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New Computer Need DS Staff Advice

Post Date: 2007-10-02
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BerzerkerDan View Drop Down
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  Quote BerzerkerDan Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: New Computer Need DS Staff Advice
    Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 4:30am
Copy of Specifications:
Case: Digital Storm Twister LITE (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 750W Thermaltake (SLI Compatible) (Silent Toughpower Edition)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz (1066MHz FSB) (8MB Cache)
Motherboard: nVidia 680i LT Core 2 Quad (By: eVGA) (nForce 680i SLI)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz XMS2 (Dual Channel) (Extreme-Performance)
Floppy / Media: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 1: 250GB (Western Digital / Seagate) (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Hard Drive 2: 250GB (Western Digital / Seagate) (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Raid Option: Setup my two hard drives in a Raid 0 Stripe (Read and Write Performance Boost)
Optical Drive 1: DVD-ROM/CD-ROM (DVD Reader 16x / CD Reader 40x)
Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Modem: - No Thanks
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB (By: eVGA / Asus) (PCI-Express)
TV Tuner: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (Up to 7.1 Channel) (Recommended)
Physics Card: - No Thanks
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 (Silent Artic Cooling (TwisterBoost Overclocked)
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Red Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)
Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables (Red Edition)
User Manual: Personalized Platinum Digital Storm Binder (Includes Paperwork/Benchmarks/CDs/Manuals)
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Protection: - No Thanks
Office: Microsoft Works Suite 2006 (Word, Streets and Trips, Money, Works 8, Encarta)
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
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty
Support: Lifetime Toll-Free Platinum Care Technical Support
 
These are the specs I want to get on my new rig. This is pretty much the limit on my budget so I was wondering if all this will be compatible with each other? Primarily I was wondering if this is going to be enough power for the system and also am I going to have sufficent cooling? I thank you for your time and look forward to purchasing from DS.
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skyR View Drop Down
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 8:22am
Hmm what are you planning to do? =\

SLI GTS is a serious waste of money, espicially the 320MB ones. You don't need it for low resolutions and office work =\ If you have a 24"+ monitor, then get a Ultra.

Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Red Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)
Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables (Red Edition)
^ Waste of money -.-



Edited by skyR - 02 Oct 2007 at 8:23am
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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thecomplex View Drop Down
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Posts: 230 		  Quote thecomplex Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 9:01am
I agree - instead of SLI GTS cards, go with a single GTX or ULTRA. I think the GTX is more bang for your buck as performance increases in the ULTRA seem to be marginal at best.

8800 GTX.

Chris
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3.52GHz
4GB DDR2 Corsair 1066MHz Dominator
(2) 150GB WD Raptor (10K RPM)
(1) 120GB Maxtor (7200RPM)
nVidia GeForce 8800GTX 768MB
Vista Home Premium 64
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Bill the Cat View Drop Down
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Posts: 1150 		  Quote Bill the Cat Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 9:53am
The way I read the Tom's Hardware charts at 1280 x 1024, two 8800 GTS cards are somewhat faster than an 8800 ULTRA and according to DSO about $130 cheaper. Inspite of that, I'd still pick the ULTRA over two GTSs.
 
I picked one 8800 GTS and an SLI motherboard, with the idea that the GTS is fast enough for gaming now. In the future, I'll add a second one when they're half of what they cost now.
 
If you want more performance than the GTS can provide now, I'd go with the ULTRA to preserve the option of adding a second card later.
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Tyler Lowe View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyler Lowe Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 10:35am
The A1 revision board is going to get you a better overclock. The LT board you selected is a very nice motherboard, but it's been hamstrung to an extent by Nvidia with a less powerful BIOS when it comes to overclocking so as not to compete with their more expensive offering. The difference is not huge, say .2 to .3 Ghz, but that's still ~10% better OC with the 680i A1.
 
Also consider adding $15 for the Pro case. An Extreme or Ultra case would be even better, but that's a pretty big chunk of a limited budget. You're air cooling two GPU's that get pretty hot, and you're overclocking a core 2 quad. The extra air flow is a good thing.
 
Waste of money is a matter of opinion, I won't use those terms. If it makes you happy, it's not wasteful.
 
 I think upgrading to the A1 if you select the Twisterboost option however, is money well spent, as is a better case.
 
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gdhart View Drop Down
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Posts: 131 		  Quote gdhart Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 12:45pm
Definately go with a single 8800 GTX over the pair of 8800 GTS 320's.  If you were to go with the two 8800 GTS you would have to replace both to upgrade in the future, where as with a single 8800GTX at about the same cost as the pair of 8800 GTS's you can add a second 8800 GTX later on when the prices drop after thhe 9000 series is released.
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Posts: 407 		  Quote Dashuu Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 4:20pm
I would definitely agree that you don't need two 8800GTS's. I would recommend just one to save you money (with an upgrade in the future) or upgrade to an 8800GTX now for better performance. I wouldn't actually recommend SLI. In my experience, the 25-30% improvement from SLI is beaten by upgrading to a better single card. This might not be the case with the new 9k series, but I'd bet it is. As for the cathode lights and air flow cables. We only have the black cables in stock right now, so you'll have a quicker build time if you change that on your config before you submit it. Also, be careful with the 64 bit operating system. There are a lot of compatibility issues with 64 bit, both with gaming and non gaming software. Otherwise, everything looks great. Good build!
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Phreak View Drop Down
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Posts: 118 		  Quote Phreak Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 6:12pm
so if SLI is a waste is there a point in getting the SLI motherboard?
Core 2 Quad Q6600 OC @ 2.7Ghz
2GB DDR2 Corsair 800Mhz XMS2
GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB
nVidia 680i LT
Stage 3 w/ TwisterBoost
EXTREME DS case
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Posts: 501 		  Quote sundowner Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 9:18pm
Generally if it's SLI ready, then it should be a decent board to help OC your processor.
Pro case with extra fan
Quad Q6600 2.4 OC'd 3.1!
Nvidia 8800GT
Asus Maximus Formula Mobo
2xgb 800mhz corsair

xfire - xuntiltheendx
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Kenny View Drop Down
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Posts: 509 		  Quote Kenny Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 11:35pm
You can drop 1 8800GTS and upgrade to EVGA 680i A1 SLI Motherboard...
We're here with you !    &(*_~)&
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Posts: 118 		  Quote Phreak Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Oct 2007 at 11:41pm
/agree with kenny
Core 2 Quad Q6600 OC @ 2.7Ghz
2GB DDR2 Corsair 800Mhz XMS2
GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB
nVidia 680i LT
Stage 3 w/ TwisterBoost
EXTREME DS case
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Alex View Drop Down
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Posts: 16314 		  Quote Alex Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 1:53am
Going with a SLI motherboard and a single video card makes your system a SLI-READY machine. That means, down the road, you can add an additional similar card to boost your systems performance.
 
Originally posted by Phreak

so if SLI is a waste is there a point in getting the SLI motherboard?
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BerzerkerDan View Drop Down
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  Quote BerzerkerDan Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 3:12am
The reason I want the 2 8800 gts's is so I can hopefully play Crysis. I use a 19" monitor and dont really go above 1280x1024. I just want to run crysis on full graphics and not have to worry about lag. Tom's Hardware says that the 2x 8800 gts's perform better than the single GTX at the 1280x1024 which sounds good to me. I want the system to last for a while without having to upgrade every year.
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BerzerkerDan View Drop Down
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  Quote BerzerkerDan Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 4:41am
Forgot to ask is the 750 watt PSU enought for all of these components?
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Posts: 501 		  Quote sundowner Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 5:32am
Definitely
Pro case with extra fan
Quad Q6600 2.4 OC'd 3.1!
Nvidia 8800GT
Asus Maximus Formula Mobo
2xgb 800mhz corsair

xfire - xuntiltheendx
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skyR View Drop Down
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 8:31am
The 7th gen cards and even maybe the 6th gens as well will be able to run Crysis on full settings..


Edited by skyR - 03 Oct 2007 at 8:31am
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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thecomplex View Drop Down
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Posts: 230 		  Quote thecomplex Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 9:09am
Originally posted by BerzerkerDan

Tom's Hardware says that the 2x 8800 gts's perform better than the single GTX at the 1280x1024 which sounds good to me. I want the system to last for a while without having to upgrade every year.


I doubt that a lone GTX will have any trouble with Crysis at 1280x1024, especially operating on an overclocked Q6600.. even still, the system will last longer if you put one GTX in it.. then you can throw another one in if you need to, instead of being stuck having to pull out TWO cards to upgrade..

Chris


Edited by thecomplex - 03 Oct 2007 at 9:14am
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3.52GHz
4GB DDR2 Corsair 1066MHz Dominator
(2) 150GB WD Raptor (10K RPM)
(1) 120GB Maxtor (7200RPM)
nVidia GeForce 8800GTX 768MB
Vista Home Premium 64
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BerzerkerDan View Drop Down
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  Quote BerzerkerDan Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 2:17pm
Alright I thank you all very much for your assistance. I plan on purchasing this computer in about 1-2 weeks so thank you.
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Alex View Drop Down
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Posts: 16314 		  Quote Alex Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Oct 2007 at 10:32pm
We will look forward in building it for you as well!
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BerzerkerDan View Drop Down
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  Quote BerzerkerDan Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Oct 2007 at 6:39am
I also want to OC the processor to 3.0 ghz. Is this possible on air alone?
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Bill the Cat View Drop Down
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Posts: 1150 		  Quote Bill the Cat Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Oct 2007 at 9:42am
It is possible to run at least some Q6600s at 3 GHz on air, but it's certainly not guaranteed. Actually, it may not even be possible with the 680i LT motherboard you've selected.
 
The Q6600 overclocking described here is taking it to the edge.
 
 
You really should call DSO and talk to them about this issue.


Edited by Bill the Cat - 04 Oct 2007 at 9:48am
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Posts: 193 		  Quote Jingping Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Oct 2007 at 1:59pm
From what I have been told, they usually do 3 GHz for the 680i, not the 680i LT.
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Oct 2007 at 2:02pm
They hit 3.15 on mine.
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commast View Drop Down
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  Quote commast Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Oct 2007 at 3:40pm
Originally posted by Jingping

From what I have been told, they usually do 3 GHz for the 680i, not the 680i LT.
 
It's easier to hit 3 GHZ plus on the A1 than on the LT. Depends on your hardware config, DS can OC the 680i A1 to 3.15 Ghz. They did it on mine and i am pretty sure they can push it further but that would sacrifice some stability. I am also almost sure that i can get a few hundred Mhz more out of my system but it's not really worth it.
 
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Posts: 188 		  Quote donkeypunch Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 06 Oct 2007 at 7:48pm
Im actually glad I saw this thread and that DS is at least willing to OC to 3.15. Thats a respectable number. Granted, hardware selections play a big part in that-but I was under the impression that a 2.9 OC was pushing the envelope on a A1 board and that 2.6-2.8 was the norm. I'm relieved. Thumbs%20Up
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