QFX setup

[alexisahn]

okay i've got a budget of about $3000 (US).

here's what i came up in a day from browsing newegg:

$329.99 - ASUS L1N64-SLI WS Dual Socket L (Socket 1207FX) NVIDIA nForce 680a SLI MCP SSI CEB AMD Motherboard - Retail

$409.99 - AMD Athlon 64 FX-74 Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket F (1207 FX) DSDC Architecture Processor - Retail
$409.99 - AMD Athlon 64 FX-74 Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket F (1207 FX) DSDC Architecture Processor - Retail

$269.00 ($229.00 after $40.00 Mail-In Rebate) - CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
$269.00 ($229.00 after $40.00 Mail-In Rebate) - CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

$389.99 - EVGA 512-P2-N571-AR GeForce 7900GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
$389.99 - EVGA 512-P2-N571-AR GeForce 7900GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
OR
$649.99 - EVGA 768-P2-N837-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 KO HDCP Video Card - Retail

$209.99 ($179.99 after $30.00 Mail-in-Rebate) - Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
$209.99 ($179.99 after $30.00 Mail-in-Rebate) - Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

$139.99 - Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail

$329.99 - ENERMAX Galaxy EGX1000EWL ATX12V/ EPS12V/ BTX 1000W Power Supply 100 - 240 V cUL, UL, TUV, CE, FCC - Retail

$169.99 ($139.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate) Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan - Retail


some of the stuff i just picked out randomly. so if anyone has better suggestions for performance vs price, i'd be very thankful to know. i need a computer that can use 3dsm and also play games.

 

[Kage]

If you want your graphics card to last a very long time gaming, the 8800GTX is the way to go, especially if you are thinking of upgrading to Vista for Direct X 10 in new games.

From the cards you mentioned though, in engine graphics in 3DSM won't change much, and the speed of the viewports probably wouldn't change from card to card (even in high poly modelling), and its all processor rendering, which brings me to my next point 2 paras below But for games, yes.

Since you are a 3DSM user like me though, upgrading to Vista may not be a great idea, yet...

I would definetly decide on a new processor though. Go with an Intel Dual Core, or even an Intel Quad core for rendering purposes, honestly I'd personally go for a Dual Core if I could afford it.
Cheaper, faster and more effective.

Everything else seems okay, but of course a new motherboard will be in order from what you would have got with the FX.

 

[alexisahn]

why don't you like the fx-74s?

you say you'd go with a dualcore, so why not dual dualcores for a quadcore setup (QFX). for now, the qx6700 may perform better, but i think due to its structure it'll lose its edge when programs take better control of dual cores (and quad cores). plus, by having dual dual cores, it'll be easier to upgrade to dual quadcores since the motherboards already have two sockets (amd said the barcelona models would be compatible).

why do people support the qx6700 so much? are intel's quadcores that great?
the fx-74 is a dual core cpu running at 3.0. and it's an authentic quad core setup by having two of them. intel just like glued two dual cores togethor.

 

[Kage]

Actaually, I said the Quadcore above, but I would personally choose the standard Core 2 DUO.

The quad core is just two dual cores together, and isn't exactly a quad core processor in reality, i.e 4 seperate cores.

I don't know. AMD definietly aren't in the lead for performance at the moment though, and your talking about 3D work which needs it immencely.

Getting 2 Intel dual cores in one computer (I didn't even think that was possible) would be just the same as what the Quad core is doing at the moment...