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Can you help configure my rig?

Post Date: 2008-04-24
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Can you help configure my rig?
    Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 5:20pm
I plan on buying this desktop. My budget is only up to $2800. I'm gonna use the desktop for everyday stuff ang games like crysis and unreal tournament 3. Please suggest and anything that you would want to make this system better/cheaper.
 
Case: Digital Storm 750Si (Black Anodized Aluminum Finish)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz (1333MHz Front Side Bus) (6MB Cache)
Motherboard: nVidia 780i Core 2 Quad (nForce 780i SLI)
Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance)
Floppy / Card: Digital Media Card Reader (Black)
Hard Drive 1: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Optical Drive 1: BLU-RAY/DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (Blu-Ray 4x / DVD Writer 18x / CD-Writer 48x)
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (nVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (Recommended)
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans)
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Green Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)
Round Cables: - No Thanks
Overclock Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability
Overclock Video Card: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Overclock Memory: Yes, Overclock memory timings (Includes Corsair Dominator Airflow Fan Upgrade)
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Protection: McAfee Internet Security (Includes: AntiVirus, FireWall and AntiSpyware)
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Keyboard: Microsoft Multimedia Desktop 2.0 (Multimedia Keyboard + Optical Wheel Mouse)
 
I got a couple of questions too
1. Do I need to get a gaming keyboard and laptop
2. Do I need to get the Killer gaming card?
3. Do I need a surge shield?
4. Do I need the round cables?
5. Do I really need a 4 gb of memory with 1066mhz?
 
The total is 2,796 and also thanks SunfighterLC for rcommending this place.
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balle View Drop Down
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Posts: 1358 		  Quote balle Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 6:09pm
i say a 9800 gx2 if thats in your budget. a killer gaming keyboard isnt needed. unless your hardcore. a mouse i recomend is the logitech mx518
4gb of ram is only needed if ur gonna multitask.  i think surge sheild is just if your power goes out, its a backup so u can safely shut off so u wont lose info.
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 6:27pm
For the amount of money you are spending you may want to consider upgrading the case to a full tower, either the 850 or 950. If you dont have room for that then the 750 is a good enough choice, its not the best of the best, but it will do. Another side option is the Cosmos case, It is designed more around quiet running then temperatures though and offers a somewhat middle road between the 750 and 850-950 cost wise. It is also a full tower case.
 
The power supply, CPU, and mobo are all good. And i see you understand the 64 bit needed for 4GB+ ram idea. Just keep in mind that you may have driver issues with any older equipment you way want to try to hook up to your computer. Driver issues are becoming less and less of an issue though with 64 bit Vista.
 
You may want to consider getting a 2nd smaller hard drive (80GB) to hold your operating system. It costs a little more, but if ever a problem happens where you need to competely reinstall your operating system it wont be as massive as a hassle as it would be if you had one hard drive. As an added bonus you wouldnt lose any of your data then as well. Personally you probably wont run into that problem ever, but if you do, its good to have that safety net there. Whether thats worth the 40-50 bucks thats up to you.
 
Make sure you have a good enough monitor to get the most out of a SLI platform, generally id recommend anything 22in+ to really get the full power of a SLI system. Resolution is the keypoint of SLI as the differences between a single card and a SLI set up really start to take off at high rez (1600x1200 ect). The 88GT are great bang for the buck cards, the only con to them is their cooler is slightly weak, and a dual set up will probably run pretty toasty. Your stage 3 air cooling should cover that w/750 case though.
 
Rest looks alright as well for your needs. Im spending 2666 on mine, cept my needs are different from yours probably as i have a 27.5in monitor, so i had to invest deeply into GPUs.
 
Now to your questions.
1) honestly not really, I have a lycosa, and while it has a bunch of cool features, ive rare used them at all. Youll be plenty okay with what you have chosen, some people would disagree. But i really dont see a massive performance increase for me at least in games from a gaming keyboard.
 
2) Not really, that card probably has some use if you were on a heavy traffic shared network like a university for example, but other then that the basic stuff is more then enough especially if you dont use a shared connection
 
3) Id recommend one if you dont have one already. I lost a computer once due to a thunderstorm. Ive used a surge protector ever since, but i still get paranoid whenever there is a storm..lol.
 
4) You have only one CD/DVD drive, so youd be paying that money for only one cable within your system, DS would probably give you extra cables but again, youd have only one rounded cable within your system, if that is worth the 20 or so bucks to you then so be it. Its not worth it to me though.
 
5) Generally id say no as ram speed is more important then quantity, Most of todays games wont push more then 2GB ram i believe. If you multitask a lot though, the extra ram is definally worth it. DDR2 is pretty cheap right now anyways so it never really hurts to have it. Though keep in mind that if you plan to drop it to 2GB, you probably want to remove the 64 bit option but only do that if you dont plan on adding another 2GB+ later.
 
This is all my opinions of course, im sure youll hear others fairly soon over the days. Other then that you have a solid build, should last a long time.
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 7:03pm

A lot of people say that I should get the 64bit vista. But what's difference with 64 and 32 bit? Would it affect the games with their fps and resolution? Cause if it's not, then I'm just gonna go with 32 bit with 2 gb of memory.
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 7:15pm
The main reason why most people are saying 64 bit is that it allows the full use of 4GB+ of ram. A 32 bit system will be limited to 4GB total minus whatever extras you have on it so it will only actually see anywhere from 2.8-3.5GB of it.
 
Games might actually be a bit slower on 64 bit if they arnt made to handle it, most games arnt, so they have to run in a 32 bit emulator that is part of the 64 bit version. But youd probably hardly notice any slowdown.
 
Its up to you really if you need it or not, the vast majority have chosen 64 bit only for the ram issue, it gives you the flexibilty to add more ram later on and go anywhere from 4 to 8 GB of it. If you dont plan on adding ram or if you plan on dropping to 2GB then the 32 bit version will be plenty enough for you.
 
Some more info if you need it. (warning: technical and boring lol)
 
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 7:21pm
Originally posted by harleyman

You will need stage three cooling with sli,but stage three cooling will only work in the 750  or  850  case
 
I chose the Q6600 and o/c it to 3.38  and it smokes and I think is much cheaper..You check it out
 
Could drop the floppy
 
Blu Ray is not necessary and on its way out I believe
 
Drop the Macafee  and download AVG Virus and Spyware for free....
 
Those vid cards are what I have and don't need o/c to smoke
 
Mem does not really need o/c unless you want/need it
 
You could drop the kewboard and mouse
 
Reconfigure this and get a price with these changes and see where you stand....Do get at least a second second HD
 
And unless you fly FSX  or Cryselis  a standard SB Audigy will work fine...
 
 
If you save lots add back in things..Like your origional Processor....
 
 
 
  Are all the things listed here are recommendable?
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 7:34pm
The Q6600 does overclock well, and has a better future proof then the 8400. Though its currently slightly slower in games overall, but only because games havent been tuned to work with all 4 cores. Other cons are that it uses more power and draws more heat then the E8400. The E class is in high demand right now, it used to be 44 bucks cheaper on DS then the Q6600, but its now only 6 bucks cheaper. So really its up to you to decide on it since the price difference is a non factor now. They are both great chips.
 
I dunno what hes talking about the floppy drive, you have a media card reader.
 
Blu Ray is the future for movies at least. Since it just beat out HD DVD. I find it to be a bit expensive right now. Id only recommend it if you watch movies off your PC a lot.
 
Never used freebie anti virus stuff so i dont know enough about it to say either way.
 
Overclocking video cards tends to give minor to moderate performance increases, but a lot of extra heat, its up to you.
 
Most people that overclock their processors will also overclock their memory timings. This decreases the latency of the ram. It draws a bit more power and heat, but the price includes a little fan they put over your memory. Here is a picture of the fan, its small. Just make sure they actually give it to you post order. One guy earlier noticed he didnt get one! doh!
 
Unless you have another keyboard and mouse youll need some lol.
 
I dont recommend the audigy sound card, it really doesnt do much. With the Xtremegamer on up youll at least have a sound card that will take the load off the CPU for doing the sound. Its generally not a huge load, but hey, freeing up CPU load is never a bad thing. Plus the sound quality bonus witht he xtremegamer is much better then an Audigy.
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 8:38pm
So here's the new configuration:
 
Case: Digital Storm 950Si (Black Anodized Aluminum Finish)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz (1333MHz Front Side Bus) (6MB Cache)
Motherboard: nVidia 780i Core 2 Quad (nForce 780i SLI)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance)
Floppy / Card: Digital Media Card Reader (Black)
Hard Drive 1: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Optical Drive 1: BLU-RAY/DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (Blu-Ray 4x / DVD Writer 18x / CD-Writer 48x)
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (nVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (Recommended)
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans)
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Green Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)
Overclock Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability
Overclock Video Card: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Overclock Memory: Yes, Overclock memory timings (Includes Corsair Dominator Airflow Fan Upgrade)
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
Protection: McAfee Internet Security (Includes: AntiVirus, FireWall and AntiSpyware)
LCD Display: - I'll get one from bestbuy, lg 22 inch
 
1. Is the 750 watt power supply too much or just okay?
2. Should I just drop the Macafee and get the AVg one for free from internet?
3. Should I change anything else?
 
The total is $2,807
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 8:47pm
My bad, the total is $2797
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 9:08pm
Looks great.
 
Youll have to talk to DS about the power supply, you maybe able to get away with a 620W..which will save a few bucks.
 
Again i dont know anything about free anti virus so im no help there.
 
 
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 10:10pm
The 950 has higher airflow towards the graphic cards vs the more general airflow in the 850. IMHO the two GT's will need that extra airflow. There is no price difference between the two so its just a personal taste. The 850 wins in style though. Its also much deeper. The 950 is taller though.
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 10:18pm
For more info on the cases:
950: -- Silverstone J10 -- (i think this is right, could be wrong since this brand has doors on it, the DS one doesnt)
 
850: -- Either a cooler master Stacker 830 or 831 --
 
The DS cost is the same for both, so it comes down to personal preference. Read up, pick which one you like more.
 
E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra
1000W Corsair HX
2 280 GTX EVGA FTW
4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz
250-80-300GB VR HD
Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers
Asus Xonar 7.1
Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor
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PhilippineMango View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		  Quote PhilippineMango Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 24 Apr 2008 at 11:05pm
Okay I'll just take the 850Si then cause it's like basically open with all those vents. I don't think I really need a 2nd HD cause I don't have any important files just documents from ms word and some songs. Also games I would like to play are: crysis, unreal tournament 3, and a bunch of new games coming out.
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