Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 172
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2006
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The 8800GT (not sure if oc) in this article is compellingly better at gaming: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3151&p=6The Asus P5K-V board that I am considering is a full ATX board that is crossfire compatible but the second board is only running at 4X. However, I'm not sure that the PSU could handle a second GPU (Antec earthwatts 500) so it's likely that I will stick with one card and upgrade possible a couple years down the line.
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 172
veteran
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OP
veteran
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 172 |
The 8800GT (not sure if oc) in this article is compellingly better at gaming: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3151&p=6The Asus P5K-V board that I am considering is a full ATX board that is crossfire compatible but the second board is only running at 4X. However, I'm not sure that the PSU could handle a second GPU (Antec earthwatts 500) so it's likely that I will stick with one card and upgrade possible a couple years down the line.
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 436
devotee
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devotee
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 436 |
I always have found crossfire (and nvidia's SLI for that matter) to be a big gimmick. Not all games support it and I don't find the boost in perfomance to be worth the price of 2 cards. And by the time you wait long enough for the cards to be cheaper to get a second one there's usually a newer model that'll be cheaper and faster than the 2 old ones... Not even talking about power consumption, noise and heat!
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18,044
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
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A stock 8800GT is better than a stock 3870 for gaming, hands down. And I also wouldn't consider SLI or Crossfire, after specifically buying a board for Crossfire then discovering that (as above) by the time I could afford a second card, the performance/price ratio had moved far beyond that.
Also, I wouldn't touch an Athlon 64 x2 in a new computer right now. Sure, if you're going cheap, go with a really low end Athlon. But the Core2Duos are much faster.
I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 172
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Skyhawk669 and kcarlile,
You summed up my exact thoughts regarding AMD and Crossfire/SLI. I'm already spending more than I had intended and can't see myself spending $500+ on GPUs alone.
I hope AMD gets their act together. I recall reading that they bled out 1.7 billion in the final 1/4 of last year. Ouch. Phenom doesn't seem to be the answer either.
Can anyone commend on the difference between the P35 and G33 chipsets? (Asus P5K and P5K-V respectively). People keep saying to go with the P35 over the G33 but cannot seem to explain why the P35 is better. I realize that the G33's integrated graphics won't be used due to my GPU but I figure that since the two boards are the same price, why not opt for the G33? Thoughts?
Jordan
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
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Here is a pretty good article on them.
Jason M80 v2 VP160 v3 QS8 v2 PB13 Ultra Denon 3808 Samsung 85" Q70
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 172
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Last question - Vista Premium 64 bit or 32 bit?
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
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Read this excellent article on the subject: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_ff_x64.aspIt comes down to compatibility. Unless you're going to be doing some serious computation with huge data sets, and have already checked to make sure all your components have 64-bit drivers available, stay with 32-bit for your own sanity. The advantages of the 64-bit version are pretty much moot for a home computer.
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420 |
My neices husband went 64bit and he regretted it after a week. So he went dual Vista's. He says he only uses the 64bit for the few games that will support it. Otherwise it is 32bit for everything else. I haven't noticed any games that support 64 bit but then again I haven't been looking at the specs for them either.
I am hoping the 64 bit will catch on in the next few years. I have seen the power and really liked how fast every worked.
Jason M80 v2 VP160 v3 QS8 v2 PB13 Ultra Denon 3808 Samsung 85" Q70
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Re: Computer Advice
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
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64-bit will pretty much be a universal standard, likely before 2010 (just my guess).
Tangent: One of the nice things about the latest Mac OS (Leopard) is that you don't have to choose a special version. There is exactly one version (not counting Server), and it is BOTH 32 and 64-bit.
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