> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:hardware- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Winterlight > Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:32 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [H] Time for upgrades > > I am planning a new build for my Media box this summer when I get > some free time, and I could use the wisdom of the collective. I > bought 4GB of DDR2 Ram a while ago =CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin > DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory > because it was so cheap.... 70 bucks after rebate. I don't think I > will notice the lack of DDR 3 and I will save a lot of money that I > can put toward another component. However, I am starting to worry > about not being able to find myself a high end quality motherboard > that supports DDR2 when I am ready to build, so maybe I had better > get one now and stick it the shelf?
I think availability of DDR2-based boards will remain good throughout the summer. P45 is shipping in June, and most manufacturers have DDR2-based designs. Same thing for X48 boards, if you absolutely require the PCIe lanes for a multi-GPU setup. P45 boards mostly come equipped with the newer ICH10R southbridge though... > > To that end, I am thinking about ordering this > ASUS P5E WS PRO LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Server Motherboard - Retail > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131244 > Why do motherboards support 8GB of RAM if you can't use more the > 3.32B ... just for the 64 bit users? You could use Server 2003 Enterprise with PAE, but yeah, mostly for x64 users. There are an ever-growing number of us, though. :) > > to go with this > Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Yorkfield 3.0GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 > 130W Quad-Core Processor > > Any thoughts, comments, or warnings from the collective about this > board and or combination? I don't think the QX9650 really hits the 130w TDP, but that's an awful lot of heat to dissipate. You're probably looking at third-party HSF solutions for acceptable noise levels. Frankly though, unless you're using an encoder that supports >2 threads, a 2-core Wolfdale may be a better fit--and would certainly provide lower thermals. At the very least, while I know you're generally an EE CPU fan, I can absolutely say that the extra 170MHz between it and the Q9550 is definitely not worth the $500 premium. > > I am also going to upgrade my display. I have been looking at 30 inch > displays for a year now. The problem has been they aren't scaleable, > and there has not much in the way of settings or inputs, and I needed > to upgrade my video card, and I have been happy with my Dell 2407WFP. > But now I have upgraded my AGP video on on my primary PC to Sapphire > x1950 Pro 512MB with a dual link DVI cable so I am ready to make the > upgrade. > > Gateway has come out with a 30 inch that has a onboard commercial > video processor and a bunch of inputs and features. > http://www.gateway.com/programs/widescreen/30_overview.php > It is essentially, although not intended to be, a HD TV without a > tuner and could be used as a HD TV. It has been out since October and > all the major mags have given it top marks for a 30 inch monitor. Has > anybody seen one of these? Any thoughts from our Display gurus.... > Greg? > The XHD300 does indeed seem to be fairly well received. I haven't seen one personally, but the HQV Realta seems to be a fairly well regarded scaler. That's particularly important given that it's effectively a native 1600p display. It does use a Samsung S-PVA panel. LG's S-IPS panels (such as that found in Dell's 30" offering) generally have better color reproduction and better viewing angles, but may not be as suited for your use. I know that on my S-PVA 24", I can see color variations from the center to the outside when looking directly at the middle. I don't do graphics work on it, but it is there. I'm generally more of a fan of S-IPS panels for precisely those reasons. S-PVA offers superior black levels and response times though, so it is certainly a trade-off situation. Dell's S-IPS 3008WFP has a metric shitton of inputs--D-Sub, DVI-D (x2), HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite, and DisplayPort. Some have had some other issues with it, though...
