Upgrade vid card or whole pc?

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

I'm at the point now where I want better performance in game. I was content with living with it for a while but now I want better. Should I just upgrade the video card or should I do the whole thing? Reason I ask is because I'm still running AGP. Heres my setup:

Intel 82845 Board
P4 2.53
1GB Ram
GeForce 6600GT

I can still get a pretty good AGP card but I would still be limited even more in the future on expanding higher after that.

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

You might just be able to upgrade your ram and video card. A gig of ram is really cheap

If you upgrade your board, you might as well upgrade everything. Its almost an all or nothing. Besides the ram and video card, you could upgrade your processor to a faster prescott. A 3.0GHz is about $80 bucks, 7800GS for $150, and a gig of ram for around $50. It will probably hold you for a year or less. Then you'd have to change everything if you wanted to upgrade again.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Tobys got that right... for about 300 to 350 you could get a noticeable upgrade, but thats it. You would be maxed out...

Im at that point right now. Im running a BFG 7800GS/OC, 2 Gigs of Dual Channel DDR ram, and a 2800 proccess O/Ced to 3 Ghz.

If you can afford to come off more cash, then there are some affordable options out there in the Intel/Pci-E board builds.

[Daedelus]

yeah i had same problem trying to think what to do. i too had the agp mother board and seemed like all the new good video cards where run on the PCI express. i ended up going the new computer route after i saw all the things i would have to upgrade to get the pci mother board. some times power supplys / ram / mgiht aswell get bigger hard drive etc. i just made scence to go new computer. and to my amazment the new dual cores came out never had heard about them at the time. but next thing i know they are talking about how its the biggest thing to hit computers. bigger that the origonal first pentuim chip. so most definatly the new computer is the way to go i think..

[LA_MERC_FragFood]

I'd be inclined to go the RAM and video card route. 2GB for BF2 will really make a difference, and a better card than that 6600 certainly won't hurt. My son (Fishfood) plays on a 6600 OC with a gig of RAM and an Athlon 2700+ (not a -64) and does OK. Just a matter of tweaking settings and all was well. Besides - if it's good for another year, then ty and decide what'll be out in a year as far as CPUs, etc...

[Rollout]

I'm with Target, RAM to 2GB (loads WAY faster) and the fastest AGP card (way better visuals, you can actually see whos who) you can find, I don't know if you can get the 8000 series in AGP, but if you can GET IT!!!

[LA_MERC_johncst]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143046

I think this is the best card you can get for agp

[LA_MERC_johncst]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150174

but look at this one

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Why would the 7900GS be less than the 7800GS?

Also, when I buy more memory, can I buy sticks that are faster then what my board will handle and still work? As I understand it, the board will only use the memory as fast as the board is capable, and then I could use the memory in my new comp when I do get one, eventually.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well, thats a good question. When I upgraded my ram I bought 2 gigs of pc3200 Corsair ram that ran at 400 Mhz. well, my processor was running at 333 Mhz. When I installed the ram, the Bios defaulted the ram to 400 Mhz, PC3200. Well this caused a bottleneck that would crash my machine after 5 min. or so of game play. So I ended up Bumping the Processor up to 400 Mhz, running as AMD 3000 instead of a 2800..basically Slightly over clocking it to get the Ram and Processor running at the same speed.

Now I don't know if you will end up with the same issue, but I would venture to guess, whatever your processor's is FSB speed is,, your ram will need to be the same... You can obtain this 2 ways, either O/C the processor "this I dont recommend" or under Clock the RAM "A safer rout to go"

But you can avoid all this crap if you get ram that will match your processor.. that may mean you need PC2700 or something like that.

FYI.. When I asked corsair if my MOBO would support the r[/B]am I bought they told me yes, but what I did not know, was it would support PC3200 ram, only if I was running the AMD 3000+ or the AMD 3200+. The 2800 that I have is not compatible with the PC3200 ram...Only PC2700 "Unless you cheat and O/C it"


Video card I think the 7900 is better, but I'm not sure, I have the BFG 7800GS/OC, and it works great, the graphic are good. I get around a 2800 score with [B]3dmark06 That may be lower by some people standards but for what I'm running I thinks its pretty good.

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143046

I think this is the best card you can get for agp

This one is spec'ed higher and at a cheaper price

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130274

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

;203237']Why would the 7900GS be less than the 7800GS?

Also, when I buy more memory, can I buy sticks that are faster then what my board will handle and still work? As I understand it, the board will only use the memory as fast as the board is capable, and then I could use the memory in my new comp when I do get one, eventually.


More than likely, you are running DDR memory which is 184 pin module. Newer boards run DDR2 which is 240 pin modules. In other words, NO. Either work with what you have are start over. Technology changes to rapidly.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

What about either of these for RAM?

G.Skill (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231047&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEMEMO081007-_-memory-_-E2M-_-20231047&CMP=AFC-SlickDeals&ATT=20231047)

OCZ (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227210&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEMEMO081007-_-memory-_-E2R-_-20227210&CMP=AFC-SlickDeals&ATT=20227210)

[LA_MERC_Shadow]

Highwind if you want some memory I have a couple extra gigs sticks. I can sell you one real cheap as I don't need it.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Sounds like someone may have a real cheap upgrade coming,,:)

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

;203311']What about either of these for RAM?

G.Skill (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231047&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEMEMO081007-_-memory-_-E2M-_-20231047&CMP=AFC-SlickDeals&ATT=20231047)

OCZ (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227210&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEMEMO081007-_-memory-_-E2R-_-20227210&CMP=AFC-SlickDeals&ATT=20227210)

Highwind, what is the model of your motherboard? How much ram do you have and what size are the individual modules? What speed are they? DDR 333/PC 2700? How many memory slots do you have open?

You could go with a single gig stick for around 50 bucks. I doubt your motherboard is dual channel ram capable so it really doesn't matter if they are exactly the same.

DDR 400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231036

DDR 333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220029

Save that extra $50 for another part :)

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

do you have two 1GB sticks available? Because I would definitely be interested.

Ive already got 1GB now ( two 512mb sticks ). My board is an Intel D845PESV. I found this page on the intel website about the memory capabilities:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d845pesv/sb/cs-012856.htm

I see at the bottom that 1GB sticks haven't been tested with the board but it says it is capable.

[LA_MERC_Shadow]

Yeah, I have two 1 gb sticks, new and never been used.

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

Yeah, I have two 1 gb sticks, new and never been used.

Shadow, are they DDR 333 because it doesn't look like his board will handle more than that.

[Rollout]

This is a great card, I bought one for my son and he can play Oblivion with all the eye candy on at 1024 x 768.
Nvidia 7950 GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150223

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

Waht is the highest end Vid card for AGP?

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

When I look at the cost of upgrading a P4 system (assuming that the Hard drive, Power Supply, Case, etc is okay), I would probably select something similar to what is below. The CPU might be a little low, but with some good cooling you could overclock that baby something fierce. All this runs just under $500. This is just my own perspective on it, but I would rather spend the $500 on an upgrade that would have a longer lifespan than $300-$350 on an interim build. With the overclocking potental and the room for more DDR2 memory, I think it would last for a little while (PCI-e instead of AGP as well).

I don't disagree with anything that has already been said. This is just thinking outloud.

---------------------
BFG Tech BFGR7950256GTOCE GeForce 7950GT 256MB (Item #: N82E16814143090) - $179.99

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (Item #: N82E16820211066) - $79.99 ($15 rebate)

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard (Item #: N82E16813128059) - $94.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 Processor (Item #: N82E16819115014) - $125.99

--------------------

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

What is good cooling?

I am still on the fence. I am ready to pull the trigger once I make a decision but I haven't yet decided if its worth it to do an interim upgrade or spend a little more and upgrade all of the major components. If I spend 500 on a major item upgrade (keeping my case, ps, hd), would the performance from that be worth the extra $200 and/or outlast the usable life of an interim upgrade?

I was wondering about the specs on those sticks of RAM too. Just wanted to make sure they were compatible.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Would this be a good RAM for that system Sparky? (http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA4308301#)

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

Yea, the RAM you linked was DDR2-800 which should work fine. It seems that each day there is a "hot deal" on some DDR2-800 memory. I've got 4 Gb in my rig, but I needed it for Vista. XP will run very nicely on 2.

There are pros/cons with each direction (upgrade/vid card), so lots of input is a good thing to cover all the angles. With the upgrade that I listed, you could add more DDR2 memory, overclock the CPU (with a good cooler), upgrade to a better PCI-e video card at some point in the future as well. This really makes it something of a endless cycle (as we all know). Consider picking up some used "almost Uber" equipment that the other Mercs are upgrading. I haven't seen it listed anywhere, but I know a few of the guys are upgrading. You might be able to pick up some "nice" stuff pretty cheaply.

FYI: I mentioned a 7950GT video card, but the benchmarks of the 8600 GTS seem about the same. Of course the 8800 GTS is better, but at close to twice the price. 8600 GTS would give you DX10 (maybe nice at some point).

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

You will never get ahead of the game by upgrading a piece at a time.

If weakest piece is your processor, by the time you upgrade it, your video card will be outdated. When you find time to upgrade your video card, your memory will be outdated or you will need a bigger psu. When you go to upgrade again, you'll need to change the motherboard, cpu, and hard drives.

Technology changes every month. Prices go down every month as new items come on the market.

It all boils down to how much you have to spend. If you only have $200, you could upgrade your video card and memory and have a machine that runs fairly well.

If you have $500 to spend, you could update your video card, motherboard, processor, power supply and ram but it will be mostly lower end equipment. All said and done, you might be looking at spending $600-$700.

If you only need something to hold you over for 6-12 months or so. I would go with the upgrade. If you are planning for the future, I would go with rebuilding a new system but look to spend extra cash.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

OK - read through this thread, and I heard mention of both DDR and DDR2 - so If anyone needs it I have a Gig (2x512) of DDR2 sitting here on my desk unused...PM me if anyone wants it.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

My PS is rated at 420W max load, would I need to get a different one?

Does anyone have takeoffs because of their upgrading?

[LA_MERC_Shadow]

I'm pretty sure the ram is 333. It was for my older system and I'm pretty sure it's specs are lower than his. I'll check the ram tomorrow. I'm working nights right now so I'm a little slow on this thread.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Im running a 430 w PS with 2 Gigs PC3200, the BFG 7800GS/OC, 1 hard drive, couple of lighted fans, and an extra Red cathode case light... with no problems... I think you will be ok if your going the small upgrades route.

[Ab1dab1]

Highwind,

You may have to upgrade the PSU if you are adding a PCIe video card (ie: going the replace the Motherboard, Processor, Memory route). If you are just doing the AGP upgrade you should still be fine.

If you PSU is over 2 years old or a non-name brand, chances are the 12v rail that runs the PCIe is shared or doesn't produce a true 12v.

I had a 400watt PSU that came with my micro-ATX case (yeah I got an oversized "GameCube") but it didn't have enough juice on the PCIe rail to drive my card at stock voltage. The PSU I have now is 550watt and has dual 12v rails (meaning it is SLI compliant PSU).

Also if you are swapping out your Motherboard, CPU, RAM....you may need a PSU upgrade to support the Motherboard. I'm going from memory here, but I think the ATX 2.0 compliant PSU's have a wider power plug (64pin instead of 48pin -- or separate 12pin connector directly to Motherboard for ACPI or MB driven power control -- wake on LAN, etc). Long story short if you PSU is too old it may not work with current day motherboards.

Sorry for the technical mumbo-jumbo.

Abi

[Daedelus]

see all this talk about making sure to get stuff that is compatible and upgrading diffrent parts etc. is what made me decide to just do the brand new computer i didnt what to have to get into testing stuff and having problems with buying things to have them not work. pluss i kept the old computer and my niece's use it for there web surfing. so maybe think about that do you have any one that can use your old computer etc the kids or something. as it is i have 3 desk tops and each one started as my amin system until i got the next one.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Well, I need all the technical mumbo-jumbo to make a good decision. I do this with all the big stuff that I purchase like tvs and cars, makes it so that I dont regret my decision afterwards. Learning is fun!

[Rollout]

Rook,
The 7950 GT is faster than the 8600 GS, but it isn't DX10, just DX9. But for pure performance the 7950 GT is better.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Well, I think Im gonna build a new system Im just not going to buy everything at once. One piece this week and then another one or two next week. Ill have it all in a couple weeks. This way I can watch for deals on the internet. Like the psu I just bought.

http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A6200026

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Should I be wary of OEM deals?

[Rollout]

Not as long as you have the drivers and hardware you'll need to make them work. I buy OEMs all the time, but I have alot of spare parts so I can hook them up. Make sure you know what you need to hook them up, and you don't need to buy extra stuff seperately (i.e. often OEM boards have no SATA cables, CPUs have no HSF, no extra games-so what, etc)

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Well, I was thinking of buying and OEM processor and it sounds like when I build this, I should use other thermal paste besides what comes with it. Also, if Im going to OC, it voids the warranty and I would want a better HS/Fan on it anyways.

[Rollout]

Yeah, I purchase OEM procs all the time and use the ThermalTake Big Typhoon HSF, I ALWAYS O/C to the max. I just took my Core2 6700 2.66 GHZ to 3.4 GHZ using the above purchase method.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Yeah, I purchase OEM procs all the time and use the ThermalTake Big Typhoon HSF, I ALWAYS O/C to the max. I just took my Core2 6700 2.66 GHZ to 3.4 GHZ using the above purchase method.

I want one of those :)...

Me not happy.. me stuck with AMD 2800 + Socket A :(

me like to have whole new compy.. to go along side me new 6700 Core2 ....

sigh.. maybe one day me get new compy. :)

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

I was checking out Anandtech's review (http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3068) of the Thermalright Ultima-90 and it looks like the Big Typhoon ranks right up there with the other big boys. I have 6400, but right now I'm using stock cooling and you can raise the FSB much at all without it having stability problems. I'm just waiting for some birthday money to pick up a real cooler so that I can do a little OC'ng.

I almost always buy OEM, but for some reason I didn't do that this last time.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

So Im thinking I would like to have an SLI option on my mobo so Ive come up with a possibility of this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127022

Seems simple without all the frills. Anyone have this board or know some dirt on it? Or even a better suggestion? This is really the only thing I have a question on and in my mind, the mobo is where I should really pick and choose since it seems like it makes the system. Ill prolly go with the 7950GT 256mb or something similar for the gpu and pick up some decently cheap DDR-2 800 (2GB since I wont be running vista). Ive already got my ps: Corsair HX520. As for the cpu, Ill go with a Core 2 Duo OEM since Ill get my own cpu heatsink/fan. Ive made some decisions and have come a long way from thinking about upgrading and maybe getting a new computer. Any more suggestions before I go any further?

Ive thought about the abit IP35 Pro but I would like SLI unless someone suggests otherwise.

[LA_MERC_Shadow]

Whatever mobo you decide to buy, you might want to check the forums of that manufacturer before you buy your memory or anything else to make sure of any compatibility problems. I've just been thru this with my mobo and memory and I had the dam computer built for me. If you do look at the forums for it look at how many problems they've reported. I'm just suggesting it b/c you will save a ton of time if you just make sure. You don't want to spend hours and hours looking up how to solve any issues you might have. Just my suggestion.

And thanks yella for suggesting those forums they helped a ton.

[Rollout]

I have the EVGA 680i board, the big brother to the 650i boards. The 650i boards like the one you listed had A LOT OF BUGS, read the bad reviews as Shadow uggested. I love the 680i chipset, easy to O/C, very stable. If it was my money, I wouldn't get a 650i chipset baord, IMHO!

What I liked about the EVGA 680i was it will allow me to use any QUADCore Intel and go SLI in the future. I currently have the E7600 Core2Duo and an 8800GTX, so I can make an even greater system with a simple CPU and an additional video card purchase in the future

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

I was also looking at the EVGA boards as well. A little more money, but I do want to buy the right board now and maybe something less in cpu and gpu since those are easy to upgrade later like you say Rollout. Good suggestions. Thanks guys for all the help. Ill have this things together in a couple of weeks. When I do finally get all the parts together, Im gonna start asking how to put it all together! :)

[Daedelus]

i know its alittle work but i found when i buy parts to go on the manufacture web site or say if your buying from egg-head check the forums for the products alot of the missery and concerns others have had will be posted. last time i video card shopped i was supprissed like the first 2 i picked ended up have bad reviews about over heating of power issues getting the correct power to the viseo card etc. so a little extra reading might be worth it to checks reviews.

[LA_MERC_eX1|eS' ch1|d]

I'm an ASUS guy through and through. I've built 3 ASUS systems with zero problems and I've used different brands of other parts in each. I barely even look at other brands of mobo's because I know ASUS has been rock solid for me.

So far I've only bought and built computers with AMD processors so I'm not sure what Intel's warranty is, but AMD's warranty is only good IF you use their heatsink/fan. The only way to get that fan is to buy the retail version. I don't typically use the stock heatsink/fan but atleast I can say that I did if my processor burns up due to OCing.

[Ab1dab1]

I agree with Ex.....

ASUS are quite reliable, although they have had some issues with their higher-end boards in the past but 99% of the time you'll know right away if you have a DOA board. I've used a lot of ASUS boards in the past with AMD proc configurations and of the 10 machines only 1 board had a problem with on-board component (one of the USB heads was DOA).

Abit and BIOSTAR have decent boards as well if you don't want to spend the extra money for a ASUS board.

Abi

[LA_MERC_johncst]

ok I look over some parts what do you think there is some fat I can trim but tell me what you think
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/TemporaryWishList.asp

[LA_MERC_johncst]

some fat trimed
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/TemporaryWishList.asp?SltWishListNumber=&WishListTitle=

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

John, I don't think we can see it unless its set as a public wish list, I know I cant.

[LA_MERC_eX1|eS' ch1|d]

Yella is right I can only see my wish list.

[LA_MERC_johncst]

sorry
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811119068
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131073
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814150229
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817371001
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115029
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820134384
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822152085
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827135146
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835186134

[Rollout]

I'm going to rant about hard drives for a second, go to Tomshardware.com and look at their HD charts. After having the Raptor 150 GB 10,000 RPM HD for over a year, I can't imagine using ANYTHING slow EVER again!!!

If you really need more storage than 150 GB, then get something off the list that compares to the Raptors. I use a secomd 250 GB maxtor to store things, but Windows and games are on the Raptor. You could keep your curent HD as a backup storage area and go for a Raptor, that's what I did. Just my 2 cents rant.

[LA_MERC_johncst]

look just getting into this I do not know what you all know after reading the post started putting stuff together what are the dif 10,000 over 7,200 point me

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well,

The big advantage to having a 10k RPM hard drive versus a 7200, is speed that all your programs and games load. Say for instance, when other guys are already in game, and your still loading up.. thats the difference. However, its a common perception that 10,000 RPM hard drive are not as dependable because they run harder, and faster.. but a good quality drive drive like Maxtor is still a good drive. 10,000 rpm drives take more power and generate more heat, thus requiring a good case with plenty of cooling. Thats the general Idea anyway.

[Rollout]

Righty Oh Dog!! They load everything faster, but do generate heat. I run with the side off of my case. The machine "feels" fast, when you click on something it happens. I drives me nuts to work on my kids computers or Connie's laptop, 7200 is SLOW!!!

[Rollout]

Ooopps , It drives me nuts

[Ab1dab1]

Rollout....

I'm not so sure that the Raptor's are still "King of the Hill" in performance.

The current generation of SATA drives are coming with larger on-board cache (think of it like having a flash drive built in to your hard drive to boost performance).

Yes, 10k drives typically outperform 7200rpm drives.

Another option available now are solid state drives. By this I mean no spinning media, practically zero heat....they are giant flash drives. So far you can get 60gb versions (yes considerably smaller than a spinning drive, but flash/cache performance would beat your Raptor hands down).

I'm working on getting a demo solid state from Dell if they ever get off their a$$ and ship it to me. I'll let everyone know what kind of performance I can squeeze out if it.

John the list looks pretty good. I'm not big on the XFX cards, go with the eVGA equivalent. You may want some extra fans for your case. The CPU cooler is mediocre. One thing to be carefull of is that with tall CPU coolers like that is that they are going to be putting pressure on your CPU and socket, especially sitting horizontal when it is mounted in your case. They work and are rated to stay on the CPU, the problem is moving your case. I've seen people taking short car rides with their machine and the CPU cooler is bouncing around in the bottom of their case by the time they get to where they are going. I prefer to use shorter coolers like Zalman where the fans sit horizontal over the processor die (similar to the one Rich has in his PC). You can still get the benefits of Heat-Pipe technology and copper. One final thing to add is Artic Silver compound (it hands down beats stock paste) and costs all of $5-$7.

Abi

[Rollout]

I agree Abi, I didn't sat the Raptors were "King of the Hill", that's why I suggested looking at the Tonshardware list. The Hitachi outperforms the Raptors, but if you are looking at price, I'm not sure the solid states are in the equation. Not knowing the price, I'm not sure, but knowing the performance Raptors rule the VAST majority of 7200's he listed.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Im thinking about that asus board now. Good points by all. Thanks.

What cpu cooler is the Typhoon that I was hearing about? I tried to find it but no luck. Seems like everyone like it.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Highwind you may also want to look at the EVGA 680-I motherboards... They seem to be very good boards as well. I know somewhere at one time i read an article on who actually builds and designs their board, and who just purchases a basic board built by another manufacturer, slaps a few features to it, and calls it their own.. and EVGA was not one on them.

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Hey John, this is what Im going with:

http://www.slickdeals.net/?permadeal=10185#direct_deal_10185

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

So Im ready. Heres what I got:

EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 n680i Mobo
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
OCZ DDR2 PC-6400 2GB Platinum Ed.
Cooler Master Hyper TX2 cpu cooler
Arctic Silver 5
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB SATA2
Corsair HX520w PSU
EVGA 8600GTS Super clocked 256mb

What sort of things am I going to need to get this bad boy running? I honestly don't know what tools I'm going to need. This is my first build, so its going to be slow and methodical. Ive kinda already gathered the latest drivers for everything so I can just do a fresh install with the latest stuff. Anyone got any tips or whatnot?

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Well I got it all set up tonight. Im still installing programs and such, but at least its up and running. The thing is so fast its crazy. Now its time to have fun! :)

[LA_MERC_johncst]

what was the total $$$$

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

Just under $740 with $110 in rebates and $30 in discounts, that includes tax and shipping.

Just ran 3DMark06 and got a score of 5795. I hope i can get it up a little after I do some tweaking with everything.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

Hey mano, do =not feel bad here is my run down.

Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 1809 MHz
Physical / Logical CPUs 1 / 1
MultiCore 1 Processor Core
HyperThreading N/A
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT
Graphics Driver NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT
Co-operative adapters No
DirectX Version 9.0c
System Memory 3072 MB
Disk Space 194.48 GB
Motherboard Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Motherboard Model nForce
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP


Below is the result details of your submitted project.
Main Test Results
3DMark Score 2263 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 1015 Marks
SM 3.0 Score 898 Marks
CPU Score 694 Marks

Detailed Test Results

Graphics Tests
1 - Return to Proxycon 8.322 FPS
2 - Firefly Forest 8.596 FPS

CPU Tests
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.218 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 0.353 FPS

HDR Tests
1 - Canyon Flight (SM 3.0) 7.683 FPS
2 - Deep Freeze (SM 3.0) 10.274 FPS

[LA_MERC_WBHighwind]

I dont feel bad. Im very pleased with it so far. I was able to run BF2 on high all settings and 4x anti-alias with no lag. I dont remember what the resolution was but I want to say it was at 1280x1024. I was just saying that this score is just after I had gotten everything together and running, not after any tweaking whatsoever.

Im actually starting to second guess my decision of going with the 8600GTS when compared to the higher end 7 series cards. Most everyone says that if you go with an 8 series that you should only go with an 8800 card. I knew that, but I didnt have the money for an 8800 and I wanted DX10 capabilities so I could run vista down the road. Maybe I will do the evga step up program in a month or two.