Hi all,
Last system I built was back in 2003. My oh my have things changed since then!
I'd like to build a primarily gaming system. I don't mind sinking $2000 or $3000 into it, as long as the system is beefy enough to hedge against future movements in hardware technology. Since things have changed so much since 2003, I feel ... overwhelmed.
One thing I'd like to avoid is buggy motherboards. My last mobo was a NF-7 which was extremely problematic -- buggy USB, buggy SATA. It's miserable. I'd like a rock solid mobo.
Two mobos I've been looking at are:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
Seems like the main difference between the boards is the number of PCI slots and the memory -- DDR2 vs DDR3.
Even though I want to build a beefy system and don't mind spending a little money, I'd rather not waste money. Does DDR3 really provide a noticeable performance increase? Which mobo should I go with?
And, given the mobo, what kind and how much RAM should I purchase?
I've scoured the forums, and an overclocked Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 seems to be popular. Thoughts?
Anyway, any thoughts / ideas about choice of
I'd like to buy the parts ASAP, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've had some heating problems in the past, so I'd like to really invest in the best CPU and case fans that money can buy.
Like I mentioned, I don't mind putting 2k or 3k into this computer. I just want my new system to:
1) be relevant for as long as possible (have a flexible upgrade path)
2) have really excellent cooling
Even though I'd be ok with $3000, I don't want to actively seek wasting money on stuff that won't make much of a difference in gaming. I don't have much interest in running more than one video card (unless it does make a tremendous difference), and because I use Linux (this will be a dual boot) I'd rather stick with NVidia.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
Last system I built was back in 2003. My oh my have things changed since then!
I'd like to build a primarily gaming system. I don't mind sinking $2000 or $3000 into it, as long as the system is beefy enough to hedge against future movements in hardware technology. Since things have changed so much since 2003, I feel ... overwhelmed.
One thing I'd like to avoid is buggy motherboards. My last mobo was a NF-7 which was extremely problematic -- buggy USB, buggy SATA. It's miserable. I'd like a rock solid mobo.
Two mobos I've been looking at are:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX
Seems like the main difference between the boards is the number of PCI slots and the memory -- DDR2 vs DDR3.
Even though I want to build a beefy system and don't mind spending a little money, I'd rather not waste money. Does DDR3 really provide a noticeable performance increase? Which mobo should I go with?
And, given the mobo, what kind and how much RAM should I purchase?
I've scoured the forums, and an overclocked Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 seems to be popular. Thoughts?
Anyway, any thoughts / ideas about choice of
I'd like to buy the parts ASAP, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've had some heating problems in the past, so I'd like to really invest in the best CPU and case fans that money can buy.
Like I mentioned, I don't mind putting 2k or 3k into this computer. I just want my new system to:
1) be relevant for as long as possible (have a flexible upgrade path)
2) have really excellent cooling
Even though I'd be ok with $3000, I don't want to actively seek wasting money on stuff that won't make much of a difference in gaming. I don't have much interest in running more than one video card (unless it does make a tremendous difference), and because I use Linux (this will be a dual boot) I'd rather stick with NVidia.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
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