Lucky ME!!! Gettin New Rig, ALL MY OWN!!!!

[BaldEagl]

... there is very little gain using SLI.

The 8800 GT's in SLI out perform the venerable 8800 GTX Ultra and with the current pricing SLIing the 8800 GT's for about $300 is a very viable option.

[Masherbrum]

There's a guy on Sound and Vision Mag. forum spewing drivel that SLi gives you 50-80% performance gains.   

[Getback]

The 8800 GT's in SLI out perform the venerable 8800 GTX Ultra and with the current pricing SLIing the 8800 GT's for about $300 is a very viable option.

I've heard it's only a 5 to 10% increase. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying that instead the e8400 chip might be the better choice if you're staying in budget.

[BoilerDown]

I already have 24inch wide screen...
Wouldn't make much sense to upgrade monitor
for only 4 more inches... So BIGGER I go!!!!

The only problem with the huge monitors is that they are all slow and ghosty for gaming use.  They are made for multimedia, movies, and static computer graphics, not gaming.  I'd recommend the Matrox thing (although you gotta wait for HTC to release the next patch to use it) over any 30inch or larger monitor.  And of course with 3 monitors your friends will be more envious than with one 40 incher hehe.  And as an added bonus, you can keep your 24 inch and just add 2 more 24 inchers.  Just my advice.

[RipChord929]

OK, round two!!!

XPS 720

E6850 processor, (same as above)

4GB DDR2 RAM, (same as above)

2X 250GB Hard Drives

Dual Layer DVD/Rom CD, (same as above)

Dual 512MB Nvidia 8800GT, (same as above)

Sound Blaster Xgamer sound card, (same as above)

XP pro OS

After my discounts, $1724.24

Both the E8400 processor, and the 10K RPM Harddrive, push the price far out of my budget...
There is no way that I can juggle my way around that...

Q, about the 1024MB 9800GTX, is that a feasable option, and what would be it's +'s or -'s???

Yes, the warrantee from DELL is a major plus for me... If I build it myself, and screw it up,
I have noone to Yell at, LOL!!!! Also if it pukes during warrantee, I just send it back, they fix it.....
Definately a GOOD thing!!!

As far as the monitor goes... When I switched from 19in to 24widescreen, my gameplay improved massively..
Mostly because of my eyes, at 55yo I'm having issues w seeing tiny little specks as targets.... I realize that
resolution suffers w the giant monitors, but the increase in object size will give me what I need...

Honestly, monitor envy never crossed my mind, lol!!!!

Thanks ALL, gettin closer!!!
  RC

[BaldEagl]

I was just at the EVGA web-site comparing the 9800 1024 cards against the 8800 GT 512.  Performance will be very similar to dual 8800 GT's as essentially, the 1024 cards simply SLI internally rather than externally.  You would gain a few pixel pipelines.  The exact equivalent would be to SLI a pair of 8800 512 GTS's rather than GT's.

BTW, that E6850 will run just fine.  I've got an E6750.

[Hap]

<S> to all posters to this thread.  Nice to read 'em when they're genuinely full of helpful intent.  Bald, the rig you have now was your 1st build?  Did I get that right?

Any trepidation prior to commencing?

I build one a long time ago.  Just curious about how it was for you prior to build, acquisition of parts, and ripping open boxes to assembly.

Thanks,

hap

[BaldEagl]

<S> to all posters to this thread.  Nice to read 'em when they're genuinely full of helpful intent.  Bald, the rig you have now was your 1st build?  Did I get that right?

Any trepidation prior to commencing?

I build one a long time ago.  Just curious about how it was for you prior to build, acquisition of parts, and ripping open boxes to assembly.

Thanks,

hap

Yes, it was my first build.

I really wasn't the least bit concerned about the assembly.  That's just a matter of plugging parts together but I spent three months educating myself and going over the parts list again and again to make sure that I was getting quality components that would work well together and do what I wanted them to.

Ripping open the boxes was like Christmas morning as an eight year old

I was also fortunate enough to have mine boot on the first try.  No mistakes, no DOA parts, etc.

3 months choosing parts, 3 hours assembling, 5 hours installing software, transferring files, tweaking, etc.  It was fun.

[RipChord929]

Well

Things look as good as they are going to get...
So I'm going to drop the cash for the dell tomorrow morning...

Dell guy says this machine should really rip!!!

Then 7 to 10 days shipping, cuz I live out in the sticks...
But that will give me time to shop for a Bigazz monitor...

Thanks BaldEagle, Boilerdown, Getback, and all that
gave a reply... Ya made it easier...

  RC

[Getback]

Well

Things look as good as they are going to get...
So I'm going to drop the cash for the dell tomorrow morning...

Dell guy says this machine should really rip!!!

Then 7 to 10 days shipping, cuz I live out in the sticks...
But that will give me time to shop for a Bigazz monitor...

Thanks BaldEagle, Boilerdown, Getback, and all that
gave a reply... Ya made it easier...

  RC

You are more than welcome!

I think you will love that machine.

[BaldEagl]

Well

Things look as good as they are going to get...
So I'm going to drop the cash for the dell tomorrow morning...

Dell guy says this machine should really rip!!!

Then 7 to 10 days shipping, cuz I live out in the sticks...
But that will give me time to shop for a Bigazz monitor...

Thanks BaldEagle, Boilerdown, Getback, and all that
gave a reply... Ya made it easier...

  RC

Don't forget to come back and tell us how it works. Even though I'm pretty sure I know already