Second build, scrapping intel, using AMD-64

Not saying you should just rush out and buy it but SLI can make huge differences in frame rate, just google some tests, it would be a whole lot better than 20-40%, maybe at it's worst, but I always heard it gave around an 80% gain.
Anyway definately go with the PCIe setup, it's a great choice because if you go skt 754 and AGP you're ordering what is now all but a spent and out dated force. Soon all cards will be PCIe and you'll have to upgrade with a outdated card if you choose that alternative. The 6600GT is a very good card and will push 80 fps in Doom3 on high with the right hardware, you'll be very close to that. Sure it's not the greatest but there isnt' a massive difference between the X800 Pro and 6600GT, obviously the X800 will be faster with 4 extra pipelines and twice the memory but you'll only be hurting your self, and wallet, in the long run if you back yourself into that corner. I like what you picked out for the second rig, go for it:good:

 

I think you might like this option:X800 256MBs. It won't break the bank and the tests show that the X800 can muscle it's way above the 6600GT, even in Doom 3:good: I'm sure it's available in other places than Newegg as well. Hope this helps, if you get it just OC it a few dozen MHz and you'll be in heaven.

 

hmm, the 6600gt does not have 4 pipelines does it, becouse i aint oging to get another card again that has 4 pipelines

all i wants is a card thats definitly going to be able to play ut2k7 when that comes out becouse ut2k7 has the best graphics of any games i have seen so far, better graphics than doom 3, but its using the unreal engine 3,0 i think, and i have seen a preview thing on the unreal engine 3.0 and i can tell it is going to be very demanind, and no card i have at the moment in time will run it, but will the x800 or 6600gt?

 

6600GT has 8 pipelines I believe, but it's ability to play ut2k7...better wait for a better card to come out, or for ati's crossfire to kick in.

 

so you mean an 6600gt wont play ut2k7 , ah will the 6800gt or the x800pro or xl be able to play it, or will even the 7800gtx struggle

 

I don't think the x800pro/xl will play it. Don't know about 7800.

 

is there any system requirments yet?
surly you must be able to lower the setting in the game when it comes out, omg an x800 card would be amazing for me seen as i have a 9600 at the moment, and your telling me an x800pro/xl wont run ut2k7, oh my god, this is going to be a nightmare.

 

I've got a 9600 too an XT Ultra! can't really say what performance requirements will be until it's finished. I'm sure a 7800 will play it at lower settings but I don't know what cards are coming out between now and 2 years...hard to tell.

 

ah, there will be a beta or demo of it out this year, becouse ut2k7 is coming out in late 2006 lol

 

hey, is a venice amd-64 cpu better than the same exact cpu exept newcastle, becouse on this site, the venice cpu,s are cheaper than the newcastle cpu's.

 

Yep they are better, Venice are Revision E A64s, they have SSE3 and an enhanced memory controller with a lower heat output than even the winchesters.

 

oh i see :good:

 

hope im not too late, but heres a hack that can turn an X800 Pro into an X800XT, pretty big power boost.

find.pcworld.com/46432

hope this helps you build an awesome rig man

 

I would hightly doubt you'll have any prob playing UT2k7 with a 7800GTX, if you do then Epic games should really push the date back even futher to 2007 so more than a few thousand people can actually play it, as for the X800/6600GT, on low settings maybe. When I said 4 more pipelines I was saying that the X800 has 12 while the 6600GT has 8.

 

oh, its just i though 12 was a bit of an odd number, doesent the 6800gt have 16 pipelines?
i think i may try to get a standard 6800, as that'll be better than an x800pro right?
becouse whatever the outcome, i need to play ut2k7 when it comes out

is there anywere in the uk to get an x800xt for at least £180-190?

 

Yup, 16 for the 6800GT, that's why they were outmuscling the X800Pro's, I'd say that the X800Pro is faster than the plain 6800, I've got that card and it's not super, not bad but it needs more, and faster memory, 128MB's doesn't cut it if you like running all your games on highest quality and certainly won't run UT2k7 well at all. You can soft mod it with RivaTuner like I did to gain your self 4 extra pipelines and an extra vertex shader but it doesn't always work so I say don't buy a card in hopes of fishing something out of it that's far from guarenteed, plus there's nothing you can do about the slow 128MB's or ram The X800XL is almost the same price and is a much better card.
I'm willing to bet it's possible to find it that cheap, just not really likely. Try the sites we posted:good:

 

ah, so is the x800xt 16 pipelines?, and 256mb?, i think i will get that, but i am wanting to play ut2k7 on high settings, if necessery, i will overclock the card to high heavens if that will make it possible.

 

Oh high eh, well that's a possibility with that card, you may need to do that oc but it still might shudder a tad, can't really say for sure. So long as you have a gig or really nice ram and that awesome cpu you may do well.

 

i am keeping a gig of generic ram, and i will lower the latency of it.

 

Well you could do that but sometimes it doesn't always work out and you end up getting slighty more decent generic ram instead of kick ass UT2k7 ram I can't help but suggest you buy the real thing but you're plan still might work.