Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: culero on March 01, 2005, 08:45:16 PM
-
I'm a really needy guy - I currently fly AH2 on the box I built when AW3 came out (a P3 550). I've replaced the old TNT2 with a Radeon 8500 and oc'ed to 700m, but you may imagine how much my flight experience suxxors in AH2.
I'd REALLY appreciate some advice here as to how to spec a new system to achieve my goals with minimum expense (I'm a cheap bastard with champagne tastes ;))
Other than AH2, I am 100% happy with my system. I don't give a doubledamn about any other games. But, I'd like to be able to run AH2 with all settings maxed and have good performance.
I define "good performance" as frame rates that never dip below 25 under any circumstances, good visibility of all planes/vehicles, terrain features, and objects , and optimal appearance of the artwork.
I have a good monitor (Viewsonic A90) in case that makes a difference in video adapter recommendations.
I have a CH gameport controls suite that I prefer to retain for now (will upgrade to USB eventually but the bang-for-buck now needs to be in the box).
I am competent to assemble and set up a box, but its been years since I kept up on what's what (I used to do product support at AW, so I stayed current, but quit paying attention when AW died).
I have a few specific questions:
1) Are the current Dell systems good enough quality that I might as well save the trouble of assembly/setup and just buy one? I'm seeing refurbished systems in the P4-3GB class for like $700 and equivalent new systems for $1100 on their website, and as I recall their quality/support used to be pretty damned good.
2) As to video cards - from what I've read in here, ATI Radeon 9800Pro seems to be a "sweet spot" for AH2. Is that correct? If so, what NVidia model is equivalent in performance? Also, how does the new ATI x300 PCI Express (standard in newer Dells) compare in performance?
3) How much CPU is "enough" to get the job I'm looking at done?
3a) P4 or AMD, which is better in terms of bang-for-buck in terms of performance in that class of CPU?
4) Do I really need a gig of RAM, or will half a gig do AH2 just fine (again, see my "performance specs" above).
5) As to operating system, do I really need to use XP? If so, is XP Pro worth the $ difference over Home? (I use XP at work and hate it, I'd prefer to use 98SE if there's no performance downside to that.)
I'd really appreciate informed answers to these questions, and also recommendations as to specifcally what components are best. I can do my due diligence on prices, but I'd like clues as to what to shop for.
MANY thanks in advance!
culero (would like to get this together in time for Coral Sea :))
-
asus a7n8x-e Deluxe mainboard
a 2400+ amd athlon (2.0 ghz) or bigger cpu
256 ddr 3200 or 512 (ive ran ah 2 bolth ways)
9600pro or better video card
run any hard drive ide or sata
a good quality power supply, Antec or emermax ,,,
runs windows 98se or xp just fine
or break down and pay the $$$ for a amd 64bit system (939 pin)
a northwood based pent 4 isnt bad either but i think if your gonna spend that much money one should shell out the little bit more for a amd 64 bit.
just my 2 cents
-
Im running mine on a 1.6, with 512 ddr,a 128mb video card and unless its real busy I get 40-50fps. It will drop lower if its a madhouse down there though. Just to give you an idea.
-
Originally posted by culero
I'd REALLY appreciate some advice here as to how to spec a new system to achieve my goals with minimum expense (I'm a cheap bastard with champagne tastes ;))
I have a good monitor (Viewsonic A90) in case that makes a difference in video adapter recommendations.
I have a CH gameport controls suite that I prefer to retain for now (will upgrade to USB eventually but the bang-for-buck now needs to be in the box).
1) Are the current Dell systems good enough quality that I might as well save the trouble of assembly/setup and just buy one? I'm seeing refurbished systems in the P4-3GB class for like $700 and equivalent new systems for $1100 on their website, and as I recall their quality/support used to be pretty damned good.
2) As to video cards - from what I've read in here, ATI Radeon 9800Pro seems to be a "sweet spot" for AH2. Is that correct? If so, what NVidia model is equivalent in performance? Also, how does the new ATI x300 PCI Express (standard in newer Dells) compare in performance?
3) How much CPU is "enough" to get the job I'm looking at done?
3a) P4 or AMD, which is better in terms of bang-for-buck in terms of performance in that class of CPU?
4) Do I really need a gig of RAM, or will half a gig do AH2 just fine (again, see my "performance specs" above).
5) As to operating system, do I really need to use XP? If so, is XP Pro worth the $ difference over Home? (I use XP at work and hate it, I'd prefer to use 98SE if there's no performance downside to that.)
culero (would like to get this together in time for Coral Sea :))
Avoid the Dell junk like you'd avoid the clap. I've been doing some computer work on the side, you can't get parts or support from Dell if you aren't the original owner, and you can't use aftermarket (non Dell) parts.
You need at least a 2500+ AMD (far better value than Intel, for my money at least) CPU. And yes, you need a full Gig of GOOD memory, at least PC 4000. You'll need a video card that has 256MB of memory, like a 5600 series NVidia at least.
You can do what you want for $1K, if you shop well. There are several guys in the squad running a rig like mine, email me if you want specifics, since you've got your email disabled in your profile.
-
Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
Avoid the Dell junk like you'd avoid the clap. I've been doing some computer work on the side, you can't get parts or support from Dell if you aren't the original owner, and you can't use aftermarket (non Dell) parts.
Yeah, I realize that, but either refurbished or new they have the same warranty. If I buy Dell, I'd buy it in the configuration I reckon will work, thus avoiding the need for aftermarket upgrade. I'd take my chances regarding need for replacement parts after the warranty expired with eyes wide open.
I'm not real high on this, but like I said I recall they had decent quality and support back in the day, and there's something to be said for simply opening the box and plugging it in :)
So my lazy side is leaning on my shoulder and whispering "Get a Dell, dood".
My sensible side says spend comparable money buy quality parts and do the work.
I'll have to decide after its all discussed and price-evaluated.
Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
You need at least a 2500+ AMD (far better value than Intel, for my money at least) CPU. And yes, you need a full Gig of GOOD memory, at least PC 4000. You'll need a video card that has 256MB of memory, like a 5600 series NVidia at least.
You can do what you want for $1K, if you shop well. There are several guys in the squad running a rig like mine, email me if you want specifics, since you've got your email disabled in your profile.
Oh, sorry, that e-mail setting is fixed now, please do send any advice you have I'd appreciate it.
With a 333MHz or 400MHz bus CPU (I'm looking at either a AMD Athlon XP 2700+, 333MHz FSB, 256K Cache Processor 2.17GHz - Retail @$109 or a AMD Athlon XP 3200+ "Barton", 400MHz FSB, 512K Cache Processor 2.2GHz - Retail @ $158) will the PC4000 really be a lot better than PC3200 (the CAS3 Corsair PC4000 is like double the price of the CAS2 Corsair PC3200)???
culero
-
You have mail bud. If you have questions, let me know.
-
I just built one of these for a buddy and it runs this game great. He's got the recipets, but I recall the price area
XP3200+ 400FSB $130
Using stock heat sink
256M FX5700LE... $119
After rebate. This card is underclocked at 250MHZ.. its a budget card. The chip is rated at 400MHZ, using coolbits we clocked it to 400 with zero issues.
Gigabyte K7 Triton Pro2 $119
Name it, this has it; GLAN, Sata AND IDE RAID up to 8 drives, 6.1 Soundstorm nforce sound.. has a DSP so it wont steal from the CPU.. like the Audigy I have, Dual Ch DDR400 support, Dual BIOS, 1394, 8 USB 2.0, nForce chipset... I love this board for the price.
1G PC3200 he had.
Some smurfy tower with a 350W PSU $40
2 SATA Seagate drives, 100GB ea came in about $200 for both... I've seen 80G sata drives for $70 tho...
We re-used his CDR / DVD.. and monitor. This thing pulls 80FPS if not more EASY at 1020x768
Using the Gigabyte easytune software it's running at XP3500 rated speeds... runs smooth as a babysass. .. it runs so well hes doing more video on it than his 1.8 G5
Great for the price IMO... but just an example, lots of great hardware out there.
-
Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
You have mail bud. If you have questions, let me know.
Got it, thanks! :)
culero
-
Uh ya, like the other guy said. Avoid Dell. I serviced one for a friend of mine last month and was surprised to see all the parts were (i cannot tell the difference) labeled in either chinese or japanese. Thought Dell was American made. Replacing OEM parts I gather would be tough. More than likely, each machine was made with whatever they had in stock at the time. Kinda like a piece of crap Korean computer i bought 10 years ago.. although tech support was in America, had Korean people didnt have a clue of how to speak English. Never mind, Im venting here..best to have someone build you a good system. Can save a lot of money building one and getting better quality foir it.
-
Not trying to play moderator but why are so many tech issues being posed here and not on the hardware forum?
There is a TON of help to be had there
-
Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Not trying to play moderator but why are so many tech issues being posed here and not on the hardware forum?
There is a TON of help to be had there
Personally, I've had very little response to posts there in the past. I noticed someone else here a day or two ago get a lot more help than I ever did over there, so....
culero (hey, this is gameplay related! I'm getting the new box so I can kick ALL yer dog prettythanges! :D )
-
Originally posted by Ohio43
snip
Never mind, Im venting here..best to have someone build you a good system. Can save a lot of money building one and getting better quality foir it.
Yeah, I realize that. I've always built my own in the past (several), starting back in the 386-486 days. Its just that I quit messing around with this stuff and paying attention to technology development during the Pentium 3 period.
I'm also lazy, thus the question about a "ready-rolled". Back when I was involved, Dell was a cut above the rest in terms of customers being pleased with performance and support. I figured if others here were having good experience with 'em now, it might be worth considering since the price looks to be roughly equivalent (trade knowing what's inside for not having to screw with it).
Plus it doesn't hurt that a buddy of mine has their local contract for warranty service calls, so I know I'd get good service if needed (hey CRAIG, get yer prettythang over here NOW! :))
But I don't hear any Dell owners piping up, so I'm leaning to assembly.
Skuzzy, now would be a good time for you to drop a hint as to what you hear from folks about their Dells (I understand why you're not gonna comment about what configurations are minimum for max AH2 performance ;))
culero
-
i would say i have a entry level dell (it was a gift) and that i put in after mkt memory and vid card and that it runs AH just fine, but i don't want people to make fun of me , so i'm not going to say it.
-
Question: In AH2 should V-sync still be on? Thanksi
-
Originally posted by RightF00T
Question: In AH2 should V-sync still be on? Thanksi
From what I hear, yes *if* your system has the power to run it without bogging down. Try it both ways and see what your results are.
Now go get yer own thread, dammit :D
culero
-
Question: In AH2 should V-sync still be on? Thanks
Yes it should. Turning it off does nothing for you and may cause instability problems with your video (choppiness and freezing).
Your fps are limited by your monitor's refresh rate. Period. If your refresh is 60 hz, I dont care if your card says you are pulling 300 fps in AH. You cant see more than 60 because your monitor cant show more than its refresh. Setting the vsync to ON makes sure your fps is synced as well as can be with the refresh rate and caps it there to keep you from seeing artificial frame rate increases.
I'm also lazy, thus the question about a "ready-rolled". Back when I was involved, Dell was a cut above the rest in terms of customers being pleased with performance and support. I figured if others here were having good experience with 'em now, it might be worth considering since the price looks to be roughly equivalent (trade knowing what's inside for not having to screw with it).
Plus it doesn't hurt that a buddy of mine has their local contract for warranty service calls, so I know I'd get good service if needed (hey CRAIG, get yer prettythang over here NOW! )
But I don't hear any Dell owners piping up, so I'm leaning to assembly.
There is nothing wrong with buying a Dell. Unless you plan to modify it, upgrade it, repair it, or do anything to it at all besides replace it. For the standard home user who balances their checkbooks, does their taxes, gets their email and surfs the web, Dell makes perfectly good PC's. They dont have the quality issues of HP/Compaq and they provide good service and good prices.
However, beyond very limited upgrade scenarios, most Dell's are useless to the average gamer or even tinkerers. They severely frown on opening the case, have limited upgrade possibilities anyway, and often even come with chopped down versions of the Windows OS for their proprietary systems. When I used to work for the RR we got a new Dell Optiplex 100 back in 2000 for the secretary to use and for us to provide updates to NS in Atlanta on freight on our yard. They told us to get a scan-pen to scan the barcodes and make the data entry go faster. It wouldnt work. I spent an afternoon going over it with the tech support from the company that provided the pen, and finally he asked if we were using a Dell. When I told him yes he laughed and told me to call Dell tech support. Dell basically told me they had an OEM version of Windows that didnt provide as many IRQ's and that we couldnt add anything else to our computer (it had onboard video and sound, the only add on card was a 56k modem lol). They felt it kept the "budget" version of their PC's running more smoothly if it wasnt bogged down with lots of devices. I asked if we could install a full version of Windows and they said yes but it would void the warranty.
-
I would say that AMD 2500+ is about the minimum investment level for 2005 and I would go higher if investing now
Same for Ati 9800 pro or Nvidia 5800 (if you want to stay with Win 98 then use nvidia)
1Gb Ram
Basic 5.1 soundware
MB's are fairly cheap these days and there are many to choose from. My rule of thumb is to reduce onboard goodies to a minimum and have sufficient PCI slots for my needs.
I made a separate game box and use a switch to share the mouse, keyboard and screen between the game box and the box I use for every thing else.
The game box has a modest 20gig hard drive and old CD and floppy drives. It does have the best power supply I could fit in it.
Both boxes are networked with the kids PC's thru a switch and router.
Doing it this way you can build yer own without threatening the existing system or having to buy new screen & KB etc just cos you have 2 pc's.
-
Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
There is nothing wrong with buying a Dell. Unless you plan to modify it, upgrade it, repair it, or do anything to it at all besides replace it.
star read my post, i upgraded my el cheepo dell to run AH, ....open box (easy) plug in after mkt parts, win XP takes care of the rest, you don't need a custom built $1k box to play this game, you people remind me of Mac users, (you must have the "eleet" computer)
BTW i got a free printer and free upgrade to a beutafull LCD screen.
-
Originally posted by john9001
star read my post, i upgraded my el cheepo dell to run AH, ....open box (easy) plug in after mkt parts, win XP takes care of the rest, you don't need a custom built $1k box to play this game, you people remind me of Mac users, (you must have the "eleet" computer)
This is what culero wants "I define "good performance" as frame rates that never dip below 25 under any circumstances, good visibility of all planes/vehicles, terrain features, and objects , and optimal appearance of the artwork." NO you dont need a 1k box to play this game , but an elcheapo dell anit gunna cut it either . Mosts Dells are an upgrade nightmare , as alot of the cheap ones dont even have AGP slots. Most have power supplys that can only be upgraded from Dell , and they have dell bios's that shouldnt even be called bios, more like a place to set the time and date . So how much of an upgrade did u do ? its prolly safe to say it wasnt a cpu , given the bios limitation .. no need to go after STAR ... he's only tryin to help
-
Originally posted by Tilt
I would say that AMD 2500+ is about the minimum investment level for 2005 and I would go higher if investing now
Rgr that, based on others' advice I'm already looking at the 2700+ minimum.
Originally posted by Tilt
Same for Ati 9800 pro or Nvidia 5800 (if you want to stay with Win 98 then use nvidia)
Hmmm...first time I've heard that. Why NVidia for 98?
culero
PS - are DStar and GForce "in" at Coral Sea? We need to let ROC know if you/they wanna be assigned to the scout group. Drop an e-mail to wodbot about that, please?
-
Originally posted by culero
Hmmm...first time I've heard that. Why NVidia for 98?
culero
ATI no longer update their drivers for Win98SE.
-
I get AH2 to run on a PIII 450. it's just not strong enough to pull the game much above 32fps. Any major art crushes it. But I KNOW, without ANY doubt in my mind that I can make this game run just fine on a 800-1gb CPU system. The point that you need the fastest CPU made is almost a myth. What you need is the rest of the entire system designed to think streamline otherwise the massive CPU does no good at all.
The point where people buy the biggest baddest machine available are probably also ones who don't lift a finger to tweak it because it's "so fast", but somehow complain about lag, jittery graphics etc... Some people just do not know how to properly tweak a system and avoid it like the plague by buying a huge monster machine. I'm in no way against monster machines, I dream about them all the time, it's just not a 100% necessity.
What bogs down my 450 is the Nvidia MX 420 card, which is a total piece of crap, it's not much faster then a TNT2, and only 256 RAM momory. Yet the system will still run the game offline.
I'm not the only one around who can make AH2 fly on a 450, it's not a happy playable thing online, but if I can get this much out of a 450 (17-32 fps) offline I can run with the big boys with a 1gb cpu and a nicely streamlined bus system online.
Culero, you know what I am going to say,...... build your own. In almost any package deal there is going to be at least one part that sucks. And all you need is that one single part to bottleneck the flow, causing machine latency.
Personally, I would pick the video card I want to use, and then build the system around that idea. This gives you the information you need to get the right MB to run that card right from get go. From there it's all no brainer standard issue. The core of a system is the mb/bios and video card.
The best package I've seen is the Dell, OTOH, Dell is not making a very good gaming system. Not like you and I are used to. And if you get that one part in a Dell system that sucks, you're pretty screwed.
There are places that custom build, but then you're paying someone to do something you and me can do blind folded.
Just my feeble 2 cents
Animl
-
Originally posted by john9001
star read my post, i upgraded my el cheepo dell to run AH, ....open box (easy) plug in after mkt parts, win XP takes care of the rest, you don't need a custom built $1k box to play this game, you people remind me of Mac users, (you must have the "eleet" computer)
BTW i got a free printer and free upgrade to a beutafull LCD screen.
John, I read your post. In addition to the little snip you pulled out of my post I also said this
Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
beyond very limited upgrade scenarios, most Dell's are useless to the average gamer or even tinkerers. They severely frown on opening the case, have limited upgrade possibilities anyway, and often even come with chopped down versions of the Windows OS for their proprietary systems.
Note the use of the words "limited, most, average, and often" in my post there. The normal reader would imply from that that there are exceptions to this, and that I am acknowledging it. I wasnt trying to step on anyone's toes if they own a Dell. I also wasnt trying to put down their product. For what it is, its a very good product. However, I maintain that it is NOT well suited to the average gamer (which you are probably not if all you did was add a video card and memory, and if you doubt this go check out most of the "gamer" forums on the web). Many cheaper model Dells dont even have available open slots to upgrade the video. And my information on the OEM OS they use came out of the mouth of a Dell tech support guy.
As to any claim I might have on owning a "1337" computer, think again. My rig is strictly "get me by for another year or so" technology. Yes most of it was recently upgraded, but done on an extreme budget and most parts were bought one at a time because I couldnt afford to do more. If you think I'm some kid who can afford to sit at home and spend mommy and daddy's money to buy electronica and play games with it, you are sadly mistaken. My beat-up case has alot of miles on it, and it shows. My Athlon XP 2600+ isnt what anyone would call "top of the line" and hasnt been for a couple of years. Yes, it's OC'd, with the help of several guys here. Last year what I knew about OCing anything could be written on one page of a very small sticky note pad. Anyway, I digress.
I'm glad your Dell with its new video card and memory upgrade works for you. I wont deny it could work for others. But you didnt pay for the Dell, it was free. If the original poster had that option, I'd be right there backing him up in finding a way to upgrade it to make it work. But to buy one? For what you'd spend on the cheapest model I've seen (around 400 bucks), plus the cost of upgrading the memory and video anyway, I could pretty much build a system that would run AH just as well if not better.
-
Based on input received so far, here's where I'm at in terms of possibilities/prices. Due diligence done via pricing at Newegg, benchmarks at Tom's Hardware. (Of course, once I settle in on "what" I'll shop the prices more extensively, just doing Newegg now for "apples to apples" value).
I was *really* wanting to spend in the $600-$700 range to get my desired performance level in AH2, and it appears I can....but it looks like there's a lot of value in terms of system longevity and ability to upgrade by going more like $1100.
$900 is significantly better than the base system, but is still Socket A, so I'm ruling that intermediate step out - gonna either go cheapo or an $1100 AMD 64 with an SLI board so I have as much upgrade headroom as possible. (I could go $1300 and run the SLI w/2 6600GTs, but don't think I need it now and can always add the 2nd card whenever)
MUCHO thanks for all the input so far, specs/prices appended, comments welcome :)
culero
*************************************************
Socket A
Athlon XP 2700+2.17GHz, 333MHz FSB, 256K $109
Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL nForce2 Ultra 400 $65
Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 $126
RADEON 9600PRO Video Card, 256MB DDR (Sapphire) $111
Antec P4 ATX12V 450 Watt P.S. $76
RAIDMAX Beige 10-bay Case, Model ATX-208 $19
Maxtor Ultra Series Kit 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive $91
NEC 1.44MB Model FD1231H $8
ASUS 52X32X52 IDE Internal CD-RW $28
total $633
upgrades
Seagate 160GB Barracuda 7200.7 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive $34
nVidia GeForce 6600 256MB DDR (Aopen) $45
ENERMAX CSX656TA-MW case $39
Socket A (2)
Athlon 3200+ Barton 2.2GHz, 400MHz FSB, 512K $155
Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL nForce2 Ultra 400 $65
Geil Ultra dual channel PC4000 2X512 $179
nVidia GeForce 6600 256MB DDR (Aopen) $156
Antec P4 ATX12V 450 Watt P.S. $76
RAIDMAX Beige 10-bay Case, Model ATX-208 $19
WD740GD Raptor 74GB 10KRPM SATA $181
NEC 1.44MB Model FD1231H $8
ASUS 52X32X52 IDE Internal CD-RW $28
total $867
upgrades
ENERMAX CSX656TA-MW case $39
ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe nForce2 Ultra 400 $26
Socket 939
Athlon 64 3200+ Winchester 2.2GHz 512K (25% increase) $191
GIGABYTE GA-K8NF-9 $116
Geil Ultra dual channel DDR PC4000 2X512 $179
nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card 128MB DDR3 (Aopen) $194
Antec P4 ATX12V 450 Watt P.S. $76
ENERMAX CSX656TA-MW case $58
WD740GD Raptor 74GB 10KRPM SATA $181
NEC 1.44MB Model FD1231H $8
ASUS 52X32X52 IDE Internal CD-RW $28
total $1,031
upgrades
ASUS A8N-SLI (2XPCI-Ex16, GB LAN, ALC850 8-Ch) $59
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI (2XPCI-Ex16, 2xGB LAN, SBLive7.1) $69
Antec TRUE550 550W P.S. $23
Athlon 64 FX-53 Clawhammer 1MB (50% increase) $536
(***dreaming*** :))
video upgrades
nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Video Card, 256MB DDR (Leadtek) $95
nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3 (eVGA) $205
ATI Radeon X800 XL Video Card, 256MB GDDR3 (MSI) $155
nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra Video Card, 256MB GDDR3 (eVGA) $305
All-In-Wonder RADEON X800 XT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3 (ATI) $294
nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card 128MB DDR3 (Aopen) (2X-SLI) $194
high performance (3200+ Winchester) (6600GT X2-SLI) $1,317
max performance (FX-53 Clawhammer) (6800GT X2-SLI) $2,263 ~sigh~
best value (basic Socket 939 + SLI board + 550W P.S.) $1,113
-
Originally posted by culero
(hey, this is gameplay related! I'm getting the new box so I can kick ALL yer dog prettythanges! :D )
yanno to do that, you gonna have to quit running from us. :D :p
-
Remarkably helpful thread, seein' as how I'm (finally) building a gnu box so I can fly again. I've been away from the unfriendly skies much too long -- but it still might be another month or two b4 I finishes it.
And somebody PLEASE make Culero put his clothes back on.
-
Culero, the first socket A setup you described is almost identical to mine that I'm running now. For the price difference, dont even worry about the higher number socket A processors. The 2700+ will easily run at a 400mhz FSB instead of the 333 it's set for and push the processor speed up past where that 3200+ is anyway. The only things I would change to that setup is 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB, and go for the better video card now if you can afford it.
In the end though, buy what makes you happy. If your budget can afford to stretch that far, by all means go for the 64 with the hottest video card and all the bells and whistles. If its going to bankrupt you though, build the cheaper system and give yourself breathing space. You could make that 2700 system last quite awhile and buy parts one at a time that will work in a newer system. Again, thats just my opinion.
Also, in the second system you describe (the Athlon XP3200+) the PC4000 Dual Channel RAM is nice, but not really necessary for this system. You could save money by staying with PC3200 RAM. The Athlon processors cant use Dual Channel (thats an Intel thing). Wont hurt. But not necessary.
-
Yeah typo in my post, the first system spec'ed doesn't say "2X" by the RAM but the price is for 2 sticks.
Actually, what I'm looking for is like I said - run AH right. OTOH, if the difference in price is only a couple or three hundred, "bang for buck" kicks in, and in that sense the 939 socket and SLI become arguing points for buying more than I need.
Thanks everyone for the help, its been great. I'll post results when available.
culero
-
I believe (I may be wrong) that Skuzzy has said no setup that can be built at present can run AH2 with max everything and maintain good frame rates.
StarofAfrica - Both the XP and AMD64 use dual channel memory buses it's not just an 'Intel' thing.
-
GNATZ! :)
culero (heyas man!)
-
Originally posted by Kev367th
StarofAfrica - Both the XP and AMD64 use dual channel memory buses it's not just an 'Intel' thing.
I stand corrected then. Thanks for letting me know.
-
No probs.