Graphics Card Reccomendations?

Davey · Post by **Davey** » 2008-01-20 08:28pm

Thanks for the list, Beowulf and Seggybop. I'll check them out. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Got some word from a friend here, he said it wasn't a good idea to try and build my own computer case because of safety, so I will buy a case.

Expensive DDR-3 RAM is out of the picture now, thanks. That cuts down cost nicely quite a bit. I've decided to hold out until next semester in September when I'm really going to have a need for all that computing power (unless my current computer breaks down and I can't fix it), so the NVIDIA 9800 sounds like a good option if I'm going to be cutting DDR-3 out and buying DDR-2.

What is the main difference between the Intel Quad Core 2 and the Intel Extreme? I logged onto Intel's website and took a look around on "Desktop Processors."

Should I get a cooling system as well, or will fans work? Noise isn't much of a concern. I really like to crank up the stereo when I play computer games, and if it turns out to be really noisy, then I can just use my headphones.

I've also been thinking of using my fridge and an old vacuum cleaner to blow air from the fridge into the computer... Dunno if that's a good idea though.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2008-01-20 09:11pm

Fans are plenty sufficient for all but the heaviest overclockers. Don't try to jimmy-rig something with your fridge, that sounds like something waiting to fail horribly at some point.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2008-01-20 09:17pm

The difference between a Core 2 Quad and a Core 2 Extreme is about $500. Oh, and the multiplier is unlocked on the Extreme, making it slightly easier to overclock.

Fans will work just fine. Alternate cooling methods are used only by those who want quietness, or those who want to overclock their machines very heavily.

Don't try to jimmy rig something with the fridge, it'll die in short order. If you really want sub ambient cooling, there're guys who make special accessories to do so.