My possible new computer

[LeftEyeNine]

I'm not well informed about the models you speak about, edzy. However I have to say that there is a far superiority of ATI 'S Crossfire technology over Nvidia 's SLI -that is the use of two graphic cards in your system.

[_Martyr_]

Think of it this way edyzmedieval, which flows "faster", the pressure washer you use to clean a car with, or the Amazon river? Now, which of these would you say is more powerful? Same with a nifty little sportscar and a juggernaut. An Intel chip (the Pentiums based on the Netburst architecture anyway) run very fast (as in many cycles per second) but do comparatively little per cycle. The AMD64 architecture runs at a slower clock speed, but does more per cycle, and thus is more powerful. At the end of the day, this is what matters more.

[Papewaio]

Computing power of a er umm well computer:

Number of Instructions per cycle
=
Number of Instructions per cycle x number of cycles per second

This is why two CPU's is better then one. You can if the program makes use of it double the number of instructions per cycle. Same idea with having two or 4 graphics cards. You don't go for just raw speed you go for the amount of instructions/flops per unit of time.

Floating Point Operations Per Second : FLOPS

[edyzmedieval]

It's good that consultation on the forums are free.
Thanks guys.

Which is the most powerful AMD64 on the market?

[_Martyr_]

The FX60 is, but I wouldnt buy that if I were you. Its too expensive for what your getting. Go for something a step or two lower, maybe even an Opteron and OC it to the speed of or close to the FX 60 for about 400 Euro less.

[edyzmedieval]

Too expensive for what I'm getting?

What's the price?

[Goalie]

I'm a normal guy, not really with pr0n, but my computer is stuffed with basketball videos and different programs(C++, Blender...) and tons of games.

The price is about 3000 euros.
I need 300GB because I will have tons of games on it.

And this comes at a price though: I need to pass my exams with very good marks.

So you arent paying for all this?

[edyzmedieval]

Huh? If I pass my exams well, then my parents are buying me this monster.

[AwesomeArcher]

Huh? If I pass my exams well, then my parents are buying me this monster.

Wow, u are one lucky kid, all i get for my 4.0 is a pat on the back.

[edyzmedieval]

My current PC is 3 years old, so my parents agreed.

Basically, if I get it, it's a succession of 3 important events:
1. Good exam marks
2. My birthday(20th of July, I finish the exams on the 22th of June and the results are on the 29th of June)
3. I want/need a new computer.

[LeftEyeNine]

My current PC is 3 years old as well. My parents never agreed on a new computer.

1. I'm graduating
2. My birthday (20th of June)
3. I want/need/crave/die for a powerhouse computer

Lucky kid

[edyzmedieval]

Difference is, I am 14, soon to be 15.
You are 22, soon to be 23.

Guess not.

[edyzmedieval]

Hmmm...I am faced with many different opinions.

What are your thoughts on the Intel Dual Core?

[orangat]

Do your own research and you'll find that the AMD dual core overall performs better than anything Intel can put on the table (including the Intel dual core) except for the very high-end Preslers(955/965). If you want to spend less than $400 get the X2 4200+, if you can spend $900 get the FX60.

And don't bother with a pc raid setup. They are not worth the hassle for a typical pc such as yours since the performance increase in negligible.

[edyzmedieval]

After some thoughts, I've decided on this:

AMD64

OR

AMDFX60

OR

AMD DUAL CORE

Sadly, I've left Intel out because they need to improve.
Give me the most powerful option and the best quality between these 3.

[LeftEyeNine]

Here wins AMD another stronghold

[edyzmedieval]

Yeap, guess so.
Anyways, I'm still sticking to nVidia.

I see the computer market like this

AMD-ATI
Intel-nVidia

I am using the mix, which is the best. AMD + nVidia.

So, can you give me the answer please?

[orangat]

After some thoughts, I've decided on this:
AMD64
OR
AMDFX60
OR
AMD DUAL CORE
......

The FX60 is a dual core A64.

The smarter thing to do is to wait for the Conroe and build a very cheap ddr2 pc as a stop gap.

[Sir Robin]

Well this is what I am aiming for if I can afford it.

You could probably get decent performance with those parts. Though I will probably step up to the 4800.

I would suggest, bang for buck wise, you go with the AMD64.

[edyzmedieval]

I finally decided.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4800+

I'll cost me something though. It's about 700$.
But it's one of the best, and it's very new. It's been released in the middle of May 2006.

[edyzmedieval]

Big mistake.

I forgot to find a new motherboard for the computer. The current one doesn't support AMD processors. Here's what I found:

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 Socket

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l...60&modelmenu=1

Any comments?
It's specifically designed for AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core systems.
Supports Dual RAID systems and the nVidia SLI system.

[CBR]

Remember AM2 uses DDR2 memory. Mobo got passive chipset cooling so no annoying noise from small fan, so thats good


CBR

[edyzmedieval]

Yeah, I am on the lookout for some RAM.

[Boohugh]

Yeah, I am on the lookout for some RAM.

This is the stuff you're looking for I believe.

Here's a good article about the AM2 platform with a fair bit about DDR2 and its implications that you may want to read too. Apparently its not all its cracked up to be on AMD systems yet.

[edyzmedieval]

Yeah. I've been checking the Corsair Memory guys. They seem to be the best option for RAM stuff IMHO.

Nice article there, very useful, but also very looooong....

[doc_bean]

If you have the patience, I say wait for DX10 cards. Your DX9 cards will be outdated faster than you'd expect with the new tech comming out imo.

I mean, you want 1337 graphics like these don't you ?

[edyzmedieval]

Why wait?

I found this: nVIDIA GeForce 7950GX 1024MB
Two of these monsters = Quad SLI

[edyzmedieval]

Update on my situation.

First of all, I switched my old horse with dad's new rig. Check this out:

-Intel Pentium IV 3.0GHZ with Hyper Threading
-512MB DDRAM
-250GB HDD
-ATI Radeon X700 256MB
-DVD RW
-ASUS 19" LCD

I've decided to wait and gain more money till August, till Intel Conroe and the new motherboards for it will be available.
Till then, I'll be with this.

[tibilicus]

My current rig is:
AMD 4200 x2 duel core
Asus ATI EAX1600 Pro 512mb graphics card
2 GB of RAM
and a ncie 300gb Hard drive to top it all of. This cost me 625 english pounds and so far it seems great. Im still watining for an advnaced game to test it on though.

So anythign above that and your sorted. :)

[HicRic]

Update on my situation.

First of all, I switched my old horse with dad's new rig. Check this out:

-Intel Pentium IV 3.0GHZ with Hyper Threading
-512MB DDRAM
-250GB HDD
-ATI Radeon X700 256MB
-DVD RW
-ASUS 19" LCD

I've decided to wait and gain more money till August, till Intel Conroe and the new motherboards for it will be available.
Till then, I'll be with this.

Conroe is out at the end of july. Definately wait for it, it's beating even the best AMD have to offer. Also, what monitor/resolution do you game in? If it's only going to be that 19'' LCD you have there, then don't bother with SLi/Crossfire. You won't see any benefit and it's just a huge waste of cash. If you're going for 1600x1200 and above, though, then they start having a point.

I'd also personally choose a X1900XT over the 7900GTXs and they're cheaper but also have better image quality, but don't worry too much...don't want to turn the thread into a ati/nvidia arguement.

Make sure you get a quality, brand-name PSU to go with the PC. Don't want to put tons of expensive equipment in there only to get a q-tec blow it all up. Tagen and Seasonic are good examples of quality PSU brands.