My system is just a month shy of its 2nd birthday. It was built on a budget back then, so it wasn't exactly curring edge then.
However, it does still manage do to the job. Just not quite as smoothly & fast as before.
A new fast system is the only real advantage that money can buy in AH.
Over the last 4 years of playing brand W & 5 years here in AH I've noticed a pattern.
This is based on roughly a 2 year replacement or major upgrade of my system.
First 6 months : machine screams, its lean mean & FAST! Connects are smooth, lag in minimal, shooting is easy, This is as good as it gets, enjoy it!
Next 6 monthsr: Other guys are starting to show up with faster, newer systems. Yours is still good, but its not quite so lean anymore. Starting to accumulate junk in the corners. Flying is still good but your not the hot dog on the block anymore.
1year + Computer is starting to work like a overweight office drone. Its getting flabby, its not as fast as it was.
New guys can run rings around you. (Hint, if you havn't already, backup EVERYTHING, reformat HD, reinstall from scratch. This will help for at least 3 - 5 months.) You start getting pretty frustrated with your flying. Some guys all of a sudden are ripping you up. And there are a lot more of them than their used to be.
End game Computer is 2or more years old now, your fps is down, its got a few twitch's & behaves strangely some days.
Your spending more time flying goon, GV, pt boats. Bombers etc. You keep trying to fly a fighter like you used to but the satisfaction is gone. A 3 kill sortie landed is a big deal. You don't get 5 - 7 kill sorties like you used to.
Day 1 new system, its up, its running its got twice the ram, twice the video ram, & 3 x the horsepower of your last system. Your old 40 gig HD that was full is a thing of the past. This one has 200 gig of HD space and its empty!
You log in, WAHOOOOOOOO look at that FPS. You up, you roll in on some poor sucker who's still flying on a P3 and SMOKE him.
Your back on top of the world!
Enjoy it while it lasts!
