System Builder Marathon: Sub-$4000 PC

Features
By Thomas Soderstrom
published

Benchmark Settings

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Row 0 - Cell 0 3D-Games
CrysisVersion: 1.1
Row 2 - Cell 0 Video Quality 1: High Details No Anti-Aliasing
Row 3 - Cell 0 Video Quality 2: Very High Details, 4x Anti-Aliasing
Row 4 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Benchmark_CPU.bat
PreyVersion: 1.3
Row 6 - Cell 0 Video Quality 1: Default (No AA, 8x AF)
Row 7 - Cell 0 Video Quality 2: High Quality, 4x AA
Row 8 - Cell 0 Benchmark: THG-Demo
SupremeVersion: 3.220
CommanderVideo Quality 1: Default
Row 11 - Cell 0 Video Quality 2: High Fidelity, High Shadow, 4x AA
Row 12 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Real 60 Game
UnrealVersion: Retail
Tournament 3Texture Detail: 5
Row 15 - Cell 0 World Detail: 5
Row 16 - Cell 0 Field of View: 100
Row 17 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Botmatch (WAR-Torlan, 12 bots, 1 Minute)
WarhammerVersion: 1.6
Mark of ChaosVideo Quality:Default (Highest Settings)
Row 20 - Cell 0 Demo: THG Timedemo (1 Minute)
Row 21 - Cell 0 Audio
iTunes 7.2Version: 7.1.1.5
Row 23 - Cell 0 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min
Row 24 - Cell 0 High Quality (160kb/s)
Lame MP3Version: 3.98 Beta 3 (05-22-2007)
Row 26 - Cell 0 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min
Row 27 - Cell 0 wave to MP3
Row 28 - Cell 0 160kb/s
Row 29 - Cell 0 Video
TMPEGEncVersion: 4.2.10.211
4.0 XpressImport File: Terminator 2 SE DVD (5 Minutes)
Row 32 - Cell 0 Resolution: 720x576 (PAL) 16:9
Row 33 - Cell 0 Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-Channel, English
Row 34 - Cell 0 Advanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160kb/s)
DivX 6.6Version: 6.6.1
Row 36 - Cell 0 Profile: Home Theater Profile (720 x 576)
Row 37 - Cell 0 1-pass, 780 kb/s
Row 38 - Cell 0 Encoding mode: Insane Quality
Row 39 - Cell 0 Enhanced multithreading
XviD 1.1.2Version: 1.1.2
Row 41 - Cell 0 Target quantizer: 1.00 (maximum quality)
Row 42 - Cell 0 Applications
AdobeVersion: 10.0x20070321
Photoshop CS3Filtering 69MB TIF Photo
Row 45 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Tom’s Guide-Benchmark V1.0.0.4
AutodeskVersion: 9.0
3D Studio MaxRendering One Video Frame
Row 48 - Cell 0 Quality: HTDV 1920x1080 & 1280x720
Grisoft AVGVersion: 7.5.467
Anti-VirusVirus Base: 269.6.1/776
Row 51 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Scanning 3.82GB Application Folder
MaxonVersion: 10.008
Cinema 4DResolution: 1280 x 1024
Row 54 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Rose Drop, 8-bits (50 Frames)
Rarlab WinrarVersion 3.70 BETA 8
Row 56 - Cell 0 Compression = Best
Row 57 - Cell 0 Dictionary = 4096 kB
Row 58 - Cell 0 Uncompressed Folder Size: 642MB
Row 59 - Cell 0 Synthetics
SPECviewperf 9Version: 9.0.3
PCMark05 ProVersion: 1.1.0
Row 62 - Cell 0 System, CPU and Memory Tests
Row 63 - Cell 0 Windows Media Player 11.0.6000.6324
Row 64 - Cell 0 Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980
FuturemarkVersion 1.10
3DMark 2006System Test Only
SiSoftwareVersion 2008.1.12.30
Sandra XIICPU Test = CPU Arithmetic, Multimedia
Row 69 - Cell 0 Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
79 Comments Comment from the forums
  • L1qu1d
    Good Article, i'd still like to see more current generation games, such as COD4, Bioshock, Grid, Gears of Ware etc, I mean prey is a very old game and warhammer meh...

    Either way very well explained article, but for some1 like me the 8800 Ultras still sell for around 500$ here, and 3 of them would set me back 1500, while the GX2s 1000-1200:P
    Reply
  • Waspy
    Liquid, what was their old rig? Wasn't it 2x 8800GTXes? That pretty much squarely beat 2x 9800GX2s? So you don't need 3, only 2!

    Also, good point, they need to benchmark games like GRID and Age of Conan as well!
    Reply
  • Waspy
    Ahhh too bad about the videocard choice here. I would have liked to see a 2x GTX260 rig...I think that'll be the next power-gamer's rig without dropping the extra $500 on the 2x GTX280 and the extra $300 on a 1wK PSU...although I'm sure this 850W could handle it. I'm going to be running GTX260s on a 750W quality PSU...I predict absolutely no problems.
    Reply
  • mr roboto
    Yes good article but I have to echo the exact sentiment from above. Prey is a fun game but it was never really the system killer to begin with. Some shader intensive games would be nice too.

    I think Nvidia is going to discontinue the 8800GTX\Ultras real soon here. Right now on Newegg.com they don't have any of either card. Over the last few weeks they've been sporadic as far as being in stock. I would consider adding another 8800GTX to my rig but like L1qu!d said they're still pretty expensive. The lowest price I've seen for the 8800GTX's is around $350. If I could find one for $250-$300 range it would be worth it.
    Reply
  • L1qu1d
    Yeah because I kno in certain games tri and quad scale better. Age of Conan, COD4 are some examples:)
    Reply
  • mr roboto
    WaspyI think that'll be the next power-gamer's rig without dropping the extra $500 on the 2x GTX280 and the extra $300 on a 1wK PSU...although I'm sure this 850W could handle it. I'm going to be running GTX260s on a 750W quality PSU...I predict absolutely no problems.
    Are you high? 2 GTX's on an 850w or even a 1KW PSU? With all the other peripherals installed, no way. Asus's new top of the line ARES rig uses 2 1KW PSU's for three GTX 280's. So GTX 260 SLI rig will need a minimum 1KW.
    Reply
  • neodude007
    Nice article guys. Its funny that a $1,200 could beat that $4,000 rig in a lot of games/benchies. My E8400 @ 3.8GHz and SLI 8800GT get around 18,000 3dMark06
    Can't wait to see how the other test builds are going to perform.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    9458565 said:
    Nice article guys. Its funny that a $1,200 could beat that $4,000 rig in a lot of games/benchies. My E8400 @ 3.8GHz and SLI 8800GT get around 18,000 3dMark06
    Can't wait to see how the other test builds are going to perform.

    Of course it beats it in some things, it's overclocked. All the systems will get overclocked on Monday.
    Reply
  • Waspy
    Mr RobotoAre you high? 2 GTX's on an 850w or even a 1KW PSU? With all the other peripherals installed, no way. Asus's new top of the line AREShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares rig uses 2 1KW PSU's for three GTX 280's. So GTX 260 SLI rig will need a minimum 1KW.
    Well I was using an instanced case...I'm not going to be running mad-donkey peripherals. Plan is 4 HDDs, 1 DVD burner, 2x GTX260, E8400, bunch of fans and LEDs but those are tiny draws.

    Dude anyways, no, 1kW is overkill. Look at this build! A quality 850W for a water-cooling rig with a QX9650 and 2x 9800GX2s! The GTX260 draws like 10W or more LESS than the 9800GX2, plus I won't be running a quad core OR water cooling. 750W is completely sound. My plan is for this rig to last me until Nehalem so I don't think I'll be going quad core on it etc.
    Reply
  • The_Blood_Raven
    I am shocked, I must give Tom's a hand for this build it was well thought out and they picked the right parts. Only thing I do not like is the TJ09 case, that case does not cooler very well, an Antec 900 beats it with all fans on low, sad. They need to drop the TJ09, I had one and returned it, because it's cooling performance was not great, for a $4k gaming rig you need GREAT cooling. The Cosmos S is not much better, but there are so many other cases on the market that could fit that cooling system in that are a lot better and much cheaper. Oh well, besides the case GOOD JOB THW!
    Reply