PCFormat Forum Archive

Okay firstly, this is my first post on this forum, and I'm a complete noob when it come to computers
Just got into computers recently. Don't get me wrong I've been gaming for years but when it came to hardware I left it to my brother. Now I want to get my hands dirty.

I want a new system, but now nothing about current trends so I need advise. I have about R15000 to spend. I'm a gaming freak; Crysis, CoD4, etc.; I don't do much else with the computer besides the usual photoshop project and internet.
I want to know what system should I get that's fairly future proof and good for overclocking (if I have the guts to go into it in the future).

Any help is welcome.

thats a seriously nice budget!

to put it lightly for the core specs id get a 9800gtx gfx card, 750GB hard drive, 22" LCD, Intel Core2 Duo E6850 - dual core 3.0ghz box cpu , with VT+TXT (atleast a 3ghz), then whatever mobo you can get for that thats like a 650i chipset board, 4gb ram....pic out your own add ons like keyboard mouse and dvd writer, then you should be sorted...

Is that R15000 for a complete system, monitor, case, kb + mouse?

gifs wrote:Is that R15000 for a complete system, monitor, case, kb + mouse?

The peripherals I can get, there's loads lying around, same goes for the monitor. I will be needing a case though.

*EDIT* Oh, and can anyone point me in the direction of a good place to buy from.

if you want to buy online ive only had good experiences with using www.prophecy.co.za they are cheap and service is brilliant...

what area are you in, maybe someone knows of a local store by you..

ASUS P5K Delux Wifi , support crossfire R2564.11 (inc VAT)

Intel Core2 Duo E8500 R2764.07 (inc VAT)

Mushkin DDR2-800 (2 * 2GB Sticks) Kit CL5 R1141.14 (inc VAT)

Coolermaster Real Power M700 R1423.06 (inc VAT)

HD 4870 R3285.39 (inc VAT)


Sub-Total: R11177.77

Then You have loads left to spend on the rest, case etc.
Also the motherboard is CF compatible so you can slap in another HD4870

All from Prophecy.com (great prices, reliable, awesome service)

Don't forget XP PRO 64-bit of you buy psychowit's recommendation. If you want more than 4GB of RAM, you need a 64-bit OS.

Also, you'll be needing a good CPU Cooler and RAM/VGA cooler if you're in the mood to do decent overclocking. Systems fans as well, the bigger the better.

Zade wrote:*EDIT* Oh, and can anyone point me in the direction of a good place to buy from.

My opinion:

If you are in Jo'burg, then Digital SA Online.

If you are in Cape Town then Landmark Computers.

If you are somewhere else, then whichever of these grabs your fancy (or Prophecy, Sybaritic, etc.).

So I guess, I can save the for the extra cooling when I've read up and am ready for overclocking. (to tell the truth it scares me )

XP Pro 64 bit it is then.
Thanks man.

UrBaN wrote:Don't forget XP PRO 64-bit of you buy psychowit's recommendation. If you want more than 4GB of RAM, you need a 64-bit OS.

Er ... if you're going to go 64-bit then Vista 64-bit is far superior to XP 64-bit.

schase wrote:

UrBaN wrote:Don't forget XP PRO 64-bit of you buy psychowit's recommendation. If you want more than 4GB of RAM, you need a 64-bit OS.

Er ... if you're going to go 64-bit then Vista 64-bit is far superior to XP 64-bit.

I would agree with schase here.........

Okay, had a look at and I think I'll go with psYChowIt'sn suggestion with Vista but I think I'll probably go with a second HD4870 later on.
So my question is if that mobo (ASUS P5K Delux Wifi , support crossfire) is good for crossfire as I read somewhere about scaling and that mobo has 16x+4x?

Can i suggest a Case, the Antec P190 is a very nice case. and it comes with 2 PSU's and decent cooling and loads of room.

Antec P190


Edit: its just expensive

Well XP, Vista, whichever.

Antec p190 is overkill IMHO

Zade wrote:So my question is if that mobo (ASUS P5K Delux Wifi , support crossfire) is good for crossfire as I read somewhere about scaling and that mobo has 16x+4x?

If you want the full advantage of Crossfire you probably want to look at something with an X48 chipset. They're a lot more expensive, generally speaking, but you do get the best Crossfire performance.

Middle of the road would probably be P45. So you could look, for example, at the Asus P5Q. Whilst it has 8x+8x that is PCI-E 2.0, which is equivalent to PCI-E 16x+16x. That being said, it's still not quite as nice, from what I've read, as full the X48's 16x+16X. If you have the extra cash to spend, I'd say go X48 rather. But, as I say, you're looking at R3K-plus for a mobo then.

o_O
pardon if I sound ignorant...but why would you want x2 PSU's in a home PC ?

No urban, not whatever. Normal XP Pro has far fewer issues than XP64. Yes, normal XP can only handle 3.2odd GB of RAM, but it's rock solid.

@Zade: If the programs you want to use work fine in vista, go for vista. Just please get the 64bit version, the 32 bit version is sloooow. Did an experiment on my pc at home with both. However, if you don't want the performance hit that vista dishes out, go for normal XP Pro (*32bit*!) You can also pir... get a copy of vista later if (not when, if) a game comes out needing DirectX10 minimum (XP doesn't suppotr DX10.)

EDIT:
<OffTopic>
Does anyone know if memory would still run dual channel on an XP32 box with 4x1GB or 2x2GB sticks of RAM in (and the board supported that amount of RAM and was dual-channel enabled)?
</OffTopic>

If he gets the system that psYChowIt has recommended, he's hardly going to feel a performance hit with Vista.

Probably, but I'm still quite skeptical of Vista. It runs like a dog on my PC at home while XP flies.

I wrote:<OffTopic>
Does anyone know if memory would still run dual channel on an XP32 box with 4x1GB or 2x2GB sticks of RAM in (and the board supported that amount of RAM and was dual-channel enabled)?
</OffTopic>

I think I'll go with this mobo
http://www.digitalsaonline.co.za/catalo ... ts_id=5055
A P5Q.

Thanks for the help guys. Now I'll just place my order and count the days, hours and minutes until it arrives.

@da ripper: Just saw the Antec P190 and shed a tear, I wish could get one, but it's way out of budget. I think I'll start small with a CoolerMaster Centurion 590.

rampage formula vs p5q deluxe...

just had to make that choice and decided to pay an extra 500 bop for the true dual 16x x48. personally, i think it's worth it if one considers the money one pays for the entire system. a 2nd gfx a month or two later is in comparison a minimal expenditure which justifies itself by simply being able to run the cards at optimum...

psYChowIt wrote:Antec p190 is overkill IMHO

Probaly. its just a really nice case. but it is also heavy

It's a p180 with overkill extras haha, yep -- I guess if money really isn't an issue it isn't to bad of an idea

psYChowIt wrote:It's a p180 with overkill extras haha, yep -- I guess if money really isn't an issue it isn't to bad of an idea

Certainly i think they though the cooling through better.

Anyway, Zade, focus on the bits inside, you can always get a bottom end case and Mod it