I am about to purchase a new pc for 3d gaming I will probably
get either a 7950 or 8800 but I am a bit confused about motherboards
and processors, There are quite a few available is there any preference
with the amd or pentium and I suppose what should I avoid on the
mother board choice I will only be using this for 3d gaming.
I've seen this kind of "what haerdware to get" posts before, so please excuse me if I sound a little patronising in this post, as i will be trying to explain the situation to most people and not just the learned few who might be interested such as yourself ;-)
It would be great if you tell us which solution you are planning to use. There is a big difference between a 7950 and 8800 in terms of 3D stereo functionality and performance.
As for the motherboard, they are all pretty much the same as long as they have equivalent spec UNLESS you are planning to overclock significantly. Only then should you look into high end motherboards as they give much higher stability under high overclock settings, and give better overclocking options.
As for the CPU, one big mistake that newbies, or even some experienced users from all walks of life make is that they put high emphasis on the CPU, the number of cores, and its clock frequency rather than what really matters in 3d gaming: the graphics card.
Simply put, in 3d games, a quad core 3GHz won't be noticeably faster than a dual core 2.6GHz CPU, but there sill be a massive price difference.
On the other hand, putting that money on one of the top notch graphics solutions would give a significant difference in performance. eg getting a 8800GTX over a 8600GT (The newer 8800GT seems to hit the sweet spot) - these are only usable with the 3d monitors of course.
Right now, Intel seem to be way ahead in terms of CPU performance.
The equation is further complicated by the fact that -as you probably know- you can't use the latest gen cards for shutter glasses 3D gaming - you will have to buy an older card and probably the fastest you can get not including SLi, as you suggested 7950 would be a good choice.
3D gaming also requires a lot of graphics memory - about double what normal gaming requires, so the more memory you can get, the better.
Also best to not spend too much money on the speed of ram but the quantity. 3GB is pretty good.
Best also add, there are 2 dual core hotfixes that are not part of the critical updates for WindowsXP which will boost performance. These are included in SP3 so best get that installed asap for best reliability and performance - some users have reported being unable to play 3D games with dual core systems.
I've seen this kind of "what haerdware to get" posts before, so please excuse me if I sound a little patronising in this post, as i will be trying to explain the situation to most people and not just the learned few who might be interested such as yourself ;-)
It would be great if you tell us which solution you are planning to use. There is a big difference between a 7950 and 8800 in terms of 3D stereo functionality and performance.
As for the motherboard, they are all pretty much the same as long as they have equivalent spec UNLESS you are planning to overclock significantly. Only then should you look into high end motherboards as they give much higher stability under high overclock settings, and give better overclocking options.
As for the CPU, one big mistake that newbies, or even some experienced users from all walks of life make is that they put high emphasis on the CPU, the number of cores, and its clock frequency rather than what really matters in 3d gaming: the graphics card.
Simply put, in 3d games, a quad core 3GHz won't be noticeably faster than a dual core 2.6GHz CPU, but there sill be a massive price difference.
On the other hand, putting that money on one of the top notch graphics solutions would give a significant difference in performance. eg getting a 8800GTX over a 8600GT (The newer 8800GT seems to hit the sweet spot) - these are only usable with the 3d monitors of course.
Right now, Intel seem to be way ahead in terms of CPU performance.
The equation is further complicated by the fact that -as you probably know- you can't use the latest gen cards for shutter glasses 3D gaming - you will have to buy an older card and probably the fastest you can get not including SLi, as you suggested 7950 would be a good choice.
3D gaming also requires a lot of graphics memory - about double what normal gaming requires, so the more memory you can get, the better.
Also best to not spend too much money on the speed of ram but the quantity. 3GB is pretty good.
Best also add, there are 2 dual core hotfixes that are not part of the critical updates for WindowsXP which will boost performance. These are included in SP3 so best get that installed asap for best reliability and performance - some users have reported being unable to play 3D games with dual core systems.
Hope that helped a little.
Windows 10 64-bit, Intel 7700K @ 5.1GHz, 16GB 3600MHz CL15 DDR4 RAM, 2x GTX 1080 SLI, Asus Maximus IX Hero, Sound Blaster ZxR, PCIe Quad SSD, Oculus Rift CV1, DLP Link PGD-150 glasses, ViewSonic PJD6531w 3D DLP Projector @ 1280x800 120Hz native / 2560x1600 120Hz DSR 3D Gaming.
I've got an E8400 chip that that thing is great. I'm running overclocked at 3.6 GHz and the chip goes for under $200 now. Thats the best deal on the market and surely enough for most modern games.
You should be running at least 2GB of RAM, but its so cheap you might as well get 4GB and have some breathing room.
The motherboard really depends. I'm running an EVGA 780i motherboard and its good for overclocking, but it was a bit pricey and I feel it could be more stable. Not sure if thats due to me tweaking the speeds or not, but I've had a few random crashes. The ASUS boards are supposed to be good quality for low price.
What Stereo3D hardware are you buying? I'm assuming shutter-glasses, in that case the 7950 would be a safe bet, but there are ways of tweaking to allow S3D with the 8800 GTX (G80). The newer 8800's (like the 8800GT or GTS) are based on the G92 chip and don't support the old stereo driver. If you look around the forum, you will find many people with this problem, so read carefully before you buy anything.
I've got an E8400 chip that that thing is great. I'm running overclocked at 3.6 GHz and the chip goes for under $200 now. Thats the best deal on the market and surely enough for most modern games.
You should be running at least 2GB of RAM, but its so cheap you might as well get 4GB and have some breathing room.
The motherboard really depends. I'm running an EVGA 780i motherboard and its good for overclocking, but it was a bit pricey and I feel it could be more stable. Not sure if thats due to me tweaking the speeds or not, but I've had a few random crashes. The ASUS boards are supposed to be good quality for low price.
What Stereo3D hardware are you buying? I'm assuming shutter-glasses, in that case the 7950 would be a safe bet, but there are ways of tweaking to allow S3D with the 8800 GTX (G80). The newer 8800's (like the 8800GT or GTS) are based on the G92 chip and don't support the old stereo driver. If you look around the forum, you will find many people with this problem, so read carefully before you buy anything.
Thanks for the replies
I have been 3d gaming now for around six years my last machine was a
pentium 2 something and using a 7950 gt agp which surprisingly gave quite
a performance but blew up on me a few days ago I am using an x3 projector
and will never go back to a monitor even for general usage. I know about
all the problems with certain games but it doesnt say it supports 3d on the
box so I dont have any issues with nvidia.
I think I will take your advice and go for an intel dual core 2.6GHz CPU
and to be honest I will probably get the 7950 pci as I assume that it will work
as per my old agp 7950 ? but with quite a performance increase ? All I need now
is a make maybe asus or something but I assume they are all
pretty much the same.
get either a 7950 or 8800 but I am a bit confused about motherboards
and processors, There are quite a few available is there any preference
with the amd or pentium and I suppose what should I avoid on the
mother board choice I will only be using this for 3d gaming.
Thanks for you help.
Mark.
get either a 7950 or 8800 but I am a bit confused about motherboards
and processors, There are quite a few available is there any preference
with the amd or pentium and I suppose what should I avoid on the
mother board choice I will only be using this for 3d gaming.
Thanks for you help.
Mark.
I've seen this kind of "what haerdware to get" posts before, so please excuse me if I sound a little patronising in this post, as i will be trying to explain the situation to most people and not just the learned few who might be interested such as yourself ;-)
It would be great if you tell us which solution you are planning to use. There is a big difference between a 7950 and 8800 in terms of 3D stereo functionality and performance.
As for the motherboard, they are all pretty much the same as long as they have equivalent spec UNLESS you are planning to overclock significantly. Only then should you look into high end motherboards as they give much higher stability under high overclock settings, and give better overclocking options.
As for the CPU, one big mistake that newbies, or even some experienced users from all walks of life make is that they put high emphasis on the CPU, the number of cores, and its clock frequency rather than what really matters in 3d gaming: the graphics card.
Simply put, in 3d games, a quad core 3GHz won't be noticeably faster than a dual core 2.6GHz CPU, but there sill be a massive price difference.
On the other hand, putting that money on one of the top notch graphics solutions would give a significant difference in performance. eg getting a 8800GTX over a 8600GT (The newer 8800GT seems to hit the sweet spot) - these are only usable with the 3d monitors of course.
Right now, Intel seem to be way ahead in terms of CPU performance.
The equation is further complicated by the fact that -as you probably know- you can't use the latest gen cards for shutter glasses 3D gaming - you will have to buy an older card and probably the fastest you can get not including SLi, as you suggested 7950 would be a good choice.
3D gaming also requires a lot of graphics memory - about double what normal gaming requires, so the more memory you can get, the better.
Also best to not spend too much money on the speed of ram but the quantity. 3GB is pretty good.
Best also add, there are 2 dual core hotfixes that are not part of the critical updates for WindowsXP which will boost performance. These are included in SP3 so best get that installed asap for best reliability and performance - some users have reported being unable to play 3D games with dual core systems.
Hope that helped a little.
I've seen this kind of "what haerdware to get" posts before, so please excuse me if I sound a little patronising in this post, as i will be trying to explain the situation to most people and not just the learned few who might be interested such as yourself ;-)
It would be great if you tell us which solution you are planning to use. There is a big difference between a 7950 and 8800 in terms of 3D stereo functionality and performance.
As for the motherboard, they are all pretty much the same as long as they have equivalent spec UNLESS you are planning to overclock significantly. Only then should you look into high end motherboards as they give much higher stability under high overclock settings, and give better overclocking options.
As for the CPU, one big mistake that newbies, or even some experienced users from all walks of life make is that they put high emphasis on the CPU, the number of cores, and its clock frequency rather than what really matters in 3d gaming: the graphics card.
Simply put, in 3d games, a quad core 3GHz won't be noticeably faster than a dual core 2.6GHz CPU, but there sill be a massive price difference.
On the other hand, putting that money on one of the top notch graphics solutions would give a significant difference in performance. eg getting a 8800GTX over a 8600GT (The newer 8800GT seems to hit the sweet spot) - these are only usable with the 3d monitors of course.
Right now, Intel seem to be way ahead in terms of CPU performance.
The equation is further complicated by the fact that -as you probably know- you can't use the latest gen cards for shutter glasses 3D gaming - you will have to buy an older card and probably the fastest you can get not including SLi, as you suggested 7950 would be a good choice.
3D gaming also requires a lot of graphics memory - about double what normal gaming requires, so the more memory you can get, the better.
Also best to not spend too much money on the speed of ram but the quantity. 3GB is pretty good.
Best also add, there are 2 dual core hotfixes that are not part of the critical updates for WindowsXP which will boost performance. These are included in SP3 so best get that installed asap for best reliability and performance - some users have reported being unable to play 3D games with dual core systems.
Hope that helped a little.
Windows 10 64-bit, Intel 7700K @ 5.1GHz, 16GB 3600MHz CL15 DDR4 RAM, 2x GTX 1080 SLI, Asus Maximus IX Hero, Sound Blaster ZxR, PCIe Quad SSD, Oculus Rift CV1, DLP Link PGD-150 glasses, ViewSonic PJD6531w 3D DLP Projector @ 1280x800 120Hz native / 2560x1600 120Hz DSR 3D Gaming.
You should be running at least 2GB of RAM, but its so cheap you might as well get 4GB and have some breathing room.
The motherboard really depends. I'm running an EVGA 780i motherboard and its good for overclocking, but it was a bit pricey and I feel it could be more stable. Not sure if thats due to me tweaking the speeds or not, but I've had a few random crashes. The ASUS boards are supposed to be good quality for low price.
What Stereo3D hardware are you buying? I'm assuming shutter-glasses, in that case the 7950 would be a safe bet, but there are ways of tweaking to allow S3D with the 8800 GTX (G80). The newer 8800's (like the 8800GT or GTS) are based on the G92 chip and don't support the old stereo driver. If you look around the forum, you will find many people with this problem, so read carefully before you buy anything.
Hope that helps.
You should be running at least 2GB of RAM, but its so cheap you might as well get 4GB and have some breathing room.
The motherboard really depends. I'm running an EVGA 780i motherboard and its good for overclocking, but it was a bit pricey and I feel it could be more stable. Not sure if thats due to me tweaking the speeds or not, but I've had a few random crashes. The ASUS boards are supposed to be good quality for low price.
What Stereo3D hardware are you buying? I'm assuming shutter-glasses, in that case the 7950 would be a safe bet, but there are ways of tweaking to allow S3D with the 8800 GTX (G80). The newer 8800's (like the 8800GT or GTS) are based on the G92 chip and don't support the old stereo driver. If you look around the forum, you will find many people with this problem, so read carefully before you buy anything.
Hope that helps.
check my blog - cybereality.com
I have been 3d gaming now for around six years my last machine was a
pentium 2 something and using a 7950 gt agp which surprisingly gave quite
a performance but blew up on me a few days ago I am using an x3 projector
and will never go back to a monitor even for general usage. I know about
all the problems with certain games but it doesnt say it supports 3d on the
box so I dont have any issues with nvidia.
I think I will take your advice and go for an intel dual core 2.6GHz CPU
and to be honest I will probably get the 7950 pci as I assume that it will work
as per my old agp 7950 ? but with quite a performance increase ? All I need now
is a make maybe asus or something but I assume they are all
pretty much the same.
Thanks for your advice.
Mark.
I have been 3d gaming now for around six years my last machine was a
pentium 2 something and using a 7950 gt agp which surprisingly gave quite
a performance but blew up on me a few days ago I am using an x3 projector
and will never go back to a monitor even for general usage. I know about
all the problems with certain games but it doesnt say it supports 3d on the
box so I dont have any issues with nvidia.
I think I will take your advice and go for an intel dual core 2.6GHz CPU
and to be honest I will probably get the 7950 pci as I assume that it will work
as per my old agp 7950 ? but with quite a performance increase ? All I need now
is a make maybe asus or something but I assume they are all
pretty much the same.
Thanks for your advice.
Mark.