Upgrading to an x1900xtx.. suggestions for other hardware

[ForceFX]

So I'm pretty sure I'm going tog et the x1900xtx after comming across one for just around $350 (a deal I really can't pass off:woot:). My sig details what I have now, but obviously my MB now is not pci-e compatable, and if I were to get a new MB for the GPU that only complicates things with my processor (socket A now..) so in other words I'm upgrading all three components. I'm pretty sure I want a AMD processer, but I'm not sure what would be the best choice. (around the $400 price range I guess)


I'm mainly upgrading for new generation games that will arrive in the future (ut2007, etc) as well as oblivion which I have now. I want to be able to run that thing at max settings

Any suggestions on MB, processor, ram possibly?

Thanks!

edit: sig not showing up:
AMD Athlon XP 3000 2.21Ghz :: 19" ViewSonic Flatpanel :: ATI Radeon 9800 PRO Stock :: WD 120 gb HD :: Corsair 512x2 2700 Memory :: NForce 2 K7N-2 Delta MB :: Creativelabs 5.1 SS Speakers ::

[Steensen]

X2-3800+, 2*1GB G.skill GBHZ nd then eather a CF MoBo, or a SLI DR, and then some adequate cooling.

[ForceFX]

thx for the suggestions ill look into those. is there any specific MB you would recommend? Right now I have a TT fan cooler for my cpu which is actually really loud.. I won't have the money for water cooling, but I may be able to get a new fan.

[nn_step]

My suggestion is 165 on a DFI Ultra-D, grab a TTBT or a 9500 zalman..
Some G.SKill HZ and what PSU do you have?
Because the X1900XTX needs a hell of alot of juice..
the least I would suggest would be an Enermax 600w liberty

[WC Annihilus]

I would go with the 3800+ as this years steppings seem to be good ones: 2006 x2 3800 Manchesters (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92953&highlight=3800+2006)

Put it under a Scythe Ninja, TT BT, or Tuniq Tower (Tuniq being the best, though massive). Definately on the Ultra-D. Pretty much any UCCC from G.Skill, Mushkin, Team, or Corsair (most may rag on this, but from the result I've seen, Corsair's foray in the UCCC does quite well).

[ForceFX]

I recently bought an ultra xconnect 500w PSU.. maybe not the best choice but it got some good reviews, looks awesome in my case, and has removable cables. I'm sure it should handle the xtx fine.

What about the FX processors? Is there any benefit to those? I don't know much about them, except that they are pretty expensive. If I could get the money would an fx-55 be a better choice? an fx-60 is pretty much outa the question though.

[nn_step]

I recently bought an ultra xconnect 500w PSU.. maybe not the best choice but it got some good reviews, looks awesome in my case, and has removable cables. I'm sure it should handle the xtx fine.

What about the FX processors? Is there any benefit to those? I don't know much about them, except that they are pretty expensive. If I could get the money would an fx-55 be a better choice? an fx-60 is pretty much outa the question though.
Dude, I think you need to seriously stop right now and get a GOOOD PSU.
XConnect has three settings On, Off and Kill everything in the case..
and you have no control on what setting it is..
So for the love of God, get a NEW PSU NOW :eek:
Take all the money you would to get an FX and just get a simple 165/170 and a GOOD PSU!:fact:

[ForceFX]

Well.. I just bought the PSU.. it cannot be THAT bad?? It got great reviews "http://www.bigbruin.com/reviews/ultraxconnectpsu/index3.php 5/5 stars" just found that real quick.. but why should I upgrade to a new PSU? Will it seriously not be able to handle the new upgrades?

[gr8golf]

*Kill everything in the case* - LOL, good one NN. I agree with getting the Opteron 165 /170.

[nn_step]

*Kill everything in the case* - LOL, good one NN. I agree with getting the Opteron 165 /170.
I am not joking man :slap:
If you have an X-Connect, you can save yourself the trouble and just toss the whole rig in the trash right now. :fact:
Just buy one off the list
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56231
550+ watts unless it is PCP&C then you can get away with 510w..
the last thing you want to do is screw around with the PSU, because if it dies, it can kill EVERYSINGLE THING in your ENTIRE Case:fact:

[ForceFX]

i don't think i want an opteron though i really don't know much about them.. and most people don't seem to have them.

edit: and from what I know they are mainly for servers/workstations. not for gaming.

[nn_step]

i don't think i want an opteron though i really don't know much about them.. and most people don't seem to have them.

edit: and from what I know they are mainly for servers/workstations. not for gaming.
well that is the thing the Opterons for s939 are just relabeled Sandiego cores
so if you have to choose between a Opty and a sandy.. get the cheaper one.
Dual core is something different.. and I suggest it because it makes multitasking so much faster. it wont benefit non-threaded games but you as a user will like how smooth it feels.. once you go dual cores, it will be hard to go back to single cores.

[ForceFX]

whats wrong with for instance the fx-55 duel core?

[nn_step]

whats wrong with for instance the fx-55 duel core?
well lets see, first the FX-55 is a single core, thus it can not be Dual core.
Secondly the fact it costs about as much as an FX-57
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCompare.asp?CompareItemList=N82E16819103558 ,N82E16819103527&SubCategory=343
Third you can get a 4800+ or a 4000+ for more than $200 less and with less than two minutes of tweaking can have the exact same performance, if not better.
and Finally.. FX has only one benefit over regular Chips, an unlocked multi.. and most people don't even know how to use that effectively...
save your money and get a dual core.

[Getttosmurf]

opty 165/170
seasonic s12 600w i love mine :) quiet and strong.
if there in stock team xtreem 2GB 3-3-2-8 ddr 500 http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92526

My 2c

//Smurf

[masterofpuppets]

I am not joking man :slap:
If you have an X-Connect, you can save yourself the trouble and just toss the whole rig in the trash right now. :fact:
Just buy one off the list
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56231
550+ watts unless it is PCP&C then you can get away with 510w..
the last thing you want to do is screw around with the PSU, because if it dies, it can kill EVERYSINGLE THING in your ENTIRE Case:fact:
I don't know about needing 550w+.. my OCZ 520 is holding up fine with an X1900XT@XTX, 2.8GHz 165, 1GB of BH-5 at 3.5v and the usual fans/drives. Although I think my X1900 is struggling a bit with it, it's MOSFET's make a hell of alot of buzzing noises.. but it's probably just the card. It's a PowerStream 520 is a pretty solid PSU.. fantastic rails and the pot placement is a godsend. I don't have to crawl around to get the screwdriver in to push up my 3.3v when I need to change my vdimm. So convenient.

[ForceFX]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103546 alright so I think im going to get that.. good choice for the money? or would an opteron be better? how about the fatal1ty MB? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127196

[nn_step]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103546 alright so I think im going to get that.. good choice for the money? or would an opteron be better? how about the fatal1ty MB? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127196
Fatal1ty sucks.. I suggest DFI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152
unless you don't feel completely comfortable with it, than I suggest MSI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037
proc looks fine

[ForceFX]

ill probably go with the MSI board, it has 2x PCI-E slots so in case I ever want to get another one in SLI thats possible, correct? Does the xtx use pci-e x16 or x1?

[nn_step]

ill probably go with the MSI board, it has 2x PCI-E slots so in case I ever want to get another one in SLI thats possible, correct? Does the xtx use pci-e x16 or x1?
ummm, the DFI can do SLi too, you just need to enable it with a simple mod..
The XTX can only use X16 physical slots but only needs X8 connections

[ForceFX]

Alright awesome, yeh just noticed that it has 2 x16 slots.. anyways thanks for your help so far, but which PSU would you recommend to give me enough juice (without modding or changing stock voltages) for this setup?

[nn_step]

My primary suggestions
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCompare.asp?CompareItemList=N82E16817103462 ,N82E16817104014,N82E16817194004,N82E16817194005,N 82E16817104015,N82E16817103447,N82E16817703001,N82 E16817103438,N82E16817703002,N82E16817194001&SubCategory=58

[ForceFX]

whats agood crossfire board? if per chance i ever got an 1900xtx, i would want to be able to use crossfire

[nn_step]

For crossfire my vote is for http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136165

[ForceFX]

would it be a good idea for me to go with that board? or just get the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152

would one x1900xtx have any advantage using the crossfire board? (or the 4400+?)

[Orangeman]

So you're gonna replace the MB and the processor? Noticed your memory is PC2700? Need new sticks also. Hmmm... so you're looking to pretty much replace your whole system? Can you wait about 10 weeks? AM2 will be out then.

[ForceFX]

AM2? i actually already ordered the 1900xtx however

[nn_step]

AM2? i actually already ordered the 1900xtx however
AM2 is supposedly the thing that replaces s939.. it isn't going to be out for a while..

[ForceFX]

is it worth waiting? i would assume that it would also be mega expensive when it first comes out. so i'm thinking about still getting the 4400+ (probably the best deal for the money right now)

[nn_step]

Depends, do you think you can wait about 3-6months?
edit: the 170 would be a better choice

[ForceFX]

3-6 is pretty long, can you tell me more about the processor though?

10 weeks is more reasonable but still don't really want to wait that long.

whats better about the opterons then the 64s?

[nn_step]

Honestly they are exactly the same..
but is 200mhz speed worth $65 to you?
If it is the 4400+ would be the better choice..

[ForceFX]

ah, I didn't think your recommendation was based solely on money. so performance wise (disregarding the 200mhz) is basicly the same... in that case i'll probably get the 4400+ sense I can actually get it cheaper then the 170.

[nn_step]

Correct, exact same core, with a little bit difference in speed.. that is it..

[Steensen]

Alright awesome, yeh just noticed that it has 2 x16 slots.. anyways thanks for your help so far, but which PSU would you recommend to give me enough juice (without modding or changing stock voltages) for this setup?
The Ultra chipset is actually the same as the SLI chipset, with only 2 resistors placed differently. If you don't wanna mod the MoBo, then by the SLI-D or SLI-DR, wich clocks almost as good, just a bit slower.

PSU, there my recomendation is the FSP Epsilon 600 or 700W. It has four +12V rails:
12V1 CPU1 (Pin 1-4 in ATX+12V plug)
12V2 CPU2 (Pin 5-8 in ATX+12V plug) +PCI-E 2
12V3 24pin ATX, molex + SATA connectors
12V4 PCI-E 1

[Skyline GT-R]

Guys, this guy doesn't seems a diehard OC'er to me so why in the world does he need a DFI mb? A nice Asus of MSI seems good to me for him, about the PSU u guys are completly right. And why a SLi MB if he has an ATi graphics card? Maybe the asus A8R32 is something for him (eventhough the mb is a bit buggy...)

[ForceFX]

yeh, I probably won't overclock at all, or just a very little bit. I want a stable, fast, easy MB, which MB would u recommend skyline? something cosmeticly cool, stable, etc. of what I said :)

[Skyline GT-R]

Depending on how much you are willing to spend on a mb, but depending on the chipset it will be:
nForce 4:
Asus A8N Sli Prem
Asus A8N32 SLi Deluxe
MSI K8N Diamond Plus
DFI Ultra D is a nice board to :)

ATi Xpress 3200 (RD580)
Asus A8R32 MVP Deluxe (but this board has some issues)

If I would buy an AMD system (not that I'm going to do that cause I'm waiting on Conroe) I would go for an Asus board... (My MSI boards keep on dieing :(, this one I'm using now is my 3th K8N Neo...)

[ForceFX]

which one of these would be the best choice? i don't want to spend more than 150 really on a MB unless the MSI si just that much better and worth it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037

if no which of the ones you recommended would you buy ? I already bought the 1900xtx, and im probabl buying the 4400+, so I won't need SLI, or crossfire, I just need to upgrade my PSU and RAM now.. but thats a different story.

One more thing.. would my RAM that i have now work with my new setup or will I have to buy a different kind?

[nn_step]

which one of these would be the best choice? i don't want to spend more than 150 really on a MB unless the MSI si just that much better and worth it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037

if no which of the ones you recommended would you buy ? I already bought the 1900xtx, and im probabl buying the 4400+, so I won't need SLI, or crossfire, I just need to upgrade my PSU and RAM now.. but thats a different story.

One more thing.. would my RAM that i have now work with my new setup or will I have to buy a different kind?
The MSI is the superior of the two, but if the price mark isn't something you want to go past..
This board will fit your skill level nicely
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130487R

[ForceFX]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131568
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130037

the battle is now between those two, the asus wins if I can sell my old parts soon, so I have alittle extra cash. Other than that I have one question.
Will my corsair 2700 1gig of RAM work with my new system? I want to wait alittle while till I get some more cash before I buy new memory.

[nn_step]

My vote is for the MSI, I have that board and I have found it to be an excellent overclocker. your memory will work perfectly in the system. I don't know how well your Ram will overclock, but a simple divider will let it run perfectly at PC-2700

[ForceFX]

what If I wasn't going to overclock, atleast not extensively. would the asus be the better choice for a stable, easy to use MB? would I have to use a divider to just use the ram or just for overclocking? (i'm not sure what a divider is to be honest)

[nn_step]

If you wanted completely unbelievably Stable, I would go Gigabyte
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128301

[ForceFX]

i mean between those other two.

[nn_step]

The most stable of those two is The MSI diamond

[ForceFX]

is there a reason why you say that? or just from experieance?

[nn_step]

Experience. I have had alot more problems with ASUS boards than I have had with MSI.