Hi All,
Following on from a thread I started not so long back about 2 x 5850's vs GTX 480. I am now in a position to purchase. And not just GFX,... core components of a system overhaul. I'm looking to get something that will see me good for about 3 years. Maybe a little longer.
I'll be playing the likes of Bad Company 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R Call of Pripyat (and Clear skies which I couldn't play previously) and similar types of games. I'll also be doing a significant amount of photo editing in Photoshop.
Therefore the proposed components are:
Intel i7 CPU and Appropriate Mobo such as an Asus Extreme or something.
6Gb Corsair Dominator Tri-band
2 x 5850's
Now here are the main questions.
Out of the following two CPU's, which one really is the better one? Same price, two different codenames and a few different stats. Is the Bloomfield the more powerful of the two, better for my requirements, or the Lynnfield?
Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 45nm Quad Core
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Intel...tio-95W-Retail
Or
Intel Core i7 930 D0 SLBKP Bloomfield
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Intel...io-130W-Retail
Out of the following two sets of video cards, I see there is XFX Black ed. and XXX Ed. The XXX has a slightly slower GPU but faster Memory. It's a little cheaper too. Out of these two cards, which one would you consider to be the better? It seems they have given with one hand and taken with another regarding the GPU and Memory differences. I'm considering two 5850's based on the benchmark tests run right here on Hexus.
However, can anyone still argue why I shouldn't get a single GTX 480? I can't see that much of a valid argument myself but it's always worth while asking.
TWO 1GB XFX HD 5850 Black Editions
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-X...-DL-DVI-I-HDMI
Or
TWO 1GB XFX HD 5850 XXX Editions.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-X...-DL-DVI-I-HDMI
Motherboard and Ram I can pretty much select myself however if any of you have any recommendations that would compliment the CPU/GFX setup I'd be happy to consider.
Finally, I have an 800w TAGAN Dual Engine PSU (Model TG800-U25) with two 6 pin connectors on it and a whole boat load of SATA power connectors. Looking at images of the 5850's I'm going to need TWO 6 Pin connectors PER CARD.
Specifications here - http://www.firingsquad.com/hw/7990/T...l_Engine_800w/
I know I'd have to use one (or would it be two?) of the SATA "drive" power connectors for one of the GFX cards. Can I safely say that this PSU will be able to carry the load of all the new hardware and 3 SATA HDD's / 1 x DVD-RW? Or will I need a new PSU?
For anyone who mananges to scramble through all of this and is able to give me advice, I am extremely grateful in advance
Ian