Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: golfr on April 04, 2010, 10:46:44 AM
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Been away for a while. Old computer seemed to be dying, time for an upgrade. Most recent thing to fail was the Ethernet connector on the M/B.
Picked up a new machine at a local Micro Center store for $999 on sale. Power Spec (their store brand), Intel M/B, Intel Core i7-860 processor (quad processor I believe), 4 gigs ram (DDR3-1333), Radeon vid card with one gig, one TB hard drive, and Windows 7 Pro. Seems to be running fine.
Bad news, have to upgrade to all new USB game controller stuff as Windows 7 will not support gameport. Ordered new CH stuff from Amazon (another $300, kwap). Also had to get a new printer.
Good news, this new unit should scream in comparison to the old one. Once I get the new joystick stuff, I download AH. See you up there later this week.
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What radeon video card? Curious.
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What radeon video card? Curious.
Radeon HD 4670 PCIe.
I haven't researched vid cards recently but I knew it would be WAY faster than my 7-year old Rad card with 128 meg.
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Damn they really skimped on the vid card.
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Damn they really skimped on the vid card.
What do you expect for $999 for a complete system (w/o monitor of course)? Their policy with their store brand is to offer the most bang for the buck. At $999, you're not going to get the fastest vid card available or the fastest system, but as I said, it will be way faster than my old one and more than adequate for my needs. My 7-year old system that I had MWave build for me was about $2400. It was a fast machine for that era. I could have spent $2-4k again for the latest/greatest. But the latest/greatest would NOT be worth 2-4 times what I spent unless I was doing "serious" graphics (I'm not).
To significantly increase the speed from my new system is WAY more expensive and not worth it to me. There are definitely diminishing speed returns gained vs. money spent. If I spent $3k, I "might" get 30-40% more overall performance than the system I got for $1k. Does that make sense to you?
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What do you expect for $999 for a complete system (w/o monitor of course)? Their policy with their store brand is to offer the most bang for the buck. At $999, you're not going to get the fastest vid card available or the fastest system, but as I said, it will be way faster than my old one and more than adequate for my needs. My 7-year old system that I had MWave build for me was about $2400. It was a fast machine for that era. I could have spent $2-4k again for the latest/greatest. But the latest/greatest would NOT be worth 2-4 times what I spent unless I was doing "serious" graphics (I'm not).
To significantly increase the speed from my new system is WAY more expensive and not worth it to me. There are definitely diminishing speed returns gained vs. money spent. If I spent $3k, I "might" get 30-40% more overall performance than the system I got for $1k. Does that make sense to you?
For 1K most could build a smokin system with a smokin vid card.... just saying.
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For 1K most could build a smokin system with a smokin vid card.... just saying.
+1
swamprevel.webs.com
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Store-bought PC's weather it's a Compaq or Dell or a local shops custom build are almost always a rip off. Building your own is significantly easier than most people realize and ALOT cheaper. You could of built a system for $500 and been able to run AH on high settings with good fps.
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For 1K most could build a smokin system with a smokin vid card.... just saying.
I got a 5870 in my build that's right at $1K, but I'm gonna sell it and get some faster HDDs, I don't need that thing, whereas I DO need a faster HDD, it's bringing the performance of my whole system down!
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For 1K most could build a smokin system with a smokin vid card.... just saying.
Bingo. Mine's probably worth about 1K now and I have dual 5770s in it. A slightly 'worse' CPU, older RAM, but I bet mine could still compete.
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Bingo. Mine's probably worth about 1K now and I have dual 5770s in it. A slightly 'worse' CPU, older RAM, but I bet mine could still compete.
it beats mine from what I understand
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Bulding your own PC to me is educational, fun, and saves some money. Not everyone builds thier own PC for one reason or another.
Golfr that is a nice set up and should scream compared to what you had. Enjoy your new set up. Your really going to like the new stick set up.
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Bulding your own PC to me is educational, fun, and saves some money. Not everyone builds thier own PC for one reason or another.
Golfr that is a nice set up and should scream compared to what you had. Enjoy your new set up. Your really going to like the new stick set up.
I concur, I'm not trying to degrade the comp at all. Hope it gives you many years of enjoyment!
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
Golfr,
If by chance you do need some help along the line, please do come back to the forum. There are people that will help you and give you intelligent answers. Just bypass the non-intelligent ones. Enjoy your new PC.
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
Wasn't meant as a slam just an observation. Take it from me, I paint boats for a living if I can build one anyone can.
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
Nobody was trying to be rude or say anything against what you bought, we were just making a statement. No need in being rude.
As far as not coming back to the forums that is your choice, but there will always be people here to help, should you want or need it.
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
I definitely fall into the above category, but rather than feeling like "slime", I look at it as doing my patriotic duty to help end the recession by keeping computer builders on the job. Not only the folks who build the computers, but those who provide the ISPs, HTC and crew, etc. I'm not the least bit inclined to try and build my own - I'm the type that tries to fix a light bulb and ends up making 4 trips to Home Depot for parts! :)
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I'm the type that tries to fix a light bulb and ends up making 4 trips to Home Depot for parts! :)
:rofl Now that's funny... :rofl :rofl
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Golfr,
If by chance you do need some help along the line, please do come back to the forum. There are people that will help you and give you intelligent answers. Just bypass the non-intelligent ones. Enjoy your new PC.
Sorry if I got a little "snippy" in my prior post. Just didn't like being told I wasted $1k on a rig that WILL be smokin in comparison to what it replaced. Also, since it was built by Micro Center which has a local store, if I did have any problems or needed service, they're just a short drive away.
My CH USB controllers just got delivered. Windows 7 doesn't support gameport (my old CH stuff which served me well for many years). I'll miss my old Thrustmaster rudder pedals, they were very solid, I'll just have to adjust to the CH Pro Pedals.
I've got setup work to do. Hope the CH Control Manager software is a lot less clunky than the old Speedkeys.
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golfr, you might look into gameport to USB converters - they work reasonably well in general, and for an item like the pedals you'd rather not part with, are a great option. And keeping the pedals you like for a $20 investment might be the cat's meow.
Sorry you felt set upon earlier. It's just that most of the folks here have at some time or another been burned by buying a prebuilt - or had to try to help someone who has - and would like to avoid hearing about yet another person who finds that they are far more limited than they would have thought ( and is reasonable) because the company who built it made an extra 5 bucks, but left the purchaser hamstrung for future growth.
The best example of this I've ever seen was done by Dell - who at one time used a proprietary sized motherboard and power supply with a nonstandard connector (and maybe still do!) - yet the power supply was too small to drive a video card any more powerful than the lowend 5200 that they supplied it with. Quite literally, the guy who bought it had to start over when he needed more video card than he had a year after he'd bought it.
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(Whoops again - perhaps trying to edit a post with NoScript enabled isn't a good idea...)
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Good luck with your new puter Golfr, quick tip to get up into the virtual easier, map your control keys via the AH map controllers - I use the combat stick, and have never installed the CH Manager software. Just found it easier and more convenient to go straight via the mapping in AH (always done it that way mind).
Looking forward to seeing ya back in the air mate, just no killing the wurzel ;)
Wurzel
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Good luck with your new puter Golfr, quick tip to get up into the virtual easier, map your control keys via the AH map controllers - I use the combat stick, and have never installed the CH Manager software. Just found it easier and more convenient to go straight via the mapping in AH (always done it that way mind).
Looking forward to seeing ya back in the air mate, just no killing the wurzel ;)
Wurzel
Thanks for the advise. I'll try the Control Manager software in hopes that it's better than than the old Speedkeys (there's an oxymoron for ya).
The only way you'll get killed by me is if I catch you on the runway with my bombs or you attack me at the 6 o'clock in my Lancs.
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them.
yup, thats me. can and have built them previously, but for a few reasons its better/cheaper for me to buy from a retailer :aok
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Maybe some of us don't want to build our own computers. We prefer to just buy them. I guess that makes us slime.
I have to remember not to visit this forum again. You look for intelligent comments and you get slammed by a bunch of super-geeks.
Let me get this straight. You came to a forum that's mostly comprised of people who build their own machines and regularily offer advice to novice builders posting the specs of the pre-built machine you just bought. I'm curious what types of "intelligent" comments you were expecting? If you were looking for a round of WTG's well, I don't think that was realistic.
That said the machine you bought will likely play the game well for several years. Not knowing what type of PSU or motherboard is in it it's hard to say how upgradable it will be over the long term.
While I understand people's hesitancy in building, next time I would seriously consider it. It's very easy (2-3 hours to build, 3-5 hours to transfer data, install apps, etc.) and the wealth of knowledge in this forum would clearly help you in selecting parts that would outperform any prebuilt system. Besides that, when you build you know exactly what you have, you already have an upgrade path in mind and it's fun.
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(http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo82/bzavasnik/deadhorse.gif)
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heya golfr, if ya really like your old TM rudder pedals, just go get a gameport to USB adaptor, and attach it to your pedals...... you will be just fine, I have set up 2 different PC's with windows 7 64 bit using both a CH pro rudder gameport version with adaptor and a regular ol CH rudder pedal gameport version with adaptor ( stick and pro throttle were USB on both )
using CH control manager to sync the controllers all together as one unit and calibrating each, then using AH to set the keymapping and calibrating each....
I personally always liked the old gameport speedkeys over the current CH control manager..... but I have found you can do the same things in CH control manager that was possile in Speedkeys......
good luck with ya new PC.......
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heya golfr, if ya really like your old TM rudder pedals, just go get a gameport to USB adaptor, and attach it to your pedals...... you will be just fine, I have set up 2 different PC's with windows 7 64 bit using both a CH pro rudder gameport version with adaptor and a regular ol CH rudder pedal gameport version with adaptor ( stick and pro throttle were USB on both )
using CH control manager to sync the controllers all together as one unit and calibrating each, then using AH to set the keymapping and calibrating each....
I personally always liked the old gameport speedkeys over the current CH control manager..... but I have found you can do the same things in CH control manager that was possile in Speedkeys......
good luck with ya new PC.......
Thanks for the help. Control Manager may be even more clunky than Speedkeys which is hard to believe. Why is a company that makes great hardware incapable of making user friendly software to run the hardware?
It seems like it's going to be a LOT of work to get the CH stuff to work properly.
Could you possibly send me a copy of your Control Manager MAP file? Also, is there a file created when you change the key mapping in AH? If so, could you also send that?
Thanks.
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I have built several PC's over the last 10 years. I even went the water-cooled overclocking route before. I needed a new PC a couple months ago and decided on an HP as I really didn't have the time to so the research and build one. The huge cost savings just isn't there any longer, especially when I have to pay shipping to Hawaii. Best Buy is bout the only local store with any PC components and they are marginal at best. The parts/shipping online cost at least as much as the $1k+ HP that came with free 2nd day shipping to Hawaii. It has an i7 920, 8 gigs RAM, ATI 4850 HD, XFI Extreme SC, 750 gig HDD, and I got a great deal on a 23" monitor that I took to Guam since I use my 60" here. The biggest advantage to building my own would have been not have to get rid of the HP bloatware.
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Nah the biggest downside is ending up with an i7 box and totally inferior 4850 graphics. You should have gone for 5850 minimum if you got an i7.
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Nah the biggest downside is ending up with an i7 box and totally inferior 4850 graphics. You should have gone for 5850 minimum if you got an i7.
I could have ordered it with a better video card at a premium price. I considered it but it didn't seem necessary as AH is the only game I play. I have all AH settings maxed with the Hi rez pack and get max frame rate at 1920x1080. I haven't even bothered to turn off unnecessary services, yet. I will prolly just take this box to Guam when it becomes necessary to upgrade again.
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Thanks for the help. Control Manager may be even more clunky than Speedkeys which is hard to believe. Why is a company that makes great hardware incapable of making user friendly software to run the hardware?
It seems like it's going to be a LOT of work to get the CH stuff to work properly.
Could you possibly send me a copy of your Control Manager MAP file? Also, is there a file created when you change the key mapping in AH? If so, could you also send that?
Thanks.
geez golfr, my apologies, Sir
I guess I missed this there were 2 seperate threads and this one got moved down the list........
did you get your controllers squared away?
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geez golfr, my apologies, Sir
I guess I missed this there were 2 seperate threads and this one got moved down the list........
did you get your controllers squared away?
Working on it. New (steep) learning curve. Getting some good advice in the other thread regarding programming the new CH USB stuff.
The new rig seems to be working great. Although I got slammed a bit on my choice (especially the vid card), it will be lightning fast compared to what it replaced. It will handle AH graphics easily and well. One of the interesting things is that it is nearly silent. I have excellent hearing and can barely hear it.
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i run one 4890 and i can max out game settings except for shadows, limited to ~4k.
here's a great deal on 4890's: http://houston.craigslist.org/sys/1685650128.html
they used to go for ~$200 each when i bought mine.