Posts by Samuel Martinez

James Morris4 said:Even if they perform better, we're talking about a measly 1% improvement—nothing substantial at all. Honestly, just stick to x64 if you actually have 8 gigs of RAM, which is pretty much the bare minimum you need these days. 😁
By the way, 32-bit Winsi is basically just x86.

So, what is the actual, fundamental difference between x64 and x86 then? 😕

Samuel Martinez said:Thanks, I think I'll grab the one crimsonstag84 suggested.

So, here is how the build is shaping up right now—this is the current roadmap:

Gigabyte P55 USB3 (still need to pick this up)
Intel Core i5 760 (already have it in the box)
Corsair 750W (also sitting in a box ready to go)
And for Christmas, I’m planning to snag an HD 6870 graphics card.

I'll probably add a solid state drive later on—maybe a 120GB one sometime next year.
Thanks for all the help, everyone... you guys are legends.

Now, there's another issue poking at me... I'm currently running an unactivated version of Windows 7—yeah, the pirated kind. I really want to get my hands on a legitimate copy of Windows 7 x64, but I just don't have a reliable source to buy from right now. Is it actually true that games perform better on the x64 bit version compared to the x32 version?

James Morris4 said:Why on earth would you pair such a high-end build with a mid-range or even a low-end motherboard?

Look, sure—technically that processor will fit into that board—but if you want to do this right, grab a P55 chipset instead of that H55 nonsense. It’s common sense, really.

Thanks, I think I'll go with the one crimsonstag84 recommended.

So, here is how the updated parts list is looking now:

Gigabyte P55 USB3 (still need to pick this up)
Intel Core i5 760 (already in the box)
Corsair 750W (already in the box)
And I'm planning to grab an HD 6870 for a Christmas gift to myself.

I'll probably add a decent 120GB solid state drive sometime next year.
Thanks for all the help, everyone... you guys are awesome.

James Morris4 said:Considering how long you might be stuck waiting, neither of those options is really worth your time. (And honestly—the more expensive a component gets, the less value you actually get out of it, simply because the next generation will inevitably crush everything from the previous high-end tier)

Two 5870s would run you about $950. A single 5970 sits around $780. That’s a $333 difference right there. The pricier option obviously offers better performance, but frankly, I doubt you'll notice a massive gap regardless of which way you lean—so if I were in your shoes, I’d just go with the cheaper route.
If raw performance is your absolute priority, just keep in mind that the 6xxx series is going to absolutely demolish anything else on the market.

My real concern is the motherboard... that's where I'm hitting a wall...
I've got this H55M UD2H sitting here. From what I can tell, it's an LGA 1156 socket, and my Intel Core i5 760 is also LGA 1156... so, does that processor actually fit this board? I also tracked down an H55M S2H for $167, which is also LGA 1156, but the thing is—I'm not a fan of it because it only has two RAM slots, meaning I'd be capped at 8GB max. 🤷

James Morris4 said:If you can hold out, don't even bother waiting for Christmas—wait for the HD6xxx series from Atilla, which drops this month. Grab a 6850 or a 6870 when they hit the shelves in November and you'll be sitting pretty.
Yeah, ADM is just standard retail practice. They list their locations right there on their website.

Maple 7? Honestly, I can wait through Christmas without any issues... my main priority is just making sure I get the best bang for my buck when I finally pull the trigger.
I’d really appreciate it if you could actually answer my question regarding which option offers better value...

* Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?
* What does your current—or planned—setup look like, and what kind of power supply are we talking about?
* What resolution are you playing at?
* What’s your budget looking like?
* Which retailers are you considering?
* If you have any other specific requirements, lay them out here.

1. PCI-E
2. In the boxes: an Intel Core i5-760 running at 2.8GHz, an EVGA 750W PSU, and 4GB of 1333MHz RAM
3. 1920x1020
4. Roughly $1.25 to $1.25
5. Best Buy or IBM
6. I'm wondering if that IBM setup is just an online shop or if they actually have a physical storefront in New York City... which way is more cost-effective? Is it better to go with two HD5870s or just one single HD5970? Should I just hold out until Christmas when the prices might drop? Honestly, what should I even be doing here?