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Yuanji · 04-19-2005, 08:34 PM

that's only when you're running SLi Mode. SLi can handle loads 2 different ways. One is balancing the load pretty much 50-50 by having one render the top and one the bottom. The other is having each card render every other frame. if you only have 1 card, it just renders everything, same with any other card

Amazin Caucasian · 04-19-2005, 10:00 PM

o gotcha thanks yuanji, well can anyone answer my previous questions involving if the second card will have to be the same as the first, whether or not I should overclock becuase it would be my first time, and for the Geforce should it be Nvidia or some other brand? it's on the previous page to look at the exact questions.

Yuanji · 04-19-2005, 10:11 PM

you should get the same manufacturer's brand and same chip card for running SLi. i think you can OC with SLi the same way you OC normal cards. video card OCing is much easier then CPU overclocking since it is all done via windows software and you can change it back if you want. It is much harder to burn a video card because you are only changing the clockspeeds and most overclocking software will tell you when you've hit a wall. nVidia does'nt actually manufacture their own cards but there are some good brands. eVGA and MSI are my favorite brands.

good SLi MoBos are the DFI nForce4 SLi lanparty board http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...136-151&depa=0 there is a UT version which seems to only be missing onboard audio and you should get that if you are getting a seperate sound card because it is 40 dollars cheaper.

Asus' A8N SLi is also a top-notch board http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...131-524&depa=0

Amazin Caucasian · 04-19-2005, 10:17 PM

does OC'ing video cards have a better effect than OC'ing CPU's? nvidia doesn't manufacture their own cards? Do they just sell cards not make them? Where could I obtain OC'ing software?

Yuanji · 04-19-2005, 10:27 PM

do a search for coolbits and rivatuner. nVidia just manufactures the chips that other manufacturers use to build their cards. overclocking video cards and overclocking the CPU have varying effects but it's not like overclocking one will make up for the other.

kram 2.0 · 04-19-2005, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amazin Caucasian

does OC'ing video cards have a better effect than OC'ing CPU's? nvidia doesn't manufacture their own cards? Do they just sell cards not make them? Where could I obtain OC'ing software?

Depends on how far you overclock a video card - theoredically, they have the same effect but it's hard to compare processing power to graphics quality. Upping the graphics card clockspeeds and memory speeds will give you better graphics pending stability. Upping FSB/Multi on a CPU will give you more CPU speed.

nVIDIA doesn't manufacturer their own cards. The closest related is eVGA - put it into analogies, Sapphire is to ATI as eVGA it to nVIDIA. eVGA tends to be the most similar in terms of reference design to that released from nVidia.

kram

danky · 04-19-2005, 11:56 PM

Im pretty sure SLI is split between the odd and even pixels or frames. not top and bottom half.

by the way sry to interupt.

carry on

Amazin Caucasian · 04-20-2005, 08:16 AM

danky, I heard that the early versions of SLI motherboards split it odd and even pixels but now the newer ones do top and bottom half. I very well may be incorrect, that is just what I have heard.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-20-2005, 08:47 PM

So I should get the Asus A8N SLI-Deluxe, A Geforce 6800 GT, what about memory?

**thefultonhow** · 04-20-2005, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amazin Caucasian

So I should get the Asus A8N SLI-Deluxe, A Geforce 6800 GT, what about memory?

Two 512 MB sticks should be all you need. If you want to overclock, you may want to get some Winbond UTT or TCCD-chip RAM.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-20-2005, 09:18 PM

how much do you think that will probably cost, and where is DDR located on the computer is it the motherboard? For my case, the silver one http://www.a-top.com/xblade/xblade.html I was wondering what power supply I should get, if any.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-20-2005, 09:52 PM

How about this fulton- http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...9&Sku=ULT30215 ? Will two of those work with overclocking?

allburnintegrated · 04-21-2005, 02:04 AM

It may be a good idea to get a better PSU for that case as it looks like it is a no brand PSU and you are making a high end system so it may not be powerful enough. Theres a good article about PSU's on the cases and power supplies forum, have a look at that

LA22 · 04-21-2005, 02:56 AM

two good mobo's that offer SLI are the:
Asus A8N-SLI or
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe.

There are also others avalible, not just these two

**thefultonhow** · 04-21-2005, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amazin Caucasian

How about this fulton- http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...9&Sku=ULT30215 ? Will two of those work with overclocking?

They may work, but they won't be great. Someone else on this forum (Tin or Yuanji, likely) would be able to help you pick out the right RAM.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 10:25 AM

Any PSU suggestions? How much power, what brand, and any other things that I can't think of that involve this question.

**thefultonhow** · 04-21-2005, 10:50 AM

I would say at least 450 W if you don't do SLI, 530 if you do. Remember to get an ATX12V v2.0 PSU. Power supplies from Antec, Enlight/Thermaltake, Fortron Source/Sparkle, Enermax, OCZ, and PC Power and Cooling are all good units.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 08:44 PM

the ATX12V v2.0 PSU? I am unfimiliar with that. I will get the 530.

rightcoast · 04-21-2005, 08:46 PM

I don't really have anything useful to contribute. I have wanted to say for a couple days though:

Amazin Caucasian, you have a really cool handle.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 08:54 PM

ha, you have been following my threads and all you have to say is really cool handle? Ha, you're awesome.

rightcoast · 04-21-2005, 08:56 PM

Not following the thread so much as seeing the thread author when a new post is made.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 08:57 PM

cool, cool. any suggestions?

rightcoast · 04-21-2005, 09:42 PM

I am not really an overclocker (I did mine, but others know much more), so I will leave that to the others. I gave the thread a quick read and one thing that was touched on, but not really said was that you can get an SLI capable mobo and only one card. Then when you have more cash, buy a matching card and slap it in so you get the SLI benefits. If you can, buy the best card now, because next year when you buy another, it will no longer be the best of course. But to you it will be a big upgrade, going to SLI and all.

As for PSU's I have heard nothing but good things from anything made by PC Power and Cooling and Fortron/Sparkle like Fulton said. I have read lots of great things about the Antec NeoPower too, plus it looks great.

Yuanji · 04-21-2005, 09:45 PM

neopower isn't strong enough to handle SLi. if i were you, i would go with an OCZ powerstream 520 if pressed for cash, 600 if you aren't.

rightcoast · 04-21-2005, 09:53 PM

See, that's why I stay out of the high end gaming threads...lol

When I do build my next PC this summer though, I plan on going with buy one card now, another next year theory. It may be a little behind the cutting ecge at that point, but the games I like (NWN, Unreal..whatever comes out good this year) will run fine, pretty good in fact. This way I can save a couple hundred when the video card prices come down. Just something to consider.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 10:01 PM

all right I think I will take Yuanji's advice, ha rightcoast you my boy, still no1 has posted on my case situation http://www.a-top.com/xblade/xblade.html if anyone has any complaints about it other than PSU please POST!!

**thefultonhow** · 04-21-2005, 10:13 PM

Cases are really a personal preference. I don't particularly like how it looks, but I'm not you.

FWIW, it looks like it's very easy to work in, so you probably can't go wrong getting it.

rightcoast · 04-21-2005, 10:15 PM

I can tell you that for the most part, especially if you are just buying one with a window in it already and all that, a case is a case. The looks are definitely a personal preference. Ditch the PSU, I would do that even on midrange system. Dicey PSU's with expensive parts are a bad combo. I would imagine it won't come with LCD display at the top though just so you knew. It may, I have never seen that case in person, but chances are that is the fully tricked out picture for marketing.

Yep I just checked again...the LCD controller is purchased seperately.

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefultonhow

Cases are really a personal preference. I don't particularly like how it looks, but I'm not you.

FWIW, it looks like it's very easy to work in, so you probably can't go wrong getting it.

Fulton what do you not like about it? what case do you have?

Amazin Caucasian · 04-21-2005, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rightcoast

Yep I just checked again...the LCD controller is purchased seperately.

I figured that but was too lazy to check up good call rightcoast.

04-19-2005, 08:34 PM	#31
Yuanji Member (12 bit) Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 2,558	that's only when you're running SLi Mode. SLi can handle loads 2 different ways. One is balancing the load pretty much 50-50 by having one render the top and one the bottom. The other is having each card render every other frame. if you only have 1 card, it just renders everything, same with any other card __________________ My 1st Build: Antec SuperLANboy Case\| Antec 480W Neopower\| 16X Sony DVD-ROM \| Nec 1.44 FDD \| WD 74GB Raptor 10,000 RPM SATA HDD \| Aspire Keyboard w/optical Mouse \|Geil Value 1Gig\| ASUS P4P800-E Delux Socket 478 \| P4 3.2E 800FSB HT \| eVGA GeForce 6800GT 256MB

04-19-2005, 10:11 PM	#33
Yuanji Member (12 bit) Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 2,558	you should get the same manufacturer's brand and same chip card for running SLi. i think you can OC with SLi the same way you OC normal cards. video card OCing is much easier then CPU overclocking since it is all done via windows software and you can change it back if you want. It is much harder to burn a video card because you are only changing the clockspeeds and most overclocking software will tell you when you've hit a wall. nVidia does'nt actually manufacture their own cards but there are some good brands. eVGA and MSI are my favorite brands. good SLi MoBos are the DFI nForce4 SLi lanparty board http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...136-151&depa=0 there is a UT version which seems to only be missing onboard audio and you should get that if you are getting a seperate sound card because it is 40 dollars cheaper. Asus' A8N SLi is also a top-notch board http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...131-524&depa=0 Last edited by Yuanji; 04-19-2005 at 10:16 PM.

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04-19-2005, 10:00 PM	#32
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	o gotcha thanks yuanji, well can anyone answer my previous questions involving if the second card will have to be the same as the first, whether or not I should overclock becuase it would be my first time, and for the Geforce should it be Nvidia or some other brand? it's on the previous page to look at the exact questions.

04-19-2005, 10:17 PM	#34
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	does OC'ing video cards have a better effect than OC'ing CPU's? nvidia doesn't manufacture their own cards? Do they just sell cards not make them? Where could I obtain OC'ing software?

04-19-2005, 10:27 PM	#35
Yuanji Member (12 bit) Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 2,558	do a search for coolbits and rivatuner. nVidia just manufactures the chips that other manufacturers use to build their cards. overclocking video cards and overclocking the CPU have varying effects but it's not like overclocking one will make up for the other.

04-19-2005, 11:56 PM	#37
danky Member (8 bit) Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 164	Im pretty sure SLI is split between the odd and even pixels or frames. not top and bottom half. by the way sry to interupt. carry on

04-20-2005, 08:16 AM	#38
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	danky, I heard that the early versions of SLI motherboards split it odd and even pixels but now the newer ones do top and bottom half. I very well may be incorrect, that is just what I have heard.

04-20-2005, 08:47 PM	#39
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	So I should get the Asus A8N SLI-Deluxe, A Geforce 6800 GT, what about memory?

04-20-2005, 09:18 PM	#41
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	how much do you think that will probably cost, and where is DDR located on the computer is it the motherboard? For my case, the silver one http://www.a-top.com/xblade/xblade.html I was wondering what power supply I should get, if any.

04-20-2005, 09:52 PM	#42
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	How about this fulton- http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...9&Sku=ULT30215 ? Will two of those work with overclocking?

04-21-2005, 02:04 AM	#43
allburnintegrated Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Zealand Posts: 186	It may be a good idea to get a better PSU for that case as it looks like it is a no brand PSU and you are making a high end system so it may not be powerful enough. Theres a good article about PSU's on the cases and power supplies forum, have a look at that

04-21-2005, 02:56 AM	#44
LA22 Member (9 bit) Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NY Posts: 313	two good mobo's that offer SLI are the: Asus A8N-SLI or Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe. There are also others avalible, not just these two

04-21-2005, 10:25 AM	#46
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	Any PSU suggestions? How much power, what brand, and any other things that I can't think of that involve this question.

04-21-2005, 10:50 AM	#47
thefultonhow Moderator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,941	I would say at least 450 W if you don't do SLI, 530 if you do. Remember to get an ATX12V v2.0 PSU. Power supplies from Antec, Enlight/Thermaltake, Fortron Source/Sparkle, Enermax, OCZ, and PC Power and Cooling are all good units.

04-21-2005, 08:44 PM	#48
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	the ATX12V v2.0 PSU? I am unfimiliar with that. I will get the 530.

04-21-2005, 08:46 PM	#49
rightcoast Member (10 bit) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 800	I don't really have anything useful to contribute. I have wanted to say for a couple days though: Amazin Caucasian, you have a really cool handle.

04-21-2005, 08:54 PM	#50
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	ha, you have been following my threads and all you have to say is really cool handle? Ha, you're awesome.

04-21-2005, 08:56 PM	#51
rightcoast Member (10 bit) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 800	Not following the thread so much as seeing the thread author when a new post is made.

04-21-2005, 08:57 PM	#52
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	cool, cool. any suggestions?

04-21-2005, 09:42 PM	#53
rightcoast Member (10 bit) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 800	I am not really an overclocker (I did mine, but others know much more), so I will leave that to the others. I gave the thread a quick read and one thing that was touched on, but not really said was that you can get an SLI capable mobo and only one card. Then when you have more cash, buy a matching card and slap it in so you get the SLI benefits. If you can, buy the best card now, because next year when you buy another, it will no longer be the best of course. But to you it will be a big upgrade, going to SLI and all. As for PSU's I have heard nothing but good things from anything made by PC Power and Cooling and Fortron/Sparkle like Fulton said. I have read lots of great things about the Antec NeoPower too, plus it looks great.

04-21-2005, 09:45 PM	#54
Yuanji Member (12 bit) Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 2,558	neopower isn't strong enough to handle SLi. if i were you, i would go with an OCZ powerstream 520 if pressed for cash, 600 if you aren't.

04-21-2005, 09:53 PM	#55
rightcoast Member (10 bit) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 800	See, that's why I stay out of the high end gaming threads...lol When I do build my next PC this summer though, I plan on going with buy one card now, another next year theory. It may be a little behind the cutting ecge at that point, but the games I like (NWN, Unreal..whatever comes out good this year) will run fine, pretty good in fact. This way I can save a couple hundred when the video card prices come down. Just something to consider.

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04-21-2005, 10:01 PM	#56
Amazin Caucasian Member (11 bit) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,033	all right I think I will take Yuanji's advice, ha rightcoast you my boy, still no1 has posted on my case situation http://www.a-top.com/xblade/xblade.html if anyone has any complaints about it other than PSU please POST!!

04-21-2005, 10:13 PM	#57
thefultonhow Moderator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,941	Cases are really a personal preference. I don't particularly like how it looks, but I'm not you. FWIW, it looks like it's very easy to work in, so you probably can't go wrong getting it.

04-21-2005, 10:15 PM	#58
rightcoast Member (10 bit) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 800	I can tell you that for the most part, especially if you are just buying one with a window in it already and all that, a case is a case. The looks are definitely a personal preference. Ditch the PSU, I would do that even on midrange system. Dicey PSU's with expensive parts are a bad combo. I would imagine it won't come with LCD display at the top though just so you knew. It may, I have never seen that case in person, but chances are that is the fully tricked out picture for marketing. Yep I just checked again...the LCD controller is purchased seperately.