Need some advice on choosing one of these

[Craniel]

I have finally decided on picking one of these 2 systems, the only difference between the 2 configurations is the Motherboard, the first system supports CrossFireX and the second system supports SLI.
the SLI system is a bit more expensive but i dont know if that is the way i want to go because i can eventually have 4 GPU's with the CrossfireX system.

CrossFireX System
Intel S775 Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core CPU
ASUS S775 P5Q-Pro Core 2 Motherboard
2x DDR2 1GB Generic 667MHz RAM
ASUS 8600GT DDR2 512MB
Internal All-in-1 Memory Card Reader Black
250GB Western Digital KS 7200rpm 16M SATA HDD
19" ASUS VW193T Widescreen LCD Monitor
Antec Sonata Designer Mini Tower Case (500W power supply)
Microsoft Wired Desktop 500 Keyboard and Mouse
LG 20x DVD Burner SATA Black OEM
Logitech R-20 Speaker System
MS Windows XP Home OEM
MS Office 2007 Home and Student Academic Edition

GST Inclusive Price: $1491

__________________________________________________ ___

SLI System
Intel S775 Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core CPU
ASUS S775 P5N-D Core 2 Motherboard
2x DDR2 1GB Generic 667MHz RAM
ASUS 8600GT DDR2 512MB
Internal All-in-1 Memory Card Reader Black
250GB Western Digital KS 7200rpm 16M SATA HDD
19" ASUS VW193T Widescreen LCD Monitor
Antec Sonata Designer Mini Tower Case
Microsoft Wired Desktop 500 Keyboard and Mouse
LG 20x DVD Burner SATA Black OEM
Logitech R-20 Speaker System
MS Windows XP Home OEM
MS Office 2007 Home and Student Academic Edition

GST Inclusive Price: $1551

These are in Australian Dollars by the way.

[Craniel]

OK i just realized that i will need vista to run CrossFireX, so i think I'll just go with the SLI set up.
SLI works with XP right?

[Corbs]

Sorry I haven't had time to reply, but both technologies work with XP. CrossfireX is the same thing as Crossfire.

On another note, shouldn't you wait for the back to school specials?

[Craniel]

Don't worry about this thread anymore, i have changed everything i'm going to get in the new PC.
Im getting the new parts at whole sale prices (sweet)

Thanks for your help anyway corbs, you always have good advice.

[Corbs]

Originally Posted by Craniel

Don't worry about this thread anymore, i have changed everything i'm going to get in the new PC.
Im getting the new parts at whole sale prices (sweet)

Thanks for your help anyway corbs, you always have good advice.

Care to share your specs with us?

[Craniel]

yeah sure,
here it is

EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 nForce 750i SLI FTW
Galaxy 8600GT DDR2 512MB
DDR2 2GB OCZ 800MHz Dual Channel Kit Value Series
Sunbeam Transformer Case – Black
250GB Western Digital KS 7200rpm 16M SATA HDD
250GB Western Digital KS 7200rpm 16M SATA HDD
Intel S775 Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core CPU
OCZ GameXstream 1010W SLI Ready PowerSupply
Samsung 2253BW 22"
ASUS DRW-2014S1T
Microsoft Black Value Pack Keyboard & mouse

[Corbs]

Motherboard seems solid from a few reviews I've read. It's also a great overclocker from what I heard. You should be able to bring that Quad Core to 3.0GHz and beyond

As for the power supply, isn't that over killing it? I mean, a 700W would be more than enough, unless if you plan on getting 4 HDs in there in the future, with two GPUs. Then again, 1KW, hell, that's way too much.

Why the two HDs, are we looking at a RAID setup? If so, which type?

Last thing, I really think you should be getting more RAM. RAM doesn't cost much these days, and you'll be regretting later that you didn't buy more. It's probably the part you've overlooked in your build, imho.

Anyhow, that's my opinion.

[Murvel]

Why spend so much money on an SLI-rig when you're buying an old and and poor performing graphics card? If you insist on going with SLI then I would suggest that you buy either two 8600gt but better yet two 8800gts or better. But right now ATI gives you most bang for the buck. The Radeon HD 4850 is performing extremely well for a low cost. Buy either two of those or one/two HD4870 for a high-end Crossfire system, just don't forget to change the motherboard before ordering.

A 500W quality power supply is more than enough to run your suggested rig. If you want to have some extra power over for later I would recommend that you buy Corsair HX620.

If you plan on using XP/Vista with 32-bit then there's really no need for more than 2Gb of ram, since there is a limitation of 3Gb that the operating system can use. And with 3Gb you can't use dualchannel. Consider buying 2Gb DDR2-8500 ram instead, it costs a bit more but with todays low prices it's crazy not to buy it. Especially after you have just saved yourself a bunch of cash on the power supply.

I really don't see the point of the two 250Gb harddrives either, you get better performance with a single 750Gb and right now that size of hdd gives you best bang for the buck. Although it's not long before the 1Tb will take that throne.

Good luck man!

[Craniel]

Well i already have the graphics card, but i will be upgrading it a couple of months after i buy the PC.
i plan on using a SLI setup in a few months so i wanted to make sure i had a big enough power supply.
Im thinking of getting 2 GTX 260's.
i think I'll change the Hard drive though.

[Corbs]

Understandable, but a 700W should be sufficient. I've been running almost the same build as yours, but with a pair of 3870, and only a 700W. It's far more than enough.

I agree that 2GB is enough for XP, but I'm sorry, it's definitely not that great for Vista. I'm the type who runs multiple tasks, and I often leave my computer opened for several days, and let's just say I often hit 90% on Vista with 3GB on heavy loads. Again, the whole advantage of dual channel is debatable, but you could always order 2GB dual channel plus another 1GB for the sake. Although, at the price the 4GB are at, why not? Granted, you could always buy the other 2GB later, but remember shipping isn't free. Moreover, unless you're going to run older games, I suggest taking a look at Vista 64.

Now, as I already said in another thread concerning SLI vs Crossfire, I, as Murvel seems to be as well, tend to favor Crossfire over SLI, for its actual price/performance ratio. Plus, you can still run your 8600 GT on a Crossfire enabled motherboard.

One last thing, you can't go wrong on the long run with a good motherboard. Cheaper motherboards tend to run hotter, making harder for you to properly overclock, but that is definitely NOT the case for every motherboard out there.

[Craniel]

So would a 750W power supply be sufficient for two GTX260's?
I'm getting Vists Home Premium, and i;m changing the RAM to DDR2 4GB Corsair 800MHz PC6400 RAM TwinX.

[Corbs]

According to this : eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite v2.5, it can. Coming from one GTX260 retailer, minimum PSU requirements for one card (for the whole system) is 500W and the GTX260 uses a maximum of 182W.

Considering the GTX260's are power hungry, I'd aim for a 800-850W, leaving enough room for further expansion and overclocking.

Lowest PSU on Nvidia's SLI web page for two GTX260 is rated at 800W. But that's bollocks if you ask me, considering they recommend a 1300W unit in the same category.

Anyways, just make sure your PSU is SLI ready and has the necessary connectors.

At last, try making sure you get revision G0 for your Q6600, as it's usually a superior revision (less heat, thus easier to overclock).

[Craniel]

Im actually changing the Processor to a E8400, as far as my research tells me it is still one of the best processors for gaming. also arent the current quad core processors going to become obsolete when the new motherboards come out with the new sockets with more pins?
(sorry for the bad grammar, lol)

[Corbs]

Originally Posted by Craniel

Im actually changing the Processor to a E8400, as far as my research tells me it is still one of the best processors for gaming. also arent the current quad core processors going to become obsolete when the new motherboards come out with the new sockets with more pins?
(sorry for the bad grammar, lol)

If a new socket comes out, all the current processors will become obsolete with the new generation motherboards. Intel is changing its current technology FSB for another design. Haven't read much about it, so I can't really tell you what to expect.

Granted, the E8400 will probably get you more out of games, at least, for the moment. Although, considering you'll probably be keeping this PC for quite a while, I strongly advise you to go with a quad core processor. Plus, the price range between a E8400 and a Q6600 isn't much, hence worth the extra penny in my opinion.