Hi there, I would like some advice computer techs please I’m currently doing my PC rebuild (occurs every 5 years) Budget is around £1500. I think I have pretty much decided most of the computer components, but unsure on the graphics card and RAM. I’ve decided to go for a total new computer starting from the ground up here is what I think I may get: Case Antec P180 EU Aluminium Super Miditower - No PSU Motherboard Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 Nvidia NF4 ATX - Sound 2 x GIGA LAN 1394a USB 2.0 1066 MHz FSB SATA-R CPU AMD Athlon 64 (ADA4400CDBOX) X2 4400+ socket 939 Dual Core 2.2Ghz 1Mb and 1Mb Cache HD Western Digital WD740GD 74GD "Raptor" 10,000RPM SATA/150 8MB Cache - OEM PSU Hiper 580W Type-R Modular PSU - Black with UV reacted cables Leaves me the RAM and the Graphics card to get. The Ram I was thinking of was the the Corsair Twin X 2048-3500LLPRO 2GB recommended by Asus for the motherboard. Ideally I would like 2 gig of ram. However I’m unsure of a few things if this is good ram (seems to have good timings with ok reviews), or am I able to use better say the Corsair 4000XMS (wasn’t to clear on the Mobo Website). Graphics card, I was very close to buying Gecube X1800XT 512mb PCI-E 600MHz But a friend of mine said I should wait for the X1900 series which is due out soon. I'm all in favour of this however, would u recommend I wait for the new cards (I would like the best available i.e. for games) which would last me the due course (My half-life2, future games like Vanguard and alike), or is the any other cards like the NVIDIA cards, which one recommends. My budget is around the £1500 mark give or take. Where if anywhere should I look to improve the components I have chosen, and also what ram/graphics card should I get (wanting high end performance). Any help in these areas would be most welcome. Thanks for your time.
Very nice If I were you, look at G.Skill ram, you can get 3200Low Latency stuff or 4000High Mhz stuff for roughly £150. And thats 2gb. Bargain! This is GOOD stuff too. (fyi, you can you that 4000XMS, but I'd still go G.skill) Graphics card, its all a matter of money here, but you'd probably be best waiting, as prices should drop by a nice margain. Talking of waiting, the Hard drive - 74gb Raptor is soon to be replaced by a Single Platter version. Which will be faster/less noise. (or so I was told) Other than that, very nice system. The PSU is a good choice.
Thats a nice setup...a nicley rounded system with a mental X2 cpu. Ok as for ram.....i'd say go with what corsair have recomended..as many of the people on the forums here have gone for the crucal ballstix but soon many of their modules stsrted to fail and pickup problems....so i'd say corsair,OCZ,Geil and Mushkin are the best options. As for gfx cards....ohhh man you could go on for hours about this....i'd say if you play with high rez with lots of AA/AF then go with Ati...the X1800XT is a excelent card so is the 7800series from Nvidia.. I would wait til the 7900seris and x1900 have come out which i think is by end of the month or early feb...i would think prices of the extisting high-end stuff would come down by alittle... but the best deal ive found is a 7800GT for £200 from microdirect.co.uk....which is a fantastic bargain...if you dont wanna spend over £200-250 for a gfx card. Im just wondering why you have chosen just one small raptor for ur main HDD?? surley a big 300/400gig drive with 16meg cashe is far better value for money and gives you similar performance in HDD terms than the small and expensive raptor.
Thanks for the reply’s guys. Do you know a good place to shop/look up RAM? I use Ebuyer some of the items u quoted I couldn’t find on that site. I get a little confused when it comes to RAM i.e. what my motherboard will run with or disagree with. Why I was tempted to just go for the recommended Corsair 3500 to save compatibility issues :S, but ill look into this G.skill ram as a few people said its good stuff. Graphics card id say I wouldn’t mind splashing out a few bob on this (he says… ) I guess I will wait for the new X1900, just wondered how much this would cost at launch, because I have no idea hoping it’s not like £1000. either that or go for the X1800XT at reduced price but I’m a man that cant resist the good; if u can go better ill end up going better (just re-morgage the house) As for the hard drive this area is also one where I’m not to familiar with. I was thinking of getting x2 raptors 10000rpm, guessing it would improve my performance. How ever if I was to get say 16mb cache. Would it be the same as the raptor HD. I don’t know :S size isn’t mega important. If you have any links for websites where I can read up about any of the new tech for HD it would be great. What HD would you guys go for if you had the choice, is this “Single Platter version” far away would that technology require me to look at a new motherboard. So many questions I used to be clued up on things years ago, it all goes so fast Thanks again for reply’s I have even more to think about now
www.overclockers.co.uk <- The G.skill is rather nice and cheap here. If I were you though, just order the ram alone from ocuk, they aren't the best with returns. But the ram should be fine. Ebuyer, aren't too bad with prices, so you could finish the order there. Your motherboard wants PC3200 or higher. (I think PC5000 is the fastest atm) GFX card - rofl. They won't be £1000, I can't see anyone buying one at that. More like £460~ I guess. Go for the X1800XT, but wait for the 1900s to come out to save a few quid Apparently the single platter version isn't long, maybe same sorta time as the 1900s? Its worth the wait. You sound like me - not too bothered about capacity, just want uber fast. I wouldn't rule out the Raptor. This new version is supposed to be quicccck and it will replace the current line. So prices shouldnt jump much.
Going slightly off on a tangent, Microdirect have apparently put a special offer on that graphics card, bringing it down to £189.95, which is roughly £25 cheaper than the next cheapest 7800 GT I've seen. If I hadn't been playing slow-motion e-mail tennis with microdirect over my graphics card RMA/refund for the last two months (for the most part, it takes microdirect 1-2 weeks to reply to there mail, if they reply at all) I might have been off snapping one up myself
