Hardware Upgrade for Windows Vista suggestions?

I am currently running an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (non E version) motherboard
with 1 Gig of DDR400 RAM, Pentium 4 3.2Mhz processor (socket 478) and nVidia
6800 GT graphics card.
I do play games but use my PC for other needs.

The time has come that I would like to switch to a DUAL-MONITOR option. For
that, I need a double-output DVI card. I know I can get a 6800 Ultra AGP
card, but its going to cost me over $500. Sure, I can get a 6600 card that
supports it but I dont want to loose graphic performance to below what I
have now. In addition, I feel that the time has come to make an upgrade to
my motherboard. So I have decided to use this opportunity to upgrade my
motherboard/system at the same time.

For that, I would like some help/advice from some of you on the following.

1) I do not plan to get a SLI system.
2) I want to continue using Intel chips (not AMD). Should I go for a
945/955 chipset or even the 975 motherboard? I want to make sure that
whatever I get is going to be working nicely with Windows Vista in the
future. Which model of the Intel CPU chip should I be going with?
3) What sort of system memory should I be going for? I would like to have
2 Gigs of RAM total.

I care most about system stability and not the overclocking functions.

If you are suggestion a motherboard, please give me the full model number.

In article vZjQf.16$u21.8@trndny06, ,
M. B. says...

I am currently running an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (non E version) motherboard
with 1 Gig of DDR400 RAM, Pentium 4 3.2Mhz processor (socket 478) and nVidia
6800 GT graphics card.
I do play games but use my PC for other needs.

The time has come that I would like to switch to a DUAL-MONITOR option. For
that, I need a double-output DVI card. I know I can get a 6800 Ultra AGP
card, but its going to cost me over $500. Sure, I can get a 6600 card that
supports it but I dont want to loose graphic performance to below what I
have now. In addition, I feel that the time has come to make an upgrade to
my motherboard. So I have decided to use this opportunity to upgrade my
motherboard/system at the same time.

For that, I would like some help/advice from some of you on the following.

1) I do not plan to get a SLI system.
2) I want to continue using Intel chips (not AMD). Should I go for a
945/955 chipset or even the 975 motherboard? I want to make sure that
whatever I get is going to be working nicely with Windows Vista in the
future. Which model of the Intel CPU chip should I be going with?
3) What sort of system memory should I be going for? I would like to have
2 Gigs of RAM total.

I care most about system stability and not the overclocking functions.

If you are suggestion a motherboard, please give me the full model number.




Vista is "beta" so I would think twice planning a system based on it's
"possible" abilities would be jumpin the gun a bit........Personally I
would wait about a year before purchasing a new OS, let alone buy
hardware based on an OS in "Beta"........Nobody knows its true abilities
based on testing all MBoards...........They won't know that until they
release Vista and all the problems start....Joe public becomes the
testing ground.........
--
************************************************
The Tobes of Hades, lit by flickering torchlight
The netherworld is gathered in the glare
Prince By-Tor takes the cavern to the north light
The sign of Eth is rising in the air.
By-Tor, knight of darkness,
Centurion of evil, devil's prince.

http://www.thekidfrombrooklyn.com/

In article vZjQf.16$u21.8@trndny06, "M. B."
wrote:

I am currently running an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (non E version) motherboard
with 1 Gig of DDR400 RAM, Pentium 4 3.2Mhz processor (socket 478) and nVidia
6800 GT graphics card.
I do play games but use my PC for other needs.

The time has come that I would like to switch to a DUAL-MONITOR option. For
that, I need a double-output DVI card. I know I can get a 6800 Ultra AGP
card, but its going to cost me over $500. Sure, I can get a 6600 card that
supports it but I dont want to loose graphic performance to below what I
have now. In addition, I feel that the time has come to make an upgrade to
my motherboard. So I have decided to use this opportunity to upgrade my
motherboard/system at the same time.

For that, I would like some help/advice from some of you on the following.

1) I do not plan to get a SLI system.
2) I want to continue using Intel chips (not AMD). Should I go for a
945/955 chipset or even the 975 motherboard? I want to make sure that
whatever I get is going to be working nicely with Windows Vista in the
future. Which model of the Intel CPU chip should I be going with?
3) What sort of system memory should I be going for? I would like to have
2 Gigs of RAM total.

I care most about system stability and not the overclocking functions.

If you are suggestion a motherboard, please give me the full model number.

Why not wait until Intel releases Conroe ? A nice dual core with
a bit better power characteristics. Buying one of the "interim"
solutions from Intel now, would be a mistake. You'll be no further
ahead than your current platform. Now is not the time for an Intel
upgrade, considering you already have a 3.2Ghz processor. You will
also want to read whatever information is available, about what
chipset will be needed to run the soon-to-be-released processors,
as there are the usual issues about the current boards not supporting
them.

What two displays are you trying to drive ? Two 30" Apple displays,
or two more ordinary displays ? Do the displays have both DVI-D and
VGA, or only one of those interfaces ?

Paul

Concur with Paul: check out some of these benchmarks, either at Anandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/...spx?i=2716&p=3

or

http://www.hothardware.com/viewartic...leid=794&cid=1

A 2.66 Ghz Intel processor that crushes/thumps a 2.8 Ghz AMD processor:
that's a complete turnaround: and, it's dual core (sweet--an
efficient "dual cpu" machine--I have always looked with envy at the
Supermicro and Tyan dual processor boards--way cool to have two CPUs
churning away--now that is going to be completely mainstream, and more
software is going to be written to take advantage of it.)

Having been burned by some schlocky VIA chipsets, I too agree with your
Intel/Intel stance for stability (though I do think that AMD and nVidia
have caught up: my AMD/Nforce4 system is 100% perfectly stable and bug
free.) But, to avoid bugs: I wouldn't be waiting outside Fry's to buy
the first copy of Vista: Vista is spanish for view, as in view of the
many bugs it is going to ship with. (No criticism of Microsofts's
engineers: 50 million lines of code? .001% error rate = hundreds, if
not thousands of bugs; driver issues; etc. I used to be first out of
the gate to but new stuff...but, no mo I have decided not to pay out
cash to be a beta tester anymore...)

Your 3.2 Ghz Intel is pretty damn fast--that's a good CPU. If what you
need now is dual monitor: perhaps best just to concentrate on the video
card to drive the monitors?

Since you would not (I assume) be using two monitors to game, maybe keep
the 6800 AGP for gaming, and add in a PCI card like this nVidia:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150061

(two nVidias keeps driver conflict issues to a minimum.)

Then, when Conroe out and stable along with Vista, big upgrade: new CPU,
chipset, memory, videocard that will be able to drive both your monitors
with ease....

So, unless there is some software that you need to upgrade your hardware
to run well, would recommend you tune up your PC and get your dual
monitors working, then wait and see how this shakes out.

And, by the way, Vista and Conroe apparently (!) both due in September 06:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12...edules_conroe/

BUt, babies are "late" for their deliveries, Vista is perpetually late,
and while Intel is better at delivering product on time than ATI has
been recently, anything can happen....wasn't Vista supposed to be out in
2005?

HTH,

BC




M. B. wrote:
I am currently running an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (non E version) motherboard
with 1 Gig of DDR400 RAM, Pentium 4 3.2Mhz processor (socket 478) and nVidia
6800 GT graphics card.
I do play games but use my PC for other needs.

The time has come that I would like to switch to a DUAL-MONITOR option. For
that, I need a double-output DVI card. I know I can get a 6800 Ultra AGP
card, but its going to cost me over $500. Sure, I can get a 6600 card that
supports it but I dont want to loose graphic performance to below what I
have now. In addition, I feel that the time has come to make an upgrade to
my motherboard. So I have decided to use this opportunity to upgrade my
motherboard/system at the same time.

For that, I would like some help/advice from some of you on the following.

1) I do not plan to get a SLI system.
2) I want to continue using Intel chips (not AMD). Should I go for a
945/955 chipset or even the 975 motherboard? I want to make sure that
whatever I get is going to be working nicely with Windows Vista in the
future. Which model of the Intel CPU chip should I be going with?
3) What sort of system memory should I be going for? I would like to have
2 Gigs of RAM total.

I care most about system stability and not the overclocking functions.

If you are suggestion a motherboard, please give me the full model number.

"BC" wrote in message
. com...
Concur with Paul: check out some of these benchmarks, either at
Anandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/...spx?i=2716&p=3

or

http://www.hothardware.com/viewartic...leid=794&cid=1

A 2.66 Ghz Intel processor that crushes/thumps a 2.8 Ghz AMD processor:
that's a complete turnaround: and, it's dual core (sweet--an efficient
"dual cpu" machine--I have always looked with envy at the Supermicro and
Tyan dual processor boards--way cool to have two CPUs churning away--now
that is going to be completely mainstream, and more software is going to
be written to take advantage of it.)

Having been burned by some schlocky VIA chipsets, I too agree with your
Intel/Intel stance for stability (though I do think that AMD and nVidia
have caught up: my AMD/Nforce4 system is 100% perfectly stable and bug
free.) But, to avoid bugs: I wouldn't be waiting outside Fry's to buy
the first copy of Vista: Vista is spanish for view, as in view of the
many bugs it is going to ship with. (No criticism of Microsofts's
engineers: 50 million lines of code? .001% error rate = hundreds, if not
thousands of bugs; driver issues; etc. I used to be first out of the
gate to but new stuff...but, no mo I have decided not to pay out cash
to be a beta tester anymore...)

Your 3.2 Ghz Intel is pretty damn fast--that's a good CPU. If what you
need now is dual monitor: perhaps best just to concentrate on the video
card to drive the monitors?

Since you would not (I assume) be using two monitors to game, maybe keep
the 6800 AGP for gaming, and add in a PCI card like this nVidia:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150061

(two nVidias keeps driver conflict issues to a minimum.)

Then, when Conroe out and stable along with Vista, big upgrade: new CPU,
chipset, memory, videocard that will be able to drive both your monitors
with ease....

So, unless there is some software that you need to upgrade your hardware
to run well, would recommend you tune up your PC and get your dual
monitors working, then wait and see how this shakes out.

And, by the way, Vista and Conroe apparently (!) both due in September 06:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12...edules_conroe/

BUt, babies are "late" for their deliveries, Vista is perpetually late,
and while Intel is better at delivering product on time than ATI has been
recently, anything can happen....wasn't Vista supposed to be out in 2005?

HTH,

BC




M. B. wrote:
I am currently running an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (non E version) motherboard
with 1 Gig of DDR400 RAM, Pentium 4 3.2Mhz processor (socket 478) and
nVidia 6800 GT graphics card.
I do play games but use my PC for other needs.

The time has come that I would like to switch to a DUAL-MONITOR option.
For that, I need a double-output DVI card. I know I can get a 6800
Ultra AGP card, but its going to cost me over $500. Sure, I can get a
6600 card that supports it but I dont want to loose graphic performance
to below what I have now. In addition, I feel that the time has come to
make an upgrade to my motherboard. So I have decided to use this
opportunity to upgrade my motherboard/system at the same time.

For that, I would like some help/advice from some of you on the
following.

1) I do not plan to get a SLI system.
2) I want to continue using Intel chips (not AMD). Should I go for a
945/955 chipset or even the 975 motherboard? I want to make sure that
whatever I get is going to be working nicely with Windows Vista in the
future. Which model of the Intel CPU chip should I be going with?
3) What sort of system memory should I be going for? I would like to
have 2 Gigs of RAM total.

I care most about system stability and not the overclocking functions.

If you are suggestion a motherboard, please give me the full model
number.
M. B., the computer you're using is already ready for Vista. It should be
plenty. I've heard of people getting Vista to work on their 900MHz CPUs
before. (Although I would not be surprised if it were very slow.) Make
sure you have a DVD drive because you'll have to probably have one for
Vista. 1GB of RAM is plenty, but if you do loads of multitasking, go for
2GB. (Although 1 should be plenty enough.) (You can normally get Vista
working with only 256MB of RAM.) Vista is a little slow on ANY computer
right now, but there's lots of debug code. The next release of Vista, (The
April CTP which is supposed to be public) should have most of the debugging
code removed so the performance should be getting CLOSER to where it will
be. Vista currently runs well on any AMD Athlon XP computer or higher (or
Intel equivalent). So don't sweat about your computer running nicely with
Vista because it already will, especially when you get to the final release.
Vista also does eat a good chunk of your hard disk space at the moment -
current builds eat as much as 8GB and Vista will require at minimum a 20GB
partition to install. (That doesn't mean it will stay this way - although
it could.) It is a little early to start criticizing Vista. All you really
need to get Aero Glass to work is an NVIDIA GeForce fx5200 128MB. (Around
the minimum) and you're well past that. Pretty much any DX9 card will run
Vista's Aero Glass. Your video card should be able to run Aero Glass
between 1280x1024 and 1600x1200 smoothly.

I know this has only partially addressed your question, but this should give
you a good idea about your computer running Vista. The gaming performance
shouldn't be affected by Aero Glass as I believe it is set not to conflict
with your games.

My computer specs (Which I've been told will run Vista fine)
AMD Athlon XP 2400+ @ 2.14GHz (I've seen other computers with the same CPU
running Aero Glass with no problems)
768MB of RAM (I will be adding a gig in June)
Asus A7V333 mobo with AGP 4x slot (They say 8x is required for Aero Glass
but I've heard that 4x will also work just as well)
NVIDIA GeForce3 Ti200 (Just won a GeForce FX5600 off of ebay)
WD 80GB 2MB cache IDE 7200RPM hard drive
WD 120GB 8MB cache IDE 7200RPM hard drive
Lite On 16x DVD drive
Memorex (Lite On) 52x CD-RW drive
Creative Audigy soundcard
400w PSU