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Hi Xthe

Very interesting pics as given. Hmmm, I can see some problems looming for me concerning those IDEE to Sata set up on my hard drives as I can see there is going to be very little room to work with. On my old set up here, the back end of the hard drive is pointed to the rear of the case. On these and the Haf 932, the hard drives are sideways which the back end of the hard drive is pointed to the right side of the case.

On the last pic I see the person split the graphic cards and inserted the other smaller cards in the middle. And I also see this person put a fan on the bottom between the hard drives and the PSU. As for the top fan exhaust ports I don't see any problems there as there is plenty of room. As for the CD-RW and DVD and anything else, that part looks ok and should work just fine.

I just hope the cables IDEE that I have can reach all this without a problem and also be able to get those IDEE to SATA connectors on in the back part and link all that up.

Other than that it looks like I will have to play this thing out piece by piece to see what will work and not work or make any improvisions of any kind to adapt etc.

However these pics definitely give me some insight of what is coming and also gives me some idea of what is going to happen once things begin. No surprises so to speak and these pics are worth over a thousand words than just a plain jane box pic.

Thanks for the links to these pics.

Daveyo
 
Hi Xthe

Just want to clarify something here with you. On the Ep45T mobo, with the memory slots on the top right, I am referring to the left side of this mobo.

There is (three total) little slots. The first two are above a large blue slot, then below that one small white slot, and below that an orange slot and below that a white slot and then a black connector slots (2 I think).

What are the first two little slots for??? I believe the blue is the 1st graphics card, and then what is the last little white slot used for, and the first large white slot is used for ???? and then I believe the orange is the crossfire for the 2nd graphics card, and last the large white slot is used for ????? The black is for some power but from what or for what????

There are 6 yellow color slots on the right and two on the bottom right with a small white one as well, and then you have a green color and a white color slots on the top right.

Would appreciate you telling me what these other slots are used for. The power has to go someplace and I am not sure if it is on the bottom or on the top right. The 6 yellow ones must be the SATA slots.

Then there is two purple slots as well, on the right side just below the green slot and what are those for????? there is also a red one on the bottom left and maybe a black one too. Not sure about those either.

confusion for me reigns here in not knowing what these slots are used for as it is only guessing on my part as of now.

So get a pic of the GA-EP45T-UD3P mobo board and you can see what I am talking about.

I see two long reds and two long greens here and I think those are for the memory (ram) slots. Nice to see these colors as it help you to know what goes where ehhhh.

Ok hope to hear from you soon.

Daveyo

 
Here is the picture I'm looking at. If you click on it you can zoom in and get a close-up view and see it, you will notice all the slots on the board have little lables next to them. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=13-128-369-S03&ISList=13-128-369-S01%2c13-128-369-S02%2c13-128-369-S03%2c13-128-369-S04%2c13-128-369-S05&S7ImageFlag=1&Item=N82E16813128369&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=GIGABYTE%20GA-EP45T-UD3P%20ATX%20Intel%20Motherboard%20-%20Retail

If you look right above the memory slots, located above the CPU area, you will see a lime green slot which is for an IDE cable, then to the left of that is the power connector for the mobo. The CPU power connector is located down and to the left of the CPU area, by the Blue heatsink that Says ultra durable upside down on it, it is the 8 pin white connector.

So the three small white slots are PCIEx1 slots, which can be used for sound cards, and other things like TV tuners, USB cards...and a few other things I can't really recall. Many different kinds of things can go in there. The Longer white Strips (two of them) are PCI slots, which are slightly older slots (were developed before PCIE) and those can fint thinks like wireless network cards, sound cards, firewire cards, raid controllers, and some other stuff too. These slots are for peripherals you want to add to the PC, you don't have to fill them up. Check the periperals you want to add to see what interface they use.

On a side note to that, If you can't get those IDE to sata converters to work, or would rather not bother with them and use something else, here is an alternative; its an IDE card which goes in a PCI slot, and converts it into 2 IDE slots:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124001

Here is one that is also a raid controller and has 4 IDE slots:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115016

The long light blue slot is for your first graphics card which runs at full x16 bandwidth, the orange slot is for the second graphics card in your crossfire setup called the slave card, and it runs at x8 bandwidth.

The long red and green slots are memory slots, near the top of that picture.
 
Hi Xthe

Ok I roger all those descriptions. What are those 2 purple slots for and the 6 orange slots and the two yellow on the top right of that mobo. Also if you look at the bottom right you will see a black and then a red slot and a small white slot just above it then you will see two large black slots above that white one on the right side edge in your pic.

Oh *** the two yellow on the top right is USB slots. and now I see the orange ones being the SATA slots which is 6 of them. Oh cool

I don't know what FDD is or 1 PT is which is those two large black ones.

OK the bottom white I see COMA and then SPDIE or something and then maybe CD In. Not sure. Can you tell me what these are???

I see the battery and the reset button too. Oh *** now I see sys FAN1. What is that for??? On the top left I see CPU fan. Nice . On the top left I see pwr FAN so which one is this used for???? As I go alone next to the green slot on the top next to the purple I seey SYS Fan 2, so which is this for????? and those purple ones are GSATA2 _0 and GSATA2_1. I suspect this might mean Sata Ground????? Finally on the top right corner I see some odd pin configuration there surrounded by a black wall. What is this used for????? Cannot read it.


Are these that I see used for anything???? Are these the SATA connectors I have heard so much about????

Other than that I would think we got the entire mobo covered top to bottom and definitely being safe. As you can see I was quite a bit off.

Will await your reply

Daveyo
 
The little 3 pin connectors that say fan in the name will be where you hook up your case fans to.

To be honest, im not sure what the purple sata connectors are for...maybe those are part of the built in raid controller...the orange ones are for your drives.

I'm not really sure what the other black slots along the right side are for either, I cant remember what goes in there. Don't worry about figuring all this out though before you buy, I know you won't need a lot of those slots anyways. And the motherboard should come with a very complete and descriptive manual that will tell you how to put things together and what all the different connectors are for, so I wouldn't worry about it yet unless you have some very specific peripherals you want to add to this system and need to know if your mobo has the right connections. I think we got all that hammered out though...
 
Hi Xthe

Just an addendum. I did see the other choices of those converters. One is a raid with 4 slots and the other is not a raid with two slots. Also from reading from others, it seems the bios has to be flashed for those two cards, and the one that works much better and is more stable appears to be the 2 slot card. This one and that one IDEE slot will suffice and meet all my needs. The primary IDEE will be used for my hard drives, and that two slot converter can be used for my DVD, CD-RW as one slot and the last one for my Floppy and DVD Rom only.

I still have to figure out how to get my Maxtor storage to work and it looks like I might have to connect it just like I have here on my old system unless there is another way or slot on that mobo itself.

That is why I am waiting to see what you say concering the remaining slots that I do not know what items it uses it for.

That 2 IDEE slot Card will solve part of my problem I am going to avoid the 4 IDEE slot converter since there is enough negative reports concerning the RAID issue. Best I stay away from the RAID parts.

One other thing. I do think I have to flash my bios one way or another. The bios on that mobo is probably empty and has absolutely no data or info on it. Just plain basic to get it to start. When I went from ME to Xp I had to flash my bios for those drivers. Once that happened ME was officially dead since it used the FAT 32 system.

Glad I made that move and it has done well for me ever since. I do believe there was just one other update on it, and I have not used that one. What for, since this old bios version never gave me a problem. Yes I can use the FAT 32 on the flashed bios sytem I currently have but I need a hard drive using ME for it to work. Cannot combine FAT 32 with NTFS at the same time on the same hard drive. Besides ME was not a very stable system in the first place. So it was a nice swap so to speak and a small jump for me from ME to XP Pro Upgrade.

Since it being so long when I did that, now I am scared cause my memory sprung a leak and went out to left field someplace. Sigh

Daveyo
 
Hi Xthe

Just curious about something. Do they have something like a system configurator for mobo selection like when someone tells the configurator what items they need, or already have or is going to install and have something like a choice selection etc and this configurator will tell you what kind mobo to select or tell you the best matches or brands for your needs etc.

Like the one that told you what PSU you most likely need.

The reason I asked this is for example under giga-byte for a P45 they have about 20 possible different mobo's to choose from using the 775 sockets!!!!! Then you have ASUS and other brands too that compete as well. Wow. This amounts to a lot of different mobo's out there in the market.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

It would be interesting so to speak say I find a giga-byte mobo, having 2-3 IDEE slots having 6 sata slots, having 2 ATI slots, plus the smaller PCI slots, and it be a 775 socket with DDR3 config, plus fans, plus pwr connections and all the rest that is on that board that you and I see and it be a good reliable board at the same time for future expansion etc. I just wonder if there is one out there that is just as good as this E45T I picked, and this quad I picked as well. I am happy to have this all finished, but wow the time involved searching and looking and thinking is time consuming.

With all this changing technology ongoing every month, the competition for graphic cards, the competition for processors etc it really gets downright mind boggling with each company trying to outbid the other for sales or ratings whatever it might be besides customers who want this and that for their puter.

Thank goodness for airlines. One configuration of a plane will last 25 years, and the instruments so installed the changes are far and few in between and it stays there for years. We do change the mobo's too and install later processors but this stuff is completely different than what the public sees in the mainstream. For example a 747 cargo loader it has 2 computers that run it, and each costs just the mobo itself 50 grand!!!!!! Add the processors to this plus other items and the cost is unreal.

Processors on the aircraft is an entire different ballgame. For example something similar to graphic cards but 5 times bigger etc, which slides into a main slot board and there a many of these, and then you have the computer next to it running the show. Takes in every piece of data, like engine rpm, barometric pressures outside and inside, temp controls, fuel controls, metering controls, pump controls and so on and so forth besides weight data, GPS data, HSI data, ADF data, CoG data, MAC data, etc etc. Now this is taking all this data and processing it in micro seconds and it has its answers to control everything.

When the first 747 came out the amount of instruments in the flight deck was unreal, and so many items requiring captain, F.O and Engineer to fly it. Today, we need just two, and everything is so condensed down most of everything is run by a computer and its pretty much programmed automatically. A 747 can basically fly by itself and land on its own without a pilot, not to mention all the backups installed as well per se of the FAA.

The above I know all of that, but when it comes to my own personal computer I am a lost soul, or a sitting duck waiting to be shot down to swiss cheese because it is a completely different ballgame, and of the choices and items one can choose which is numerous.

All I can say is huh, really, wow, interesting, cool, or nice style etc etc.

I also want to get a notebook too and have it around when I go places, but huh which one to get and huh which sort of meets my needs etc. Another beeswax and gizmo to figure out as well. Have never gotten my foot inside that door yet but have taken peeks at it from time to time.

For notebook, just some gaming of flight sim to pass some time, mostly for data, burn data like DVD R/W dual layer etc,, hook up to printer or scanner, have a light to it, play music via headphones, etc and have speed with a hard drive of 250 gigs or better and a processor that is fast with no sag or hang ups. Nothing fancy and just enough to get into the internet, or on the plane, with a mouse attached and peck away at it. Not a big deal here huh???

But lo and behold, so many different notebooks now and sigh!!! configurations that confuses me literally of which is which and what is what and is it reliable to last 10 years!!!!!!!!

At least I know I will never graduate from the nerd class of geniuses that abound this planet as they really are smart indeed in the computer world.

But again that is what this world is made of I suppose and isn't it wonderful you have lost souls like me around that needs help but if you need help on the aviation side, yea I am your expert so basically it switches around. Wow.

Great vibrations and good insitations abound.

Daveyo





 
I'm not really sure what notebook you need, you are on your own for that I think. Dell would probably be where I would go for that.

As far as the mobo goes, I don't know of anything that computes what components you need like you described...thats my job 😛 As far as a mobo that supports DDR3 and has multiple IDE slots, I think you will have a really tough time finding a good one, if one even exists. DDR3 is fairly new on the scene, and IDE is old. Most mobo's have 1 slot to support one legacy device, but not usually more than that, its all sata now. I think your best bet is just getting the EP45T-UD3P and then getting either the ide to sata converters, or get an IDE card.
 
Hi Xthe

Hmmm, notebooks is basically just an offshoot and was thinking of getting that after I get my desktop puter all set up.

Just wondering has anyone ever put a notebook together from scratch that simply came with a monitor and keyboard???? Just wondering if one can do such like they can do for a tower for the desk top.

Well that 45T has ddr 3 and the one without the T is ddr2. Not much difference there right. DDR 3 is just tweaked a bit better regarding the clock I guess.

Might as well get the DDR 3 since they are moving up to DDR 4 and DDR 5 in the near future. Makes sense right??

You did say if I recall that the DDR2 is starting to become ancient in the technology sense.

I am not changing anything of all that was set. Your advise proved extremely very good. I am sticking with your advice and trust you based on your expertise.

I have decided to get the 2 IDEE slot card rather than the single ones. All I need is three for now and until I get the SATA hard drives later, then I can have just the mobo IDEE and use it and insert that 2 slot IDEE into that and my DVD etc is taken care of. No problem. This will free up one of the pci slots that becomes vacant for something else.

The notebook is a fancy that I have been wishing for some time now. I would rather build one up to my tastes rather than from some company etc. Probably can save a few hundred bucks easy on a notebook. Don't need much there, just a good graphics card, a decent HDD, and processor and my DVD dual layer and probably a CD-rw for program installs etc. I can get a USB mouse and put that into the 2.0 bus and have a long life battery, and electrical connect to outlet and the connectors for a scanner and printer. The only accessory would be the flex light that I can attach when working at night on the plane or to play a game or two to pass time. Don't need a top of the line notebook since it is still moving fast with new technology about every 6 months.

Besides the notebook is only for travel or to do reviews or add notes and data to transfer to the main puter. That is all. Not a big deal. Nice to have but not that critical as my desktop is being most critical.

Having a notebook around makes a person feel special I guess, ehhh. I am sure you got to have one to handle all the college data being shoved to you to learn. I would think it comes in handy. When I went to school everything was handwritten to a paper or typewriters were used. You guys today have it easy compared to my long lost days long long ago. Hahahahahhaa. I come from the hippie-yuppie long beautiful hair - flower power and Disco era!!!!! Now that was real fun in those days. Something I cherish and will never forget.

Daveyo

 
DDR2 memory is not ancient, its pretty much the standard right now, but it has been out for a while and computers are starting to shift to DDR3. Either one would do well for you, DDR3 isn't really a huge improvement over DDR2, its just kinda the latest technology out right now. Personally I think I would go with the DDR2 because it costs half as much as DDR3, and performance is like a 5% difference, and not noticible because other things like HDD's usually will bottleneck the system first before you notice the ram. However if you want this build to last 10 years, (most people just shoot for 3-4 so DDR2 makes sense) then DDR3 is a good idea I think, as memory standard will be shifting that direction in the next year or two I think.

As far as building your own notebook goes, I know it can be done, but I have almost no knowledge on the subject. Building a desktop is much easier because the form factor isn't such a huge issue, you basically have all the room to work with that you want. In a notebook, everything is smaller and has to fit together very neatly, space is precious in those things, so you have a lot more compatability issues that arise, which makes it much more difficult. This is why I would personally just go to a manufacturer for a notebook rather than try to do it myself.
 
Hi Xthe

I did take a look at the configurations, and it is way over my head. They use different processors, and motherboards, for the most part, and its hard to get what I only want out of it. Sure they sell some of these notebooks for less than 800 bucks, but the ones I wanted to specifically get and to have without all their extras came out to over 1,500 bucks. It is hard to find a configur with just a mobo and processor (of which I do not know what is good and not good, and just a DVD plus minus Read/write dual layer with blueray technology, and a CD-RW drive, besides a 2.0 bus and a graphics card and with only a light attachment to do things at nite time. Their hard drives are also different as of capacity, and sata is ok. Need a spot for headphones and a mouse with printer and scanner capability. Nothing much else besides dial and wireless capability and I am set.

The preset configs don't even come close to my requirements.

Sigh

Besides warranty is more preferred on notebooks as they do break and their screens are not that good either.

I did see Toms Hdwre of an article pertaining to building one from scratch vs one already premade by a company. Interesting that Tom's Hdwre suggests getting one from a company and frown on making one yourself.

The real purpose I wanted a notebook is for small things and also have a back up capability should my main system take a turn for the south without warning and for travels particularly.

They haven't yet made a battery to lat a full 24 hours doing medium to heavy load yet. So that about sums up everything.

Need to find an expert who knows about the mobo set up and processor and Hard drive on notebooks.

Until then........

Daveyo



 
Yeah I know very little about the inner workings of notebooks, so can't help you there. Getting a decent notebook is very expensive, roughly 1.5-2x as expensive as a comparable desktop, which is why I stay away from them for the most part. I just have a cheapo laptop to take to class with me for taking notes and internet. Gaming laptops are just outrageously priced for the kind of performance you get out of them.
 
Xthe

In concern of the monitors I did try something out. There is 800, 1024, and on up. The higher I go up I noticed things start to get smaller and I got a 19 incher here that is analog tube!!!!!!! Why is that????? instead of it getting bigger so you can see.

Just wanted to ask you

Daveyo
 
If you increase the resolution without increasing the size of the monitor, it puts more pixels into a space that stays the same size, which means you have to make the pixels smaller to get them all to fit. The sizes of the images are all the same number of pixels, so by decreasing the size of the pixels, you decrease the size of the image.
 
Hi Xthe

OK I understand on the analog, so is it the same on a LCD or does it go reverse since it gets bigger?? I don't have a LCD so just wondering. In other words I do need a bigger monitor so I can see things better without straining my eyes, even though I have to have glasses on, and I do find it much better when the font or text size is bigger of which I can read nicely without a problem. So they have 22 inch and they have 24 inch LCD monitors and I am trying to decide or figure out which is better for my eyesight now and for future means. What am I supposed to look for in regards to specs for my particular eyesight, I guess is the question or a combo all in one package here type question.

Daveyo
 
Well you should go for a larger monitor. The higher you go in resolution, the smaller the images on the screen gets, but you actual amount of space that you can see gets larger. I think that all 24" monitors are going to be 1920x1200 or 1920x1080, but you don't have to use it at that resolution if you don't want to, you can make it a smaller resolution so its easier to see if you want.
 
Hi Xthe

Ok what I will do is check the 22 inch version and then check the 24 inch version and have the size changed on both and play with the resolutions etc, to see how things can be read according to my particular eyesight. Then I will also check to see how clear it shows up etc overall pic in general. Once that gets done then I know what kind of monitor I can shoot for and then choose the brand that is satisfactory for both ends. Basically a trial and error type process of elimination.

Thanks for the info.

Is it true that prices on computer items come down during the summer to early fall??? From what I heard from someone is that prices are high during the spring period and that is when companies bring out new stuff and the competition gets going.

Not sure now since that information I received is about 5 years old.

Daveyo
 
Hi Xthe

I just sent a private message out to you and will await your response. It has some urgency and obviously I need some answers because I have no idea of about Shader models.

Will await your reply

Daveyo
 


Hiya Daveyo,

The world of the PC is a confusing place, undoubtedly with one the greatest continuous streams of innovation in a single scientific field currently known to man. Because of the rapid and continuous turnover in technology, it is incredibly hard to guaranty that anything will be future-proof. Right now scientists in southern California are working very hard on building a standardized form of processor that used quantum mechanics instead of transistors. It is of course impossible to know when that will hit the market, but it is a good example of how things may change dramatically in the next 5-10 years. Just think back to 1999 - that was virtually the initial boom time of the internet, but I think most people would not have believed you if you argued the internet was going to overtake printed matter as the main source of media besides TV. Looking at things now, 10 years later, and the picture is very different. With the advances in broadband and cable it is very possible that 10 years from now the internet and "TV" will be pretty much one and the same, with both media archetypes sharing the same communications hardware. It is for this reason that I would like to suggest that if you don't use the your computer for much other than browsing the internet, playing flight sims and maybe some light office work, you probably shouldn't spend too much money on it. This is because all these things you want to do can be done easily on pretty cheap hardware. It would be more wise, in my opinion, to spend less on certain components and upgrade more often. It sounds like you have become familiar with the components of the PC, so I will explain my theory on which components will last you a long time, and which you possibly will want to change out.

PC Case:
A good pc case is a great investment because it will last you for the foreseeable future. As long as the rest of the standardized PC components are around I can't imagine mid or full tower ATX cases being outdated, because by the time they have been outdated we have most likely moved on to the quantum computers mentioned above, with these being the size of your wallet instead of six pack of beer. Therefore spend money on a PC case that you:

1. Like the look of
2. Is strongly built
3. Large enough to house the components you need now and foreseeable future
4. Has good airflow
5. Is easy to work on (for example removable motherboard tray, thumb screws, etc.)

All of this is money well spent.

PSU:
A good PSU is the backbone of any good system. Here you want a combination of reliability and enough power for your needs. Generally we recommend Corsair to people here on this forum, but if you want to study more, there are lists of the good brands. The bad brands and bad PSUs can fry your system, cause a fire or just die on you prematurely.
With regards to the amount of power you need, this depends on the type of PC you want. Assuming for now that you want a PC for general purposes, I would suggest between 400 and 600W is a good amount of power. Higher power rated PSUs (ex. 1000W) are inefficient at low power draw, and therefore cost you more in electricity bills than a lower rated PSU (ex. 500W) if you are not using more than 40% of the total power (i.e. 500W becomes efficient at around 200W where as the 1000W doesn't become efficient until you draw 400W). For more details on all of this you can find good guides to PSUs on this website and others.

The other components like CPU, MOBO, GPU, HDD, RAM and more, are less important in the long run, because they will become outdated much quicker. For more on how much you should spend and how important these components are relative to eachother, check out this article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264181-31-best-bang-buck-spend-system

Keep in mind however that I wrote this for hardcore gamers. If you like playing flight simulators you can get by with cheaper equipment, (apart from FSX which is just poorly optimized) or you may need to focus on different equipment (for FSX).

I really enjoy flight simulators, and therefore I was wondering if you have heard of the following, all of which I recommend strongly:

Falcon 4.0 Allied Force
Il-2 Sturmovik 1946 (newest version)
Lock on Modern Combat

These games are all getting older now, you can easily play them on any modern system. With the exception of FSX there have hardly been any new flight sims lately, but we are excitedly awaiting Oleg Maddox's up and coming WWII sim Storm of War: Battle of Britain, whenever it get here. One thing you might really enjoy if you haven't already, are the online squadron communities that play these games. They are simply awesome - whether you fancy formation flying or want to take on someone in aerial combat, I can't recommend it more strongly.

Here are a few videos of what's out there:

The Virtual Blue Angles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VivFXJPeNSs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXrYWf6GV8M

VFTC Aerobatics Team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsAuSm9OXRo&feature=related

Online dogfights in Il-2:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7454DF81C4DED92F&search_query=Il-2+squadron

Website with cinematic high quality professional movies made from flight sim games:
http://flightsimmachinima.montydan.com/

Hope you enjoy :)
 


Greetings

Oh gawd, quantum leaps coming up. Hehehehehehe. Oh man, I have already seen the new T.V screen. Yep you can roll it up and take it with you in your suitcase. Thin material and it does not distort in any way shape or form and you can paste it on any wall.

When it gets out to the market I have no idea. Right now they are ready but the release remains to be seen. I guess is the price debate. How do you price something that can be rolled up like you do to a paper towel????

If this gets out, LCD and Plasma will be yesterdays news.

Now you mention quantum puters. Internet and T.V has already started now albeit slowly but coming along as it builds up more consumers.

Flight simming I prefer the heavies, and trust me FSX is very heavy on the graphics about twice more than FS9.

My current puter cannot handle FSX, and just barely is able to handle FS9 with the sliders minimum to medium.. Can't do it on max at all.

I just come across Shader Models now when I looked at the minimum requirements for FSX.. 1 gig of mem, shader required minimum 1.1 version, 2 gig processor, 65 gig of hard drive space, and a video of 128 or higher. To max out I need 2 gig memory ram, and a better processor like 2.3 or higher and the latest Shader I think is version 4.0.

This is what MS says.

I also here from some people that a quad might have a problem with FSX, and when I looked well nothing is mentioned in MS. So it is a question that needs to be addressed.

I don't know a hoota of what Shader Models are about but I gather it has something to do with the graphic cards. Also it needs Direct X of 9.1 or higher.

I hope Xthe can answer me or if anyone can answer me on that part.

I pretty much put a package together with Xthe on the desktop model that I plan to build from scratch. Once done I am not going to do much to it for the next 10 years except maybe to upgrade anything important if needed.

This build probably will be my last puter so to speak. I don't foresee me living much more beyond after 12-14 years. By that time I will be 70 and all my family has died prior to 70. My father is the only person who lived to 70. We all died around 65-68 years old. I am almost 57 now. Ah so I will try my best to enjoy one more decade if possible.

I hope I can have the opportunity to at least fly on the SonicWave Plane once in my life. This puppy is supposed to reach Mach 6 or better. Imagine flying from Say LAX to Perth Aussie in 3 hours. Unheard of today, but I see it possible by 2020.

Anyway hope to hear the answer soon

Daveyo


 
Hey Daveyo, I replied to your PM, so you can read my answer there. DX9 is old as well, like SM 1.1. Your system will fulfill those requirements no problem. FSX requires at least a quad core to run well, preferably an i7 system, but as that is out of your budget range, the Q9550 is probably the next best choice. It will handle FSX fine. The Slow quads like Phenom Agenda 9600 or something like that might struggle, but the Q9550 is worlds above in terms of performance. FSX is a highly threaded game, and can use up to 32 virtual threads (the i7 is a quad core/8thread processor, all other CPU's out today have one thread per core). I don't think you have too much to worry about in terms of your gaming performance unless you get a big monitor, if you do then you may need to crossfire in order to play games at highest settings.
 
Xthe

So the i7 is an 8 thread, what is a Q9550 on thread???? If FSX is a virtual 32 thread where does this stand in relation to the threads you mentioned regarding to the quad cores. Trying to understand this tech stuff is mind boggling. But worth learning.

Example i7 = 8 thread = ____(total virtual thread) in relation to FSX virtual 32 thread.

Q9550 = ___thread = ___(total virtual thread) in relation to FSX.

do you have to multiply something here to get the answers. I don't know but I am trying to understand how to look at it. Say I now know FSX is a virtual 32 thread ok what quad cores or cores come close or match the FSX??? I think this is what I am trying to say when I compare it so to speak.

By the way I understand the geeks have a 32,000 definitions terms dictionary. Interesting.

Daveyo
 
All other CPU's besides the i7's have one thread per core. The i7 has 8 threads/2 per core with hyperthreading enabled. The 32 threads that FSX will support up to is sort of a theoretical thing, its programmed to be able to do it, but never does, since you can't feasibly build a PC that will have that many threads (unless there is a server MB out there that supports 4 separate Nehalem CPU's that I am not aware of). So the Q9550 will have 4 processing threads, which will be enough to make FSX look pretty good on your PC.

Virtual threads is something that relates to the i7 with hyperthreading enabled, its the only processor that can do it. All others just use one thread per core. This is what makes the i7 so good at what it can do, particularly things that are very CPU intensive like video encoding and 3d rendering.

So now I know Daveyo that you are pretty set on your build and you probably don't feel like changing it up at all, but if you are going to put off building this PC for a while yet, it may be possible for you to build an i7 system, since prices keep dropping on components every month. The price difference comes from the motherboard, ram and CPU. What you are looking at right now is this, based on US prices:
Q9550 $270
GA-EP45T-UD3P $140
Ram: ~$60-70
Total: $480

An i7 would cost about this much:
i7 920 $280
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R $200
Ram: 6gb DDR3 (you could go with 3gb if you wanted which is enough for gaming) $90
Total $570

So for about $100 more, you can get an i7 system, which will be a better system for longer than the Q9550 system. All the other components in the system would be the same as in the other system.
 
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