New Dedicated A10 PC

[chokko]

After finding out the hard way that 69xx vid cards don't have 2x dual link DVI (to support 2x MFD screens with vga connectors on vga->dvi adaptors)...i've decided keep that vid card for 'gaming' and build a dedicated 'simming' PC for my newABC cockpit.

 

For the sim pc I will probably go 5870 or 5970 for vid card, as they have 2x Duallink DVI. But the real purpose of this thread is what CPU route to go down.

 

My present gaming+simming machine, is i7-920 D0 @ 4ghz/gtx295coop

I have been happy with this, including in DCS A10.

 

i7-920s seem somewhat scarce to come by now in the aussie online shops, and i'm sure newer CPUs are cheaper to run (energy wise) than a base i7 that has been overclocked to buggery.

 

The AMDs are cheap, and seem to overclock nicely. But i read that high overclocked speeds on X6 1090t/1100t etc are achieved when several of the cores are inactive. Therefore are they still suitable for DCS A10, or should i be looking at getting an X4 instead, or coughing up for an i5/newer i7 ?

 

Comments from those with hands-on experience of what you recommend welcome, cheers

[celticcoho]

How about I7 975or 980, with Ati 5870 eyefinity 6 card, 2gb vs 1gb in 5870 HD. I read the new southbridge chips are cheap but also limited to overclock, and new MOBO for them is exta cost also, Cheers, Jim

[Kuky]

For that video card, it has 2 DVI, 2 mini Displayport and 1 HDMI connector... you can use both DVI outputs to connect the MFD's but you need to use mini Displayports for your main monitor, not HDMI... in fact I've read that HD6970 can run 4 monitors like that (2 DVI and 2 mini displayport)

[RSharpe]

For that video card, it has 2 DVI, 2 mini Displayport and 1 HDMI connector... you can use both DVI outputs to connect the MFD's but you need to use mini Displayports for your main monitor, not HDMI... in fact I've read that HD6970 can run 4 monitors like that (2 DVI and 2 mini displayport)

 

I read that there's only one DVI-I connector avilable for monitors, and one DVI-D that will not work with monitors. I don't quite understand why this is. Apparently you have to use even more Displayports than the 5000 series. Even though I have Displayport monitors, I HATE using that interface.

[chokko]

ive had 3 monitors (with dvi/hdmi/dp connections) work fine on 6950, and i'm sure connecting more will work.

 

just not with the 2x yn8088av 8" monitors, as they have vga connectors requiring vga->dvi adaptors. Only one of these adaptors can be used at a time on the 6xxx series.

 

the 6xxx (not just limited to 69xx per my prev post) specification has 1 singlelink dvi and 1 duallink dvi...bit of a gotcha for people unaware not all dvi are equal.

 

i wonder if mfds connected using VGA->DVI->DP, then main monitor to DVI would work

Edited January 4, 2011 by chokko

[Kuky]

well that sucks... I was close to getting 6970 over my current 5870 because I thought I could connect all 4 monitors to it and ditch secondary video card I have... but if what you say is true man I'm glad I didn't do that