Will this stuff work?

xpertkirby

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Hi, I'm planning to upgrade my computer to play all the newest directx10 games. I have an 8800GTX directx10 video card but I only have 1gig of pc3200 400Mhz ram and an AMD Dual core +4400 each core running at 2.2 Ghz. The crysis beta is unplayable (with all settings on low) for me and I want to have a computer that can run it when its comes out along with Unreal Tournament 3, I mean comon I have a 8800GTX I can't let my other hardware slow me down! When I was in game a guy told me he upgraded his AMD +4200 and it made a huge difference on the game for him so I thought it is time to finally upgrade. So here's what I picked out from tigerdirect:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3208221
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2206470

So I'm wondering if the ram and mobo are compatible and if quad core is worth it for gaming. I have noticed all my friends with intels load way faster than me in games at lan parties so I am switching to intel, one has a core 2 duo and one has a pentium D and they beat me by a longshot. Also if I got another hard drive could I just add it?

Any suggestions? Thanks
 
Those parts you linked looks really good, but....................there's always a but, but I like to recommend you getting Crucial Ballistix:

Crucial Ballistix Dual Channel 2048MB PC8500 DDR2 1066MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...tails.asp?EdpNo=3116812&body=MAIN#detailspecs

Crucial is a company from slightly different weight category than Corsair, OCZ and other manufacturers. The unique thing (and it is certainly an advantage) about Crucial, is that they originate from one of the largest memory chip makers, Micron Company. So, unlike other overclocker's memory kits makers, Crucial has direct access to the memory chips for their modules.

Also, shouldn't you have a better CPU (having the +4400) than the other guy having a lower +4200? Wow, that motherboard comes with the Q6600 too!!!
 
Thanks for responding so quickly. That memory does look pretty good I think I'll go with that instead. What do the latencies mean? Also, whats the difference between dual channel ddr2 and just ddr2? So as far as compatibility goes, that memory will fit in that motherboard correct? Yeah my cpu was probably better than his, but not by much. Heck, my friends single core Intel loads faster than my dual core and performs much better. They stopped making my processor too so it must've been pretty crappy.
 
Yes, that Crucial model RAM can fit on your motherboard. The eVGA board with the chipset it's using can support any RAM that has a rating of DDR2 533/667/800 and up to 1200 MHz.

Dual Channel RAM means there are two RAM pipelines to the CPU to try and help the bottleneck caused by the system bus. To get dual channel to work you have to have a matched pair of what ever RAM you intend on using. Make sure they are the same brand and spec. Install both in the same color slot, like if you put one in the blue slot, put the other in the blue slot. This will enable dual channel mode. If you mix it (one black, the other blue for example), it will still run---but not in dual channel mode. If you decide to add more RAM down the road, you will need another identical pair of ram to go in the two open slots. If you only add just one more stick, it will see the RAM but your back to single channel mode. It is very important to have the exact same chip in both slots of the same color.

As for latencies, the lower the number, the better. I don't really know the specifics on it, but here's a site that can help explain it better.

RAM Latency Explained
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1637763,00.asp
 
Awesome thanks, now if I get this new stuff will I have to activate vista again? because that was a pain last time. It said my activation key was already in use but it was in use by me. Do hard drives make a big difference when your gaming? And if I wanted to add another hard drive for more space do I just plug it in?
 
Yeah. Everytime you install Vista on a new hard drive, you need to go through the activation process all over again.

I would assume just adding another hard drive in your computer case wouldn't require any special tinkering. It should be detected automatically. Plug and play. The 10,000 RPM Western Digital Raptor drives are pretty good for gaming, but they cost a lot more than your traditional 7200RPM drives. Hard drives are the primary bottleneck in all our gaming systems. Some even set up RAID 0 to speed up access times with two of the same hard drives. Paritioning is another good way to improve performance on hard drives too.
 
I'm thinking about that raptor. One more question, would it be better to order new parts right now or closer to christmas?
 
It depends on how bad you need a new PC. If you wait until Christmas, you may see even better deals. Also by that time, a lot of new technology stuff is coming out around that time so all the older models (CPU, GPU, etc.) will be marked down, most likely.
 
Oh I have another question! If the drive is bigger (say 500GB) will it load maps and stuff slower in games compared to a smaller capacity drive?
 
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