Advice on New System Please

[QPrints]

Current System (please don't Laugh!! )

Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 3GHz
Motherboard: Abit IC7G
Memory: 1Gb PC3200 DDR (2 x520Mb)
Graphics Card: Asus N6600GT Top 128MB (AGP!)
PSU: Antec TruePower Quiet 430W PSU

New System

Processor: Intel i7 920
Motherboard: Asus P6T
Memory: 3GB DDR3 (3x1GB)
Graphics Card: 1GB BFG Tech 9800 GT OC
PSU: ??


I have used the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator and the Recommended PSU Wattage is just 252W

Baring in mind my current PSU is nearly 4 years old, should I get a new one or will my current PSU be OK?

Any other comments about my planned new setup?

 

[dirtmountain]

I'd change the 9800GT 1GB to a HD4870 512 for about $20 more. Still seeing benchmarks that the i7 works better with an ATI GPU. While the 4870 1GB is a better choice it's running about $35 more then the 512. If you want to stick with Nvidia then the 9800GTX+ would be a better choice. I would replace the 430w 4 year old PSU with a newer model, an overclocked i7 system with a single 9800GT OC would be using about 450w at load. In a SBM build it used about 600w at load with a HD4850x2.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-overclock,2112-14.html

 

[QPrints]

Thanks for the advice dirtmountain

 

[theAnimal]

I'd change the 9800GT 1GB to a HD4870 512 for about $20 more. Still seeing benchmarks that the i7 works better with an ATI GPU. While the 4870 1GB is a better choice it's running about $35 more then the 512. If you want to stick with Nvidia then the 9800GTX+ would be a better choice. I would replace the 430w 4 year old PSU with a newer model, an overclocked i7 system with a single 9800GT OC would be using about 450w at load. In a SBM build it used about 600w at load with a HD4850x2.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-overclock,2112-14.html

How do you recommend video cards without knowing the resolutions being used? 9800GT or HD4830 would be fine for 1280x1024.

 

[dirtmountain]

The 9800GT 1GB is running about $145 after rebate right now, the 9800GTX+ 512 is running $135 after rebate right now. Unless he's playing at very high resolution the 1GB will be of no help and in almost every case the 9800GTX+ 512 would give superior performance at the cheaper price no matter his resolution. Same case with the HD4870 although he's spending more for the 4870.

 

[theAnimal]

The 9800GT 1GB is running about $145 after rebate right now, the 9800GTX+ 512 is running $135 after rebate right now. Unless he's playing at very high resolution the 1GB will be of no help and in almost every case the 9800GTX+ 512 would give superior performance at the cheaper price no matter his resolution. Same case with the HD4870 although he's spending more for the 4870.

That's great, but HD4830 is only $80. And why buy a 4870 or 9800GTX+ if you don't have any need for it?

 

[dirtmountain]

Even at 1280x1024 the 9800GTX+ or the HD4870 512 would offer substantially better performance at the pricepoint the OP used in his post.

 

[QPrints]

It's not often we get rebates in the UK, not that I have seen so I think the upgrades are a little more expensive here

1GB BFG Tech 9800 GT OC £129.70 $181.58
512MB Sapphire HD 4870 £167.84 $234.98 +$53.40
1GB PowerColor HD 4870 £205.79 $288.11 +$53.13

I think I may go with this though
512MB BFG Tech 9800 GTX+ OC £151.21 $211.69

Currently I'm using an old IIyama 17" monitor but will be updating to a NEC 20" 2090UXI colour accuracy (photography, video and printing) is more important than my occasional guildwars game play