Ok, so I am wanting to create a whole new computer now after having this one for 4 years. The thing is I'm not real sure about things any more. I used to be on top of the new technology but I kind of left it alone for a while and now I don't really know what the hell is going on. I picked some parts and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions or anything on this build. Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130160 or http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?modelmenu=1&model=1930&l1=3&l2=149&l3=591&l4=0 Cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...91&Tpk=AMD Phenom X4 9950 Quad Core Processor Memory: No clue yet I really need help with that Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768 Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371012 Heatsink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103047 HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152100 Thermal compound will be Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM. Please let me know of the bottlenecks in this build because I really have no clue of what I'm doing anymore. My goal for this computer is to run games like Crysis and other games on the highest possible settings. One last thing....are physics processors viable yet like AGEIA PhysX?
PhysX cards fell when nvidia bought them out, PhysX is now integrated into the better nvidia graphics cards, but realistically, the system is hardly used outside 3dmark Vantage. Since you're a gamer, you are definitely out of the loop if you think AMD are the best company for CPUs. Sadly, at least at the moment, that's not the case at all. Crysis Warhead can only be played on Intel CPUs at the highest setting as the AMDs simply aren't powerful enough, even when overclocked. Here's what I'd get instead of the Phenom and board you chose: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041 I'd recommend this RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197 You've chosen an excellent graphics card and a good HDD, but the PSU and CPU cooler could be better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379007 http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=185&products_id=24734 Have you already got a good case and CD Drive?
Yea as I said I hadn't payed attention to the new computer technology coming out during that 4 year period thx for the help on that. Never used a case it's just open and I never use CDs anymore either. A question about the video card I chose...I won't have to crossfire anytime soon if I have that one right. Would that just be going overboard? Also would vista be appropriate or should I still stick with xp for now?
Open? I don't understand. You just have all the parts laid out on a table like this? http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e265/philly_boy/Swiftech Challenge/Wed-test-bed.jpg You will not need to do anything with that graphics card for a long time. Not only does adding another in crossfire give you very small gains, it's totally unnecessary, one 4870X2 can play pretty much any game maxed out at 2560x1600. I personally prefer XP as it has far fewer problems, but there are others that will tell you vista is better. Personal choice really.
Yea they are all kind of just laying out like that lol. I think I'll probably go with vista though because aren't games starting to require that you have vista installed?
DX10 requires Vista. So you can play a game at DX9 with anything else. Actually, you can download DX10 (unofficially) for Windows XP/2000 and XP64. The RAM does not officially support 32 bit OS (probably the other way around really since 32 bit OS cannot use more than 4GB of memory). So if you have an issue and you have to RMA, make sure you tell them you run Vista 64 or XP 64. If you say you run a 32 bit OS, it will void the Warranty.
^^^ That sucks. Especially now that they are already working on Windows 7, so once everyone "upgrades" then they will say DX11 is part of Windows 7 and Vista will no longer be supported... Luckily we have people that release unofficial versions of some things otherwise, it is unfair. Especially with OS, since they are so expensive and it is not like you are getting anything new (on the surface). @Brice8989, You will need a 64 bit OS of some type in order to use all of your hardware to max potential. The CPU is not a big deal as that will run fine on a 32 bit OS, but the RAM and graphics card may be an issue. You will lose 2GB of memory minimum somewhere in your system. Since 32 bit OS can only use 4GB (probably a little less than 4GB), the system may use only 3GB of RAM and limit the GPU to 1GB or do some type of weird memory management where when the GPU is used, system memory drops to 2GB. Sammorris, please correct me if I am wrong about the memory allocation because I am not sure if it is 4GB total system wide or just the RAM. The way I am figuring is: 2^32 = 4,294,967,296 = 4GB and I am using this number for the entire system.
JaguarGod: I have never heard of that, I highly doubt it is the case. You can't void warranty on RAM depending on what operating system you use, as there is no chance of you damaging it by doing this. Your calculation is correct, but XP forces 3.25GB of memory allocation to your system regardless.
Yea I just found http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 Ok, so this looks like the new build this look good to everyone? I always hear a computer is only as fast as its slowest part. So my goal is to have everything equal here let me know if there's anything else that needs to be changed. (Besides buying a 1,500$ Intel CPU lol) GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768 HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152100 PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379007 RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197 CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041 Cooler: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=185&products_id=24734 MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359
The 32 bit OS voiding the warranty is written inside of the booklet that comes with the RAM. I'll post a picture tonight, but here is exactly what it says: Personally, I think it is saying that the RAM cannot be replaced under warranty because as you said, there is no way that the RAM will be damaged in a 32bit system. I am just interpreting it as a worst case scenario. "Not supported" could mean that the warranty is void, or that the warranty remains, but only for issues not related to OS memory allocation. @Brice8989, Very nice build!! Just make sure whatever case you are using will have room fit your heatsink.
Makes sense, presumably it's to stop people wanting to send the Ram back because they don't see all 4 gigs... There's no issue with this RAM in a 32-bit OS, because I use it.
Yeah that's probably it, I just don't like the way it is worded. Here's the photo anyways so you can see exactly what it says:
Oh, ok that does seem like it voids the warranty but no worries I'll be getting vista anyway. Thanks a lot for the help guys I'll be ordering all this soon.
Ok, I've already got half my computer now the rest is already ordered and headed here. I'm starting to rethink the case situation though. If I decide to buy a case do any of you know what case would fit all these big parts in it?
Ok, I've got the computer together now and I've got to say it is amazing. I've got Crysis on highest settings and everything with no stutters but there's one problem. On the newer games like Crysis and Assassins Creed, after playing for a few minutes I'll get sent to a black screen and my computer crashes. It does it on Far Cry 2 single player too but not the multiplayer. On older games this doesn't happen like Devil May Cry 4 or world of warcraft. Although Fallout 3 isn't old it doesn't do it on that game either. I'm wondering is it my video card or what? Do I just need to wait for updates from the ATI drivers or is it a problem on my side with something else?
See that's what I thought it was at first too. I moved the fan speed up to 70% and it stays around 39C before it was at 40% and 43C.
