Your Thoughts?

[DarkyShines]

As i am starting uni in September i need to get a new computer for my gaming course, my current one is on its last legs and so i saw an advert for a website with good prices in my magazine (PCFormat).

www.cyberpowersystems.co.uk

This is how my computer currently stands (Customized)



The price is actually £1102 with a 5% code.

Any thoughts/improvements/suggestions?

It's primarily for gaming, running XNA and other console dev kits and it has to run Armed Assault pretty well :p, and 2142 of course.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Your Thoughts?

400W looks underpowered for a e6700+8800gtx.

an e6600 would keep you just as happy, for probably far fewer bmu's (british monetary units).

that x-fi extreme audio doesn't do onboard hardware mixing. it doesn't have an x-fi chip. cheapest x-fi card with an x-fi chip is going to be an xtremegamer. the x-audio will probably sound just a little better than onboard, so if you can get one without, then you'd save some money.

having said that, there's a fellow bumping around these forums that bought one from Wal-Wart, and is absolutely thrilled with it.

memory looks good.

overall, if you aren't going to build, then that's certainly not a bad (but expensive) system, with the exception of having what's probably a generic underpowered PSU.

edit 1: 650i runs handicapped in sli mode (8x8 instead of 16x16). not a biggie unless you're planning on running 2x of those cards, and i'm still not absolutely certain that cutting it to 8 lanes will bottleneck a 8800gtx, but I suspect it might at very high res. if you're just planning on running one gpu and not upgrading (or buying a new sli mobo when you buy a new gtx) then you're fine.

edit 2: tell me you've got at least a 21" or so monitor to pair with that gpu?

[System]

Re: Your Thoughts?

He should do what your doing megawhompertoo, wait until July 22nd and buy the Q6600 as it will be the same $$ as a E6600. Unless they don't lower the prices over there as quickly? O_o

And yeah, mega pulled out all the nasty stuff on your pc already. You can buy the E6600 and OC with an aftermarket fan to 3.4 Ghz.

[DarkyShines]

Re: Your Thoughts?

Well i won't be getting the computer for a month or so, but i've upgraded the PSU to 700W.

Out of these motherboards available, which would you suggest?



And the same for the sound card:

[UNDIESRULES]

Re: Your Thoughts?

[quote=HeatFlare;1490601]As i am starting uni in September i need to get a new computer for my gaming coursequote]

A gaming course? What sort of Uni are you going to? Dont they have any proper courses? What sort of qualification do you get for that? A Level in playing games........oh my word.......

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Your Thoughts?

How about you have a cup of shut the fu*k up.

chuckling my posterior off. i'm going to ask my wife for a coffee mug that says that very thing for x-mas.

sound: xtremegamer (or onboard if you need to save money).

mobo: again, it depends. if you ever plan on running two 8800gtx's in that setup (i wouldn't, but that's me), then a 680i is the way to go. if you're going to do the reasonable thing and stick with one gpu, and then wait a few more generations and get another top-end card, then a 650i will be just fine. it's only handicapped if you're driving two cards.

processor: since you're compiling stuff (?? editing video/audio?), might as well go quad. Like system^said, In another 28 days, you can have four cores that are operating just a weensy bit slower for the price of two that are clocked just a smidge higher. Q6600, ftw...and don't forget to join a F@H team. :)

edit: for pure gaming, the xtreme gamer is what you want, but if you're doing heavy audio stuff (recording from multiple sources, upmixing, etc.) one of the high-end x-fix with the front-panel or a break-out box might come in handy. I wouldn't pay $200 for the privilege, but then again my school/work computer is a 2.0ghz lappy that has a "feature" that let's me grab a cup of coffee while it's...slowly...aligning DNA. the upper end x-fi's might be something worth checking into, depending on whether or not you need the features.

[DarkyShines]

Re: Your Thoughts?

chuckling my posterior off. i'm going to ask my wife for a coffee mug that says that very thing for x-mas.

sound: xtremegamer (or onboard if you need to save money).

mobo: again, it depends. if you ever plan on running two 8800gtx's in that setup (i wouldn't, but that's me), then a 680i is the way to go. if you're going to do the reasonable thing and stick with one gpu, and then wait a few more generations and get another top-end card, then a 650i will be just fine. it's only handicapped if you're driving two cards.

processor: since you're compiling stuff (?? editing video/audio?), might as well go quad. Like system^said, In another 28 days, you can have four cores that are operating just a weensy bit slower for the price of two that are clocked just a smidge higher. Q6600, ftw...and don't forget to join a F@H team. :)

Thanks for the help, really appreciate it :)

I'll proberbly be keeping it as a single GPU, i imagine the one i selected has enough "Oooomph!" to last me for a bit.

I'll check the website again in another month and see if they have changed the CPU's.

EDIT: Updated overall setup image.

So would you recommend an Intel CPU or an AMD CPU, im confused as to which one will be better for around the same model (Spec wise) i picked already.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Your Thoughts?

So would you recommend an Intel CPU or an AMD CPU, im confused as to which one will be better for around the same model (Spec wise) i picked already.

gosh. put me in a spot. i keep buying DAAMIT branded gpu's (9600xt, 9800pro, x800xt, x1950xt) because i don't want to see AMD go out of business and leave us with a choice between intel and intel--as benevolent a would-be monopolist as i've ever seen...when compared to M$-- but when it comes to processors intel is the cat's meow for the foreseeable future both for price and performance.

amd makes solid processors. intel is just making better ones at the moment.

[DarkyShines]

Re: Your Thoughts?

gosh. put me in a spot. i keep buying DAAMIT branded gpu's (9600xt, 9800pro, x800xt, x1950xt) because i don't want to see AMD go out of business and leave us with a choice between intel and intel--as benevolent a would-be monopolist as i've ever seen...when compared to M$-- but when it comes to processors intel is the cat's meow for the foreseeable future both for price and performance.

amd makes solid processors. intel is just making better ones at the moment.

I've got a P4 + HT (apparently 3.3Ghz) and im quite happy with it, i work at Staples and some of the promo stuff we have boasts how good the AMD is but we have nothing for Intel.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Your Thoughts?

I've got a P4 + HT (apparently 3.3Ghz) and im quite happy with it, i work at Staples and some of the promo stuff we have boasts how good the AMD is but we have nothing for Intel.

beware "marketing specifications".

amd cpu's beat the pants off netburst. i have my pentium d 915 (2.8ghz) clocked @ 3.75ghz, and a dual core amd @ 2.6ghz (64 x2 5000) would keep up with it no sweat--literally, i have an arctic cooling freezer 7 pro for a hsf and i'm breaking into the low 60C's. i put my vCore at 1.45v, and it vDroops down to 1.30v during intensive games like LOTRO. that's .15 volts transformed directly into heat, right off the top, even before the first cpu cycle changes from 0 to 1.

core architecture changed all that beginning with yonah, and getting better with every product. intel learned how to be cool, efficient, and fast. amd has the first two down pat. they're currently struggling with the third at the high end of the market.

[DarkyShines]

Re: Your Thoughts?

[QUOTE=UNDIESRULES;1490956]

You dont see the funny side then? Grumpy prick.

There is no funny side, im not unhappy in the slightest.

[(TM)KillJoy]

Re: Your Thoughts?

mobo: Asus P5N32-E SLI 680i

..it is the same board as the Striker Extreme, less a few minor frills (and about $130), but performance wise, its the exact same board. Its made for OCing as well.