New 'puter

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 09:30

Hey all, I recently decided to indulge myself with a new computer. When figuring out what I wanted, I decided to go "mid-range with possibility for expansion". Knowing that, I also decided I was going to spend as close to £500 as possible, then the £50 on top for Windows XP. This is what I have ordered:

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHz (Socket AM2)
Motherboard: Asus M2N-SLi Deluxe (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Graphics Card: BFG GeForce 7950 GT OC 256MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)
RAM: GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 Dual Channel Kit
Hard Disk Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 160GB ST3160815AS SATA-II 8MB Cache
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S203BEBN 20x20 DVD±RW Dual Layer Serial ATA ReWriter (Black)
Power Supply Unit: Akasa Ultra Quiet 500W Paxpower Active PFC ATX2.2 PSU (Black Nickel)
Case: Thermaltake VB1000BNS Soprano SuperMidi Tower (Black)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Total Cost: £572

I originally ordered the 8600GTS, but after reading so many reviews commenting on how it lacks the grunt of the previous x600s, I decided to go for the same-priced BFG 7950 GTO (which, as it happens, was a choice recommended by someone at OcUK). I then found out about the X1950, but wasn't so sure I wanted it. I've had bad experience with ATI cards in the past, and I would've had to change the motherboard for a Crossfire ready board.

So, onto the questions..

Is Crossfire worse/better/the same as SLi?
How much worse is the 7950 GTO compared to the X1950?
When it comes to upgrade time (maybe in a few months), would it be better to go for another single card or buy a second 7950 GTO?
Have I made any horrible mistakes in my system (bearing in mind it'll be used for mostly gaming, but only at 1024x768 or 1256x1024)?

Thanks in advance.

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 09:39

Thanks for the reassurance. Just quickly, though, may I ask what you mean by 'dead platform'? I've been away from this game too long. Was it a bad choice to take a dual-core AMD over a similar Intel? Might not be too late to change the order, if they've not already sent it out.

I spent £117 on the graphics card, by the way.

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 09:43

Okay thanks guys, you've been really kind to respond so fast. Hopefully I can still get this order changed without having to return stuff etc.

Oh, and for the new spec, if you could get an 8800GTS in that would be great. I'd love to keep the same case though

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 10:11

I currently can't afford anymore than the £572 I budgeted for the first system.

Apparantly my order has been dispatched, but the gentleman on the telephone said that things can be returned for up to 7 days after (didn't mention any cost/fee, so I assume there is none excluding P&P) if unopened, and that I should ring the support department when I'm all sorted with what I want.

Is there anyway anyone can see to fuse together Melbourne's and Egon's specs and get something in the £570 mark? Or is Egon's the best we can go for?

Edit: Is the 8800GTS really worth the extra £80 on such a tight budget?

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 10:15

Yeah, I know. That's why these are all a tad too high

As I edited and included in the last post: Is the 8800GTS really worth the extra £60 - £80 on such a tight budget? I mean, is it really worth buying the 8800GTS when all I'm currently planning on doing is playing around at 1024x768 high detail or maybe 1280x1024 on medium.

Edited

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 10:45

Good job, Alex UK. Before I'd noticed you had come up with that, I invented this contraption:

Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
Abit IP35-E (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E2160 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.80GHz (800FSB) - Retail
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 160GB ST3160815AS SATA-II 8MB Cache - OEM
Samsung SH-S203BEBN 20x20 DVD±RW Dual Layer Serial ATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition inc. SP2 - OEM - 1Pk (N09-01528)
Akasa Ultra Quiet 500W Paxpower Active PFC ATX2.2 PSU - Black Nickel
Thermaltake VB1000BNS Soprano SuperMidi Tower - Black
GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX22GB6400UDC)

totalling at £555.61.

Is the 8800GTS really worth the cheaper other parts? And is the OcUK stuff still good enough quality to last? (Just wondering, never bought from them before you see.)

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 11:00

Well, my delivery just arrived. I'm going to ring up the support team and see how much hassle it will be to send things back and switch components etc. Depending on that, I'll see whether I will switch to intel and change for EITHER a 512mb X1950 Pro, or a 8800GTS (am not sure about the 8800, the X1950 will work fine for everything I want it to do, saves me money, and the only time I'll need the 8800 is when I get unaddicted from my DX9 games and become addicted to a DX10 game). We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 11:31

Apparantly I can just send things back within 7 days with no fee, so I am now deciding whether or not to send things back.

Is the system originally posted of an acceptable standard for £570? Not worrying about 'dead platforms' or DX10, is the system good enough? All I'll be doing is playing BF2142/CoD2/WoW at 1024x768 or 1280x1024. There's really no need for the performance I think the 8800GTS is intended for, and I don't know whether I would see a big difference with the X1950, either. So two simple questions.

Is my AMD chipset/mobo acceptable for now? As has been said it is apparantly not a 'dead' system, and I don't think I'm planning on overclocking it or putting it under too much strain whatsoever.

Secondly, will the 7950GT perform well enough to play at 1024x768 and 1280x1024? Or should I really send it back and buy an X1950?

8800GTS is now out of the question, my usage of a GPU really doesn't justify the extra money right now.

Nebzor · 20 Jun 2007 at 11:53

Thanks Steve, that really helped. I'll just stick with what I've got sitting behind me. I couldn't afford any more, so the X1950XT was just a teeny bit out of reach. I'll make sure to check what's out when the time for upgrades come.

Final question: how much better will the Intel perform over the similarly priced AMD when overclocked?