs the ATX's 450watt power supply. Sure, I have a lot of add ons, but most are self-powered add ons, such as my 500GB ext. thanks to USB 2.0 x 6, they aren't too far or too hard to be connected to my PC.

 

Watch-out for LCD screens. Some are infamous for "ghosting" while playing. Ghosting is when the image blurrs and and leaves a shadow even after the object is gone. CRT is still the preferred way for gaming. Unless you get lucky like me and finds a rare "No-ghosting" monitor. It still have but very minimal and not noticeable at all unless you turn the brightness all the way up.

Edited May 19, 2006 by azrach187

[azrach187]

Mga pre, eto yung specs ng PC ko

 

Intel P4 2.66 Ghz FSB 533Mhz

ASUS P5P800S

768Mb DDR333 RAM

40 GB HDD

 

Gamit kong video card ngayon is yung dying Inno3d FX5200 128Mb. D me mahilig sa gfx intensive na laro gaya ng HL2 Doom3 etc. Favorite kong game pala is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Gusto ko xia malaro sa max settings without choppy figures. Any recommended AGP 8X na card? Mas gaganda kaya kung magshift ako sa AMD narin or stick na ko sa config ko and video card upgrade nalang?

 

State narin po kung magkano yung ganun and kung san may mabblhan. Kung may nagbebenta man dyan, inform me naman please thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pag yung Flight Sim lang ang nilalaro mo, suggest ko na vid card lang ang palitan mo.

 

Your P4 2.66 is still decent and seems like you have enough memory to run simulator games. I suggest upgrade your card to a 6600LE 256mb AGP 8x which would run you less a little over $100.

 

Going to a new card (AMD) might require you to change motherboard, which may call for a change of ATX case.

[Dredd2099]

no more radeon for u eh? mr azrach187

never had a problem w/ them

actually am a ati fanboy

currently got an all in wonder X800XT

mainly usin it for watching tvs and/or makin dvds, etc

gonna be moving it to a dedicated media center soon

 

as for games, it can still hold its own (yup, and FEAR as well)

dont have that much time in my hands anymore tho

sigh

[azrach187]

no more radeon for u eh? mr azrach187

never had a problem w/ them

actually am a ati fanboy

currently got an all in wonder X800XT

mainly usin it for watching tvs and/or makin dvds, etc

gonna be moving it to a dedicated media center soon

 

as for games, it can still hold its own (yup, and FEAR as well)

dont have that much time in my hands anymore tho

sigh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I really don't have anything against ATI, since a 9800XT was an old video card of mine, which did me justice, serving me damn near a year and a half! But I replaced the fan three times, first because it was noisy, then the second one burned, and so did the third one. The video card GPU runs really hot and the desktop manager warns me after five hours of gaming that I am at my heat threshold. So I have to quit and wait fifteen minutes to play again.

 

The worse event though, was when it finally decided to fry, I was in the middle of editing a video due the next day. You can imagine my frustration! I think from that day on, I swore I will never own another ATI product again. Unless the benchmark rolls on their favor again.

 

No time in your hands? It's s'ok. Once a gamer, always a gamer.

[johnlove]

Hi Azrach,

 

Re: dual 7600gt in sli

Is that the minimum requirements for "strutter-free" gaming?

 

Hi Cheesekeso

 

Re; 7600 6600

Does the number 6 in 7600 and 6600 means that the card is designed to run cooler?

 

Thanks you, I'm learning a lot from your replies.

[azrach187]

Hi Azrach,

 

Re:  dual 7600gt in sli

Is that the minimum requirements for "strutter-free" gaming?

 

Hi Cheesekeso

 

Re;  7600 6600

Does the number 6 in 7600 and 6600 means that the card is designed to run cooler?

 

Thanks you,  I'm learning a lot from your replies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For now, I would say Dual 6600GT minimum, is a good bet for a life of a year to a year and a half, watching the PC gaming trend. For a single vid card, 7800GT or GTX or 7900GT or GTX would be a safe bet to keep you up for maybe six months to a year down the line.

 

I don't think the "6" in 7600 or 6600 is a designation for a product feature other than a numerical release number nVidia goes by. In that same topic, we spoke less of the less popular 7300LE or 7300GS.

 

The reason for some cards being less popular is that people tend to wait, and hold out for a newer video card. This happened when they released the 6200, and announced at the same time that 6600 is being developed. A little delay in the release of 6600 prompted nVidia to relase 6500, to match ATI's X300SE. But when 6600 finally was released, it appeased the gamers and game developers alike, that all is well. 6600 became one of the most successful cards in memory, with 6800 in tow, to those wishing to outperform the 6600 is a bit, without going into tech. detail.

 

The release of 7300 put nVidia on the 7 series, BUT a lot of gamers who upgraded from 6600s and 6800s claimed that theres little difference from the 6600 and 6800 to 7300. The 7600 set a lot of things straight and nVidia became the sweetheart of the gaming community.

 

7800s came out as SLI technology is being developed, where, 7900s is the newest issue card as they unveiled the SLI. Gamers drooled at the posibilities two cards afforded. Now they don't have to wait for new cards and basically "upgrade" on their own accord.

 

This signals game developers to push the technology farther, as you may see more graphic intensive games in the near future.

Edited May 20, 2006 by azrach187

[johnlove]

Thanks Sir Azrach,

 

I guess I'll settle for a 7600gt for now, and add another in sli in case my kids wants to play f.e.a.r. (I hope they don't). Otherwise, I might have to wait forever.

[johnlove]

Using 2 6600gt in sli sounds tempting it could handle all current games at lower cost. However, since my objective is see to it that my gaming rig would be at par with the PS3, my best bet would be 2 7600gt in sli.

Thanks a lot guys.

[azrach187]

Using 2 6600gt in sli sounds tempting it could handle all current games at lower cost.  However, since my objective is see to it that my gaming rig would be at par with the PS3, my best bet would be 2 7600gt in sli.

Thanks a lot guys.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good choice.

 

Rest easy now that your PC is guaranteed that it won't be absolete for another 3 to 4 years, maybe more.