New Build, might need some upgrades as I'm using parts from old build!

[toolongtoremember]

Heya all!

Just orderd some new parts for a new build:

Mobo: p5N32-E SLi Plus - £120
CPU: E6850 - £140
Case: Antec 900 gamers case - £60

Parts I already own:

GPU's: 2 x 6600GT's XFX
RAM: 2 x XMS2 Corsair 512MB
PSU: Hiper PSU Type R modular SLi ready
HDD's: 320GB Seagate 7,200rpm ( C Drive with XP OS)
160GB Seagate 7,200rpm
36GB Western Digital 10krpm Raptor
Sound Card: Audigy Soundblaster
Other Drives: CD-RW/DVD-RW
Cooling: some crappy ready made water cooling kit thing - which admitantly is better/quieter than the stock cooling on intel CPU's

I'm thinking of a new graphic card, don't know which one yet, £200 is my max, better spending £100 each on a card for SLi?... at the moment I'm thinking of getting a singular £200 card, and upgrading to SLi with it when their prices go down along with my hardwares performance comparision with the latest software/games!

RAM isnt that hot either!... but it has enough for XP just, could do with recommendations there too!

cant think of anything else!

 

[singingigo]

Get an ATI HD 3850...it will blow your current setup away. In the states, it goes for around $200...so is that 110 pounds? (Sorry, I don't know ASCII for the pound sign). You could also look at an HD3870 for about $270...

One knock on the ATI cards: No SLI. So if you want to option of running two cards, either now or in the future, you are better off looking for an 8800GT 512 or 256. I don't know what those run. Sorry.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a 2x1GB kit of RAM. Crucial Ballistix, OCZ, G-skill...all are good brands with 2GB kits selling for around $50-70.

 

[toolongtoremember]

the RAM is extremly cheap!... wow thanks... shall upgrade that as soon as possible!... Might go for "Crucial Ballistix Tracer w/LED 2X 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400" for £48 or "Corsair 2 x 2GB 4GB Pack CM2X2048-6400C5 800Mhz XMS2" for £70 and then spend the rest of the money on a new graphics card, maybe that ATI HD 3850... or does anybody else have any other suggestions, maybe nvidia based as I have nvidia chipset thus it may be more reliable/less risk

 

[singingigo]

That RAM should ROCK!

ATI should work fine on an nVidia chipset...it just won't run in SLI, so you can't upgrade to 2x3850 cards unless you upgrade the MB to an Intel X series or ATI Motherboard.

The Geforce 8600gts competes with the HD3850 in price point, but the HD3850 kills it in benchmarks.

 

[toolongtoremember]

cool... thanks!... I'm still going to look along the nvidia route because its a new mob and all... and it gives more expansion oppertunities in the future!

ps I found 8600GT with 512DDR3 at £50 each, so two of those would go a long way, or can I get another card which will equal this kind of performance?

 

[wolfseeker2828]

Even 2 8600gt's can't beat 1 hd 3850.

 

[toolongtoremember]

looks to be, maybe I should wait for a little while to see if nvidia cards prices drop to match this new card, should do!... only this morning I see a Geforce 8800GT 512MB GDDR3 drop to £140 from £180

 

[toolongtoremember]

heres an update:

the ASUS p5N32 SLi Plus motherboard that I got turned out to be dead on arrival, so I upgraded to the 680i chipset ASUS P5N32 SLi, which had a strange suspicion was a Striker motherboard origionaly, so I peeled back the lable on the motherboard to reveal a striker sticker underneath, so I have all solid state capacitors too!... it cost £135 in the end... just £15 more, bargain!