Building a new system- Need Recommendations (OS Mostly)

Logain8955

Logain8955

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I'm planning on building me a new system, with the goal of making something that can kick the crap out of most things out there now. (Especially 3DSMax) I'm looking at approximatly an $1000 budget for the hardware only. I've got my hardware pretty much picked out, but now I'm looking at the OS. I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet at this point and make the jump to Vista. With SP1 coming out soon, it looks like the OS is coming into its own.

Here's what my hardware picks are. Prices listed are all taken from NewEgg.

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor – Retail 279.99

Mobo:
MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard – Retail -139.99

Video Card:
EVGA 512-P3-N802-A1 GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card – Retail 289.99

Memory:
WINTEC AMPO 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail -$48.99

Case and PSU:
RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply – Retail 89.99

CPU Cooling:
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler – Retail 64.99
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan – Retail 24.99

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KSRTL 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – Retail -84.99

DVD RW
Sony NEC Optiarc Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner – OEM 28.99


TOTAL PRETAX+SHIP = 1052.91


Has anyone out there had any Vista experience, and can compare it to XP? Anyone think it's worth it?

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: Forgot to mention, this will actually be the first system I build myself. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time, just never was able to line it up.
 
I probably would wait for Vista's Service Pack 1 (due this holiday season) before getting it.

There's nothing wrong with using XP for a little while longer, IMHO.
 
I forgot to mention, I'll be purchasing a new version of Windows. The difference between XP Pro and Vista Ultimate is only 40 bucks.

I should have put that in the first post, my bad.
 
Vista is great, if you want to do the same things as you do in XP, except using more system resources in the process, thus slowing everything down in general. It's also more invasive, if you're into that.

If you want to be "future-proof," though, eh, go for it.

Also, I know you seem to have the hardware set, but IMO, you're really on the case and PSU. Also, unless you need to have this built soon, I'd really say to wait for the new 45nm Intel chips. That's what I'll be doing, anyways...
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Vista is great, if you want to do the same things as you do in XP, except using more system resources in the process, thus slowing everything down in general. It's also more invasive, if you're into that.

If you want to be "future-proof," though, eh, go for it.

Also, I know you seem to have the hardware set, but IMO, you're really on the case and PSU. Also, unless you need to have this built soon, I'd really say to wait for the new 45nm Intel chips. That's what I'll be doing, anyways...[/QUOTE]

Unfortunatly, I do need this built ASAP. I'm graduating school for Game Design, and I really need a comp that's powerful enough to beat the crap out of UT3, so I can start working on mods and levels for it. My current comp is definatly showing signs of age, and there's not a chance of it working.

As far as Vista goes, the more I look at it, the more I think it's time to move. I just read a guide over at Tom's Hardware (game section) that was discussing Bioshock DX10 vs DX9. The DX10 version ran really well. http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2007/09/18/dx10_part3/

Now for the PSU, now that I've gotten 2 people saying I need to spend some more...what kind of things should I be looking for? When it comes to PSUs, I have no bloody idea.
 
Vista is awesome. I think it is WAY better then XP.

Also newegg has a deal going where if you buy Vista Ultimate then you also get:

LapLink PC Mover
Maxtor One Touch 80GB External HDD
D-Link Gamerlounge 108G Gaming Router
D-Link Pocket Router
Epson Hi-Def Photo Printer

Overall I would say that is a pretty awesome deal for a great OS.
 
I would say get xp 64bit pro. I had vista installed in my current build (e6850, 2gigram, 8800gt superclocked evga) and had nothing but crashes with it. Perhaps it had something to do with me not putting in enough time to get everything straightened out, but I just wanted DX10 for Crysis (crashed every attempt) so I gave up on it.
 
[quote name='dragonsho']I would say get xp 64bit pro. I had vista installed in my current build (e6850, 2gigram, 8800gt superclocked evga) and had nothing but crashes with it. Perhaps it had something to do with me not putting in enough time to get everything straightened out, but I just wanted DX10 for Crysis (crashed every attempt) so I gave up on it.[/quote]

Obviously some people have different experiences, My old XP Media Center used to crash WAY more then Vista ever did and I had it on Launch.
 
I'd go with Vista, I think it's fine. It's only going to get better, too. I was faced with a very similar situation, buy vista or xp, and I went with Vista. I don't regret it.
 
let me preface this message by giving you some background, I own and operate a computer store where we repair and sell custom systems. I have seen MANY new systems come in my shop with vista issues (slowness because of lack of ram, blue screens,hardware incompability, driver issues, just to name a few)

that begin said, I've had several people who have bought a copy of XP from me and paid for me to wipe vista and reinstall (READ: downgrade) back to XP. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of XP home (no need for pro because I doubt you need IIS or the ability to log into a domain) there is no speed increase between XP home and Pro.

Vista SP1 will most likely get delayed (as pretty much everything M$ puts out does). Vista also uses a LOT more resources to run the OS than XP. I know a few sites ran side by side tests with identical rigs, only difference being XP vs vista, and there was a decent size performance drop from XP to vista.

This being said we still build every system we sell with XP SP2., trust me, you'll thank me later by doing the same.

as far as the hardware everything looks great. I'd make 1 suggestion

as the CPU goes, you MAY want to consider going with a faster dual core for the same amount of money (pretty much NOTHING will use all 4 of your CPU cores) your better off going with 2 faster cores if your using it mainly for gaming. (you can get a dual core @ 3.0ghz for the same price of a quad core @ 2.4ghz) just a thought. you can always overclock the quad core, but those things get HOT pretty fast.

either way I'm sure you wont' be disappointed, enjoy!
 
Honostly, I don't see the ponit of buying an older operating system (XP), at this point. Vista is the new standard, and despite some of the problems people have with it, it will get better over time. If you're going to end up upgrading to it down the line anyway, why not just buy it now and get accustomed to it?

That being said, I dont run vista yet - I built a new computer in August, but still had a copy of XP lying around so I just installed that (hey, I'm cheap). My brother has a new computer w/almost identical specs running Vista and runs great - I honostly think many of the issues with it are overblown.
 
for the average user, you may be right, until you go to install a piece of hardware (an old scanner you've used for years, or a GPS receiver perhaps) and you realize there isn't a vista driver for it, or there IS a vista driver for it, but it won't recognize the hardware properly.

Vista is "the new standard" only because microsoft says it is. it still has LOADS of problems. (why do you think microsoft will allow owners of vista ultimate and vista business premium to downgrade to XP for free?)

the standard right now is XP (XP is on more computers currently than ANY version of windows. its also the most stable.)

sorry, dont mean to rant, I just hate microsoft releasing software WELL before tis ready. they said before vista came out that "vista will NOT have any service packs as in previous versions of windows" they sure backpedaled on that one pretty fast.
 
[quote name='Logain8955']Now for the PSU, now that I've gotten 2 people saying I need to spend some more...what kind of things should I be looking for? When it comes to PSUs, I have no bloody idea.[/QUOTE]
If you can afford to spring for one, look into the PSUs from Corsair. They are fucking sexy.

And I wholly agree with Drnick; you would probably be better served to buy a faster dual core, than you would to buy that quad.
 
[quote name='dragonsho']I would say get xp 64bit pro. I had vista installed in my current build (e6850, 2gigram, 8800gt superclocked evga) and had nothing but crashes with it. Perhaps it had something to do with me not putting in enough time to get everything straightened out, but I just wanted DX10 for Crysis (crashed every attempt) so I gave up on it.[/QUOTE]
NOOOOOOOOO.... When I built my wife's PC (2005) I got my OS from my wifes college and it came with XP pro and X64.... X64 stayed on my system for less than 3 days.... If you had a hard time with vista drivers x64 drivers are living hell let alone finding anything that will run on it.

Vista is a great OS and is much better than the first year of XP... I say go Vista.

Edit: Also get a different PSU. Some case PSU are ok, but I have never used a raidmax that was worth a crap. Also I would go with a P35 motherboard since you will most likely never use SLI.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I find it amusing just how down the middle the Vista/XP debate is. It's looking more like that I'm gonna have to wait about 3 weeks until my loan comes in that I'm using to build this thing. I'm gonna have to read the hell out of Vista/XP and finally make up my mind. Any more personal experiences would be helpful :D


[quote name='Drnick']

as the CPU goes, you MAY want to consider going with a faster dual core for the same amount of money (pretty much NOTHING will use all 4 of your CPU cores) your better off going with 2 faster cores if your using it mainly for gaming. (you can get a dual core @ 3.0ghz for the same price of a quad core @ 2.4ghz) just a thought. you can always overclock the quad core, but those things get HOT pretty fast.

either way I'm sure you wont' be disappointed, enjoy![/QUOTE]

I actually was considering doing a Dual for awhile, then I started seeing what programs the Quad helped, through the September System Build Marathon at Tom's Hardware. Bunch of nothing, a useful thing here and there, then I saw this program uses Quad cores.

3D Studio Max.

Sold. The rendering times on a Quad core were significantly faster than a Dual.

[quote name='csalzman']

That being said, I dont run vista yet - I built a new computer in August, but still had a copy of XP lying around so I just installed that (hey, I'm cheap). [/QUOTE]


Hehe, if I had a way to transfer my old XP from my computer (It's an OEM copy), I would. I'd rather buy a Wacom tablet with that $180 bucks.

Hell, I'm probably still gonna buy the Wacom, but you get my meaning.


Coming back to the PSU thing, I was taking a look at them on Newegg, and was quickly stumped. I get the whole wattage thing, more is better. But, what the hell's a 12v Rail? Is it the larger molex 4pin connectors or something? I really need like a primer guide.

Thanks again for all the comments/critiques. I really appreciate the help.
 
Corsair PSUs are awesome. Mine is a rebranded Seasonic, but it looks awesome and has worked flawlessly. Reviews are very high across the board for these PSUs. The RAM looks like it is a cheap brand, but if it has a decent warranty, just stick with it unless something similar in price is found. Good luck on your first build. With cheap Quad Cores and the 8800Gt out, that will blaze through most (all but Crysis?) games. Also, do you have a nice monitor? I bought a 20 inch Viewsonic with my last build and it was my best new addition.

Watts don't matter too much on a PSU. Definitely get above 500 watt, but a 500 watt Antec, Corsair, or PC Power and Cooling PSU is way more stable than a no name 700 watt PSU.

EDIT: I assume this is for gaming right?
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']There seems to be a rather wide spectrum of prices when it comes to RAM. What are the good brands?[/quote]

Corsair, G.Skill, OCZ, and Geil. Everyone has their own favorite brands, but check reviews, even just the Newegg reviews on each product. These aren't the only good brands, but these normally hold a high level of quality.
 
[quote name='Bretts31344']

EDIT: I assume this is for gaming right?[/QUOTE]

Gaming and 3dsMax/Photoshop work. I'm really building this thing so I can start working on some mods for top-end games and get my name out there.

[quote name='Bretts31344']

The RAM looks like it is a cheap brand, but if it has a decent warranty, just stick with it unless something similar in price is found. Good luck on your first build.

Watts don't matter too much on a PSU. Definitely get above 500 watt, but a 500 watt Antec, Corsair, or PC Power and Cooling PSU is way more stable than a no name 700 watt PSU. [/quote]

I went with the RAM because it was the one used in the Tom's Hardware System Builders Marathon guide. They said it's cheap and great for OC'ing. When piecing this thing together, I was abusing the hell out of Tom's Hardware.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/09/17/sbm_low_cost_system/page3.html
 
Have you checked to see if your school is in the MSDNAA? If so, you might be able to get the OS for free...
I just built a new computer about a month ago (also used a Q6600) and loaded XP Pro x64. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it has been frustrating. Pretty minor things mostly, so I'm not sure whether it is worth switching to regular XP (mostly due to memory addressing limitations of 32-bit XP and my 4GB of RAM...still need to do some more research on this). The driver situation is ok for the most part, and from what I have read, 32-bit apps don't take a noticeable performance hit (which is good since 64-bit apps seem relatively uncommon currently). The only problems I've had are with iTunes/iPod (they *work*, but not terribly well...no x64 support from Apple for either version of Windows yet), and with my GameBridge (which was only $10, so I'm not too broken up about it, but I do want to try it).
 
Vista... if you're planning on working with DX10 apps. right?

Also, that case is gorgeous, but go with a different PSU.
I remember in one of Tom's Hardware's custom builds they used this brand, FSP Group (Fortron Source). This is what I have, but I'm not doing SLI (1 x PCI-E):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104037

In regards to the Raidmax Smilodon
you can save 13 bucks and just go with a case only, perhaps?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156063

I had my eye on that case for a long time, but most folks I've talked to recommend cases with 120mm fans only, not 80mm.

My cheapass eventually settled with this (it had a $10 MIR, plus free S&H, not anymore though):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106

BUUUUUUUT....
If I could do it all over again i'd go with one of these (for the cable management & better cooling):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129017
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']There seems to be a rather wide spectrum of prices when it comes to RAM. What are the good brands?[/QUOTE]
Corsair, Corsair, and Corsair.


Also, I didn't want to bring this up, because it's largely a matter of preference, but that case is seriously lame. Cases with lights and windows and crap are for clowns. The Antec P180B, now THAT'S a great computer case.
 
Just go with 2GB Dual Channel Corsair RAM. It's as cheap as the one you have listed after rebates. I have 4 gigs of:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145590

I would say to go with the 32-bit version of Vista. I really can't go back to XP after using Vista for a year now, and the thing is stable as hell for me. The CPU, RAM, and GPU you're getting are more than enough for Aero so your rig shouldn't take any performance hit at all from using Vista over XP.

If you plan on upgrading to 4 gigs of RAM in the future then go with the 64-bit version to get the full use out of them. I recently clean installed the 64-bit version over my 32-bit one and it's holding up well for me.

DX10 is not optimized right now at all, I still play most of my games using DX9 settings all maxed for a stable framerate.

You don't even need to worry about OC'ing with the parts you picked out. The 8800GT is more than enough to handle anything and the Q6600 you can get a solid 30% OC without hassle.

Just, don't forget to get brand-name heatsink+fan to replace the stock one that comes w/ the CPU. Zalmans are good in my experience. Rounded cables are good too if air flow is an issue for you (mainly for heavy OC'ing).

P.S. The Antec P18 is a godly case, definitely get that if you can.
 
Well, I've decided to dump the Case/PSU combo. I'm still gonna go with a Smilodon, cause cheesy as they are, I like the shiny lights. Also, $140 for a case is WAY over budget.

I'm gonna get this one with the green light in it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156078

And yeah, Corsair ram rocks hard. I have a gig stick of DDR400 cheapo Corsair sitting in this machine, runs great. If it's still on sale, I'm going for it.

Back to the PSU, I think I'm gonna spend a little extra and get this Antec PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001

Seems like everything I'll need.
 
[quote name='Logain8955']Well, I've decided to dump the Case/PSU combo. I'm still gonna go with a Smilodon, cause cheesy as they are, I like the shiny lights. Also, $140 for a case is WAY over budget.

I'm gonna get this one with the green light in it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156078

And yeah, Corsair ram rocks hard. I have a gig stick of DDR400 cheapo Corsair sitting in this machine, runs great. If it's still on sale, I'm going for it.

Back to the PSU, I think I'm gonna spend a little extra and get this Antec PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001

Seems like everything I'll need.[/quote]

what OS did you decide on?
 
At this point, I think I'm gonna go Vista 32-bit. If I can figure out a way to transfer my old XP code, I'm gonna dual-boot Vista and XP. I'm still undecided, but since I'm gonna have some time to think and research, I'm gonna make sure I know exactly what I'm getting into to. Definatly leaning Vista though.
 
as far as transfering your old xp code, I've done it once before... its actually pretty simple

install XP on the new computer using the code, when it goes to activate it will error and ask if you want to try again or use telephone. say you want to use telephone.

now call , you go through an automated thing where you dial in the long keycode. it will then ask you 3 questions

is this the original computer it came on? (say yes)
is this your first activation? (say its a reinstall)
how many computers is this installed on? (say just 1)

thats all, they will then give you a keycode and your on your merry way.

also, you mentioned photoshop and or 3d studio max work... your gaming card won't help you in 3d studio max at all, you'll need a workstation card (like an ATI fireGL)

but if you do any gaming you'll want the gaming card.... so you'll have to pick between the 2.
 
You can just create a partition on your HDD using a program in XP if the data isn't all over the place. No real need to re-install to dual-boot if you can set the space up correctly.
 
Anyone that buys a quad-core cpu and doesnt get vista on it should be forced to have "retard" tattooed to their forehead
 
[quote name='Logain8955']At this point, I think I'm gonna go Vista 32-bit. If I can figure out a way to transfer my old XP code, I'm gonna dual-boot Vista and XP. I'm still undecided, but since I'm gonna have some time to think and research, I'm gonna make sure I know exactly what I'm getting into to. Definatly leaning Vista though.[/quote]

vista cam bundled with my desktop, and before sp1 it was an inefficient waste, recent updates have fixd most of my gripes, so now im at the point where i can recommend vista over xp sp2

i would highly recommend the 32 bit home premium for gaming over the 64bit vista ultimate. ive read nothing but negative threads and issues concerning complete incompatibility with gaming quality hardware and the 64 vista
 
This is my PSU suggestion:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

Almost 500 reviews and has 5 stars. I own one myself and it's simply amazing. Then again I am running 2 1950xts so you may not need as much power. I would still suggest it though.

I also went with OCZ Ram. I may seem like an OCZ fanboy but this is my first time buying any of there products. Yet to have any problem at all with it and I've had it for a few months now.

As for a Heatsink. I would suggest.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106061

Sure it's massive and all ... but once installed I was happy with my temps. I run at 10 Celsius normally and only 30 Celsius under load. On an overclocked Core 2 Duo

Just a couple of things I'd suggest
 
These are just my opinions on these topics:

I have windows Vista 32bit on my Dell laptop, it's a core 2 duo with a geforce GO 7400. I don't see any problem with lag or plain slowness when doing things such as opening explorer windows, or other programs and that is with a low end laptop discrete card running the Aero. The 8800GT is a beast, so there won't be any issues with a lack of power for Aero. There are certain features that are simply amazing, such as the search feature in the start menu. I haven't used macs, but I'm assuming it's something akin to the spotlight in OSX. The Sidebar is very nice, and since it is built into windows and not a 3rd party app, I find that it uses less resources. The flip 3D is pointless, so don't base a decision on that. It looks nice, but it's just not as functional as the lovely alt-tab.

Long story short, there are nice additions to Vista that make it worthwhile over XP (including the DX10 capabilities).

If you're in need of a little support on the PSU front, there is a good wiki on the topic which helped me out [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_power_supply]. Basically there are 3 types of 'rails' in the PSU: 12V, 5V, 3.3V. The wattage that the PSU states (such as 500) is the summation of the products of the voltage rails with their respective amperages. Put simply: if there are 2 12V rails each rated as 18A each makes 2 x 12V x 18A = 432W, plus the 5V and 3.3V rails. This sums to the 500W specified. So what is more important than the wattage is the amperage on the 12V rails which power your 'important' devices such as the graphics card and the motherboard. The 8800GT takes ~24A which can be drawn from the 12V rail. Don't worry that the amps needed are higher than the individual 12V line since it can be shared (2 x 18A = 36A on the 12V rail total). I am looking at the Antec Basiq 500W PSU which people say is stable and powerful for it's price ($61.99). With only one graphics card and 1 maybe two hard drives and optical drives, 500W is more than sufficient, and there are some good PSUs around and you don't have to go for the flashy PSUs that are expensive (just don't go with stock. Please).

If you think that you will get better performance on rendering in 3DSMax on a quad core then that's your decision, after all it's your computer and there is nothing wrong with that proc. Just know that not all the games support more than one core (although most games do these days) but with that quad, the games that do not support multi-threading may be sluggish. The RAM sounds solid, and the hard drive is a winner.

That's my two cents. Hope this helps.
 
[quote name='jnattress']

If you're in need of a little support on the PSU front, there is a good wiki on the topic which helped me out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_power_supply. Basically there are 3 types of 'rails' in the PSU: 12V, 5V, 3.3V. The wattage that the PSU states (such as 500) is the summation of the products of the voltage rails with their respective amperages. Put simply: if there are 2 12V rails each rated as 18A each makes 2 x 12V x 18A = 432W, plus the 5V and 3.3V rails. This sums to the 500W specified. So what is more important than the wattage is the amperage on the 12V rails which power your 'important' devices such as the graphics card and the motherboard. The 8800GT takes ~24A which can be drawn from the 12V rail. Don't worry that the amps needed are higher than the individual 12V line since it can be shared (2 x 18A = 36A on the 12V rail total). I am looking at the Antec Basiq 500W PSU which people say is stable and powerful for it's price ($61.99). With only one graphics card and 1 maybe two hard drives and optical drives, 500W is more than sufficient, and there are some good PSUs around and you don't have to go for the flashy PSUs that are expensive (just don't go with stock. Please).

That's my two cents. Hope this helps.[/quote]
DUDE!!!!! Thanks so much for breaking it down like that! I was wracking my brain yesterday trying to figure out exactly how a PSU works. I came across so many sh*t articles on the net that would talk about PSU weight, brand name recognition, etc. No real info.

Thanks again
 
I bought a new pc in October. All new Hardware and a big 500 GB HD. I went with the dualboot option, because like you, I read about all the Vista issues and problems, etc. I've been running off Vista 98% of the time since week one. It' s not perfect, it does use up more resources, but my machine can handle it. It's worked with almost all of my games, apps, etc....and really I've had no reason to use my XP. I would go with Vista, you will need it more for games, etc... in the future, and it can work pretty well today.
 
i gotta tell you the added frame rates you get from XP vs the slight bonus for DX10 isn't worth the vista headache.

with DX10 you get MSAA and slightly better volumetric fog and better particles, that's really it. MSAA and all that other shit can be implemented on any game with opengl (the company just has to write it themselves). If you "need" all this extra crap then you get into a tricky game, DX 10.1 is about to come out (whenever SP1 does) and then you'll "have" to upgrade again to get the newest shader model.


I run UT3 in XP, and it looks fantastic, if you are getting into modding for UT3 or quake or whatever i doubt it will make a difference in getting your name out there.
 
jnattress, that info is awesome, thanks a bunch man.

I ended up upgrading my monitor too, got the 22" LG LCD at Fry's for 200.

Of course, running my games in the upgraded resolution shot my video card fan, so now this old system is beginning the slow slide to death.

Glad I'm building a new one now :)
 
Vista uses more resources, but only does it to be faster. Think of a tall guy sitting down in a coach seat on a plane with his knees to his chest; yeah, he fits, but he's not real confortable. Now picture the same guy in first class where he has a lot more room to stretch out and be more comfortable. However, being sprawled out doesn't keep him from moving his legs out of the way if someone next to him needs to get into the isle. Make sense?

Vista uses as many of your resources as possible so nothing goes to waste. If you open the same programs constantly, Vista will automatically load those resources while idle before you need them so you don't have to wait long when you go to get them. If you decide to do something else, it just discards that prefetch data and gets what you asked for.


[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Vista is great, if you want to do the same things as you do in XP, except using more system resources in the process, thus slowing everything down in general. It's also more invasive, if you're into that.

If you want to be "future-proof," though, eh, go for it.

Also, I know you seem to have the hardware set, but IMO, you're really on the case and PSU. Also, unless you need to have this built soon, I'd really say to wait for the new 45nm Intel chips. That's what I'll be doing, anyways...[/quote]

So OP, I'd say if you have to buy one anyways, go with Vista just because we're going to all end up there whether we want to or not. My experience with Vista has been relatively pain free. Pretty much every problem I've had has been a driver issue for x64 and even those have been minor. The only real crashes I've had have been due to beta video drivers being used to play beta video games; hardly Microsoft's fault.

I would by no means advocate buying Vista when you already have XP as 95% of all the new features to Vista are available on XP for free.
 
[quote name='Kayden']Vista uses more resources, but only does it to be faster. Think of a tall guy sitting down in a coach seat on a plane with his knees to his chest; yeah, he fits, but he's not real confortable. Now picture the same guy in first class where he has a lot more room to stretch out and be more comfortable. However, being sprawled out doesn't keep him from moving his legs out of the way if someone next to him needs to get into the isle. Make sense?

Vista uses as many of your resources as possible so nothing goes to waste. If you open the same programs constantly, Vista will automatically load those resources while idle before you need them so you don't have to wait long when you go to get them. If you decide to do something else, it just discards that prefetch data and gets what you asked for.




So OP, I'd say if you have to buy one anyways, go with Vista just because we're going to all end up there whether we want to or not. My experience with Vista has been relatively pain free. Pretty much every problem I've had has been a driver issue for x64 and even those have been minor. The only real crashes I've had have been due to beta video drivers being used to play beta video games; hardly Microsoft's fault.

I would by no means advocate buying Vista when you already have XP as 95% of all the new features to Vista are available on XP for free.[/quote]

Well put. The prefetch in Vista is so good it can even predict what days you will use certain things.
 
Well I've had Vista Ultimate on my laptop for quite some time now. I'd say atleast 6 months. I truly believe it is much better than XP, which I have on my desktop.

I am in the same position, and I too plan on building a PC. When I set out to start rounding up the parts, I did it with Vista Ultimate in mind.

My laptop can't even use all of it's features(mostly stuff that requires a good video card) and it is way better than xp was.
 
If you have a decent enough system, yeah, I'd personally go with Vista without a second thought. It's just a much, much nicer interface.
 
Well, I just put my order in on newegg. Ended up getting Vista Ultimate 64-bit ed. If there's anything old school I want to play, I have a laptop w/ XP Pro on it. Should be here thursday hopefully.

Here's what I ultimately ended up putting in it.

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor – Retail 279.99

Mobo:
MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard – Retail -139.99

Video Card:
EVGA 512-P3-N802-A1 GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card – Retail 289.99

Memory:
WINTEC AMPO 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail -$48.99 x2 (Total of 4GB)

Case:
RAIDMAX Smilodon Extreme Black ATX-612WEB SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer CaseNo Power Supply - Retail 79.99

PSU:
Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails – Retail - 114.99

CPU Cooling:
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler – Retail 64.99
Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan – Retail 24.99

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KSRTL 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – Retail -84.99

DVD RW
Scavenged from previous comp

Total: $1177.90

Software:

Windows Vista Ultimate 64 OEM $159.99 (combo)

Hardware and Software Total (W/o Tax and Ship): $1337.89

I'm excited, cant wait for it to show up. Thanks a bunch for all the help.
 
OMG, that's going the be one sick system! When you're selling it within the next 50 years, contact me and I'll buy that sucker so fast.
 
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