Just a couple questions.

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Sidewalk

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I've finally decided what I'm going to do. I'm going to stray away from laptops in general and just buy a desktop. I want it solely for music production and games (such as Crysis, FO3, GTA4, COD5, etc). Here is what I've chosen:

CPS450SAGITTA2.jpg


CPU: Intel® Core 2 Duo 3.0Ghz E8400 CPU w/Fan
Motherboard: ASUS P5N73-AM GeForce 7050/610i, PCI-Ex, 2 PCI
Memory: 4GB DDR2 PC6400 800Mhz Memory
Video Card: 256MB GeForce 7050 Graphics Controller (onboard)
Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM Ultra Fast Serial ATA300 Hard Drive
Sound Card: 8 channel HD Sound Adapter
Case: Raidmax Sagitta 2 500watt Power Supply

So which GPU would you recommend? I was thinking of going with the Geforce 9600 GT since the prices are very friendly. How long do you think that would last me?

Would I need a new fan as well? Should I go ahead and upgrade to the e8500 altogether? Just any insight as to what you would do if you were in my shoes would be greatly appreciated. I'm young & broke, so I've never been in this situation before. Thanks in advance. :happy:
 
If you're planning on playing taxing games such as the ones you listed, you'll want at least a 9800GT (or a 4850 if you go ATI). A 9600GT wouldn't last you very long - though keep in mind it depends on what resolution you're running at. If you're going to be running at 1920x1080 then you'll want something much better, but if you're running at something like 1280x1024 like me then a 9800GT would do you fine.
CPU-intensive games like GTAIV will run well on low with your processor.

Also, I haven't much about RaidMax but I would avoid getting a case+PSU bundle, you're better buying a PSU separately so you know exactly what you're getting. I would recommend something like a Corsair VX550, or an HX520 (the HX is modular, the VX isn't).
The case itself looks okay, a bit gimmicky IMO but that's not important :p, but has 3x120mm fans (I estimated size from pictures) which will be fine for you - seems it only comes with one though, you should buy a full complement (though you can do that later if it ends up needing better cooling).

If you plan on overclocking or just want your CPU to last longer, you should get an aftermarket cooler, you can get a decent one for about £15/$20 - though you can always buy one later if you decide you want one.

What brand of RAM are you buying? You only stated the specs. If you get something like Corsair or OCZ, they have lifetime warranties so that's always a good thing to buy. Buy value RAM if you want, but it won't last nearly as long, have a shorter warranty and you won't be able to overclock it very much if at all, if you go down that route.

I looked up the specs of the motherboard you stated, and it's rather outdated - you should be looking at one with PCI-e 2.0, more future-proof - also, the max. RAM on it is only 4GB, so you will reach the maximum as soon as you buy the machine - that's /very/ non-future-proof. Something like my motherboard, the ASUS P5N-D, would be in the right vein for you. It does SLI as well, which means if you ever need a graphics boost you can just chuck in another GPU, much cheaper than buying a single, better one. There's probably a cheaper, non-SLI version too.

Keep in mind you're better off saving a bit more money and buying a machine that can be upgraded easily in future, than buying a machine that when it comes to upgrading you can't so you need to buy a whole new machine (in a nutshell, you're better to pay a slight premium now so you don't have to pay a bigger one in the near future).
 
If you're planning on playing taxing games such as the ones you listed, you'll want at least a 9800GT (or a 4850 if you go ATI). A 9600GT wouldn't last you very long - though keep in mind it depends on what resolution you're running at. If you're going to be running at 1920x1080 then you'll want something much better, but if you're running at something like 1280x1024 like me then a 9800GT would do you fine.
CPU-intensive games like GTAIV will run well on low with your processor.

Also, I haven't much about RaidMax but I would avoid getting a case+PSU bundle, you're better buying a PSU separately so you know exactly what you're getting. I would recommend something like a Corsair VX550, or an HX520 (the HX is modular, the VX isn't).
The case itself looks okay, a bit gimmicky IMO but that's not important :p, but has 3x120mm fans (I estimated size from pictures) which will be fine for you - seems it only comes with one though, you should buy a full complement (though you can do that later if it ends up needing better cooling).

If you plan on overclocking or just want your CPU to last longer, you should get an aftermarket cooler, you can get a decent one for about £15/$20 - though you can always buy one later if you decide you want one.

What brand of RAM are you buying? You only stated the specs. If you get something like Corsair or OCZ, they have lifetime warranties so that's always a good thing to buy. Buy value RAM if you want, but it won't last nearly as long, have a shorter warranty and you won't be able to overclock it very much if at all, if you go down that route.

I looked up the specs of the motherboard you stated, and it's rather outdated - you should be looking at one with PCI-e 2.0, more future-proof - also, the max. RAM on it is only 4GB, so you will reach the maximum as soon as you buy the machine - that's /very/ non-future-proof. Something like my motherboard, the ASUS P5N-D, would be in the right vein for you. It does SLI as well, which means if you ever need a graphics boost you can just chuck in another GPU, much cheaper than buying a single, better one. There's probably a cheaper, non-SLI version too.

Keep in mind you're better off saving a bit more money and buying a machine that can be upgraded easily in future, than buying a machine that when it comes to upgrading you can't so you need to buy a whole new machine (in a nutshell, you're better to pay a slight premium now so you don't have to pay a bigger one in the near future).


Thanks a lot, mate. That was a tremendous help. Yes, I'm planning on using high-very high settings, most likely @ 1280x1024. A medium here and there won't hurt though.

Here's the model of my Raidmax Sagitta 2: Loading... That should be fine as long as I equip it with an Arctic Cooling Freezer, for example, right? Of course I'd upgrade it on down the road if necessary.

I took everything else you stated into consideration, and created a new setup. How would this work against top-notch games?

•Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0Ghz CPU
•ASUS P5QL Pro Motherboard
•4GB Corsair XMS2 PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory
•500GB 7200RPM Serial ATA300 Hard Drive
•22X LG Double Layer DVD+/-RW w/Nero
•1GB GeForce 9800GT GGDR3 PCI Express DVI/Tvout (or would you recommend me getting the 512mb?)
•1Gbit Ethernet Adapter
•High quality 8-Channel HD Audio
•500watt Black Raidmax Sagitta 2 MidTower
•6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 Front and 4 Rear Ports)

Thanks for all of your help.
 
That P5QL looks pretty good, and the OCing features are great.
What brand of HDD is that?
Good choice on RAM and ODD - you might be better getting the ODD as OEM, as there are plenty of good free burning programs and could save you a few quid.
The 1GB GPU would be a better option - keep in mind you'll only see about 3GB of RAM on a 32-bit OS, though. What brand is it?
You don't need to point out things that are part of the motherboard/case, like '1GB Ethernet Adaptor', and the 8-channel sound, and USB ports).
Arctic Cooling Freezer is a good choice.

Overall a good build; what country are you in? So someone here can help you find good prices.
 
Wise decision IMO in choosing a desktop over a laptop for gaming purposes. Dollar for dollar, you will get much more with a desktop. Part of the higher costs for laptops is portability. And ergonomically, desktops are better suited than laptops for gaming purposes (again that's just my opinion)
-Pure)
 
That P5QL looks pretty good, and the OCing features are great.
What brand of HDD is that?
Good choice on RAM and ODD - you might be better getting the ODD as OEM, as there are plenty of good free burning programs and could save you a few quid.
The 1GB GPU would be a better option - keep in mind you'll only see about 3GB of RAM on a 32-bit OS, though. What brand is it?
You don't need to point out things that are part of the motherboard/case, like '1GB Ethernet Adaptor', and the 8-channel sound, and USB ports).
Arctic Cooling Freezer is a good choice.

Overall a good build; what country are you in? So someone here can help you find good prices.

Thanks. I'm really excited about this, haha. :D
I appreciate the heads-up, I didn't realize how many free burning programs are out there. :eek:
I'll stick with the 1GB GPU. But what's the main difference in getting two 512MB 9800's or getting the 1GB alone???
Also, which OS do you recommend? I was thinking W7.
And how often will I need to upgrade my GPU? Is that a once-a-year deal?
I'm in the States, but I've found everything I need. :D
Thanks again for your help!

Wise decision IMO in choosing a desktop over a laptop for gaming purposes. Dollar for dollar, you will get much more with a desktop. Part of the higher costs for laptops is portability. And ergonomically, desktops are better suited than laptops for gaming purposes (again that's just my opinion)
-Pure)

Your opinion is RIGHT!

Besides I have a difficult time trusting laptops. Thank you for your input.

What do you think about the ASUS P5KPL-CM as opposed to the P5N73?

Newegg.com - ASUS P5KPL-CM LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
 
Please, don't double-post, or in your case triple-post. That's what the edit button is for.

Not very good really, only 4GB RAM max and no PCI-e 2.0 slots.

I'll stick with the 1GB GPU. But what's the main difference in getting two 512MB 9800's or getting the 1GB alone???
Also, which OS do you recommend? I was thinking W7.
And how often will I need to upgrade my GPU? Is that a once-a-year deal?
The only difference is the increased RAM, which will speed up games a bit, especially taxing ones like the ones you mentioned. Two 9800s will be twice as powerful as one, give or take a few percent. (Keep in mind just because one 9800 has twice the RAM, doesn't mean it will be twice as powerful ;))

You won't be able to use W7 until it comes out, which is estimated as August this year. And unless you already have a beta key, you can't use the beta as they aren't giving out keys any more. I recommend Vista Home Premium, unless you already have a key for a different OS. What OS do you currently run?

A 9800GT will probably do you at least a year. How often you upgrade the GPU depends on how high you upgrade it - by the time you upgrade, you'll probably be looking at getting a GTX285 (which you really need a PCI-e 2.0 slot for), which should last you a good long while. Keep in mind that getting a motherboard that lets you do SLI will make upgrading much easier and cheaper (spending $10 more on a motherboard that can do SLI means that a year from now you can get another 9800, which will be half the price of a GTX260 (currently around $200), so you save like $90 there in the long run than if you buy a GTX260 in future - someone else can probably explain this more clearly than me :p).
 
Please, don't double-post, or in your case triple-post. That's what the edit button is for.


Not very good really, only 4GB RAM max and no PCI-e 2.0 slots.

The only difference is the increased RAM, which will speed up games a bit, especially taxing ones like the ones you mentioned. Two 9800s will be twice as powerful as one, give or take a few percent. (Keep in mind just because one 9800 has twice the RAM, doesn't mean it will be twice as powerful ;))

You won't be able to use W7 until it comes out, which is estimated as August this year. And unless you already have a beta key, you can't use the beta as they aren't giving out keys any more. I recommend Vista Home Premium, unless you already have a key for a different OS. What OS do you currently run?

A 9800GT will probably do you at least a year. How often you upgrade the GPU depends on how high you upgrade it - by the time you upgrade, you'll probably be looking at getting a GTX285 (which you really need a PCI-e 2.0 slot for), which should last you a good long while. Keep in mind that getting a motherboard that lets you do SLI will make upgrading much easier and cheaper (spending $10 more on a motherboard that can do SLI means that a year from now you can get another 9800, which will be half the price of a GTX260 (currently around $200), so you save like $90 there in the long run than if you buy a GTX260 in future - someone else can probably explain this more clearly than me :p).

Sorry about the multiple posts.

I'm going to stick with the 1GB for now, but thanks a lot. I'm definitely coming back to tech forums.net when it's time to upgrade. :D

I don't know much about Windows, but I've heard a lot of problems occur with Vista. A buddy of mine has a version of XP (not sure which), so would I have the ability to just borrow his installation disc? I'm on a Mac right now.

Another thing, I'm thinking of throwing a "Wireless B/G/N PCI Adapter" in there, but I'm not sure how it works. I have a wireless router connected in the room next to me, so would I be allowed to hook up to that without an obstacle? Or how does that work exactly. :confused:

Thanks, my PC IQ is increasing with each passing post. :D
 
I don't know much about Windows, but I've heard a lot of problems occur with Vista. A buddy of mine has a version of XP (not sure which), so would I have the ability to just borrow his installation disc? I'm on a Mac right now.
You can, but not legally unless you own an XP key you can use with his disc. Or (don't quote me on this), I think you can buy a copy of OSX - wouldn't run games unless there are Mac versions however.
I haven't used Vista for any great length of time, but I have several friends who use Vista on both laptops and desktops, and it runs perfectly on both :) It's much better now that Service Pack 1 is out, and Service Pack 2 release candidate is now out. Basically, the reasons why Vista gained a bad reputation are mostly gone now.

Another thing, I'm thinking of throwing a "Wireless B/G/N PCI Adapter" in there, but I'm not sure how it works. I have a wireless router connected in the room next to me, so would I be allowed to hook up to that without an obstacle? Or how does that work exactly. :confused:
I'm not entirely sure, I've only ever needed to use is an external USB one - that was simple enough; plug in, install drivers, reboot, connect. I imagine an internal one works similarly.

Edit: Ah, you can indeed buy a copy of OSX Mac OS X v10.5.6 Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.) Not sure if it's just for Macs tho.
 
That's what I love about Microsoft, great news. How would I go about attaining an XP key?

I'm selling my Mac BTW.
 
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