MisterMister
07-02-08, 07:44 PM
Whats up guys. I recently built a new rig (it's about 2 months old ATM), upgrading from my near prehistoric AMD64 3200+ w/ ATi X800XT, 2GB of RAM, & Windows XP Pro.
Since then I have been doing a lot of research on my new components, which eventually brought me to this forum! I have a feeling that I'm going to be spending most of my time here, so I felt an introduction was in order.
First of all, let me get this out of the way. My Current PC set up consists of:
* Windows Vista Home Pro (32-bit) w/ SP1 & all hotfixes
* Ultra M998 mid-ATX case
* SilenX 650W, SLI ready, 14DBa modular PSU
* Nvidia/EVGA 780i motherboard running @ 1600MHz FSB
* Intel Q6600 CPU running @ 3.2GHz (24/7) & 3.6GHz (benchmarking)
* 2GB OCZ ReaperX HPC Edition PC9200 DDR2 RAM (5-5-5 timing @ 1100Mhz)
* 2x Nvidia/EVGA 9600GT video cards in SLI configuration running @ 740/1100Mhz
* 2x WD Raptor HDDs; (36GB & 74GB) - OS & games
* Samsung SpinPoint HDD (200GB) - Media
* Creative Lab Soundblaster Audigy 2 sound card
* 2x DVD-RWs w/ lightscribe (1x NEC-Sony & 1x Plextor)
* 20" Samsung SyncMaster 206BW LCD monitor (3000:1 CR & 2ms response rate)
* Audio Engine-2 bookshelf reference (audiophile level) speakers
* Logitech G11 back-lit gaming keyboard
* Razer Copperhead 2000DPI, adjustable resolution gaming mouse
* Icemat Revision-2, tempered glass, high end gaming mouse pad (black)
I am using all air cooling, using a TRUE-120 as my primary CPU cooler & IC Diamond 7-Carat thermal paste. On the TRUE-120 I am using two 120mm SilenX fans (one 120x38mm 90CFM @ 18Dba & one 120x25mm 72CFM @ 14Dba fan in a "push-pull" configuration). This allows my system to run at 100% fan speed while remaining near silent.
At my 24/7 CPU clock of 3.2GHz, my Q6600 is running @ ~42*C (idle) and ~58*C (100% load). This is with an average ~78*F ambient room temp.
here is my "best run" 3Dmark06 *score (click on the score to see the ORB compare chart):
3DMark06: 17,420 Points (http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=6463780)
*Keep in mind that the ORB does not, for some reason, read your CPU milti. I had mine set to 8x while the program thinks its 9x, leading it to think that I am running my Q6600 @ 4GHz, while I was actually running @ 3.6GHz.
Now, I had intended to only use my 9600GTs until the release of the GT200 series video cards... however, plans changed a bit lately...
This set up basically allows me to play ANY game at its full detail settings & full AA/AF @ my screen's native resolution of 1680x1050 (except Crysis of course, I need to turn AA OFF) while maintaining a near (or better then) 60FPS frame rate. This is much better then I had originally anticipated!
Due to this fact, I am going to keep my SLI 9600GT set up until the GTX260 comes down in price (the rumored $299.99 USD price point should happen well before the end of the year in order to combat ATi's lower priced offerings), at which point I will sell my current cards and will pick up two GTX260s for a near unbeatable SLI set up (testing shows this is much better then even a quad SLI 9800GTX rig) for the cost of a single GTX280. I will probably end up upgrading my PSU at that point as well as adding liquid cooling for my CPU so I can keep it at 3.6Ghz 24/7 with an even higher clock for benchmarking (I don't plan on putting any other components in the cooling loop to keep things simple and trouble free)... but I digress...
Anyway, please feel free to comment on my current set up, and/or my plans for the near future. Nothing is written in stone thus far (other then what i already own of course), so I am more then willing to entertain some other suggestions.
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4192/dsc01104td8.jpg
Peace and good health,
-MM
Since then I have been doing a lot of research on my new components, which eventually brought me to this forum! I have a feeling that I'm going to be spending most of my time here, so I felt an introduction was in order.
First of all, let me get this out of the way. My Current PC set up consists of:
* Windows Vista Home Pro (32-bit) w/ SP1 & all hotfixes
* Ultra M998 mid-ATX case
* SilenX 650W, SLI ready, 14DBa modular PSU
* Nvidia/EVGA 780i motherboard running @ 1600MHz FSB
* Intel Q6600 CPU running @ 3.2GHz (24/7) & 3.6GHz (benchmarking)
* 2GB OCZ ReaperX HPC Edition PC9200 DDR2 RAM (5-5-5 timing @ 1100Mhz)
* 2x Nvidia/EVGA 9600GT video cards in SLI configuration running @ 740/1100Mhz
* 2x WD Raptor HDDs; (36GB & 74GB) - OS & games
* Samsung SpinPoint HDD (200GB) - Media
* Creative Lab Soundblaster Audigy 2 sound card
* 2x DVD-RWs w/ lightscribe (1x NEC-Sony & 1x Plextor)
* 20" Samsung SyncMaster 206BW LCD monitor (3000:1 CR & 2ms response rate)
* Audio Engine-2 bookshelf reference (audiophile level) speakers
* Logitech G11 back-lit gaming keyboard
* Razer Copperhead 2000DPI, adjustable resolution gaming mouse
* Icemat Revision-2, tempered glass, high end gaming mouse pad (black)
I am using all air cooling, using a TRUE-120 as my primary CPU cooler & IC Diamond 7-Carat thermal paste. On the TRUE-120 I am using two 120mm SilenX fans (one 120x38mm 90CFM @ 18Dba & one 120x25mm 72CFM @ 14Dba fan in a "push-pull" configuration). This allows my system to run at 100% fan speed while remaining near silent.
At my 24/7 CPU clock of 3.2GHz, my Q6600 is running @ ~42*C (idle) and ~58*C (100% load). This is with an average ~78*F ambient room temp.
here is my "best run" 3Dmark06 *score (click on the score to see the ORB compare chart):
3DMark06: 17,420 Points (http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=6463780)
*Keep in mind that the ORB does not, for some reason, read your CPU milti. I had mine set to 8x while the program thinks its 9x, leading it to think that I am running my Q6600 @ 4GHz, while I was actually running @ 3.6GHz.
Now, I had intended to only use my 9600GTs until the release of the GT200 series video cards... however, plans changed a bit lately...
This set up basically allows me to play ANY game at its full detail settings & full AA/AF @ my screen's native resolution of 1680x1050 (except Crysis of course, I need to turn AA OFF) while maintaining a near (or better then) 60FPS frame rate. This is much better then I had originally anticipated!
Due to this fact, I am going to keep my SLI 9600GT set up until the GTX260 comes down in price (the rumored $299.99 USD price point should happen well before the end of the year in order to combat ATi's lower priced offerings), at which point I will sell my current cards and will pick up two GTX260s for a near unbeatable SLI set up (testing shows this is much better then even a quad SLI 9800GTX rig) for the cost of a single GTX280. I will probably end up upgrading my PSU at that point as well as adding liquid cooling for my CPU so I can keep it at 3.6Ghz 24/7 with an even higher clock for benchmarking (I don't plan on putting any other components in the cooling loop to keep things simple and trouble free)... but I digress...
Anyway, please feel free to comment on my current set up, and/or my plans for the near future. Nothing is written in stone thus far (other then what i already own of course), so I am more then willing to entertain some other suggestions.
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4192/dsc01104td8.jpg
Peace and good health,
-MM