Graphic's Again!!!

dwaned

Don't want to wreck everyone's head but I'm looking at upgrading.

This is what I'm considering:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=313407&s=sc

311700 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz Socket 939 1MB, BOXED w/fan
313874 - MSI K8N SLI-FI, nForce4 SLI, Socket-939, SATA,GbLAN, ATX, Raid, Dual-DDR,PCI-Ex16
118737 - Corsair Value S. PC3200 DDR-DIMM 1024MB Kit w/two matched Value Select 512MB

So which Graphic card should I go for?? Trying to keep the price down.

I'm playing far cry at the moment but getting Call of Duty 2 for xmas.

masteroftherealm

Whats yer price range?

dwaned

hopeing to keep it under the €200 mark but will go further if it makes a real difference

masteroftherealm

X800GTO2 is by fat the best mid range out there. Unlocks to an X850XTPE is 99% of the times.
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/sapphirex800gto2/

Pay particular attention to page 7...
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/sapphirex800gto2/7.html

dwaned

Reads well, have u seen it in use?

masteroftherealm

Yup saw one in a mates machine.. Squeaky clean framerates off BF2 and Quake4 on a 22"TFT at mondo high res! His unlocked without hassle at all we never even ran it a stock!

dwaned

Thanks Master, might just go with that one.

Thanks for taking time to reply

masteroftherealm

More than welcome dude!!

masteroftherealm

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/X800PCI_Series.html
Sapphire ATI Radeon X800 GTO² 256MB DDR3 TV-Out/DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-101-SP)
Merging the blistering frame-rates of the enthusiast realm with the frugality of the mainstream is where the perfect blend of Hybrid lies, the next generation Sapphire RADEON X800 GTO²! Built upon industry acclaimed tech and tweaked to perfection is the moniker of any Sapphire product and the X800 GTO² does not disappoint with it is 12 Pixel Pipelines (moddable to 16) and 256MB of onboard GDDR3 memory while utilizing a 256-bit memory interface. The only limit to the power you wield is your imagination and the hardware in your PC! Push your PC’s performance threshold and realize the true potential of PCI-Express and the Sapphire RADEON X800 GTO²! These cards are an exclusive one deal available to overclockers UK only they are all capable of unlocking to 16 pipelines and have fantastic overclocking potential. Overclockers UK does not guarantee unlocking of cards or overclocking mileage and it is a proceed at your own risk modification.

- ATI Radeon R480 Core as used in X850 XT Platinum graphics card
- 400MHz GPU Clock Speed (Highly overclockable)
- 256MB 980MHz GDDR3 memory accelerates the latest cutting edge 3D applications (Highly overclockable)
- 256-bit quad-channel GDDR3 memory interface
- Twelve pixel pipelines (Moddable to sixteen pipelines, see modding guide below)
- Six programmable vertex shader pipelines
- Early reports indicate that with the modded bios these cards have been overclocked upto X850 XT PE clock speeds which gives a 35% performance boost. (Modding of card and bios does invalidate warranty)
- 48 hour RMA turn-around time for faulty Sapphire product sent back to OcUK within first year of warranty!


16 Pipeline enable instructions (Modification of BIOS voids warranty!!)

Price: £134.95 (£158.57 Including VAT at 17.5%)

In case you were looking around

dwaned

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=312855&cks=PLC

this is it, right??
Works out cheaper on komplett

masteroftherealm

Nope thats why I likned... Different card. Thats the GTo... you want the GTO2! Big difference with one lottle number

dwaned

ah.... good thing I asked:D

I take it that that's the best price you've seen around?

Do you think the other components I've picked would work well together??? Been trying to source a good powerfull package for days now and my wife is on the verge of killing me:p

Laguna

masteroftherealm wrote:

Nope thats why I likned... Different card. Thats the GTo... you want the GTO2! Big difference with one lottle number

Is the difference between the GTO and the GTO2 all that great?

I'm torn between the two for a new rig I'm about to build and I've read this thread saying the GTO2 can have its BIOS flashed to make it behave like an X850, I'm just worried (knowing my luck) I'd fudge it and be left with a piece of melted PCB :rolleyes:

So, would the difference between the GTO & GTO2 be that great if I DIDN'T flash the BIOS?

masteroftherealm

Personally off komplett Id be going for


310787 DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 ULTRA-D, nF4 Ultra,
- Socket-939,S-ATA, GbLAN, Fw, PCI-Ex16
€146
311700 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz Socket 939
- 1MB, BOXED w/fan
€360
300701 Corsair XMS3200XL DDR-DIMM 512MB PC3200
- 32Meg x 8, CAS 2-2-2-5, 400MHz
€110

Giving you a much quicker and more reliable system for an extra 40quid.

masteroftherealm

Laguna wrote:

Is the difference between the GTO and the GTO2 all that great?

I'm torn between the two for a new rig I'm about to build and I've read this thread saying the GTO2 can have its BIOS flashed to make it behave like an X850, I'm just worried (knowing my luck) I'd fudge it and be left with a piece of melted PCB :rolleyes:

So, would the difference between the GTO & GTO2 be that great if I DIDN'T flash the BIOS?

Not amazingly no but the thing is its soooooo easy to flash these BIOSes theres even guides done by the manufacturr at this stage

masteroftherealm

A step by step
http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/127

The gains..
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/files/GTO_performance.jpg

dwaned

The Ram on that selection is only 512, is it not better to go with 1 gig.

BTW, thanks again for taking the time to check that out for me.

Laguna

Thanks for your help masteroftherealm, I'd still be unsure about flashing the BIOS though , it's just that last week I flashed my PC's motherboard BIOS and the damn thing ****ed up and doesn't boot at all anymore :mad:!. Well even if I didn't do the BIOS flash, it'd still be a major improvement on my old 256mb Radeon 9600 AGP card, with it's GDDR ram!, gimme GDDR3 damn it!

masteroftherealm

123209 Corsair XMS3200 DDR-DIMM 1024 PC3200
- 32Meg x 8, CAS 2-3-3-6-T1, 400MHz, 6ns
€125.01


Sorry it was meant to be the 1024mb stick..

masteroftherealm

Laguna wrote:

Thanks for your help masteroftherealm, I'd still be unsure about flashing the BIOS though , it's just that last week I flashed my PC's motherboard BIOS and the damn thing ****ed up and doesn't boot at all anymore :mad:!. Well even if I didn't do the BIOS flash, it'd still be a major improvement on my old 256mb Radeon 9600 AGP card, with it's GDDR ram!, gimme GDDR3 damn it!

Oh god totally a different kettle of fish to flashing a mobo.. this has a nice little program that does it for you and everything..

Laguna

Hey masteroftherealm, you seem to know a good bit about graphics cards so I was wondering If I could get your opinion on this motherboard, (it'd be twinned with the GTO2), thanks in advance man!

dwaned

Laguna, we're gonna have to pay Master a consultants fee:-)

But I will say I have been delighted with his advise.
Thanks Master

masteroftherealm

Radeon Xpress is a good chip set.. However would u be looking for extreme performance? If so an extra 40quid on a DFI will pay off very well.. Or go for a crossfire board..
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=310787&cks=PRL

First one on list
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Socket_939.html

Basically of you go for the crossfire your futureproofing your system.. Will get you an extra 3-4years out of it easily.

masteroftherealm

dwaned wrote:

Laguna, we're gonna have to pay Master a consultants fee:-)

But I will say I have been delighted with his advise.
Thanks Master

Hehe I wish!! The ultimat job!!
Na just glad I can help...

Laguna

Thanks again master. Yeah, I'll take your advice and go for the crossfire, I'm big into ATI so it'll do perfectly!

masteroftherealm

Good choice man and that dfi board is the tops!

dwaned

I'm going to sleep on it I think.. I'll definately let you know what way I go with it.
Thanks again..


Nearly broke my 100 posts mark tonight to get another star:D

masteroftherealm

Well to mark tst occasion here is my 1000th post on boards!!
*celebrates*

dwaned

*~*Happy new Star*~*:D

dwaned

Now I'm looking at a set on overclockers... Is corsair a good ram to go with or should I maybe look at one of the others??

Laguna

Well, if you subscribe to Boards like me, you get four shiny red stars under your name to illustrate how much of a hero you are! (I've convinced myself of this)

masteroftherealm

Teehee I wan my four red stars back that I had!!!
Go on get three more postys and get that second star!!

EDIT:^^^ Scary. My sub ran out a few days ago...*Whisper...Custom Tag Line look still here*

Laguna

dwaned wrote:

Now I'm looking at a set on overclockers... Is corsair a good ram to go with or should I maybe look at one of the others??

Corsair is good enough, I use it myself in my systems, but it is budget RAM in comparison with other brands.. I personally don't believe in spending a chunk of money on RAM, especially when it's the same amount you're buying (e.g a 1024mb stick), some of the price discrepancies between the brands is ridiculous!, it's RAM for crying out loud!, you're not going to get THAT much of a marked difference!

dwaned

99 and working on it.....:D

masteroftherealm

Laguna wrote:

Corsair is good enough, I use it myself in my systems, but it is budget RAM in comparison with other brands.. I personally don't believe in spending a chunk of money on RAM, especially when it's the same amount you're buying (e.g a 1024mb stick), some of the price discrepancies between the brands is ridiculous!, it's RAM for crying out loud!, you're not going to get THAT much of a marked difference!

You do want2-2-2-5 if possible though!!
BTW if your looking for the best ram prices
www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk

Laguna

masteroftherealm wrote:

Teehee I wan my four red stars back that I had!!!
Go on get three more postys and get that second star!!

EDIT:^^^ Scary. My sub ran out a few days ago...*Whisper...Custom Tag Line look still here*

Yeah Master, you're in what's officially known as the grieving period of subscription, it may have expired but some of it still lingers on... such as your custom tag

masteroftherealm

And it reaminds me daily to resubscribe for a year this time ;p

Laguna

Ouch, I don't think I'll ever subscribe for a year at a time, I never know when I'll next offend a moderator and be sitebanned!, I go for the three month subscription, false economy - but hey..

masteroftherealm

Yeah thats what I went for.
Oh and by the way I also frequent and mod in this forum..
http://www.forums.sparky-s.com/
Id reccomend ya join.

dwaned

OK, for my 100th post and my new star:D

How does this look???Sapphire ATI Radeon X800 GTO² 256MB DDR3 TV-Out/DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-101-SP)£134.95£134.95AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA3800BVBOX) (CP-134-AM) £199.95£199.95Crucial 1GB DDR PC3200 CAS3 (CT12864Z40B) (MY-030-CR)£69.95£69.95DFI LanParty UT RDX200CF-DR Crossfire (Socket 939) Motherboard (MB-017-DF)£134.95£134.95Subtotal£539.80 VAT£94.47 Total£634.27






You don't happen to know a good divorce lawyer:eek:

Laguna

Jesus!, did you and Sparky_S (I'm presuming it's the same sparky from Boards as I see a pic of miss Elisha Cuthbert on the page!) pay for a vbulletin license and setup your own Boards?!. Kaching!, that software isn't cheap!

masteroftherealm

Swap that one gig stick with this

Crucial 1GB (2x512MB) DDR PC4000 Ballistix Dual Channel Kit (BL2KIT6464Z503) (MY-041-CR)
The Ballistix™ line of high-performance memory modules features advanced speed grades, low latencies, and integrated aluminum heat spreaders. Ballistix modules are specficially built for performance enthusiasts who want to push the performance envelope without worrying about data loss or corruption, mysterious intermittent errors and display problems, or worse-the dreaded BSOD. These dual channel kits have been pre-tested by ourselves with authorisation from Crucial to do so which means only OcUK can offer you Crucial pre-tested dual channel memory kits for double the bandwidth/performance.

Previously sold for £99.95 +VAT




Price: £89.95 (£105.69 Including VAT at 17.5%)

This

Corsair 1GB DDR XMS3200C2PT TwinX (2x512MB) CAS2 (MY-030-CS)
A matched pair of 512MB XMS3200C2 memory modules - 1GB total - ideal for dual DDR motherboards.


Full Specification

Price: £79.95 (£93.94 Including VAT at 17.5%)

OR My Fav these....

GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 UltraX-BH5 CAS2 (GLX1GB3200DC) (MY-042-GL)
Hand Picked 5ns GeIL Chips. Enhanced SPD for Dual Channel DDR motherboards. Tin Coated Platinum Copper Heat Spreader with Fashion Designed Retail box.

- 184pin, Non-ECC, Un-buffered, high performance DDR memory modules
- Hand Picked GeIL Ultra-X TSOP 5ns 32x8 DDR Chip
- 6 Layers Ultra Low Noises Shielded PCB with Gold 30u" Plating
- Optimized SPD for Dual Channel DDR motherboards
- Coated Platinum Copper Heat Spreader
- CAS 2 5-2-2 @ DDR400 PC3200
- 2.55V-2.95V
- Retail package with blue acrylic case and instructions
- Lifetime return to manufacturer warranty

With Temperature Thermometer.


Full Specification

Price: £79.95 (£93.94 Including VAT at 17.5%)

And youve got a helluva top high end system

masteroftherealm

Laguna wrote:

Jesus!, did you and Sparky_S (I'm presuming it's the same sparky from Boards as I see a pic of miss Elisha Cuthbert on the page!) pay for a vbulletin license and setup your own Boards?!. Kaching!, that software isn't cheap!

Teehee whatch this spot! ;p
And its Sparky_S's baby I just lend a hand where I can... But yeah you should join! Lotsa boardsies over there

masteroftherealm

masteroftherealm wrote:

Quote:
GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 UltraX-BH5 CAS2 (GLX1GB3200DC) (MY-042-GL)
Hand Picked 5ns GeIL Chips. Enhanced SPD for Dual Channel DDR motherboards. Tin Coated Platinum Copper Heat Spreader with Fashion Designed Retail box.

- 184pin, Non-ECC, Un-buffered, high performance DDR memory modules
- Hand Picked GeIL Ultra-X TSOP 5ns 32x8 DDR Chip
- 6 Layers Ultra Low Noises Shielded PCB with Gold 30u" Plating
- Optimized SPD for Dual Channel DDR motherboards
- Coated Platinum Copper Heat Spreader
- CAS 2 5-2-2 @ DDR400 PC3200
- 2.55V-2.95V
- Retail package with blue acrylic case and instructions
- Lifetime return to manufacturer warranty

With Temperature Thermometer.


Full Specification

Price: £79.95 (£93.94 Including VAT at 17.5%)

In fact Dam their good I want these for my next rig....

dwaned

I've done that and spent about 200 more than I wanted to:rolleyes:

But if it last longer the 19/20 months it will be worth it. Still have to sleep on it though.

Really appreciate your help Master.

I've also just joined Sparky's:p I know one of the mods over there:D

masteroftherealm

Your welcome hope you enjoy the rig if ya get it.. and the trick woth the wife is to find a game she likes and your away. Worked with the girlfriend anyways... Little did i guess the "game" in question would end up being Unreal2004 *Scratches Head*

DemonOfTheFall

Hmmm.... Nice info on the X800GTO2 masteroftherealm. Never realised that the success rates were that good with it!

I may swap my 6800GT for one, hand me down my 6800GT to the family computer and get one of those bad boys. I know the 6800GT is worth more, but it's AGP and I want to get it off my hands and get a PCI-E board instead. This is gonna be sweet if I can get it to X850XT That card maims my GT in DirectX 9 games. It will suck going back to ATI though, I despise their drivers.

masteroftherealm

Teehee yeah its a killer card for a killer price aint it. and 99% unlock on it!!!