Soulslicer's building a new mobo..and has questions

[soulslicer]

So I've been off the forums for a while, working of course, and that of course means I've got money. And i'm finally going to fulfill one of my minor life goals, build a mobo.

So I have bunch of questions:

1. CPU: Is it worth getting quad core? Or should I just stick to Core 2 Duo. I'm planning on getting a Q9550 (2.83ghz) but I'm afraid many games might not be able to support 4 cores and will end up running on only 1 core (2.83 only)

2. RAM: Is DDR3 really necessary? I have no idea what are the implications or advantages of getting DDR3 Memory, but I definitely wouldnt mind paying extra to get the "latest". Then again, alot of mother-boards do not support DDR3 and are out of my budget so..DDR2?

3. RAM: Also, I heard that 32bit operating systems only benefit with 2GB Maximum, and that anymore memory would be useless. I don't really get this part.

4. Graphics: Should I switch over to the GTX280+ series or just stick with getting a Geforce 9800GTX(512) (DUAL-Card one perhaps?). That will like save me alot of money, but I have not really compared the performance between the two cards so if anyone could help me out it be great. I want the card to be future-proof that is all>>> (DX10.1 support?)

4. Motherboard:Okay, I've got this list and shit here, and I'm ****ing confused, what should I get actually.
I'm planning to invest more than 600 over on this CPU+Motherboard combo price list (it's singapore price btw). Mostly, I just want your opinion on a good MB I should get. (2.83ghz at least)

Spoiler

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/15a168f6db.jpg

that's about it for now I guess. Hope you guys can help me out

 

[AtomicSpark]

1. No, very few applications currently take advantage of multiple cores. Two should be enough for most people. Don't play into Intel's new Core War. Remember the fail the GHz War was.
2. No, unless the price is good. Remember that DDR3 can be slower then DDR2. You want to look for lower latency, then speed, then architecture. Also, more sticks is better than less. Example, 2x1GB will perform better than 1x2GB.
3. Yes, most 32-bit OSs have a set limit (around 2GB) on the usable amount of RAM, even though the theoretical amount is much higher.
4. Play good games, not shiny ones.
5. This will be very biased. Try not to get an "uber gaming haxor" motherboard, they are just a waste of money.

 

[Krynn72]

Mobo is short for Motherboard, just so you know. I thought you were going to be making an actual motherboard, and I was all like

D:


As for your questions, I think Atomic hit them all on the head. Quad Core processors are overkill for most people (gamers included). DDR isnt really worth it unless you buy the really expensive stuff that has decent timings. You can get much better DDR2 ram for that much money anyways. A 9800GTX is plenty for now. I'd wait probably two more card iterations before even considering upgrading that. For motherboards, I'd probably just go on newegg, find one that's compatible with the cpu you're getting, and then find one with the best rating that is on the lower end of my budget. If you don't plan on doing tricky shit with it, there's no need to get one of those expensive gamer, or overclocking motherboards. Just get a solid, no BS motherboard. Gigabyte motherboards usually have a lot of good quality components, and are therefore pretty solid.

 

[sixteenth]

I believe Vista 32, as long as you have updated to Service Pack 1, can fully support 4GB of RAM.

I was wondering the same thing when I bought a laptop last summer, actually the one I am using now, that came with Vista 32 and had 4GB of RAM on it. I upgraded to 64 anyway, but Vista 32 SP1 for me supported 4GB when I originally had it. I'd say go ahead and go 64 since there aren't really any configuration problems with it anymore (the only problem I've had so far is that Java STILL does not work with 64 bit systems for some **** ass reason.)

 

[soulslicer]

Oh, lol mobo=motherboard, nvmind.

Wait, so you're saying quad core isn't worth getting, I should stick with a core2?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Buy a Q6600 they are so awesome and overclockable. Otherwise buy an i7 CPU if you have tonnes of blood money.

Also yes...a mobo is a motherboard. Good luck building one of those :naughty:

 

[soulslicer]

I think Ive decided to get the Q9550, can afford that

 

[MorganFreeman911]

I believe Vista 32, as long as you have updated to Service Pack 1, can fully support 4GB of RAM.

WRONG.
Windows Vista 32BIT SP1 SHOWS the amount you have, but the amount that is actually usable by the operating system remains the same.
Something about how the architecture of the files is.

 

[Sedako]

WRONG.
Windows Vista 32BIT SP1 SHOWS the amount you have, but the amount that is actually usable by the operating system remains the same.
Something about how the architecture of the files is.

It's actually 4GB of TOTAL system RAM. That includes RAM in the DIMMs, on the video card, and sound card if you have one.