Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: MatthewPapa on September 12, 2005, 10:30:01 pm
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Well, $1k worth of upgrades later....
New system specs
AMD X2 4400+ @ 2.65 Ghz
256 mb BFG 7800GT @480mhz
1 gig of ram
DFI Lanparty SLI-DR
These X2's are just simply incredible! If you have the means, I highly recommend that you get your hands on one. Ive already overclocked it 250mhz with no effort and stock cooling and it runs great! Windows boots in like 8 seconds, encodings that took hours before now only take minutes. Good stuff.
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Well damn.
Hope you've got that thing hooked up to a decent monitor.
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You're just a bit ahead of me:
AMD A64 3500+
MSI NX6800GT-TD256
1GB Mushkin Blue (2-3-3-6 @ 200 MHz)
Lite-On 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer
250GB Hitachi 7K250
Soundblaster Audigy 2 Value (evil)
What cooling did you put on the processor? Stock, Zalman, Thermalright, or something else?
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Originally posted by Grey Wolf
You're just a bit ahead of me:
AMD A64 3500+
MSI NX6800GT-TD256
1GB Mushkin Blue (2-3-3-6 @ 200 MHz)
Lite-On 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer
250GB Hitachi 7K250
Soundblaster Audigy 2 Value (evil)
What cooling did you put on the processor? Stock, Zalman, Thermalright, or something else?
stock, models 4400+ and up come with the FX cooler. It is working quite well for a stock hsf. The temps are 31 C idle and 44 C under load, which are pretty good. I really havent experimented much with overclocking (just got my stuff yesterday), but I hope to reach 2.7 eventually.
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:nervous:
*Flees*
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I've given up on overclocking for the moment. I may reconsider it when games actually start catching up to my hardware.
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Meh... im still lackin in all departments... my laptop is better than my desktop. im recyling older hardware on a good motherboard cause of money issues. if i had the dough id be up there too *****es lol
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MatthewPapa, your system seriously needs another 1 GB RAM. 1 GB is by now usually recommended by latest games while 512 MB is the bare minimum. I hope you got your X2 4400+ cheap because 4200+ and above are overly priced. Other than that, your system should be able to keep up next 2 years or so.
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Nice OC there. Most X2's top around 2.5ghz, so it looks like you got a very good sample. :yes: Another gig of memory would definitely be a better choice though.
I've given up on overclocking for the moment. I may reconsider it when games actually start catching up to my hardware.
I dunno, I've got a similar configuration and most modern games bring it to its knees with medium-high resolutions or AA, even though an OC has provided a nice boost.
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Nothing except cutting edge FPSs and mass hordes in RTSs can provoke any slowdown.
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Depends on what you call cutting edge. The major FPSs after mid-2004 will only go up to 1280x960 without AA smoothly, and that's with the overclock.
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X2 is the dual core beauty isn't it?
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vyper: Yes.
CP: So, which games are you talking about in particular? I ran HL2 at 1280x1024 with some light FSAA with no problems.
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HL2 is the one and only exception, working well at 1600x1200 (or 1280x960 with 4xAA), but none of the other games can do that, and in my opinion it doesn't look anywhere near as good as the rest anyway. Doom 3, Far Cry and SCCT are all stuck at 1280x960 (1024x768 in the latter two if HDR is on), as are several other new games judging from the benchmarks on hardware sites. This is all with the video card overclock taken into account; at stock speeds 1024x768 would be the standard for me, as 1280x960 struggles a bit.
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To think that I'll have a watercooled version of that system in a few weeks time...
I assume you meant GF7800GTX, Matthew? Or is that GT custom-overclocked?
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There's 2 7800 models out. The 24 pipeline GTX, and the 20 pipeline GT. This is as compared to the 6800GT, with it's 16 pipelines.
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Yeah, but GTs don't usually run at 480MHz.
... do they?
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He overclocked it.
Next question?
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My games never drop below a gazillion frames a second, never have any jaggies, never get texture smearing, and look absolutely photorealistic.
Gawd I love real life. :D
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I'm sorry, Sandwich. That's not a question. Also, check your PMs.
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Originally posted by vyper
X2 is the dual core beauty isn't it?
Yes, yes, it is. Ive never bought a processor that has impressed me this much before.
@everyone I overcocked my vid card. Why get a GTX for like @150-200 more when the GT it basically the same thing when it comes down to core componets? I just open up rivatuner and make a few adjustments.... viola, GTX!
Here is what I payed for everything, just as a benchmark. Over and all I think I got pretty good deals on everything. I would have gotten the 4200+ but Ive heard such great things about the toledo core (overclocking etc) that I went ahead and paid the extra $70. Like I said: if you have the means I highly suggest suggest you get your hands on one of these new X2s.
X2 4400+ $540
DFI Board $149
BGF 7800GT $374
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Well, you probley have my new laptop overpowered, got it yesterday.
P4 3.0 GHZ
512mb of ram"not for long";)
X600 Radeon 256mb of ram
But, I can take mine with me.;7
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Originally posted by MatthewPapa
Yes, yes, it is. Ive never bought a processor that has impressed me this much before.
@everyone I overcocked my vid card. Why get a GTX for like @150-200 more when the GT it basically the same thing when it comes down to core componets? I just open up rivatuner and make a few adjustments.... viola, GTX!
Here is what I payed for everything, just as a benchmark. Over and all I think I got pretty good deals on everything. I would have gotten the 4200+ but Ive heard such great things about the toledo core (overclocking etc) that I went ahead and paid the extra $70. Like I said: if you have the means I highly suggest suggest you get your hands on one of these new X2s.
X2 4400+ $540
DFI Board $149
BGF 7800GT $374
You got the extra four pipes unlocked?
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Originally posted by MatthewPapa
Yes, yes, it is. Ive never bought a processor that has impressed me this much before.
@everyone I overcocked my vid card.
I bet that hurt.
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The disabled quad on the 7800 GT can't be unlocked like the 6800. The number of active pipes is hardcoded into the core, so a workaround is unlikely to be found. I guess nvidia caught on to the unlocking thing. :(
Actually, I don't think the 7800 GT is that great of a buy when you're spending so much anyway, as the GTX offers substantially better performance for about $100 more. GTXs can be had for $470 now and the situation is quite different than it was with the 6800 GT and Ultra, where the Ultras were always basically ripoffs. I would have gotten a X2 3800 (on average, the Manchesters overclock just as well as the Toledos, although you got a really good one) and a GTX, which would yield much better gaming performance.
I bet that hurt.
lol :D :D
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I would have gotten a Manchester and a 7800GT. But I was impatient. So my upgrade path is at a wall (My motherboard is based upon the K8T800 Pro chipset, which means I can actually upgrade my processor to an X2, but the only thing faster than my 6800GT that's compatible is the Ultra).
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I have a board with the same chipset and am in a similar situation. The X850XTPE is actually a good bit faster, but still wouldn't be enough of an upgrade to be worth the cost. I am just going to wait it out until the end of the year.
ATI had said a while ago that the X1800 cards would all be in AGP, but the specs have been more or less confirmed now and they don't look very impressive, although I will wait for the benchmarks.
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They're basically the X800 series on steroids.
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Originally posted by CP5670
The disabled quad on the 7800 GT can't be unlocked like the 6800. The number of active pipes is hardcoded into the core, so a workaround is unlikely to be found. I guess nvidia caught on to the unlocking thing. :(
Actually, I don't think the 7800 GT is that great of a buy when you're spending so much anyway, as the GTX offers substantially better performance for about $100 more. GTXs can be had for $470 now and the situation is quite different than it was with the 6800 GT and Ultra, where the Ultras were always basically ripoffs. I would have gotten a X2 3800 (on average, the Manchesters overclock just as well as the Toledos, although you got a really good one) and a GTX, which would yield much better gaming performance.
Well I do a lot of encoding so the extra processor performance (ghz and cache) really pays off, otherwise I would have gotten the 3800+. I guess can always buy another 7800GT when they get cheaper and SLI them for a little extra life. However, according to the benchmarks Ive seen, the 4400+ outperforms the X2 3800+ by sometimes significant margins in singlethreaded apps and games. That is the primary reason I went 4400, I wanted dual core capability without sacraficing singlethreaded performance. Granted that the 3800's singlethreaded performance isnt bad, its just not as much as i need/want.
BTW this FX cooler that comes with the upper X2s is really great! My X2 runs cooler overclocked than my AMD XP did normally on a good day. Right now my mobo is like 10 degrees hotter than my processor which is rather odd, but I guess its good.
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That's quite possibly a miscalibrated temperature sensor.
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Well I do a lot of encoding so the extra processor performance (ghz and cache) really pays off, otherwise I would have gotten the 3800+. I guess can always buy another 7800GT when they get cheaper and SLI them for a little extra life. However, according to the benchmarks Ive seen, the 4400+ outperforms the X2 3800+ by sometimes significant margins in singlethreaded apps and games. That is the primary reason I went 4400, I wanted dual core capability without sacraficing singlethreaded performance. Granted that the 3800's singlethreaded performance isnt bad, its just not as much as i need/want.
BTW this FX cooler that comes with the upper X2s is really great! My X2 runs cooler overclocked than my AMD XP did normally on a good day. Right now my mobo is like 10 degrees hotter than my processor which is rather odd, but I guess its good.
oh, if you need to do encoding then yeah, the 4400 is probably a good option. There aren't really any major differences in games though. The processor tests are usually done at unrealistically low resolutions and only on average framerates to highlight the differences. It seems that framerates at video card limited settings peak around 2.2ghz on A64s and the cache gives another 1-3% boost overall.
I've heard good things about that FX cooler too. That's the one with the four heatpipes, right? It looks quite beefy especially for a stock heatsink, although it could probably benefit from a larger fan.
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Like the sort of fan the XP-120 takes? :p
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Something like this (http://www.frozencpu.com/fan-88.html) would be even better, as would be any 20" table fan. :D
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Oh... my... ghod...
Now I wish I wasn't switching to watercooling. OK, so large fans are noisy, but DAMN do they look cool.
Come to think of it, the circular panel cutout on the side of the Stacker would probably fit that fan quite nicely.
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This is more along my taste:
(http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/z9500/front.jpg)
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Oh... my... ghod...
Now I wish I wasn't switching to watercooling. OK, so large fans are noisy, but DAMN do they look cool.
Come to think of it, the circular panel cutout on the side of the Stacker would probably fit that fan quite nicely
yeah, big fans like that have a coolness factor to them. :D
You know, what is the purpose of that mesh screen? I thought it was for mounting exceptionally huge fans like that one, but it looks like there is only a slot for an 80mm fan in the center by default.
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I think it muffles noise. Not sure though, because I haven't started actually building the system yet. Still waiting for my waterblocks and power tools.
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Damn. SPCR blocked my image link.