Power Watts! My Rig, what to upgrade?

[Flubber]

Watts is this an issue for you?

The 8800 gtx or R600 cards are going to suck some power! I heard the 8800 sucks up to 300 watts of power. Are any of you guys planning on getting a new power supply? What about me, I don’t think ill be fine with a 420 watt. This is what I’m planning on getting after Christmas and need some help. I would like to play Crysis on full Blast Graphics.

My Rig
420 watt power supply---------Should I upgrade?--------------------*
ATI 9800 pro 128--------------upgrading to 8800 or R600------------$650
1 gig of Ram-------------------Should I upgrade?--------------------*
AMD 3000----------------------Should I upgrade?-------------------*
Cd RW-------------------------Getting an DVD drive-----------------$30

Getting Windows Vista when it comes out.----------------------------$100
Also I have an X-Infinity case, so the card should fit :)

Thanks,
FlubberMasta

[Akuma]

I could see you upgrading the PSU. Mybe a 600w.
And your ram would be the other thing.
see if you can work in another gig stick into your rig.
or if your runing 2x 512. another 2x512.
from this you will see faster load times and smoother all around game play.
After everything is said and done the only other chip to look at would be your processor. I would leave this for the last hardware upgrade on your rig since.
When you apply the new Gig and the Nvidea card.
The only bottle neck in that box would come from your CPU.

But I would leave it for last since your 3000 will play crysis.
I would also wounder how much faster your CPU would preform under DX10 then under DX9. Also waiting for the CPU would save you cash in the longer run.

Also my roomate runs a 3000x64 with his battlefield 2142.
The ram helped alot.

But for PSU I would say a 600 watt would do nicely.

Enyone els have eny thoughts on this?
Since sharering Is not just for Carebears.....:laugh:
I think a 500w would work also but I dont know if your running like 4HD drives and 2 burners.... . . ...they take power too.

I myself am going from a 450 to a 750w
Just to be on the safe side and to secure a posabilaty of crossfire later.

[PuertoRecon]

I agree, for the most with the poster above me. I would definitely for for 2, if not 2.5 GB of RAM.

[Flubber]

Ok so this is what I got. :D Or at least what im getting ;)

My Rig
420 watt power supply---------600 Watt Supply--------------------$100
ATI 9800 pro 128--------------upgrading to 8800 or R600------------$650
1 gig of Ram-------------------Extra Gig pc3200--------------------$100
AMD 3000----------------------
Cd RW-------------------------I got one From my older Computer, Is this ok?

Getting Windows Vista when it comes out $159.00 Home preimum edition
Also I have an X-Infinity case, so the card should fit

Looks like ill be spending $1,000 bucks for Crysis, but also all the other next gen games! Thanks guys! Any other comments?

I think that should be all, oh Yeah and I might get an Extream Gammer FX sound card but dont know for sure, if finances permit. :evil:

Thanks,
FlubberMasta

[ReaperOfsouls]

I plan on getting a 750 watt modular PSU when I go to get my g8800gtx adn fx60.

[cloakster]

You will also have to get a new Mobo since your current one is AGP.

[PuertoRecon]

You will also have to get a new Mobo since your current one is AGP.

So will I.

[Akuma]

You will also have to get a new Mobo since your current one is AGP.

What Kind of Motherboard do you have, Flubber?

[Flubber]

oh **** looks like I need a New Motherboard, thanks for pointing that out, Umm, Could anyone tell me if this combo is good?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1225709&CatId=1619 :D

[ReaperOfsouls]

For the price it is but I dont like that mobo, its nforce4 north bridge, thats old, the newest one out is 680i.

If you are straped for cash its not a bad deal, but if you plan on actually using the SLI I would not get it because if you look at the fine print, in SLI mode it only runs each card at 8x not 16x since its not the delux edition of that board.

I know because I have that same exact mobo and bought it from them and will never buy anything from them again, I paid 300 for that mobo and a amd 3700 this past june. Mobo's good but its old and like I said if your going for SLI dont get it because it will bottleneck the GPU's.

[PuertoRecon]

That's a good piece of info Reaper. I didn't know it was not able to run the SLI in 16x. Is that really in the fine priint? Anyways, I have no idea which mobo I should get when I upgrade my rig in the upcoming months. I guess I'l come here and ask you guys for some input.

[ReaperOfsouls]

Ya, I did not find out until I got the mobo and read the manul, it said nothing of that on the site.

Once I read that in the book I asked around and the people I talked to said that the regular and premium versions of that mobo run sli in 8x, only the deluxe run sli at 16x.

I was looking at ASUS newist boards, the ones with 680i northbridge and all of them run sli at 16x.

I think it was just in that particular series they did that with the 8x, at the least they could of mentioned that on the site but they did not and I did not find out until I got the mobo and when I went to return it they said it was a non returnable item, hence why I do not buy anything from tiger direct anymore.

[PuertoRecon]

That happens all the time :hmm: . Alot of things are left out when you purchase an item online. That is why I spend at least a couple of days before I purchase reading reviews and feedback from previous customers.

[Flubber]

it only runs each card at 8x not 16x since its not the delux edition of that board.


But it says :: Asus A8N SLI Deluxe NVIDIA Socket 939

[ReaperOfsouls]

Well I did not see that in the title, if it says that then you should be fine.

But I still would get a 680i north bridge.

[cloakster]

Wait, are you upgrading your CPU or not? If you are not, then that mobo would be great since there are no S939 680i's.

[ReaperOfsouls]

I thought he was since the original link was to a combo deal, a cpu and a mobo.

AMD stoped making new CPU's for the 939, you can still by 939 stuff but they are not going to release any new CPU's for it, only AM2.

[WereWolf]

Omg are you rich or something ?!

[ReaperOfsouls]

Omg are you rich or something ?!

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[PuertoRecon]

Omg are you rich or something ?!

It's called saving up dude.

[ReaperOfsouls]

It's called saving up dude.

That or not spending all your money on your girl lol :laugh:

[PuertoRecon]

That or not spending all your money on your girl lol :laugh:

Haha :laugh:

[urwathrtz]

I checked with HP about upgrading to a 8800. They said it would work fine but upgrade the power supply. I'm gonna wait to see what ATI has to offer before I spend $600 on a video card plus another $150 for a 600watt power supply. Hopefully the price will drop next year.

[ReaperOfsouls]

Well as of now ATI has no DX10 cards.

I am sure they will come out with one but my moneys on that nvidia's will be better. None the less it should lower the price of the 8800's because of "competition".

[jo-snowman]

well the only thing i will be upgrading is to 2gb ram, and vista for DX10. I think ill wait a half year to get a 8800, see how crysis works with my current rig.

[PuertoRecon]

I don't get much into the specs of each video card, but I will go with Nvidia because, first, I've never had any problems and second, most of the games say "Works best on Nvidia" (some even bring drivers exclusively for the game).

I don't know if that "works best" is just a lie, but I guess there persuasive techniques are working.

[Flubber]

Ok, this is what im probly going to get all for around 1,300 :hmm:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz / 1MB Cache / 1000MHz FSB / Socket AM2 / Dual-Core (Windsor) / Processor with Fan (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2207238&sku=CP1-AM2-3800X)

Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition NVIDIA Socket AM2 ATX Motherboard PCI Express SLI Ready (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2224204&sku=A455-2300)

Ultra X-Finity 600-Watt SLI Ready Power Supply and a Free 16x DVD±RW Burner (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2446914&sku=TC3J-2187)

OCZ Dual Channel XTC 2048MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Gamer Memory (2 x 1024MB) (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1882393&sku=O261-8032)

BFG GeForce 8800 GTS (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2570716&sku=B52-8000)

So will all this play Crysis on High? :D

[ReaperOfsouls]

Dont know for sure, you got all good **** minus the CPU, If I were you I would get a fx62 and if thats to much money (which it is) I would go to intel and get a core 2 duo E6700 for 500 dollars and it outperforms the 800.00 fx62.

You would have to get a diffrent mobo and probably ram, but right now intel beats the **** out of amd for almost half the price. And when the core 2 duo line up came out it was way more then half the price because the fx62 was like 1200 dollars but they lowered it I guess to give people some incentive to buy amd even though as of now intel has better cpu's for a much lower price and they use less watts while out performing the fx62 which uses lots of power.

Just read the reviews, if you are building a all new system I would go intel with the E6700.

[Flubber]

realy the cpu is an X2 and its a huge step up from my current amd 3000. I realy don't see why its bad and all :hmm:

[ReaperOfsouls]

Never said it was bad, just said there was better ;)

[cloakster]

realy the cpu is an X2 and its a huge step up from my current amd 3000. I realy don't see why its bad and all :hmm:

That CPU will definately bottleneck your GPU. I would go for a core 2 duo E6600 or higher.

[ReaperOfsouls]

I think the E6700 is the best bang for your buck, it is slightly slowed then the X6800 and is harder to over clock but it blows away a fx62.

[DarQraven]

Alright, in an attempt to bring this thread back to where it started, back to PSU's.

I can HIGHLY advise getting a good PSU.
I got one that came with my case, an Aspire X-gear, and only because the other case I ordered was out of stock for at least a month.
I thought I'd just swap the default PSU for a better one when they were back in stock, but it never happened.

...and guess what?

It just fried my video card.
Due to unstable voltage/wattage, my GPU has been damaged beyond repair, and it's RMA for me. And I'm lucky it happened before the warranty ran out, I'd be really screwed if this happened 3 months later.

So the baseline is: GET A GOOD PSU! It doesn't matter if the one you want has 10 gigawatts of power or flashy LEDs or whatever, -> get one from a reliable manufacturer<-

OR get a REALLY crappy one so it'll roast your hardware before the warranty expires;)

[/rant mode]

Ahh ... that feels better.
It just sux to be stuck with nothing but onboard graphics when I could be playing Rainbow Six: Vegas :(

[ReaperOfsouls]

Lol I am using the aspire/apevia PSU that came with my navigator for now. It has cut out at times with no warning and then will continue to do so for hours and it will eventually stop, its a very moody psu.

If it does fry my gpu (have had it since june, no such think as of late) its a XFX so it has a double lifetime warranty so I am not worried.

Now when I upgrade my PSU when I upgrade my rig I was looking at the Thermaltake 750 Active PFC modular PSU, its not sli certified but crossfire, but the nvidia one is not modular and nothing difference between the two PSU at all except one is modular and one is not, I guess its just a marketing thing.'

I would personally go for a modular one because it reduces case clutter and if you have a clear side panel thats a *****.

[DarQraven]

Funny, that was the exact same one I was planning to buy before it went out of stock:p

[ReaperOfsouls]

Lol that sucks, what site you using?

[DarQraven]

To build my PC I used the local PC hardware store, and some parts that were on sale at other shops I got there, but the reason I couldn't get the separate case and PSU was because the importer in Holland had quit earlier that month ... kinda sucks:p

edit: found something to do in the meantime: TWILIGHT PRINCESS!! HUUUHAAAAA!

[Akuma]

Yeah. From what the reviews (owners) say about Thermaltake PSU's
They kick heavy butt. and have alot of power.
But I will match your thermaltake with a Enermax and raise you they eyecandy;)
Altho if I can find a Thermaltake coming at me for less then a enermax psu
then I would go for it. Just from the Benchie's that keep telling me thermaltake is a die hard PSU with verry little fluctuations and high efficentcy
rating. Only thing holding me back is Enermax is very nice nice to look at.

Also it has 120mm cooling fan witch is verry nice nice too.
Whatever I get next tho I want at least {4} 12v rails in it.

Just to future proof it so if i dicide to go with 2 R600's, insted of 1.:p

When it comes to PSU's...this pimp dont skimp ...:laugh:

[ReaperOfsouls]

Lol good stuff.

I am not worried about eye candy on the psu because the antec case I want to get mounts the PSU on the bottem so you wont be able to see it anyway.

Plus ill just mod it myself if I am worried about it, all I need is plexiglass and 4 inch uv lights lol.

[Akuma]

Yeah...I hear you. Alot of times Eyecandy for hardware is totaly overrated.
Altho reaper, what are you going to mod? Your tower or PSU?
Be carfull with moding the PSU. Alot of manufacturers will not replace the
the PSU if they are moded or takin apart, Thats If somthing happens early on to it.

I know I hade one 500w from a parts store near my house.
After about 3 months of use, it totaly craped out on me.
I braght it back under the year warrenty they gave me.

They said since it had some dust in it , that it was my fault.
I totaly called them on it and raised hell, After that and 10 bucks they gave me a new one, wich they were very reluctint to do.

So I removed the plate and kept it spotless to see what would happen.
And sure enuff it cr@pped out again. But since I broke the sticker to get in
it they said they wouldnt replace it. The funny thing is they told me over the phone. Guess they didnt want to tell me wile I was in the store...LOL.

So I told them to keep it and there crappy catch 22 dealings.

But not to worrie. It was some cheap V-series garbage.

Right now im split between Enermax, OCZ, and thermalright tuff power.
They all seem to be top of the line right now. :D

[Wheelman56]

And I'm lucky it happened before the warranty ran out, I'd be really screwed if this happened 3 months later.

Don't know if you have nVidia or ATI, but BFG cards come with a lifetime warranty. Something to keep in mind if you ever decide to pick up a new expensive card. :)