New 8800GT, which chip set/motherboard advise.

Flingpoo

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First, just want to say hello! First time poster, long time lurker.

Okay, Just when I was ready to purchase the components for a new build based on the P35 with a 8800GTX, the announcement of the new 8800GT slams on the brakes. This is my first build in a few year. I played the waiting game for the X38 motherboards (which I passed on) so why not for the new 8800GT. What's another week, right?

I know there is very little info on this card yet, but I'm just wondering what you guys would do in my shoes. Based on a budget of a typical P35/8800GTX/2gig DDR2, 800 set up. I like to game with all the eye candy on and would like to squeeze the best out of my Samsung 226BW.

What would you pair up with a new 8800GT (or possibly wait for a new 8800GTS)

First thoughts was an SLI set up and the Nvidia 680i. I haven't done much research on 680i motherboards yet, but the EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 looks great to me.

Second thought was to stick with the P35, buy one video card and keep a few bucks to myself.

Last, the not ready for prime time X38. Everything I've read as of yet kind of tells me to save my money and pass on this, especially with the X48 not too far away. BUT, I've heard a rumor that it might get some kind of a BIOS update to run SLI. I really don't know enough if that's possible, but if that's true at all I think I would rather go for an X38 than a 680i.

I know some of this is left to speculation. Just like to hear what you would do if you were ready to buy now. Pros and cons?

Thanks in advance!
 

byrddogg77

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Hi Fling,
I was also waiting on the X38, and yes, I now see the 8800 GT, which I hear is almost as fast as the GTX for 249.99 or there abouts. OC'ed version might be very close, but this is just speculation, I am really waiting on Tom's Reviews and others of the 8800 GT. Due to the price, I am going to have to buy one of these as the price is right. 409, or 500+ is just to much for me, especially is SLI is the goal.

I am not ready to pass on the X38, just yet, but without SLI, I likely will. I am also interested to hear more about the X48, but I have been waiting so long I don't konw what I am going ot do, so I might get a x35 for my current PC and then get x38 or x48 for the gaming box, assuming the support SLI. What I don't understand is why in the heck wouldn't intel support SLI on a new chipset, they must be freaking retarded?!?!?

Happy Hunting.

P.S. anyone want to buy a like new 7900 GS?
 
Intel won't support SLI because nVidia has the copyright and won't let them. As an Intel fanboy, I have to tell you they are NOT freaking retarded :lol: :lol: nVidia doesn't want anybody's mobos to have SLI except their own 680i (and 780i).

OP: you don't need SLI for a 22" monitor. Wait until you see the GT's price and performance. If the GT is really almost as good as the GTX and much cheaper then get a GT, otherwise get a GTX. In either case, you don't need SLI so get a nice P35 mobo. My favourite is GA-P35-DS3R, but aBit and Asus have a few good models too. There's a great sale at newegg now for Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 2x1GB, $55 after rebate.

Have you picked the rest yet (CPU, PSU, etc.)?
 

Flingpoo

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Have you picked the rest yet (CPU, PSU, etc.)?
Yes, I have a Q6600 with G0 stepping on the way. I already purchased a PC P&C 750w quad and an Antec P182

I was planing on an Abit IP35 Pro with Patriot Extreme DDR2. Both seem to be at good prices with additional rebates.



I agree that SLI in kind of overkill for a 22" monitor, but was mostly going by the initial benchmarks I saw on the 8800GT, plus two cards at the expected price would be within budget. I just figured what the heck, why not! :D
So, do you think there would be little to no performance increase with an SLI set up for a 22" screen?

EDIT:
Oh yeah, I plan on going with Vista 64, so I guess I could use a little help in the FPS department. Do you think SLI would help that at all, or am I just talking myself deeper and deeper into it? :D

 

Flingpoo

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Yeah, I've read (probably here) Intel and nVidia doesn't exactly have the best business relationship going. Too bad, for us anyway.
 

killz86

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the q66000 G0 is so nice. i got my oc/ed to 3.0/1333 and its runs fast as hell
 
I like your choices. The P182 is a bit cramped for the 8800 GTX but it will do, just take out a drive cage. The GT might fit without any such problems, we'll see. The Silencer is fabulous, I got one myself.

I can't tell you what performance 8800 GT SLI will have. Wait a week and I'm sure there will be reviews with benchmarks. It may be worth doing SLI with GT cards, and in that case you'll want a 680i mobo (eVGA A1 or P5N32-E SLI, I'd say). Tell you what, order the mobo after you read the reviews for the 8800 GT, not now.

I can tell you that 8800 GTS SLI beats a single 8800 GTX, in games that do support SLI, at the cost of more noise/heat/electricity/RAM occupied by the video drivers. The 8800 GT SLI sounds pretty tempting, TBH, with better fps and less heat than the 8800 GTS SLI. But again, these are rumors, wait for benchmarks.
 

Flingpoo

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Thanks!

Yes, it is a bit cramped and I will have to take out the upper drive bay if I want to go with a GTX. The new 8800GT doesn't appear to be any shorter either. Although, all I need is an inch or so.

Another thing the P182 didn't take to very well was the Silencer. There is a bracket that holds a fan right in the middle of the lower bay. I had to take the fan out in order to fit the longer chassis of the PC P&C power supply. It fits, but the wires would hit the fan.

Not that big of a deal in either case. I should be able to mod something to get the cooling I need to OC this sucker.




So, looks like the answer to the 8800GT is to wait and see. I'm kind of getting use to it! :D

Does anyone have an idea on the schedule of the new GTS?



Thanks everyone!
 
Good idea to wait and see the 8800GT. I am a bit surprised that nvidia might not launch a higher end part than the 8800GTX as they have done in the past. With the die shrink for the 8800GT, I think it is only a matter of time. If ATI delivers a part that can beat the 8800GTX, then you have a good bet that Nvidia will respond.

SLI is for those people who are not satisfied with the performance of a single 8800GTX-OC. It is not a very efficient upgrade. You don't get twice the performance, and there are increased costs in a SLI capable motherboard, PSU, and cooling.

My suggestion is to seriously look at the 8800GT-512. Perhaps get the EVGA version, preserving the possibility of their upgrade program. If your performance is below expectations, you will still have a state of the art card that shoukd fetch near list price on resale on ebay.

The 8800GTX is about 1.5" longer than all other cards. I doubt that the new 8800GT will be of any length to bother you. The increased length of the silencer will cause some problems if you retain the supplied fan. I would suggest just not using it. The PSU fan should be sufficient to cool itself and the hard drives also. Here is a link to a cooling suggestion for the P180/182 http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44067 The silentpcreview.com review on the P182 says that no lower chamber fan is needed for cooling the HDD's http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page6.html

On memory: If you will be using vista-64, then just go ahead and get a matched 4gb set of memory up front. Sometimes problems arise when upgrading later, because each run of memory may have some different chatacteristics. With a Q6600, you can keep a lot of tasks running in 4gb.

As to the mobo: The P35 based motherboards have been out for a while, now, and are largely trouble free. I suggest that you look for one from a good manufacturer that has the features you need, but no more. The X38 based boards are an unknown quantity. You will not be able to detect the difference in performance among all the chipsets that can tun the Q6600.

---good luck---
 
OK, the first review is out.

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1210/1

Pro: The 8800 GT is just as fast as promised. It beats every ATI card and the 8800 GTS.
Con: It's a bit hotter and noisier than even the HD2900XT/HD2900Pro. 72 Celsius and 73 dB, unacceptable.

This card would actually be great with a good after-market cooler, but then it would cost $300 and take two slots, so it's not such a fantastic deal any more. Still, I'd prefer 8800 GT+Thermalright HR-03 to HD2900XT or to 8800 GTS, at current prices. I'm assuming the HR-03 works with the 8800 GT, but I may be wrong. We'll have to see.

I think the 8800 GTX will have to drop in price soon. It is a bit better than the 8800 GT, not enough to justify $200 or $300 more.
 

shoota

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Listen, you can play the waiting game with new computer parts for the rest of your life. If a GTX is in your budget then buy it! It's more expensive but it's gaming life will be longer than a GT, especially at your resolution. There's always something better around the corner so buy the best you can afford right now and enjoy it.
 

Flingpoo

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Thanks aevm!

I looked through the review yesterday, but I keep losing the connection. Damn Aussies! ;) :D

I feel the same way. I love the numbers it's getting, but the high temps are an issue, especially if you want to do SLI. Although, even if you add an aftermarket cooler, it's still better than the current GTS and cheaper than a GTX. What I'm hoping for is another company to put out a card with a better cooler on it.



So, what do you guys think so far? Do you think the new GT will handle games at 1680X1050. I've seen user reviews of people who are happy with their 8800GTS's.

I will be running Vista 64 because of DX10. I likes me the eye candy. :D

SLI is still an option for me, but I do prefer a P35 over 680i. I just think the P35 is a more stable, better overclockers platform than a 680i. Not to mention SLI doesn't work for all games.


My thoughts right now are to stick with the Abit IP35 pro, get an 8800GT and upgrade later if I'm not happy. Someone mentioned EVGA's upgrade program which seems like a good way to go right now seeing how the GT is just the beginning of the G92 processor.
 

Flingpoo

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Just wanted to say thanks!
You guys have been great help!


I definitely dropped the thoughts of SLI.

Here's what I have on order if you're interested.

EVGA 8800GT super clocked! :pt1cable:
Abit IP35 Pro
Q6600 and a Thermalright 120-ultra extreme
2 gig Patriot extreme

I already have the Antec p182, a WD 500GB HD and a couple of SATA Lite-on CD/DVD burners with lightscribe.

I'm going to run the on board sound until I decide on Auzen Tech vs. Creative.



Thanks for that link!
I will be doing the shaving the grille before the parts show up.
I do have a few Scythe S-flex fans coming, so I think I'm still going to stick a couple in the front. Can't hurt.


Again, Thanks everybody!
Great forum.
I think I'll stick around if you don't mind the company.
 

Flingpoo

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No, PCIe 2.0 is backward compatible with PCIe 1.0 and 1.1

No to mention there is very little benefit in a X38 board with PCIe 2.0 since the new cards don't surpass 2.5 gigs of bandwidth of PCIe 1.0.

I'd love to see a review of a 8800GT with a X38 board though. Hopefully I'm wrong.
 


Vista and Creative don't work well together AFAIK - lousy drivers from Creative. No idea about Auzentech, unfortunately. Do some research before you spend $100 or more. Maybe you'll just like the onboard audio and save the money. If you have some serious speakers (say, $200+) then it's worth getting a sound card IMO.

Here's a card that works better in Vista, apparently. It has its own share of driver issues in Vista 64, but reviews are good.

HT OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI, $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001