The 3200 is the best chip for mid-range gaming right now. Overclocks like a Major League Baseball player, too.
Remember, I've had a computer with 64MB SDRAM and 33summinMhz processor since the fourth grade. LAst year I got a somewhat better one with 256 DDR and a DVD graphics card.
This new computer is the best one I've ever owned. XD
Semprons are still better than Celerons. I have a few on the complex and they seem to be solid processors. They're not gaming proc's but they aren't piles of junk either.
~Rico
They're rather solid and run well. they load Windows fast. I can boot my computer up in under 30seconds.
Oh, and my compute rruns older games like Command and Conquer: Generals or MoH Allied Assault, CnC Renegade, or Delta Force: Black Hawk Down like a dream.
EDIT: Long before I got this computer I bought SuperPower 2 on PC. Never got it to work but I tried it on this one. Kinda choppy but I didn't turn the detail down. Otherwise, this also runs great.
The main problem with PCs is that about 90% of the time, they lok like a lump of industrial debris.
You rather they look like one of those stupid blinged up honda's?
Of course she wants bling. It's obvious she's celebrating Black History Month. She wants to be a rapper for the month!
i want one with chav-style lighting. in purple and blue.
..*prods the boring case they put her computer into when they replaced the motherboard* ox; atleast the old one had blue trimming.
Two things I might need to know. 1 is can anyone tell me how high I can upgrade the ram to on the Via KN400/KM400 chipset. If that's not the name of a motherboard, is there some way of finding out what mine is? There's no label/marking on the board whatsoever..
Download a copy of SiSoftware Sandra Lite, run it, and double-click on Mainboard Information. You won't even have to scroll down to get the answers to all your questions.
Oh, and regardless of the motherboard's maximum installable memory, your operating system won't recognize more than 4GB of RAM unless you have a 64-bit processor and a copy of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, a 64-bit Linux distribution, or Windows Vista.
Awesome, cheers. KM266PRO-8235. 3Gb is my max, huh, still not planning to go beyond 1.5 for now. Any reccomedation on buying?
Samsung or Corsair Value Select.
Since I'm trying all my contacts. Is it normal for a 802.11b wireless network to be pinging for between 4ms to 262ms with an average of 40ms between two bridges less than a block apart with no physical structures blocking them?
So, the chip fan on my mobo (Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe) has decided to become very noisy, stall and otherwise be a huge pain.
It would seem that this is a common problem with the boards, and Asus apparently do ship replacement fans. While I try and contact them, I was wondering if there are higher-quality fans available. Frankly, it seems the problem is due to cheap parts and replacing it with an identical fan could well mean it'll fail again after a while. After a cursory glance, I can't find any chip fans for sale (at the very least, ones that ship to the UK).
Edit: Never mind, all sorted.
Many greetings!
Well, I need your opinions on how I can upgrade my system.
Here's the stats:
OS: WinXP Home Service Pack 2 Build 2660
System Manufacturer: DELL
System Model: DELL DIMENTION 4600
SYSTEM TYPE: X86-Based PC
PROCESSOR: X86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel 2660 MHZ
SMBIOS Version: 2.3
Total Physical Memory: 768 MB (My system only has 4 slots. 2 are being used by 128 MB's, and the other two are being used by 256 MB's, totaling to 768.)
Total Virtual Memory: 2 GB
INTEL 82865G Graphics Controler
SOUNDMAX Digital Integrated Audio
That's about it. I didn't know what else to pull from System Info.
Any suggestions for me?
Thanks!
I'd say download SiSoftware Sandra (Standard?) - Google it - and examine what it says about your motherboard. You have integrated graphics (join the club), so your choices are probably limited, depending on what expansion slots you have. (Note: PCI only = bad. PCI-E = good. AGP = in the middle.)
Anyway, I have around $300 in my savings account right now (and a part-time job supplying more - around $90 or so a week, but it fluctuates) now, as well as a $35 NewEgg gift certificate I got for Christmas that I'd REALLY like to use before it's too late, so I'd like a little more of a heads-up on what I should be going for. A lot of questions, and so many possible answers, good or bad, that it gets to be kinda confusing.
One: motherboard. Major part of the computer, naturally; get a bad one, and the whole system suffers. Earlier I was really, really strapped for cash, so I'd asked for one around $100. A friend posted this thread at HardOCP quite a while ago, which gave me some ideas. Like this board.
Some basic ideas:
Anyway, then on to processor. I've heard way too many conflicting responses to this one. It should be an AMD Athlon, but then, what kind? 3000+? 3200+? 3500+? 3700+? One of them snazzy dual-core 3800+s for just another $100 (as if any programs use that yet)? I must admit, though, the 3000+ doesn't interest me that much when the 3200+ is only around $20 more, and the 3500+ is just $200, more or less, with the 3700+ at around $215... Anyway, I need more opinions. I know the faster you get is probably the better, but that doesn't mean the best value.
RAM. I want a single gig stick instead of two 512MBs; more expensive, of course, but it leaves me the option of installing another gig stick at a later date, without any worries - I'd heard that it's not as easy to get 2GB of RAM running well with two 512MBs as part of that, as opposed to just using two 1GB sticks. As for variety: Kingston or Corsair. That's about all I really remember from last I asked. Incidentally, it seems to be cheaper than I remember it being, but that's just time and technology for ya, I guess.
Before I forget, power supply. No clue. I think the idea was that more watts was better. Frankly, that's not going to cut it when it comes to buying a good one.
Lastly, HDD. I want lots of GB (200 at the bare minimum, 250 or 300'd be better), and I recall being told to go for Western Digital or Seagate, one with 8MB cache, and SATA somethin' somethin'. That one shouldn't be too hard to find, once I get my lack of SATA know-how sorted out.
As for the rest: I have a case already (albeit it still has another computer in it, but I can gut it), that same friend's already suggested an alternative fan, I have a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Gamer Edition I plan on moving over to the new computer (and I hope the drivers recognize the card this time - fortunately, Windows does, so it's been working fairly well regardless, EAX and everything), and I'm much more researched on video cards than I am pretty much any other part of the computer, so, while I'd like to hold on to this Radeon 9200 until I decide to upgrade, I'll have a good idea what to go to when I do. I still have XP Home Edition lying around, too, so I'll install that, burn a CD with all the necessary trimmings - such as a firewall (parents like McAfee, but I was thinking giving ZoneAlarm a whirl - any other suggestions? Because McAfee's gotten really slow lately, to the point I can't really USE it anymore), any and all applicable XP Service Packs, IE7 beta and FireFox, that kind of stuff - then connect it to the Internet to do whatever else upgrade-wise needs to be done (like re-installing Steam). Shouldn't be much of an issue, I'd like to think.
PCI-E is fine. IF you're uber rich they you can go SLI. For us more price conscious people SLI just adds an extra 70 bucks to the mobo price and if we want to actually USE it it adds anothe $300-500 bucks for another video card.
SATA harddrive is needed. Your HDD access speed and therefor overall "speed" goes up.
Processor. AMD. 3200+ is fine for most games, I used it for BF2 and it did fine. 3500+ or 3700+ will actually play the games fast and look great. 3800+ is even better but the price jump is really to high for the performance improvement.
RAM? 1 gig matched for most games is fine. 2gigs if you get a good price for games like BF2 and supposedly ES4, and to make the other games run awesome.
Power Supply? Depends on the other stuff. For a pretty powerful gaming system I'd say at LEAST 450W. Most of the guys I help build stuff I go to 550 just to be safe. Brandwise I've heard good comments about Antec and Ultra.
The harddrive... up to you. I have a 250 IBM hitachi. WD is going downhill recently, they've dropped their 3 year warranty on most drives. Seagate would be what I go for where I you.
Soundcard? I'm no audiophile. Audigy 2 ZS is fine for me.
A word of warning about Newegg. Remember that most of their parts have no warranty through newegg. All have to warrantied through the company. Almost remember that items will get damaged in transit. If you order a bunch of stuff, expect to send somethings back via calling UPS/USPS and filing a claim.
This is why I just bought mine at a local store. It may be a little higher but I don't have to deal with warrantying my own parts.
Yeah, basically if you want to play games you're gonna have to throw out your whole computer and start over. You need a new motherboard and Dell cases only fit proprietary motherboards, and that RAM is not really useful.
Speaking of RAM, I've got a ton of high-performance RAM I have no use for, so if any of you guys are interested, I'll be happy to let you take it off my hands, for a small fee.
First off I have two brand-new, unopened 1GB dual-channel kits, that's two sticks of 512MB per kit, by OCZ. Very fast RAM running at tight CL 2-3-2-5 timings, compared to the lazy 3-3-3-8 timings you'll see in value RAM. This not only makes them great for overclocking, but even at stock speeds you'll see a boost in performance over your run-of-the-mill value RAM. Each one has been fully stress-tested by OCZ's professional technicians and comes wrapped in a sextastic mirror-finish copper heat spreader. They're guaranteed by the manufacturer for a lifetime, even if you overclock them. Hell, even cranking up the DRAM voltage to 1.7V won't void that warranty. Each kit has a retail value of about C$161.33, but I'm happy to sell it for $120. Or buy two kits for just $210.
I also have two used 512MB sticks of Corsair XMS PC3200 running at 2-3-3-6. Quicker than value RAM, and also great for overclocking. They come with a cool shiny black aluminum heat spreader. I've fully stress-tested them with Memtest86+ and they work like a charm. Backed by a lifetime warranty and legendary Corsair reliability and service, you can't go wrong with these. They retail for C$77.35 each, but I'm practically giving them away for just $45 each, or $75 for two. That's a sh*t-hot deal, people.
Just upgraded my machine to Oblivion-level status. Just. With any luck, a Gefore 6200 (best card I can get for the AGP slot, I'm informed) and 1 gig of RAM'll last me for the next 2 years until I can get a proper job.
At least the RAM was cheap. 40 for 512Mb.
You mean a GeForce 6600 GT is out of the question? What, is your mobo's speed too slow, or the slot, or can you just not afford it?
At least the RAM was cheap. 40 for 512Mb.
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=9545&vpn=SAMSUNG3200-512M&manufacture=Samsung
Yeah, but I couldn;t find cheaper RAM or a 6600 for AGP (only for AGP express) offline, and ordering computer components off sites is not something I;m entirely filled with confidence about.
PCI-Express.
And fair enough. They do make AGP 6600 GTs, though.
Quote:
and ordering computer components off sites is not something I;m entirely filled with confidence about.
I hear you there. One order from newegg I got have a bad ram stick, processor, and shattered case (Of course that was on DHL). Of course I had a friend order a whole system of parts. Jamie ordered a case and video card with no trouble either. It's a game of luck.
~Rico
I suppose it's a sort of hardware question; any suggestions on a good mobo temperature monitoring program? Motherboard Monitor doesn't seem to support my board (Asus A8N-SLi) and the Asus PC Probe seems to bug out all the time.
Motherboard Monitor doesn't seem to support my board (Asus A8N-SLi)
Yes it does. Get on the MBM forums and they'll help you out.
Hey guys... You help me through the process of building a PC, right? Actually it's not for me, it's for my roommate. He's looking to get a desktop PC. He's looking for something that can handle gaming, has AV ports, a good video card, and costs somewhere between $500-700 (Less than that is okay too...). Does this sound humanly possible, or is he better off just buying something from Dell?
700 limit is a little TOO low for any kinda decent gaming rig. The big thing is that Video Card, they REAM you on those with gaming stuff. I mean its like 120 for the mobo, 200 for the ram, 270 for the processor, then 500 for the video card.
For 700 though, you're not going to be able to play stuff like Doom 3 or Oblivion very high. What kind of games is he going to be playing?
Quote:
700 limit is a little TOO long for any kinda decent gaming rig.
"Low". I think.
$200 for the RAM? Sure, if you buy, like, 2GB. He's probably better off buying a single 1GB stick, so he can choose to upgrade to that without much hassle.
$270 for the proc... sure, if you go dual-core. I mean, I am, but I'm not afraid of a little saving-up. With a budget like that, an Athlon 3000+ or 3200+ is much better - and cheaper.
I mean, I don't think we're talking top-of-the-line, here. Just something that's low-to-mid-end.
I was trying to trouble this @#%$ IPsec VPN, I'm allowed typos. 
A 3200+ amd with 1 gig of ram and probably a 6600 GT video game would run most mid range games. Thats what I ran Lineage 2, COH/COV, and SWG on. But Doom 3 lagged, BF2 choked, and I upgraded before oblivion hit.
What would that rig run now with a monitor? A grand?
~Rico
After Geforce problems, replaced my 6200 with a Radeon 9550, which appears to be doing much better.
ATI isn't really recommended for gaming. Not due to any fault with the cards but due to Nvidia paying off the game companies to cater bug fixs to the Nvidia cards.
EDIT: However thats not ALL games. Rumor going around is Vanguard will be built for ATI. Which means I'm going to spending my free time troubleshooting problems when it goes live.
~Rico
ATI is fine as long as you go with the X1xxx series of videocards, as in X1800, X1600, X1400. The Xxxx series, as in X800, X700, X600, etc, doesn't support Shader Model 3 and won't give you certain effects like HDR in newer games such as Oblivion. nVidia cards will give you SM3 from the 6xxx series upwards.
HDR looks crappy to me anyway. If I wanted everything to glow I'd be eating mushrooms.
~Rico
Actually, HDR can look quite convincing when compared side-by-side with shots without HDR... I remember seeing comparisons of Lost Coast around when it came out, and the difference was phenomenal. Your gun actually reflected the surroundings, and everything...
Sure, it's a non-essential feature, but if you can get it, get it.
ATI cards will do HDR in games powered by the Source engine, such as Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. Everything else, however, requires Shader Model 3.
HDR looks crappy to me anyway. If I wanted everything to glow I'd be eating mushrooms.
I think you're confusing HDR with colour bloom. Oblivion's HDR has a bit more of a fantastical, glowy effect, but that's a purely stylistic choice on the part of the developer.
Anyways, it should be noted that ATI videocards are perfectly fine for gaming, SM3 or no SM3. Each one will perform just as well as its nVidia competitor.
Quote:
I think you're confusing HDR with colour bloom.
Could be. All I know is when I changed HDR to AA X4 the glow went away and my character looked less like he was coated in Saranwrap.
I'll fiddle tonight and see.
~Rico
You can't have bloom or HDR and AA for some reason.
IIRC, that was only with NVidia cards. I could be wrong, though.
I thought you just said color bloom caused that problem. I know about AA and HDR.
Neither bloom nor HDR can be had at the same time as AA.
Okay, time to come from nowhere and start listing parts I'm considering.
Mobo: ASUS A8N-SLI. Very standard. I doubt I'll use the SLI, but I'll have it in case I change my mind - I'm more getting it since it seems to be popular right now (though that might be the Deluxe or Premium...)
Proc: AMD Athlon X2 3800+. At around $300, hopefully this is the most expensive thing I'll have to buy that ISN'T a video card.
DVD+/-R: BenQ 16X DVD Burner with lightscribe. Friend suggested it, and it's apparently a steal at $50. Although, I've never heard of BenQ before...
Floppy/USB: MITSUMI Beige 2.0MB Floppy/USB 2.0 device. PC Gamer suggested it, and it's cheap. Besides, my case lacks USB slots on the front, this should take care of that nicely.
HDD: Western Digital Caviar RE 250GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive. Well, that or the 320GB one, which doesn't have as nice a gig-to-buck ratio, though it's comparable. A friend who I've been working on computer parts with says that Seagate's latest batch had some problems with them (I forget what exactly, I'll have to ask him), so he advised leaning toward WD instead - and from what I recall from asking earlier, that was also one of the companies Cyc suggested, so I'm cool with it.
I'm running late for school, so I'll edit this when I get there. These are pretty much the parts I've decided on; I still need RAM (1GB stick - not two 512MBs - to be upgraded to 2GB when I feel like it), power supply (God yes) and so on. Case shouldn't be an issue - I have a beige one hosting an old computer that I can just re-use, but it'd need a new PSU.
Vid card? I was thinking 7600GT, they sound like the new 6600GT to me, only better now. There is no chance in Hell, Cayman Islands that I am buying a 7800GTX.
Anyway, mull that over, please. I don't think there are any glaring mistakes here...
Just so you know, the chip fans always seem to crap out on the A8N-SLi after a couple of months (search something like 'Asus A8N-SLi chip fan and you'll see what I mean). I know it certainly did for mine.
I'd still recommend the board and everything, but to save you from having to wait until it sounds like a dead cat is dying inside your computer, swap it with something like this before you install the motherboard (to save yourself some hassle. Besides, it's only a couple of quid more (or dollars in your case).
As for the RAM, you know the A8N-SLi has four slots, don't you? Unless you plan on using the maximum 4GB the board can handle, two matched pairs of 512MB sticks would be cheaper to get it up to 2GB. I'd imagine when it comes to needing 3 or 4GB of memory 1GB sticks will be cheaper (...then again, maybe not) so it may be more cost effective to just go with a matched pair to start with and get a 1GB stick later. Of course, that's just a thought. I daresay I'm wrong about that.
The reason why I don't want 512MBs is because I've been told some mobos have difficulty making the most out of large amounts of RAM spread over four slots. Even if that's a myth, why risk it? Plus, 4GB's better than 2, too... although I can't imagine myself going that crazy. Yet.
As for the fan, I think the friend had suggested something entirely different earlier, but I'll keep that one you linked in mind.
Case shouldn't be an issue - I have a beige one hosting an old computer that I can just re-use, but it'd need a new PSU.
Whoah, now. You gotta be careful. A friend of mine built pretty much the same computer as me, used an old crappy case, and his stuff idles about 20 degrees hotter than mine. That's dangerous territory, especially for your hard drives, which are most reliable when operated between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. Don't doubt the importance of putting it all in a good enclosure. I recommend the Antec P180.
As for RAM, I know it's not what you wanted, but I do have some awesome OCZ Platinum EL 2x512MB dual-channel kits that I need to get rid of. They're new in box, wrapped in cool mirror-finish copper heat spreaders, and overclock like crazy. They come with an excellent lifetime warranty and have been fully tested by OCZ's engineers.
If you don't want to buy mine, I still strongly recommend OCZ. They're pretty much the best RAM out there.
Vid card? I was thinking 7600GT, they sound like the new 6600GT to me, only better now. There is no chance in Hell, Cayman Islands that I am buying a 7800GTX.
With an awesome CPU like that, you will be very disappointed with a 7600. Get a 7800GT or 7900GT (without the X). I know they're kind of costly but stores are always putting them on sale. Just keep an eye on deal sites like gottadeal.com and wait for one to pop up.
EDIT: Here ya go.
Just so you know, the chip fans always seem to crap out on the A8N-SLi after a couple of months (search something like 'Asus A8N-SLi chip fan and you'll see what I mean). I know it certainly did for mine.
The A8N32-SLI uses a heatpipe cooler instead of active air cooling.
The reason why I don't want 512MBs is because I've been told some mobos have difficulty making the most out of large amounts of RAM spread over four slots. Even if that's a myth, why risk it?
It's not so much the motherboard as it is the CPU's memory controller. I'm not 100% sure about the X2s, but I know for a fact that Athlon64s with the Venice core can't handle four double-sided sticks of RAM (that means they have chips on both sides of the board) at full speed. It'll automatically downclock to DDR333, and although you can manually crank it back up to DDR400, it'll run at 2T timings (slower than normal) and will probably become unstable.
RAM like this, then? Granted, that's the higher end of things (I wanted the CAS latency to be as low as it can go - forgot what it was, but I do remember that low was better), but even still...
Case looks nice. Black on the inside, too; good, I was beginning to worry the black DVD drive would clash with the front of my case. The comments on tight space are a little worrying, though reviews are generally positive regardless...
By my current monetary status, anyway - that being the balance of my checking account and some NewEgg gift cards, and not any additions to the former I could do with my cold, hard cash - that leaves $100 (well, $103.81) for a PSU and video card. Fortunately, I'm still getting paid, and I'm doin' a lot more hours at work this week than the past few weeks, so that figure should jump up significantly. (No more than $200 as of next Wednesday, but still.) Personally, focus on the PSU, the video card should be the last thing I need to worry about.
Well, okay, maybe a physics card when they come out. But they haven't, and they haven't proven to be entirely worth it (although they're damn tempting), so for now, vid card is last.
Speaking of video card, I don't want to spend too much on it, since I'm going to desire a DX10 card the instant Vista finally shows up (emphasis on "finally"). Seriously, Crysis is just... is just... wow. I mean, damn. That's not just realistic graphics and shadows and the like, but a lot of enviromental interaction, too. That's just... yeah. Disregard the fact that I sucked horribly at the FarCry demo.
RAM like this, then?
Oh yes. Platinum is sex. I'm not even into overclocking, but the fact that you can crank up the DRAM voltage to 4.5V without voiding the warranty makes me feel extremely confident recommending it to people. When you buy OCZ you can rest 100% assured that you are getting a quality product that has been meticulously QA'd, and will be fully supported for a lifetime. Basically, OCZ is guaranteeing with complete confidence that this is the best memory on the market, period.
Well, okay, maybe a physics card when they come out. But they haven't, and they haven't proven to be entirely worth it (although they're damn tempting), so for now, vid card is last.
Physics cards... yeah, avoid those for now. Personally I just won't buy one out of principle; I do not want to have to upgrade another $300 part every nine months. Period. Discrete physics are good, but the only way they can get me to buy it is by building it onto the videocard.
Speaking of video card, I don't want to spend too much on it, since I'm going to desire a DX10 card the instant Vista finally shows up (emphasis on "finally").
Actually, yeah, that is a good idea. Don't worry about blowing out the budget on an awesome videocard when you will most likely by upgrading it in less than nine months. ATI's X800XL is a good, cheap board. Faster than the 7600GT, and about the same price.
Disregard the fact that I sucked horribly at the FarCry demo.
Don't feel bad. Everyone sucked at FarCry.
X800XL, mmm? Not anything in the X1000 series? Okay. They are roughly the same price, surprisingly... I'll have to check a FPS comparison later.
Of course, NewEgg also lists some X850XTs at a wide variety of prices, Sapphire's naturally being the cheapest at about the same price as either of the aforementioned cards, but then a sudden jump and WOOSH $300+. Makes me wonder what the differences are? They have to be that cheap for a reason, and it's not because they're refurbished - because they're not.
As for PPUs, well, they said that PPUs upgrade themselves via driver upgrades or something, so you'd only have to spend $300 over for every few years or so, at worst... but considering the only game that supports it that interests me is UT2K7, I'mml wait and see.
Anyway, PPU. Friend said to figure out what it should be after I know everything else, so... suggestions, then?
X800XL, mmm? Not anything in the X1000 series? Okay. They are roughly the same price, surprisingly...
Hmm, well I really haven't been keeping an eye on the X1000 series, mostly because I definitely don't plan to upgrade to anything in that line. I was just pointing out the X800XL as a decent card for the price. It overclocks like crazy, too.
Anyway, PPU. Friend said to figure out what it should be after I know everything else, so... suggestions, then?
Don't buy one. Wait it out and see if it becomes a legitimate thing. I think a lot of people will pick it up the day it comes out and two years down the line, if it bombs, they'll have this thing taking up a PCI slot and not helping them at all.
Oh, wait, that was a typo. I meant PSU. Sorry.
