Deciding Over Gpu

[That_Guy]

Hi all, first time builder with a bunch of Q's and no A's here.

 

Doing my first build mostly for games, and what i want is to get a well-balanced system for around 1500$

 

First, and what bothers me the most is: For the money i am ready to invest into GPU, should i get dual-sli EVGA 9800 GX2 (1Gb DDR3 each)(found them @ 299$ apiece or Sapphire 4870 X2 2 Gb DDR 5 (found it @ 560$)

 

Both cards are concidered to be high-end cards on the market and according to occ/club reviews in some game tests for resolution i plan to use (1680x1050) the 9800 GX2 card beats the 4870 X2.

 

 

Here is also the parts of my new rig, any suggestions to what i should switch for other parts to better balance it are welcome =)

 

Mobo: EVGA nforce 780i SLI Socket 775 with Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II North-Chipset Cooler

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66Ghz 12MB 1333Mhz CPU with ZEROtherm Butterfly CPU Cooler BTF90

RAM: OCZ Reaper 2048MB PC8500 DDR2 1066MHz (2x1024MB) (will be upgraded to 2x2048 soon)

case: Apeiva X-Jupiter Full Tower G Type-Black (ordered 4 Aerocool Black UV Frame 120mm Case Fan w/ 4 LEDs to replace the ones that come with the case)

PSU: Apevia 680W Iceberg Aluminum PSU w/ Blue Sleeves

 

I already own soundcard and speaker:

Sound: SB X-fi extreme music with Logitech ZX5500 speakers

Edited September 3, 2008 by Neebitemnemo

[damian]

At that resolution dont even think about SLI'ing 9800GX2's

Go for a single 4870 instead

 

For the motherboard go with an Intel chipset instead, much less of a headache especially with 45nm processors.

 

Look into the P45 chipset, the processor you chose is a beast and if you can afford it go for it, i think the Q9550 is only a couple dollars more though, might want to find some benchmarks and see if there is a noticeable difference.

 

switch the power supply to something more trustworthy and not..well crap

Like the Corsair TX750w

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139006

[Bosco]

I agree if you are only going to game at 1680 don't bother going with two cards its not worth it.

[That_Guy]

At that resolution dont even think about SLI'ing 9800GX2's

Go for a single 4870 instead

 

For the motherboard go with an Intel chipset instead, much less of a headache especially with 45nm processors.

 

Look into the P45 chipset, the processor you chose is a beast and if you can afford it go for it, i think the Q9550 is only a couple dollars more though, might want to find some benchmarks and see if there is a noticeable difference.

 

switch the power supply to something more trustworthy and not..well crap

Like the Corsair TX750w

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139006

 

Thanks! that pretty much answers it. And thanks for the PSU link - the one you show is 10$ cheaper and looks like a better investment!

[Puck]

Thanks! that pretty much answers it. And thanks for the PSU link - the one you show is 10$ cheaper and looks like a better investment!

That is a great PSU, but in that price range you should also look at the EliteXstream 800w from OCZ just for comparison sake. Not sure if the corsair TX psus are also rated at the higher end 50c scale, and if they are the same quality internals like the HX series they make using Seasonic guts, so that would probably be worth researching before you buy. Not all parts from brand "X" may be made to the same standards or by the same maker.

 

I heavily recommend the OCZ mentioned for all but the most extreme quad GPU+DC watercooled systems though.

 

To the original question, I agree that at the resolution you will be using a single card will be plenty for the casual gamer.

 

**edit** Upon some quick research, although the stats are admirable the TX line is not made by Seasonic, but is a Channel Well PSU - an OEM who makes a lot of Antec and Thermaltake power supplies. I'm sure it is still a great unit, but I would do some research on its component choices(capacitor brands, heatsink sizes, etc) and longevity before purchasing.