Time for a new system - Specs required!

After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor help playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I must admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, as I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I am only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed CPU the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit my needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs for under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this NG) is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 to 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard drives with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the primary (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on partitioning the 2 new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB (data). Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror the 1st drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? Thanks for your time. -- RocketMan

RocketMan wrote:

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> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, as > I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I am > only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed CPU > the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? > My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit my > needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs for > under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch > widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great.

A 24" LCD will have a high native resolution (I would guess 1920x1200?). To run GTL at this res may need more than a 6600GT. I would suggest either a 7800 or an ATI X1800. GTL needs a fast CPU too e.g. AMD 4000 otherwise the graphics card can't be utilised to the full. I don't think dual core helps with car sims atm. As it stands SLI doesn't help much either, though it may do in the future. 1Gb RAM is also a good idea Hope this helps Tony

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> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested > in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! > My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay > with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) > whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor help > playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is > better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video > editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I must > admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability > highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. > I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard??

None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core won't help for current sims.The next thing is. > I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, as > I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I am > only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed CPU > the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get a 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. > My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit my > needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs for > under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch > widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. I have these. Great for gaming, even better for music. $130. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836113139

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> My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this NG) > is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 to > 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard drives > with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the primary > (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on partitioning the 2 > new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB (data). > Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror the 1st > drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed??

RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good backup system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror.

None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core won't help for current sims.The next thing is. No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get a 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. I have these. Great for ***, even better for music. $130. [link lost in import] RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good backup system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror.

Or save yourself some effort, pay 2.5k for an FC3S and another 2.5k for a new engine rebuild. And there you have a realistic racing sim. Otherwise.. Go AMD X2. Go 7800GT instead of X1800. Raid up SATAs. Go dual channel with two 1gb sticks. Then your set. For now anyways. Bob wrote:

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>> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested >> in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! >> My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay >> with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) >> whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor help >> playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is >> better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video >> editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I must >> admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability >> highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. >> I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? > > None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core > won't help for current sims.The next thing is. > >> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, as >> I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I am >> only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed CPU >> the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? > > No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get a > 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. > >> My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit my >> needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs for >> under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch >> widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. > > I have these. Great for gaming, even better for music. $130. > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836113139 > >> My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this NG) >> is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 to >> 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard drives >> with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the primary >> (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on partitioning the 2 >> new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB (data). >> Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror the 1st >> drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? > > RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good backup > system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror. >

Despite the fact that few current games take advantage of dual core CPUs, I'd recommend an AMD X2 3800+ for the CPU. They are indeed much faster than a similarly priced Intel CPU for gaming and the AMD X2s are also faster than Intel CPUs in video/multimedia unlike the older single core AMD64s which were quite a bit slower for video editing. The 3800+ also overclocks like crazy if you're into that sort of thing. 4800+ speeds with stock cooling seem to be the norm when overclocking an X2 3800+

"Tony Rickard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:RPyBf.8651$[email hidden]...

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> RocketMan wrote: > >> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, >> as I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently >> I am only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high >> speed CPU the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? >> My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit >> my needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs >> for under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch >> widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. > > A 24" LCD will have a high native resolution (I would guess 1920x1200?). > To run GTL at this res may need more than a 6600GT. I would suggest either > a 7800 or an ATI X1800. >

Dell 2405FPW - Yes, native resolution is 1920x1200. Hoping to be able to run all/most games at 1280x1024.

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> GTL needs a fast CPU too e.g. AMD 4000 otherwise the graphics card can't > be utilised to the full. > > I don't think dual core helps with car sims atm. > > As it stands SLI doesn't help much either, though it may do in the future. > > 1Gb RAM is also a good idea

Definitely installing 2x1GB DDR2 DIMMS. > > Hope this helps > Tony Thanks.

"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> >> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested >> in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! >> My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay >> with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) >> whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor >> help >> playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is >> better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video >> editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I >> must >> admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability >> highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. >> I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? > > None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core > won't help for current sims.The next thing is. > >> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, >> as >> I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I >> am >> only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed >> CPU >> the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? > > No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get a > 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. > >> My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit >> my >> needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs >> for >> under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch >> widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. > > I have these. Great for gaming, even better for music. $130. > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836113139

Currently thinking about the Altec Lansing GT5051R 5.1 system - $145. I am very happy with my old set of Altec Lansing speakers. They certainly seem to be a good brand. Thanks.

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> >> My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this >> NG) >> is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 >> to >> 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard >> drives >> with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the primary >> (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on partitioning the >> 2 >> new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB >> (data). >> Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror the 1st >> drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? > > RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good backup > system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror. >

"Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:dr6jsc$lv9$[email hidden]... > Or save yourself some effort, pay 2.5k for an FC3S and another 2.5k for a > new engine rebuild. And there you have a realistic racing sim. Sold my race car. That is why I am back on the computer sims. HEAPS cheaper! :)) Buying them is the cheap part. Racing them is the expensive part! :)

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> > Otherwise.. > > Go AMD X2. > > Go 7800GT instead of X1800. > > Raid up SATAs. > > Go dual channel with two 1gb sticks. > > Then your set. > > For now anyways. > > > Bob wrote: >>> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested >>> in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full >>> speed! >>> My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay >>> with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) >>> whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor >>> help >>> playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is >>> better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video >>> editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I >>> must >>> admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability >>> highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. >>> I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? >> >> None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core >> won't help for current sims.The next thing is. >> >>> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start >>> with, as >>> I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I >>> am >>> only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed >>> CPU >>> the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? >> >> No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get a >> 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. >> >>> My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit >>> my >>> needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs >>> for >>> under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch >>> widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. >> >> I have these. Great for gaming, even better for music. $130. >> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836113139 >> >>> My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this >>> NG) >>> is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 >>> to >>> 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard >>> drives >>> with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the primary >>> (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on partitioning the >>> 2 >>> new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB >>> (data). >>> Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror the 1st >>> drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? >> >> RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good backup >> system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror. >>

Maybe I should list the current specs I am thinking of... Please remember this is very preliminary, especially the CPU & motherboard. Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already purchased) Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 Comments please. Also thinking about the Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers, instead of the Altec Lansing. Anyone have experience with either speaker system? Originally planned on buying Kingston memory, but having problems sourcing it. I rate Kingston memory as the best money can buy. Is that correct thinking? How does Corsair rate? compare to Kingston? Hope this isn't inappropriate to post in this NG. TIA. -- RocketMan "RocketMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:dr659d$jvq$[email hidden]... > After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested > in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! > My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay > with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) > whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor > help playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU > is better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video > editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I > must admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate > upgradability highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. > I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? > I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start with, > as I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. Currently I > am only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high speed > CPU the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? > My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS should fit my > needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and DVDs for > under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch > widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. > My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in this NG) > is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed (from 0 > to 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard > drives with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the > primary (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on > partitioning the 2 new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 > x 80GB, 50GB (data). Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? > Just mirror the 1st drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? > Thanks for your time. > > -- > > RocketMan >

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> Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower > Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control > Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 > CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB > Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 > DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD > DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW > Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz > Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB > Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI > Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) > Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB > Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already > purchased) > Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS > DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300

The video card looks a bit underpowered to me considering the rest of the system. I'd recommend stretching to a 6800 or ATI x800XL or faster - especially now that the 7800 and x1900 have been released. Buying 2 HDDs seems great in theory but the extra heat, noise and power consumption rarely make the minor performance increase worthwhile for even a power home user. A lot of people raid (stripe) 2 HDDs thinking they will cut their game loading times in half but the performance gain is usually around 20% or sometimes none at all. Having 2xHDDs is fantastic for video editing though. Again you might be able save some money and gain some performance by going the AMD X2 route. Don't be fooled by the AMDs lack of support for DDR-2 RAM - they still outperform Intel's current line-up by a very significant margin. So much so, that currently buying an Intel based desktop system is regarded by most industry experts as bordering on foolish. Intel's main focus is on mobile CPUs these days. (Hope I don't sound like an AMD zealot - I've owned plenty of Intel PCs over the years and they've been good too) Hope that helps - looks like a great PC in the making. =)

Anything Logitech is free. Like the G5. RocketMan wrote:

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> Maybe I should list the current specs I am thinking of... > Please remember this is very preliminary, especially the CPU & > motherboard. > > Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower > Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control > Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 > CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB > Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 > DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD > DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW > Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz > Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB > Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI > Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) > Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB > Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already purchased) > Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS > DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 > > Comments please. > Also thinking about the Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers, instead of > the Altec Lansing. Anyone have experience with either speaker system? > Originally planned on buying Kingston memory, but having problems sourcing > it. I rate Kingston memory as the best money can buy. Is that correct > thinking? How does Corsair rate? compare to Kingston? > Hope this isn't inappropriate to post in this NG. > TIA. > >

"Bob" <[email hidden]> schrieb:

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> >> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am interested >> in advice on what specs are important for running car sims at full speed! >> My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor or stay >> with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge argument here) >> whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the dual-core processor >> help >> playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD CPU is >> better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video >> editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing games? I >> must >> admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate upgradability >> highly, but not at the expense of game performance too much. >> I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS motherboard?? > > None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual core > won't help for current sims.The next thing is.

Oh yes, it will help. I read today that you can gain up to 20% when using the newest ATI-drivers with a dual core CPU. [...] Stephan

"Maybe I should list the current specs I am thinking of... " After all that's been said, you're still listing a 6600GT/128MB? Honestly, everything else that's been said here is hardware junkies listing their preferences. The Intel CPU you listed is perfectly OK for what you're doing, even if the AMD is somewhat faster. But the 6600GT is flat wrong and will kill the $$$ you're spending elsewhere. Unlike the other stuff, this one really matters. A 6800GS would be a big improvement, but, if you're that worried about the other things, a 7800 or an X1800 would be a noticeable improvement over that Kingston versus Corsair? I can't imagine it making any difference.

Yo! rocket man... I would spend the dough on the vid card, I have the 6600gt (sell it pretty cheap right now to you, I could and upgrade myself to the 6800 at least) and I was not am not impressed... I have to say there are 2 caveats about my not impression, one is I went cheap and got the 128 meg card, and 2 it is on a older slower (Up to 4x agp only) motherboard with sub500 hz fsb and a p4 2.4ghz cpu. This card gained me a slight (only slight) bump in performance over the ti4600 w/128 meg ram, card it had replaced... Sure with GPL and Nascar03 it seemed enough of an upgrade, but with GTL (biggest fram hit game I have) it is sorely dissapointing. BTW it runs rFactor great and GPL pretty decent so it is all not bad for 140? (nowdays?) vs 300+ bucks. but as it stands, it was wasted 180 so my 6800 going to have cost me this 180 I spent plus the cost of the upgrade, if I cant sell the 6600gt. Live and learn ya know. RocketMan enlightened us with:

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> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:dr6jsc$lv9$[email hidden]... >> Or save yourself some effort, pay 2.5k for an FC3S and another 2.5k >> for a new engine rebuild. And there you have a realistic racing sim. > > Sold my race car. That is why I am back on the computer sims. HEAPS > cheaper! :)) Buying them is the cheap part. Racing them is the > expensive part! :) > >> >> Otherwise.. >> >> Go AMD X2. >> >> Go 7800GT instead of X1800. >> >> Raid up SATAs. >> >> Go dual channel with two 1gb sticks. >> >> Then your set. >> >> For now anyways. >> >> >> Bob wrote: >>>> After 7 loooong years, I am finally updating my desktop! I am >>>> interested in advice on what specs are important for running car >>>> sims at full speed! >>>> My main questions are whether to go with a dual-core processor >>>> or stay with a single-core CPU, and (I don't wish to start a huge >>>> argument here) whether that CPU should be AMD or Intel? Would the >>>> dual-core processor help >>>> playing any of the car sims? Although I have heard that the AMD >>>> CPU is better for game playing, while the Intel is better for video >>>> editing/multimedia, is the difference that great when playing >>>> games? I must >>>> admit that I have purchased Intel up until now, and rate >>>> upgradability highly, but not at the expense of game performance >>>> too much. I don't think I can go wrong with a Gigabyte or ASUS >>>> motherboard?? >>> >>> None of this is really critical. Especially Intel v. AMD. Dual >>> core won't help for current sims.The next thing is. >>> >>>> I am thinking of going with a Geforce 6600 GT video card to start >>>> with, as >>>> I can easily upgrade to a higher spec card at a later date. >>>> Currently I am >>>> only playing GPL, so it should be perfectly adequate. With a high >>>> speed CPU >>>> the 6600 GT will run the current sims (GTL etc.) well?? >>> >>> No. Don't worry so much about CPU, worry about this. You can get >>> a 7800GT or an X800XL for about $300. >>> >>>> My sound requirements are not that big, so a SB Audigy 2 ZS >>>> should fit my >>>> needs. Any suggestions on a good set of speakers for car sims and >>>> DVDs for >>>> under US$300? - preferably much less! :) I currently have a 24 inch >>>> widescreen LCD, so a good set of speakers would be great. >>> >>> I have these. Great for gaming, even better for music. $130. >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836113139 >>> >>>> My last question (sorry if these questions are inappropriate in >>>> this NG) >>>> is about RAID. Is this set on the motherboard? Can it be changed >>>> (from 0 to >>>> 1) by switching jumpers on the MB?? My current desktop has two hard >>>> drives >>>> with the 2nd drive being basically a backup of my data from the >>>> primary (Windows) drive - not RAID of course. I was planning on >>>> partitioning the 2 >>>> new 250GB drives into something like 40GB (Windows), 2 x 80GB, 50GB >>>> (data). >>>> Is that a good idea? What type of RAID should I run? Just mirror >>>> the 1st drive onto the 2nd drive, or go for speed?? >>> >>> RAID is configured in software. If you have implemented a good >>> backup system, speed is fine. If not, I'd mirror.

RocketMan Wrote:

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> Maybe I should list the current specs I am thinking of... > Please remember this is very preliminary, especially the CPU & > motherboard. > > Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower > Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control > Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 > CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB > Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 > DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD > DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW > Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz > Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB > Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI > Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) > Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB > Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already > purchased) > Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS > DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 > > Comments please. > Also thinking about the Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers, instead > of > the Altec Lansing. Anyone have experience with either speaker system? > Originally planned on buying Kingston memory, but having problems > sourcing > it. I rate Kingston memory as the best money can buy. Is that correct > thinking? How does Corsair rate? compare to Kingston? > Hope this isn't inappropriate to post in this NG. > TIA.

Ok Corsair ram is a joke, if your going to buy good quality ram, but GEIL Dual, http://www.geilusa.com/. For video Leadtek isnt the way to go, that is going cheap, at least spend the money and get a better quality than leadtek. Pioneer is ok for the writer, but I ahve always prefered LG, besides LG writer & reader will go nicely together ;). HardDrive, dude stay away from Western Digital, again spend some cash and get a Seagate SATA ST3400832NS NL35 Series 400 GB 7200 RPM 8 ms avg http://tinyurl.com/978el -- Pantharen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pantharen's Profile: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?userid=247059 View this thread: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=512328 http://www.automotiveforums.com

RocketMan wrote: > Dell 2405FPW - Yes, native resolution is 1920x1200. Hoping to be able to > run all/most > games at 1280x1024. Same here. GTL & rFactor both run perfectly at 1920x1200 with an AMD 4000 & GT7800 with 1Gb Ram. Cheers Tony

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> Ok Corsair ram is a joke, if your going to buy good quality ram, but > GEIL Dual, > http://www.geilusa.com/. For video Leadtek isnt the way to go, that is > going cheap, at least spend the money and get a better quality than > leadtek. Pioneer is ok for the writer, but I ahve always prefered LG, > besides LG writer & reader will go nicely together ;). HardDrive, dude > stay away from Western Digital, again spend some cash and get a > Seagate SATA ST3400832NS NL35 Series 400 GB 7200 RPM 8 ms avg > http://tinyurl.com/978el

GEIL is good, nothing special though. It's probably better value than Corsair (both the high-end and the low-end GEIL RAM) To say Corsair RAM is a joke is ridiculous. Have Seagate upgraded their models recently? ...because about 6 months ago Western Digital's new drives were cooler, quieter, faster and cheaper than any Seagate drive with the same warranty. I used to always buy Seagate drives because they were the quietest but not last time around.

About 3 months ago I built a 1.8TB RAID-5 in my home server using 6 Seagate 300GB Sata drives. You can barely tell the things are even running. -Larry "Steve Simpson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:43d8085c$[email hidden]...

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> Have Seagate upgraded their models recently? ...because about 6 months ago > Western Digital's new drives were cooler, quieter, faster and cheaper than > any Seagate drive with the same warranty. I used to always buy Seagate > drives because they were the quietest but not last time around. > > >

I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe AMD Athlon X2-4800+ EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB Antec Truepower 2.0 550 Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II Creative X-Fi Elite Pro -Larry

Larry (The Other Larry) wrote:

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> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... > > ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe > AMD Athlon X2-4800+ > EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB > Antec Truepower 2.0 550 > Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II > Creative X-Fi Elite Pro > > -Larry

Sweet! I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, with a Radeon X800 card. -- Don Burnette

I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in real life.. :) Don Burnette wrote:

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> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >> >> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >> >> -Larry > > > Sweet! > > I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, with a > Radeon X800 card. > > >

Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card here, ram here, something else there, etc... But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there upgrades. -Larry "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]...

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>I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in real >life.. :) > > > Don Burnette wrote: >> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>> >>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>> >>> -Larry >> >> >> Sweet! >> >> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, with a >> Radeon X800 card. >> >>

So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you piece every part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh parst business? I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of course not all brands are matching) DFI Lanparty sli board 3800+ cpu using onboard sound on dfi 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite pro is? Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with:

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> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do > every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card > here, ram here, something else there, etc... > > But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time > for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. > > Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there > upgrades. > > -Larry > > "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >> real life.. :) >> >> >> Don Burnette wrote: >>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>> >>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>> >>>> -Larry >>> >>> >>> Sweet! >>> >>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>> with a Radeon X800 card.

Onboard sound blows. Xfi makes it look like a mouse trying to replace a symphonic orchestra. You comparing top of the line in soundcard to the budget man's soundcard.. PlowBoy wrote:

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> So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you piece every > part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh parst business? > > I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of course not > all brands are matching) > > DFI Lanparty sli board > 3800+ cpu > using onboard sound on dfi > 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. > > I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite pro is? > > > > Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with: >> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do >> every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card >> here, ram here, something else there, etc... >> >> But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time >> for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. >> >> Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there >> upgrades. >> >> -Larry >> >> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >> news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >>> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >>> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >>> real life.. :) >>> >>> >>> Don Burnette wrote: >>>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>>> >>>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>>> >>>>> -Larry >>>> >>>> Sweet! >>>> >>>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>>> with a Radeon X800 card. > >

Well, no racer here, but I do work hard :)... I did just pull the trigger on the following from Newegg: MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum socket 939 Nforce4 mb AMD X2 4400+ dual core processor ( 2 x 1g level 2 cache ) Thermalrite XP90 heatsink ( like to overclock) Saphire X850XT PCIe 256 mb video card 2 gb Corsair PC3500LL Pro ( 2 x 1gb) matched ram 2 ea WD 250 gb 7200 rpm Sata hard drives Plextor PX-740A/SW dl dvd burner ( yes, I like to do a little video encoding as well ) :) - hence, the decision to go with the higher cache chip. I am upgrading my current system, which is an MSI K8N Neo2 Nforce3 socket 939 , with Athlon XP64 3500+, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, 1gb pc3200LL Corsair ram. I will be assembling a system with these left over components for my girlfriend. I will probably be dual booting with XP Pro 32 and XP Pro 64, and should be in good shape for Vista when it is released. Larry, I would be interested to hear, how you like the new Creative X-Fi soundcard. I am sticking with my Audigy2 ZS for now, as I am still pretty happy with it. I really like the sound on my Klipsch 5.1 Ultra speakers. I may upgrade to the X-Fi at some point in the future though, just curious what I might gain from it. Don Chang Liu wrote:

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> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of > upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in > real life.. :) > > > Don Burnette wrote: >> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>> >>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>> >>> -Larry >> >> >> Sweet! >> >> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >> with a Radeon X800 card.

All from NewEgg. About $1900. -Larry "PlowBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:GnwCf.15$c64.7@dukeread12...

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> So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you piece > every part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh parst > business? > > I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of course not > all brands are matching) > > DFI Lanparty sli board > 3800+ cpu > using onboard sound on dfi > 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. > > I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite pro > is? > > > > Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with: >> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do >> every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card >> here, ram here, something else there, etc... >> >> But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time >> for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. >> >> Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there >> upgrades. >> >> -Larry >> >> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >> news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >>> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >>> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >>> real life.. :) >>> >>> >>> Don Burnette wrote: >>>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>>> >>>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>>> >>>>> -Larry >>>> >>>> >>>> Sweet! >>>> >>>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>>> with a Radeon X800 card. > >

To say the X-Fi Elite Pro is a soundcard is an understatement :) -Larry "PlowBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:GnwCf.15$c64.7@dukeread12...

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> So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you piece > every part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh parst > business? > > I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of course not > all brands are matching) > > DFI Lanparty sli board > 3800+ cpu > using onboard sound on dfi > 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. > > I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite pro > is? > > > > Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with: >> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do >> every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card >> here, ram here, something else there, etc... >> >> But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time >> for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. >> >> Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there >> upgrades. >> >> -Larry >> >> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >> news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >>> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >>> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >>> real life.. :) >>> >>> >>> Don Burnette wrote: >>>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>>> >>>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>>> >>>>> -Larry >>>> >>>> >>>> Sweet! >>>> >>>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>>> with a Radeon X800 card. > >

I have the same Klipsh speakers. My main gripe with the ZS has always been there is a hum in the system until the cards drivers are loaded, and then it goes away. Drives me nuts. Good card though. I wanted the X-Fi Pro Elite because it has, amongst other things, a Guitar input in the breakout box. -Larry "Don Burnette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Well, no racer here, but I do work hard :)... > > I did just pull the trigger on the following from Newegg: > > MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum socket 939 Nforce4 mb > AMD X2 4400+ dual core processor ( 2 x 1g level 2 cache ) > Thermalrite XP90 heatsink ( like to overclock) > Saphire X850XT PCIe 256 mb video card > 2 gb Corsair PC3500LL Pro ( 2 x 1gb) matched ram > 2 ea WD 250 gb 7200 rpm Sata hard drives > Plextor PX-740A/SW dl dvd burner > > ( yes, I like to do a little video encoding as well ) > :) - hence, the decision to go with the higher cache chip. > > I am upgrading my current system, which is an MSI K8N Neo2 Nforce3 socket > 939 , with Athlon XP64 3500+, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, 1gb pc3200LL Corsair > ram. I will be assembling a system with these left over components for my > girlfriend. > > I will probably be dual booting with XP Pro 32 and XP Pro 64, and should > be in good shape for Vista when it is released. > > Larry, I would be interested to hear, how you like the new Creative X-Fi > soundcard. I am sticking with my Audigy2 ZS for now, as I am still pretty > happy with it. I really like the sound on my Klipsch 5.1 Ultra speakers. > I may upgrade to the X-Fi at some point in the future though, just curious > what I might gain from it. > > > Don > > > > > > > Chang Liu wrote: >> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >> real life.. :) >> >> >> Don Burnette wrote: >>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>> >>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>> >>>> -Larry >>> >>> >>> Sweet! >>> >>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>> with a Radeon X800 card. > > > >

That's not a Star, that's a BASE STATION!!! I just got the goodies in from NewEgg. Aye Corumba, you should see the size of the Break-Out Box that comes with this X-Fi Elite Pro! Sheesh! It's literally about the same size as the AN832-SLI Motherboard itself! The AMD 4800+ X2 looks neat mounted on this board. With the copper-pipe and sink cooling system on the chipsets and power components, along with the copper radiator (no fans on the MB other than the CPU) and the dragster-style copper pipes coming out the side of the Heat Sink, it's neat. This is the first time I've mouted an Athlon, though it's my third one. The local store I normally buy my boards/cpu's from mounts them for free when you purchase. It was nerve racking to put clip $1000 worth of CPU and motherboard together the first time :) -Larry "Larry (The Other Larry)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:XgsDf.147748$oG.44017@dukeread02...

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> All from NewEgg. About $1900. > > -Larry > > "PlowBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:GnwCf.15$c64.7@dukeread12... >> So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you piece >> every part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh parst >> business? >> >> I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of course >> not all brands are matching) >> >> DFI Lanparty sli board >> 3800+ cpu >> using onboard sound on dfi >> 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. >> >> I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite pro >> is? >> >> >> >> Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with: >>> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do >>> every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card >>> here, ram here, something else there, etc... >>> >>> But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right time >>> for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. >>> >>> Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and there >>> upgrades. >>> >>> -Larry >>> >>> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >>> news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >>>> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >>>> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >>>> real life.. :) >>>> >>>> >>>> Don Burnette wrote: >>>>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>>>> >>>>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>>>> >>>>>> -Larry >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Sweet! >>>>> >>>>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>>>> with a Radeon X800 card. >> >> > >

Well, that's a tough one... The problem is, everyone has different ears. And sound is very subjective. To me, does it sound better than the ZS? Yes. Especially when the 24-bit crystalizer is enabled. It makes an MP3 of "Comfortably Numb" not quite so numb, and those glorious Gilmour solo's really sing out :) But there's the feature list too. Best thing to do there is to compare it to the ZS on the web page. Both of these cards have about 40 times more features than anyone needs. The X-Fi Pro Elite is just a bit further off the hook :) Did I mention the breakout-box is huge? Nearly twice the size of the ZS, but it's got a lot more functionality. And they finally put the Optical Digital ports on the BACK of the unit where they belong. I don't know what they were thinking on the ZS box by putting it on the front. -Larry "Don Burnette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Larry, I would be interested to hear, how you like the new Creative X-Fi > soundcard. I am sticking with my Audigy2 ZS for now, as I am still pretty > happy with it. I really like the sound on my Klipsch 5.1 Ultra speakers. > I may upgrade to the X-Fi at some point in the future though, just curious > what I might gain from it. > > > Don > > > > > > > Chang Liu wrote: >> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races in >> real life.. :) >> >> >> Don Burnette wrote: >>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>> >>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>> >>>> -Larry >>> >>> >>> Sweet! >>> >>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon X2-4400+, >>> with a Radeon X800 card. > > > >

I hear ya! I just got back in town from being gone all week on business, all my hardware is here as well. Going to start backing up some data tonight ( since I am moving to sata drives ) and if I can get motivated tomorrow will start assembling this puppy. Don Larry (The Other Larry) wrote:

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> That's not a Star, that's a BASE STATION!!! > > I just got the goodies in from NewEgg. > > Aye Corumba, you should see the size of the Break-Out Box that comes > with this X-Fi Elite Pro! Sheesh! > > It's literally about the same size as the AN832-SLI Motherboard > itself! > The AMD 4800+ X2 looks neat mounted on this board. With the > copper-pipe and sink cooling system on the chipsets and power > components, along with the copper radiator (no fans on the MB other > than the CPU) and the dragster-style copper pipes coming out the side > of the Heat Sink, it's neat. > This is the first time I've mouted an Athlon, though it's my third > one. The local store I normally buy my boards/cpu's from mounts them > for free when you purchase. > > It was nerve racking to put clip $1000 worth of CPU and motherboard > together the first time :) > > -Larry > > "Larry (The Other Larry)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:XgsDf.147748$oG.44017@dukeread02... >> All from NewEgg. About $1900. >> >> -Larry >> >> "PlowBoy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >> news:GnwCf.15$c64.7@dukeread12... >>> So, who'd you order it all from, and how much was it? did you >>> piece every part? or do newegg for it all or have a buddy in teh >>> parst business? >>> >>> I have been going to do same, with the following excpetions (of >>> course not all brands are matching) >>> >>> DFI Lanparty sli board >>> 3800+ cpu >>> using onboard sound on dfi >>> 7800 256 meg pci-e card of some "sale" flavor. >>> >>> I see you got a sound card, hmmm or is that NOT what the Xfi elite >>> pro is? >>> >>> >>> >>> Larry (The Other Larry) enlightened us with: >>>> Nah, for me it's just the 'catch up' upgrade that you have to do >>>> every few years. Normally for me it's a processor here, video card >>>> here, ram here, something else there, etc... >>>> >>>> But, with the required changeover to PCIe video it was the right >>>> time for me to do the 'catch up' upgrade. >>>> >>>> Over the next few years I'll be able to go back to the here and >>>> there upgrades. >>>> >>>> -Larry >>>> >>>> "Chang Liu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >>>> news:drdd27$kt7$[email hidden]... >>>>> I wonder where you guys pull this kind of money for these kind of >>>>> upgrades.. Maybe if you are amateur racer and you win a few races >>>>> in real life.. :) >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Don Burnette wrote: >>>>>> Larry (The Other Larry) wrote: >>>>>>> I just pulled the trigger on an upgrade myself... >>>>>>> >>>>>>> ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe >>>>>>> AMD Athlon X2-4800+ >>>>>>> EVGA 7800 GTX ViVo 256MB >>>>>>> Antec Truepower 2.0 550 >>>>>>> Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA-II >>>>>>> Creative X-Fi Elite Pro >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -Larry >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Sweet! >>>>>> >>>>>> I am about to order the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum MB, Athlon >>>>>> X2-4400+, with a Radeon X800 card.

Just in case anyone is interested I thought I would post an update with what I actually purchased! After 'consulting' with many other people via the Net I went in almost exactly the opposite direction to what I originally planned! :) Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control Motherboard ASUS A8N-SLI, Socket 939 CPU Athlon 64 X2 4800+, 2.4Ghz Hard Drives Seagate Barracuda ST3250824AS, 250GB, 8MB cache, SATA-2/300 x 2 DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW DVD writer LG Electronics GSA-4167BBK, DVD 16R/16W/8RW, CD 48R/48W/32RW Memory Kingston ValueRAM 1GB x 2, DDR-SDRAM, DDR400 Video card Leadtek GeForce PX7800GT, 256MB, DVI, HDTV Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI Keyboard Microsoft Digital Media Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD Speakers Logitech Z-5500 Digital, 4x62W Satellites, 69W Center, 188W Sub Woofer DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 I was unable to source the Western Digital 16MB cache SATA2 drives I wanted, but I have always been VERY happy with Seagate drives. Unbelievably I was unable to purchase a 'decent' DVD-ROM drive, so for an extra $25 I purchased a second DVD burner. Thanks to everyone for their advice. Now for the assembly... Actually I have another question... :) Will implementing RAID1 have a detrimental effect on my systems performance? I don't want any slowdowns when driving! -- RocketMan "Steve Simpson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... >> Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower >> Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control >> Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 >> CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB >> Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 >> DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD >> DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW >> Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz >> Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB >> Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI >> Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) >> Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB >> Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already >> purchased) >> Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS >> DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 > > The video card looks a bit underpowered to me considering the rest of the > system. I'd recommend stretching to a 6800 or ATI x800XL or faster - > especially now that the 7800 and x1900 have been released. Buying 2 HDDs > seems great in theory but the extra heat, noise and power consumption > rarely make the minor performance increase worthwhile for even a power > home user. A lot of people raid (stripe) 2 HDDs thinking they will cut > their game loading times in half but the performance gain is usually > around 20% or sometimes none at all. Having 2xHDDs is fantastic for video > editing though. Again you might be able save some money and gain some > performance by going the AMD X2 route. Don't be fooled by the AMDs lack > of support for DDR-2 RAM - they still outperform Intel's current line-up > by a very significant margin. So much so, that currently buying an Intel > based desktop system is regarded by most industry experts as bordering on > foolish. Intel's main focus is on mobile CPUs these days. (Hope I don't > sound like an AMD zealot - I've owned plenty of Intel PCs over the years > and they've been good too) > > Hope that helps - looks like a great PC in the making. =) > >

Now there ya go :) -Larry "RocketMan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ds33hl$pau$[email hidden]...

Quoted text (77 lines)

> Just in case anyone is interested I thought I would post an update with > what I actually purchased! > After 'consulting' with many other people via the Net I went in almost > exactly the opposite direction to what I originally planned! :) > > Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower > Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control > Motherboard ASUS A8N-SLI, Socket 939 > CPU Athlon 64 X2 4800+, 2.4Ghz > Hard Drives Seagate Barracuda ST3250824AS, 250GB, 8MB cache, SATA-2/300 > x 2 > DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW > DVD writer LG Electronics GSA-4167BBK, DVD 16R/16W/8RW, CD 48R/48W/32RW > Memory Kingston ValueRAM 1GB x 2, DDR-SDRAM, DDR400 > Video card Leadtek GeForce PX7800GT, 256MB, DVI, HDTV > Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI > Keyboard Microsoft Digital Media > Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB > Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD > Speakers Logitech Z-5500 Digital, 4x62W Satellites, 69W Center, 188W Sub > Woofer > DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 > > I was unable to source the Western Digital 16MB cache SATA2 drives I > wanted, but I have always been VERY happy with Seagate drives. > Unbelievably I was unable to purchase a 'decent' DVD-ROM drive, so for an > extra $25 I purchased a second DVD burner. > Thanks to everyone for their advice. Now for the assembly... > > Actually I have another question... :) > Will implementing RAID1 have a detrimental effect on my systems > performance? I don't want any slowdowns when driving! > > -- > > RocketMan > "Steve Simpson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... >>> Case Lian Li PC-6070BW Plus Mid Tower >>> Power Supply Thermaltake W0049RA, 680W, Auto Control >>> Motherboard ASUS P5WD2 Premium, Socket 775 >>> CPU Intel Pentium 4 670, 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB >>> Hard Drives Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS-SE16, 250GB, x 2 >>> DVD drive SONY or LG 16xDVD, 52xCD >>> DVD writer Pioneer DVR-110D, DVD 16R/16W/8RW >>> Memory Corsair Dual Channel 2x1GB, DDR2-SDRAM, 667MHz >>> Video card Leadtek GeForce PX6600 GT, 128MB >>> Sound card Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, PCI >>> Keyboard Microsoft Basic keyboard (only $16!) >>> Mouse Logitech G5 Laser mouse, USB >>> Monitor DELL (Samsung) 2405FPW 24 inch widescreen LCD (already >>> purchased) >>> Speakers Altec Lansing GT5051R, 5.1 Speaker System, 80W RMS >>> DV/Video capture/TV Tuner card Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 >> >> The video card looks a bit underpowered to me considering the rest of the >> system. I'd recommend stretching to a 6800 or ATI x800XL or faster - >> especially now that the 7800 and x1900 have been released. Buying 2 HDDs >> seems great in theory but the extra heat, noise and power consumption >> rarely make the minor performance increase worthwhile for even a power >> home user. A lot of people raid (stripe) 2 HDDs thinking they will cut >> their game loading times in half but the performance gain is usually >> around 20% or sometimes none at all. Having 2xHDDs is fantastic for >> video editing though. Again you might be able save some money and gain >> some performance by going the AMD X2 route. Don't be fooled by the AMDs >> lack of support for DDR-2 RAM - they still outperform Intel's current >> line-up by a very significant margin. So much so, that currently buying >> an Intel based desktop system is regarded by most industry experts as >> bordering on foolish. Intel's main focus is on mobile CPUs these days. >> (Hope I don't sound like an AMD zealot - I've owned plenty of Intel PCs >> over the years and they've been good too) >> >> Hope that helps - looks like a great PC in the making. =) >> >> > >

In article <ds33hl$pau$[email hidden]>, RocketMan says... > Will implementing RAID1 have a detrimental effect on my systems > performance? I don't want any slowdowns when driving! No. It's really only a tad slower on writing, reading will be fine on cheaper controllers. -- Cheers, Rod.