The Monster box is complete!

[AKWarp]

Well, got all my parts in and I have assembled the monster box.  All I can say is ...... SSSSHHHHHHWWWWEEEEETTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am truely impressed with the Dragon Ultra mobo.  It had a lot of built in things that I have found to be as good, if not not better than most of my PCI cards.   The onboard CM 6 channel sound is every bit as good as my SB Audigy sound card (it even has EAX).  The built-in Realtek 10/100 LAN card works very well and the High Point IDE RAID is great.  A lot of folks knock software IDE RAID solutions, but it does make a noticeable difference.  My drive reads and writes are noticeably faster in real world use.  Certainly not twice as fast as a single IDE drive, but definitely faster.  Using all the built-in goodies has alowed me to free up my PCI slots, so now I only have 2 cards in the machine ...the video card and the 56K modem.  

The performance of the GF4 TI4600 (now that I have a CPU that can feed it) is awesome.  Running AH at 1280x1024, 32 bit, Anti aliasing on, anisotropic filtering (64 tap), full mipmap detail, full texture detail, I get 130-140 fps sitting on the runway.  Once airborne and away from the airfield, frame rates go over 200!  I caught a mission leaving last night and I jumped onto the runway....frame rates never went below 50 in the midst of  a departing mission!!!

The only gripe I have is the fan on the heatsink...this 60mm Delta fan screeches unbelieveably loud.  I had ordered a fan adapter bracket to put a larger, quieter fan on, but they were out of those brackets.  Still, I can fit an 80mm fan on the heatsink as it is, so today a YS Tech 80mm fan will go on it.  It puts out 20 more CFM than the delta and is 10 dB quieter!  I can live with that.

I really like the Sigma box that comes with the Dragon mobo also.  I have four USB 2.0 ports on the front of my case now and they work great.  No more reaching around the back to plug in or unplug the CH stick, throttle and pedals.

Overclocking will begin later today (once I get the new fan installed on the heat sink).  I already have the GF4 cranked to 315mhz on the core clock and 680mhz on the memory clock and it is stable.  I will up the FSB and see how far it will go (the dragon allows FSB changes in 1 mhz incremements).  I don't intend to unlock the Athlon's multiplier though....too much mucking about with the CPU for me.

All in all, this is setup is a 10 !!!!!!!

[Swager]

Warp!  How are your temps?  Idle and full load?

Thanks!

[AKDejaVu]

Warp... get the MadOnion 3DMark2001 test and post your results here.  We need to show Animal just how pathetic and small he is.

AKDejaVu

[AKWarp]

Idle temps with case closed are running 32-34C.  Under load (after 30 mins or so of AH or Operation Flash Point) temps are 40-42C.  That's with the stock 60mm Delta fan.  I haven't put the 80mm fan on it yet (which will increase airflow about 20 cfm).


DJ, I'd get the MadOnion benchmark, but I have dial-up access...it'd take me 3 days to download that sucker.

[bloom25]

I'm starting to feel left out in the cold with all these new machines being built.  Maybe I won't wait for Hammer and throw a KT333 board, some PC2700 ram,  and an XP 2000 or so into my current system.

[Animal]

Originally posted by AKDejaVu
Warp... get the MadOnion 3DMark2001 test and post your results here.  We need to show Animal just how pathetic and small he is.

AKDejaVu

No matter how good your box is, its content and uses is what counts.
(porn and video games)

[AKDejaVu]

Animal.. did I tell you my new system is all black?  I keep it under my desk between my legs.

AKDejaVu

[Animal]

Originally posted by AKDejaVu
Animal.. did I tell you my new system is all black?  I keep it under my desk between my legs.

AKDejaVu

Touché.