new pc for xmas, due for release late Q4 2007 :)

[G3]

bit of hardware discussion to get the old noodle working.

looking @ an SLI setup, with 8800's

 

santa says he will bring me 2 videocards cpu and psu, i already have motherboard ram and case.

comparing prices and performance i have some decisions to make.

in saying that you can safely assume that yes i am santa :)

 

ultra's cost alot more, especially when buying two,

so the performance increase seems unjustified.

 

gtx's come in standard and overclocked as do ultra's.

 

standard being 575/1800 core and memory clocks respectively.

ultra looks like 612/2160,

and oc ultra is 655/2250.

 

now i see these 'calibre' gtx's

running @ 630/1960.

$200aus cheaper than the lowest ultra.

money saved basically paying for the cpu

 

now assuming i am not missing something here, it seems logical to go for the last example, as i have heard/read that the core clock speed is far more important than the memory clock for getting extra performance.

 

here is the current thinking for the new pc.

soon to be complete Q4 2007:

 

have already:

antec 1080amg full tower

p5n32e-sli 680i s775

4gig ddr2 4-4-4-12

 

still choosing:

psu 850w antec quattro or 1000w coolermaster.

2x 8800?

 

decided on:

e6850 c2d 2x 3ghz not quad, board can take quad later :)

 

so after that i have basically just reassured myself that this is the way to go, if i should be slapped around and convinced otherwise please do so :)

 

please share your thoughts on the matter, especially on the subject of:

clock speed of the core vs memory performance.

 

ps: i am currently still running a 6800 ultra agp, it seems like only yesterday that thing was the latest and greatest, oh how quickly tech changes.

looking forward to seeing some improvements.:thumbup:

also after many years returning to intel, not seen around these parts since the pIII days.

[grandsurf]

" now i see these 'calibre' gtx's

running @ 630/1960.

$200aus cheaper than the lowest ultra.

money saved basically paying for the cpu"

 

One of my 8800GTX (Sparkle) runs at 630/2100 without Problems ;). The Card is to be recommended very much.

[Groove]

Whatever you do, dont buy a GTX!

 

Wait for the "new" GTX sometime next year or buy a G92 8800 GTS.

 

If you buy a GTX "today" you can also burn your money.

[airea]

Just wait a few weeks (3 at most) and get a pair of new G92 8800gts.

G92 8800 gt is already a better choice than old GTX....

[G3]

thanks gents for the input, now you have me worried.

i thought the 8800gt or g92 8800gts were less powerful options?

 

better go do some reading, thanks.

 

edit: after looking around various review sites etc, i am unable to confirm the thinking that this

new gt or gts is going to be a gtx killer.

please point me to links of any info that will convince me.

 

please remember, i run a rather high res of 3840x1024.

dam it, there is always something new coming out. :)

 

please link me to anywhere that shows the gtx not beating these new cards.

sorry to sound cynical, but i cannot find anything to support this theory.

i am open to changing my thinking, just need some convincing.

[thereminqblank]

Whatever you do, dont buy a GTX!

 

Wait for the "new" GTX sometime next year or buy a G92 8800 GTS.

 

If you buy a GTX "today" you can also burn your money.

 

I have to agree with Groove. There are revisions of the GTS and GTXs coming out soon that are supposed to be much better than the current versions. Plus the 8800GT is surpassing the current GTS versions already (sounds crazy, but it's the way it is).

 

Plus mainstream versions of the next generation of intel quad cores should be out in Q1 2008.

[G3]

all good points you have made.

 

problem is santa won't wait :)

and early next year something better will be out,

then mid year something better than that, and on it goes.

 

definately food for thought, thanks again.

[Aeroscout]

If I were santa and had some money, I would get a GT or 2. ;)

[VMFA-Blaze]

I've installed 2 GTS about 5 months ago... These are really a lot of fun, everything that I'm running looks superb...

 

I'm not planning on changing again for quite a while.. This setup should be good for at least 1 year more... :thumbup:

 

Blaze

[thereminqblank]

How long is Santa willing to wait? The new GTS's are supposed to come out around 12 December, but then you might be hardpressed trying to get one before Christmas.

 

Two GT's would be nice. Take a looky here for GT SLI vs one GTX benchmarks (insert all the usual disclaimers here, when looking at review benchies :P):

 

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3140&p=12

 

And the great thing is, SLI zone claims that you should be able to get away with running two GTs on a 650-700W power supply. No need for higher!

[leafer]

Let me know how the benchmark went after you installed Virtual Skipper.

 

Check out SHar82 post.

 

;)

[G3]

thanks again for the input everyone.

 

leafer: that water looks dam fine, the reflections in the water etc, amazing.

 

the gt's are in my local shops now and pretty dam cheap for what u get.

 

but i still can't see the gt's beating the gtx's.

need to see "single gt vs gtx vs ultra vs gt sli vs gtx sli vs ultra sli"

saw the specs on the gt's having more transistors but crippled in other ways, better here, worse there, so confusing.

ultra's seem to be killing the gtx's in dx10 but they are just too expensive and power hungry, so its down to the gtx sli or gt sli.

 

wish i could force myself to wait longer, and see whats around the corner, but its not going to happen, money burning hole in wallet :)

 

since i have ruled out the ultras i think i will go with the antec quattro 850w psu, have always loved my antec psu's, very reliable in my personal experience.

 

compared to an aging 6800ultra, any of the above solutions should bring a nice visual improvement i would think.

 

still looking like 2 x 8800 gtx

i can be a stubborn fool :D

 

my thinking is also for the kids pc's in the future, that my mates use on a regular basis when they come around and race/fly on, will both receive a 8800gtx when i replace them with the next generation card/s in a year or so.

 

this has been a regular event for many years, as i upgrade,

the once loved but now discarded hardware trickles down to the kids or mates with lesser hardware.

 

so all that said, these gt's look good but i am yet to be convinced they will be better than the gtx's, wether that be in single card setup or sli config.

 

anyone got info or links to the upcoming g92 gts/x/ultra specs etc?

that might make me wait, but i seriously doubt it :thumbup:

[thereminqblank]

need to see "single gt vs gtx vs ultra vs gt sli vs gtx sli vs ultra sli"

 

Here is one I could find quickly:

 

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Graphics_Cards-Geforce_8800GT-Crysis-DX10,review-29779-10.html

 

Scroll down for benchmarks. A single 8800GT isn't as powerful as the GTS or GTX, but it gets pretty close, and is cheaper.

 

But if you want 2 x GTX, go for it!

[grandsurf]

Or waits like i on the beginning the next year coming high end GF9.

[flask]

I curious will BS be taking advantage of SLI? , I asked in my squad forum and afaik it will not.

and is there any site that gives you help with running two cards apart from Nvidia ?, Ive got 2x 7950 GT btw.

[GreyStork]

I always thought SLI was supported at the video adapter driver level, so application developers wouldn't have to worry about it. The only concern would be supporting any desired ultra-high resolutions made possible by SLI.

 

I'm not an authority in that area, though, and if I'm wrong, I'd love to hear the real story!

[G3]

jeez i don't know anymore,

buy, wait, buy one and wait,

sli some gt's for now,

wait for next gen and/or find old ultras ?

 

money still burning hole.

 

grandsurf:

wondering what you are using currently.

what is your current system basic specs please.

and are we to expect new series cards like Q1 2008?

haven't heard anything on 8900 or whatever yet, only rumors etc.

[grandsurf]

My Nr1. Game Testsystem is at the Moment a 8800GTX SLI system with 2 Sparkle GTX Cards a E6850@ 2x3,8Ghz+4GB DDR2 800 Ram, SB X-Fi Gamer Xtreme and any Raptors.

 

First Infos of coming NV "D9E" solution can you read here http://www.digitimes.com/mobos/a20071129PD216.html . Because there are at the moment no near infos to a new NV chip. Hence, many go out from a coming 8800GT 2-chip solution as new NV High End Product.

 

PS. You should make your graphic cards map from your monitor dependent. If you a high resolution and a good AA/AF need you should reach to the GTX/Ultra or a GT-SLI system at the moment. Exactly here the GTX/Ultra with her ROPs power (24/16) and the meminterface (384/256) still clearly lie before the GT/GTS. And more graphic-memory is stung more and more importantly for sharp highly distraught textures ;).

[G3]

grandsurf:

it seems you already have my new computer :D

same gpu and cpu choice, very similar in spec.

i understand what you are saying and i agree,

for super high res and aa and af

the gtx and ultra's are still the way to go.

 

interesting the overclock you got on the sparkle,

that's a stable o/clock i take it, dam close to ultra spec.

whats the other one get?

 

next feb is too far away for next gen,

as i have time off in jan 08 :) come on BS.

so i have now decided on either 2 gtx or two ultra's.

as this will then be how it remains for a while anyway.

i was thinking maybe one ultra, but i have the sli board and want to use it.

 

too all contributors:

thanks again everyone for your input, its good to hear what you are thinking, helps keep me honest and realistic.

 

power supply wise, i have selected the antec quattro 1000w, i like my antecs, although not on the certified list @ nvidia, certainly looks like it can handle the ultra's if i do decide to go for them, where as the 850w was ok only for gtx's.

 

i think i sat online browsing forums and sites for sli and gpu info all night, and afterwards i was no more the wiser for my efforts, ok i did learn a few things, but as before still confused and still deciding.

 

one thing i did see was in comparative tests in games supporting dx10 the ultra was killing the gtx by around 25-30% in some cases, now this was surprising as i thought they were closer in performance than that, maybe i am thinking dx9.

 

doesn't sound like much but as we know, it won't be long until even these high end cards are left behind so still some thinking to be done.

 

but for now its between :

2 gtx's or

2 ultra's (now leaning towards these, if i can afford it)

 

and definitely:

1000w psu

e6850 c2d

 

hope these gt's bring prices down even more,

i am still a week or so off purchase, depending on vid card choice.

 

i have to say, slowly gathering parts for this upgrade has been much better than a massive outlay all at once, have just been buying bits here and there as i could afford them, rather than sitting there wishing i had a new pc and doing nothing about it, as the total price does seem unachievable.

 

once broken into chunks it seems a lot easier, highly recommended method.

 

thanks all, again.:thumbup:

[grandsurf]

Have oc one Sparkle for testing as single config of stable 640/1550(Shader)/2000Mhz with Riva Tuner. With this single Card i have 13500 Points in 3DMark06 and also enough Gamepower ;). But even more is always good :).

[G3]

more power :D

 

just picked up my cpu e6850 c2d 3ghz 4mb

 

wondering if i should build it with the parts i have gathered,

to set up the bios and flash it if need be once i see what version it is,

then set memory timings and all that and run memtest etc.

that way i can have it running stable and ready for the videocards,

as i am sure working out all the sli setting will be enough to deal with, let alone

any stability issues.

 

yes i think thats the go, i have a standard pci videocard i can use for now, geforce 5200 i think.

 

stay tuned.:thumbup:

[G3]

built the system but realized the spare antec 430w i had to test it with only has 20 pin connector and the new board needs a 24pin, will see if my local shop has an adapter or i will have to wait until i buy the new psu.

 

new core 2 cpu hsf was interesting, gone are the days of clipping in the cpu and locking down the hsf.

now you drop in and lock down the cpu and then easily clip on the hsf :)

 

bad explanation but if you have put one together you will be understanding.

 

found my pci gpu, its an fx5200 pci (not pci-e) that i was using for experiments before the th2go came along.

 

note:

still arguing with myself over what cards to buy,

surely the kids don't need presents this year :D

[grandsurf]

Have now put in 2x2GB DDR 2 PC-8000 G.Skill Ram and the E6850 runs at a MB FSB of 1780Mhz now with 2x4Ghz and max. 50° (1,4V). :)

[VMFA117_Poko]

4GB isn't too much for now? Your system can't get use more than 3GB IMO. Anyway good spec. What's your gcard?

[britgliderpilot]

4GB isn't too much for now? Your system can't get use more than 3GB IMO. Anyway good spec. What's your gcard?

 

I read up about this one day while bored - apparently the issue is that a 32-bit operating system can only address 4Gb of usable . . . um . . . stuff.

 

However, that 4Gb has to include all the peripherals and so forth. So the top end of your RAM can't actually be used, since all the addresses are being put to use for hardware.

 

 

But from the same blog that told me this, Vista pre-caches everything, and it's not always stuff you want pre-cached.

 

 

Articles here -

 

Memory limitation of 32-bit systems:

 

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000811.html

 

 

Vista RAM caching:

 

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000688.html

 

 

I guess the lesson is that very soon 64-bit will be useful - but as of right now, it's not quite mature.