Chip, Mobo and Video Card

I want to build a new pc to run programs like N2003, GTR2, etc. I would
like to run them with all of the settings at max (or close to it) for
detail, number of cars, etc. I'm not after a cost-is-no-object pc, but
want to spend what it takes to run these programs to where I can enjoy them.

I would like to buy the chip, mobo and video card from Fry's (so if
there is a problem I can simply return them and get replacements that day).

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

"Mike" wrtote
I want to build a new pc to run programs like N2003, GTR2, etc. I would
> like to run them with all of the settings at max (or close to it) for
> detail, number of cars, etc. I'm not after a cost-is-no-object pc, but
> want to spend what it takes to run these programs to where I can enjoy
> them.
>
> I would like to buy the chip, mobo and video card from Fry's (so if there
> is a problem I can simply return them and get replacements that day).
>
> Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Well, it ssems that at he moment , the "bang for the buck" point has to go
to Intel, surprisingly enough, since with their Core2Duo "Conroe" CPUs
they've obviously ceated a winner.So, my advice there would be to go with
the best Conroe you can (or want to) afford. In terms of Mobos i'm in love
with everything DFI makes. The video card department is a bit touchy, since
there seem to be almost religious feelings involved with some people as to
which GPU manufacturer to prefer, ATI or Nvidia. Personally i went for
Nvidia the last couple of cards and am very happy with the hardware as well
as the driver support. I know this is all more vague than you probably have
hoped for, but I'm still enjoxing my sims on an AMD 3700+ on DFI board and
GF6800GT AGP card andh a gig of ram.

Cheerrs!

Cris

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I'd say the Nvidia 8600GTS or if you can afford it the 8800GTS are
fantastic GFX cards at the moment. The 8800GTX is even faster, but IMHO
is just too expensive now, but when the price eventually comes down they
will be better value.

An Intel Core 2 Duo cpu (get the 4mb cache ones, not the 2mb cache, eg:
the e6600 and higher spec), and with a decent M/B (Asus P5B or Gigabyte
GA 965P or Abit AB9) you can overclock the cpu to much faster speeds.

No point getting the cpu, m/b and gfx card and skimping on the memory,
so I'd go with at least 2Gb memory, matched pair. (Its worth buying a
good make, eg: Crucial, Corsiar, Kingston, etc).

This is exactly the sort of gaming PC rig I'm thinking of building
myself in the next month or so...

8-)

> The video card department is a bit touchy, since
> there seem to be almost religious feelings involved with some people as to
> which GPU manufacturer to prefer, ATI or Nvidia. Personally i went for
> Nvidia the last couple of cards and am very happy with the hardware as well
> as the driver support. I know this is all more vague than you probably have
> hoped for, but I'm still enjoxing my sims on an AMD 3700+ on DFI board and
> GF6800GT AGP card andh a gig of ram.

Good advice PG.

I just recently upgraded my system to the following:

Intel Core2 Duo E6600 ( overclocked to 3.15 ghz)
Zalman 9700 NT cooler
EVGA 680i mb ( great mb if you are into overclocking)
2 gb Corsair Extreme PC8500 DDR2 ram ( running at 1066 mhz 5-5-5-15 timing)
BFG 8800 GTS 640 mb video card ( overclocked version)

I have had the mb, processor, and ram running for about 9-10 weeks now, just
recently upgraded the video card from a Radeon X850XT in the last couple of
weeks.

I have been extremely pleased so far with this system. I was very reluctant
to spend the money on the 8800 GTS, as typical I would not spend that much
on a graphics card, but I do not regret doing so now.
Not bad timing to pick up a Core2 Duo, prices just dropped recently, that
6600 sells for about 80 bucks less now than what I gave for it couple of
months ago.


--
Don


"PG" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'd say the Nvidia 8600GTS or if you can afford it the 8800GTS are
> fantastic GFX cards at the moment. The 8800GTX is even faster, but IMHO is
> just too expensive now, but when the price eventually comes down they will
> be better value.
>
> An Intel Core 2 Duo cpu (get the 4mb cache ones, not the 2mb cache, eg:
> the e6600 and higher spec), and with a decent M/B (Asus P5B or Gigabyte GA
> 965P or Abit AB9) you can overclock the cpu to much faster speeds.
>
> No point getting the cpu, m/b and gfx card and skimping on the memory, so
> I'd go with at least 2Gb memory, matched pair. (Its worth buying a good
> make, eg: Crucial, Corsiar, Kingston, etc).
>
> This is exactly the sort of gaming PC rig I'm thinking of building myself
> in the next month or so...
>
> 8-)
>
>> The video card department is a bit touchy, since there seem to be almost
>> religious feelings involved with some people as to which GPU manufacturer
>> to prefer, ATI or Nvidia. Personally i went for Nvidia the last couple of
>> cards and am very happy with the hardware as well as the driver support.
>> I know this is all more vague than you probably have hoped for, but I'm
>> still enjoxing my sims on an AMD 3700+ on DFI board and GF6800GT AGP card
>> andh a gig of ram.
>

Don Burnette wrote:
> Good advice PG.
>
> I just recently upgraded my system to the following:
>
> Intel Core2 Duo E6600 ( overclocked to 3.15 ghz)
> Zalman 9700 NT cooler
> EVGA 680i mb ( great mb if you are into overclocking)
> 2 gb Corsair Extreme PC8500 DDR2 ram ( running at 1066 mhz 5-5-5-15 timing)
> BFG 8800 GTS 640 mb video card ( overclocked version)
>
> I have had the mb, processor, and ram running for about 9-10 weeks now, just
> recently upgraded the video card from a Radeon X850XT in the last couple of
> weeks.
>
> I have been extremely pleased so far with this system. I was very reluctant
> to spend the money on the 8800 GTS, as typical I would not spend that much
> on a graphics card, but I do not regret doing so now.
> Not bad timing to pick up a Core2 Duo, prices just dropped recently, that
> 6600 sells for about 80 bucks less now than what I gave for it couple of
> months ago.
>
>

That gives me a starting point.

Thanks to all that helped!!

Well, I just couldn't resist any longer (been 2 years since I built my
last pc) so I ordered my Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 cpu, 2Gb Crucial
Ballistix DDR2 ram, nVidia 8800GTS card, 350Mb SATAII HD, Arctic 7 Pro
cooler, and an Abit AB9 Pro (wifi) MB.

Can't wait till its delivered and I can get my grubby little hands on it
all....

Oh and how great is GTR2, TOCA3, GTL. MS Flight Sim, and of course GPL
gonna look and play on this rig...

All ordered from overclockers.uk for the princely sum of £600.00 (an
absolute bargain)!

8-)

Yes, I am feeling very smug at the moment....

"pg" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I just couldn't resist any longer (been 2 years since I built my
> last pc) so I ordered my Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 cpu, 2Gb Crucial
> Ballistix DDR2 ram, nVidia 8800GTS card, 350Mb SATAII HD, Arctic 7 Pro
> cooler, and an Abit AB9 Pro (wifi) MB.
>
> Can't wait till its delivered and I can get my grubby little hands on it
> all....
>
> Oh and how great is GTR2, TOCA3, GTL. MS Flight Sim, and of course GPL
> gonna look and play on this rig...
>
> All ordered from overclockers.uk for the princely sum of £600.00 (an
> absolute bargain)!
>
> 8-)
>
> Yes, I am feeling very smug at the moment....

Been about 4 years for me, but I just (got permission and) ordered my 6600
and all the other goodies for a new build today, but I went with an X1950XT.
I don't plan on jumping to Vista for a while, and by the time that happens
the 8800 will be a bottom of the line DX-10 card. I'm SO ready for a new
game PC!!!

"Mike" > wrote in message
...
>
> "pg" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well, I just couldn't resist any longer (been 2 years since I built
>> my
>> last pc) so I ordered my Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 cpu, 2Gb Crucial
>> Ballistix DDR2 ram, nVidia 8800GTS card, 350Mb SATAII HD, Arctic 7
>> Pro
>> cooler, and an Abit AB9 Pro (wifi) MB.
>>
>> Can't wait till its delivered and I can get my grubby little hands on
>> it
>> all....
>>
>> Oh and how great is GTR2, TOCA3, GTL. MS Flight Sim, and of course
>> GPL
>> gonna look and play on this rig...
>>
>> All ordered from overclockers.uk for the princely sum of £600.00 (an
>> absolute bargain)!
>>
>> 8-)
>>
>> Yes, I am feeling very smug at the moment....
>
> Been about 4 years for me, but I just (got permission and) ordered my
> 6600
> and all the other goodies for a new build today, but I went with an
> X1950XT.
> I don't plan on jumping to Vista for a while, and by the time that
> happens
> the 8800 will be a bottom of the line DX-10 card. I'm SO ready for a
> new
> game PC!!!
>
Just finishing up my new build. E6600 on an Asus P5N32-SLI and a couple
of 8800 GTXs in SLI. The system is liquid cooled and almost completely
silent. The two 8800s have a heat-pipe and squirell cage fan cooling
system that is extremely quiet and, luckily, I won't need water cooling
there. They are both the eVGA Superclocked versions. I hope to install
XP sometime this evening. I am going to wait awhile before doing the
Vista thing. It has some major problems with SLI right now so I will
just hang on awhile before going that direction.

Ed
>
>