Which PC Components to Upgrade? [Help!]

[Camel]

*ignores the above post*

 

I got another question, check out this LINK and tell me what benefit does the 1GB 8800GT have over the 'normal' 512MB version?

 

EDIT: I found out, no real benefit. lol.

 

The 1GB card is only better at higher resolutions like 1920X1080 or similar because per frame it fills up the whole 1GB and this can slow it down if you are running at lets say 1280X1024 because it needs to fill all the memory in order to get that frame displayed properly.

 

So 512M is best upto about 1440X1080 and anything above that would benefit from the extra memory

[kalniel]

Clearly your choice of crumpets is very important.

 

Sainsburys crumpets are very cheap, but I find their thinness a bit dissappointing. Moreover, this attribute gives them a very narrow thermal range for optimum toastiness.

 

M&S crumpets on the otherhand, if you can afford them, offer a much thicker platform while maintaining a pleasant lightness. The increased thermal range also increases the chance of correct toasting.

[Guest RB26DETT]

what's crumpets???

[Iced_Bullet]

CRUMPET!!!!

 

[Guest RB26DETT]

looks weird. lol

 

i'll have teh cookies naw

[CarMadMike]

I hate the base of crumpets, the rest if fine, With jam on

 

Unfortunately Ive not had a crumpet since I burnt my hand + Electrocuted myself in the space of a minute whilst making them

[kalniel]

CRUMPET!!!!

 

 

*drools*

 

I could kill for one with a nice cup of tea now. Although the above is a good example of the inferior Sainsburys type.

[Sensei]

The 1GB card is only better at higher resolutions like 1920X1080 or similar because per frame it fills up the whole 1GB and this can slow it down if you are running at lets say 1280X1024 because it needs to fill all the memory in order to get that frame displayed properly.

 

So 512M is best upto about 1440X1080 and anything above that would benefit from the extra memory

 

Therefore since I'm running 2560 x 1024 I should get the 1GB version (or just get 2 512MB and put them in SLi which is what I was planning on doing)

 

Unfortunately Ive not had a crumpet since I burnt my hand + Electrocuted myself in the space of a minute whilst making them

 

[Iced_Bullet]

Therefore since I'm running 2560 x 1024 I should get the 1GB version (or just get 2 512MB and put them in SLi which is what I was planning on doing)

Don't get me wrong, but dont your games just load on the left screen? Not full screen? Unless it's jut the games you own limit you to this.

[Sensei]

Yah they load on one screen only, but with WoW and Lineage 2 I can get as many clients open as I like. I usually have 2 open on one screen and three on the other if I need all my assisting characters.

[macd79]

lol shipment of fail!!

 

i was thinking about getting a new grafix card too

[ShadowGT]

Too much computers here, NOT ENOUGH CRUMPET!!!

[Sensei]

Crooooompits?

[kalniel]

Therefore since I'm running 2560 x 1024 I should get the 1GB version (or just get 2 512MB and put them in SLi which is what I was planning on doing)

Sensei, please do some more reading on video cards! :)

 

Running 2 cards in SLI does not give you 2x the framebuffer. If 512mb isn't enough for 2560x1024 (it is actually, but that's another story), then 2x512 in SLI won't be enough either.

 

Memory is not shared in SLI - each card still has to hold its own copy of the framebuffer, so if something doesn't fit in 512mb then it's still not going to fit in one of the SLI'd cards and that card will have to request it from system RAM.

 

ATi are talking about doing shared memory with their crossfire X2 cards, but it's not happened yet.

 

Back on topic, I think people who put jam on crumpets are freaks - jam is for scones only. Marmalade is for toast. Crumpets.. butter ONLY!

[Guest RB26DETT]

all this talk of british snacks is confusing meh!!!

 

*orders pizza*

[The Queen]

Clearly your choice of crumpets is very important.

 

Sainsburys crumpets are very cheap, but I find their thinness a bit dissappointing. Moreover, this attribute gives them a very narrow thermal range for optimum toastiness.

 

M&S crumpets on the otherhand, if you can afford them, offer a much thicker platform while maintaining a pleasant lightness. The increased thermal range also increases the chance of correct toasting.

 

Yup your absolutely right. I haven't tried any of these but you seem to be an expert on crumpets so i'm taking your word.

 

+rep as it made me laugh :D

[Iced_Bullet]

Can we stop with the crumpet talk now, it's not helping my situation ;)

[Sensei]

Hey look, kal's being a douche again.

 

Sensei, please do some more reading on video cards! :)

 

I never professed to understand everything, I'm 17 and I've been interested in computers for a while but mainly played online games. Only the past half a year since I started to check out components for my new build did I start to realise that reading about how computers work interests me. I'm still learning and I want to get to know this stuff to the point where it could be involved in my job/carrier some time in the future. Talking to me like this is completely pointless when you know I don't know as much as you do, constructive/helpful discussion would be greatly appreciated instead of this taunting/derogatory bulls-... bullcrap. (There, I was polite. Happy now your mod-ship?)

 

Running 2 cards in SLI does not give you 2x the framebuffer. If 512mb isn't enough for 2560x1024 (it is actually, but that's another story), then 2x512 in SLI won't be enough either.

 

Memory is not shared in SLI - each card still has to hold its own copy of the framebuffer, so if something doesn't fit in 512mb then it's still not going to fit in one of the SLI'd cards and that card will have to request it from system RAM.

 

Alright, so if I wanted to be playing games at the highest settings on my main monitor without sacrificing any performance what's the best to go for: 2x 512MB in sli, 1x 1GB or 2x 1GB? I'm still not sure.

 

Back on topic, I think people who put jam on crumpets are freaks - jam is for scones only. Marmalade is for toast. Crumpets.. butter ONLY!

 

Crumpets demand HONEY!

[kalniel]

Alright, so if I wanted to be playing games at the highest settings on my main monitor without sacrificing any performance what's the best to go for: 2x 512MB in sli, 1x 1GB or 2x 1GB? I'm still not sure.

Performance wise the memory will be irrelevant as long as it's at least 512mb per chip, so go with whichever has the best performing chip. If you're after ultimate performance then two GX2s is the top choice today, but it's a horribly blunt solution that has impractical cost for the benefit.

 

On June 16/18th that solution will be trumped by nVIDIAs new cards, the GTX 260 and 280. I expect the 280 to be priced at close to the ridiculous Ultra levels of the past, so for what would still be a big bunch of money I would recommend the GTX 260. If you have enough money for two 260s then I would recommend getting a single 280 instead.

[Sensei]

I'm 17. Money wise getting 2 1GB 8800GT cards (£140 each) is stretching me, 2 512MB 8800GT is reasonable and I would actually do that, seems like the best performance/price when you refer to the table Iced posted:

 

 

Edit: I just noticed that if you look at the 9800GTX, it's performance is seemingly retarded:

 

1x 9800 GTX = 33 fps

2x 9800 GTX = 36 fps

3x 9800 GTX = 26 fps

 

Anyone who wasted money on 3 is gonna be crying XD

[kalniel]

Well best price/performance is a single 8800GT in that case - going SLI doubles the cost without getting close to doubling the performance.

 

Or if you have to get 30fps in Crysis then get a single 8800GTS 512mb

 

Or if you have to have SLI go for 9600GT SLI - same performance as the 8800GT SLI but £100 cheaper.

 

Or wait for the GTX cards to come out and the price of the 9800GTX to crash.

[Sensei]

I was looking at the 9800 GTX on OcUK and the clock speeds are pretty sweet even on the cheapest version they sell. And it's £23ish cheaper than 2 8800GT's. =]

[Camel]

I was looking at the 9800 GTX on OcUK and the clock speeds are pretty sweet even on the cheapest version they sell. And it's £23ish cheaper than 2 8800GT's. =]

 

And can achieve high core, shader and memory speeds if you overclock it yourself

[kalniel]

I was looking at the 9800 GTX on OcUK and the clock speeds are pretty sweet even on the cheapest version they sell. And it's £23ish cheaper than 2 8800GT's. =]

The problem is it's just a rebadged 8800GTX, so you can pick up the same card with a 8800GTX sticker for quite a bit less :p

[Sensei]

Ironically the 8800GTX are more expensive than the 9800GTX and aren't as good. XD