Getting a new PC, have a few questions.

[afultz075]

I'm getting a new PC from ibuypower in November and i've been toying around with my options to find exactly what I want. I know i'm getting an Athlon-64 X2 4400+ w/ 2GB ram, but i'm still debating several other things.

What is a good motherboard to get? My options are:
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe nForce4-SLI Chipset w/LAN, 7.1 Sound, IEEE-1394, USB 2.0 Dual PCI-E Motherboard
Asus A8N-SLI Premium nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB
eVGA 133-K8-NF41 nForce-4 SLI Chipset Dual DDR w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB
Gigabyte GA-K8N Pro-SLI nVidia nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB
Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI nVidia nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Wi-Fi-g, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB
MSI K8N Neo4-SLI nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum-SLI nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 PCI-E MB [+ $60]
Asus A8N-E nVidia nForce4-Ultra Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard
Foxconn WinFast NF4UK8AA-8EKRS nVidia nForce4-Ultra Chipset w/LAN, 7.1 Sound, IEEE-1394, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-K8NF9 nVidia nForce4 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 PCI-E Motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4-F nForce4 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum nForce4 Ultra Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 PCI-E MB

Also, is the sound on any of these decent so I don't have to bother getting a soundcard?


I'm most likely getting a GeForce 7800GT for the video card, is that a good choice? Would I be better off with a 6800GT for the cheaper price?

If I decide to really go all out, would 2x 6800GT's in SLI be much better than the one 7800GT?

I'm going to be getting a brand new LCD moniter as well. There are several models with 8ms responce time, and a few others with 4ms response time for a highr price. From what I understand, the quicker the response time the better for gaming. Is it worth it however to spend the higher price on a model that is 4ms? These are mainly Viewsonic monitors FYI.

Thanks!

[SIGSays]

Chaintech...

[Gitaroo Man]

Just get the single 7800 because one its going to be a bit faster than two 6800gts and then if you get a SLI MB you can get another 7800 sometime down the road and it will damn fast.

For the LCD monitor you won't notice the difference between 8ms and 4ms for gaming. Pretty much 16ms is fine for gaming and you won't get much ghosting. Check out Dells 19in LCD...1905FP....its gotten great reviews for a gaming monitor.r So no don't spend the extra money for the 4ms.

[Glickman]

Hey, i actually just ordered a new processor and a mobo, heres the setup


Chaintech VNF4 nForce4 Socket 939 Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (Venice) Socket 939 BOX CPU
Chaintech GeForce 6600 256MB PCIe w/ TV & DVI Out

previously i had an asus A8N, and they are the BEST. they are very reliable, and are already unlocked for overclocking.

always try to go for one great video card over 2 decent ones, it will still be better, expecially if you have been playing at the highest video settings, and then you could buy another one as said above for the future, and have really kick *** gaming


as far as ms for lcd's, is it "4ms" black to black, or gray to gray? it depends as gray to gray is much easier, and sometimes the manufacturer uses gray to gray as it much easier then those who measure in black to black.

[afultz075]

I was going to go with a "MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum-SLI nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 PCI-E MB" as my mobo. Would an Asus A8N Premium be a better choice? Does it have good built-in sound?

As far as the moniters go, it doesn't give that specific of detail on it. I wouldn't be opposed to getting my moniter separately since ibuypower has a pretty limited selection. I want to go LCD since I get so sick of glare on my CRT flatscreen. Pretty much any LCD moniter that is good for gaming with no ghosting problems is what i'm looking for.

[devildog]

stay away from chaintech. asus is the hot ticket. dont bother with sli, its not worth the money. the sound on these boards is fine. 8ms is fine for lcd speed, the only reason to pay more for the other monitor, is if it supported a higher resolution.

hope that helps, and the chaintech comment is from personal experience.

[CoFFeY[NiTrO]]

I have a Samsung SyncMaster 710N. I like it a lot and it works great with gaming, didn't get a bad price on it either.