OK, so after a lot of convincing Im going in for a gaming rig this weekend.. Ive finally decided the PS3 is simply junk when I compare it to a gaming rig.. I have all you afterdawners to thank for that So, heres my config: > Processor AMD Phenom X4 9650 2.3 Ghz > Motherboard ASUS M2N68-AM SE2 MB > Maxed out RAM > Least amount of HDD space I can get, cause Im tying to save up for a new LCD monitor, AND ive already got a 1 TB freeagent drive.. so, HUGE internal HDD is simply useless.. > Will buy the graphic card later on.. > Will buy an LCD monitor later on.. Will currently manage with VGA monitor I need your suggestions on whether or not the mobo ive chosen is good.. Also, > Do i get a mobo that supports HD? Is it worth it? > What would be the power supply I would need with this rig + a graphic card (mostly high end) > DDR2 OR DDR3? This mobo supports DDR 2.... > Should I be considering an SLI motherboard or a Crossfire mobo? Do these give any sort of performance increases (HUGE) as compared to a single graphic card?
So this is the stuff you already have, right? I would strongly recommend a new CPU if you can afford it, the 9650 is very slow and outdated for modern games. A new motherboard wouldn't hurt either really, the M2N68-AM is pretty poor. The PSU you need really depends on what graphics card you use. Whether you need a dual graphics board depends on budget. For anything less than about $900 for the PC you may as well not bother, single cards are fast enough these days.
Now I could be wrong but my guess is your better off saving period until you can afford a quality gaming rig all at once. You say your going to buy the video card later on, but the on board video for your mobo, any mobo for that matter, is not going to do much of anything for you. You also say "maxed out ram" which I assume you mean you want us to recommend the max ram available. On this set up, and most set ups, that means 4 GB of RAM on a 32 bit os and 8 GB on a 64 bit OS but in reality, you should do just fine on 4 GB. As for DDR 2 or DDR 3, that mobo only supports DDR2. Last but not least, Crosfire/SLI does offer some performance boost as it off sets certain tasks to each card giving you a boost, however, a single card, a single good card is all you really need. Hoped that help you understand things a bit better.
