I need two PCI express slots right?? and what processor??

[adelante]

Well, I had long thread in here, and ended giving up on my old computer...

Now I want to replace my old computer but on a higher level:
1. I'm using 3 monitors (today with a 64mb AGP + 2x 12mb PCI videocards - I know this sounds OLD, but was actually working great!)
I got this small dream to play flight simulator on all 3 monitors, I will need 2 PCI express slots on the motherboard to do this or is 1 enough??

My geek friend claimed that I only need ONE PCI express slot, and then some strange box to split the image into the 3 monitors, but that sounds strange to me.

But I'm sure that I will need 2x PCI express videocards connected with 2 monitors on each card.

Who is right??


2. Another "dangerous" question... what should I got for??

- AMD AM2?
(my geek friend told me I would never ever use the last % of power/secureness that I get by buying an Intel - I just spend 10 days, because something burned in my computer, because I turned on the heat in my room. I would hate to save 50 USD, and get totally frustrated in a few month because of it)
- Intel 775?
(a friend told me intel would be most stable, and that it never gets warmer than 25C)
- or something third??
- 64 bit??
(is there any downside by choosing 64? I'm getting really confused now!! what should I choose???)

... btw I like my room to be warm like 30C (90F) if Intel aren't used to get that warm, it might get unstable faster?

Uses...
- You might ask , what I'm using my computer for...
50% of the time: programming on my center monitor, uploading on my second, and reloading my scripts on the third monitor.
20% video (might foul around with some video editing, my dad just bought a camera, and he would probably like to do a bit of family editing for fun)
20% photoshop kind of programs
10% gaming: GTA (it often felt like a slideshow on my old computer) and flight simulator - connected to 3 monitors would be a dream!!! - thats why I ask if I should get a motherboard with 2 PCI express slots INSTEAD of 1x PCI express and 2x PCI slots for my old 12mb videocards.


... Anyway, I plan to buy a reasonable foundament, then later I can buy more RAM an extra videocard and so on...

 

[adelante]

Sorry, forgot to ask about powersupply... for peace in mind, should I pick one that is a size bigger?? how can I tell if my powersupply is too small??

 

[pmonett]

First thing I'd like to say is that multi-monitor stuff is a lot better than it used to be, but you can still find some horror stories here and there (especially where gaming is concerned), so don't expect everything to go smooth right out of the box.

Your friend may be right, I don't know anything about TV signals and splitting, but it doesn't sound impossible on the face of it. Have him show you a working configuration, then you can decide ;-).

One thing I am sure of is that there is no video card that today comes with 3 video out and can do gaming also. Actually, I don't even think you can find 3 video outs outside of high-end professional gear. So if that box thing doesn't work, you will indeed need two cards. Luckily, motherboards with two PCI express slots are fifteen to the dozen these days, so you won't have any trouble finding a compatible one.

Compatible with what ? You balance between AMD and Intel, as we do all, but right now the dice are heavily in favour of Intel again and the Conroe has the best quality/power/price ratio you can want today. Either AMD or Intel is going to need good cooling though, and if you live at 30°C (how can you stand that ?) your CPU is going to need heavy cooling to keep it below 60°C.

As far as the PSU is concerned, my policy is always : buy the best one you can afford, and buy it for more than you think you need. Power spikes are a big problem in PC health, and feeble or inefficient PSUs are the death of many a composant. With today's configurations, you will certainly need 400W, so buy a 550W that is rated at at least 70% efficiency. Try and find a review on a site you trust where they put that unit to the test and get its true power limit and performance. DO NOT buy a no-name or unknown brand, and accept no cheap deals. When dealing with power, quality comes at a cost, and any skimping on price will directly affect your components sooner or later. It's not a bargain of you gain $25 bucks on the PSU, only for it to blow both your $200 video cards a year later.

I'm not sure you can put your old video cards into todays motherboards, though.

Ah, one more thing : do yourself a favor and forget video on the PC. Buy yourself a home DVD recorder with a hard disk. It's unbelievable how easy those things are, compared to the pain you go through on a PC. Trust me, I've done both !

Pascal.


I've got nothing to hide, and I'd very much like to keep that away from prying eyes.

 

[adelante]

Thanks alot!!! )

You changed something on my shoppinglist actually, I had planned to buy a cabinet with a built in PSU, but now I will buy each thing separately, and the PSU will be a 550W instead of the build in 300 W.

About the processor: The guy helping me keeps telling me that AMD is OK for me. "What the guy on tektips means, is that Intel is better if you want the absolutely best and dont care the price, or if you are into overclocking and want something that is more stable" But in my case I should stick to AMD - it's 50 bucks cheaper and I wont feel any difference.

Do you agree??

And what about the new 64 bit processors?? right now I got a AM2 on my shopping list, is it ok? I got no idea wether 64 bits processors are a "little bit different" or "a whole new world" the computer I'm buiding now will probably last the next 3-5 years...

So, is the AM2 ok?

---- off topic ----

Multiple monitors were supricingly easy to set up for me with the (AGP + 2x PCI), so I hope it will be with PCI-Express too.

30°C - well, you live in scandinavia the floor is cold, you find a heater and place it infront of your feets/next to your computer, after you have burned two harddrives because of the heat, you place the heater in the other end of the room and now the whole room has to get warm before your feets aren't freezing... and you are skinny, and got your focus on the monitors... you dont notice it's warm until the computer starts acting slow and unstable... owell... lol

 

[1DMF]

550W powerpack? if you are going to use 2x PCI-e and especialy in SLi mode 550w it's not enough!

If you get a conroe Intel, Some fans to cool it plus 2 x PCI-e Video in SLi you want 600w if not 700w power pack!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you.

 

[Nelviticus]

I think your friend was talking about the Matrox TripleHead2Go. You connect your graphics card's output to one end and 3 monitors to the other and it splits the video across the monitors. You can read more about it here:

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cadgis/products/th2go/th2go.php

I haven't read any reviews about how good it is for gaming but I'm sure Google can help you find some.

Processors: the new Intel Core 2 Duos generally run a bit cooler than the current AMD CPUs, so if you're worried about overheating in a hot room I'd go with one of those. The low-end ones (the E6300 and the E6400) are pretty cheap so if you like the price, why not buy one? There's nothing wrong with the AMD processors though.

64 bit: the latest CPUs from both AMD (Althlon 64) and Intel (Core 2 Duo) are all 64-bit. They can all run either 32-bit or 64-bit software quite happily so don't worry about it.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[pmonett]

Ahh, processors. The wars over CPU performance and price have always run hot and fierce, and always will.

What the guy on tektips means, is that Intel is better if you want the absolutely best and dont care the price, or if you are into overclocking and want something that is more stable

That remark was true two years ago, and I'm happy that a vendor adopts that attitude. The truth is, AMD has (finally) had the upper hand during a large part of this decade, but Intel has finally woken up and now the Core 2 is the best CPU around. We'll see what happens when AMD's next gen CPU comes out, but right now the Core 2 is the best.
Of course, what the best is for you depends on how much you're ready to spend - so I would suggest setting your budget, going to a hardware site you trust and comparing the benchmark results yourself. Find the one you want at the price you can pay, and trust me, you'll be happy.
Because geeks can argue about which CPU is the best for years and years (and they do), but in the end, any dual core today is going to make your PC fly compared to what to have now. So just go for the best your money can buy. Don't worry about Intel or AMD, but don't let anybody tell you what to think : the information is out there, look it out and decide for yourself.

Pascal.


I've got nothing to hide, and I'd very much like to keep that away from prying eyes.

 

[adelante]

Thanks alot!!

I guess you are right, so much happen all the time, that if you histitate and wait 2 month on buying something, you lose as much on waiting as you win on performance.

"going to a hardware site you trust and comparing the benchmark results yourself"

- what sites can this be??? I have tried tomshardware, but its a giant mess, and they only tell about 300 dollars on the edge components: 300 dollars, graphiccards, 300 dollars CPUs, 300 dollars PSU, and so on...

It would be great with a site where as many as possible components were listed, to give a hint of what is good and what isn't.

Btw I bought a new computer, and my problems kept going on, and the only thing that I kept from my old computer was some really small PCI videocards, (and ofcourse the new harddisk I bought after all the problems started).

The small PCI videocards get burning hot! and then the computer freezes. So I guess I found the problem. Maybe I could use it for a 3rd monitor in 600x800, or something, but for now I will just leave them far away from any computer.

Thanks alot for all the replies )

 

[pmonett]

Toms a mess ? There's a quick link on the right for the interactive CPU charts, what more do you need ?

But if Tom's is not your piece of cake, you can go to Anandtech, or Ace's Hardware, or Tuning-PC.net, or Hardware Logic, or even Ars Technica. And those are just some of the ones I know, and I don't know them all.

Tell you what - use any online distributor to find a CPU that you can afford, look up its performance on Tom's interactive CPU charts, then check Anandtech or some other for a second opinion. I'm sure you'll find the CPU for you like that.

Pascal.


I've got nothing to hide, and I'd very much like to keep that away from prying eyes.