Which Spec would you choose?

feylya

Spec 1:

Abit AA8-3rd Eye Mainboard
Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0 GHz
512Mb DDR2 PC-4200 EB Platinum Series - OCZ
Sapphire x700pro 256
Thermaltake XP120 (plus 1x 120mm fan)
2x Western Digital SATA 200GB 8mb cache
NEC DVD recorder ND-3500A IDE Black Bulk,DVD+R/+RW/DVD-R/-RW (Dual layer)
Samsung 17" CRT Syncmaster
Cooler Master Cavalier 3
Fortron/Source Powersupply ATX-400W

€1,351.86


Spec 2:

Abit AX8
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Winchester 90nm
1Gb kit EL DDR PC-3200 Platinum Dual Channel - OCZ
Sapphire x700pro 256
Thermaltake XP120 (plus 1x 120mm fan)
2x Western Digital SATA 200GB 8mb cache
NEC DVD recorder ND-3500A IDE Black Bulk,DVD+R/+RW/DVD-R/-RW (Dual layer)
Samsung 17" CRT Syncmaster
Cooler Master Cavalier 3
Fortron/Source Powersupply ATX-400W

1368.1213

Spec 3:

Abit IC7-MAX3 "Canterwood"
Intel Pentium 4 "Northwood" 3.0GHz
1Gb kit DDR PC3700 HyperX Dual Channel - Kingston
Sapphire ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
Thermaltake XP120 (plus 1x 120mm fan)
2x Western Digital SATA 200GB 8mb cache
NEC DVD recorder ND-3500A IDE Black Bulk,DVD+R/+RW/DVD-R/-RW (Dual layer)
Samsung 17" CRT Syncmaster
Cooler Master Cavalier 3
Fortron/Source Powersupply ATX-400W

1296.8494


I'd prefer to go Intel and 775 but I decided to weigh up all my options. All three computers are about the same price. I'd like to do some overclocking and will use the computer mainly for gaming, 3d graphics, Dvd ripping etc. Cheers.

Bass.exe

Gaming and 3d Graphics, go AMD.. Spec 2. But it needs another 512mb of ram.

If you really want to go Intel, then Spec 3, but replace that Radeon 9800pro with an nVidia 6600GT (Which is nearly the same price)

Edit:!!!! Just noticed. You have DDR2 ram in the AMD machine. Won't work I'm afraid! AMD doesn't support DDR2. The mobo's description would likely reveal that.

Giblet

Spec 2, but with the 3000+ Winchester 90nm

It's supposed to be the new barton 2500+, look it up, crazy overclocking.

feylya

Spec 2 changed

secret_squirrel

I'd take the AMD coz you will get it upto atleast a 3500+ on air, but I'd replace the 512MB OCZ with 1GB of something cheaper. No matter how much extra overclock you might get with the OCZ it wont be enough to beat the performance increase 1GB gives WinXP.

BTW Personal choice but I've gone right off ABIT boards since the piece of crap that was my NF7.

I'd also save some cash by getting an antec sonata case with 380 quiet psu - I've just built one for a friend and the quality of the finish has to be seen to be believed.

I've just built something very similar to spec 2 except minus the X700 and the extra HD, and monitor for around 700 yoyos from overclockers.co.uk. Cant recommend them highly enough.

Anti

number 2 , but with more ram , and drop the x700 , its a piec of ****

Bass.exe

secret_squirrel wrote:

...from overclockers.co.uk. Cant recommend them highly enough.

I would tend to agree, but their support has been dreadful as of late.



That's twice now feylya ;P

Yep, spec 2 for sure...

secret_squirrel

Really - I definately wouldnt bother trying to get through to them on the phone - but apart from that they were pretty good with me - my CC company screwed me and them around something rotten - but their customer service emails were great!

anticamper wrote:

drop the x700 , its a piec of ****

Care to post something to back that up - most benchmarks show it matching the 6600GT??

Anti

sure , a m8 has a new dell with a 3.2ghz cpu a and x700 , i have a 3500+ and a 6800gt , and i piss all over it in any benchmark

Bass.exe

Actually, yeah. I was wondering whether I should go 6600GT, or X700pro. Benchmarks please!

The support thing was negligable. I just meant it was better in the past.
Yup, overclockers gets my vote.

Edit: Maybe that's because the 6800GT IS THE NEXT CLASS UP from the X700. Jeez.

feylya

Eh, guess where I priced those computers from...

The x700pro 256 is matching a lot of very good cards at the moment...

Also, notice that there is a gig of OCZ platnum in the AMD...

Giblet

What about the XFX 6800...

Anti

oh right , didnt read your post properly , thought u were comparing the x700 to a 6800 , my bad , but yeah the x700 is close to a 6600 , if u get the right board you could get the 6600 and then add another later on in sli

secret_squirrel

AnTiCaMpEr wrote:

sure , a m8 has a new dell with a 3.2ghz cpu a and x700 , i have a 3500+ and a 6800gt , and i piss all over it in any benchmark

Yep now compare something from ATI and Nvidia at the same price point like the X800 and 6800GT. :rolleyes:

The X700 was brought out coz the X600 was pretty crappy compared with the 6600.

Edit : HL2 Benchmarks X700 vs 6600GT - anandtech

Anti

how about this :
3000+ @ 3400+ speeds ( overclocked )
3500ddr ( needed for a stable oc )
6800 standard ( soft mdded to 6800gt ) ( extra cooling needed )
nec dvd-rw dul layer
500w psu ( decent brand ) ( not jeantech )
nice 17@ iiyama tft 12ms responce
dragon case + 7 fans
2x200gb wd 8mb cache hdds

Should be cheap enuff

Anti

3000+ winchester 90nm as ive been told is a good overclocker , reporting up to 2.7ghz

feylya

A quick pricing shows this:

ThermalRight XP-120 (Socket 754/939/478) Heatsink (HS-017-TR)
Vantec SF12025L Stealth 120mm fan - Retail (FG-005-VT)
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Winchester 90nm (Socket 939) - Retail (CP-096-AM) (CP-096-AM)
Western Digital Caviar Special Edition 200GB 2000JD SATA 8MB Cache - OEM (HD-013-WD) X 2
MSI K8N Neo4 Diamond nForce4 SLi (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard (MB-047-MS)
Kingston HyperX 256MB DDR PC3500 (KHX3500/256) CAS2.0 (MY-002-KS) X 2
OcUK GeForce 6800 GTo 256MB DDR3 Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - OEM (GX-022-OK)
NEC ND3500 16x DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM (CD-012-NE)
Coolermaster Cavalier 3 - Black (No PSU) (CA-056-CM)
Antec TruePower 480W PSU (CA-017-AN)
Hyundai ImageQuest Q770S 17'' Perfectly Flat CRT Monitor - Black/Silver (MO-006-HY)

Total £1,105.68 €1,566.74

About €300 too much...

secret_squirrel

You might as well drop down to a 3000+ winchester afaik it and the 3200+ were both topping out at around the same point.

Drop down to a 6600GT and save up for a second one for some red hot SLI-lovin....

You also got the memory wrong 1GB or nothing!!

feylya

SLI would require another card...

And I can't afford 1 gig of RAM if I get that card.

Bass.exe

You don't HAVE to have a second card in an SLI mobo. It's merely an upgrade option.

Also, 1gb of RAM or nothing.... seriously, 256mb? What were you thinking?

feylya

It's 512. There's two of those sticks...

Creamy Goodness

i'd imagine ocuk will murder you for delivering that monitor is there anywhere you can source the same monitor perhaps in ireland?

feylya

TBH, I'll be getting a Syncmaster from Komplett for about the same price and €30 GLS shipping. Never had problems with GLS.

Woden

the sli boards are expensive and only a few manufacturers will have them this side of xmas, asus and msi to name two.

you can see the asus sample here

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/asus_amd_motherboards.html

feylya

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/MSI2.html#aMB_2d047_2dMS

That's the one I chose for this AMD system.

Looks like I'll be going for the AMD system after all, with the geforce 6800GT. Needs a bit of tweaking though.

jesus_thats_gre

I think the choice of the AMD CPU and 6800GT card are for the best!!

Thinking of following you myself..

secret_squirrel

You're fixiating on the GFX to the exclusion of the rest of the system. A rig that good is wasted with 512Mb. Dump the 6800 and go down to a 6600.

1Gig will make your system faster for everything - The 6800 will only improve games - and probably not by as much as 1GIG of memory would. I would lay good odds that that a 1Gig 6600 system will outperform a 512Mb 6800 system*.

Also there's no shame in getting less than top of the range memory - try someting a little cheaper than OCZ platinum.

(*finger in the air benchmarks )

Giblet

A gig won't matter much, except for games.

Personally I think go with a single 512 stick, and add-on later rather than cut down with the gfx card.

RicardoSmith

I thought that some 6600's don't work in SLI?

Prior Of Taize

64 bit is the f*ckin job

feylya

OK, I've changed the system around a bit and sacraficied the 6800GTo for a 6600GT and a gig of ram:

Gigabyte K8NXP-9 nForce4 Ultra
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Winchester 90nm
1Gb kit DDR PC3200 Premier Dual Channel - OCZ
XFX GeForce PCX6600 GT 128MB DDR3
Thermaltake XP120 (plus 1x 120mm fan)
2x Western Digital SATA 200GB 8mb cache
NEC DVD recorder ND-3500A IDE Black Bulk,DVD+R/+RW/DVD-R/-RW (Dual layer)
Samsung 17" CRT Syncmaster
Cooler Master Cavalier 3
Fortron/Source Powersupply ATX rev2 400 W 120mm, 24pin,SATA Special Edition


€1,462.18


Still overbudget but there's not really much I can change unless I downgrade to 512ram. What do you think?

feylya

I'm trying to decide now whether to get a SLI board or an Ultra board

SLI Review

Ultra Review

If I got the SLI, I wouldn't be planning on getting another 6600GT for a while.

Prior Of Taize

change from that NEC crap...get the plextor 712-A

change the fortron PSU to a Hiper 520W w/ fan control

thats all...nice system

Giblet

Prior Of Taize wrote:

change from that NEC crap...get the plextor 712-A

change the fortron PSU to a Hiper 520W w/ fan control

thats all...nice system

I wouldn't go to the Hiper, it's of lesser quality.

feylya

And the Plextor is more expensive but slower...

HungryJoey

Second system all the way...( AMD Only for me...)

Also i amnt too sure about the Whole X700 Thing...
I think a 6600GT Would be alot better in htere, unless you really like HL2 ??

feylya

I do really like HL2 but I think the 6600GT is on par with the x700 at the moment. Could be mistaken though.

HungryJoey

Ye true...But i really like the Look of the new 6600GT's though...well new as in they jsut came out on AGP.

But i really think the AMD 64 System would be sweet..I run a A64 and i love it to pieces....

feylya

Cool. Good stuff. Word of advice - your signature is a bit make. It should be 4 lines of small text.

HungryJoey

Well i am new to this forum so i dont know the rules realy...Am i allowed to use that image that i have now ??

EDIT : Are you actually buying a PC then for your self ?? And where from ??

feylya

No. WAY too big. There's rules around here somewhere...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=60479&highlight=signature+rules

HungryJoey

Thanks for telling me M8 ...Before i get told by the Modds...

nadir

Spec 2:

but with some sexy maxtor drives and a nvidia 6800 if it was a desktop machine.
but yea apart from that nice.

Woden

Prior Of Taize wrote:

change from that NEC crap...get the plextor 712-A

stick with the nec drive it won the 16x dvd-rw round up on anandtech recently iirc.

HungryJoey

nadir wrote:

Spec 2:

but with some sexy maxtor drives and a nvidia 6800 if it was a desktop machine.
but yea apart from that nice.

I wouldn't go maxtor at this time...So i hear around they aren't the best and alot of them are getting RMA'd recently...