New PC Recommendations for SL?

All right. After dealing with my increasingly temperamental PC for a while, I have decided that I'm going to upgrade to a better system.

Here's what I'm looking for:

* A video card set that handles SL well -- what do -you- use and how does it work for you?
* Recommendations for RAM -- how much is good, and how much is -awesome-?
* Any particular companies or bundles that play SL very well.


I play other 3D games (Sims 2, Civ IV, probably Oblivion once it hits the discount bins) but SL is my current obsession. So, let me here what works for you. I've got a Mac laptop, but I'm more interested in a Windows desktop for it's native ease with SL and most other games. (Though if someone is working on a Mac Power PC using Windows XP to play SL and it works great, I wouldn't mind hearing about that either.)

Moving and bumping this over to the technical forums.

Some general replies to your question:

RAM: Don't bother with anything less than 1GB. SL is not very RAM dependent but more is certinaly always better. (It comes in handy if you're trying to run, say, Photoshop in the background...)

CPU maters perhaps as much or more than the video card where SL is concearned. If you want the latest and greatest it may pay off to wait untill July: Intel will be releasing their Core 2 chips around that time and early previews suggest they're going to be pretty darn fast, maybe even faster than a comparable AMD 64. And they'll be avalible in sub-$1000 machines. If you decide to go the AMD route, keep in mind that SL isn't compiled to take advantage of 64-bit chips yet, but other games are.

Video card: If you were going the "build it yourself" route, the minimum you'd be looking for would be an ATI or nVidia card in the $100-$200 range, more if your budget can handle it. The machine I'm looking to build in the future currently includes a gForce 7600GS in the parts list but there's a lot of cards that will do well and I don't know if anyone could pick out a "best".

Money is no object rig but within reason:

AMD 4800+ X2 CPU
A8N-SLI Premium Motherboard
2 gig matched pair Corsair memory
75 Gig 10,000 RPM WD Sata Hard drive raid
Duel Nvidia 7900 in SLI mode
Monster power supply and cooling 500 watts +


Good, no slouch rig

AMD 4400+ X2 CPU
A8N-SLI Premium Motherboard
2 gig matched pair Corsair memory
single 7800 Nvidia
250 Gig SATA drive
400 watt PS

CPU: buy a dual core of some sort. It doesn't actually speed up SL much, but it makes the system behave MUCH more smoothly while you're running it. If you're thinking about any form of content creation that will involve running other programs such as Photoshop, don't even THINK about buying a single-core processor.

As somebody pointed out, the new Core Duo 2 chips that are coming from Intel appear to be really fast, at least in preliminary tests. (Minor warning, though; all tests to date have been done under supervision from Intel.) On the other hand, the existing Pentium D chips are being sold at fire-sale prices. (They run HOT, though, so mind the cooling!!) The AMD dual-core processors are good as well, but they start at $300 and go up from there.

Video: For a new system, the LOWEST you want to go is an NVidia 7600 or an ATI X1600; those would be cards for a budget SL system (under $1000 total system cost). If you've got extra money on hand, stepping up to an even faster model is nice. Right now, the NVidia 7950GX2 cards are really tempting for a high-end system; for a mere $100 more than a 7900GTX, you get the equivalent of TWO of them. (The really insane can buy two and have a quad SLI system.)

RAM: Don't even think about less than one gigabyte. Better to buy two, especially if you're going to run any other programs at the same time as SL. (And remember that in most modern systems, you have to put in RAM sticks in pairs.)

Hard disk: if you have enough RAM, not very important. Spending extra on higher-performance drives is a waste for SL, though you may want them for other computer applications. If you're a machinima maker, for instance, you're going to be editing large video files, so you're all about hard disk performance.

Optical drive: you don't need it for SL, but buy a DVD burner anyway. They're only $40 now.

The two specs Kathmandu mentions are very good if rather pricey. Unless your going for a 21-24" monitor then SLI/Crossfire is pointless. A single 7900 or 7800 will do the job just fine and in fact a X1900XT or X1800XT is probably a better all round choice as their Image quality is better (you'll get lower frame rates than a 7900 or 7800 in SL but they will handle oblivion and others marginally better and I'll be honest - my X1800XT with high settings lags well after most people are complaing ).

CPU a 3800+ is fine, dual core is worth getting but be aware SOME people have reported problems with SL and dual core. However both my dual core rigs ( plus my HT laptop ) run just fine.

Mobo, especially with Dual Core, I'd go for an Asus A8R-MVP - solid board and one I know works fine out the the box with Dual Core. I don't personally trust Nforce 4 with Dual Cores - often a bios patch is needed and I never managed to get my NF4 setup stable. Switched to the A8R ( which uses an ATI not Nvidia chipset ) and suddenly it was rock solid.

I have been building high performance gamming , hard core graphics machines that I feel is the best machine for the money on the market today. If anyone has intrest please feel free to im me (stampshady grimm) I would be happy to build one for anyone who is intrested. I am ussing the Intel 975 express chipset mother board, intell extreme edition prossesor, 7900GTX 512 video card,4 gigs of ram, water coolling ,and a awsome tooles case . Contact me for more info and price and you can shop around and compare I have no doubt that you will find for the money and specs there is nothing that compares. My web site will be up within 30 days batmagic.com and you will be able to purchase from the site soon!

Been looking to purchase a laptop since I'll be on the road alot this summer. I saw the HP DV8210US that has what I need in way of memory yadda yadda. My only question is whether or not the video card that is in it will be able to handle SL. It is the ATI Radion xpress 200. Can ANYONE tell me whether or not it would work? I am well aware of other laptops with nvidia but way out of my price range. Thanks

A good system totally depends on how much you want to get involved with your computers.

If you aren't too good at messing with computer hardware, get a prebuilt system, preferrably from a smaller retail dealer, because I have found that the tech support from many of the smaller companies seem more willing to help you, unlike big names such as Dell or Gateway, whose staff are significantly more likely to not have a clue as to what they are doing. If you want a computer now, get an AMD Athlon 64 or Athlon 64 X2, because the current line of desktop CPUs by AMD are much more efficient than Intel's Pentium 4. On the other hand, if you can wait until Intel's new Core Extreme processor hits the market, that promises to blow AMD out of the water in terms of performance.

If you ARE good with computers, or have some computer-adept friends, try to help them configure a system for you based around one of these two processors:

Intel Pentium D 805
Pros: this chip overclocks to INSANE speeds, while staying stable. Plus, it's dirt cheap.
Cons: it consumes 220 Watts of power, and it will heat up your room like a sauna.
AMD Opteron 145
Pros: this chip is made from very high-grade materials, and can overclock quite well, even if the numbers don't suggest it. It also doesn't waste power and make heat like the 805.
Cons: it's in really high aftermarket demand, it's more expensive than the 805, and can't reach speeds as high, although it gets close.

Although you can try to piece everything together yourself, I suggest enlisting the hope of a friend, and shopping for parts on a site like www.newegg.com. You usually get more for your money that way. I hope all this helps.

any comments on these two quotes/specs from the local store

-----non dual core------------------------------------
Intel Socket 775 Pentium 4 670 3.8G/800/2M Prescott HT EIST EM64T XD
C
ASUS P5N32-SLI Deluxe NFORCE4-SLI, S775,1066 FSB, PCI EX16x2, Glan,
1394
DDR2 1024MB (2X512Mb,1G Kit) PC4300 DDR2 RAM Kingmax/Kingston
Thermaltake Armor Junior VC3430BWS Black Mid Tower Case with 430W
----------------------------------------

---dual core-------
Intel Socket 775 Pentium D 830 3.0GHZ 800MHZ FSB Dual Core CPU ASUS P5N32-SLI Deluxe NFORCE4-SLI, S775,1066 FSB, PCI EX16x2, Glan, 1394 DDR2 1024MB (2X512Mb,1G Kit) PC4300 DDR2 RAM Kingmax/Kingston Gecube Radeon X1800XTD 512MB Dual DVI GDDR3 CrossFire Ready PCI Express VIVO Thermaltake Armor Junior VC3430BWS Black Mid Tower Case with 430W
--------------

xpress 200 is NOT compatable with SL.. you need at least a 600, or a 9700/9800 as the ATI solution.

First one is lacking graphics is appears but second one should be fine. Unless going for the new Core2 an AMD solution would be better but that should run SL just fine. I would get an upgrade to 2gig ram though but that's not essential. 1 gig should be fine.

yeah, someone suggested:

Any Athlon X2 will give you better bang for the buck.
Drop it on an MSI board with the NForce chipset, and it'll come in about 1/3 cheaper than the two you mention above.

Sound OK?

I'd go Asus or Abit or DFI over MSI ( all have mobo's in the same price range ) and a ATI Crossfire chipset with X2 (personal preference on the chipset as I find them more stable with an NF4 when running with X2) but either my preference or what someone suggested will indeed perform better than Intel ( non Core 2 ) for the same price.

If you use an ATI card use an ATI chipset, if it’s an Nvidia video card use an Nvidia chipset. NEVER mix, we had a few people complain about instability when they mixed an ATI video card with a Nvidia chipset or vise versa and had nothing but problems. Even the Lindens clearly state this configuration is not wise and issues can / will occur. Personally, I only buy MSI motherboards due to the low defect rate I have had with them, 13 motherboards in 3 years, not 1 failure.

tks - can I also ask

* Do you know anything about the "AM2" series and whether I should go for this? (see first 2 categories below)
* What /speed would you recommend re value for money in the Athlon? Seems to just keep going up gradually.
* Seems hard to compare speeds between the Intel and Athlon - how do you do this?
* I'm going to run some TV recording at times on the same PC - I'm assuming that the dual core would help if I wanted to record a TV show at the same time as running SL - would this be correct? In at least it would help alot in comparision with a single CPU setup?
* I'm dying to get a rig now, but wondering if I should wait for the Intel core-2 in terms of other CPU prices may drop after they come out



Athlon™ 64 X2(Dual Core)
AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+ Processor Retail (939) Dual Core A$443.00
AMD Athlon™ 64 4200+ Processor Retail (939) Dual Core A$529.00
AMD Athlon™ 64 4400+ Processor Retail (939) Dual Core A$675.00
AMD Athlon™ 64 4600+ Processor Retail (939) Dual Core A$799.00
AMD Athlon™ 64 4800+ Processor Retail (939) Dual Core A$919.00

Athlon™ 64 X2(Dual Core) AM2
AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+AM2 Processor Retail Dual Core AM2 A$445.00
AMD Athlon™ 64 4200+AM2 Processor Retail Dual Core AM2 A$535.00


Intel Socket 775 Pentium D 805 2.66GHZ 533MHZ FSB Dual Core CPU A$185.00
Intel Socket 775 Pentium D 820 2.8GHZ 800MHZ FSB Dual Core CPU A$309.00
Intel Socket 775 Pentium D 830 3.0GHZ 800MHZ FSB Dual Core CPU A$389.00

If i where to upgrade id go AM2 , just cause ram on it so cheap (where i live its about 135$ for 2 gig ddr2 ram), not much diffrence from socket 939 (x2) other then it has DDR2 ram , some has pci-x to now.

Wouldnt bother with Intel cpu , yet , to warm, like my room isnt hot enough -.- urg.

You definatly want a dual core if you want to do alot at once, and heavy rendering/processing, also nice to run SL while virus prog running background and you dont even notice except the harddrive grinds

tks - what speed is adequate/suitable for SL do you think in the AMD dual-core range?

Any AMD duel core is plenty fast enough really. The 4400+ is what I have and it is very fast although a 3800+ is significantly cheaper and not significantlly slower.

Geg, your prices listed are way high, Monarch Computers has the 3800+ for $297 retail with fan, the 4200+ for $357 retail and fan, the 4400+ is $460 and the 4600+ is $547 and the 4800+ is $632. Prolly even find them cheaper elsewhere if you search a while.

thats US$ though unfortunately for me - to convert it would be roughly $A406

Sorry.. didn't know you were Aussie. Then again, don't want US folks to think the prices were that high.

Actually just got back from the store - the spec we drafted (with components in stock) was below:

Any concerns with this spec do you think? (dual core) Then I'll ring and confirm the order:

1. AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+AM2 Processor Retail Dual Core AM2
   
2. Gigabyte GA-M55PLUS-S3G AM2 nVIDIA C51G+430 ATX PCIEx16 DualDDRII VGA GbeLAN
   
3. DDR2 1024MB PC4200 RAM Corsair twin pack (2X512MB )
   
4. Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 80GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
   
5. Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 250GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
   
6. Leadtek WinFast PX7900GT TDH 256MB DDR3 Dual DVI SLi PCI E
   

PS. Re the above in particular

a) do you think I show relook at a motherboard that has SATAII support rather than just SATA?

b) is the graphics card overkill for SL?

HDD List - www.umart.com.au/pro/pro...10&bid=2&id2=129
CPU List - www.umart.com.au/pro/pro...=10&bid=2&id2=14
Motherboard List - www.umart.com.au/pro/pro...10&bid=2&id2=105

Have both sata1-2 on this pc, sataII is faster but if you have enough ram you barly ever acess it anyway, most am2's are sataII , wich is backward compitable with 1 anyway, and most hardrives has option sata1/2 jumper or software, acess time is more important then drive speed if you constantly acess it and most drives get fragmentent fast.

My windows drive is one of these
Western Digital 36.7G SATA Raptor 10000 rpm HDD (16M)

yeh its not sata2, but they cant keep up with Raptors seek time, wich is sole reason i only use it for windows/operating system (its tiny to <.<

7900 wont do that much for SL yet really, but they arent much diffrence in price vs a older 6x00 one , wich id stay clear off, -.- but then again im not bothering till dx10 cards comming out till im buying a new one.

Got a 7800 and 6800 card, in SL fps diffrence? maybe +0.5, games on the other hand? huge.

just got 2 350gig sata2 segates already wondering returning them, why , they make a wierd high pitch sound wich drive me crazy, compared to ticky ticky ticky sound Western Digital, my pc is kinda quiet so i dont like high pitch sounds wich goes inside my skull.

You could get this
Western Digital 320G SATAII 7200 rpm HDD(16Mb Cache)
and then split some to OS, but eh i dont know if you want the same as i do, 1 drive only for os, much easier to reinstall everything then fiddling with files you want to keep before erasing.

Thanks Thili,

So you're saying (I think) I should be able to buy and use the SATAII HDDs in the motherboard I mentioned which has only SATA (not SATAII) support then?

I was just wondering whether the motherboard I spec'ed out might not be the best option if it didn't support SATA II HDDs?

Cheers