If you really do want to go to the extreme on RAM, i7 is the way to go. It's the only chip you can hit 12gb RAM on without having to shell out for 4gb sticks. Also, to save a few bucks skip over Vista and install the Win7 64 bit RC. It's free (until march) and in general just kicks ass for an OS.

 

So I'd go with something like the following:

Intel i7-920 > $280

Asus X58 Mobo > $210 ($15 mail in rebate so $195 after)

OCZ 12gb RAM kit (6x 2gb) > $170 ($20 mail in rebate, so $150 after)

That gives you a total cost of $660, $625 after mail in rebates. (All items have free shipping)

If you'd be satisfied with 8gb RAM you could go a lot cheaper with an AMD Phenom 2 setup, but if you want 12gb you'll have to use 4gb sticks in any non-i7 setup, and that means you'd be spending at least $460 on RAM (much lower quality ram at that), leaving you with an extremely cheap CPU & Mobo to come in any less than the i7.

Here's a Quick comparison of what you could get away with spending if you limited yourself to 8gb RAM:

AMD Phenom 2 940 > $190

Asus AM2+ Mobo > $80 ($10 mail in rebate, but no free shipping)

Patriot 8gb RAM kit (4x 2gb) > $100 (No free shipping)

That gives you a total of roughly $370 for the AMD setup with 8gb RAM. Over $250 less if you can live with lowering yourself from 12gb RAM to 8gb RAM.

 

Which is the better way to go... it's hard to say really. I'm a huge fam of the i7 myself, it is certianly leaps and bounds better than any other processor on the market currently, but you pay for it. Both in the cost of the CPU, and of the motherboard. For that $250 difference you could replace your ageing 8800gt with a GTX275 or ATI HD4890, which would leave your system in a much better state for gaming in general. 

But on the other hand going with th i7 now would leave you with a system that could very easily be turned into a top end rig with just a new video card at a later date should you so desire. I guess it ultimatly depends on your budget, and what you forsee in the next 6-12 months for any additional spending money.

As much as I'd love to convince you to spring for the i7 (cause it just rocks), I would have to probably advise going with the AMD setup (8gb RAM will be fine) unless you forsee getting the extra $ to properly outfit the i7 with a new video card by the end of the year. That prosessors greatness would be ultimatly severly bottlenecked by your current GPU.

 

Anyways, this is getting too long, but theres a couple different ways you can go at least.

Just one question: as far as I know, there is no 64bit edition of Sins, so even when you install it on a x64 OS, the program itself is still limited to the 2GB RAM per program rule of 32bit software, isn't it?

Don't know. That's beyond me. All I know is it runs ok on V64...

Yes, Sins itself will still be limited by RAM because it's a 32-bit app, but Windows won't be. When you run it on a 32-bit machine everything that's running has to share that measly memory, including the OS itself. When you run it on a 64-bit, Sins can get its own chunk without the OS and other apps butting in and taking some

Anyone know of a way to get a cheap 64 bit comp without building it?

I looked at all of the companies that sell who computer, and none offer a 64-bit compatblie computer, have I looked at them all or am I missed some?

I check Dell, Lenovo, Compact, HP, Tosbiba.

I have no idea what you have done to your XP, but my one never ever takes more than 700MB, even with firefox, winamp etc running, so there's alway enough RAM for Sins left. The limitation derives from the program itself. x64 Windows7, on the other hand, consumes about 1.4GB of RAM, so you ought to have at least 4GB available.

What I want to express is: If you stay with x86 WinXP, you don't need more than 4GB RAM (~3,25GB on my machine due to 32bit). In x64 Windows Vista/7 you need at least 4GB RAM, but there's no reason, gaming-wise, why anybody would need 12GB of RAM.

Same here, I have 2gb ram, with an additional 2gb of swap, so I rarely lag using entrenchment, but I could ue more ram, for the trek mod though

Do you really need 12 GB ram, is there even a comp that could handle it?!?! Personally, if I had the money, I would just get a comp that uses Xp, if you a gaming fanatic, purely game on it use your main comp for other software etc...

Almost all desktop computers sold today new are 64-bit compatible. Many come with Vista 64 pre-installed. Any Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad is 64. All Intel i7 chips are also 64-bit. All AMD Phenom chips are as well, and of course all Athlon 64s.

It is a toss up between the memory and the graphics. I had problems till I added more ram and went to sli with more graphics.

Vista x64 is the way to go... but win7 64 bit is soon to be released. RC is already out and many gamers are using it. Only problem is drivers are still being worked out for games and such.

Vista and everyone I know of has atleast 3gigs of ram using 32bit and 8gigs using 64bit with sli or crossfire and no problems with most of any game they play.

 

 

How did I run out of memory?

Well, on a very large map, I had running: 250+ trade ports, 70+ refineries, 16 caps, 400+ strike craft and their carriers, 120 HCs, 100 LRMs, 50 flaks, 30 hoshikos, 100+ other assorted ships, and eight opponents with all their ships.

Things started to get choppy when I sent 30 scouts out to see who I was going to annihilate first...

Certainly do not skimp on the processor. It's the bottleneck for Sins.

 

I have the 8800 GT and I see choppiness when playing some games that are easy on the PC.

To compare performance, both UT3 and Demigod run as smooth as anything on my pc...

I have problems with anything using memory. Processing RAW files from my Nikon D-300 is a good example.

Mooster wrote:
Do you really need 12 GB ram, is there even a comp that could handle it?!?! Personally, if I had the money, I would just get a comp that uses Xp, if you a gaming fanatic, purely game on it use your main comp for other software etc...

My 2 year old computer have 16 gb ram... and his score is almost double of the new i7 !!!

Using sins with Linux, with the huge mod 7DS, with a own map having 50 star and almost 2000 planet, 1 human + 9 AI and pirate... after a few days gaming, sins have use almost 11 gb of my ram...

XP is not a top gaming OS, it is simply the more easy to use... if you are not afraid from days of compilation, building your own OS tuned on your own material will give your the ultimate pleasure in game... by example, having slow processor ( 8 core at 2.66GHZ ), i use hardware virtualisation for create a virtual processor at 10ghz ( it really help sins for the slowdown )...

Generic OS, the same is true for windows, Linux, etc are slow because they are generic, made for a numerous type of processor, hardware, etc... a tuned kernel with only what you need for your system will fly in speed and use very little memory

The mobo I'm looking at can take 24Gb...

I remember when... 8Mb was the best you could get, but someone came out with 64Mb and everyone said that was ridiculous because nothing could use it...