Whats better?

[Ait'al]

These are with the 875p/P4 3.2

XMS 4000 2x512 DDR (2gigs), Other corsair what kind?
4x1gig and what kind, Is there corsair?
800Mhz 4x512
Other

Radion 9800 xt
NVidia 5950 ultra
The 5950 has everything going for it statically. Why is the Radion better.

Is it at all worth getting an nvidia/radion then getting nvidia3000/whatever for creating shit. And what it considered better for that than the 3000? Er what Nvidia is for creating graphics?
Whats the difference between the 3000/5950ultra/etc.

What are the best cards in general for gaming/graphics design for games
Again is it better to get one or two. Excluding cost.

Is the Area 51's cooling system sufficient. If not what can i add/improve.

Any other suggestions? I need informed info cause i can only afford this once.

I'm going al out with a comp. I'm customizing an Area 51 and replacing what i need with better. Trying ot figure out what to get, or what to replace. I'm going very high end for gaming, creating stuff like in 3d modeling, whatever else i can get for video game creation/digital/etc.

[Ait'al]

These are the stats i was looking at. I'm pretty sure these were gotten form there perspective sites.


NVIDIA� GeForce� FX 5950 Ultra

The Alienware Extreme Edition GeForce� FX 5950 Ultra provides a definitive performance edge - featuring an exclusively enhanced engine speed of 500MHz and memory speed of 975MHz.

Architected for blazing speeds and delivering unmatched visual quality, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra ignites PC gaming. The second generation Intellisample high-resolution compression technology (HCT) delivers the highest-quality antialiasing for ultra-realistic visuals with no jagged edges. And, powered by the second generation NVIDIA CineFX� 2.0 engine�with the industry's only true 128-bit precision processing�the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra takes cinematic-quality special effects to new levels while providing the industry's most compatible and reliable gaming platform.


Alienware Extreme Edition GeForce� FX 5950 Ultra 256MB 8x AGP w/DVI & S-Video



Specifications

Name Extreme Edition GeForce� FX 5950 Ultra

GPU Speed 500 MHz

Memory Configuration 256 MB 975 MHz DDR

Interface AGP 4x/8x

Graphics Engine NVIDIA CineFX� 2.0

Fill Rate 4.0 Gigapixels/s

Memory Bandwidth 31.2 GB/Sec

TV-Out Support Yes

Multiple Display Support Yes

RAMDAC Speed Dual 400MHz
------------------------------------------------------------

ATI RADEON� 9800 XT

RADEON� 9800 Series of visual processors is the most visually advanced 3D performer on the planet, delivering an immersive, cinematic experience for the most demanding next-generation games with up to 256MB of DDR memory and a 256-bit memory interface. Merging advanced stability with revolutionary features, RADEON� 9800 Series is the only Visual Processing family in its 2nd generation.

Note: Product may differ from what is depicted.


ATI RADEON� 9800 XT 256MB 8x AGP w/DVI & S-Video



Specifications

Name ATI� RADEON� 9800 XT 256MB

VPU Speed 412 MHz

Memory Configuration 256MB 730 MHz DDR

Interface AGP 4x/8x

Graphics Engine RADEON 9800 XT

Fill Rate 3.3 Gigapixles/s

Memory Bandwidth 22.6 GB/s

TV-Out Support Yes

Multiple Display Support Yes

RAMDAC Speed 400MHz

Special Features SMARTSHADER� 2.1, SMOOTHVISION� 2.1, HYPER Z� III, TRUFORM� 2.0, VIDEOSHADER�

I need some info right now. Edit:And detailed info to boot.

And of course DER! only one AGP slot! Is there any way to get extra ones on a board. Any way to slap two boards together? Anything? Dont want to have to network for this little! Maybe if i was adding a sound thing for like music, but i dont need it.

My brains fried. I cant do this on my own that well right now! 8\
i1m sure some can sympothize!

I go from knowing everything to the capasicty of a rock and everything in between.I'm sure not as many can sympothize! :)

[Ait'al]

And for fun, how is the networking capabilities for xp professional?

I know, i know, tech is more fun and fulfiling way of life. I was going to, but as i said above, my brain got fried. So i thought id do somthing that took a little less skill. :p

[Zatrais]

step 1.) ditch alienware. build it your self

step 2.) do some research on the cards whit real tests from several (keyword here) sites to be sure you get the best overall view of the cards.

step 3.) decide on a cpu

step 4.) match your cpu buss to the chosen ram chips

step 5.) post the setup you get to here for review if you want to

oh yeah, ditch alienware

[Daleon]

Are you actually looking for 4x512 = 2gigs of ram?

Well if you want just the most expensive and best out, hard to beat this:

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=140918&Category_Code=CorsairMemory

As for the video card, if you want to do real workstation level video graphic editing you pretty much have to go Nvidia and the QuadroFX 3000G is about the best they have right now. The thing prolly costs as much as the rest of the system. It should game pretty decently. I use a quadro at work, and I know plenty of ppl who do animation professionally and ATI can't come close to rendering speed of NV.

As for gaming, all those numbers that NV is ahead of ATI in are bs. They are all theoretical bs and you never see those numbers for either card in real life. In real life, ATI is a little faster, and a little better IQ overall. But again it comes down to the game, developer support, and D3D vs OGL games.

[dscytherulez]

For gaming, the ATI hands down because NVIDIA has problems with dx9. Plus all new games, such as HL-2, have scored the radeons much higher than all the geforces.

[Ait'al]

I'm just usign alienwares fo there case and sinse they have most of what i wanted in it anyway.

The ram thing i meant is the 2x512 xms at,(2x2/4x) 2 gigs better than the rest considering the the rendering and gaming. or just 4 gigs and does does corsair have an xms im not aware of in single 1gig chips(easy solution), or that other stuff. I cant remember the importance of clock speed, er latency.(2-3-3-5)
And will the 3000 run dx9 better than the fx or even the radion?


And yea, the 4000 corsair was what i was going for.8)
And is xp pro good for server/network setup.

[Zatrais]

You'll want to run the memory in DBDDR, to get the optimum amount of bandwidth for the cheapest buck. Less money spendt on the mhz of the ram means more money available for the cache and latency of the ram and better performance overall. This again depends on the choice of cpu.

As for gaming and dx 9, so far ATI has better scores in the dx9 games however its worth taking notice that the tests arn't done whit the latest drivers and mostly unfinnished games.

[Rbstr]

Do what zatrais originaly said, the aliens ware's case cooling should be good.
However the fact is its always better if you do it yourself and much cheaper.

Get and Asus p4p800 e-deluxe mobo
3,2 ghz p4 800mhz fsb
2 sticks of 512mb DDR400 Kingston hyper x or Cosrail XMS pro/twin x
A radeon 9800 pro/xt
an audigy 2 or 1
get a 7200 rpm HD ata 133 or serial ATA
Optical disks of choise

www.buyxg.xom is a great sight for good low cost parts

thats for parts for cooling/good looks get a nice case and some parts for it.
www.frozencpu.com is the ultimate cooling store
here's what i would get:
Case: Black Chenming UltraLan 301 Elite
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/cas-112.html
CPU cooler: Zalman CNPS7000-Cu for Socket 478
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/cpu-zal-10.html
VGA cooler/rams sinks (not if you get the XT it has good cooling also only get if you want to oc it): ThermalTake Giant II Video Cooler
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/vid-16.html
Fans: 4 blue(or collor os you choise) 80mm led fans
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/fan-41.html
Powersuply: ThermalTake 480W Black Power Supply
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/psu-22.html


That would be my ultimate system. And it would look awsome to with the LED fans not to mention cool alsmost as good as puting it in a freezer(sarcasm). No that would be ultiamte top of the line in most every respect (for intel systems). Even if you tone the parts down i would keep that cooling stuff thier if you want to oc and have a very stable system.

[Ait'al]

Why the 480 and not a 550 powersupply. Too much heat?

holy crap the 3.2 isnt 730$ anymore!

[Rbstr]

well 480 is enough in moy opinion, i have a 350 and my stuff runs fine, if you want a 550 go ahead, just means you can have more Fans and things and there is less heat but psu heat is realy not all tha much and doen't affect the rest of the computer that much becuse it has its own exhuast/casing.

And get a fans controler for your fans so you can keep them quiet unless you need the cooling power

[Ait'al]

whats the difference between that motherboard and the intel produced version?
they need to add another agp on the 875.lol

Er i want a radion 9800xt, nvidia 3000, P4 3.2 , 2gig xms pro, 500gig raid 0+1/dual 500 raid 0(can you get duel 500gig raid 0+1 anyhow?), audigy2zs.
I wanted both cards somehow without getting two comps. Do you know of one with two AGP slots equal or better to teh 875.

[NoSurrender]

there is no motherboard that supports two AGP cards that i know of. Daleon might know but i seriously doubt there is...

[Rbstr]

no AGP is a single thing, you could get a pci vga card and make it work somehow, but i doubt it, whats a nividia 300 any way i've never heard of it? is is a workstation card? also you can't use more that one card to proccess the data anyway so you won't see any preformance increase unless you were useing 2 monitors and had one on each card

[NoSurrender]

yea the quadro is a workstation card. Since thats also high performance theres not gonna be a PCI version mainly because PCI cant supply enough bandwith to be effective.

[Ait'al]

I was hoping to use one for gaming, with a monitor, and another for rendering, and a monitor, and if its possible, if i get a server eventually for holding environments, to be able to switch between them for testing with individual things(3000), and full blown game test server(radion).And i wanted to seperate them by program, Radion default, set modeling programs to the 3000, for the stuff on my comp.

Have you heard of them making anything like it for hte future? (2 AGP, highest RAM available, P4)
or maybe all AGP 8)

And since i cant do it now is the 3000 decent compared to the radion in a game?
And which is hte highest version of hte 3000. There website is giving me a headache.Edit: who makes the main version of hte 3000. lol

Edit: Who the had the great idea to stop putting more than one agp on a board? It was IBM wasnt it!

Whats the advantage between the asus 875 and the intel 875. Im not worried bout anthing for below 800mhz bus?

[Ait'al]

http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/cas-120.html?mv_pc=630 w/
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/bus-11.html?mv_pc=734 and
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/lit-46.html?mv_pc=746 This case looks nice too.

Rbstr, do they really only have some shit for a short time or do they constantly restock?

And ive decided to go with that case for now with the radion for gaming and later geta mini cube system for the other card and network them. Probly put the radion in hte mini and the 3000 in the big one since it has 5 places for hard drives. And maybe get a 8gig board. :D

Hope i can stil get them in 3 months.

Itll be my hopped up little game cube! :groovy:

[Ait'al]

What do you need to physicaly install a raid on the Asus E-deluxe board. Can or do you want ot use SATA or are EIDEs better. Ive never done a Raid before do you need double cables for 4 hard drives.

[Daleon]

There will never be 2 agp's, but PCI-Express is coming. What this will change as far as the 2 video cards in one pc problems we currently face, no idea. But it might help.

Don't expect much from the 9800XT on the rendering side, it scored horribly put up against Quadro's.

Your best bet though is to have a separate machine for gaming and one for serious stuff. XP is not a good server. Windows Server 2003 is your best choice. When you try and build your workstation I would suggest a 64 bit chip also, as it gives serious speed improvements for graphic apps.

As for raid. Most of the onboard SATA raid things are cheap raid chips. They support raid 0 and 1 or a mixture of both. They are more suited for speed improvement than actual redundancy. But they are easy to setup. If you get 2 say WD SATA Raptors you just plug each one into the SATA controllers, configure in the SATA disk manager for raid whatever and install windows.

If you want anything more complex than 2 drives, suggest getting a real Adaptec card or something.

[NoSurrender]

i wish i had money for that stuff :rolleyes:

[NoSurrender]

i wish i had money for that stuff :rolleyes: . I cant even afford a friggin mic.

[edit] SRRY FOR DOUBLE POST!!!![edit]