Hi I have not built a PC since 2004 so I’ve spent the last few weeks cramming on the latest hardware and software developments. I’m hoping to build a system that will have future proofing but not need an upgrade in the next year or two. Also it has to run games like BF2142, Company of Heroes and be ready for DX10 games. In addition I need it for 2D/3D rendering work in various graphics programs so I’ve tried to go for Quad core, plus as much fast RAM as I can afford. I'm not really intending to overclock as I've never done it before, but I’ve read it is much easier now.
System as follows:
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 Kensfield "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB)
Gigabyte GA-X38-DS5
BFG GeForce 8800 GTS OC 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI PCIe2.0
Core 675MHz Memory 1940MHz
Corsair Dominator 2x 2GB 1066MHz
Coolmaster Real Power 700W modular
Coolermaster Elite 330 Midi Tower case
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache – OEM
Samsung SH-S203PBEBN 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black) - OEM
Samsung SM2232BW – 22” native resolution 1680x1050
Vista Ultimate 64 OEM
Aprox: £1130
Questions:
1. Is the graphics card a reliable make? and is a GTS OC better than an GT OC? Is the performance gain worth the cost?
2. Is Vista a reliable OS now as I have read a lot of negative rumours since its release? Did SP1 solve most of the problems? Seems to work well with games now drives are optimised for it http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/amd_nvidia_windows_vista_driver_performance_update/default.asp
3. Is upgrading to a 64 bit OS it a good move at this time? And is Vista 64 or XP 64 the one to go for? I assume 32 bit programs are supported in some way within both options by an “emulator” of some sort.
4. Will a 700W PSU be enough?
5. I decided I wouldn’t go for an SLI motherboard as the GeForce 7 series seemed to have a few bugs still and the ASUS and MSI boards I researched seemed picky about what memory they would accept. I only looked at the 7 series as it is the only SLI chipset with 1066MHz RAM option. Did I make the right call on this?
6. What are my chances of getting all this working? Do you have any advice (or advice URL’s you have come across) that would help me avoid any major construction pit falls?
7. Overall what do you think of the system? Will it fit the specification?
Thanks for considering my system so far. Any thoughts you can contribute would be a great help.
System as follows:
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 Kensfield "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB)
Gigabyte GA-X38-DS5
BFG GeForce 8800 GTS OC 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI PCIe2.0
Core 675MHz Memory 1940MHz
Corsair Dominator 2x 2GB 1066MHz
Coolmaster Real Power 700W modular
Coolermaster Elite 330 Midi Tower case
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache – OEM
Samsung SH-S203PBEBN 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black) - OEM
Samsung SM2232BW – 22” native resolution 1680x1050
Vista Ultimate 64 OEM
Aprox: £1130
Questions:
1. Is the graphics card a reliable make? and is a GTS OC better than an GT OC? Is the performance gain worth the cost?
2. Is Vista a reliable OS now as I have read a lot of negative rumours since its release? Did SP1 solve most of the problems? Seems to work well with games now drives are optimised for it http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/amd_nvidia_windows_vista_driver_performance_update/default.asp
3. Is upgrading to a 64 bit OS it a good move at this time? And is Vista 64 or XP 64 the one to go for? I assume 32 bit programs are supported in some way within both options by an “emulator” of some sort.
4. Will a 700W PSU be enough?
5. I decided I wouldn’t go for an SLI motherboard as the GeForce 7 series seemed to have a few bugs still and the ASUS and MSI boards I researched seemed picky about what memory they would accept. I only looked at the 7 series as it is the only SLI chipset with 1066MHz RAM option. Did I make the right call on this?
6. What are my chances of getting all this working? Do you have any advice (or advice URL’s you have come across) that would help me avoid any major construction pit falls?
7. Overall what do you think of the system? Will it fit the specification?
Thanks for considering my system so far. Any thoughts you can contribute would be a great help.