Need your help..Post Date: 2008-06-29 |
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Maldini 
Newbie 
Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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 Topic: Need your help..Posted: 29 Jun 2008 at 3:34pm |
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Hi all,
This is my first post in this fantastic forum, though i was reading your posts for the past weeks, I'm almost ready to buy but i still need your advice and suggestions.. I'm not a hardcore gamer and I've been using mac's for the past years and i have minimum experience with vista.. I'm buying this to play FSX, COD4 and some other games but i would like my rig to be optimized for the flight simulator because its the main game i'm going to use..my budget will be about ~$3000 This is the configuration i was thinking about: Linkhttp://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=161844 Specifications: Chassis: Antec 900 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Power Supply: 650W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache) Motherboard: NVIDIA 780i Core 2 Quad (Chipset: nForce 780i SLI) System Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive 1: 150GB Western Digital Raptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks Raid Option: - No Thanks Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Player (Blu-Ray 4x) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB TV Tuner: Pinnacle PCTV HD Card (HDTV, Video Recording, Video Capture, FM Audio) Sound Card: Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Recommended) Extreme Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans) Internal Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Modifications: - No Thanks Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Protection: - No Thanks What do you think about the chassis ? should i change it? and what about the video card? is the 9800 GX2 any better? I've heard that FSX is more CPU dependent than the GPU, so do you think this CPU is good enough? and to be honest i'm not sure which RAM i should get... I'm gonna use only 1 monitor. I'm looking for a 24 or 26"er which brand should i go with? One last question.. whats the difference between the 32 and the 64 Vista? Sorry if i asked to much and i really appreciate your help. Thanks |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE 
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2008 at 4:24pm |
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these are the changes I made, click here to see them
system requirements are" fsx: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista Processor: 1.0 Ghz RAM: Windows XP SP2 - 256MB, Windows Vista – 512MB Hard Drive: 14GB Video Card: 32MB DirectX 9 compatible Other: DX9 hardware compatibility and audio board with speakers and/or headphones Online/Multiplayer Requirements: 56.6 kbps or better for online play --------------------------------------------------------- cod4: Required (minimum) Specs CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 2.4 GHz or AMD(R) Athlon(TM) 64 2800+ processor or any 1.8Ghz Dual Core Processor or better supported RAM: 512MB RAM (768MB for Windows Vista) Hard Drive: 8GB of free space Video card: NVIDIA(R) Geforce(TM) 6600 or better or ATI(R) Radeon(R) 9800 Pro or better ---- Recommended Specs: CPU: 2.4 GHz dual core or better RAM: 1G for XP; 2G for Vista Hard Drive: 8GB of free space Video card: 3.0 Shader Support recommended. Nvidia Geforce 7800 or better or ATI Radeon X1800 or better --------------------------------------------------------- now I gave you a 8800GTS 640MB, which surpasses the requirements by lots. I upgraded your CPU, to a QX6850, this you can overclock at it starts at 3.0GHz, you can easily overclock it to 3.2 or 3.4, giving you power to run what ever you like. its on sale. I changed your case to the DS 850Si, I really like this case, its open and keeps your system cool, not to mention how fantastic it looks. its on sale, I would get it if I were you ;) I lowered your hard-drive to a 74GB cause you don't need that much space on c, use the current hard-drive you have as a second hard drive and put all your files there, keep the main drive (74GB, 10,000RPM) as your windows drive ;) not sure if have to have both dvd burner and blueray but if you do, then I guess you do, I left that alone. not sure if you need a tv tuner, so I left that alone, but if you don't need it then drop it. changed your OS to vista 32 bit, its more compatible with stuff right now, like drivers and such but if you must have it and got the drivers and etc then put it back. upgraded you to liquid cooling (pick which ever color you like) this will help you lots when you overclock I also set the option to overclock your CPU for you and to overclock your memory, (memory over clock comes with memory fans ;) ) OK so all and all, your system was $3233 my adjustments took it to $3441, but I like to point out my setup will kill yours at anything ;) and is way more powerful. Chassis: Digital Storm 850Si Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Power Supply: 650W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) Processor: CLEARANCE PRICED: Intel Core 2 Quad QX6850 Extreme 3.00GHz (1333MHz FSB) Motherboard: NVIDIA 780i Core 2 Quad (Chipset: nForce 780i SLI) System Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive 1: 74GB Western Digital Raptor (10K RPM) (8MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks Raid Option: - No Thanks Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Player (Blu-Ray 4x) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: CLEARANCE PRICED: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 640MB TV Tuner: Pinnacle PCTV HD Card (HDTV, Video Recording, Video Capture, FM Audio) Sound Card: Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Recommended) Extreme Cooling: Liquid Chilled FrostBite CPU Only Internal Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Modifications: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Yes, Overclock memory timings (Includes Memory Fan Kit Installed) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: Microsoft Multimedia Desktop 2.0 (Multimedia Keyboard + Optical Wheel Mouse) Mouse: - No Thanks my keyboard comes with a mouse External Storage: - No Thanks Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty now personally I would choose the 4 year warranty. I think I answered all of your questions expect for the which card is better and difference between 32bit and 64bit. the card I'm not sure about but basically you can tell from the numbers which is the next model up, for example 8800 is better then 7700 as long as 8800 has the same or more ram. somebody else will be able to better answer your card question ;) as for vista 32bit vs 64bit, the 64bit is faster and can use much more ram then 32bit. how ever right now still, 64bit does not have much support from software developers, since not too many apps are written in 64bit and also some hardwares are having problem with 64bit windows, (xp or vista) due to drivers not working right or some don't have drivers for 64bit. that is a very general explanation of why go 32bit for a little more detail you can have a read here Edited by DST4ME - 29 Jun 2008 at 4:26pm |
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Tyler Lowe
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2008 at 4:44pm |
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What do you think about the chassis ? should I change it?
Great case, it will get the job done when air cooling, especially if you have stage 3 cooling selected. You may see some slightly better performance from more expensive selections, but this case will get the job done, so if being on the bleeding edge of overclocking performance is not your main concern, this is a very good value.
and what about the video card? is the 9800 GX2 any better? The 98x2 is arguably a better value for the dollar, but I would not say it's a better card overall. CoD4 loves SLI (which I can attest to based on first hand experience), but you did say flight sims are your first concern. That being the case, I would definitely go with the single GPU over the 98x2 (a 9800gx2 is two GPU's making use of an integrated SLI bridge, and housed in a shared shroud).
I've heard that FSX is more CPU dependent than the GPU, so do you think this CPU is good enough? That CPU should absolutely be good enough. With a moderate overclock, you should be right in the place you want to be speed wise to run the game. Hopefully Harleyman will chime in here. FSX is one of his favorites, and he can give you the first hand skinny. If I recall correctly, a quad at a little over 3GHz works extremely well for FSX. and to be honest i'm not sure which RAM i should get...
The consensus at this point seems to be that a 64 bit OS and 4GB of RAM is optimal.
I'm gonna use only 1 monitor. I'm looking for a 24 or 26"er which brand should I go with? I can only relay my experience with Dell monitors. There is a small amount of bleed through from the backighting at the top of the screen, and the balance between gamma correction, contrast and brightness is somewhat lacking. Like most LCD's true video black is impossible to achieve.Overall, however, the color reproduction is adequate, and I have not noticed any ghosting or delay. That's me being picky. My overall impression, was very favorable, and the flaws, to be honest, are minor.
When I was out shopping for displays, my first impression of the Samsung monitors was also very favorable, but without an opportunity to really get into some fine tuning, I would be reluctant to recomend for or against.
I know SunFighterLC has a large LCD monitor he is quite fond of, I believe it was a HannsG, but I am not 100% certain of that.
One last question.. whats the difference between the 32 and the 64 Vista? From the standpoint of an average user, the difference is the amount of RAM your system will be able to use. 32 bit OS may be able to recognize 4GB of RAM, but with a graphics card that has 1GB of GDDR onboard, you will not see any benefit from more than roughly 2GB. Every device installed in your computer will eat up some of that available 4GB of agress space, which detracts from the system's ability to make use of installed RAM. A 64 bit OS has a theoretical address limitation that is best measured in Xenobytes. Vista can't make use of near that much, but can use more than you will likely ever need in the time frame curtrent technology remains useful.
Things I would change:
1. Increase the PSU to a larger Watt rating. If you ever wanted to run SLI down the road, that 650W unit is not going to be enough for a second GTX280.
2. The 150GB drive is a great size for an OS and a couple of apps. It's not that expensive to drop in a larger drive for additional storage space. Adding a 500GB HDD can be a good move, depending on your intended use.
Also, so there is no misunderstanding, an 8800GTS 640MB graphics card is a G80 based GPU. While very good within the context of it's own genration of cards, and still capable of delivering a very good game experience, it is in no way in the same category as the GTX280. The 8800GTS 640MB is more comparable to a 9600GT. Edited by Tyler Lowe - 29 Jun 2008 at 4:58pm |
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!ender_
DS Veteran 
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2008 at 5:34pm |
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why a blueray? with a 26" monitor i really cant imagine a reason to drop that kind of cash into a glorified cd drive, maybe if you were feeding into a 50" HDTV to watch movies i might maybe think of it, but even then i consider it burning hard earned money
do you have a real use for that TV card or are you just grabbing it to have one, with no mention of it in your initial description, youve got me curious... originally i thought i was going to get one of these until i looked further and realized how simple cheap and easy a DVR is, and its less clutter/temp/power for your machine to deal with
defiantly stick with vista 64
im with tyler on inceasing the PSU, i also say stay with the GTX280 imo
conisder stepping up your HD or picking up a second, that type of space will leave you wanting pretty quickly these days
consider not getting a sound card unless you really feel you need one
in a 3k build id step up to the 850 case, especially if you are going to overclock
i think this build would kick any game you bring up in the nuts and leave you very satisfied, even leave space to let you do stuff in the background
*also*
this link gives you the ability to tinker with overclocking later, but i get the impression its not something you currently mess with Edited by !ender_ - 29 Jun 2008 at 5:58pm |
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Maldini
Newbie
Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2008 at 11:32pm |
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Thank you for your time and your great help..
based on your suggestions i made some changes on my setup... @DST4ME, you're right i dont need both the bluray and the DVD burner so i'm only getting the dvd burner..but to be honest i dont think i need to oveclock my system becasue i'm afraid it could damage the system, i'm sorry but i have minimum experience with custom rigs, though the RAM option is interesting. I think your setup suggetion is fantastic just change the PSU.. if i'm 100% convinced about the safety of overclocking then i will go with your setup :) @Tyler Lowe, yes i forgot to change the PSU now i'm going with the 1000W, i've a 19' Dell and from my experience its really good..and i just read a couple of reviews about the HannsG and it looks interesting... 28" for $500 is a good deal :) @!ender, the 850is is fantastic and i'm going fot it, i dont really need the tv tuner  your suggestion is much better..and i'm getting a second HD and cancel the sound card cuz i dont really need itCan you please explain whats the nvidia ESA system and weather its a good idea to have it? and are there any notable differences between the 800mhz and 1066mhz RAM? Do you think its a good idea to check the Windows boost option? cuz i'm only using this for gaming. Thanks again for your time and input... appreciate your help |
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!ender_
DS Veteran
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219 |
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Posted: 30 Jun 2008 at 12:15am |
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the differences between the 2 rams, if you arent going to overclock at all, is almost negligible, however i'd suggest overclocking as it is definately the way to get the most for your money
windows boost is something you can really learn to do yourself, im sure its a matter of convenience that DSO includes it, but if you ever reformat youll lose it anyway
*IF* you decide against overclocking, you could save yourself some more $$ too, no need for stage3 cooling without an OC;
updated link
i removed the stock mouse/keyboard from the build as i feel it would be slapping the computer gods in the face to put stock gear with that beast, id personally suggest some of the following
logitech elite (my pick)
mx518 (my pick)
eXactMat (my pick)
razer lycosa
saitek products
etc etc  Edited by !ender_ - 30 Jun 2008 at 12:16am |
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Tyler Lowe
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 30 Jun 2008 at 1:29am |
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Maldi,
Overclocking: A safe, free performance boost for components. People have this notion that overclocking is somehow pushing parts of your PC to a redline of sorts, where everything is on the verge of melting into a pile of smoldering släg. Nothing could be further from reality when you have proffessionals like the techicians at Digital Storm do the overclocking. This is an extremely inexpensive performance boost and allows you to get performance akin to top of the line CPU's out of a chip that costs a fraction of the price. IMO, this is the single most cost efficient improvement you can request in your build. DSO garantees their overclocked systems the same as they would a factory clocked system.
ESA: Perfect for geeks... err , I mean "enthusiasts" that want to know every nuance of every aspect of every component in their systems. If I just described you, go for it. If you're more interested in playing games than tweaking the fan speed in your power supply, drop it from the build and save some cash to put into something else.
RAM: If you're planning on getting your CPU overclocked (something I highly recommend) go with the 1066GHz RAM. Otherwise, 800MHz RAM is more than sufficient.
Vista tends to do a fair job of optimizing itself tbh. That at the least, is one thing it does better than XP. This is another place I would save some $$$.
Edited by Tyler Lowe - 30 Jun 2008 at 3:44am |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 30 Jun 2008 at 2:44am |
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TL and ender have both gave us great info here.
I don't have anything to add but I just wanted to point out again that overclocking is very safe when done right, and DS does it right, also you got warranty. what ever you do good luck.  Edited by DST4ME - 30 Jun 2008 at 2:47am |
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Maldini
Newbie
Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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Posted: 30 Jun 2008 at 9:49pm |
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Thanks for all your help and info...
!ender, great gear suggestions there, the Razer mat is just fantastic and i really like the g11 keyboard, i think it goes well with the g5 mouse, the g9 looks strange  , thanks for the links"People have this notion that overclocking is somehow pushing parts of your PC to a redline of sorts, where everything is on the verge of melting into a pile of smoldering släg" :) yes Tyler thats exactly what i thought, specially after i read a review about an overclocked Vigor rig that didnt work at all until they changed some settings in bios...but to be honest now i feel it much safer to OC.. Thanks. DST4ME, yes i think DS does it right... everything i read about them was positive..and they have this fantastic forum which helped me a lot. Thank you :) |
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!ender_
DS Veteran
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219 |
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Posted: 30 Jun 2008 at 10:09pm |
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keep us updated on what you pick!
(and defiantly go with overclocking, its covered in the DSO warranty!)
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