Author Topic: Well I bought a HP (Read 563 times)

TweetyBird · « **on:** November 30, 2003, 01:53:42 PM »

I know I was going to build my own machine. I know I was going to Best Buy just to *look* , but now I have 70-75fps at 1024x768 - 32 bit color

Its like a different game now - I can see other planes spin and stall. I can see my controls. I can see at *NIGHT*

Anyway - here was the deal - seemed pretty good to me...
Anthlon2800+XP
512 mb
80 gb hd
cd r/w dvd-rom
Nvidia GeForce 4 MX 64 mb
15" LCD monitor

$700

I'm pretty sure I can upgrade the video at a later time, but it seemed to be a very reasonable price as is.

bloom25 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2003, 12:43:03 PM »

That's almost certainly using an nForce 2 chipset with the integrated GeForce 4 MX video onboard. It shouldn't be too bad for AH.

With HPs the biggest problem I see with them is that some systems use a totally inadequate power supply that is prone to failure every 6 months.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2003, 01:06:54 PM »

Also alot of HP's are in a small case that doesnt breath to well .

My old pent 2 had the infamous backwards fan in the power supply that drew the hot air inwards .

but besides that you should have a pritty good machine.

TweetyBird · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:27:50 PM »

From what I can find out on the net, it has an Ansus N8X - LA mb
333/400 FSB. Will I be able to upgrade the video in the future?

Also I dont think the graphics card is on board. The monitor plug is in a card slot in the back. If it was on board, wouldn't
the plug be in the same area as the onboard lan, serial port etc.?

Roscoroo · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:43:52 PM »

yes you can upgrade the VC in the future

vorticon · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2003, 03:05:26 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Roscoroo
Also alot of HP's are in a small case that doesnt breath to well .

My old pent 2 had the infamous backwards fan in the power supply that drew the hot air inwards .

but besides that you should have a pritty good machine.

my hps fan has a little plastic thing in it that covers the mother board area...so even though the case is small (only half the size of my other system) there isnt any heating problem (after 12 hours of being on the air coming out of the back was still cold)

Quote

I know I was going to build my own machine. I know I was going to Best Buy just to *look* , but now I have 70-75fps at 1024x768 - 32 bit color

looks good...but that lcd monitor is holding back your fps (i can get 80fps with a gf2 mx 440)
also check and make sure that your video card is in a agp slot (looks like pci only brown...hp systems generally dont have them) otherwise your not going to be able to upgrade it much

bloom25 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:13:54 PM »

Your motherboard is either going to be an Asus A7N8X, A7N8X-X, or A7N8X-VM.

The VM has onboard video, but if it is this board the video connector is near the serial port.

It's probably the A7N8X or A7N8X-X. The difference between the two is the -X is a single channel DDR memory board and the non-X is dual channel. On the -X all the memory slots are black, and on the non-X one of the slots is blue.

WhiteHawk · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2003, 07:58:05 AM »

Well, for informational purposes. The gf4 ti4200 blows away the mx 440. I cant believe they still put that thing in anything besides cash registers. And the ATI 9600 pro is a cupple steps over the ti4200, and the 9800 pro is apparently the best on the market at this time. ( I had to return my 9800 pro, but i found out it was a problem with my motherboard) so I am running a 9600 pro for the time being.