I am making my own gaming computer and i was wondering if a SLI setup is really hard to put together compared to justa normal graphics card setup or is it about the same difficulty? Also wondering if it mattered to play Call of Duty 4, does SLI help if you have an XFX GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card?
Is it hard to make a gaming computer with a SLI setup?
making a gaming computer with and without SLI is easy, its just getting the parts, then carefully putting them together, and checking for issues that may arise, such as dead parts, or leaking water cooling systems, or even overheating processors, and don't listen to those AMD\ATI fans, they don't realize intel and Nvidia is outdoing AMD\ATI right now, and SLI is dependent on the game, as most support it now, but some don't and it will help Call of Duty 4, as ive see it have an option to use SLI on it.
Reply:Who said im a fan of AMD\ATI.. ATM i have a intel computer, its just the AMD is CHEAP ON MONEY and still works fine. Who said you need a computer for 1200 that can do the same as 800 on AMD.... Therefore i would go AMD on my next computer cuz its CHEAP AND WORKS FINE! Report It
Reply:This is what I have. It is an N-Force, 680i SLI with two 8600GT graphics cards with an SLI bridge and 850 watt power supply. OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ UltimateVersion 6.0.6000 Build 6000Other OS Description Not AvailableOS Manufacturer Microsoft CorporationSystem Name System Manufacturer NVIDIASystem Model 122-CK-NF68System Type X86-based PCProcessor Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz, 2999 Mhz, 1 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG, 4/1/2007SMBIOS Version 2.4Windows Directory C:\WindowsSystem Directory C:\Windows\system32Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1Locale Uni... StatesHardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.0.6000.16386"User Name Time Zone Pacific Daylight TimeTotal Physical Memory 2,045.94 MBAvailable Physical Memory 1.12 GBTotal Virtual Memory 4.21 GBAvailable Virtual Memory 3.05 GBPage File Space 2.29 GBPage File C:\pagefile.sys ...
Reply:Buy another 8800gtx, make sure u have an sli compatible motherboard. It will come with an sli connector. Put the cards side by side, connect 'em up, and watch your gaming performance almost double, depending on the drivers u use.
Reply:No, not really. In fact, you could even do the x2 cards which is already sli and only takes one pci express slot. Make sure you have a good psu,, and decent cooling.
Reply:Yes because the good chipsets from nvidia are getting older and older and older and older...
Reply:Here is a GOOD GAMING computer that you can buy for under $1000.
Build An Ultimate Gaming Computer
For Under $1000!
Last Updated March 28, 2008
If you've always wanted an ultimate gaming computer but didn't want to spend $3000 to have one custom built, or if you are tired of the poor quality computers you get from manufacturers, look no further. In this article I will show you where to buy cheap computer parts and give you the resources to build your own computer.
Have you always wanted to build your own computer, but were afraid it was too complicated? I'm here to tell you that you can do it. I've built several computers myself and was surprised at how easy it actually was. Sure, the first one took me awhile but that was because I couldn't find good information on how to build your own computer. You won't have to go through the trial and error that I did because I've laid out all of the information I've learned in this section, and if you ever have a problem, just ask here! This isn't a sales pitch either, it's all free. After seeing how easy it was to build a computer, and realizing the cheap, inferior parts that the manufacturers use, I want to let everyone know how easy it is to build a computer. Once you build a computer, you will never buy one again.
If at anytime during this article you have a question about components you can probably search the site and find the information or you can post a new thread in this section or simply reply to this thread. Don't feel that you need to use the exact components I've picked out here either. If you see something else you like better go ahead and use it. Just make sure it will work with the rest of the hardware you have purchased. Again the buying guides will help you with this. Now, lets build a computer that will make all of your friends jealous, for under $1000.
The CPU For Our Ultimate Gaming Computer
It is my opinion, and many share my opinion, that the Athlon 64 CPU is the best on the market. Now there are many different Athlon 64 chips made. For our purposes I have selected the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5000+ Socket AM2. For a little extra you could upgrade to a faster model, but this chip will give us the most bang for our buck. It will outperform Pentium chips that cost much more and will leave us enough money in the bank to get a top notch graphics card. After all, what good is a gaming computer if you don't have a great graphics card? This CPU is selling for $109.99 at Amazon currently.
A Motherboard For Our Gaming Computer
For our motherboard I've selected the Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe Green nVIDIA Socket Am2 ATX Motherboard. Providing an enhanced system performance for graphics-intensive applications such as 3D games, this motherboard delivers cutting-edge audio features that dramatically maximize the quality of voice signal. This is a AM2 supported motherboard which will support the Athlon 64 5000+ CPU we've selected. It also supports AMD socket AM2 single-core Athlon 64/ Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 FX processors so that will give us plenty of room for expansion in the future. Additionally, its dual-core CPU technology contains two physical CPU cores, with individually dedicated L2 caches to satisfy the demand for powerful processing capacity. Laced with an array of useful features, its thoughtful design further allows quick and easy system setup. Some important features for us is that this mobo provides a good variety of expansion slots including 2 PCI Express x16 slots, leaving 1 for our graphics card. Another important feature is that this mobo includes a 7.1 channel surround on board sound (this will save us from having to purchase a sound card), integrated Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet connection, and it is setup for Serial ATA for our hard drive. Not to be overlooked, it supports up to 8GB of DDR II SDRAM and it supports the Athlon 64 FX. It is currently priced at $139.99
2 Gigabyte Of RAM For This Gaming Machine
You need plenty of RAM for your gaming machine to function. At the same time you need to keep your total budget in mind. 4GB of the best RAM won't mean much if we have to skimp on our graphics card and CPU. A good balanced fit is the Kingston memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II ( KTA-IMAC533/2G). This will give us 2 gig of memory which will be adequate and will leave us three open slots on our motherboard to add more memory later. It is currently priced at $55.99 on Amazon.
A Hard Drive For Our Gaming Computer
We will need ample storage for our gaming machine and we don't want to wait. To accomplish this we will go with the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB Hard Drive. This SATA hard drive will give us 500GB of storage, 32MB cache size, average seek time less than 8.5ms, and it runs at 7200 RPM. It is currently priced at $98.99 on Amazon.
The Right DVD Burner For Our Gaming Computer
No gaming computer is complete without a DVD burner. I've selected the Black ASUS LightScribe 20X SATA DVD Burner, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 8X DVD+/-R DL, 14X DVD-RAM, w/ Beige Replacement Bezel. Model: DRW-2014L1T. for our gaming machine. It reads and writes all forms of DVD and CD media making a CD burner unnecessary. If you want you can add a floppy, but I never use a floppy drive anymore since you don't need it for a boot disk for Windows XP/Vista. If I need to save something to disk to transport it, I usually just use my USB drive. This ASUS DVD drive is currently priced at $36.99.
PCI Express Graphics Card For a Gaming Machine
The GeForce 9600 GT Graphics Card has been chosen to handle the visual display work for our Ultimate Gaming Computer. This is a pretty good time for PC gamers, especially when it comes to graphics cards. Gamers can see some solid performance in high-end DX9 games and playable performance in DX10 games without spending a fortune. It is currently priced at $179.99 on Amazon.
What's A Gaming Computer Without A Cool Case?
A great looking case is a necessity when building a gaming computer. Although you will spend most of your time staring at the monitor, the first thing you see when you look at a computer is the case. Make sure you make the right first impression.
For our Gaming Case I've selected the ThermalTake Tsunami Series Aluminum ATX Mid-Tower Case. It delivers all of the goods and then some. It has plenty of internal and external drive bays. It has top mounted USB and Firewire ports so you don't have to reach behind to plug things in. To keep things cool it has two 120mm and one 90mm case fan. Not to mention the case is constructed from aluminum which has been shown to dissipate heat better. Plus, to top it all off it employs an air filtration system to keep your components clean. If you've ever opened your computer up you know how dirty it can get in there.
We get all of this for $79.99. I know it's a little pricey but I think it's worth it. If you don't like this one, shop around. It's your computer, make sure you are happy with it.
We Need A Big Power Supply For This Beast
Choosing a power supply is very important. The power supply is the most overlooked component in a computer and it is the cause of a large number of problems. Many people just look at the total output and purchase a case with a power supply included. This is a big mistake. Think about it. If a good power supply costs $60 and a good case costs $60-80, what kind of power supply are you getting with that $40 case?
For our gaming computer I have selected the Coolmax CR-550 550 watt power supply. Among some of it's features are overvoltage protection, SATA ready (for our hard drive), 3 speed fan control switch, a giant 140mm fan to keep it nice and cool, and plenty of power. It currently checks in at $74.99.
That's it! We now have all of the components we need to build our Ultimate Gaming Computer for Under $1000. Below is a short list of everything with prices. If you would like, you can shop around some more. You might be able to find these products cheaper somewhere else.
If you already have a couple of components such as a DVD drive or a case you can steal from your old computer you can cut the cost down even more. I've also assumed you have a copy of Windows or an operating system you can use. If not you can pick up an OEM Version of Windows XP for around $89.99.
Ultimate Gaming Computer For Under $1000 Summary
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5000+ Socket AM2 - $109.99
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe Green nVIDIA Socket Am2 ATX Motherboard - $139.95
Kingston memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II ( KTA-IMAC533/2G ) - $55.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB Hard Drive - $98.99
Black ASUS LightScribe 20X SATA DVD Burner - $36.99
GeForce 9600 GT Graphics Card - $179.99
ThermalTake Tsunami Series Aluminum ATX Mid-Tower Case - $79.99
Coolmax CR-550 power supply - $74.99
Total: $776.88
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