Recommended Hardware - Revision history

Dark: /* Components */

2009-01-29T23:26:27Z

‎Components

Firejack at 19:25, 28 December 2008

2008-12-28T19:25:47Z

Firejack at 19:25, 28 December 2008

2008-12-28T19:25:11Z

Firejack at 21:59, 12 December 2008

2008-12-12T21:59:11Z

Firejack at 12:47, 8 August 2008

2008-08-08T12:47:10Z

Firejack: /* Components */

2008-08-08T12:45:53Z

‎Components

Firejack at 21:27, 1 June 2008

2008-06-01T21:27:01Z

Firejack at 19:58, 1 June 2008

2008-06-01T19:58:03Z

Firejack: First draft

2008-06-01T17:39:47Z

First draft

New page

Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.

Platform

There are 3 categories of Hardware;
* Budget is the bare minimum you should be considering buying at this moment in time to give playable performance on the lowest settings.
* Recommended is the best value for money combined with playable performance on higher settings.
* Performance is for those what want the absolutely flawless performances on the highest settings.

Components
{| align = "center" cellspacing = "0" border = "1"
|- style="background-color:#80BF80;"
| Component:
| Budget
| Recommend
| Performance
|-
| Processor:
| Intel E2180
| Q6600
|
|-
| Motherboard:
|
| Asus P5K/EPU - Very good overclocking board using the proven Intel P35 chipset with impressive energy saving functionality. This motherboard isn't recommended if you have a case were the PSU is mounted at the bottom of the case.
| Asus P5Q range - These are the new Intel P45 chipset motherboards due out June 2008. They are just as impressive P5K range but with faster memory support, better overclocking potential and some handy new features like Express Gate.
|-
| Memory:
| [http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/xms2.aspx Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400] (2GB kit) - 2GB really is the absolute minimum you should be using. You should really be thinking 3GB for Windows XP and 4GB for Windows Vista.
| [http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/xms2.aspx Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5] (4GB Kit)
|
|-
| Graphics card:
|
| Asus EN8800GT TOP/G/HTDP/512M - The NVIDIA 8800 GT GPU is still king of the hill in terms of price/performance. The Asus TOP version has a better cooler and squeezes some extra speed out the GPU.
|
|-
| Case:
| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08300 Antec Three Hundred] or
[http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08143 Antec Sonata III 500] - Really this is a matter of personal choice. The [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08009 Antec Three Hundred] is in my mind better looking. It also has the PSU at the bottom which gives better overall airflow in your case. This is the better choice if you plan to overclock because of the extra fans you can add to improve cooling.
On the otherhand the Antec Sonata III 500 comes with a Antec EarthWatts 500watt highly efficient power supply. Which works out at great value for money. The Sonata is also quieter.
| Antec Nine Hundred - This is the bigger brother to the Three Hundred and awesome in just about every way you can think of.
|
|-
| Power Supply (PSU):
|
|
|
|-
| Hard Disk:
| Note: Any SATA 7200 RPM 32MB cache Hard Disk should be enough. Samsung are the best for Price/Performance/Heat/Noise/Power. Hitachi are good quiet/low power drives. Western Digital are good for Performance. Seagate have good prices for their performance. Maxtor and everything else should probably be avoided right now.
| [http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/productSubType.do?group=72&type=61&subtype=63# Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB SATAII 32MB Cache] - In a class of its own is this Samsung Hard Disk. Brilliant performance thanks to its large cache and high density platters. Several reviews show it matches the performance of 74GB Raptors but you get 1000GB of storage with the Samsung.
| Note:
|-
| DVD Drive:
|
|
|
|-
| Soundcard:
|
|
|
|-
|}

Peripherals
{| align = "center" cellspacing = "0" border = "1"
|- style="background-color:#BF0040;"
| Peripheral:
| Budget
| Recommended
| Performance
|-
| Monitor:
|
| [http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=itbusiness&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS22PEBSFV/EDC Samsung SM 2232BW] - This is exceptionally highly recommended. Several people in the Community have one. All agree it is phenomenal. Its a 22'' widescreen meaning a 1680x1050 native resolution ideal for gaming. Looks amazing too and is really well priced!
|
|-
| Speakers:
|
|
|
|-
| Keyboard:
|
|
|
|-
| Mouse:
|
| [http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/359&cl=gb,en Logitech G5] - Really accurate and comfortable. It is Wired and could probably benefit from the Scroll up button being moved in front of the mouse wheel like the old MX510.
|
|-
| Mouse Pad:
|
|
|
|}
|}

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08143 Antec Sonata III 500] - Really this is a matter of personal choice. The  Antec Three Hundred is in my mind better looking. It also has the PSU at the bottom which gives better overall airflow in your case. This is the better choice if you plan to overclock because of the extra fans you can add to improve cooling.
 On the otherhand the Antec Sonata III 500 comes with a Antec EarthWatts 500watt highly efficient power supply. Which works out at great value for money. The Sonata is also quieter.
-| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08009 Antec Nine Hundred] - This is the bigger brother to the Three Hundred and awesome in just about every way you can think of.
+| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08010 Antec Nine Hundred Two] - This is the bigger brother to the Three Hundred, and the updated version of the 900 and awesome in just about every way you can think of. Dark notes that the overuse of LED fans leads to un-necessary noise here.
+|[http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08120The Twelve Hundred case] is also worth considering if you need a BIG case!
 |-
 | style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Power Supply (PSU)

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:25, 28 December 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	~~Lasted Updated: --[[User:Firejack\|Firejack]] 12:47, 8 August 2008 (UTC)~~
−
	Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.		Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 |-
 | style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Processor
-| [http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/pentium_dual-core/340988.htm Intel E2180] - Bargin chip that is very cool. Good for gaming because it is easy to overclock to 3GHz (9x333) to give comparable performance to a Core 2 Duo. More then enough to power a 8800 GT.
+| [http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/pentium_dual-core/340988.htm Intel E5200] - I'm replacing the E2180 with the E5200 as the ultimate bargin chip. The E5200 is based on the 45nm Wolfdale core and is therefore cooler giving much more room for overclocking. Easily hitting 4GHz (12x333) and with twice the cache of the E2180. Overclocked this brings performance beyond that of the E7x00 series and close to E8x00! An article on [http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/12/22/athlon-x2-7750-vs-intel-e5200-oc-review/1 Bit-tech] really shows off the benefits of overclocking this CPU.
 | [http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLAPC Intel E7200] - Ideal processor for current games. Very overclockable chip based on the same Wolfdale core as the fast E8400. (Note: Two stepping out at the moment. No knowledge of what the difference is]
 | [http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/core2quad/333380.htm Intel Q6600] - Quad core may not be as fast as Dual Core right now. As more games become Multicore enabled and can take advantage of more then 2 cores then Quad core will out live a Dual Core. Easy to overclock processor similar to the E2180. Simply overclock to 3GHz (9x333). Be sure to get the G0 stepping.
 |-
 | style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Motherboard
-| [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=534&l4=0&model=2075&modelmenu=1 Asus P5K/EPU] - Very good overclocking board using the proven Intel P35 chipset with impressive energy saving functionality. This motherboard isn't recommended if you have a case were the PSU is mounted at the bottom of the case.
+| [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?modelmenu=1&model=2307&l1=3&l2=11&l3=710&l4=0 Asus P5QL Pro] - The P5K/EPU is old now and becoming hard to locate so I've replaced it. The P5QL Pro is very similar to the P5Q as the name suggestions. The main differences being the P5QL Pro uses the Intel P43 chipset not the P45 chipset the P5Q does. As a result it isn't as good an overclocking board for the higher end processors. An FSB above 420MHz is difficult to achieve according to reports. More then enough to overclock the E5x00 and E7x00 series CPU's though. This motherboard is around £20 cheaper then the P5Q so its a good saving allowing you to get an E5200 instead of E2180. Like the P5Q the motherboard power connector on the motherboard is in an awkward position between the CPU and PCI-E port. Might make cable management hard for cases with the PSU in the bottom of the case.
 | [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=709&l4=0&model=2164&modelmenu=1 Asus P5Q] - Part of the new Asus P5Q range with the new Intel P45 chipset. They are just as impressive as the P5K range but with faster memory support, better overclocking potential and some handy new features like Express Gate. Very good motherboard if you only want a single graphics card. This version of the P5Q doesn't include the Expressgate SSD or Crossfire.
 | [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=709&l4=0&model=2257&modelmenu=1 Asus P5Q Deluxe] - Includes improved cooling design for higher overclocks, ExpressGate SSD and 8x/8x Crossfire.

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 | style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Hard Disk
 | [http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/productmodel.do?group=72&type=61&subtype=63&model_cd=238&ppmi=1155# Samsung SpinPoint F1 320GB SATA 16MB Cache] - Although pretty much any hard disk will do as it won't effect your frame rate, just loading times. This hard disk uses 1 high desity platter meaning its fast and like other Samsung F1 drives cool, quiet and low power too.
-| [http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/productSubType.do?group=72&type=61&subtype=63# Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB SATAII 32MB Cache] - In a class of its own is this Samsung Hard Disk. Brilliant performance thanks to its large cache and high density platters. Several reviews show it matches the performance of 74GB Raptors but you get 1000GB of storage with the Samsung.
+| [http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/productSubType.do?group=72&type=61&subtype=63# Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB SATAII 32MB Cache] - In a class of its own is this Samsung Hard Disk. Brilliant performance thanks to its large cache and high density platters. Several reviews show it matches the performance of 150GB Raptors but you get 1000GB of storage with the Samsung! [http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/12/09/samsung-spinpoint-f1-1tb/1 Bit-tech review]
+|
 |-

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:47, 8 August 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	Lasted Updated: --[[User:Firejack\|Firejack]] 12:47, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
		+
	Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.		Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 * Recommended is the best value for money combined with smooth performance on higher settings.
 * Performance is for those who want absolutely flawless performance on the highest settings.
 == Components ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 Seems nearly everyone is thinking of an upgrade right now. To avoid repeating myself and give everyone the benefit of my research over the last month I've created this Hardware chart of what is worth considering to buy.
 There are 3 categories of Hardware;
-* Budget is the bare minimum you should be considering buying at this moment in time to give playable performance on the lowest settings.
+* Budget is the bare minimum you should be considering buying at this moment in time to give smooth performance on the lowest settings.
-* Recommended is the best value for money combined with playable performance on higher settings.
+* Recommended is the best value for money combined with smooth performance on higher settings.
-* Performance is for those what want the absolutely flawless performances on the highest settings.
+* Performance is for those who want absolutely flawless performance on the highest settings.
-Components
+== Components ==
 {| align = "center" cellspacing = "0" border = "1"
-|- style="background-color:#80BF80;"
+|- style="background-color:#FF8040;"
-| Component:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Component
 | Budget
 | Recommend
 | Performance
 |-
-| Processor:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Processor
-| Intel E2180
+| [http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/pentium_dual-core/340988.htm Intel E2180] - Bargin chip that is very cool. Good for gaming because it is easy to overclock to 3GHz (9x333) to give comparable performance to a Core 2 Duo. More then enough to power a 8800 GT.
-| Q6600
+| [http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/core2quad/333380.htm Intel Q6600] - Quad core may not be as fast as Dual Core right now. As more games become Multicore enabled and can take advantage of more then 2 cores then Quad core will out live a Dual Core. Easy to overclock processor similar to the E2180. Simply overclock to 3GHz (9x333).
+|
 |-
-| Motherboard:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Motherboard
+|
-| Asus P5K/EPU - Very good overclocking board using the proven Intel P35 chipset with impressive energy saving functionality. This motherboard isn't recommended if you have a case were the PSU is mounted at the bottom of the case.
+| [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=534&l4=0&model=2075&modelmenu=1 Asus P5K/EPU] - Very good overclocking board using the proven Intel P35 chipset with impressive energy saving functionality. This motherboard isn't recommended if you have a case were the PSU is mounted at the bottom of the case.
-| Asus P5Q range - These are the new Intel P45 chipset motherboards due out June 2008. They are just as impressive P5K range but with faster memory support, better overclocking potential and some handy new features like Express Gate.
+| [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11 Asus P5Q range] - These are the new Intel P45 chipset motherboards due out June 2008. They are just as impressive P5K range but with faster memory support, better overclocking potential and some handy new features like Express Gate.
 |-
-| Memory:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Memory
-| [http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/xms2.aspx Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400] (2GB kit) - 2GB really is the absolute minimum you should be using. You should really be thinking 3GB for Windows XP and 4GB for Windows Vista.
+| [http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/xms2.aspx Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400] (2GB kit) - Minimum amount of memory you should be considering.
 | [http://www.corsairmemory.com/products/xms2.aspx Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5] (4GB Kit)
+|
 |-
-| Graphics card:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Graphics card
+|
-| Asus EN8800GT TOP/G/HTDP/512M - The NVIDIA 8800 GT GPU is still king of the hill in terms of price/performance. The Asus TOP version has a better cooler and squeezes some extra speed out the GPU.
+| [http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=442&l4=0&model=1938&modelmenu=1 Asus EN8800GT TOP/G/HTDP/512M] - The NVIDIA 8800 GT GPU is still king of the hill in terms of price/performance. The Asus TOP version has a better cooler and squeezes some extra speed out the GPU.
+|
 |-
-| Case:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Case
-| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08300 Antec Three Hundred] or
+| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08300 Antec Three Hundred] ''or''
-[http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08143 Antec Sonata III 500] - Really this is a matter of personal choice. The [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08009 Antec Three Hundred] is in my mind better looking. It also has the PSU at the bottom which gives better overall airflow in your case. This is the better choice if you plan to overclock because of the extra fans you can add to improve cooling.
+[http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08143 Antec Sonata III 500] - Really this is a matter of personal choice. The  Antec Three Hundred is in my mind better looking. It also has the PSU at the bottom which gives better overall airflow in your case. This is the better choice if you plan to overclock because of the extra fans you can add to improve cooling.
 On the otherhand the Antec Sonata III 500 comes with a Antec EarthWatts 500watt highly efficient power supply. Which works out at great value for money. The Sonata is also quieter.
-| Antec Nine Hundred - This is the bigger brother to the Three Hundred and awesome in just about every way you can think of.
+| [http://www.antec.com/uk/productDetails.php?ProdID=08009 Antec Nine Hundred] - This is the bigger brother to the Three Hundred and awesome in just about every way you can think of.
+|
 |-
-| Power Supply (PSU):
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Power Supply (PSU)
+|
+|
+|
 |-
-| Hard Disk:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Hard Disk
-| Note: Any SATA 7200 RPM 32MB cache Hard Disk should be enough. Samsung are the best for Price/Performance/Heat/Noise/Power. Hitachi are good quiet/low power drives. Western Digital are good for Performance. Seagate have good prices for their performance. Maxtor and everything else should probably be avoided right now.
 | [http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/productSubType.do?group=72&type=61&subtype=63# Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB SATAII 32MB Cache] - In a class of its own is this Samsung Hard Disk. Brilliant performance thanks to its large cache and high density platters. Several reviews show it matches the performance of 74GB Raptors but you get 1000GB of storage with the Samsung.
-| Note:
 |-
-| DVD Drive:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | DVD Drive
+|
+|
+|
 |-
-| Soundcard:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Soundcard
+|
+|
@@ Line 65: / Line 63: @@
 |}
-Peripherals
+== Peripherals ==
 {| align = "center" cellspacing = "0" border = "1"
-|- style="background-color:#BF0040;"
+|- style="background-color:#FF8040;"
-| Peripheral:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Peripheral
 | Budget
 | Recommended
 | Performance
 |-
-| Monitor:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Monitor
+|
-| [http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=itbusiness&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS22PEBSFV/EDC Samsung SM 2232BW] - This is exceptionally highly recommended. Several people in the Community have one. All agree it is phenomenal. Its a 22'' widescreen meaning a 1680x1050 native resolution ideal for gaming. Looks amazing too and is really well priced!
+| [http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=itbusiness&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS22PEBSFV/EDC Samsung SM 2232BW] - This is exceptionally highly recommended. Several people in the Community have one. All agree it is phenomenal. Its a 22<nowiki>''</nowiki> widescreen meaning a 1680x1050 native resolution ideal for gaming. Looks amazing too and is really well priced!
+|
 |-
-| Speakers:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Speakers
+|
+|
+|
 |-
-| Keyboard:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Keyboard
+|
+|
+|
 |-
-| Mouse:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Mouse
+|
 | [http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/359&cl=gb,en Logitech G5] - Really accurate and comfortable. It is Wired and could probably benefit from the Scroll up button being moved in front of the mouse wheel like the old MX510.
+|
 |-
-| Mouse Pad:
+| style="background-color:#FF8040;" | Mouse Pad
+|
+|
+|
 |}
-|}