New system?

[_____A-L-E-X_____]

Do you think I need to upgrade my system? I built a Q6600 system a year ago around this time, with 2GB DDR2, a 8800GTS 640 SSC (performs better than a 8800GT) and Windows XP with a Corsair 550VX PSU. I have a dual LCD display, with monitors at 1280 x 1024 and 1600 x 1200 resolution. My 3DMark06 scores are around 9500-9800 because my pcie slot is 4x. I can play Crysis at High settings, however, at around 30fps.

I havent liked what people said about Vista, so I stuck it out with XP. I have a raidmax scorpio gaming 868 window case with 3 80mm Tornado fans (very loud!), so Im not sure if an i7 can accomodate this case. Also, should I upgrade to i7 now or wait it out til prices get cheaper and better i7's come out? 920 will surely be the bottom of the ladder and I dont want the lowest level.

I have a few upgrade questions outside the usual mobo/cpu/gpu stuff. Would you recommend two different monitors in a dual display set up? I kind of like the idea of different monitors, with different resolutions, as that gives you a different perspective. Is one widescreen better than having two conventional screens? Also, is it a good idea to pair up one wide screen and one conventional screen?

Also, I have a nexus fan controller for my tornadoes, but for some reason, it seems to shut my computer down unexpectedly and it wont start up again for about 30min afterwards. I was thinking this is a heating issue-- but Ive been monitoring temps with HWMonitor and it happens regardless of the temps, but always very quickly. If I keep the fans on full, I can keep the computer on all day and it can get really hot in there (CPU over 60C), but the computer wont shut down or even freeze up. That only happens when I try to slow the fans down with the nexus controller (even when CPU temp is in the 40s). What do you think is happening here? Do you think my mobo is damaged in some way or do you think it may not be compatible with the fan controller (which just gets power off the floppy disk drive connector.)

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide!

 

[kubes]

are you experincing slowdowns? If that's the case or if you just want to play your games at a higher setting then, ya, upgrading might be a good option. I probally would start with the ram. pick up a 2x2gb kit.

This isn't to bad of a rig. I'm not sure if you'd see much of a preformance increase unless you plan on gutting your computer and basically replacing most of the parts.

 

[alvine]

i would wait for 32nm 6cores/12threads i7's to come out. (q4 2009/q1 2010)
or at least im doing that
my system is
asus p5q se
q6600@3.4ghz
4gb ddr@904mhz
2x 500gb hd
antec 12k
700w psu
ati 4870 1gig

 

[aevm]

+1 to the RAM. Get a 2x2GB kit and add it to your existing 2GB. Make sure to put the 2GB sticks in slots of the same color. Upgrade to Vista Home Premium 64-bit. Crysis does look better in Vista.

You could get a NZXT Tempest for now, that's well cooled and pretty quiet and can fit anything.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146047&Tpk=nzxt tempest

If you can resist for another 6 months with that 8800GTS, you should be able to get a new nVidia GT212 video card based on 40nm technology, about 3 times faster than what you have. In the meantime X58 mobos and DDR3 will get cheaper and the i7 920 setup will cost less. I'm sure ATI will have some awesome cards too by that time, also based on 40nm.

 

[aevm]

Would you recommend two different monitors in a dual display set up? I kind of like the idea of different monitors, with different resolutions, as that gives you a different perspective. Is one widescreen better than having two conventional screens? Also, is it a good idea to pair up one wide screen and one conventional screen?

I have a 20" widescreen and a 21.5" widescreen. Even that minor difference can be annoying. I strongly recommend you get two identical 22" widescreen monitors.

 

[_____A-L-E-X_____]

Thanks for all your help guys! I definitely like the idea of going with twin 22" widescreens-- they are pretty cheap now (even the good ones like Viewsonic and Samsung), and upgrading the RAM and getting Vista64 are the other things I am going to do right away. I guess I should hold off on getting i7 and a new gpu until the next gen comes out?

Any ideas on why my computer keeps shutting off automatically when I turn the fan controller down? It doesnt do this if I have the fans at 100%-- but then my setup is very noisy! The temps arent very different (and it shuts down within 10 min of startup), so I dont think its a heat issue (although the comp wont turn back on for about 20 min); maybe my fan controller does something to make the computer automatically shut off?

 

[kubes]

What are the temps your reading for cpu,gpu, and mb?