Topic: Well, I'm upgrading my PC already...

[Pestalence_XC]

OK.. here is what I am getting..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143093

This is the Vid Card i am getting.. just paid for it today...



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006

These are the speakers.. not the best in the world.. but my house is small and by the reviews.. it should be perfect for where I am at currently.




http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116015

This is the TV Tuner card I am putting in.. I just have to stay away from the WinTV software it comes with for analog .. MCE in Vista dosen't support QAM either, however the WinTV software is excellent for QAM... so I have to run FM Radio, Analog cable and digital cable in Vista MCE and ATSC/clear QAM in WinTV or other 3rd party Tuner software.. the Tuner card itself is a hardware tuner, so that make things a lot easier.. plus Vista has current drivers upon install that makes MCE work properly the first time... This card is not for XP.. remote is Vista only and does not work on XP..



Finally I am also getting...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3293596&CMP=EMC-TIGEREMAIL&SRCCODE=WEBLET03ORDER

a new power supply for the Vid card.... check the specs then check the price



by this time next week, my system specs will be :

Intel Core 2 Duo @ 1.8 Ghz each (overclocked to 3.2 Ghz) @ 1033 MHz FSB

Patriot Extreme DDR2 RAM at 4 GB Dual Channel (4 x 1024 Mb) @ 800 Mhz FSB with lifetime warranty (warranty by Patriot purchased at Tiger Direct for $129.99)

320 GB Sata II / Raid HDD default in Raid mode

NVidia Geforce 8800 GTX (BFG Tech OC'd at 626 MHz per Gpu) with 768 Mb gDDR3 and built in Physics processing (BFG Lifetime warranty)

750 Watt PSU by Ultra .. SLI ready

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1800 HDTV Tuner Card with remote

Vista Home Premium 32 bit with Vista Sp1 and DirectX 10.1

2 GB USB memory stick for Vista Ready Boost to keep all 4 GB ram free for programs

2 DVD DL burners .... (the ones that do everything but HD burning.. and then again some software I have forces HD quality into the files before burn)


I'm also Planning on getting a Blue Ray burner from Tiger Direct in about 3 to 6 months.. current one's at Tiger Direct are only 2x burn speed.. hopefully there will be 4x by the time I am ready to buy one.. currently the Blue Ray Burners are about $450 and they have 2 models in their latest catalog...

anyhow.. I'm just about ready for some power computing on here and plenty of home entertainment...

Overall it may seem like a lot of money, but thinking about it carefully.. I just built an Alienware Area 51 machine that retails for about $5300 for less than $1400... so I can't complain... the blue ray will put it up around $1800 when I get it, but you can't get a Blue Ray burner on Alienware...

just thought I would share and see what hardware you all would do differently... suggestions welcome.. I have 90 days to change my mind my itmes to get a refund (with exception of the speakers.. but I can Ebay them for about $80)..

Give me your thoughts.

Edit.. due to heat generated by the Vid Card.. I'm adding 2 more fans to the case and opening up some slots for air flow..

[manitoba1073]

go with vista ultimate much better than home edition. those speaker set is okish I prefer my 7.1 surround home theather set up much better( coaxil cable hooked to my pc)  Vid card is very good PS is good too  go for the 500 gb Harddrive.  Not to sure on intels processors. and your ram is nice too.

[Pestalence_XC]

go with vista ultimate much better than home edition. those speaker set is okish I prefer my 7.1 surround home theather set up much better( coaxil cable hooked to my pc) Vid card is very good PS is good too go for the 500 gb Harddrive. Not to sure on intels processors. and your ram is nice too.

The system I have already has Vista Home Premium 32 bit onboard.. I may get the Ultimate Upgrade for $86 on the microsoft web site in a few months.. but there is not much advantage to getting the Ultimate Edition.. but I have been considering it..

I would like a 500 Gb Hdd but system came with the 320 Gb HDD on it already and I'm only using 140 Gb with all software loaded.. the extra space is for Vid Editing and burning files.. I am planning to add a 2nd HDD around Nov or Dec this year when I upgrade my motherboard / CPU...

As for the speakers.. I couldn't find a reasonably priced set of 7.1 on either newegg or Tiger Direct.. I'm only paying $68 for the one's I am getting now.... if a 7.1 setup that puts out 140 watts can be found for under $90, then fantastic.. let me know..

I'm using the remaining money I have from my taxes to upgrade this machine.. I have / had $850 to work with.. the items above fron both sites (vid card, PSU, Speakers, and TV Tuner) came to $776.68 ... so I don't have much left to spend.. and you also have to consider shipping cost.

[manitoba1073]

 Ahh well it didnt seem like a real upgrade how you were stating. more of a replacement of somethings. thought you were buying all that stuff lol. but great price on then 5.1 speakers btw. Not sure if you want to know the price of my speaker set-up lol but ill give you a link to what they look like and you'll get the idea which they are also hooked into my 55in HDLCDTv lol.  it cost me 1500 bucks but it has a reciever, 5 dvd player HD the whole works lol.

[Don Karnage]

well first win vista is bad since you need 2 gig of ram just to run it, eeekk

the video card seem good but unless you have games that required a lot of graphic is a bit of wast, a sli would do a good job for less.

a 5.1 sound speaker is just a wast, i have a 2.1 and it just fine, i know the big joke of surround sound i try it and its not real, just time to time a few sound but it just a big joke to puss people to was money on something that is not fully made.

[jualdeaux]

well first win vista is bad since you need 2 gig of ram just to run it, eeekk

the video card seem good but unless you have games that required a lot of graphic is a bit of wast, a sli would do a good job for less.

a 5.1 sound speaker is just a wast, i have a 2.1 and it just fine, i know the big joke of surround sound i try it and its not real, just time to time a few sound but it just a big joke to puss people to was money on something that is not fully made.

Give the man a break. he is working on a very tight budget.

Pesty, I'm just glad you managed to get anything so you can get back on here.

[Javora]

I have those speakers, picked them up at Sam's Club for about $55~60USD they sound ok but not the greatest.  All the wires are not worth the trouble IMHO.  You might want to look at a good 2.1 system as I think they would work just as good as these speakers you are looking at.

Probably a good idea that you are buying one video card instead of two in SLI.  Might spend about as much if not more for two weaker video cards then if you bought just the one video card.  Plus it will be easier to work with the TV tuner that you are buying.  If you already have a PCIe video card then my suggestion would be to use the one you already have for about four months then buy the card you want at a cheaper price and when nvidia starts releasing single slot version for that model.

As for Vista, have you considered dual booting WinXP as well?  If you have the full version of WinXP then dual booting would give your system a boost when playing games.  Something to think about if you haven't already.

Good luck with everything.

[Pestalence_XC]

Probably a good idea that you are buying one video card instead of two in SLI. Might spend about as much if not more for two weaker video cards then if you bought just the one video card. Plus it will be easier to work with the TV tuner that you are buying. If you already have a PCIe video card then my suggestion would be to use the one you already have for about four months then buy the card you want at a cheaper price and when nvidia starts releasing single slot version for that model.

The NVidia Geforce 8800 GTX is a single PCIe slot card that takes the space of 2 slots.. I only lose a single PCI slot due to the width of the card... the card does take about 30 volts (or is it amps) (6 pin connector x2) which means using 2 plugs from different rails on my new PSU...

I also do want to get XP for dual boot and games.. however I am sure I can get most games (90%) working under Vista..

I have gotten Vista to run OP on the Dyna with minimal lagging from the server end, however work on that is on hold for about a week and a half..

My current system is having problems with the motherboard which is on the Ethernet connector and 2 usb ports.. Gateway is going to replace the board on it this week and ship it back.. I should have my stock system back by Mon or Tue of next week (maybe as late as Thurs) but it will have a new motherboard on it.. then I get to install all my goodies and OC the CPU... this thing will scream when I'm done with it..

Check out the OC capabilities of the 1.8 Core 2 Duo.. look at the benchmarks on it.. this chip if OC'd correctly can perform almost as well as a core 2 quad or the core 2 extreme.

the motherboard is limited to 667 FSB on the memory, but it can easily be tweaked by jumper setting to up to 800 FSB, then I can adjust the memory core volt up about .4 volts and set the mem to 4,4,4,12

on the CPU, I just have to use a copper repair pen and link 2 pins on the chip then adjust the core volts to 1.4 and bam.. I have it at 3.2Ghz.. I can go as high as 4.2 Ghz with the new PSU, but stability becomes an issue at those speeds from what I have seen.. it will do 3.2 Ghz stable according to all tests I have seen.. I just have to tweak the Motherboard (solder 2 connections together) to get the FSB on the CPU from 800MHz to 1033 Mhz.

so the system is good.. limited that the board is not SLI capable.. it does have 1 PCIe x16 slot and a PCIe x1 slot and 3 regular PCI slots, which 1 PCI slot will be lost due to the NVidia card..

I guess I'll test out the speakers to see how well they sound and then see if I will ship them back.. I do need the multiple connections to take advantage of the SigmaTel audio card this thing has.. it is a surround card that need a 3 plug connector or 4 plug connector.. it is 5.1 and 7.1 capable.. but pricing on the 7.1 speakers is just too high at the moment and my home is small.. a 5.1 system will suffice.. I already have a 2.1 speaker system on my machine now.. and a generic "surround" sound system set up (wal-mart Stereo expanded to surround) system for my wife's DVD player on the TV, which I have my PC hooked up to currently.. the sound is a bit off since I have to run the card is 2.0 sound and let the speakers emulate surround, which is why I want a 5.1 speaker system.. but if the sound is not good, then back it goes.. or I'll hock them on Ebay.

Anyhow, thanks for the feedback.. as for XP, I'm trying to find a good buy on that OS for future Dual Boot capabilities, but with it still going for $130+ for the XP Pro.. it isn't worth getting currently..

Thanks for the comments though.. I'll look at the speakers more closely..

[Elvis]

Really the question with the video card is what resolution do you play games at, I run a 22" wide screen and play everything pretty much 1680x1050. Now a GTX is going to be able to push any game I play at the res with all eye candy turned on. I however have not played Crysis which seems to be the game that pushes most at the moment.  I really want to increase to a 27" wide screen like the Hanns G found at BB which is native 1920 x 1200, but I don't have the funds yet for a GTX. Its always good for epenis value also.


AS far sa critcal comments go, with 32 bit vista your still going to run up the against the 4GB limit, and with a graphics cards with that much memory your system will only use/show 3GB of ram. There is no reason not to go 64bit vista, granted I have not run SFC on my machine yet; but the 64 bit version of vista doesa way with the 4GB limit allowing you to utillize all your ram. That is of course if all the software you run day to day can operate. I was going to dual boot VISTA 64 bit home premium and windows XP, and while I still have my hard drive witrh XP on it, there is just no need to go back to XP. I am running a 3800x2 overclocked to 2.5Ghz, with 2 GB ram , 7800GTs in SLI; the system is 2 years old but still is running strong.\

Now for a final comment, is this the psu you are using: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1271202 . I would look for a a better power supply, Maybe a Corsair or a PC Power and Cooling in the 600 to 700 watt range. There has been a lot of multi rail hoopla in the past 3 years, it would seem for the enthusiast who wants to overclock we are coming full circle, seeing a lot of high single rail and thats actually what  I would recommend just because it might take some guessing out of the equation.

AS far as sound goes, get a pair of SennHeiser 485s and save up some more pennies for a set of Swan M10s, $109 at audio insider.  But just stick with the Logitech if your using onboard sound, the crackles and pops, oops that was one more than final. I've been meaning to buy the M10s for 4 monthes but I can just hear my wife, "would you tun that down......"

 

[Pestalence_XC]

I have an I-Inc TW191D 1400x900 WXGA DVI 19" Widescreen at 5ms so I can already run all eye candy on using a Radeon x1300 256 Mb vid card.. however, it is DirectX 9 and not DirectX 10.. However with games like Hellgate and Battlefield 2, I have to run at low to med settings to avoid lagging.. SFC I can run maxed out settings with all high res models in it (models of 5000+ polies).

As for the power supply, only 1 person on that forum posted about the power supply being bad.. I have read over 500 user comments at both Newegg and Tiger direct about the power supply and how it rocks.. it does put some noise out, but as for the power.. NP..

reviews from Tiger Direct web site...

REVIEW BY: Hunter Reviewed  Feb 17, 2008 
Great PS, bought for 69.99, great deal for a powerhouse. Just 1 prob though. Side window inside,the yellow resistor the bottom was scraped off and called TD, replacing with no issue. Thank you TG. I've bought several items here and will continue.

 
REVIEW BY:  Reviewed  Feb 16, 2008 
it is a really good power supply... and for 80$ nobody cant beat the price! also very good looking and its a good supply to keep case clean since you only use the pin you need...

 
REVIEW BY:  Reviewed  Feb 11, 2008 
This is a nice piece! Yeah it makes noise,But so does a '57 chevy with open headers! I am definately willing to put up with a little noise for the performance.This thing looks GREAT and the modular design rocks.fast shipping as allways wtg dt

 
REVIEW BY: bikerbauy3 Reviewed  Feb 07, 2008 
Got This For 69.99 Thank You Tiger and it is a power house it even withstood a few brown outs!

 
REVIEW BY: BareBack A Reviewed  Feb 06, 2008 
Ultra has done it again, just AWSOME!!! I already own a 500 watt first gen x-connect and I have had no complaints.....Ultra PSU customer for life!!! Tigerdirect's quick shipping is outstanding!!

Ultra's Specifications

Detailed Features

Specifications

AC INPUT 115V/230V - 60/50Hz
DC OUTPUT +3.3V +5V +12V +12V -12V -5V +5VSB
750W Max
Combined
Watts 24A 28A 25A 28A 0.8A - 2.5A
750W

Connectors and Cables

1x 20/24-Pin Motherboard Connector
1x 4-Pin +12V Motherboard Connector
2x 6-Pin PCI-Express Connectors
1x 5-Pin SATA Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable with Floppy power connector
1x 8-Pin EPS Motherboard Power Cable
1x Y Cable with 2 5-Pin SATA Connectors
2x Y Cable with two 4-Pin Connectors
1x 12.5" 4-Pin Power Cable with 3 cooling fan connectors
1x 4-Pin Power Cable with Floppy power connector

 Ultra Lifetime Warranty
To ensure your complete satisfaction, all Ultra Products Power Supplies and Cases now carry a three year warranty that they will be free from defects in materials or workmanship. In addition, that warranty is upgradable to a LIFETIME warranty by simply registering online. At Ultra, customer service is our most important mission. That’s why every Ultra product must meet the highest industry standards for quality and reliability. And our warranty program is second to none. 

 What is FlexForce?
The FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case. The FlexForce special design allows air to travel 30% more effective then standard cables, increasing efficiency. 
 What is Dual Rail Technology?
Dual Rail Technology distributes power to components that require it the most. With Dedicated 12V Rail for the 2x2 Motherboard Connector, you get more power where you need it
 

Features

Supports AMD and Intel Motherboards
Low Acoustic Noise
120mm Fan
Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and
ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications
Short Circuit Protection
In-Rush Current Protection
Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
MTBF > 100,000 Hours at Full Load,
110VAC and 25°C Ambient Condition
FCC and UL Recognized 

I don't know where the guy you are referring to is getting his info from.. but from the read of it, he is full of crap.


I am also getting an Intel 2.66 Ghz, 133Mhz FSB cpu ($189.99 at newegg) and a Gigabyte board ($99 at newegg) along with Vista 64 bit Home Premium ($109.99 at newegg)..

I just decided to do a new build.

[Elvis]

Wow! Just passing info along; I can't even find that particular Ultra psu on sale at Tiger Direct, and Newegg doesn't sell any kind of Ultra product because its pretty much a Tiger Direct branding. And which part of that review was full of crap, methodology of psu testing or what. I persoanlly find that when a company ie ULtra claims something for a product, SLI certification; and then the product isn't listed on the Nvidia website that something went awry. But as far as googling that particular psu I can't even find it on sale anywhere so you probably have another Ultra psu. My persoanl preference, which is a lot like an asshole, everyone has one; is to avoid Ultlra psus I had a 500W Ultra in a socket 754 machine that was never stable until I switched out psus, ran fine under a 435watt Enermax.

Good luck guy nothing better than getter a new machine up and running. 

[Pestalence_XC]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-detailsInactive.asp?EdpNo=3293596

This is the link on the PSU for specifications and product at Tiger Direct..

http://ultraproducts.com/product_details.php?cPath=61&pPath=666&productID=667

This is the product Specifications and MSRP at Ultra's site



I got it at Tiger Direct for :

ULT40122 Ultra 750w X2 Power Supply/120mm Titanium UV Side
Status:  Shipped
$79.99
Method:  UPS GROUND 
Date Shipped:  02/17/08

Tiger Direct sold out.. I got 1 of the last 3 they had left...

Listing on Tiger Direct follows :

All New Redesigned 750 Watt Ultra X-Connect (X2)
Just when the technicians and designers thought they had the perfect power supply in Ultra's legendary laboratories, its crack team of geniuses one-upped their own incredible product. Enter the hard-working power supply with the glossy titanium finish – the X2 750 Watt Power Supply

Why X2 is Better than Ever
If you’re familiar with the Ultra X-Connect (1st Generation) you know that it’s the world’s first completely modular design. That means you only have to connect the cables you need. This leaves your system’s airflow unimpeded by clunky, chunky air stifling cables. The end result? Airflow that cools and protects your precious components. This born-to-be-modded power supply goes several steps beyond its award-winning predecessors. The Ultra 750-watt titanium finish X-Connect features FlexForce technology, which delivers easy cable routing while remaining hidden within your case. FlexForce’s special design allows air to travel 30-percent more effectively than standard cables. This results in a quantum leap in performance. Plus the 750-Watt X-Connect dresses its cables in a sleek, titanium UV reactive finish.

Dual Rail Technology for More Stable Power
Specially developed for extreme gaming rigs! This 750-watt Ultra X-Connect features Dual Rail Technology. The X-Connect’s critical 12V power are divided into two separate rails. This distributes cleaner power to your CPU, offering better stability and greater overclocking potential. You’ll get phenomenal system performance with the this 750-watt X-Connect!

Made from premium steel and coated with a high gloss titanium finish, this sleek glossy look will give your computer the professional gamer look.

Use only the cables you need!
No need to clutter up your computer with useless cables. This not only increases airflow within your case, but it gives the inside of your case a clean professional look.

FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case while increasing the airflow.

Better Power Distribution
Dedicated CPU Rail
More stable power when you need it...

Low noise 120mm fan will maximize airflow through the power supply as well as keep the noise level of your pc down.

Short Circuit Protection
In-Rush Current Protection
Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
All the power protection you'll need!

Detailed Features

Specifications

AC INPUT 115V/230V - 60/50Hz
DC OUTPUT +3.3V +5V +12V +12V -12V -5V +5VSB
750W Max
Combined
Watts 24A 28A 25A 28A 0.8A - 2.5A
750W

Connectors and Cables

1x 20/24-Pin Motherboard Connector
1x 4-Pin +12V Motherboard Connector
2x 6-Pin PCI-Express Connectors
1x 5-Pin SATA Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable
1x 4-Pin Power Cable with Floppy power connector
1x 8-Pin EPS Motherboard Power Cable
1x Y Cable with 2 5-Pin SATA Connectors
2x Y Cable with two 4-Pin Connectors
1x 12.5" 4-Pin Power Cable with 3 cooling fan connectors
1x 4-Pin Power Cable with Floppy power connector 

Ultra Lifetime Warranty
To ensure your complete satisfaction, all Ultra Products Power Supplies and Cases now carry a three year warranty that they will be free from defects in materials or workmanship. In addition, that warranty is upgradable to a LIFETIME warranty by simply registering online. At Ultra, customer service is our most important mission. That’s why every Ultra product must meet the highest industry standards for quality and reliability. And our warranty program is second to none.

What is FlexForce?
The FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case. The FlexForce special design allows air to travel 30% more effective then standard cables, increasing efficiency.

What is Dual Rail Technology?
Dual Rail Technology distributes power to components that require it the most. With Dedicated 12V Rail for the 2x2 Motherboard Connector, you get more power where you need it

Features

Supports AMD and Intel Motherboards
Low Acoustic Noise
120mm Fan
Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and
ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications
Short Circuit Protection
In-Rush Current Protection
Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
MTBF > 100,000 Hours at Full Load,
110VAC and 25°C Ambient Condition
FCC and UL Recognized



Overclockers Club tested this PSU out on their systems

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/ultra_x2_750_ee/6.htm

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/ultra_x2_750_ee/7.htm

It passed with flying colors, charts included on the first link



Virtual Hideout also tested this PSU out

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Ultra_X2_750W_Extreme/index2.shtml

They couldn't even dent the power output of the PSU.. with their rig they could only get it pushing 350W and it didn't even break a sweat.. they even stated it had a long way to go to max it out. Then again their test system specs weren't all that great.

Test Rig:
Abit IP35 Pro Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 (3.0GHz)
Crucial 2x1GB Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 Memory
ASUS EAX1950PRO Graphics card
WD 80GB SATA II HDD
Samsung Super WriteMaster SATA DVD+R DL 

They too posted a link to the Enthusiast web site on their testing about testing over 500 watts... so it remains to be seen..

Now I'm not saying that Ultra's PSU's are the best.. but from all the reviews I have read.. it should handle quite well.. and if it doesn't meet specifications, I have a lifetime warranty on it.. I will just ship it back in to them and get it replaced.. by their warranty agreement, if the PSU fails to meet specifications 2 times when I send it in, then they will replace it with the next one up.. same warranty applies...

so it is a good bang for the buck.. I have seen more positive reviews on the PSU than negative ones.. some reviews say it won't go over 510 Watts, others it worked perfectly.. but with all PC hardware you never know until you power the thing up..

If I have too many problems with it, I'll send it back to Tiger Direct or Ultra and get a better one without paying any more than what I already have.

The biggest problem with the Enthusiast's site testing is that they only had 196 Watts input power.. you have to have an 82% ratio on a PSU

196W total watts into a 750W PSU is not a proper test. Sure it may run a regular Joe's system but you need to "stress test" it to make sure it functions near its stated specs.

Enthusiast web site failed to test the PSU properly.

I am going to contact Ultra and find out if it is a recall item.. there may be issues between them and NVidia

[Don Karnage]

its weird my old pentium 3 was having trouble reading mp3 because it was skiping part of it, since the hd with win 98 is required for a transplant of part to the dead hd that got win xp for my main com.

well i buy another hd and install win xp for the old pentium 3 and it seem that now it can read a mp3 and i can view with out problem a .mod well kitbah made by f9th centurius (sorry if i miss spell you're name) and its good, but a bit slow to view a .mod maybe because the com only have 128 megs of ram (not bad i can run win xp with only 128 megs of ram), so anyway ,aybe the com will work bether with win xp compare to win 98.

[Pestalence_XC]

Um...

I'm going to be running Windows Vista Home Premiun 64-bit edition full install, which is the Operating system that came out last year..

I don't know of anyone in the world who would be still using Win 98 intentionally.. the OS is junk and is no longer supported by Microsoft.. it hasn't been supported for about 3 years now.

[Elvis]

MAybe I'm not reading the same document you are, their methodology is based upon testing the psu at approx. 25%, 50%, 75%, and %100 of load, and in this case they do test the psu at 186W, and 364W. The tests that were supposed to made at 500W and 750W never materialized because the units quit working after the 2nd load test. Which means they got a couple of faulty psus to  review, which isn't saying much for the QA at Wintech. So maybe they should rereview this psu. This is not old product, but a new product which by the looks of it isn't going to have a long life if I can't find it on sale on Tiger Direct. HardOCP doesn't really have a bias against Ultra(like I would) because this isn't the first Ultra product they've tested, others have gotten good ratings. I also remember Kyle(owner) saying he used in Ultra Connect 2 psu the 500W variety in one of his personal machines. HardOCp reviews are pretty much tell it as it is, with little held back.

Now as far as finding a 750W psu for the price you paid would throw flags for me because their is a 750W Ultra psu on sale at TD for twice the amount of money, which leads me to go hmmmmmm. How can Ultra build a 750W psu for less than half of which other manufacturers sell theirs? ANd Ultra isn't even the manufacturer more of the rebadger. Now their warranty is a plus, a lifetime warranty isn't something to pass up lightly, considering my SilverStone 600W modular is occassionaly producing a clicking sound and is just out of warranty.

I guess when it comes right down to it I'm a psu snob.     

[Don Karnage]

Um...

I'm going to be running Windows Vista Home Premiun 64-bit edition full install, which is the Operating system that came out last year..

I don't know of anyone in the world who would be still using Win 98 intentionally.. the OS is junk and is no longer supported by Microsoft.. it hasn't been supported for about 3 years now.

well i run win 98 because of a lest one game that work under win 98, the game wont work under win xp and the dosbox can't make it work because the game is too old, that why i use win98.

[Pestalence_XC]

MAybe I'm not reading the same document you are, their methodology is based upon testing the psu at approx. 25%, 50%, 75%, and %100 of load, and in this case they do test the psu at 186W, and 364W. The tests that were supposed to made at 500W and 750W never materialized because the units quit working after the 2nd load test. Which means they got a couple of faulty psus to review, which isn't saying much for the QA at Wintech. So maybe they should rereview this psu. This is not old product, but a new product which by the looks of it isn't going to have a long life if I can't find it on sale on Tiger Direct. HardOCP doesn't really have a bias against Ultra(like I would) because this isn't the first Ultra product they've tested, others have gotten good ratings. I also remember Kyle(owner) saying he used in Ultra Connect 2 psu the 500W variety in one of his personal machines. HardOCp reviews are pretty much tell it as it is, with little held back.

Now as far as finding a 750W psu for the price you paid would throw flags for me because their is a 750W Ultra psu on sale at TD for twice the amount of money, which leads me to go hmmmmmm. How can Ultra build a 750W psu for less than half of which other manufacturers sell theirs? ANd Ultra isn't even the manufacturer more of the rebadger. Now their warranty is a plus, a lifetime warranty isn't something to pass up lightly, considering my SilverStone 600W modular is occassionaly producing a clicking sound and is just out of warranty.

I guess when it comes right down to it I'm a psu snob.

BFG Tech has an 800 watt going for about $100.. I was on their Tech Support phone today... I may just send this PSU back to Tiger Direct and get BFG's.. it is only a $20 difference in price.. The reason Tiger Direct does not have them right now is because at Ultra's web site, the unit is on back order until March 15, 2008.. Tiger Direct can't sell what they don't have. Like I stated, I am going to see what Ultra's response is going to be.. I sent them an Email last night concerning the performance of the PSU.

well i run win 98 because of a lest one game that work under win 98, the game wont work under win xp and the dosbox can't make it work because the game is too old, that why i use win98.

All you have to do is set the program in XP under the correct compatibility mode and disable Visual themes on 98% of software.. Video drivers can also cause some game instability.

the only software XP will not support is 8 bit applications. 16 bit and higher should work just fine.

Vista does not support 16 bit applications without an emulator. all software for Vista must be 24 or 32 bit for the native environment to run it.. however you can get a emulator to run 16 bit applications.. however 8 bit software is not supported at all.

Now some games may require a Win 98 / ME or XP configuration, like Dominion Wars.. Vista gets error that Dominion Wars will not work on a Win 2K3 system.. and since Vista is a combination of XP and Server 2K3 with some enhancements, so when Dom Wars launches, it gives message that Win 2K3 is not supported.. I have not found an emulator yet to allow that program to work on Vista. however Dom Wars runs just fine on XP.

on XP you do have to configure some services of the operating system to get games working on it.. but that is the case with any Operating system..

You sometimes have to work at getting a program working correctly..

Just like SFC and Vista..

When I was offline for a year and a half, people who upgraded to Vista had no clue how to get the game working on the system.

It took me all of 4 hours to get it working because I know you have to configure your Operating System to your software.. your software will not conform to your OS.. It takes research and testing settings, but for SFC OP and SFC and SFC 3, it only took 4 hours to get the game stable and playable for single player.. it took 2 days to get Gamespy Arcade working stable under Vista, and all that took was Service Pack 1 Beta and set GSA to Win 2K or XP compatibility mode and turn off desktop composition.

Vista Aero theme will play havoc with software on the Desktop Composition.. so when setting compatibility Mode, I make sure that software designed for Win 2K, ME, or 98, I turn Desktop Composition off.. Some XP software needs it turned off but I have only found 2 programs like that.. most software will automatically disable it by default (Vista Home Basic Mode)..

As far as Dynaverse and Vista, I have the D2 about 85% playable with the config I have set up in Vista.. I think that the other 15% is the Vid Card i was using.. when I build my new system, I will be running a NVidia GeForce 8800 GTX OC2 with 786 MB gDDR3 by BFG, which is rated currently the best Vid Card on the market.. even over the 8800 Ultra (Ultra only has an 8% difference over the BFG OC2 card on 2 out of 7 tests).. they are pretty much the same with a $125 difference in price.. the Ultra is water cooled, mine is air cooled, but performance difference is negligible. With the new card, I am sure that I will see a difference in the ability of OP on the Dynaverse...

Anyhow, I have not found any software that I had on Win 98 that would not work on XP.. I have only found 4 programs that worked on XP what will not work on Vista..

What program are you trying to run and maybe I can help you config it for XP.

[Don Karnage]

the game I'm talking about can work on a 386, so its a more that 10 year old game, its call transport tycoon and other have try it and wont work with win xp one way or another, its only need 5 megs of hd place, yes fives not fifty megs so i know of the deluxe version and i don't like it.

that why i need win 98 for that game.

if you want i can send it to you and you can try to game on xp, it will load but it close after a few second.

[Pestalence_XC]

That game I doubt would work on 2K, XP, 2K3, Vista, or 2K8, a 5 Mb install indicates an 8 bit program.. Doubtful it would work on newer OS.

[Don Karnage]

that's the reason i need win 98 to make it work.