Looking to build a new system-need advice

[ripken204]

ah, didnt see it, text is just hard to read when its unformated

[RJM]

My new DVD writer will be here Tuesday but here iare my original benchmarks and my first

overclocking attempt. The stock x1950xt 256 looks like it was a good choice.

Original Bench Marks

3dmark05

http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3dmark2005pa1.jpg

memory latency

http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...encyorigqo6.jpg

memory reads

http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...eadsorigby3.jpg

memory writes

http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...itesorigyg0.jpg

superPI

http://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?image=superpio0rigrj5.jpg

Overclocked to 3.00GHZ (25%), stock voltages. Vidio card stock timings.

3dmark05

http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3...0051stocns7.jpg

memory latency

http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...ncy1stocbh7.jpg

memory reads

http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...ads1stocme3.jpg

memory writes

http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m...tes1stocwf5.jpg

superPI

http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=superpi1stocip5.jpg

I will see how far that I can go on stock voltages later in the week after I instal a fan on

the southbridge. I have already instaled a 40mm fan on top of the northbridge heatsink.

[DysfunktinaL]

With regards to the age old nVidia vrs. ATI debate, I have an x1600XT, and I play FEAR wonderfuly on it. It's not quite the 1900, but it still kicks some a**. And when saying the nVidia card is faster than the ATI card on a few games, it's hardly noticable. For me, when I pick my hardware, I look at the company's history.

nVidia likes to send out WHACKED out drivers.

ATI does it less often.

I'll take the ATI, thanks.

[puntoMX]

I see X850XT cards for fewer than 150 bucks so I will get one of them soon.

nVidia isn’t bad and neither is ATI, but both have problems with drivers and so witch make me think that good drivers for video cards are hard to make.

The only nVidia card that had a small problem was the first GeForce3, and that was a hardware bug. ATI is known for the overheating GPUs but when you keep that in mind then you should take prediction to it.

Not all people know how to install hardware .

[RJM]

Final overclock 3.400GHZ. It was stable at 3.425GHZ but the benchmarks started to go down due to heat problems so I backed it off to 3.400.The best overclock that I could achive at stock voltages was 3.270GHZ.

Here are my final benchmarks.

3dmark05 3400mhz

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/267/3dm...53400mhzux2.jpg

memory reads 3400mhz

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/5602/me...s3400mhznt3.jpg

memory writes 3400mhz

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7585/me...s3400mhzhy6.jpg

memory latency 3400mhz

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6275/me...y3400mhzov1.jpg

super pi 3400mhz

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6275/me...y3400mhzov1.jpg

And here are my Bios settings

Advanced, JumperFree Configuration

AI Overclock set to Manual

CPU Frequency set to 377

DRAM Frequency DDR2-754 (automaticaly changes with CPU frequency)

Performance Mode set to Standard

PCI Express Frequency set to 100

PCI Clock synchronization mode set to 33.33

Memory Voltage set to 2.15V ( I started having memory errors at 3.3Ghz with 4-4-4-12-4 timings at 2.1V)

CPU Core Voltage set to 1.3875V ( crashed in 3DMARK05 above 3.33 Ghz at 1.30V)

FSB Termination Voltage set to 1.40V

MCH Chipset Voltage set to 1.55V

ICH Chipset Voltage set to Auto

Digital Home Mode set to Disable

Advanced, Chipset

Configure DRAM Timing by SPD set to Disable

DRAM CAS# Latency set to 4

DRAM RAS# Precharge set to 4

DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay set to 4

DRAM Activate to Precharge set to 12

DRAM Write time recovery set to 4

Hyper Path 3 set to Disable

DRAM Throttling Threshold set to Auto

Memory Remap Feature set to Disable

Boot Graphic Adaptor Priority set to PCI Express/PCI

All others under Advanced, Chipset set to Auto

Advanced, CPU-Configuration

Modify Ratio Support set to Disable

Microcode Updation set to Enabled

Max CPU ID Value Limit set to Disable

Execute Disable Function set to Disable

Enhance C1 Control set to Disable

CPU Internal Thermal Control set to Auto

Virtualization Technology set to Disable

Intel Speedstep Technology set to Disable

Power, Hardware Monitor

CPU Q-fan Control set to Disable

Nothing else changed

RJM