Need advice on PC components

[Cyrano]

I would like to build myself a gaming rig with monitor with an eye to the future. I have up to $3000 to spend and I have some ideas on the components but I would like expert advise from this board.
Thanks in advance.

[Cyrano]

I would like to build myself a gaming rig with monitor with an eye to the future. I have up to $3000 to spend and I have some ideas on the components but I would like expert advise from this board.
Thanks in advance.

[Armhunter]

Well, it all depends on what you really want..

I would shoot for a 7800GTX video card, if you get this and everything else and have enough.. go SLI get anotehr 7800gtx.. Although I am not sure you need it..
Get a good SLI motherbaord.
I am using the Asus A8N-SLI deluxe.
I heard Lan Party makes a good SLI board.
I would shoot for 2 gigs of ram, but if that takes you out of your budget then get 1gig..
Just make sure they are atleast 2x1gig sticks, or 2x512mb sticks...
do not get 4 sticks what so ever.
get at least a sata 160gig HD..
Sound Blaster Audigy or they even have the new ones out, not sure the name..
pick out a keyboard, mouse, flight stick, etc..
spend the rest on a monitor..

You are making the right decision on building it yourself!! good luck and make sure you let us know what you did get...

[NetDaemon]

Well, I got some ideas too http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

So letâ´s break them down by component.

1. Microprocessor(CPU): This one is first on my list since the choice here will dictate other choices in components, like motherboard, ram and even video card.

Right now AMD is the way to go for a gaming PC, Intel has nothing that can touch the fastest AMD CPU in gaming performance. I`d say get an AMD64 3500+ minimun so you can get advantage of the current video cards performance. Of course Socket 939 is the way to go, Socket 754 is pretty dead by now.

2. Video Card, I know some people would rather choose a motherboard first, but nowadays your choice in video card along with CPU type pretty much dictates what kind of mobo you need.

So first things first, looks like the current and upcoming generation of video cards will only be available for the PCI Express bus, regardless of the manufacturer, so you need a PCIx mobo with a socket 939 for your AMD64 chip.

Now comes the million dollar question. ATI or Nvidia?

Why the importance of that question? because the answer pretty much narrows down what mobo you`ll end up buying.

As most everyone knows, dual video card technology is the **** of the moment, why? because it guarantees you an upgrade path for the future. No longer you need to buy the latest/gratest vid card every year to increase 3D performance, just add a second card and boom!, instant performance doubling (or almost double).

So if it`s an ATI card, you`ll want a Crossfire enabled motherboard. Same thing with Nvidia cards, an SLI motherboard is required.

And as you can see, that leads us to the 3rd item on my list, the mobo.

I`d personally wait for ATI`s release next week of the R520 "Fudo" or X1800 family of cards before settling on a video card brand/model/type. Then and only then you`ll have the whole picture on the video card thingy.

3. Having settled on the CPU type and video card maker, choosing the motherboard is merely a question of settling on a manufacturer. The top mobo makers right now are: ASUS, DFI, MSI, Gigabyte and in that order. Have your pick.

4. PSU, a very important and often overlooked item on a new PC build. First, go for a reputable manufacturer like: Antec, OCZ, Enermax. Then choose the wattage. I`d go for at least 430W if planning on running a single video card, and 550W+ if going the dual vid card way.

5. Now RAM. Again go for a reputable brand, el cheapo/no brand ram sticks are most likely going to give you BIG headaches, with Windows locking up constantly ro maybe even not booting at all. Today`s mobos/cpus are pretty ram sensitive, the manufacturers even publish list of compatible ram brands/models on their web sites. So it`s a good idea to, once having settled on a mobo maker and model, to check their web site for ram compatibility.

6. Hard disk. SATA II is tha wave of the future right now, so go for it but make sure the mobo you choosed supports it. Doing a RAID array with 2 or more hard disks gives you a performance plus. Western Digitalâ´s 10k rpm Raptors were the best in the SATA 1 times, dunno if that holds true for SATA II, do some research there.

7. And last but not least, Case. Here I`m pretty much clueless since I been using the same one for 3 years, so I dunno who`s best. But make sure to get plenty room for fans and stuff. I`m sure other people here will give you sound advice on the subject.


So there, you asked for opinions, there`s mine. Hope you won`t regret asking for it http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[hframpto]

My 2cents
PCI-E SLI motherboard, AMD and at least 2G of ram.
I used two Raptor 10,000 rpm drives in Raid 0 config. I now use one 7200rpm 120 G drive in Sata and get the same gaming performance. As stated above, decide on what video card and go from there. I had a ATi X800 Pro which was fine, now have a GTX 7800 and very pleased with it. My personnal preference after getting the Nivida, is yes, I went the right route. Great performance. I update to a AMD 4000+ from a 3400+. Now play in Perfect @ 1600 X 1200. :&gthttp://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[L33T-Zoolander]

Personally, my next rig is gonna have a 'Ceasefire' chipset. I'm just waiting for the next generation of ATI VGAs to come out.
I know it's sketchy, but I have high hopes for the efficiency of the Crossfire and the inherent legacy software compatibility.

Otherwise, I'm still running an FX55 system with a pair of SLI nVidia 6600GTs. It's a very solid performer that runs like a top.

Good Hunting,
Zoo

[missiveus]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I have up to $3000 to spend </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
With that kind of budget you should be able to build a top shelf gsming rig.

First decide on your CPU type. AMD Socket 939 is the clear choice, but do you want dual or single core? While many argue that single threaded applications like games don't benefit from dual core chips, end users report noticable performance gains over single core CPU's. Plenty of benchmarks available at places like Anandtech. (http://www.anandtech.com/)
Think about using aftermarket air cooler heatsink/fan. I never use the stock HSF when I build. And always apply Arctic Silver (http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions_big2.htm) for best results.
I would choose a motherboard that supports SATA II and install a 16 MB cache SATA II HDD. nForce4 is the current king for Socket 939.
PSU: Don't skimp here. Compare +12 volt rail output ratings. Most quality units carry dual +12 volt rails totaling 28-&gt;30A.
With your budget, a quality case is a must. I like Lian-Li for their simple, functional, high quality design. Case preference is really a matter of opinion. I look for certain features: dual exhaust fan outlets and slidable motherboard tray, but other features might be important to you.
I leave the GPU debate to others. You know what's available now and what's just around the corner. Read up. As for monitors, 19" LCD's have finally come down in price and up in performance to CRT's for gaming. Look for a 19" unit with 8ms or lower response time. Samsung 915 N gets good reviews, though you might want a model with digital input.
Don't know what flight controllers you use, but I've found the Track IR3 to be essential. The new Vector Expansion feature is a great upgrade even though 6dof is not yet supported in Il-2 sims, though BoB2 WoV does support it. No longer have to keep head still on the X/Y axes.

Good luck on your new build. You'll never go back to off the shelf name brand systems again!

[Armhunter]

If you are going the Crossfire way, here are some facts about them...

There is a major limitation with this version of ATI's compositing engine, in that its causes an X800 series CrossFire Edition cards to display video at a maximum resolution / refresh rate of 1600x1200x60Hz for CRT's and 1920x1200x52 Hz for LCD's when in CrossFire Mode (2D is not affected). This was a conscious decision made on ATI's part to keep costs down, and to maintain compatibility with the limited bandwidth offered on the single-link DVI outputs on existing Radeon cards.


I would wait until the new ATI card comes out, because I also read that the Crossfire is not as efficient as the SLI is...

one 7800GTX vs ATI's X850XT crossfire (http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/ati_xpress_200_crossfire_performance/page8.asp)

some people like BF2.. check it out