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Might better if I put this is the right forum

Post Date: 2007-09-14
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jon View Drop Down
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  Quote jon Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Might better if I put this is the right forum
    Posted: 14 Sep 2007 at 11:43am
Hello all,
 
I'm in the process of trying to decide what configuration I would like to purchase for my next computer.  I've got a pretty good idea of what I want, but I have a few questions.  To start here is my current configuration:
 
Case: Digital Storm Twister LITE (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 500W Thermaltake (Silent PurePower Edition)
Processor: AMD Athlon X2 5600+ 2.8GHz (Dual Core) (2 MB Cache)
w/HyperTransport
Motherboard: Asus M2N-Plus SLI (Vista Edition) (nForce 5 series SLI
Chipset)
Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz XMS2 (Dual Channel)
(Extreme-Performance)
Floppy / Media: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 1: 500GB (Western Digital / Seagate) (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
(SATA)
Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks
Raid Option: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL
/ Network Connections)
Modem: - No Thanks
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 640MB (By: eVGA / Asus)
(PCI-Express)
TV Tuner: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE (Up to 7.1 Channel)
Physics Card: - No Thanks
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 2 (Silent Artic Cooling Heat-sink (Copper
Heatpipes)
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode
Tubes)
Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables
(Blue Edition)
User Manual: Personalized Platinum Digital Storm Binder (Includes
Paperwork/Benchmarks/CDs/Manuals)
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image
Based)
Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: Logitech Bluetooth MX5000 (MX 5000 Keyboard + MX 1000 Laser
Mouse)
Mouse: - No Thanks my keyboard comes with a mouse
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty
Support: Lifetime Toll-Free Platinum Care Technical Support
 

Now on with the questions.

 

1.  I'm not sure about the PS, I don't ever plan on going to SLI, mostly because I hear it's a pain in the ass, so I don't know if I'll ever need the extra power.  But is the current one big enough to run a  8800 videocard?

2.  I realize that with 4 gigs of ram I need to go to 64 bit vista.  Are there any issues with driver support, or the OS itself?  I've read both good and bad things about vista, but I figure after a service pack or 2 it should be fine.  Like XP I suppose.  I like a lot of the new features in vista and I want to give it a go, but the 64 bit version is a bit of a unknown to me.

3.  Currently I have a 640 meg video card, and from what I've read and seen the 320 will be almost as good.  Is it worth getting the extra ram on the videocard now, keeping in mind that I don't plan on going to SLI right now.  But I do have the availability in the mother board, might be better to use 2 x 320 cards?

4.  The one thing that bugs me about my current system is that it's loud as all get out.  What has the previous experience been with Digital Storm computers for noise?

5.  Because I live in Canada, I have no idea what the shipping costs are going to be, any other Canadian purchasers out there that might shed some light on this topic?

6.  I would like to use a different case then the ones offered by Digital Storm, Not that there is anything wrong with them, I personally just don't like the design of them.  I'm looking at using a NZXT Apollo case.  Any comments on it or recommendations?

 

I think thats enough for now.  Thanks for the help guys
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skyR View Drop Down
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Sep 2007 at 12:03pm
Yes 500W is big enough.

Depends on what resolutions you will be playing at. The 320MB GTS performs the same as the 640MB at resolutions up to 1600x1200.

All your device drivers need to be x64 certified (printers, monitor, mouse, etc) for them to work on x64.

It isn't worth it to go GTS SLI imo. Why not just get the GTX or Ultra?

And 500GB HDD is a waste of money. You don't need lighting or enhanced airflow. Money that could be spent better else where =\


Edited by skyR - 14 Sep 2007 at 12:06pm
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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Robert View Drop Down
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Posts: 133 		  Quote Robert Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Sep 2007 at 5:23pm
Before I answer your questions, may I ask why you chose AMD over Intel for this configuration?

1. I'm not sure about the PS, I don't ever plan on going to SLI, mostly because I hear it's a pain in the ass, so I don't know if I'll ever need the extra power. But is the current one big enough to run a 8800 videocard?

500W should be fine, however I would consider going with the 520W Corsair to be on the safe side.

2. I realize that with 4 gigs of ram I need to go to 64 bit vista. Are there any issues with driver support, or the OS itself? I've read both good and bad things about vista, but I figure after a service pack or 2 it should be fine. Like XP I suppose. I like a lot of the new features in vista and I want to give it a go, but the 64 bit version is a bit of a unknown to me.

Vista is one thing, 64-Bit is a whole different story. If you are interested in the 64-Bit, I would recommend going with a dual boot solution. It's too early in the game to take the 64-Bit plunge, especially if you are primarily a gamer.

3. Currently I have a 640 meg video card, and from what I've read and seen the 320 will be almost as good. Is it worth getting the extra ram on the videocard now, keeping in mind that I don't plan on going to SLI right now. But I do have the availability in the mother board, might be better to use 2 x 320 cards?

Like Sky said, you will not need the 640MB unless you plan on playing at higher resolutions than 1600x1200. I'm also going to agree with Sky in that you should just consider going with a single 8800 GTX.

4. The one thing that bugs me about my current system is that it's loud as all get out. What has the previous experience been with Digital Storm computers for noise?

This system will be very quiet. We plan on having some sort of decibel readings in the future. The primary source of noise is going to be when you are playing games and the video card fan starts screaming. Keep in mind while the system is idle it will be a whole lot more quiet.

5. Because I live in Canada, I have no idea what the shipping costs are going to be, any other Canadian purchasers out there that might shed some light on this topic?

Roughly $40-$60

6. I would like to use a different case then the ones offered by Digital Storm, Not that there is anything wrong with them, I personally just don't like the design of them. I'm looking at using a NZXT Apollo case. Any comments on it or recommendations?

If appearance is most important to you, go with the Apollo. If durability and interior air flow is of importance to you, I would highly recommend going with either the Twister Pro or the Twister Extreme.

Edited by Robert - 14 Sep 2007 at 5:24pm
AIM - Robert4014990
<br />MSN - [email protected]
<br />Yahoo - [email protected]
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jon View Drop Down
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  Quote jon Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Sep 2007 at 8:30am
Originally posted by Robert

Before I answer your questions, may I ask why you chose AMD over Intel for this configuration?
 
I've had an AMD chip for quite some time and I've never had any issues with it.  I find the cost savings versus the performance is in my favor.

1. I'm not sure about the PS, I don't ever plan on going to SLI, mostly because I hear it's a pain in the ass, so I don't know if I'll ever need the extra power. But is the current one big enough to run a 8800 videocard?

500W should be fine, however I would consider going with the 520W Corsair to be on the safe side.
 
I like the modular cable system of the thermaltake PS that you have.  Does the 600W version have the same feature or is it only available on the 750W?

2. I realize that with 4 gigs of ram I need to go to 64 bit vista. Are there any issues with driver support, or the OS itself? I've read both good and bad things about vista, but I figure after a service pack or 2 it should be fine. Like XP I suppose. I like a lot of the new features in vista and I want to give it a go, but the 64 bit version is a bit of a unknown to me.

Vista is one thing, 64-Bit is a whole different story. If you are interested in the 64-Bit, I would recommend going with a dual boot solution. It's too early in the game to take the 64-Bit plunge, especially if you are primarily a gamer.
 
Well on that note I guess I'll stick with regular vista and downscale to 2 gigs of ram.  I'll just go with the 1066mhz ram instead.

3. Currently I have a 640 meg video card, and from what I've read and seen the 320 will be almost as good. Is it worth getting the extra ram on the videocard now, keeping in mind that I don't plan on going to SLI right now. But I do have the availability in the mother board, might be better to use 2 x 320 cards?

Like Sky said, you will not need the 640MB unless you plan on playing at higher resolutions than 1600x1200. I'm also going to agree with Sky in that you should just consider going with a single 8800 GTX.

The GTX is an awesome card, but bloody expensive.  I like the cost of the 640 meg version and I feal it might be a better choice moving forward as more and more things need to be loaded into the video memory. 

4. The one thing that bugs me about my current system is that it's loud as all get out. What has the previous experience been with Digital Storm computers for noise?

This system will be very quiet. We plan on having some sort of decibel readings in the future. The primary source of noise is going to be when you are playing games and the video card fan starts screaming. Keep in mind while the system is idle it will be a whole lot more quiet.

5. Because I live in Canada, I have no idea what the shipping costs are going to be, any other Canadian purchasers out there that might shed some light on this topic?

Roughly $40-$60

6. I would like to use a different case then the ones offered by Digital Storm, Not that there is anything wrong with them, I personally just don't like the design of them. I'm looking at using a NZXT Apollo case. Any comments on it or recommendations?

If appearance is most important to you, go with the Apollo. If durability and interior air flow is of importance to you, I would highly recommend going with either the Twister Pro or the Twister Extreme.

I've actually grown quite fond of the twister ultra after seeing it in a review.  So I think I'm going to probably go with that as I would assume it's a well made case and the airflow should be quite good.
 
Thanks for the help, it's nice having something like this to discuss pros and cons before you make a purchase.
 
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Robert View Drop Down
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Posts: 133 		  Quote Robert Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Sep 2007 at 5:27pm
The Ultra would be an excellent choice over the NZXT case.

No problem at all, we're here for you all week from 9-5 PST :)

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to either shoot me an e-mail to [email protected] or call 1-866-81-STORM.




Edited by Robert - 18 Sep 2007 at 5:28pm
AIM - Robert4014990
<br />MSN - [email protected]
<br />Yahoo - [email protected]
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