Can I haz new Rig?

JasonLavoie · Nov 2009

Hey all you computer literate polycounters out there, I need some help

Recently I've come across a little bit of spending cash, and my current computer is dying a slow and VERY painful death (as I hit it continuously every time it decides to randomly shutdown on me... thanks). I was wondering if you lovely gals and gentle chaps could help me build a new rig that will make my current rig feel in-adequate, therefore forcing it to end its life forever

Sadly, I don't have "much" money to build the uber computer I've always wanted, but I do have a lot of spare parts if needed.

My budget is $800

Now the main thing I really need now-a-days is the ability to bake out / render / as well as model highpoly assets and maps, and my current computer just doesn't seem upto the task. So I don't know if I need t focus more on Ram, or Processor speed (i'm thinking ram on this one)... therefore, should I stick with 32bit or go for 64bit operating system so I can get a bit more ramage in there?

I need a new video card, (Sound card I have) but I also need 2 pci-e slots (for both video and sound card).

Umm... I currently have an Intel Duo Core processor (I think its the 6850 model or something... which I've liked, but I think that's dying too) but before I always used AMD, so which would you go with?

My power supply is currently (I believe) either 550 or 650 watts, and I also think that it is dying as well... this whole piece of shit comp is dying on me

And the one thing I need to make SUUREE is stellar, is the cooling system... Either have a shit ton of fans, or go with water cooling instead (I've never tried that before).

So if any of you fine people could give a fellow polycounter some help, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks a bunch!

Shogun3d · Nov 2009

I would suggest getting a hold of Windows 7 64 bit, definitely a solid OS and been tons better than Vista after I switched. Your new hardware should take full advantage of it too.

I've got the E6750 C2duo which is an oldie but goodie, yours is slightly newer but i'm in the same boat with you in the upgrade department. The good news is your motherboard should handle a nice quadcore cpu with 45 nano tech (double check, let us know what kind of motherboard you have). I would suggest sticking with intel and go for a quad core. You should stay within $200 for a CPU and you'll have nice gains for the buck. (Sounds like an Enzyme commercial)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041

And as far as a video card that won't bottleneck your cpu and give much needed kick, i'd stick with a single card instead of pci-e. Pci-e has been overrated in my opinion, and it will bust your wallet, especially since new cards are constantly coming out and you literally need to have the same exact card tech in order to take advantage of pci-e.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475

You're also definitely gonna need a new power supply unit, i'd target between 7-800 watts and you should be good for a long time.

A lot of this you can snag some deals from Black Friday or Christmas sales. Memory is pretty cheap too so be sure to stock up on some Ram. The more the merrior but aim for at least 4 gigs.

As far as cooling goes, you don't need water cooling unless you're an overclocking madman (and even then, a lot of intel CPU's are highly clockable without much heat induction. Zalman coolers have worked out great for me). You really don't need to fork over more cash just for water cooling if you're temps are not rising. Just keep an eye on your temps with fans and go from there.

Anyhow, unless you've got mad cash and want to fork for an i7 mobo combo, i'd stick with a nice quad core upgrade. The most you'll get for power will definitely be your CPU and Video card. These are vital for rendering etc while memory is vital for running multiple programs and handling high counts in zbrush. Hope this helps. Have fun shopping!

JasonLavoie · Nov 2009

Does newegg deliver to canada?

Thanks Kaburan, i'll take a look.

I kinda wanna get a new mobo as well... but 800 is pretty tight. See, the problem is, I think I've almost completely fried my computer, and I rather just build a new one instead of adding more parts to it, which will probably fuck it up even more

EarthQuake · Nov 2009

http://www.newegg.ca/ !

Mark Dygert · Nov 2009

http://boards.polycount.net/showpost.php?p=1036791&postcount=3

JasonLavoie · Nov 2009

Thank you!

EmAr · Nov 2009

More ram seems to have helped me with baking maps, compiling levels etc. I had 2 gb and now I have 8. I am on win 7 home premium 64 bit btw. Nice OS, I haven't had any issues so far. It's been like 5-6 weeks since the switch from XP 32 bit. I would get a decent mobo, case, cpu and psu if I were you. Ram and graphics card can be upgraded anytime you have enough money.

JasonLavoie · Nov 2009

Hmmm, ok... like right now I have 4 gigs of ram, but something tells me my comp fried one of the sticks... which would make me a sad ass panda.

I'll looking into focusing on the Mobo / CPU / and PSU first, I shouullld have enough money to at least get a solid rig together, while maybe putting a bit extra in there to round it out.

I'll post some lists once I get a couple compiled.

Thanks again for the help all

Mark Dygert · Nov 2009

I think all 32bit OS's-s cap out at 3.3gb of ram? Are you sure you're not using some out-dated OS that is just ignoring your ram?

And why are you worried about price this close to xmas? I guess someone ended up on the naughty list.
/high five!

JasonLavoie · Nov 2009

Vig you sonn offf a.....

Whew... anyways, i'm using XP 32bit version, I have 4 gigs cause I'm a silly bastard and bout 4 gigs, knowing that it only see's 3 gigs of it (but I think it uses the last gig for memory caching... maybe).

And, I'm worried about price because I myself don't have too much money to spend, and I don't ask for much when it comes to xmas, cause I am a good boy who appreciates the company of his silly family over great amounts of toys... mmm... toys.

Mark Dygert · Nov 2009

I liked it better when you believed that Santa would use his credit card info after you added everything to your shopping cart...

Jeremy Wright · Nov 2009

kaburan wrote: »

i'd stick with a single card instead of pci-e. Pci-e has been overrated in my opinion, and it will bust your wallet, especially since new cards are constantly coming out and you literally need to have the same exact card tech in order to take advantage of pci-e.

I'm assuming you meant SLI and not PCI-Express. If so, one can always start with one card and add another later for SLI. I think for an $800 computer one needs to stick with one Graphics Card.

ZacD · Dec 2009

Does anyone really need SLI?

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

How else would God render the Earth?

ZacD · Dec 2009

The universe is actually a giant super computer.

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

Uh... yuh... we're in the matrix... DUHHH!

I'll get this thread back on track once I get me a list (and maaybbee find myself a bit of free time... like now... but food conquers all).

Shogun3d · Dec 2009

Yes I meant, SLI

arrangemonk · Dec 2009

i recomend a firmware update and vaccuum for your current computer

System · Dec 2009

Here's an idea if you don't have megabucks to spend - isolate the problem, fix with software or new hardware (if needed) then sell your old system as a whole and buy totally new everything.

memtest < this stress tests processors and memory

ps: if the computer is randomly shutting down it sounds like you may have a virus! First scan for nasty little critters and then clean;

jv16 Powertools < cleans unwanted files and unlinked registry items, one of the few apps I actually trust.

After that if still the same reformat the hd and reinstalling the o/s.

edit: arrangemonk, missed that, vaccuum ftw!

Mark Dygert · Dec 2009

ZacD wrote: »

Does anyone really need SLI?

You're in for a rude surprise if you run more than one monitor. SLI only works in full screen mode on one monitor. If you run 2 monitors like a lot of people do, both monitors plug into one card and the other card sits idle until SLI full screen mode is turned on and it turns off the second monitor and only uses the main.

They did change it so it no longer requires a restart it will pop in and out of SLI mode on the fly, which is kind of nice. But no performance boost for apps that don't take over your monitor unless you force SLI mode, and then you're only using one monitor. Apps like Maya, Max, Mudbox, Zbrush, Photoshop, AfterEffects ect. I doubt there is much of a performance boost if you run those apps in forced SLI mode because the apps aren't specifically written to take advantage of it.

They almost make it sound useful but under the hood it has the problems I discribed above which for gamers probably aren't much of an issue but for us... its kind of a deal breaker if you run two monitors that second card will sit idle.
http://www.slizone.com/object/sli_multi_monitor.html

Disco Stu · Dec 2009

Sli is pretty useless. I could put 3 cards on my mobo but it just makes no sense.
Its not much faster than a good single card and the energy costs you have extra is also
a factor.
As for the rig i dont know. Maybe fix it bunker some more cash and go for a system with
a longer future as in i5/i7 and ddr3 ram?

arrangemonk · Dec 2009

whats the big deal with the money, a proper phenom II + biostar board is also pretty fast + isnt as expensive as the intel counterpart
http://www.alternate.de/html/product/CPU_Sockel_AM3/AMD/Phenom_II_X4_965/378971/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=CPU&l2=Desktop&l3=Sockel+AM3

mLichy · Dec 2009

How else would God render the Earth?

LMFAO

I also would suggest using 64bit for more ram

You can use up to like 128GB of ram on windows 7 64bit. Just get the pro version, it's cheaper. Better yet, look on Zipzoomfly.com if they deliver to Canada, for OEM version.

Really, if you can afford it, get all good shit. Not uber good, just good quality stuff that will last u and not cripple u.

My Rig works great, my setup is:

Windows 7 64bit Proffesional
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.67GHZ
Asus P5Q Pro motherboard (775 socket I think?)
8GB DDR2 1066MHZ Ram in Dual Channel
Nvidia Asus GTX260 TOP (Overclocked) 896MB Ram
2 x 250GB Seagate 7200RPM SATA Drives in Raid 0
Thermaltake 800Watt Powersupply... I forget what one...
Thermaltake copper CPU heatsink (looks like an engine block)
Soundblaster Extreme Audio Sound card (something like that)

Anyways, for all that stuff I spent prob. 1200 or so after shipping. So I would think you could get something close to that for 1000 or maybe less now, since I built this thing like a year ago.

Mark Dygert · Dec 2009

Windows 7 64bit Proffesional
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.67GHZ
Asus P5Q Pro motherboard (775 socket I think?)
8GB DDR2 1066MHZ Ram in Dual Channel
Nvidia Asus GTX260 TOP (Overclocked) 896MB Ram
2 x 250GB Seagate 7200RPM SATA Drives in Raid 0
Thermaltake 800Watt Powersupply... I forget what one...
Thermaltake copper CPU heatsink (looks like an engine block)
Soundblaster Extreme Audio Sound card (something like that)

But seriously when you're power supply has its own zip code...

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

Howdy polycounters

Alritghy so I finally hunkered down and started building (what I think) to be a pretty strong setup for the price, and I'm some of you awesome people can chime on in with any tips or suggestions to see if I can round this one up to be a good buy... I want to order the parts within the week because I have no patience

Krypteia · Dec 2009

Was that the same post you put on my thread Vig?

Aw, Vig, you touch my heart. ;-)

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

(i'm posting this on the new page)

Howdy polycounters

Alritghy so I finally hunkered down and started building (what I think) to be a pretty strong setup for the price, and I'm some of you awesome people can chime on in with any tips or suggestions to see if I can round this one up to be a good buy... I want to order the parts within the week because I have no patience

ZacD · Dec 2009

One thing to think about, if you get an intel processor, less wattage (85 vs 125 (for equal clock quads (its $50 more for the intel)) = save money on your electric bill and puts out less heat

and

"AMD Phenom (1) CPUs are comparatively bad at gaming. You don't want a Phenom 9750 in a gaming PC.

The Phenom II models were a big improvement, but even then they need to be at a somewhat higher clock speed, in order to match an equivalent Intel processor in gaming performance. For example, an Intel Q9400 (at 2.66 GHz) consistently beats the performance of a Phenom II X4 940 (at 3.0 GHz) in games."

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

what intel is this Zac??

danshewan · Dec 2009

I've got a 1GB 9800GT, and they're great cards for the price. Sure, there are better options, but for sheer value for money you can't go wrong with one of these.

ZacD · Dec 2009

JasonLavoie wrote: »

what intel is this Zac??

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115057&cm_re=intel_quad_core-_-19-115-057-_-Product

brandoom · Dec 2009

Hey Jason,

sweet looking setup. Building a new pc is always a good time. Only suggestion I have is, if you can afford the extra, get 8gbs of ram. I know it sounds a little extreme, but i have 4gb right now and always wishing I had more.

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

Hey Zac, on tiger its 100 - 200 more dollars... i'm trying to stick to canadian sites so i don't have to worry too much on shipping costs. Any other suggestions?

Bradon - I know eh... i'm pumped right now just waiting to set this thing up. The eztra 4 gigs will have to wait for a bit though.

ZacD · Dec 2009

newegg.ca might be cheaper for some stuff

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115057&cm_re=intel_quad_core-_-19-115-057-_-Product

dejawolf · Dec 2009

raid 0 is the shiznits, reduced loading times of everything.

Ark · Dec 2009

Raid is a waste imo, especially with Raid 0, if one HDD fails you loose all your data on your arrays for little if any performance gain.

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

RAID is not a waste, if you have a backup solution... Which in this industry, you most likely should have one.

RAID5 or nested Raid 0 + 1 is a good solution if you have the money, otherwise RAID0 with an external drive is great.

Also, protip: Check your mobo's QVL for memory. Asus is generally pretty compatible, but sometimes you're surprised when you build your comp and it starts shitting its pants because your RAM wasn't on the QVL.

Edit: Stay away from liquid cooling unless you've got a boatload of money... its worth it if you spend the big bucks, but definitively NOT worth it if you're on a budget.

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

Where did this Raid convo come from?? Is there something wrong with the HD i've chosen?

And what is QVL and how do i check if the mobo i'm looking at... is... right?

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

Qualified Vendor List

http://ca.asus.com/

Products-> Motherboards -> AMD AM3 (on the left) -> AMD 785G/SB710 -> M4A785-M -> Memory Support List

And your mobo is fine, its just what memory it supports...

I think the RAID convo came from DejaWolf saying it was the shiznits, but speaking frankly, isn't in your price range at the time...

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

Oh ok thanks man

So for the AMD Phenom X4 9750 Quad Core Processor, is that going to bottleneck my PC, is it it going to be ok? Just because my buget overall is pretty tight, I don't want to add on another $100 if I don't "have" too.

But if it is really going to drag down the system, I'll look for something else... but if its not HORRIBLE, i'll prob be ordering everything tomorrow.

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103656

Worth the $50 imo, the Phenom II is a much better proc, and this has 400 more mhz.

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

Also, sorry for the double post, but Im not sure how much of an ATi fan you are...
The new 5750 card might be something to ponder, as it has eyefinity if you want 3 monitors, and some pretty rad specs, not sure about the drivers right now though.

ASUS 5750: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121351

And here's a 9800 GTX+, which I recommend over a standard GT, especially in that price range:

EVGA 9800 GTX+: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339

JasonLavoie · Dec 2009

So the GT I am looking at has 1024mb of memory, where as the GTX has 512, would I see any performance boosts over the GT?

I would never ever need 3 monitors, I barely use 2...

So... what you're saying is I'd be better off going with a Dual Core then a Quad?

I found this one - http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4695457&sku=A79-0550

I don't know if that is better then the one you suggested, this one has a bit more Mhz too it as well...

Mio · Dec 2009

get Phenom II, much better than old Phenom

for gamer. 5750 is great, but i always got some shader problem in 3dsmax with ati card.

so 9800GT/GTX will be a good choice for work.

PfhorRunner · Dec 2009

The processor I suggested was "AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz"

Which is still a Quad-Core Processor, but is the Phenom II, and has 400MHz on the processor you picked originally.

More video memory is great if you're doing high resolution stuff, but 512 is pretty standard. They differ in performance the higher resolution you put them at, but the GTX+ will give you better performance at the low to medium resolution stuff, and the GT will give you similar (+ or - about 10 FPS) at high resolutions.
However, you will notice a performance increase with the 5750 all around, but its a new card, with new drivers, and can cause some headache...

NyneDown · Jan 2010

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I'm in the same boat as Jason and have to upgrade my current rig. One question I was wondering is if Windows 7 is compatible with 3dsMax 9 (32bit), Maya 8.5 and Photoshop CS and Xnormal?!? I literally just started looking around so havent done a ton of research just yet. I've had my current rig going on about 6 years now and it's dying a slow agonizing death...but if anyone can answer those questions I will be your BFF...fo' life!

ZacD · Jan 2010

I haven't had any issues with old apps with vista or windows seven even with a 64bit OS.

NyneDown · Jan 2010

Right on Zac! Your BFF invite is in the mail man...xoxoxo

ZacD · Jan 2010

what email did you send it to?

NyneDown · Jan 2010

My badz man, I was just kidding! I dont have any "best friends forever" invites but I'd so send ya one if I did

Thanks again for your feedback!

Can I haz new Rig?

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