PC Recommendation?

[mixedup]

eh wait a few days, Intel is launcing Core 2(a full line btw) in the next few days while AMD plans to cut prices to combat the X2

sounds intelligent.......but no GB-PVR for a week :o Plus I'm on leave just at the moment so would have been a good time to set things up.

ummm:confused:

PS Still interested in any comments re what speed AMD to choose?

[mixedup]

Actually just got back from the store - the spec we drafted (with components in stock) was below:

Any concerns with this spec do you think? (dual core) Then I'll ring and confirm the order:

* AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+AM2 Processor Retail Dual Core AM2
* Gigabyte GA-M55PLUS-S3G AM2 nVIDIA C51G+430 ATX PCIEx16 DualDDRII VGA GbeLAN
* DDR2 1024MB PC4200 RAM Corsair twin pack (2X512MB )
* Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 80GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
* Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 250GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
* Leadtek WinFast PX7900GT TDH 256MB DDR3 Dual DVI SLi PCI E

[hunterguy]

my current system is
pentium 4 640+3.20GHz 8oo fHz fsb 2mg l2 cache faxconn 915pL7ae mother board 1024GB DDR400 SDRAM AGP winfast 6600 LE 256MB video card creative Audigy x-fi platinum 64bit audio, Devico fusionHDTV plus,dvd/cd r+- r+Rw optical drive main drive western digital Raptor 37GB hDD, working drive stored in vantec stainless steel digital hotswap 250 GB sata 11 16MG, Media drive 320GB sata 11 16MG housed n custom uv reactive perspects/stainless case. i am considering upgradeing the motherboard any sugestions ??

[rowle1jt]

Actually just got back from the store - the spec we drafted (with components in stock) was below:

Any concerns with this spec do you think? (dual core) Then I'll ring and confirm the order:

* AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+AM2 Processor Retail Dual Core AM2
* Gigabyte GA-M55PLUS-S3G AM2 nVIDIA C51G+430 ATX PCIEx16 DualDDRII VGA GbeLAN
* DDR2 1024MB PC4200 RAM Corsair twin pack (2X512MB )
* Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 80GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
* Seagate Serial ATA NCQ 250GB 7200RPM 8mb Cache
* Leadtek WinFast PX7900GT TDH 256MB DDR3 Dual DVI SLi PCI E

That will certainly run GB-PVR very well!!!!

As for the AMD -vs- Intel, its hard to measure them head to head. Most people will say that a Athlon64 3200+ runs like a Penitum 4 3.2GHz. Keep in mind that 3.2GHz is 3200 megahertz.... That is not a set in stone either, and some will argue that it isn't even close.

I have never had the oppurtunity to sit down with two "comparable" proc's, 1 from Intel and 1 from AMD to see if that is how they compare.

[Jep4444]

ugh i hate Gigabyte mobos, their BIOS' are just awful, maybe i'm just soured by some bad experiences but i just don't like them

id go with a single 1GB stick of RAM, especially if you're going to be playing PC games, dual channel is nice but its nothing major and you'll find it much easier to upgrade(running 4 sticks of RAM is never quite as stable as it should be)

for a 7900GT, look for some of the pre-overclocked cards as they're often around the same price and offer more bang for your buck(the only worry is they have a higher failure rate although still not huge)

finally just wait 2 or 3 days, AMD plans massive price cuts to fight Core 2

[reboot]

If this is going to be a true multitasking rig, game player and all, then get whatever you can afford.
I'm not up on the AM2's, but can testify that the other dual core athlon's are seriously fast compared to the Intel "D" series, which IMHO, suck.
If this is strictly a PVR, then a super cheap Barton 2500 will do the job easily, with 512 ram on board.

[rowle1jt]

I used a few different Gigabyte boards, like Jep says, they don't have the best BIOS.

I have used a lot Asus and Epox boards. Asus is head and shoulders above all other mobo's. Not just in BIOS but in EVERYTHING! Documentation, support, BIOS, overclocking, under clocking and compatibility. Not to mention that most Asus boards have a more options then many boards out there.

[mixedup]

tks guys

Re the Gigabyte motherboard & Number of PCI slots

• Heres the list of motherboards my shop has on their list (Motherboard List - http://www.umart.com.au/pro/pro...10&bid=2&id2=105). You see that in the 'Socket AM2 AMD' range there are only a few listed for ASUS.
  
• The ASUS of equivalent value (M2NPV-VM) seems to only have 2 PCI slots, whereas the Gigabyte has 4 PCI slots.
  
• I was concerned about this as I have right now 1 TV tuner card + 1 special audio card which I use to send the GV-PVR audio through and then onto the TV. If I wanted to add a 2nd TV tuner card then already I'd need 3 PCI slots no?
  
• The next step up in the ASUS (M2N-SLI Deluxe) adds about another $100 to the price and then only has 3 PCI slots (i.e. Gigabyte had 4).
  
• Any comments on this. What's the actual concern with the Gigabyte BIOS, is it buggy or just a SETUP useability thing?
  

Re "for a 7900GT, look for some of the pre-overclocked cards"
You've got me here - what do you mean exactly?

Thanks again

[Jep4444]

i wouldn;t say Asus is head and shoulders above all others mobos, DFI has made some fantastic boards lately, the BIOS can be a little scary but they're the most feature packed i've ever used, Asus makes their fair share of crap too(A8V-E Deluxe anyone?)

i've found that if Gigabyte mobos dont work right off the bat, they're hell to stabilize

don't worry about going Socket AM2 unless you plan to upgrade the machine later on, Socket 939 processors are just as quick

an pre-overclocked card is a card thats had its clock speeds raised to increase performance, this is very common on cards like the 7900GT because they run relatively cool(due to the fact that they are identical to the GTX in design)

you can use onboard audio to output to a TV aswell, just need to use the lineout jack

Ps your link doesn't work

[mixedup]

tks - sorry re link - try this http://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_lis...=2&id2=105