Originally posted by PatMcGroin
im not really a once a decade upgrader. lol. just kinda been awhile. my last system i built in 01 and it lasted until 05. after that i just jumped between laptops but im just sick and tired of having to buy a new machine every 2 years because a week after the year warranty runs out some bull breaks or stops working correctly. so you either deal with the problem for a year until you cant take it anymore or shell out the cash for a new system right away. i would like to regain the control so that if something craps out i can just replace that one single component.
thanks for the replies everybody. one question i dont think that got answered is if that graphics card can do dual monitors? im pretty sure it can but itd be a dumb thing not to make sure.
will go winxp 32bit until i feel like shelling out the cash for win7 or can obtain a copy otherwise.
Yes, the video card will support dual-monitors for Desktop/Photoshop/etc. It won't be able to do surround gaming, however, as nVidia has made surround gaming only work with an SLI configuration (as far as I've read, ATI owner here, so don't have first hand experience). It may perhaps work with a Dual Monitor setup.
Sorry, I read you're post and made the assumption you don't upgrade that often, but I still stand by my recommendation of Intel instead of AMD. The system components (sans CPU/Motherboard) that you have posted otherwise look good. Enjoy the new rig!
Take your time on the OS upgrade, but just remember you won't get the most out of your system until a 64-bit OS is installed. :)
EDIT: Also, if you're in the US, check to see if you have a Microcenter close by to you. They have amazing in-store only deals that beat neweggs prices when it comes to CPU/Motherboard combos. :)
EDIT 2: Wow, sorry, I really didn't read your original post well, enough. You're looking for On-Board video that can support dual-monitors? Then I HIGHLY suggest going with the Intel Sandy-bridge processors and a Z68 motherboard. On-board video that will support a dual-monitor setup. If you're not a gamer, you really don't need a dedicated graphics card.
I linked the Intel i5 2500 for the processor, but if you'd like to have Hyper-threading or want the ability to overclock in the future, pick between the 2500k/2600k or if your budget allows the 2700k. 2600k & 2700k have hyper-threading and are higher-clocked chips at stock. The 'k' denotes that the multipliers on those CPU's are unlocked so you can overclock them. Vanilla versions have the multipliers locked.
Adam420
quote:
Originally posted by cmay119
What 650W PSU do you have? It's not so black and white to say yes or no, it really depends on the quality of your PSU and the two particular cards you'd like to xfire/SLI. Can you post your system specs, to get a better idea?
Basically, what I'd like to do is upgrade the ram and go for a full 12 GB (not that expensive but I'd have to buy a new kit since OCZ is out of the RAM business). And for the video card, I'd like to get one and eventually two of these or similar. Also, my HDD setup is consists of one Intel 320 40 GB SSD, one WD 10K Velociraptor (about 140 GB) and a standard WD Caviar 7200 640 GB, as well as a couple of external USB drives.
cmay119
quote:
Originally posted by Adam420
Sure. Right now I have:
Basically, what I'd like to do is upgrade the ram and go for a full 12 GB (not that expensive but I'd have to buy a new kit since OCZ is out of the RAM business). And for the video card, I'd like to get one and eventually two of these or similar. Also, my HDD setup is consists of one Intel 320 40 GB SSD, one WD 10K Velociraptor (about 140 GB) and a standard WD Caviar 7200 640 GB, as well as a couple of external USB drives.
Corsair makes great PSU's (Well, their OEM's do, they just rebadge, but they work with some of the best in the industry), 550Ti's would be the max I'd go in SLI.
Ram would not add really anything to the wattage requirements, throwing your system specs in a PSU calculator, while taking some liberties with things that weren't listed (amount of fans in the case, assumption of a DVD+/_RW, etc) it came up with a minimum recommendation of 550W on the assumption of 90% system-load. (I checked here, there are others online too, if you'd like to double-check with other sources: [[ LINK REMOVED ]]
)
Remember, you don't want your system to be hitting the limit of what your PSU can do. It leaves nothing in the way of head-room, and the PSU's power efficiency can drop off when taken all the way up to rating.
So, yes, you should be good to go with 2x 550Ti's. Maybe even 560Ti's, but if you're looking to do any more than that I'd suggest bumping upto an 750/850w model at that point. Stick with Corsair as a brand for PSU's they're great! Or if you'd like to go with their OEM, try Seasonic.
EDIT: You're not overclocking, are you? Didn't factor in any OC, so if you're brought the 920 upto 4GHz or something, that's definitely going to factor into it.
Adam420
nah never got into overclocking. It sounds like I should be good though, so thanks! I have 5 case fans as well in case you were wondering.
I linked the Intel i5 2500 for the processor, but if you'd like to have Hyper-threading or want the ability to overclock in the future, pick between the 2500k/2600k or if your budget allows the 2700k. 2600k & 2700k have hyper-threading and are higher-clocked chips at stock. The 'k' denotes that the multipliers on those CPU's are unlocked so you can overclock them. Vanilla versions have the multipliers locked.
Thx for the MC info, I will check them out next time I am in Denver!
Yeah, an i5 2500'K' and z68 is what I am running, and i would consider saving some bucks and just getting a standard i5 compared to the unlocked for what it sounds like what you are doing. the z68 lets you use onboard and/or discrete graphics, so you have a choice. some of the lower spec'd boards are stuck with one or the other.
