Conceptual Build-A-Rig Thread

[zaneyard]

I know that we already have a bunch of threads for computer builds.
But this is not one of those.
I'm going to be building a computer around Christmas and I was wondering what you guys think will be bumpin' around then.

Here's what I'm thinking:
Phenom II X4 (AM3)
DDR3 Memory
Some sort of graphics card
maybe a solid state drive for the system? what about the velociraptor?
secondary hard disk drive for media storage
maybe a sound card
Killer NIC of course (just kidding)

basically what im asking is, "what do you guys think about this kind of stuff?"
i'm looking at a 1000 dollar price range so I'm not looking at getting a 500 dollar SSD and the high end i7
don't care about specific parts because i'm not buying it now

discuss

[Spore]

You really can't get a list now. I'd like to say your build would have an ATI 5000 series or Nvidia GTX300 series card, but who knows? I'll be building a new computer around the same time though. Also, is it even worth it to get a soundcard anymore what with integrated sound working so well now?

[zaneyard]

again, not looking for a list, just conversation about what is going on in the hardware world

[Mission Difficult]

If you don't have the money to spend on a higher end SSD (Intel X-25 i think) then don't bother going that route. Get a couple of nice Seagate HDDs.

[at0m]

If you want an SSD, I direct you to the links posted in my SSD thread (one of them  by you, but mission's is a little more informative): http://www.brbuninstalling.com/forum/ind...pic=3302.0

synopsis: If you can't afford an Intel X25 (either flavor), get an OCZ Vertex. Otherwise don't even bother.

[zaneyard]

totally forgot i know how to do research Xp
yeah i remember reading something about the different types of hard drives, but i cant be arsed to go through reading a maximum pc issue more than once...


how do you guys feel about Intel vs AMD (new i7 line coming out soon or something?)
and nVidia vs ATI

[copulatingduck]

amd has kinda sucked for a while, they were top for a little while but that must've been 4+ years ago. Especially if you're spending that kind of money there's really no reason to go amd.

Making a list now for xmas is an extraordinary waste of time though, thing's will be very different in a month or 2, much less 5 or 6

for hard drives, just do raids, 0/1 for OS and media, it's a helluva lot cheaper than 10k rpm or SSD drives

as for soundcard, well onboard sound on most boards nowadays is damn good. I'm by no means an expert but I'd imagine you don't really need a soundcard unless you're either a complete snob (spend 100+ on a card and 1000+ on speakers and headphones) or you do soundwork for a living

[zaneyard]

lol i said like three times im not looking for a list
i just want people to discuss stuff!

[copulatingduck]

lol i said like three times im not looking for a list
i just want people to discuss stuff!

idk, not much point in discussing it if you aren't buying anytime soon unless you're a complete nerd :p

[at0m]

[quote author=zaneyard link=topic=3394.msg103517#msg103517 date=1249333341]
lol i said like three times im not looking for a list
i just want people to discuss stuff!

idk, not much point in discussing it if you aren't buying anytime soon unless you're a complete nerd :p
[/quote]but...he is. <3


Intel/AMD to me has always been about cost. Intel processors (in my experience) have always been more expensive for comparable performance. Lately, though, Intel has been pulling ahead in performance, although since I haven't priced a PC in a while I haven't looked at cost. AMD is a good bet if you want low power consumption though (for passive cooling in an HTPC for example).

nvidia/ATI I haven't seen a clear frontrunner for a while, but then again they've changed focus: Nvidia focuses on the gaming market (and drafting/engineering with their quadro line) while ATI has been focussing more on the home theater market. I'd stick with nvidia.

[zaneyard]

[quote author=zaneyard link=topic=3394.msg103517#msg103517 date=1249333341]
lol i said like three times im not looking for a list
i just want people to discuss stuff!

idk, not much point in discussing it if you aren't buying anytime soon unless you're a complete nerd :p
[/quote]
we are a group of computer gamers?

[Wedge]

Whenever I see manufacturer specific incompatibilities, and usually mfr specific bugs in games... it's with ATI.  Jussayin.  I can't play The Witcher on my ATI card, I had bugs with DX10 on Bioshock for the longest time, and anything using OpenGL on ATI is a crapshoot.  I've had nVidia cards do stupid shit with desktop management and stuff, but even when raw performance is comparable between them, I always find nVidia stuff just to be more well rounded.  I guess that only matters if you play a wide range of stuff, but still.

And AMD isn't bad, you'll get like 80% of performance for 50% of the price if you're looking at the right stuff.  It can be fine if you need to budget out for other high end parts youl'd prefer in this case, and is almost always preferable for lower budget builds.

[zaneyard]

Whenever I see manufacturer specific incompatibilities, and usually mfr specific bugs in games... it's with ATI.  Jussayin.  I can't play The Witcher on my ATI card, I had bugs with DX10 on Bioshock for the longest time, and anything using OpenGL on ATI is a crapshoot. 

wow i didn't know that
My ATI card sucks big digital wiener when i try to run it on linux drivers, which is openGL IIRC

[copulatingduck]

Yea, ATi drivers kinda suck, and they're complete shit for linux. That said, you generally get the same performance for half the price as an nVidia card, so if you don't mind the occasional compatibility issues, you can save a pretty penny going with ATi.

[zaneyard]

anyone have any experience with Physx?
i know that the new Nvidia cards have space allocated for physics processing, do any games support it yet? is it ever needed?

[Spore]

anyone have any experience with Physx?
i know that the new Nvidia cards have space allocated for physics processing, do any games support it yet? is it ever needed?

Only game that I know supports it is Mirror's Edge. I don't think any commercial game would require an Nvidia only feature.

[Wedge]

Yea, ATi drivers kinda suck, and they're complete shit for linux. That said, you generally get the same performance for half the price as an nVidia card, so if you don't mind the occasional compatibility issues, you can save a pretty penny going with ATi.

Eh, that really only applies to the super high end range of video card prices now.  All the video cards in the $100-200 range are fairly evenly priced between the mfr's with price/performance ratio these days. 

[zaneyard]

[quote author=CopulatingDuck link=topic=3394.msg103612#msg103612 date=1249349994]
Yea, ATi drivers kinda suck, and they're complete shit for linux. That said, you generally get the same performance for half the price as an nVidia card, so if you don't mind the occasional compatibility issues, you can save a pretty penny going with ATi.

Eh, that really only applies to the super high end range of video card prices now.  All the video cards in the $100-200 range are fairly evenly priced between the mfr's with price/performance ratio these days. 
[/quote]
ill keep that in mind

[copulatingduck]

Power Supply Calculator

[zaneyard]

Power Supply Calculator

I wish they would keep that thing up. they have the money to do real testing with specific parts and stuff.