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Some questions.

Post Date: 2008-03-17
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Some questions.
    Posted: 17 Mar 2008 at 9:14pm
As a few of you know, Im gonna be getting a DS computer sometime with in the next month or so. I like to research a lot lol. But ive run into 3 areas where im having a bit of trouble deciding what would be the best for me overall.
 
My primary purpose for this computer will be for performance and gaming. I might do some college papers on it now and then, but i dont care about that lol.
 
1) RAM -- Im stuck between 3 different types that could work for me. 2GB 1066 (Vista-32, No timing overclock), 4GB XMS (Vista-64,overclock), or 8GB XMS (Vista-64,overclock).
 
I know that faster memory is better, but 2GB just doesnt sound like enough to me, especially using Vista. And i dont like the fact that the 1066 means id be better off getting V-32 as i am slightly more intrested the in 64 bit version. But if this 2GB would actually outperform both the 4GB and 8GB for gaming id probably consider it.
 
4GB XMS sounds nice even at 800 it seems alright and would be a decent middle of the road choice, but it is obviously no thrills.
 
8GB is really tempting, because i hear that the paging file can be basically be disabled completely, which would improve performance, but i wonder if its overkill still at this point. Plus id assume this would make overclocking the ram hard/impossible to do.
 
Which would be a solid choice for gaming in the next 2-4 years and give a larger range for overclocking the CPU?
 
 
2) MoBo --  680i vs 780i. Ive read the various specs and reviews of 780i boards, and it seems to be that they are somewhat the same as the 680i boards except with 2 slight improvement programs on them. As well as having 3 PCI slots at x16.
 
I dont really see myself triple SLIing in the future. Be it with a 8800 or 9800GTX. So it is my belief that i could make do with the 680i boards because the improvements or additional features of the 780i just doesnt merrit the extra cost. But I am in no way technical. So i ask the question...
 
Asus Striker Extreme or a 780i Mobo? 
 
 
3) CPU Only Watercooling --  I am somewhat intrested in maybe trying out for the first time a watercooling option for my CPU. As i am in Arkansas, the summers here can get pretty warm and humid. My current selection is stage 3 air cooling, and I assume that going to a CPU watercooling means you lose the extra fans youd get with Stage 3 AC. So id almost be forced to ask for extra fans to specificly try to help cool down the baking GPU's.
 
So my question is would it even be worth it to just watercool the CPU and pay that added cost plus a few extra fans to keep the GPUs somewhat cool vs just trying to aircool the whole thing? Would I even get a benifit from watercooling the CPU performance wise considering the GPUs will still be baking?
 
Thanks in advance for any help or advice =). Even though my car costing me 1200 bucks set me back a little bit as i had to take that out of my computer fund, i'm still on schedule to be getting a DS system within the next month woohoo!. Price range - $2300-2700 w/o keyboard or monitor
 
 
 
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cronedog View Drop Down
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Posts: 62 		  Quote cronedog Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Mar 2008 at 12:02am
Originally posted by SunfighterLC

As a few of you know, Im gonna be getting a DS computer sometime with in the next month or so. I like to research a lot lol. But ive run into 3 areas where im having a bit of trouble deciding what would be the best for me overall.
 
My primary purpose for this computer will be for performance and gaming. I might do some college papers on it now and then, but i dont care about that lol.
 
1) RAM -- Im stuck between 3 different types that could work for me. 2GB 1066 (Vista-32, No timing overclock), 4GB XMS (Vista-64,overclock), or 8GB XMS (Vista-64,overclock).
 
I know that faster memory is better, but 2GB just doesnt sound like enough to me, especially using Vista. And i dont like the fact that the 1066 means id be better off getting V-32 as i am slightly more intrested the in 64 bit version. But if this 2GB would actually outperform both the 4GB and 8GB for gaming id probably consider it.
 
4GB XMS sounds nice even at 800 it seems alright and would be a decent middle of the road choice, but it is obviously no thrills.
 
8GB is really tempting, because i hear that the paging file can be basically be disabled completely, which would improve performance, but i wonder if its overkill still at this point. Plus id assume this would make overclocking the ram hard/impossible to do.


Other then saying that I have heard that the 780i is an incremental update I think this is the only one I can comment on.

When you are only using 2GB of ram the best solution would be the 2GB of faster ram.  If you had 8GB but never needed more then 2GB at  time, the overhead from the 4 dimms could cause performance degradation.

I think 8GB will be worth it when they start coming in 2X4GB matched duel pair dimms, and the world has migrated to 64 bit computing.

For the short term, the faster 2GB would be the best choice.  When programs become memory intensive enough that the bottleneck is too much reliance on the paging file, then you might have wished you purchased more ram.
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Tyler Lowe View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyler Lowe Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Mar 2008 at 12:39am
1. I think the real question is Vista 32 or Vista 64 bit. Once you have that decided, the RAM question should all but answer itself. If your peripherals are new enough to where you are not concerned with driver support (or don't mind replacing an old printer if it comes to that) and you are willing to work around some minor inconveniences (unexpected incompatibilities) I think Vista 64 bit is a better choice than the 32 bit version. It's been a nagging suspicion of mine that Vista was always intended to be a 64 bit OS, and that Microsoft caved to the mass merchants and instead released it as a 32 bit OS with an option to go 64 bit.

I like your option #2, and would prefer a 2x2GB kit, which makes for easier overclocking, and cheaper upgrade later should you so desire.

2. The improvements to the 780i may not be numerous, but they are good changes. The increased cooling of the northbridge, the replacement of that garbage TIM found on the 680i, and the improvement of the MOSFETs are all very welcomed improvements. Especially if you plan on overclocking an E8400, I would select the 780i over a 680i motherboard.

3. This depends? I would probably opt for liquid cooling on a CPU if I had a couple of 8800GT's dumping hot air back inside the case, or if I had a case that struggled with air cooling. Take a 8800GT SLI setup in a 750 case for instance. This is a prime example of a situation where a liquid cooled CPU would be a *very* good idea. In contrast, if you put a pair of 8800GTS in an 850 case, you could air cool the CPU without issue. Were I in your position, I would take a look at the system and make my decision about liquid cooling after I had selected the configuration. Mysense of it is, that at your budget, you will see a better return on your investment with an air cooled system.
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Mar 2008 at 10:24am
Thanks for the info on the MoBo differences Tyler.
I actually plan to SLI GTS 512 cards on a 950 case. So probably air cooling should be alright. I think id perfer to go the V64 way, none of my equipment is very old. In fact both the monitor and the printer are less then a year old. Though i assume my super old Optiquest V95 monitor that is over 10 years old now will probably not work haha.
 
Hey...i just realized my C8180 printer has a CD RW drive...i guess i dont really need one on my computer then..haha. Now only if i could get the damn thing to work. Ive working with HP to get their crappy programs to work. Gotta love it..buy a printer, and the driver disk installs 10 programs on your computer, and they all lock up when you try to start them.
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Mar 2008 at 1:48pm
Id assume the larger price difference between the 4 and 8 GB XMS is due to the fact the 8GB uses 4x 2GB mods and the 4GB version uses 4 x1GB mods?
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Tyler Lowe View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyler Lowe Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 18 Mar 2008 at 11:23pm
Pricing questions you'd have to call DSO on.
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jimbo View Drop Down
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Posts: 162 		  Quote jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 23 Mar 2008 at 2:46pm
Question going to 8GB xms2, no dominator selection. Would this come with the fans for cooling memory or does only the dominator have it?
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SunfighterLC View Drop Down
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Posts: 1527 		  Quote SunfighterLC Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 23 Mar 2008 at 3:01pm
Dominator only has a larger heatsink then the XMS. You get the airflow fans if you overclock the memory.
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jimbo View Drop Down
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Posts: 162 		  Quote jimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 23 Mar 2008 at 4:45pm

makes sense,  Thanks
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