SAPPHIRE 100226L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
SAPPHIRE 100226L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814102715
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$199.99
1
APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply
APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817148027
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-$5.00 Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate
$39.99
$34.99
1
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System - OEM Item #: N82E16836121123
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$38.99
1
Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black USB Ergonomics Keyboard Mouse Included
Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black USB Ergonomics Keyboard Mouse Included - OEM Item #: N82E16823109156
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Why would you get an Nvidia SLI board and use an ATI card? I prefer ATI, but if one buys an SLI board, and one can only afford a single graphics card, then buy Nvidia. That way, an extra card down the line provides SLI.
Cut corners, live off of Ramen noodles and peas (just joking), and get this board for Crossfire:
Crossfire scales better than SLI right now and the more expensive Crossfire board will support 4 3850's in the future, or two 3870's today. The SLI board is still good and the identically priced 8800GT 256 wins by a few fps in some games but loses by a few fps in others compared to the 3850. Both are midranged but the 8800GT only allows high settings with medium textures in many games (ie due to 256 memory limitations).
SLI and Crossfire are not interchangeable. There is, as of yet, no standard that would allow Crossfire on an SLI board or SLI on a Crossfire board. Intel using Crossfire instead of SLI might create a standard for the future, but that's a couple of years away at best.
I'd also get a better power supply. That will cost closer to $89 to $99. Get a combined amps on the 12 volt rail that your graphics card requires for SLI or Crossfire. Go for one by Cooler Master, Antec etc. Get one with an active PFC. Seasonic is the best, but they're a bit pricey.
I'm using an Antec Neo on one system and an Antec Earthwatts on another (550 and 500 watts). My older Nvidia 405 chipset board has a Coolermaster Realpower 450, but that only has 22 amps on the 12 volt rail, a bit low after a couple of years.
Your graphics card will have amps requirement for a single card and for SLI or Crossfire. Look at the card's specs to make sure you can match the amps you need on the power supply.
You could build a pretty nice upgradeable C2D system for that.
If he wants upgradeable AMD and better multicard performance, he should get an AMD chipset like the 790 Crossfire, preferably by ASUS. At least those are good to go for a future B3 stepping Phenom.
Heck, even an ASUS 690G motherboard's good for a Phenom. Too many AM2 boards aren't.
As for an affordable C2D system that's upgradeable, that too. Still, not everyone prefers Intel, and it's nice to have good AMD options.
Message edited by yipsl on 12-29-2007 at 04:53:23 AM
Heres a good overclocking system: (My system build)
Antec 900 Gigabyte P35-DS3L E2180 @ 3.0 2 Gigs Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 8800GT or HD3870 and eventually Crossfire later on Hard Drive: WD320AAKS Optical: Samsung SH-203B
You can change things around based on deals that are going on. With Vista 64-bit and a good PSU it was under $900
Message edited by Silverion77 on 12-29-2007 at 04:31:28 AM
---------------
99% of all computer problems are user related
Gigabyte P35-DS3L | E2180 @ 3.0
EVGA 8800GT SC | 2gb Crucial Ballistix 800
That's his big choice, at least both the ASUS 790 and the Nvidia 590 boards support Phenom for a future upgrade. I like ASUS, we have two M2A-VM 690G and an old P5RD-1 X200.
Much better than the old MSI K9N6SGM-V Nvidia 405, that has the following limitation:
Quote :
One PCI Express X16 slot (Run at x8 mode)
(Due to the specification of the chipset, ATI X8xx, X7xx, X5xx, and X3xx series graphic card will not be supported.)
I'd contacted their tech support when I wanted to get an X1650 Pro for it, and they emailed me back saying to use an Nvidia card in that motherboard. So I went 7600GS instead.
Last Nvidia board I'll ever buy!
Message edited by yipsl on 12-29-2007 at 05:09:35 AM
