BF2 gaming rig parts

[pappadj]

EDIT :: UPDATED SPECS::

Here's what I have priced out so far

HITACHI SATA II 250GB HDD
MSI X800XL 256MB PCI-EXPRESS VIDEO CARD
MSI-NEO4 ULTRA MOTHERBOARD
AMD 64 3000+ VENICE RETAIL CPU
1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 OCZ MEMORY
ANTEC SONATA II CASE
450 WATT ANTEC SMARTPOWER 2.0
NEC 3520A DVDR DRIVE
SONY DVD COMBO DRIVE
CHAINTECH AV-710 PCI SOUNDCARD

The system will be used for other things of course but BF2 is my inspiration to build anew.

Thanks for the help

 

[bob4432]

not real familiar with that p/s, i always use antec, and remember it is not always the total W output, but where it puts it out.

look at my sig, all on a 350W Antec p/s with no probs and this machine is on probably 18hrs a day, sometimes 2-3 days straight encoding which means 100%CPU utilization and atleast 2 hdds reading/writing as the data comes of one and onto the other and it has been used this way for about 1.25 years.

other items look good

 

[thegimp03]

I've heard mixed reviews on that Ultra psu...most seem positive though. Good system for the price. I have a Lite-on cdrw/dvd combo drive in my rig and I'm happy with it. My NEC 3520A is in the mail though. Would recommend that because newegg has been running some outstanding deals on it lately.
If you're an audiophile you'll want a pci soundcard. I use onboard and it suits my needs. Though a friend tells me that there is a huge difference between onboard and a sound card...it's up to you. Try out onboard and see how it is...can always go buy.

 

[pappadj]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...sp?EdpNo=1419039&Sku=ULT30966-X-500-BL

Here's a link to the case deal. I think you'll see that I was taken with the presentation a little. I know TD has some bruises on their record too. gimp, I've also heard mixed reviews on the Ultra and am a little skeptical but I've also heard that a good stable motherboard makes less (not a whole lot less) need for the perfect PSU. Maybe I'm wrong. I like the look and the cable management and I have been eyeing that Antec modular one a lot.

I'm not a big audiophile but I just wonder how clear of a distinction would I be able to tell between the 96KHz onboard SB and the 192KHz on the Chaintech. It's one of those "will I ever know the difference until I try?" and then it will be one of those "shut up, it's only $25 you cheapskate!"

So 6800GT over X800XL hands down, especially with the SLI board correct?

I like the 3520A too, thanks for reaffirming that choice.

 

[pappadj]

I just noticed that it's $20 to ship it via ground!!! That along with the rebate crap I've heard from them, I think I'm going to spec out other options. Maybe that Antec one.

OK, I think I found one that fits the budget

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133156

I wanted aluminum but I really like that style.
430W TT PSU - Not too shabby
2 x 120mm fans (one on front and one on back... perfect)
1 x 90mm fan on side with dust cover

I should probably head over to the case forum but can someone recommend a good case or case websites. I intended to spend about $100 to $150 but want a good looking case and preferably a modular PSU or all sheeved cables. Probably asking too much when I'm wanting something that's preferrably a Tier2 or better PSU huh?

 

[cmp1223]

I think your right to be skeptical of that UltraX PSU. And the one with the thermaltake only has 18 Amps on the 12V rail. Personally I wouldn't run a 6800GT on less than 25amps so I could almost always rule out the PSU as a source of potential problems. The best PSUs out there are PC power + cooling. Antec, Fortron, and Enermax also make good PSUs. I wouldn't get a flashy case, but i would recommend a motherboard tray, because then you could route wires behind it to give it a clean look (if you have a window) and better airflow. As always, i recommend a BFG VideoCard. 24 hour US based tec support, lifetime warranty that is easy to use, and great cards to begin with.

 

[rise]

that Tt isn't 24 pin native either i don't think, nor is the ultra. all nf4 manufacturers are recommending native 24 pin.

myself, i'd get the case and psu seperately. either way, you might still be able to hook onto some of the memorial day sales that had some nice case pricing. or look at zzf for the free shipping. the frt on the cases kills alot of prices.

i think xpcgear had some case deals, check hot deals or froogle the one you want. actually i think there was a antec lanboy in the hot deal section for like 79$

 

[RussianSensation]

Given that battlefield games run faster on ati's hardware, I'd rather get x800xl for $260 right now. That saves $100 on the videocard. You can also get a cheaper motherboard since you won't need SLI any longer - that's another $20+. Now you have $120 towards a next videocard upgrade. The x800xl should last you 1 year, at which point you could sell it for $100. Then you pop in a new R520 or G70 cards which by then should be fairly cheap.

When does BF2 come out in June???? You might as well wait a bit longer if you just getting it for that game to see what G70 and R520 are all about. More info should be revealed soon.

 

[Venomous]

Supposedly its releaing on the 21 or something, i pre ordered that sucker in Feb from Go Gamer.

As far as your comment about EA games running faster on ATI hardware, thats only if the drivers work correctly. I have yet to have ATI hardware run faster on ATI equip then Nvidia. I wont go into the bs wait time for BFV when the drivers werent working correctly and EA blamed ATI and ATI blamed EA.

 

[pappadj]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I've got somethings to work with now that I was overlooking at first.

cmp1223 - I like BFG also. My first 800OC that I bought last Jan did die 2 weeks ago but luckily their 24hr tech support helped me. Just wished they would offer cross-ship and/or upgrade options. I'm not to interested in flash but I just want a little something stylish... nothing too crazy. I could even go without a side window if need be.

rise - thanks for the xpcgear link... I forgot about that site. A good place to compare diff models.

russian - I've heard the same thing about the x800xl and was leaning towards it at first. I really like the idea about using the savings towards a crossfire card/mbd later if needed. Maybe I can stop being a cheapskate with my PSU/Case probs too.

venom - it is releasing 6/21 and this order will likely be put in on 6/10 so it should be just in time pending no issues. ::crosses fingers::

 

[Venomous]

Originally posted by: pappadj
Thank you all for your suggestions, I've got somethings to work with now that I was overlooking at first.

cmp1223 - I like BFG also. My first 800OC that I bought last Jan did die 2 weeks ago but luckily their 24hr tech support helped me. Just wished they would offer cross-ship and/or upgrade options. I'm not to interested in flash but I just want a little something stylish... nothing too crazy. I could even go without a side window if need be.

rise - thanks for the xpcgear link... I forgot about that site. A good place to compare diff models.

russian - I've heard the same thing about the x800xl and was leaning towards it at first. I really like the idea about using the savings towards a crossfire card/mbd later if needed. Maybe I can stop being a cheapskate with my PSU/Case probs too.

venom - it is releasing 6/21 and this order will likely be put in on 6/10 so it should be just in time pending no issues. ::crosses fingers::

Did you happen to order the special DVD edition of the game my friend at Go Gamer? Comes with a headset i believe as well. You may want to check it out at GoGamer, i still believe they have them avail for pre-order. Enjoy your new rig!

 

[knothead34]

i think msi is recommending 450watts at least for there boards. since your thinking of going sli which will require more power i would go enermax.......ocz...or pc power and cooling.the g70 is gonna be power hungry assuming the specs ive seen are true imho its good idea to get a little more then what you need for power that way you will have a stable system and be prepared for power hungry hardware around the corner.

 

[pappadj]

to be honest, it's for a friend. I know he preordered with ebgames but yes, gogamer and gamestop are amongst my favorites to order from.

My friend is amognst the top 200 BFV players in the world and he's been strugglin with his 1800+ 9800SE combo and his exact words were "I want to be the first to load, the first to join a match, and the first one to start the killing" He's a little hard core with this game but I enjoy it, he's moving into the top 100 and that's friggin awesome to me considering he's 30+ with a 50hr/wk work schedule. Anyway, I've heard the x800xl card is the one to get for this game and I think I'm almost sold, just wish I could find more battlefield or BF2 benchmarks out there. I think the benchmarks before a game comes out is great for advertising and helping others make sure they are up to speed before the game arives but you know..

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Don't get SLI in the first place. It's a waste of money, and you won't get that much of a performance increase. You'd be much better off getting an X800XL with the MSI Neo-4 Platinum (non-SLI) and saving up for a next-gen card.

 

[pappadj]

OK, here's what I have now.... any opninions?

I don't know much about the WD drive's performance... it's a little new

WD 160GB SATA II HARD DRIVE
MSI X800XL 256MB PCI-EXPRESS VIDEO CARD
MSI-NEO4 ULTRA MOTHERBOARD
AMD 64 3000+ VENICE RETAIL CPU
1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 OCZ MEMORY
ANTEC SONATA II CASE
450 WATT ANTEC SMARTPOWER 2.0
NEC 3500 DVDR DRIVE
LITE-ON DVD DRIVE
CHAINTECH AV-710 PCI SOUNDCARD

 

[Muscles]

ATI sux imo and would rather spend the extra on the nvidia 6800GT but that's me. Plus I'm all about the quake series which is OpenGL and Nvidia rapes ATI in that category. There are quite a few OPENGL games coming out that are highly anticipated like Quake 4 and Prey that use the Doom 3 engine. So if you're the least bit interested in those games like I am I'd stick to nvidia.

 

[bob4432]

since he wants to be one of the first on, you may as well set him up with a 74GB raptor for his system drive and put the game on that drive too. it will load faster, and since that is important to him, give it to him.

2x1GB instead of 2x512MB? anybody? does bf2 need 2GB?

also, i have read that the 80GB hitachi sataII drives are awesome, but haven't seen benches compared to the wds...

 

[pappadj]

Here's a couple of good reviews on the Hitachi

http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rlid=101347

I'm easing of the trigger for the moment.

 

[KoolDrew]

That PSU is junk.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

If you like the Soprano's style but want alluminum, the Tsunami is a good case to consider. It's a bit pricy at ~$100 w/o PSU, meaning you'll have to spend another like ~$40 on a decent PSU.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Muscles
ATI sux imo and would rather spend the extra on the nvidia 6800GT but that's me. Plus I'm all about the quake series which is OpenGL and Nvidia rapes ATI in that category. There are quite a few OPENGL games coming out that are highly anticipated like Quake 4 and Prey that use the Doom 3 engine. So if you're the least bit interested in those games like I am I'd stick to nvidia.

It all depends on the card and the game... sure nVidia has better OpenGL support, but that doesn't mean ATI "sux" - they both make fine products.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
That PSU is junk.

I'm assuming you mean the Ultra - the Ultra is junk but the Antec is very reasonable

 

[pappadj]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
That PSU is junk.

is it? I have no brand loyalty, I've heard that I can't go wrong with the Antec's or Seasonic's. This PSU had dual 15a 12v rails so I thought it would be plenty


EDIT::: I'm guessing you were talking about the x-connect, I understand that now and agree

 

[pappadj]

Originally posted by: t3h l337 n3wb
If you like the Soprano's style but want alluminum, the Tsunami is a good case to consider. It's a bit pricy at ~$100 w/o PSU, meaning you'll have to spend another like ~$40 on a decent PSU.

The Tsunami was the case I was considering first. A lot of people pointed me towards the Antec's and the Soprano II looked like the case for me. I'll do a double take on a Tsunami/Seasonic combo but I'm running out of cash.

 

[w00t]

That psu is really bad a big no no.