I am in the process of building a new PC for another head first plunge into MMO gaming. I have managed to stay away from the MMORPG world since a two year, 12 hour per day, pack on thirty pounds, binge of Asheron's Call back in '99 which I have only recently fully recovered from. Now that I'm back.... I have read all the recent posts regarding the building of this price-point PC so I am generally aware of many of the forum member's likes and dislikes and have used those comments along with some research of my own to compile this list. As I have been away from the latest and greatest for a few years, any words about compatability, places I can improve performance and stability, or general hints about what might be desirable beyond what I list below would be greatly appreciated. Here's what I am considering as my new rig. CASE)Sunbeam UFO ACUF-HUVB UV Blue Clear Acrylic ATX Cube Computer Case (Half the fun is building/admiring) CHIP) Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core HD) Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS 300GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s MOBO) ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard VIDEO CARD) XFX PVT88GYDF4 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported POWER SUPPLY) CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 RAM) CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) SOUND CARD) Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 70SB104000000 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface I know all this barely comes to $1500 but I plan on getting silly with the monitor.... After much consideration I think I will go with Vista/64 for future compatability. Are there any incompatability problems here or anything I have selected that will give me the "I wish I hadn't done this" feeling? I know much of this has been discussed and I apologize for being redundant. Thanks for your comments and guidance.
Instead of getting a 8800GTS, get one or two 4850s. Also for the case, I would recommend this instead. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156078 Everything else looks great! If you ever want good deals on monitors let me know.
The list is fine, with the exception of the pretty piss poor case, the Raidmax case Abuzar posted is better for cooling (looks are your preference, but a case has to do its job too), or better still (remember these are high quality components you have to cool) one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146047 You should also use this graphics card, not the 8800GTS. It's significantly faster, less power hungry, etc. etc. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747 or alternatively if you're willing to wait a short while, you could go for an HD4870 instead for even better performance. Hell, if you're going all out, get two HD4850s for incredible performance. If you're going for a 24" or 30" monitor as your post suggests, you'll need the extra graphical muscle. Out of curiosity, which MMO's this for, Age of Conan?
Thanks for the suggestions. The case is obviously a novelty and one I probably won't be able to pull the trigger on. I just thought it was a great idea conceptually. Anyway, two HD4850's is a great suggestion and one I was thinking about, considering I will be going with a 24" at minimum, probably in tandem with a 19". Is there a mobo that is best for running two Graphics cards like that? Is there any stability issues with that setup? Is this the 'SLI' problem I read about? I may try Conan, LOTR, WoW and some of the others I've missed but I will mainly focus on Eve while waiting for the next sandbox MMO that I can get into from Beta.
Wait for Warhammer online then? As for the GPUs, to run a game at top settings at 1920x1200, crossfire would be ideal, though a single HD4850 would suffice if you're willing to run on high, but not top settings. With regard to the case, just be aware that getting a proper case is not just a novelty, it's necessary to cool high end components sufficiently - HD4850s particularly need decent case ventilation, which a lot of cases like the one you've selected don't provide.
About your concern for dual graphics setup, just get a decent X38 or X48 motherboard. Someting like the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4, ASUS P5E, or Asus Rampage Formula. There are many more out there that work great, this is just a small list. That case just wont do it. Both the cases Sam and I suggested have side fans. This is important because the 4850 spits warm air back into the case. The side fan will exhaust this air so it doesn't make your other components run hot.
Yea, Warhammer online is definetly on my short list. (I've played warhammer miniatures for years with my neighbors.) I meant to say " I know that particular case is a novelty". Which Crossfire Mobo would you suggest if I went HD4850 x2? Is there any stability issues I should balance against the extra performance?
My original point still stands. The case in your initial list is rubbish - change it, or suffer. Don't mean to sound unkind, but that should be clear. I personally use a Gigabyte X38-DS4, any of gigabyte's boards featuring the X38 or X48 chipset are good. other contenders are the Asus P5E and Rampage Formula, or DFI's X48 offerings - the latter tend to be expensive though.
Abuzar1, My thinking as far as that case went was to do some fabrication of fan holes, etc., to get the airflow and temps right. Of course, practicality ends up taking over, and I suppose I will probably go with the NZXT.
That's a good idea, that NZXT case is pretty damn good for cooling. Wish I bought that instead of the RC 690!
You are more than welcome to mod any case for extra airflow, but modern PCs want 120mm fans for good airflow, and cutting such sizable chunks out of cases often doesn't do wonders for their appearance or structural integrity - you will save time, risk and probably not lose much money in going with a proper case to start with. Don't forget there are other cases than the tempest out there, I have one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146038 These cases also cool quite well, and are slightly cheaper.
Sammorris, I hear you on the case. I suppose I just needed someone to tell me it was a stupid idea. So the Asus Rampage Formula is a good choice if I am going with two HD4850s? Any advantage to the Gigabyte X38 in this setup? Finally, if you had to say there was a weak link in this rig what would it be? Should I upgrade the processor? Go with a Corsair 1000W power supply? Proc)Intel q9450 HD) Velociraptor 300gb 10000RPM MoBo) Asus Rampage Formula or Gigabyte X-38 DS-4 PS) Corsair 620W Ram) CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB 1066 GPU) 2x HD4850
The Gigabyte board is cheaper, so it's the advantages you're looking for from the Asus board. The Rampage doesn't offer advantages in build quality, but it gives you more freedom with overclocking - if you're not an extreme overclocker, you may as well save money and get the Gigabyte. There really is no weak link in any of those parts.
Overclocking wasn't really anything I was into before but I am sure I will want to have the ability to be as flexible as possible with that aspect once I get up and running. Thanks for all the info. As with all the posts I've read here you have been very helpful. Thanks a ton. Thanks to you as well Abuzar1.
A final note worth mentioning, boards like the X48-DS4 will certainly not be limiting with overclocks, my X38-DS4 has let me overclock my CPU a full 75% without issue, but the Rampage just has little extra nicities to squeeze those last few mhz out of the chip.
Ok, so there's really not much difference generally speaking. Though I will probably overclock I wont be concerned with those last few MHZ. What CPU cooler and case fans would you suggest with noise and performance in mind?
Yeah the Gigabytes will also overclock EXTREMELY well. The Rampage Formula just lets you fine tune it more. The Gigabyte is a great choice. As for the CPU cooler, I would recommend the Xigamatek HDT-1283 as long as you get this for it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 Or you can ask them to send you one for free. They might do that.
Yeah it is. The cooler normally comes with push pins, which are HORRIBLE. I used that cooler with push pins, it almost made my cry it was that hard to put on.
Rofl - it's alright. When I changed my motherboard I had a retarded moment where I couldn't figure out how to put the slideplate over my Ultra-120A again to put the cooler back - I also nearly cried as I was home alone for a few days so nobody else would be able to figure it out and help me - so I'd have no PC! Fortunately after about half an hour I managed to get it on, but I still have no idea how I did it...
