Help with new system ?

[RUS007]

I love talking about computer hardware .. so any time my friend

[RUS007]

I hope you're not ganna give up on Surround Gaming with the new system. You made a huge impact on the list of games supported.

[agallag]

I ordered a quad cpu/8GB ram computer yesterday, along with 4 dual cpu/4GB systems, and a dual/8GB system. I'm ordering 6 quad/4GB machines and a dual/2GB tomorrow. Unfortunately, none of them have AGP or PCI-Express slots. Plenty of PCI-X in there though.

Yeah, they're servers, mostly IBM xSeries, and I bought them with company money, but it's still fun spending over $200,000 on computers in one week

[Paddy the wak]

Hi RUS ...
I won't give up on Surround Gaming just yet ... but I would like to be able to play some newer games ... DX9 etc...

I have a P4 with a 9800 PRO in my studio and it's great for these games but I need it in my studio ... I want it in my house.

The way you have two systems with two monitors above the three Surround Screens is great ... so ... I thought why not have a my Parhelia with it's Surround screens on the bottom like you have and a new beast with something like one big 30" widescreen monitor above for games that don't run on the Parhelia.

It would be even better if I could get all that running from one comp ... ... but I guess that would be really pushing it may be a bit too far at the moment. As I have said before I'm not too technical and I have a hard time keeping up ... I might fry my brain ! ...

[Marshmallowman]

so with AMD's dual core CPU's cooming out next year they will be 8 cpu boards soon enough.

Still putting the $$ away for my first dual opteron board..(2nd revision PCI-ex boards is my target)

They have such an unbelievaable upgrade path.... 16Gmem and 4 core 's

[RUS007]

Hi Paddy,

Thats ganna be a mad setup with the 3 screens on the buttom and a widescreen for the top Make sure LCD screens and the Big Widescreen have the option of being mounted on a custom arms, couse you ganna need them. Innovative Products make some good ones, check it out

http://www.lcdarms.com/

Hi agallag,

I dont know whats up with thse Quad boards and no AGP slot. Hopefully its just temporary

[Mikko]

Ergotron makes good panel arms too.
I bought myself a TripleHead mounting arm for my Surround Gaming system.
I just have to buy two more of those LCD monitors, before I can use it!

http://www.ergotron.com/

[Paddy the wak]

Thanks guys ..

I think I'll just need an arm/mount for the widescreen ... I'll check em out.

[Maggi]

isn't the Opteron 1xx series identical to their FX-5x lineup, but a lot cheaper ?

in any case, I'd go for a 940 socket, because (as mentioned above) in the not so distant future, there are going to be be pin-compatible dual core CPUs, offering a nice performance boost, without having to build a new system and I doubt that AMD will also offer those for the mainstream 939 socket

[RUS007]

Hi Maggi,

Yes its is identical. Just the FX has a few more multimedia instractions.

[Pappie]

Well I ordered a Dual dell this week and I have one of their 30 LCD TVs coming and am interested in trying it out but the resolution is low compared to 1200 x 1600. I ordered 3 of the 23" Planar professional graphic LCDs so I would have max resolution. I'm getting a PCI P256 for surround gaming and I'll have the QuadroFX 3000, 256MB in the AGP. for grapic work at 1200 x 1600 on all three screens, I'll run both cards. I guess I'll just change connections when I do surround gaming with just the Parhelia. I ordered the 30" LCD for teleconferencing on another computer but I have to see how it games. Still, the new cards are going to be pushing the 1200 x 1600 and at that resolution things are realy fine, you can see futher and clearer so for a serious game machine I would not go without a top end monitor. Dell has the 23" planar for $1700.00 down from $1999.00.

[agallag]

Originally posted by RUS007
Hi agallag,

I dont know whats up with thse Quad boards and no AGP slot. Hopefully its just temporary

These quad systems are designed to be used in a rack in a big cold server room. Very rarely would an actual person be sitting (or more likely standing) in front at the console. An AGP card would be wasted. It would make for excellent bragging rights though

[RUS007]

Pappie,

If you buy Samsung T Series and i'm sure other brands do it too. You can connect your AGP card using DVI port and Parhelia using Analog to the same LCD monitor. This way you dont have to reconnect anycables, instead you hit 1 butten on the monitor to switch the signal.

agallag,

I've been in those rooms and seen these beats, i still see no reason why they wont implement AGP to the board. You can get special towers that will take oversized boards.

[Belwarrior]

Paddy!
take a look at this LCD its only 20" though but 16ms

http://www.viewsoniceurope.com/UK/Products/LCDProf/VP201b.htm

The samsungs looks not bad as well, Dell 20" as well i think.

But let me get back to M/board and Chip.
Would rather reccomend AMD64-939 or Opteron
Opteron => Tyan Dually Board http://www.tyan.com/products/html/thunderk8w.html
=> cant go wrong with ASUS http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=SK8V&langs=09

AMD64-939 => MSI K8N Neo2 http://www.msi.com.tw/program/produc...il.php?UID=607
=> ASUS A8V rev2 http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/sock...d/overview.htm
=> Giga-byte K8NSNXP-939 http://www.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard...8NSNXP-939.htm


You must take note that all these boards do not have PCI-express other than that any of the above would do.
I'm sure the guys here can discuss the merits of each board...

regards,
ragu

[Paddy the wak]

Thanks ragu ... with regard to the monitor I was thinking of the Apple 30" ... also 16ms ... I do like big screens ...

I'm still weighing up my options with regard to the chip and MB so I'll be checking out those links ...