Gaming rig upgrades

dio9419 · 11-11-2008, 05:51 PM

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone on the site here for being so helpful. I will do this the requested way as stated in the sticky.

1. Budget: $1,000

2. Brands: None in specific

3. Multitasking: Nothing more then gaming with internet explorer open and or music playing. Eventually going to dual screen.

4. Gaming: Mostly RPG/FPS/RTS so pretty much anything out there lol

5. Calculations: Nothing more intense then gaming demands. Eventaully going to install a Blu-Ray player/burner.

6. Overclocking: None planned, may try later but nothing more then light-moderate OCing.

7. Storage: Pretty much have this already taken care of, the usual is expected; media and games.

8. Legacy Support: N/A

9. OS: XP or Vista 32 bit suggestions?

10. Case: Cooler Master 830 couldnt be more happy with it!

11. Accesories: Already own Logitech gaming mouse/keyboard

12. Recycled Components: Various, listed below.

13. Monitor: Dell 2407 (plan to get another before too long)

14. Stores: Newegg

15. Location: Florida, US

For the most part I am just looking for opinions and suggestions. Please feel free to send them my way.

Case - Cooler Master Stacker 830 with all 8 120mm fan slots filled for what I would think is very good air flow. (OWN)

PSU - 1,000W Cooler Master Real Power Pro came as deal with case and have had no problems with it (OWN)

Motherboard - ASUS Rampage Formula LGA 775 Intel X48 ($290)

CPU - Intel Core Duo E6850 (OWN)

CPU Fan - Thermaltake CL-P0401 110mm CPU Fan (OWN)

Memory - G.Skill DDR2 1,066 PC 8500 ($75)

GPU - ASUS HD 4870 X2 ($560)

HD1 - Western Digital Raptor X 150GB 10,000 RPM (OWN)

HD2 - Western Digital Corvair SE16 640GB 7,200 RPM (OWN)

OS - XP or VISTA 32 bit (OWN)

Sound Card - Looking into Fatal1ty series but seeing mixed reviews, looking for suggestions! ($100-$200)

Monitor - Dell 2407 (OWN)

Speakers - Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound (not sure which series) (OWN)

Input - Handy Logitech gaming mouse/keyboard. (OWN)

Sitting just a tad under my budget pending on sound card I decide on.

Again, thanks in advance for your knowledge and time. I just dont want to be looking back at a purchase wondering why I didnt make a different choice. If you see anything that may not be compatible with the set up, let me know!

dio9419 · 11-11-2008, 07:57 PM

Doing a little reading... it seems the 4870 X2 is a bit overkill for my needs (24 in. monitor). Also noticed I could have posted a few links to help show model numbers.

Prospective Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131284

Prospective Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231166

So would just a regular 4870 be the best route for me. as far as video cards?

**linderman** · 11-11-2008, 08:12 PM

yes the 4870 is plenty of card for just about any gamer

your linked motherboard is overkill IMHO gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 or GA-EP45-DS4P or GA-EP45-DS3L or Asus P5Q-E or P5Q-Deluxe

the X48 is an overpriced overclocker IMHO the DQ6 will run with it all day long !

dio9419 · 11-11-2008, 08:21 PM

Alright thanks!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128343
Seems to be spoken of a lot on the forums here.... I would have to up the Memory speed... any suggestions?
How about a sound card... I havent heard of any real favorites.

dio9419 · 11-11-2008, 09:08 PM

Its lookin like my budget limit may be a little high

Thats always a good thing... more money to throw into my car.
Being single for the holidays may be a great thing

dio9419 · 11-12-2008, 04:59 AM

I am seeing that there are only 4 different DDR2 1200 options on Newegg.
Looking to get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220348 Patriot Viper 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1200. Any other suggesions here?
Reading reviews saying for them to get 4GB to run, they have to underclock them to 1111MHz. Could I get an explanation for this please.

Going to go do a bit of reading on various sound cards... see if I can get some good information.

**linderman** · 11-12-2008, 09:07 AM

dont waste your money on the 1200 mhz memory

in fact performance PC6400 memory can almost keep pace with the PC8500 and above

stick with the PC8500 and you will have all the speed you need without wasting your cash $$$$$$..................... only the most extreme overclocker will need more than what PC 6400 can deliver !

when I upgraded from the Corsair XMS-2 DDR2-800 PC2-6400 4-4-12 timings (2 x one gig sticks ) then went to 2 x 2 gig sticks of Corsair Dominator PC8500 5-5-5-15 I saw almost no benefit ........ only in the extreme limits of my systems overclocking capability was it useful ............... and I sure wont be running at those settings 24/7

dio9419 · 11-12-2008, 09:24 AM

Ok I wasnt sure if only 1200 was used with the MoBo... sorry for being so Newb lol, but that is all they posted. So your saying a well rounded DDR2 800 would be the way to go... is there a fan favorite brand/type?

Also have been looking at a few benchmarks for vid cards; I am seeing the GTX 280 is outperforming the HD 4780s usually, so I might stick with one of those. Any thoughts on it? I am trying to stick to a single card solution rather then forking out a bit more money for minor performance improvements. Thanks for your help Linderman!

**linderman** · 11-12-2008, 09:36 AM

compare the price of the 280 against the 4870 ? and which one is faster really depends on the individual game ........... either way ........ a real life gamer will NEVER see either one of them lacking for quite awhile!

I personally would go with: (and have the best of both worlds)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145197

dio9419 · 11-12-2008, 09:47 AM

Those sound good....

So... I have:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130368

and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128343 for the MoBo

With all other components mentioned in first post.

Would a Sound Card be a good idea with this build? If so, I am going to go with one of the Fatal1ty series. The only bad thing is I read they have a lot of programming laden issues.

anyone have first hand experience?

How does everything look here?

**linderman** · 11-12-2008, 10:07 AM

everything looks very good ................ I would say try the onboard sound first ......... then if you want more quality ....... go for it

but in my experience 95% of gamers are satisfied with onboard sound while gaming

dio9419 · 11-12-2008, 10:30 AM

Awesome! Looking to be getting everything within the next month. Appreciate your help Linderman! If only everyone were as helpful as you with the knowledge they have. Thanks again!

**linderman** · 11-12-2008, 10:34 AM

thanks for the kind words but our team are awesome to deal with!

Dr. Paul · 11-15-2008, 02:40 PM

RE: Choosing between Nvidia 280 and ATI 4870, you might consider the Sapphire 4850X2 that is priced between the two has has pretty good reviews. On NE $399.99.

**linderman** · 11-15-2008, 02:45 PM

the 4850 X2 will spank the 280 in a major way

dio9419 · 11-15-2008, 08:43 PM

After reading a bit on Tom's Hardware, I opted to go with the VisionTech 4870 1GB. The 280 beat it in most benchmarks I saw, but the performance to cash ratio seemed to be tipped in the 4870's favor. I think this should be ample for my needs. I am sure I will be coming to the point where I feel I need to overhaul 1/2 the system again, here in about a year lol. Also got the 1 year replacement plan for the MoBo (I ended up getting the Rampage Formula.... it was only $40 more and gives me the option to CrossFire if I ever decide the one card is not enough Sorry Linderman :P) I also got the Zalman 110mm CPU cooler... in case my other was too big. Thanks for your information guys!

**linderman** · 11-15-2008, 09:54 PM

once you get to the 4850 or 260 you cant make a wrong turn !

enjoy

dio9419 · 11-16-2008, 08:36 AM

Thanks again! Here was my final purchase list from NE. Totaled just under $800, so if I ever do decide I need a sound card, I have a bit of room in the budget. I dont think that will be necessary though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019 CPU Fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131284
MoBo (with 1 year warranty added)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145197
Memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102795
Video Card

Its all en route to my house.... too bad I wont get to build it until I get home in January :( At least it will be waiting for me!

11-11-2008, 05:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Gaming rig upgrades First and foremost, I want to thank everyone on the site here for being so helpful. I will do this the requested way as stated in the sticky. 1. Budget: $1,000 2. Brands: None in specific 3. Multitasking: Nothing more then gaming with internet explorer open and or music playing. Eventually going to dual screen. 4. Gaming: Mostly RPG/FPS/RTS so pretty much anything out there lol 5. Calculations: Nothing more intense then gaming demands. Eventaully going to install a Blu-Ray player/burner. 6. Overclocking: None planned, may try later but nothing more then light-moderate OCing. 7. Storage: Pretty much have this already taken care of, the usual is expected; media and games. 8. Legacy Support: N/A 9. OS: XP or Vista 32 bit suggestions? 10. Case: Cooler Master 830 couldnt be more happy with it! 11. Accesories: Already own Logitech gaming mouse/keyboard 12. Recycled Components: Various, listed below. 13. Monitor: Dell 2407 (plan to get another before too long) 14. Stores: Newegg 15. Location: Florida, US For the most part I am just looking for opinions and suggestions. Please feel free to send them my way. Case - Cooler Master Stacker 830 with all 8 120mm fan slots filled for what I would think is very good air flow. (OWN) PSU - 1,000W Cooler Master Real Power Pro came as deal with case and have had no problems with it (OWN) Motherboard - ASUS Rampage Formula LGA 775 Intel X48 ($290) CPU - Intel Core Duo E6850 (OWN) CPU Fan - Thermaltake CL-P0401 110mm CPU Fan (OWN) Memory - G.Skill DDR2 1,066 PC 8500 ($75) GPU - ASUS HD 4870 X2 ($560) HD1 - Western Digital Raptor X 150GB 10,000 RPM (OWN) HD2 - Western Digital Corvair SE16 640GB 7,200 RPM (OWN) OS - XP or VISTA 32 bit (OWN) Sound Card - Looking into Fatal1ty series but seeing mixed reviews, looking for suggestions! ($100-$200) Monitor - Dell 2407 (OWN) Speakers - Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound (not sure which series) (OWN) Input - Handy Logitech gaming mouse/keyboard. (OWN) Sitting just a tad under my budget pending on sound card I decide on. Again, thanks in advance for your knowledge and time. I just dont want to be looking back at a purchase wondering why I didnt make a different choice. If you see anything that may not be compatible with the set up, let me know! Last edited by dio9419; 11-11-2008 at 05:54 PM.

11-11-2008, 07:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Doing a little reading... it seems the 4870 X2 is a bit overkill for my needs (24 in. monitor). Also noticed I could have posted a few links to help show model numbers. Prospective Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131284 Prospective Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231166 So would just a regular 4870 be the best route for me. as far as video cards?

11-11-2008, 08:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades yes the 4870 is plenty of card for just about any gamer your linked motherboard is overkill IMHO gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 or GA-EP45-DS4P or GA-EP45-DS3L or Asus P5Q-E or P5Q-Deluxe the X48 is an overpriced overclocker IMHO the DQ6 will run with it all day long ! __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-11-2008, 08:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Alright thanks! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128343 Seems to be spoken of a lot on the forums here.... I would have to up the Memory speed... any suggestions? How about a sound card... I havent heard of any real favorites.

11-11-2008, 09:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Its lookin like my budget limit may be a little high Thats always a good thing... more money to throw into my car. Being single for the holidays may be a great thing

11-12-2008, 04:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades I am seeing that there are only 4 different DDR2 1200 options on Newegg. Looking to get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220348 Patriot Viper 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1200. Any other suggesions here? Reading reviews saying for them to get 4GB to run, they have to underclock them to 1111MHz. Could I get an explanation for this please. Going to go do a bit of reading on various sound cards... see if I can get some good information.

11-12-2008, 09:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades dont waste your money on the 1200 mhz memory in fact performance PC6400 memory can almost keep pace with the PC8500 and above stick with the PC8500 and you will have all the speed you need without wasting your cash $$$$$$..................... only the most extreme overclocker will need more than what PC 6400 can deliver ! when I upgraded from the Corsair XMS-2 DDR2-800 PC2-6400 4-4-12 timings (2 x one gig sticks ) then went to 2 x 2 gig sticks of Corsair Dominator PC8500 5-5-5-15 I saw almost no benefit ........ only in the extreme limits of my systems overclocking capability was it useful ............... and I sure wont be running at those settings 24/7 __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-12-2008, 09:24 AM	#8 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Ok I wasnt sure if only 1200 was used with the MoBo... sorry for being so Newb lol, but that is all they posted. So your saying a well rounded DDR2 800 would be the way to go... is there a fan favorite brand/type? Also have been looking at a few benchmarks for vid cards; I am seeing the GTX 280 is outperforming the HD 4780s usually, so I might stick with one of those. Any thoughts on it? I am trying to stick to a single card solution rather then forking out a bit more money for minor performance improvements. Thanks for your help Linderman!

11-12-2008, 09:36 AM	#9 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades compare the price of the 280 against the 4870 ? and which one is faster really depends on the individual game ........... either way ........ a real life gamer will NEVER see either one of them lacking for quite awhile! I personally would go with: (and have the best of both worlds) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145197 __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-12-2008, 09:47 AM	#10 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Those sound good.... So... I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130368 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128343 for the MoBo With all other components mentioned in first post. Would a Sound Card be a good idea with this build? If so, I am going to go with one of the Fatal1ty series. The only bad thing is I read they have a lot of programming laden issues. anyone have first hand experience? How does everything look here?

11-12-2008, 10:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades everything looks very good ................ I would say try the onboard sound first ......... then if you want more quality ....... go for it but in my experience 95% of gamers are satisfied with onboard sound while gaming __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-12-2008, 10:30 AM	#12 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Awesome! Looking to be getting everything within the next month. Appreciate your help Linderman! If only everyone were as helpful as you with the knowledge they have. Thanks again!

11-12-2008, 10:34 AM	#13 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades thanks for the kind words but our team are awesome to deal with! __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-15-2008, 02:40 PM	#14 (permalink)
Dr. Paul Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FL Posts: 53 OS: VISTA ULTIMATE 64 BIT My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades RE: Choosing between Nvidia 280 and ATI 4870, you might consider the Sapphire 4850X2 that is priced between the two has has pretty good reviews. On NE $399.99. __________________ Dr. Paul

11-15-2008, 02:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades the 4850 X2 will spank the 280 in a major way __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-15-2008, 08:43 PM	#16 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades After reading a bit on Tom's Hardware, I opted to go with the VisionTech 4870 1GB. The 280 beat it in most benchmarks I saw, but the performance to cash ratio seemed to be tipped in the 4870's favor. I think this should be ample for my needs. I am sure I will be coming to the point where I feel I need to overhaul 1/2 the system again, here in about a year lol. Also got the 1 year replacement plan for the MoBo (I ended up getting the Rampage Formula.... it was only $40 more and gives me the option to CrossFire if I ever decide the one card is not enough Sorry Linderman :P) I also got the Zalman 110mm CPU cooler... in case my other was too big. Thanks for your information guys!

11-15-2008, 09:54 PM	#17 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,440 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: Gaming rig upgrades once you get to the 4850 or 260 you cant make a wrong turn ! enjoy __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

11-16-2008, 08:36 AM	#18 (permalink)
dio9419 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Gaming rig upgrades Thanks again! Here was my final purchase list from NE. Totaled just under $800, so if I ever do decide I need a sound card, I have a bit of room in the budget. I dont think that will be necessary though. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019 CPU Fan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131284 MoBo (with 1 year warranty added) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145197 Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102795 Video Card Its all en route to my house.... too bad I wont get to build it until I get home in January :( At least it will be waiting for me!