Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Tumor on March 07, 2006, 12:24:38 PM

Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 07, 2006, 12:24:38 PM
Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI
ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB (only 1)
2 GB PC-3200 OCZ Platinum
OCZ PowerStream 520W PSU

Ok

  I've yet to decide between the AMD 64 FX-57 and the X2 4800.  I'm a little goofed on the Dual-Core vs. AH thing, but it'll be a couple months before I can put this baby together anyway.  Hopefully by then it'll be worked out.

  "I" like the combo above because it gives me the FX/X2 option, as well as throwing in another vid-card later (both running X16).

  Suggestions, criticism and drivel equally welcome :)  Please comment.

Tumor
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: JTs on March 07, 2006, 03:56:43 PM
nvidia mb like nvidia video cards better
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: LePaul on March 07, 2006, 05:03:57 PM
Everything is going dual core.  Whether Aces High uses it now or not, Intel has dual cores out and other applications will most certainly look to utilize them.

Good choice with 2GB of RAM

I assume you're going with SATA drives and some sort of RAID?
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Scrap on March 07, 2006, 10:54:07 PM
SLI won't be useful if you are running ATI GPUs.  You will have to look for a Crossfire MoBo (which haven't exactly 'saturated' the market yet).
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Scrap on March 07, 2006, 10:56:07 PM
Quote
Originally posted by JTs
nvidia mb like nvidia video cards better


I run an ASUS A8N-E with my x800.  The two get along just fine.  Just b/c Nvidia makes the chipset on the MoBo doesn't mean that there will be any issues (unless u r talking dual GPU cards, if so... se my last post).
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 07, 2006, 11:11:55 PM
Quote
Originally posted by JTs
nvidia mb like nvidia video cards better


Cool... but I will ~not~ use VIA, and I need to try something new.  NVIDIA's great, but I've been there for years.

Tumor
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 07, 2006, 11:15:08 PM
Quote
Originally posted by LePaul
Everything is going dual core.  Whether Aces High uses it now or not, Intel has dual cores out and other applications will most certainly look to utilize them.

Good choice with 2GB of RAM

I assume you're going with SATA drives and some sort of RAID?


AH does apparently make some use of the dual-core (assuming I understood Skuzzy correctly).. but I think single still will be quicker with what's available.  (btw, I was referring to the AH problem with dual-core, part of the reason I'm looking at ATI for vid).

No SATA/Raid yet... I'll do that later.  HD speed/perf isn't my biggest worry.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 07, 2006, 11:17:09 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Scrap
SLI won't be useful if you are running ATI GPUs.  You will have to look for a Crossfire MoBo (which haven't exactly 'saturated' the market yet).


No offense, but your not making sense...  I looked at Crossfire, didn't like what I saw.  Why wouldn't dual XT's work?
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: OOZ662 on March 07, 2006, 11:58:16 PM
Because SLI is an nVidia technology where two video cards combine into one processing unit. I'm pretty sure the MB will work with an ATI card, he's just saying SLI won't work.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Scrap on March 08, 2006, 12:54:29 AM
In other words, if you're gonna run 2 ATI cards... you need to have a Crossfire MoBo.

SLI = Nvidia

Crossfire = ATI
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: LePaul on March 08, 2006, 01:42:51 AM
Yea you have your brands mixed up

I'd hold your fire on doing anything dual SLI anyways, you just dont gain enough....I mean, unless you really like spending $495 twice (or whatever highend card ya get)

As for Dual Core, Id do it.  You're basing your assumptions on how things play NOW.  You'll have that PC for 2-4 years easy...think ahead.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 08, 2006, 12:06:31 PM
Thanks guys... gonna opt for the Asus A8NR32-MVP Deluxe... 'spensive bugger though.  Gonna hold off on the second card for now though.. that'll be an easy upgrade way later.  

Now, the issue with AH as I understand it is.. AMD dual-core with an NVIDIA board.  Is that correct?
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Kev367th on March 08, 2006, 12:38:53 PM
No -
The issue is AMD dual core with Windows XP, not nVidia.
There are various fixes out there.
Even better, Windows 2000 has no problems. Blame Microsoft for tinkering around with the thread handler in Windows XP and hosing it up.

To be honest if you can hold off until June to build a new system, it will be cheaper.
June is when AMD launches their Socket AM2 CPU's (DDR2 support), and would expect the socket 939 stuff to fall in price.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: OOZ662 on March 08, 2006, 12:41:33 PM
There's a sticky in this section of the forum on the subject.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 08, 2006, 02:09:13 PM
hmmm.... that FX-57 suddenly sounds more beneficial lol

Tumor
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: LePaul on March 08, 2006, 03:51:59 PM
Well Tumor its like this, the longer you wait to build, the prices will fall or more advanced processors, faster ram, etc will become available.  It depends when you want to "deploy" your new system.  I've been stuffing money into savings so I can buy and build it all at once, versus buying this component, that component, etc

Read tomshardware.com and http://www.anandtech.com  The benefits of dual cores are out there.  Just because one application hasnt been coded to use it doesnt mean it wont in the future.  I mean, I'd hate to buy an FX then a few months down the road, wish I had for the dual core performance gains.

Your money.  Your choice.  We're just providing the comments :)

Check those sites out, lots of good information.
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 09, 2006, 09:49:47 AM
Thanks Lepaul.. and the rest, especially for that catch on the SLI issue.  I misread some review or another and "thought" they were compatible.

  I've read those websites and plenty more till I thought my eye's were gonna bleed.  I've got 2 things on my radar... AHII(&CT) and Armed Assault.  From what I can tell, the FX-57 is my best option, and I just can't find a good reason for the dual-core given the situation.  

  I just can't wait.  I'm about to come off a(nother) deployment which mean's I've got the cash AND suffering terribly from lackaAH (among other things lol).  So, the new system is my coming-home present-to-me.

  I've decided on the Mobo/Vidcard for sure... I'll keep looking at the CPU's to see what's happening between now and mid-April.

Tumor
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Balsy on March 09, 2006, 10:31:12 AM
Tumor,

I run the Fx53 with 1 gig ram and a single 6800GT on the ASUS SLI Motherboard.

If AH is your game, your all set.  I stay pegged at 75fps (refresh rate at 16x12) most of the time.

Balsy
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: toon on March 09, 2006, 03:34:17 PM
tumor,you dont know me but i want to wish you a heart-felt thx.and welcome home. you deserve a new comp. and a couple of sloe-eyed virgins.S~
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: 38ruk on March 09, 2006, 04:01:04 PM
Tumor , do you ever overclock ?  Most all 3700+ San Deigo's ive seen overclock to FX-57 speeds easily  . Most 3700's dont even need vcore voltage added to get to 2.8ghz so life span (Heat) of the chip really isnt an issue . Its a good way to save $650 to $700 bucks. Ive been running mine even higher 3.0 for months without issue ,  Just a thought .   38
Title: Major upgrade, please comment....
Post by: Tumor on March 10, 2006, 05:46:18 AM
Thanks Coba... appreciated!

38... I've overclocked quite a bit, hadn't really thought about your solution.  It's definately worth a ponder.  Thanks.

Tumor