How good are these systems? (Sorry)

Sorry for posting another one of these types of threads, but i'm stuck.

I have 2 desktops that i'm looking at, both are from Chillblast

This is the first one:

http://www.chillblast.com/pconf.php?printable=Y&productid=18189

and the other is this:

http://www.chillblast.com/pconf.php?printable=Y&productid=18394

I don't really know that much about computers but I have been told that overclocking, like what is done on the 2nd one is bad for the lifespan of the computer and it can easily destroy itself. The 1st pc looks very good to me for the price, but unfortunatly it doesn't have a 1gb 9800GTX like the 2nd one. I have done up the 1st one to similar specs as the 2nd one, with the 2.4 quad core and changed a few things around. (I thought using the printable link would have saved the set ups for you guys to see but obviously it hasn't lol) But both systems have 4gb of RAM, so does it make that much of a difference having lots of memory on the gfx card?

Cheers guys, maybe you can help me come to a decision.

If you ask me, neither of the systems seems like the components are matched up quite right.

The first system has 4gb memory, and unless you're planning on doing heavy video encoding or something else heavy on memory, you don't need more than 2gb. Second, it doesn't specify which motherboard you may actually get (says "or equivalent"), which is a huge minus in my book. Third, it doesn't tell you which heatsink/fan you'll get (stock heatsinks are crappy). Lastly, it seems expensive. I'm only familiar with prices in USD, but after currency conversion, it's roughly 50% more expensive as an equivalent custom-built system I would buy here, plus I can get more options.

With the second system, it's also overpriced. I'd also stay away from overclocked systems unless you know what you're doing. Overclocking reduces the lifespan of your components. One way to reduce the impact of overclocking is to properly cool your components and in my opinion, the antec 300 case is not sufficient to cool an overclocked CPU.

Overclocking does shorten the lifespan of parts, but they're not going to fail before you end up throwing the computer out.

If you're going to be getting high-end parts, it's best to build the computer yourself. That way, you know exactly what's going in it and what it's worth. You might think that you don't have the skills nessassary to build a computer, and you'd be wrong. The skills required are the same ones you need to put together a set of LEGOs; tons of people on here have done it and they haven't done anything wrong. Overall, it's an interesting experience and it can save you a lot of money.

cheers guys, thanks for the comments so far.

the guy who runs the company answers email personally so if i have any questions then i can send him them and he can set up the system right. this is the first web sit ethat i have found that builds custom pc's here in the uk for cheap (or cheaper than any named brand anyway lol) If anyone could point me in the right direction for a high spec custom pc at these kind of prices then it would be very much appreciated.

The first system has 4gb memory, and unless you're planning on doing heavy video encoding or something else heavy on memory, you don't need more than 2gb.

He's going on Vista so 3 is nice.

Vista Ultimate (64bit) :D (Since its exactly the same price as the 32bit)

As I said above, the right direction for an "ultra-high spec PC" is to build it yourself. You'l pay through the nose if you have a company build it for you. Not only are the parts expensive to begin with, but the company charges more for them.kodex1717

True just buy your parts and put em together yourself, it's even easier than puting legos together.

We can help you pick out your parts; that's what we're here for. =) Some good sites in the UK to buy from are ebuyer.com and scan.co.uk.

So that we can pick out the best parts, here are a few questions for you:

What are you looking to do with this computer? Games, watch/edit movies, Photoshop?

What is your total budget?

Do you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or speakers?

Games basically lol. I have the consoles but I want to get a pc for the latest games (I would like to play crysis, but i know that u need a godly pc to play it properly or something lol)

Ideally, I would like to stay in between £1000 and £1500, but there can be some leeway. I could do with a new keyboard/mouse until i can save up again for the G15 keyboard and the G9 mouse. I already have a pretty good set of speakers from my old pc, the are quadrophonic speaker (4 small ones basically, they connect to the soundcard with green and black connectors) Monitor wise...I have a 32" lcd in my room that i caould use, but it would be good to get a samll 19" for using it when im watchin tv or playin the xbox and that.

The main thing is a really good gfx card, vista ultimate (64) and a quad processor...since i'm assuming its the best gear lol.

Alright, I'll see what I can come up with. I'll edit this post when I'm done.

CPU: Intel E8400 3.0GHz - $120 GBP

A faster dual-core is always better than a slower quad, so I went with the E8400 Dual-Core.

Heatsink: Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler

A good heatsink that will keep your processor cool.

Motherboard: ASUS P5E X48 Motherboard - $150 GBP

I chose this motherboard because it has one of the best chipsets for overclocking, something that you'll probably want to do eventually. It also supports CrossFire, so you can use two ATi video cards in one system. I would have gone with an Nvidia motherboard, but the video cards will cost so much that it's not worth it. ATi's cards next generation video cards should offer close performance for way less money. If you don't want/need two video cards, you can still use a single one from either company.

RAM: Corsair 4GB XMS2 DHX Memory - $70 GBP

Good memory for overclocking. With 4GB of it, you won't be adding more anytime soon.

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB Hard Disk - $50 GBP

A nice hard drive with a good warranty and plenty of storage.

Optical Drive: Opriarc DVD/CD Burner - $15 GBP

I've never heard of this company, but I assume it's a rebranding of some other company's drive for the UK. Anyway, it's an average drive that should get the job done just as well as any other.

Power Supply: Corsair 750TX Power Supply - $80 GBP

You said you wanted the best parts, so I opted to include a power supply that could run one or two of any video card out there. Corsair makes/brands some of the best power supplies on the market, and this is no exception.

Case: Antec Nine Hundred PC Case - $60 GBP

Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit OEM - $110

As you requested, Windows Vista Ultimate. However, there's a catch with this copy: it's the OEM version, which means that you need to provide evidence that you're putting this on a system you've built. I've never done it myself, but I believe it involves sending in/emailing an invoice with all your parts on it. A pain in the ass for sure, but it saves you $110 GBP.

TOTAL (before video card) = $655 GBP

I don't recommend a video card at this time because the new generation of video cards are coming out in just a few weeks. I currently lean towards ATi, but there hasn't really been any sufficient benchmarking for either company's new cards.

cheers, thats a good price for all that.

I personally like the nvidia cards, dunno why, i just do lol.

could i stick a 9800GTX into that kit once its built?

Whats better, the 9800GTX or the 9800GX2?

you say to wait for a new video card, but i thought these were the newest ones out?

and what about sound card, should i buy one that i think will suit me once its all done?

cheers, thats a good price for all that.

I personally like the nvidia cards, dunno why, i just do lol.

could i stick a 9800GTX into that kit once its built?

Whats better, the 9800GTX or the 9800GX2?

you say to wait for a new video card, but i thought these were the newest ones out?

and what about sound card, should i buy one that i think will suit me once its all done?

Richy59

a 9800GTX is just a OCed 8800GTS. The GX2 is two 9800GTXs put together. Either wait for the new cards or get a 8800GTS.

Yes, you can use an Nvidia card in this, but you won't be able to use two together.

The new ATi cards will be better than the current Nvidia cards for around $200 for the HD 4850 and $350 for the HD 4870. If you get ATi cards, you will able to add an aditional one to increase performance.

The new generation of cards will be released over the next few weeks. I believe the GTX 280 launches on the 18th, and the Radeon HD 4000series launches later this month.

I don't agree entirely with what Kodex1717 says about quad-cores. I will say that the best video cards are bottlenecked by the CPU, so a high-end quad-core will see significance performance benefits over a dual-core.

The new generation of cards will be released over the next few weeks. I believe the GTX 280 launches on the 18th, and the Radeon HD 4000series launches later this month.

I don't agree entirely with what Kodex1717 says about quad-cores. I will say that the best video cards are bottlenecked by the CPU, so a high-end quad-core will see significance performance benefits over a dual-core.

iBP_Rickochet

I haven't seen any real benefits of quads in gaming. If a quad-core and a dual-core of the same architecture, die size, and clock speed were compared, I'm sure the quad would come out on top. However, duals always cost less on the same architecture, and they always have a higher clock speed. In gaming, it's clock speed that counts and the duals always win.

I can understand that dual-core delivers more value in price/performance terms, but quad cores can deliver similar results on lower clock speeds. The Q9450 running four cores at 2.67ghz delivers approximately the same performance (and often better performance) as the E8400 running two cores at 3.0 ghz (ok, i cheated, the 9450 runs on the yorkfield architecture, but it's not available in dual-core). The Q9450 costs about twice as much, though.

In the high-end gaming market right now, the results are very similar across the high-end market. With today's games, you won't see much difference between dual- and quad-cores, and you won't see much difference going from 2.8 to 3.4 ghz. The question is if you want a CPU that will be "good enough for now" or if you want a CPU that will last when they start writing games to utilize more than two cores.

I can understand that dual-core delivers more value in price/performance terms, but quad cores can deliver similar results on lower clock speeds. The Q9450 running four cores at 2.67ghz delivers approximately the same performance (and often better performance) as the E8400 running two cores at 3.0 ghz (ok, i cheated, the 9450 runs on the yorkfield architecture, but it's not available in dual-core). The Q9450 costs about twice as much, though.

In the high-end gaming market right now, the results are very similar across the high-end market. With today's games, you won't see much difference between dual- and quad-cores, and you won't see much difference going from 2.8 to 3.4 ghz. The question is if you want a CPU that will be "good enough for now" or if you want a CPU that will last when they start writing games to utilize more than two cores.

iBP_Rickochet

I learned not to take advice from best buy sellers, so I'll make no exception to a ibuypower employees. Presently a quad core 3.0Ghz runs at the same speeds as a core duo 3.0Ghz. Plus a core duo costs much less and you'll never need the quad core for games only aplications and multimédia.

One of the main problems with the non-extreme edition quads is that they can't clock as high as the dual-cores. The main reason behind this is that the multiplier is nine on the duals, but eight on the quads. Thus, if you're overclocking, it would be best to go with a dual-core.

How did you gather that there's no difference between 2.8 and 3.4? From what I've heard, pushing your CPU that far can net you something like and extra 10FPS in Crysis. That's the difference between playing it at the settings you want or turning them down.

cheers guys, it seems like i will be building my own system now lol!

I want my pc to last a good few years, my current pc is 7 years old lol! So you can see why i want it to last a bit longer than one or two years. i plan on upgrading this pc when i need to, like in about a year i can get the latest gfx cards and processors etc. Would i be wise then to go with a dual core at 3ghz, and get a 8800GTX card or the ATi equivalent? It would be cheaper lol

I am also impatient, so i just want a pc now! lol

I'll defo rtake what u guys have said into acconut, so far no one seems to like those chillblast systems i showed u lol. does anyone else know any other good uk website thatmake up custom pcs like that?

I learned not to take advice from best buy sellers, so I'll make no exception to a ibuypower employees. Presently a quad core 3.0Ghz runs at the same speeds as a core duo 3.0Ghz. Plus a core duo costs much less and you'll never need the quad core for games only aplications and multimédia.

Angry_Bosmer

Sorry, should have qualified my comments with an independent source.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/cpu-scaling-in-games-with-quad-core-processors/

2.67ghz->3.2 gave an improvement of less than 5 fps in crysis, more in cpu-heavy games like world in conflict where the four cores of the Q9450 outperformed the E8400

ok, i've decided that i want to just buy a system (sorry kodex1717 for going to all that trouble)

I have 2 systems in mind, the first has these specs:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.5 Ghz 6Mb Cach, 4Gb Corsair Memory DDR2 800 - 4 x 1GB, 500GB SATA Hard Drive, , Centurian 5 Black and Silver Case, Tagan 600w U33 - Force II Series - Dual Fan, 512Mb 9800GTX Nvidia DDR3 DVI, QC - ASUS P5N-ESLI 1333fsb-DDR800x4 SLI motherboard (Dual graphics), DVD+/- RW - 20X (pioneer 115D), No Floppy Disk Drive, 19 Inch YURAKU TFT Monitor MA9BBK, Microsoft remote keyboard & mouse wireless 1000, Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme sound card, Edifier M3200 2.1 3pce Speaker System, , Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (OEM)

The other is basically the same but it has Asus P5K SE Intel P35 chipset Motherboard, the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (which i could buy in a shop for the other system).

I'll add the Corsair PSU to the first system (its only 520W tho, the 620W is £30 more). I'll also find out if its the Audio or the Gamer sound card on the first system as well. I also need to fond out if its Vista 32bit or not (changed my mind to get the 32bit, since the 64bit doesnt work right lol)

The Q9300 is a good processor and should be able to be pushed past 3GHz if/when you feel like overclocking it. 4GB of memory is a bit overkill, but DDR2 is so cheap that you might as well get as much as you can. I've never heard of Tagan, so I can't comment on that power supply. I would, however, still give a strong reccomendation for Corsair power supplies. The 9800GTX isn't a bad card (in fact, it's great), but it became out-dated this morning. The new top dog would the the Nvidia GTX 280 which runs about $650 USD. If you don't feel like spending that much, consider going for the HD 4850 which comes out next week. That motherboard's great and has plenty of options for overclocking. I've never heard the company that makes that monitor, so I don't have an opinion on it. The name of that sound card is rather ambigous. If it is an X-Fi Xtreme Gamer or Music, then it's a good card that's worth it's salt. If it's an X-Fi Xtreme Audio, then it should be avoided like the plague.

Gah, lackluster airflow woes. There's one 80mm fan in front and one 120mm fan mount in the back. Don't expect to overclock anything in a Centurion 5.

Go with something else, anything else! I even take back what I said earlier about the Antec 300. The case has plenty of fan ports, it just looks like crap (so I assumed it was crap). The NZXT Tempest is a good case, if you can get it, and it probably has even better airflow than an Antec nine hundred (which is crazy popular/common among system builders).

Just as a personal aside, I prefer to run my test systems in open air :)

Gah, lackluster airflow woes. There's one 80mm fan in front and one 120mm fan mount in the back. Don't expect to overclock anything in a Centurion 5.

Go with something else, anything else! I even take back what I said earlier about the Antec 300. The case has plenty of fan ports, it just looks like crap (so I assumed it was crap). The NZXT Tempest is a good case, if you can get it, and it probably has even better airflow than an Antec nine hundred (which is crazy popular/common among system builders).

Just as a personal aside, I prefer to run my test systems in open air :)

iBP_Rickochet

I OC with one 80mm fan and a stock CPU heatsink and it never goes higher than 75 degrees.

If you go to this page: http://www.cougar-extreme.co.uk/computer_systems/433_9800_intel/config.html then you can look at the different options available. About half way down the page you shoud see the available Cases and the available PSUs. Would it be wise to get the more expensive 620W corsair over the 520W or do i really need 620W?

I quite like the Gigabyte Poseidon 310 Black Midi Tower Case or the 3D Aurora Black with Side Vent. I don't know if the ones with the sticking out sude vents will fit where i'm planning to put the system lol.

Oh, and here's the detailson the monitor...I dont think it looks very good and it doesnt seem to have a very good resolutions. i think i'll be buying my own one, and suggestions?

http://www.yuraku.com.sg/proddetails.asp?prodid=97&catid=28

[QUOTE="Angry_Bosmer"]

I learned not to take advice from best buy sellers, so I'll make no exception to a ibuypower employees. Presently a quad core 3.0Ghz runs at the same speeds as a core duo 3.0Ghz. Plus a core duo costs much less and you'll never need the quad core for games only aplications and multimédia.

iBP_Rickochet

Sorry, should have qualified my comments with an independent source.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/cpu-scaling-in-games-with-quad-core-processors/

2.67ghz->3.2 gave an improvement of less than 5 fps in crysis, more in cpu-heavy games like world in conflict where the four cores of the Q9450 outperformed the E8400

This chart is from anandtech.com

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=25779830&union_id=1927

upgrade to 64 bit vista so you can actually get the benefit of more than 3 gigs of ram, and anyone who flames this post afterwards saying 64 bit vista sucks I hope you own it and aren't just spamming because you heard it's no good becasue I own it and it is 100% Fine.

i would like to get it, but i have read lots of foruns and stuff which says that u cant use old software and hardware with it and that it doest support 16bit programs.

also, whats the best resolution a monitor can give u?

i would like to get it, but i have read lots of foruns and stuff which says that u cant use old software and hardware with it and that it doest support 16bit programs.

also, whats the best resolution a monitor can give u?

Richy59

I don't try and use any really old programs so I can't attest to whether or not Vista will gives you problems with it, I think the furthest i've went back is 2002 for games anyways ...

Best resolution good question it would be on the biggest monitor you can find, but in order to populate that resolution in games you would need an extreme amount of GPU power. like 2x 9800 gtx's

heres another system that i have made on a different web site the only propblem is that there is no 9800GTX option available only the 8800GTX 768MB, but i'm going to email them and see what they can do.

SpecificationAntec P182 Gaming CaseIntel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6700 2.66GHz (1066FSB)Abit IP35 Pro DDR2OCZ Reaper 4GB DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2GB)Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB GDDR3Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 7200RPM SATA-II 32MB Cache HDDSamsung 22x DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriterScythe Card Reader & Floppy DriveCreative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer 7.1 Sound CardOCZ StealthXStream 600w Silent PSUMicrosoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit EditionMicrosoft Reclusa AdvancedRazer Lachesis Banshee BlueSamsung 22Logitech 2.1 Speakers

why not just build yourself, so you don't have to go through the hassle of finding a company that will give you what you want

plus its much cheaper.

heres another system that i have made on a different web site the only propblem is that there is no 9800GTX option available only the 8800GTX 768MB, but i'm going to email them and see what they can do.

Richy59

So the 8800 GTX is better than the 9800GTX.