Why not scrap the new PC idea and just get a Harley?

You are soooo right!, mate :rotfl:

Actually, his question is completely and utterly justified. The fact that his processor can handle the game and the graphic card is obvious. However if Quad Core or SLI is going to be an issue is not.

SHIV doesn't benefit from multiple cores, so having anything above Dual Core is a waste of cash. (Go for a 2.4 GHz AKA the 6600). So, HyperThreading is all you can hope for unless they patch it to use dual cores (like they did with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.)

SLI is likewise something that has to be supported by the game, if not, it's simply not worth the cash, because the mediocre performance increase isn't worth it.

And since SHIV supports neither multi-cores or SLI, I say that rig is just way over the top. SLI is for extreme gamers. ONE 8800 GTS will be enough for SHIV ANY day. Got one myself and I can run it in 1680x1050 with 4x AA and 8x AF. Easy. So ONE 8800 GTX will be MORE than enough. And to get some power from the processor, get the E6600 2,4 GHz Core2Duo. More than enough.

At least that's my opinion. Don't go with the hype. SLI is dead. There's too little support for it, and too much cash to be spent to build a solid base to encourage game designers to add support for it.

I woudn't buy a quad core now, since the next gen ones (will probably be out late this year, or early nex year, are going to be a heck of a lot better. (the figures are 15-30% on the same clock speed)

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have decided after reading all your posts to opt for E6700 2.67Ghz Dual core + a single 768mb 8800 GTX.
One more question, XP or Vista.

buteobuteo,

Sounds like a much better plan, at least from a cost benefit standpoint. I am considering doing something similar with a Core 2 2.4 and a 640MB GTS (should be plenty horespower for SH4 at 1/2 the cost). Total for a new system is expected to be about 1100 USD.

I would go with the XP. From what I understand, Vista has some cool bells and whistles but there is no real performance increase and XP is a tried and true product (i.e. the bugs have been worked out). If you enjoy being a beta tester for MS then I would go with Vista.

Hit a little close to home....I used to own a porsche, now I drive a honda (minivan at that). It is amazing what you will do for your kids :D

Personally I would go with XP as hardware manufacturers havent really come up to speed with drivers for vista as yet.

Also I see a lot of CTD reports here and the great majority of them are vista users.

You can always upgrade in the future.

You will be extremely satisfied with that I am SURE... I have a E6400 with a 8800 GTS Superclocked and it runs everything awesome at max settings... your system would kick way more ass Im sure.

And screw vista until at least SP2... I am waiting until I need it for DX10 games and then I am going to get it.

I have a dual-core, with SLI twin 7900's. I get flickering graphics on occasion. I just keep reloading the game (2 x's usually) and eventually I get normal graphics. I run max resolution and when needed time compression over 3000 x normal. No sweat.

XP-pro, DX-9c, latest drivers.

My system never has any problems except with SH4, just occasional flickering. Hope that helps somehow.

buteobuteo,

Seems like you've made a decision. As a quad core owner QX6700 w/ a single 8800 GTX I wouldn't go quad core unless you're going to do lots of video encoding and heavy multitasking. Quad core is amazing if you are putting your minidv tapes on dvd, for example, or doing other video projects. I'm also a musician and use my pc as a home recording studio and quad core helps some w/ that software but not as much as w/ video.

Bottom line - if you are using your PC for everyday tasks, business, games, etc. do not buy quad core yet. I love the multitasking benefits of quad core but it's overkill if you aren't doing heavy multitasking ... Still, it is aweseom - I can burn a dvd, have adobe photoshop open, itunes open and play a game at the same time w/o any slow down. The axiom "software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster" does not apply to quad core - for once you will be a year or two or more ahead of software.

I use XP and am holding off on Vista until they come out w/ SP1 and until Cisco VPN comes out w/ Vista drivers. (Make sure your current hardware is compatible w/ Vista - many companies haven't released stable drivers).

BTW - I sold my car before I upgrading - wasn't cheap

Also, cooling - you need an aftermarket cooler (Zalman 9700) for a quad core chip. With good air cooling it stays cool ...

Good Call and be advised
 

Good choices. XP is proven Vista is not. If your building your system try pricewatch or newegg they have the best prices on all pc components. Pricewatch is a website that basically monitors the web for prices on a specific product you select, it has no favorite store. A E6700 goes for around $315 online see how much you pay if you go to a retail store. Also the price difference between a 8800 GTX and 8800 Ultra is not much at all 10-40bucks!. Go with Ultra and savor the extra 63mhz core speed and the extra 260 mhz of memory speed. I am sure it will give you better performance for not much more $. I found that shopping online saved me $$$, so you can say im sharing the wealth.

One more bit of advice many will benefit from. I highly recommend you look into the Asus Striker Extreme or the ABIT IP35 Pro motherboard. Both are fast and are good overclockers, especially the abit.They both support the latest Intel dual core processor coming, the Penryn, which has a 1333mhz system bus. Based on a limited number of reviews out about Penryn, it smokes the current processor out there.

I have an Intel QX6700 quad core running Vista with no problem. THe biggest improvement you will see in the sim world will come from the 8800 Nvidia video card. It made a marked difference when I put SH4 on my new system. Everything loaded faster and moved much smoother. WOrd of advice, Haunt the Nvidia site as the Vista drivers for the 8800 are being updated on a regular basis.