Curse

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 05:25 PM // 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMThompson

Even if I can only afford the 128MB 6600? Would a less better card with 256 be better? I don't get it.

The 6600GT only has 128mB because it uses 1.3ms or so DDR3 memory clocked at 1GHz. It's some of the highest quality video memory available in terms of power and speed, and for the price it's at there's no comparison.

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 05:27 PM // 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMThompson

NVIDIA Geforce 6600 GT 128MB AGP8X w/TVO&DVI [+227]
ATI ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB w/ TV Tuner & Remote [+277]

Note that the 6600GT and 9800 Pro are the same price on this site, but the 6600GT is a lot faster, a lot more powerful, and supports newer features like Pixel Shader 3.0 and other nice effects.

Note: Before any ATI fanboys jump in, I did spot the tv tuner and remote, but that would only add about $60-$70 onto the price anyway.

Redfang · May 09, 2005, 05:34 PM // 17:34

From the 4 you mentioned, get this one:

ATI RADEON X600 XT 256MB 16X PCI EXPRESS VIDEO CARD

But make sure the computer you are building has enough of a power supply to run it properly.

EnDinG · May 09, 2005, 05:39 PM // 17:39

Alienware might have ok computers, but they are a waste of money. Anyone who buys from there should ask a friend who knows computers first, that person can probley build you a system that is at least 1K USD less that is the same.

And heres a decent system I put together with that website...

X-BLADE II Med-Tower Case 450W (SILVER)
(754-pin) AMD ATHLON64 3200+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology
ASUS K8N NF3 250 Chipset MBoard
512 MB PC3200 400MHz DDR MEMORY (Major_Brand)
Seagate 80GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache
NONE - 2nd Hard Drive
NVIDIA Geforce 6600 GT 128MB AGP8X w/TVO
NONE - CD/DVD
NONE - CDRW
NONE - MONITOR
3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD
Price: $716.00

Could cut out the case for the extra $3. More fun to mod it yourself. I took out some of the cheap little $2 - $5 dallor things, thats where they can get you for an extra $50 sometimes, and a lot of that stuff is bottom line anyway, better to buy something useful that won't break or cause problems next pay cheque.

Or something else that I would go for personally...

ATX MEDIUM TOWER CASE 350 WATT (BLACK)
(Sckt775)Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 630 CPU w/HT Technology 3.0GHZ 800FSB 2MB Cache, 64 Bit
(DDR1 OR DDR2)MSI 915P COMBO FR I915P CHIPSET SOCKET775 PCI EXPRESS MB W/ SATA, GIGABITE LAN & 7.1 SOUND
512MB (256MBx2) PC3200 DDR400 Dual Channel (Major_Brand)
Seagate 80GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache
NONE - Hard Drive
NVIDIA Geforce 6600 GT 128MB 16X PCI EXPRESS VIDEO CARD-- Powered by Leadtek
NONE - CD/DVD
NONE - CDRW
NONE - MONITOR
3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD
Price: $728.00

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 05:43 PM // 17:43

I was about to post a system I slapped together on there, but it was identical to EnDinG's apart from the fact that I used an Athlon64 3000+ instead of an Athlon64 3200+ to save on money. Oh, and I selected the Asus K8V-SE motherboard, but only because it's the same as mine lol.

Sorry to say this... But that site is horribly overpriced. I don't know much about American sites but everyone I know on your side of the pond goes crazy over Best Buy.

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 06:02 PM // 18:02

I just tried making a budget gaming system on one of my favourite sites (www.ebuyer.com uk) and came up with this price...

System Case: Any basic form ATX tower = £20.00/$37.63
Motherboard: Asus K8V-SE Deluxe K8T800 = £61.94/$116.58
Processor: AMD Athlon64 Newcastle 3000+ = £95.66/$180.02
System RAM: Corsair Value 512mB DDR400 = £28.97/$54.51
Hard Disk: Seagate Barracuda 120GB 8mBc = £42.04/$79.11
Graphics Card: PNY 6600GT AGPx8 128mB = £99.97/$188.12
Sound Card: Built into motherboard = £0.00/$0.00
Network Card: Build into motherboard = £0.00/$0.00
Total = £348.58/$655.88

Violá. This is even assuming that you can't simply keep your current case and hard disk drive, as they should be perfectly fine. The site you are using is definitely on the expensive side.

Edit: I forgot to add the PSU (power supply unit), but if your existing one is rated over 300w I guarantee it will handle this setup.

EnDinG · May 09, 2005, 06:19 PM // 18:19

LoL. =) Just figured if he set $700 as a limit, can't hurt to splurg another 20 bucks. Great minds think alike.

*Edit*
Thats some crunchy prices for the Corsair RAM. Nice to know that when I go and visit Scottland that I'll be spending money on computer parts out there... *Grumble*

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 06:34 PM // 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnDinG

LoL. =) Just figured if he set $700 as a limit, can't hurt to splurg another 20 bucks. Great minds think alike.

*Edit*
Thats some crunchy prices for the Corsair RAM. Nice to know that when I go and visit Scottland that I'll be spending money on computer parts out there... *Grumble*

Yeah it is a very nice price for RAM, but don't bother if you're expecting ultra low latency. It's DDR400 though, so it's great for most people.

Remorhaz · May 09, 2005, 06:43 PM // 18:43

don't be a nvidiot, get an ATI card

EnDinG · May 09, 2005, 07:10 PM // 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remorhaz

don't be a nvidiot, get an ATI card

Constructive criticism.

RMThompson · May 09, 2005, 07:12 PM // 19:12

[ ATX MEDIUM TOWER CASE 350 WATT (BLACK)
(Sckt775)Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 630 CPU w/HT Technology 3.0GHZ 800FSB 2MB Cache, 64 Bit
(DDR1 OR DDR2)MSI 915P COMBO FR I915P CHIPSET SOCKET775 PCI EXPRESS MB W/ SATA, GIGABITE LAN & 7.1 SOUND
512MB (256MBx2) PC3200 DDR400 Dual Channel (Major_Brand)
Seagate 80GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache
NONE - Hard Drive
NVIDIA Geforce 6600 GT 128MB 16X PCI EXPRESS VIDEO CARD-- Powered by Leadtek
NONE - CD/DVD
NONE - CDRW
NONE - MONITOR
3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD
Price: $728.00[/QUOTE]

That seems pretty reasonable, and not that bad. Now to get the money.

EnDinG · May 09, 2005, 07:19 PM // 19:19

Forgot to mention, its also a PCIe, so expect a nice ride.

Its around the same cost of my current system (only I bought a few more toys when building it), so the cost isn't too bad. (Probley around $1050ish Canadian.)

Should have no problems playing any games for a while, the only upgrade you need is expanding to a gig of RAM eventually.

Theres also no stereo included, mainly because I don't believe in them. Headsets work much better to get that detailed sound... Distance, direction, depth.

*Edit*
Correction, that is almost my system. My mother board is a little different, but very close. Running dual 512 sticks with two more slots (for when I get the money) for another gig... Pretty well the only other difference. LoL. I'll tell you right now, it should run great.

Principa Discordia · May 09, 2005, 07:25 PM // 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remorhaz

don't be a nvidiot, get an ATI card

Fanboyism makes baby Jesus cry.

SOT · May 10, 2005, 06:55 AM // 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam.skinner

Don't bother getting a ghetto card. Just use the onboard on that motherboard and see how that flys. You should be fine.

For those lacking in power video chipsets, don't bother with more than 128M ram.

The 6600GT is your best bet for a real video card right now. BTW that motherboard doesn't support AGP cards, so you can discount those suggestions.

The amount of RAM on a card has very little to do with it's performance. What matters is the (a) number of bits [64,128,256], (b) chipset, (c) ram/core speeds [difference between the base/ultra/xt cards]. The amount of RAM onboard really has very little to do with performance, especially with a game like GW.

use the mobo onboard?!?!?! omg. Your nuts!

Remorhaz · May 11, 2005, 12:56 AM // 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Principa Discordia

Fanboyism makes baby Jesus cry.

intel and nvidia makes baby jesus cry, the world would be a much better place with only AMD and ATI

Serafita Kayin · May 11, 2005, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Except ATi lost this round.

Better try with Fudo, guys...

Vorkronor · May 11, 2005, 08:14 AM // 08:14

If you are able, buy at newegg.com or any major retailer and assemble by yourself (or ask a friend for help). You will save about $100, maybe even more and will be able to select components you want, not those the e-shop forces you to use.

I do not know how much the shipping and taxes are, so I left a little room (~$25). Also if you do not need a DL/DVD burner subtract another $50.

This is my recomended list.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Newcastle 800MHz FSB Socket 754 Processor Model ADA3000AXBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3000AXBOX
$149.00

ASUS K8N-E DELUXE Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N-E DELUXE
$128.00

RAIDMAX ATX-868WUP Blue Steel Gaming Case Computer Case 420W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: ATX-868WUP
$52.00

NEC ND-3520A Black IDE DVD Burner - OEM
Model #: ND-3520A BK
$48.99

SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series SP1604N 160GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: SP1604N
$78.50

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail
Model #: VS1GBKIT400
$79.99

ABIT RX700pro-128PCIE Radeon X700PRO 128MB GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: RX700pro-128PCIE
$138.00

Total(before tax and w/o shipping): $674.48 ($625.49 w/o the DVD burner)

P.S.: I bought a AXP 2400+, nForce 2 MB, 1GB RAM, ATI 9700Pro two years ago and I'm still happy with it

Principa Discordia · May 11, 2005, 11:06 AM // 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remorhaz

intel and nvidia makes baby jesus cry, the world would be a much better place with only AMD and ATI

Stop making baby Jesus cry! What did he do to you fanboys?

I like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and ATI... And I'll put one thing to you... If it weren't for Intel, how slow do you think AMD chips would be today? If it weren't for Nvidia, how slow do you think ATI cards would be today? The vice-versa works too.

Seriously, sorry for the thread hijack, but silly fanboy children simply do not get how corporate competition only helps the customer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorkronor

ABIT RX700pro-128PCIE Radeon X700PRO 128MB GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: RX700pro-128PCIE
$138.00

I love the system you suggested, great for someone who wants to play Guild Wars in great graphical detail, except this one bit.

The ATI Radeon X700 Pro is outperformed by the Nvidia Geforce 6600GT despite them being the same tier of card. I'm not fanwhoring, it's a fact, the 6600GT has higher clock speeds and much faster/higher-quality memory.

If anyone were to choose between an X700 or a 6600, I'd tell them to get the 6600 every time. ATI cards only get better than Nvidia cards when you hit the X800 XT PE.

EnDinG · May 11, 2005, 01:36 PM // 13:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Principa Discordia

The ATI Radeon X700 Pro is outperformed by the Nvidia Geforce 6600GT despite them being the same tier of card. I'm not fanwhoring, it's a fact, the 6600GT has higher clock speeds and much faster/higher-quality memory.

If anyone were to choose between an X700 or a 6600, I'd tell them to get the 6600 every time. ATI cards only get better than Nvidia cards when you hit the X800 XT PE.

Going to second that.

The price range on both cards are extreamly close, but if you want a card that won't outdate in the next couple of years, its what your looking for. Top of the line in its class, only out matched by, of course, the 6800 and most of the x800 series. Unless you won a bit of money or have a nest egg you wish to blow, I'd avoid those for now. Their price should drop in a year or so.

*EndEdit*
FYI Fanboy, some of the new Intel motherboards coming out are of course going to be the top of the line. Some dual chip beauties will be making an apperence shortly. After these, they are suppose to stop making AGP and focus on PCIe. AMD is a step behind to my knowledge, leaving them to of course come up with a better board after Intel releases theirs, only because they know what they have to beat.

And as a nice little fact for you, if there was only AMD and ATi, they would end up monoplizing the entire market, making computer life a living hell and rather boring / dull. Example, Micro$oft. People enough hate using the products since they are so buggy or flawed, but unfortunatly the only real user friendly software out there for most beginning / average computer users. We are taught the software in our schooling and most companies use it every day.

In my option, that sucks. There should be other programs that should be taught in school to broaden the views of people instead of being stuck with one option.

I'm willing to bet M$ has the next 20 years of software programmed out, but only releases a little bit to keep itself in power and money.

Now does that seem fair? No. So having two companies competing for product superiority is always important as to have honest competition of one trying to stay ahead of the other and helps to improve ideas as one tries for something the other hasn't, only to have the other company to do the same product, but only better or with even more improvement. Keeps laziness from kicking in and advances our technology farther every day.

Serafita Kayin · May 11, 2005, 03:17 PM // 15:17

No, AMD isn't behind.

To TOUCH the performance of an FX55, a 3.73 Extreme Edition had to be overclocked to 5.2 GHz.

Boards nothing, nForce4 Ultra/SLi rules all. Had my hands on the top of both, and I see no reason at all to buy Intel because right now they're still focusing on long pipe office software pipelines. When they stop predictive branching, I'll look at them again.

I have a 2.4 Northwood for rendering, a 3000+ [email protected] MHz for gaming, a 1 GHz Duron for downloading, a 300A Celeron as a hardware firewall, and a box of parts awaiting assembly when I finish some cases. I use both, as well as ATi and nVidia cards. I use SDR, DDR, and RAMBUS. (BTW, don't touch the last if you're budget conscious.) The latest round of intel runs blasted hot, is finicky to install, and just isn't as fast.

But what they have done is push AMD oto produce dual core, work on upping cache sizes, and play the game of attempting to stay on top (not difficult.)

And as for AMD having no DDR2, they're skipping it for DDR3 (already in testing) for the fact that DDR-2 can't hold latencies or speeds with DDR-1. It's no faster. Really. Look at some tech sheets and reviews.

Anyway, /end thread hijack, but that may put things in perspective...