The Official Budget-Conscious Dream Machine!

That doesn't surprise me. The 8800 Ultra is about equal to the 9800GTX. Advantages being 768MB of memory and the 384-bit bus. It only makes sense that it would scale better with multiple cards. Though, I could be wrong and it could be something completely different. Do you have an article for reference?

Something interesting that caught my eye. The new Palit Sonic cards. OC'd, aftermarket cooling, awesome cooler design. Anyone looking to spend some money on some nice cards, check out the Sonics. Here's one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814261001

They offer 1GB cards too for those with huge monitors like sammorris.

 

I used to have one. A 1GB 8800GT. Pretty good right right there. Overclocked pretty good and that was a decent cooler.

That was my card when I sold my computer.

 

Was it the Palit Sonic? If so, then we have the same tastes I was really tempted to blow the extra and get the 8800GTS Sonic

 

Yup Palit 8800GT 1GB Sonic edition. Lol looks like we both do have the same tastes.

I just got another Smilodon in for another build. This time I took off the LED fan that's in front of the CPU and put it in the VGA duct(the CPU cooler I bought is so big it wont fit with the fan these). Then I took the fan from the vga duct thingy and I put it behind the hdd rack thing.

 

As nice as that cooler is the only stock cooler that's in my allow list currently is this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121217

I undervolted the stock fan with no modifications to it to 6V and my idle temp is 37C and load temp is 62C. Read it and weep folks - that little cooler there surpasses anything I've seen on a video card to date. The noise level? Well, if I turn all my other fans off and shut my hard disks down, it's still inaudible at more than 2 inches.

 

@Abuzar1, Nice use of proper terms ;P

Yeah, sounds like a solid little rig you have planned. I know you can build 'em with the best

Just made the order Saturday, so I should be seeing everything around Wednesday or Thursday. It's a big order so I expect multiple boxes...

I was also seriously considering a 3870, but performance wouldn't be much better in most games. The 512MB was what I was looking for though. If I hadn't found that 8800GTS I would've been an ATi man again

 

To be honest, you're better off with an 8800GTS than an HD3870. The 4800 series will be another matter though. If Asus make one with that cooler again I shall be buying.

 

Agreed. The performance is just plain higher. I hope the 4850/4870s are fast. I might also be purchasing one if the prices are right. I'm going to just wait for a while and see what the prices even out to.

 

Yeah, I'll be keeping a close eye on them.

 

I can't wait either. I hope they extremely out perform EVERYTHING out there, so it will be a great upgrade when I finally build a computer for myself with a Nehalem Quad Core and one of these new cards!

 

by next month ill have £350 free.

so do i get an antec 1200 and a 4870, or a 24" screen and a 4850?

(or look for a cheap second hand 8800GTX with the screen)

 

If you're going to get a 24" monitor, do it right, and don't get a cheap crappy acer one. If it was one of those you were considering, go for the case instead.

 

I say Monitor and video card.

What kind of case do you have right now?

 

An Akasa Zen, the £20 one...

 

yep sadly

or i could mod it, and paint it etc. and do the case/video.


but if i do go for 24", and 8800GTX.


i gues ill see in july then.

but it will mostly likely be a TN film 24"

i could scrape £400, which would allow me £150/and £250 for gfx and monitor. or £100/£300 for antec/4870/and p45 mobo.

 

The case seems fine to me. Also what's the difference between P35 and P45?

 

Remember, you can always buy more stuff later. When I got my 8800GTX, I was stuck on a 17" LCD for a few months. As it seems, you could use a new video card the most. Your 3GHz Core 2 Duo is enough to push a high-end video card so I see no advantage getting a new mobo right now if you planned to OC more.

If you're going to be using a 24" monitor, I'd recommend an 8800GTS over the more expensive 8800GTX. Most games won't give you any trouble. If you want to go ATi, wait until the 4850 gets here and see what performance is like.

I'd put priority as:

1) Video Card
2) Monitor
3) Case

 

yeah your right m8. i guess ill buy a holesaw and mod my case (not forgetting the paint and primer

im deffo gonna put pics of that up


ok so 4850 and 24" TN film montior for me by july. cant wait.

 

Case modding can be quite fun - and it's not as if you're risking much with an expensive case - go nuts!

 

yeah, £30 case

i wonder how much the paint, primer and holesaws and sander (for the edge of the holes i cut), and the window will cost?

what would i use to cut the window out?