[Al4x]

since having my laptop ive fallen behind on desktop advances particularly graphics!

i want to be able to run two monitors and play games [but only need one monitor working for that]

im looking at core i7s with windows 7 64

i was looking at the 28x or 29x GTX nvidia series, [havent a clue whats good from ATI]
is it fine to run this card [or a similar ATI] on its own, or would i get betteer performance from a SLI rig with a cheaper graphics card?
im aware i can always add another later if i go the first route.



any advice? [on the whole system?]

[its annoying i have to do this tbh but was thinking about it anyway]

 

[Al4x]

looking at it 29x are too expensive!

i found Radeon HD 5850 which looks good

 

[mark2410]

id go ati, never liked the way nvidas behave

 

[Al4x]

i dont really know which way to go, ill choose the cheapest.. may have to find a vs table

i have decided the core i7 860 is the cpu to choose tho

 

[mark2410]

toms hardware guide usually has comparison tables of a variety of things. should give you an idea of how things compare

 

[Al4x]

the gpu is gonna be the hardest part, ive just found the 4870x2 which seems really good, but its quite old and dx10 only

looks like its between the 4870x2 and the Radeon HD 5850 or some smilarly priced gpu from nvidia

 

[kshelton]

I would go with nvidia personally, I don't know if you are planning on gaming at all. I have heard bad things about Radeon cards and gaming. Anyway I upgraded my whole computer about 6 months ago, make sure to check out newegg they have great prices. I searched and just found the best deals mixed with the performance I wanted. And I was surprised by at the low price of overhauling my computer. And one more thing, you will love W7! I was lucky and got Ultimate for free but I would buy it in a heartbeat if I hadn't got it for free. (oh wait I just noticed you are in the UK so newegg probably won't work)

 

[Al4x]

i have win 7 and yeah in uk :/

im also considering AMD phenom II x4 965 as apposed to the core i7 860 on cost basis

good idea?

 

[noxlord]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al4x /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have win 7 and yeah in uk :/ im also considering AMD phenom II x4 965 as apposed to the core i7 860 on cost basis good idea?

No, get a core i5 instead of an amd. Also, the ATI HD5850 is an excellent choice. Gaming-wise, your gpu is much much more important than your cpu.

 

[Al4x]

but there are no boards with 2x PCI e x16 for that CPU architecture

 

[Al4x]

Intel Core i7 '920'
2.66GHz Bloomfield
Intel i7 920 Bloomfield
4.8GT/s | 8MB cache

ATI Radeon® HD 5850 1GB DDR5
6GB RAM DDR3 1600MHz (3x 2GB)
Mainboard ASUS 1366 P6T X58
1000GB SATA-2 HDD 7200rpm
20x DualLayer DVD±RW Lightscribe
8 Channel High-Definition Audio
Cardreader | Gigabit Ethernet LAN
750 Watt Power | Intel® Box Cooler
Ankermann 704 Data Display Case

for £850?

dont think i could build it for cheaper! what do you think?

 

[MCC]

That looks like a good setup. What brand of PSU are you getting? I'd take a quality 500w over a cheap 750w any day.

 

[shake]

I have a question, why don't you get another laptop? In this day and age, you can find rather powerful laptops, or desktop replacements for great prices. They're also mobile for when you want to take it somewhere, they take up less space, and they use less energy. Here are some examples:
ASUS N61JQ-A1 Gaming Laptop
Sager NP2098 - Gaming Laptop
Newegg.com - ASUS N81 Series N81Vp-X1 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8700(2.53GHz) 14" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 - Laptops / Notebooks
Newegg.com - HP Pavilion DV6-1361SB NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8700(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 - Laptops / Notebooks

If you're determined on getting a desktop though, let me know. I've been in the PC enthusiast game for a while

.

 

[Al4x]

im uk based btw :/

yeah im going desktop, my laptop is repairable i think, but i dont wanna put high loads on it and was planning on getting a desktop at some point anyway

 

[shake]

Ok then. I would suggest getting a 3rd party heatsink for your i7 920. The stock one just won't cut it. More info here: 6-Way Intel Core i7 CPU Cooler Roundup - Intel Stock Cooler - Legit Reviews

And also, make sure the 5850 will fit in your case. It's a very long card.