I need your advice on this first build!

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Sumgai

I'm going to be building a system very close to your specs and I plan on holding off for the 8600 series nVidia cards. If they perform at even half of what the 8800 GTS does, then a pair of these in SLi is going to be quite potent.

Do you mean pointless? It would be better to buy one single 8800 series card then 2 8600 cards in SLI. You will pay more for 2 8600 then one 8800.

[Capper]

If your budget,allows, definitely go with the better single card solution....it allows you to upgrade to SLI later if you need, and if you are happy, theres no wasted money.
I have to be honest in that I'm not a fan of SLI or Crossfire, I honestly think its a marketing gimmick thats an incredible waste of money

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Capper

If your budget,allows, definitely go with the better single card solution....it allows you to upgrade to SLI later if you need, and if you are happy, theres no wasted money.
I have to be honest in that I'm not a fan of SLI or Crossfire, I honestly think its a marketing gimmick thats an incredible waste of money

Not to mention unless your running at very high resolutions you won't notice a performance gain anyways. So unless your monitor is 24" or above your just wasting money.

[Satyr]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I was going to go with 1 graphics card for now but wanted the option for upgrade to SLI later, if there is a need and the money. I will difinitely go with an 8 series based on the above info.

That seagate looks good with 2 good recs here and on the newegg site sounds like a good drive.

Guess I need to update my sig already. lol

[Sumgai]

Originally Posted by Capper

If your budget,allows, definitely go with the better single card solution....it allows you to upgrade to SLI later if you need, and if you are happy, theres no wasted money.
I have to be honest in that I'm not a fan of SLI or Crossfire, I honestly think its a marketing gimmick thats an incredible waste of money

You see how he puts it Hitman? Take notes. It's called constructive criticism, possibly a new concept for you.

[Satyr]

Oh... Also, I haven't done much research on compatible Ram for this Mobo(ASUS P5W DH DELUXE). I was going to, naturally, go to the next level on the Hardware Logic recomendation section which is the OCZ Platinum 2GB; however I noticed on one of the reviews on Newegg someone mentioned that these sticks were not compatible with their motherboard.

So... how do I make sure that the Ram sticks I buy are actually compatible with the mobo?

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Sumgai

You see how he puts it Hitman? Take notes. It's called constructive criticism, possibly a new concept for you.

I see your new here so I will fill you in, my humor is sarcastic. So don't hang on my every word, my intent isn't negative just stating my opinion that its pointless to put x600 seires cards and lower in SLI. Besides Capper has to be nice he is the site admin LOL.

[Capper]

yes, it takes awhile to get used to Joe.......he's actually a nice guy once you get past the dry sense of humor and sarcasm

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Capper

yes, it takes awhile to get used to Joe.......he's actually a nice guy once you get past the dry sense of humor and sarcasm

I think I need to put a disclaimer in my Sig.

[Quakindude]

Originally Posted by Sumgai

You see how he puts it Hitman? Take notes. It's called constructive criticism, possibly a new concept for you.

Hitman can appear gruff while your new and first getting to know him. If you have an issue you'd like to take up with him, he will be more than accommodating by PM'ing him.

Hitman is one of the really good and decent guys. Don't let your initial perception ruin your experience.

IMHO, forum etiquette dictates PM'ing if you have a problem with someone or need clarification on something. Unless, of course, you've been around here awhile. Then you'll know the folks and respond to them in kind.

Hell, I'm still new here, so I keep my big mouth shut for the most part. The times I've had an issue with anyone, I take it to PM's. So far, I've found out a lot about folks here and discovered that the way I was taking something wasn't the intent. After all, the written word cannot begin to convey the facial and tonal expressions we use in our real life encounters with people.