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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 21, 2008 0:56:56 GMT -5
I did a pretty hard-core upgrade of my computer for graduation, plus I got a really good deal on a processor from a friend who got a $1000 processor for free. So here are my new specs:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700
ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 (no, the 5 is not a typo)
Asus P5Q Pro LGA 775 P45 Motherboard
700W Power Supply
Apevia MX-PLEASURE Steel case (yes, the name is hilarious)
1 GB DDR2 667
Unfortunately, three of my sticks of RAM were not compatible with my motherboard, so I only have 1 gig for now, but that will probably only last until the end of the week or so. I've got a paycheck in my hand that will allow me to get up to 4 GB DDR2 800.
I also "upgraded" to Windows Vista. I have the 32 bit Home Premium edition, so I haven't run into any problems yet. Since Service Pack 1 came out, many of Vista's problems have gone away. All of the crap about Vista appears to be a little overblown at this point, though it is running a little slow on 1 GB of RAM.
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Post by DeltaMustang65 on Jul 21, 2008 2:35:33 GMT -5
Sounds like you'll be able to download all the pr0n your heart desires, with that setup.
I'll be getting a new computer soon, too, but I think I'll wait until the holidays.
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Post by IGNIGNOC on Jul 21, 2008 8:37:09 GMT -5
Dude, your frickin' vidja card has as much DDR as my entire motherboard! What size Asus did you select, ATX? Sounds like a kickass computer.
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 21, 2008 12:40:28 GMT -5
can i asked what in total you spent on that setup?
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 21, 2008 19:36:12 GMT -5
The video card was $309.99, but that was part of my graduation present from my parents. The motherboard was $130 (yeah, it's an ATX mobo, hard to buy one that isn't these days) after promo code. I ended up spending $180 on the processor and $30 on the power supply. I actually have $80 of G. Skill DDR2 800 RAM (4 GB) on the way to my house right now. I hadn't planned on buying new RAM, but I ended up needing it due to compatibility issues. Vista DEFINITELY needs more than 1 gig.
I already had the case and some various other things from before, so this stuff all came out about $730, $410 out of my pocket. There goes most of the money I got for graduation, lol.
This computer is not for teh pr0nz. I'm not risking viruses. The machine is for hard-core gaming. In fact, I'm going to try getting GT4 up and running on an emulator sometime before I leave for college.
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 21, 2008 22:22:04 GMT -5
700 bucks?!
something comparable to that would be over 1200-1500 around here (and thats from a friend who'd do it on the CHEAP)
Damn....
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 22, 2008 13:52:21 GMT -5
That is excluding a case, hard drives, optical drives, input devices, and a monitor. I didn't purchase a full computer, I just did a huge upgrade. And I should've paid more for the power supply ($60-$70 more, actually), but I have connections, if you know what I mean.
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Post by IGNIGNOC on Jul 23, 2008 0:28:18 GMT -5
Does that mean that you know some people who know some people who robbed some people?
BTW, you're right about the ATX thing. I have a computer with a Micro-ATX board, and it's damn near impossible to find M-ATX boards any more.
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 23, 2008 1:59:23 GMT -5
Really, Igni?
I find that its harder over here in canada to find anything OTHER than mATX lol.
Since we're talkin rigs here,
I found
1. AMD Athlon X2 3800+
2. MSI Neo2 Platinum
3. GeForce 6600
4. 2 x 512 DDR400
for 100 bucks.
Ill probably end up ditching the mobo and using my current mobo (also 939) to make this computer an HTPC a la Antec Fusion. My proc right now is a sempron lololol so X2 3800, although pretty much obsolete compared to some of the newer Core 2 Duos and Quads, and Phenom, it's quite the jump.
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 23, 2008 2:17:46 GMT -5
It kinda sucks that I have a dell, and therefore am limited in my possible routes for upgrading. methinks I'll end up buying a whole new custom setup for around 1200-1500 here (with decent monitor) and then upgrading from there.
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 23, 2008 20:30:32 GMT -5
That's not a bad find for $100, Fox. You could play some pretty modern games on low or even medium-low with it. Upgrading to make it game-worthy for modern stuff on medium to medium-high wouldn't be too difficult I don't think. Throw in one of these and you'll be doing as good as your motherboard will allow: www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730I wouldn't worry about the processor too much. Most games are limited by the graphics card anyway. More RAM would also help, but DDR RAM can be kind of expensive now days. However, I think it would be great for a home theater application if you throw a big enough hard drive in it. Or you could just turn it into a download slave. I know so people that have done that. Pred: Dells can be upgraded, but you have to have the right power supply and motherboard. Upgrading those two components is impossible in those, so if they don't have room for expansion, then you have nothing. It's probably not worth it in the end, though. A new custom build will go a lot farther towards being able to upgrade in the future. |
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 23, 2008 22:50:10 GMT -5
Yeah, HTPC it is. The first time a Saw the Antec Fusion (also a time i realized i need an HDTV for Ps3 and I need to make use of my computer) is when i decided i'd take my current computer, throw some suitable uppies on it and transplant it into that case, to use to run the TV. The computer I have is a '06 presario with a Sempron in it. Luckily enough good X2 939's arent to hard to find, and are now cheap. Put in two 500GB's RAID or a 750GB and I should be fine. I just dont think the sempron can handle much. BUt no, I dont intend to use it for gaming. I might toss the 6600 that i get with the processor (worth 100 alone) and throw in an All-In-Wonder.
As for a Gaming PC, My local shop has agreed to help me out with orders and such and I think I might have to wait till AMD overtakes Intel again. Hopefully they will get an FX out that can compete with the qx9000 extreme or whatever the ToTL Core 2 is.
If the money comes around, though ill probably settle for one of the C2 Quads
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 24, 2008 1:43:21 GMT -5
We took our dell to the shop, and the guy ranked it in his top 5 worst to work on. everything that coulda been backasswards, was. If i could afford it, i would get a new PC now. but 1200 bucks=alotta moolah right now. Maybe when i win the lottery....
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 24, 2008 12:07:53 GMT -5
Just build one pred. Cheaper. Cooler. Personal
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 24, 2008 15:04:55 GMT -5
It looks to me that it'll be a while before AMD catches up to Intel. At prices under $100, I think AMD does OK against Intel, but in higher price ranges, AMD's products just don't measure up. They're now about 1-2 years behind. With Intel's new Nehalem architecture coming out this winter, AMD is just going to be farther behind. I've seen a preview of Nehalem; this architecture is to the Core as the Core was to the Pentium. Even if you aren't going to buy one of these new processors when they come out (they'll be hella expensive), it could be worth it to wait for the price drops on their older stuff that still performs.
I think right now, a Core 2 Quad is the way to go. It offers better future proofing than Duos from this generation. However, I've seen that Intel's Extreme line of processors isn't really worth the huge premium they put on the name. There's nothing an Extreme can do that, say, a Q6600 couldn't do with an overclock and an aftermarket cooler.
Yeah, Dell's are terrible. I actually just installed a new hard drive in my sister's Dell today. There were no expansion slots and no extra IDE cable inputs, so I had to buy a new IDE cable with two connectors, plus I had to take out her floppy drive and mount the hard drive on that bracket. It worked, but this is not user-friendliness here.
And building your own makes it so much more personal. And it's cheaper. And it's more fun. And it makes you learn about the stuff you're installing and you get a deeper understanding of how exactly a computer works.
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The Moast. Evil. EVAR. (next to Viper, that is...)
