Help needed building a new gaming PC

[MrDriver]

I'm looking in buying a PC too. Is it worth waiting for USB3 and PCI express 2?

 

- P -

[Homer]

Thanks once again Angarak

 

From the recent posts on your link it looks like the P5KC is best avoided as it can't handle the PC2-8400 RAM and is unlikely to be able to do it in the future

 

This seems to be a more suitable board: Gigabyte S775 Intel P35 Express ATX Audio Lan

 

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4KRT&CategorySelectedId=11143&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11143,48760000,4294953919

 

Also, is DX10 only available in Vista?

[Daston]

yep DX10 is built into Vista

[DamanC]

Thanks once again Angarak

 

From the recent posts on your link it looks like the P5KC is best avoided as it can't handle the PC2-8400 RAM and is unlikely to be able to do it in the future

 

This seems to be a more suitable board: Gigabyte S775 Intel P35 Express ATX Audio Lan

 

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4KRT&CategorySelectedId=11143&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11143,48760000,4294953919

 

Also, is DX10 only available in Vista?

 

Dont forget the daft place to put the IDE slot

 

I too have changed my mind about your first choice Homer, the Gigabyte looks a suitable replacement and is nearing the top of my wish list. Mine is being ordered tomorrow and I am running out of time

[Angarak]

Dont forget the daft place to put the IDE slot

 

Yes, the IDE slot is in a silly position, but a nice round IDE cable will do the job without causing any air-flow restrictions within the box. However, you can now get SATA DVD Writers which would make the IDE slot obsolete.

 

http://mooch.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc/beast4.jpg

 

Im sure a BIOS fix will be available in the future, or else there's a misrepresentation of goods issue. However, Gigabyte do make good mobos (I've had several in the past), but before purchasing it, try to google a review of it working with Crucial 8500 (just to ensure it does fully support it out of the box).

[Sheefa]

However, Gigabyte do make good mobos (I've had several in the past), but before purchasing it, try to google a review of it working with Crucial 8500 (just to ensure it does fully support it out of the box).

 

Indeed Gigabyte do. I've just got rif of my Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-9 NF4 Mobo and it has been brilliant over the last 2 years, but sadly is now dead. Loads of features including free wireless card, a dual phase power system, plenty of cabling and great for OCing too. I recommend them. Now have an Abit Fatal1ty though.

[DamanC]

Funky looking case Angarak

 

If anyone is remotely interested my new rig was ordered a today;

 

Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750

Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200RPM 16MB

2 x OCZ 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 Memory Gold GX XTC (its too cheap to say no to 4GB's worth!)

EVGA 8800GT 512MB GDDR3

[Angarak]

Funky looking case Angarak

...

 

Cheers - funnily enough its a GigaByte Poseidon case. Comes with a blue led rear fan and front projection light (bit more bling than I like) and the Crucial Ballistix Tracer memory I have lights up like Blackpool lights (I'd have gone for non-led version but all the local suppliers where sold out).

 

Enjoy your new PC when you've built it!

[michael]

EVGA 8800GT 512MB GDDR3

 

I was looking at that one earlier, will be interested to hear your feedback on it.

 

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-039-EA&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1008

[DamanC]

I was looking at that one earlier, will be interested to hear your feedback on it.

 

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-039-EA&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1008

 

Ill be interested in what ill have to say too! Its not the superclocked one you have linked, but thats the reason why I went for a stock speed one, it stands a good chance of hitting the superclocked speeds and hopefully more

 

Not used EVGA stuff before but its 10 warrenty apparently covers overclocking too should come bundled with Quake wars and they do some free 90 day upgrade thing where you can upgrade your card should the new GTS and GTX take your fancy.

[DamanC]

After being pissed about for several days I cancelled my order, and went for the gainwood 8800GT and slightly different memory (OCZ PC6400 platinum)

 

I was slightly concerned about the EVGA's being cherry picked for their factory clocked models, and as far as I can see gainwood dont do a OC'ed model yet.

 

So my final build consists of

 

Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750

Gainwood 8800GT

4GB OCZ PC6400 platinum

XP Pro

 

Done a little clocking and benchmarked in 3dmark 06

 

Stock speeds of

 

2.66GHZ and 600/900/1500 = 10642

 

CPU Clocked;

 

3.28GHZ and 600/900/1500 = 11784

 

CPU and GFX Clocked at;

 

3.28GHZ and 700/1000/1750 = 13114

 

Stock voltages at the moment and CPU hits 65 under load and the GFX card 72.

 

Althou when playing the crysis demo for nearly 2 hours I was greeted with a random artifact and after a quick Alt+Tab speedfan was reporting my GPU temperature @ 95oC

 

Worth noting that I built a Client PC with quad extreme CPU (4x3GHZ) and 8800GTX, 4gb ram only a dew weeks ago, clocked the cpu to 4x3.4GHZ and it spat out 12244. Cost to the client for this rig was not far off 2k.

[Homer]

Those are impressive Damon.

 

I got my new system a few days ago, very similar spec except I haven't changed the GFX card yet:

 

Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750

XFX 7600GT XXX (very highly clocked)

2GB Corsair Dominator PC2-8500

XP Pro

 

It scored only 3611 on 3DMark 06. Previous score on a low spec Athlon 64 3200+ single core on single channel PC3200 was 3250?! The system is far, far quicker in games but made very little difference to the 3D Mark score. odd.

 

Also the Ram appears as 1066Mhz on the Bios but is reported as only 800Mhz in tools like SiSoft Sandra. Not sure whats going on there...

 

Still waiting for the G92 launch before choosing a GFX card

[DamanC]

Your 3d mark score is very dependant on your GPU. My old rig (AMD 3700+, 2gb PC3200) with a 7800GT used to score some 3k mark. I highly recomend you get yourself an 8800GT when the prices and ultimately more stock turns up in a few weeks, althou like you say, the new GTX and GTS are doing something in the next couple of weeks.

 

Have you upped your VDimm voltage? What voltage does your memory run at? You might need to manually set your timings. These P35's are fussy buggers. Stick CPU-Z on and see what that reports.