Memory Ponderings

[Isquish]

Hi Folks

ok so I've got a dream gaming pc build in the overclockers forums and I've spent a week or so convincing myself between various cards and combinations.

I'm now sat fairly happily looking at my system but I want to run it through the mill once more.

Ideally my budget is £1300 including delivery and vat (I'll built it myself and I can sort my own software out under the campus agreement from work)

The brief?

Simple - I want a pc that will function well. I'm a gamer but I rarely overclock my systems as I worry about breaking them!

this is what I'm currently looking at

http://beta.gotaweb.com/images/thebeast.gif
nabbed the idea for print screen host via barley!

It's under budget but I am looking at the memory and realising that when it comes to memory I'm a bit of a nublet - I normally just bung corsair XMS in there and take the \"well it should be good\" approach. Should I spec better memory? if I don't overclock - am I just buying the snobbery factor here? Would I be better off saving some money (which can go towards my \"I want an ipod now\" fund?)

This is my last splurge on a pc now I have a family and it has to last 3 years ideally - which is a big ask considering I know PCI-E has just had new standards released allowing pci-e cards to take 2gb memory bandwidth.

What would you do and why? :)

'Squish

[mac124]

I'd go with what you have specced mate, no point getting a better mobo unless you want to overclock, assuming that mobo has all the features you want, the Dominator is CAS4 so you wont get better than that, atm, as standard timings from any DDR2 that i know of.

All in all a nice spec and should do you for a while yet. If you did spend a bit more on a mobo for overclocking features when the pc gets a bit sluggish in a couple of years time you could overclock it then to extend its useful life span, that 6600 should be good for near on a 50% overclock if you get the right mobo (Asus p5b Deluxe ;) ) and a decent heatsink.

[Barley]

I also like the spec, if you're not going to overclock as mac says the motherboard will be fine. You have the 2GB RAM you need and the graphics card will be great. didn't nick the PSU idea as well did ya? ;)

The only thing I'd be wary of is that monitor? I've had a quick look on Google and it doesn't look like it's been reviewed anywhere. I'd be very worried about buying a monitor that I either haven't seen myself, or hasn't been reviewed by a reputable site.

I also this http://www.aria.co.uk/ProductInfoComm.asp?ID=16357 case looks nicer, and it's cheaper ;)

[Isquish]

Yeah I'm tempted to go centurion.

The reviews from the aria staff are that the Xerox screen is very very good.

I bought the aria value tft last time I bought a pc and their thoughts on that were good too.

I'm not after the best tft in the world - if it's crisp and the contrast ratio is good then I'm fairly confident it will be ok.

at that price if it's not the best I can always use it for watching tv and keep my current tft for games

'Squish

ps I might have liberated the psu advice from another thread yes... ;)

[Isquish]

Just ordered it :shock:

I know I've got to wait for the TFT and there's a lead time on the memory - Can't wait for it to arrive now :D

thank's for all your help guys - I'll let you know how I get on once it arrives.

'Squish

[Barley]

So jealous!! :)

Just a heads up, it seems that monitor is out of stock more than it's in stock.

[Isquish]

aye if it's not materialised after a week I'll give aria a bell and see what my options are - I can possibly blank the tft for now and get one in a couple of months time

'Squish

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Isquish]

Well!

I spoke to a very nice chap in Customer Services yesterday who let me know that the TFT's were in the building (they're back on the website now) and my order was just waiting for the monitors and the memory to arrive before shipping.

Now I'm sat here all excited because I know my new pc should (hopefully) be with me for the weekend - giving me 2 fun days to build it.

I'm really tempted to install vista on my old pc and see how it runs and use it as a bit of a test box.

Just a quickie on the monitors - I checked with another online purchaser and found the same spec panel reviewed on another monitor. There's only 3-4 Panel makers around and they resell to most of the vendors - the only difference between panels being in presentation and case design/utility.

The screen I've bought has been reviewed very well in benq and belinea monitors - and is thought to be in some of the more expensive jobbies to boot so it makes excellent value for money.

My only real concern is the dual d-sub interface and no dvi interface. Unfortunately I'll be forced to get a couple of DVI-DSUB converters as my card comes with dual dvi output.

Still - it's not the end of the world and at the price I paid for the monitor - it's still a bargain in my eyes.

'Squish

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Aaron]

[quote:424fa2f8d6=\"PrivatePyle@Work\"]I switched from D-SUB to DVI at work last week mate and I can barely notice the difference. Everything is slightly sharper, but when I say slightly I really mean ever so ever so slightly. I doubt it will bother you very much. :D[/quote:424fa2f8d6]

I did exactly the same this week at work too.. I have a dual monitor setup. Exactly the same monitors, one using dsub, the other using dvi - and I have to say it was a bit of a let down to what I was expecting!