The (new) Official PC building thread!

@NINVIN21

After some searching there seems to be people that have in fact replaced the motherboard in the Dimension 3000 with another uATX board, with a ASUS P4P800-VM to be exact. So in regards to your question, of it being a true uATX or not, I would say it is.

As for case options you can get mini towers/ micro towers as long as they support the uATX(mATX) form factor as there is also a uBTX(mBTX) sized board out there. Also since your existing board most likely doesn't have a video card slot you can go with something slim too.

but here is an example of what you could get:

Check out svc.com for it.

@BigDK

you can also check out these stores too:

atacom.com
ajump.com

 

Thank You BigDK that looks great. I go t question about motherboard, does it support sli? The thing i would like to do is get an sli motherboard and put 1 graphic card (i dont know if it is possible if i need to put 2 cards right away?) and in the future upgrade to second graphic card?.I know that 8800's are SLI enabled, so for now GeForce 8800GTS 320MB is gonna be enough. But if i would like to have sli motherboard im gonna need more powerfull power supplie? For hard drives 300GB 7,200rpm would be enough for storage, but i would like to get a 2 more hard drives 1,000 rpm. 1 for Windows, and other for games, but im not sure witch one are good (i have see raptors allmost everywhere). I agree with the floppy, everyone needs floppy Optical drives are ok.

 

PSZCZOLL
ya u dont need to have 2 Video Cards from the beginning, you can add one later. ya u will need a bit higher PSU nt much though, its nt like ur running a 8800 GTX in SLI.

 

OK so now im happy.Im gonna take 8800 GTS. and in future put another one . but can i put 8800 GTS and 8800 GTX in sli? . or it need to be 2 of 8800 GTS ?

 

Nt sure bout this Bt U definetely need 2 same cards. Bt i aint sure....
Better let Greensman or LP531 or 6spdSER or Big DK anwser this

 

First off why would you want to put a GTS and a GTX together. j/k buddy. I'm pretty sure the cards have to be the same all the way around. ;-)

@6spdSER,
Thanks for adding the other online stores. ;-)

...gm

 

O ok . im asking because i got an example of 7900GT and 7900GTX in the SLI mode those two cards work great in sli . its GT and GTX. Im wondering. i know that when u got two cards in sli mode u use memory only from first card. so if i would put 8800 GTS 320MB and (in the future when maybe card is gonna be cheaper) 8800 GTX 768MB wich memory im gonna use . does it depends in witch slot im gonna put particular card?.


The question about top grapghic cards . Does ATI Got something better than Nvidia's 8800?

 

OK you've gone beyond me. :S

I'll let one of the other guys tackle this.

.....gm

 

Oh yaah Comfirmed, You need 2 same graphics Card to run in SLI mode.

 

Ok Thank You
What do You think. Witch one of those combos is worth!?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...SubCategory=48&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

 

I understand your concern and I wouldn't have mentioned it but this is newegg.com and I trust their service and products. I also found the parts that you may need for the mobo if they don't come with them. I know this may set you back a few days but it may be worth the change in mobo's and quality you get for your money. JM2C here.

link to ASUS parts list for A8N5X

Just something to consider. ;-)
Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't come with the I/O plate and maybe the driver CD. I think you can dl those anyway. Anyone with more experience kick in here. TIA for that.

ok i will think about it but in the mean time who is another good motherboard company?

 

@pszczoll

Sli mode can indeed be ran with two different versions of a card, however, they must be the same core. (i.e. G70 core with another G70 core). However, like your example of the 7900GT and GTX...the two will run at the speeds of the slower card and/or disable the memory of one of the cards. Which is why you believe that in SLi mode only one of the cards memory is being used.

So with your question about running a 8800GTS with possibly a GTX in the future...it could work but keep in mind that if Nvidia makes a revision or uses a new core...you'll be out of luck..let alone you may be stuck using only the 320MB instead of the 768MB.

I'm not too certain if it works the same way with ATI cards, but models prior to the x1900 series required at least one "Crossfire" edition card to able to run in crossfire mode. But, from the x1900 series up that requirement is obsolete as long as you use the latest Catalyst drivers. (Can't remember which ones it began with but, the new ones work)

Also the bridge connector for Nvidia cards is no longer needed for SLi mode, with driver rev. 80.xx and higher. However, going SLi without the bridge will hamper the performance since the video data must now go through the motherboard's chipset. (i.e. video data -> chipset -> GPU1 -> Chipset -> GPU2 -> monitor) v.s. (video data -> chipset -> GPU1 & GPU2 -> monitor)
Of course this is a very simplified form of what really goes on, but I hope it helps.

Cheers!

 

Thank You 6spdSER.

So after that i think im gonna take one 8800 GTX on sli supported motherboard. that card is gonna be enough for a long time even if something is gonna change im gonna upgrade to 1 more 8800GTX so i think im ok for 3-4 years with graphic cards?.

 

pszczoll
The P5B is by default a Crossfire board not a native SLi board, but it will run any single Nvidia card with the latest official drivers from Nvidia.

It will also run SLi but to do so, you'd need to download and run the latest (at the time) unofficial SLi drivers, these are easily available to download and work perfectly.

The list I put together will run to about $1500 leaving you with $500 to add to components if desired.

You could go for a 8800GTX from the start this is unlikely to need to go SLi in the life time of the PC unless you use a serious sized monitor.

If it was me, I would either stick with the GTS, or consider an ATI X1950XTX which could then go Crossfire if desired but is not DX10, and then when ATI finally release the new cards, get one of those as they will be DX10 and will at least match the 8800 series cards and hopefully out perform them. You'll be able to sell the initial card on for only a small loss especially if you keep all the box and paperwork etc...

I can run my whole system on a 580W Hiper Type R PSU, that is the board, CPU OC'd to 3.6+, 7900GTX OC'd as well, X-Fi soundcard, 4x raptors, 2 x opticals, pump and 9 X 12cm fans (although I run the GPU on a seperate FSP Booster 300W PSU) as I said I can do it, I just don't.

Whichever supply you get, just get a good one, if you can spend more then do so, just make sure that it fits the case you end up with.
I've kept PSUs over many PC builds, my last 2 supplies have been in about 8 PC builds.

greensman
I'll definitely take that as a compliment, I respect Doc a lot and having chatted with him, realize we have a lot in common with our systems and approaches to builds and forums
The nearest I came to being a doctor though, was playing Drs and nurses (hats off to the real ones).

 

now im confused

 

I was posting the same time as you.
If you plan to go for a the 8800GTX then just go with it, you won't be disappointed.

The Nvidia GPUs do not suuport SLI on Intel chipset boards as standard. It is just because the correct software has not been written, the hardware is the same though PCI-E X 16.

This software issue only applies to SLi not stand alone running, so 1 8800GTX will run with whatever issue of Nvidia drivers you download from Nvidia's web site.

If you add another one, then it will need to run the driver software that has the correct code in to allow it to work in SLi on the Intel chipset boards.
Nvidia for some reason aren't going to write this software, so someone else in the www land has done it (unofficial).
Its the same software, but slightly altered to allow it to work on none Sli cert boards.
Its already being used by loads of people, its only drivers so won't do any harm, it just opens up the Intel chipset boards to SLi users.

You're other alternative to the 965 or 975 chipset boards, would be to go with the nforce 500-600 chipset boards, personally I wouldn't recommend anything but the 680i chipset, and then that is very expensive for the extra support it gives, and can be very hit and miss with the level of OC you'll get out of the board.

Hopefully this answers the confusion.

 

you will need the same card to run 2 in SLI

 

@ greensman

i think i may go with this board http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186059 instead of the opened box ASUS A8N5X board

 

i just want it to be something im gonna like . so now im gonna choose between. 8800 GTS 640MB.Thats gonna be on motherboard from the list that BigDK gave me. (it should work?).

Now hard drives . 1 250bg. same from list and i dont know about the raptors. is it better to get one 150gb? or two but smaller?.