Hardware Discussions

[frogopus]

Here's a sticky to discuss your hardware as well as system requirement stuff.

[Edz]

System req's for L4D?

[sb_andrew]

M video card is an ATI 9600 Pro, think I can run L4D on full?

lol

[Jim_Riley]

Good idea, but hard to dwell on since we don't have any confirmation of the actual system requirements :P

I'm not too worried for hardware though. I suppose you could if you actually have money, buy some of the latest stuff to be EXTRA prepared. All I know is that the computer I'm picking out is probably beyond the minimum requirements to run L4D and HL2:EP2

[Tarron]

i have a pc... i have a whip for the monkey inside, and ive given him double pay for night shifts

[mopman]

I believe the requirements off amazon (they seem pretty good) are:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS -
MINIMUM - 2.4 GHz Processor, 1GB RAM, DirectX 8 level graphics card, Windows, Vista/2000/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection;

PREFERRED - Multi Core Processor, 2GB RAM, DirectX 9 level graphics card, Windows 2000/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

I have all the preffered except I need to get a dual core processor, (SO EXPENSIVE!!!)

[Edz]

L4D minimum system req's wont be that high

Probs: 512mb, 2GHz proc, Direct X level 9, 128mbit gfx card, and then all the misc

EDIT: yea sorry miss type :)

[mopman]

512 KB? you MB right. But actually 1gb would make sense because of all the stuff that will be on screen at once, and the graphics card part is right because it runs on source and source always supports dx8, just with lower settings. And I got those from Amazon and it looks like they got it from turtle rock. I could be wrong though

[Edz]

Turtle rock have released system req's? Didnt know that sorry. But games often put the bare minimum req's....as in the game only just runs, but not smoothly at all.

[mopman]

well actually I have run games below minimum before and they still played, but the minimun is how low you can have it and you will still get a decent FPS on low settings, Most people who can play HL2 episode 1 on high should be able to play this on medium or high settings. But more RAM would help.

[valk25]

prefered is a dual core processor, to be fair i dont think it will be entirely neccisarrycs (again with the word) just dont SMACK your graphics up!

[Edz]

Have you ever tried playing an RTS like rome total war on anything lower than the recomended?? Its sick (i used to have a nap pc)

Ill be playing it on full effects, and i dont meet all those prefered.

[mopman]

I can live without insane FPS TBH (lol double acronym!) as long as I get around 30-40 I will use the highest settings (except anti-aliasing, that always kills FPS and you dont notice it that much in the heat of battle)

[valk25]

nap pc for a nap gamer, only fair, why my pc is FCUKING PR0!!!!1one

[mopman]

... you typed the word fail, no supper for you tonight!

[Edz]

lol Ant ur a nap at like everything, you may have the good pc, but you dont know how to use it ;)

[No Shelter]

8800 GTX? I think it might work.. ;)

[valk25]

lol Ant ur a nap at like everything, you may have the good pc, but you dont know how to use it ;)

I know how to use your mum...

[USS_Stud]

AHHHHHHHHHH I want to get an 8800, I had to settle for an 8600GT.

[mopman]

8800's are only like $20 more at my best buy, they are on sale. Only $300

[bobstheman]

I think that since the source engine is so scaleable, If you can play Hl2, you should be fine with L4D, I think that with L4D, there will be some graphical goodies tp cash in on if your system can handle it, but I you played Hl2 l4d should be ok on your pc bottom line.

[mopman]

your probably right, and it will probably still look good, after all these years source still looks amazing.

[bub]

Should I buy a multicore?

[mopman]

I want one, but they cost alot. Can anyone tell me (us I guess) what the best multi-core proccesor we could get is on the cheaps

[lilsamuraijoe]

Nvidia GeForce FX 5700 ultra
Intel pentium 4 2.8 ghz.
512 MB ram

P.S.
Multi-cores are getting cheaper or at least lower end ones. Look around and im sure you will find a good deal for one.

[mopman]

good proccesor, the rest... not so much. If you want to play it with any good FPS get another 512 MB of RAM (it's cheap) and a new video card (consider a geforce 7800 if you are on a budget, they are good cards)

[No Shelter]

Just get a new card, and maybe another 512mb stick. If you want to stay light, get the 7900

[mopman]

REALLY RANDOM QUESTION AHEAD:

I have noticed in every pic they are using HL2's shitty blood textures, and it seems every source game uses them, dont you guys think they would be better off making new ones that look more detailed? I was thinking something like this
http://www.fpsbanana.com/screens?img=http://image. fpsbanana.com/ss/guis/7480.jpg (http://www.fpsbanana.com/screens?img=http://image.fpsbanana.com/ss/guis/7480.jpg)

[bub]

I like the blood in source games a lot, but when it comes to zombies you need to step up the gore.

[Edz]

Do you guys overclock your PC's? Tbh i dont think its worth the hassle.

[dontleave]

Here's a sticky to discuss your hardware as well as system requirement stuff.

That son of a bitch stole my idea!

Just kidding.

Everything I have is overclockable, and I too think its not worth the hastle. 8800GTX and AMD X2 2.4GHz I think.

TBH everything runs smoothly so I don't think there'd be a point to it.

Oh yeah Mopman, I totally agree... I also REALLY hope there's better particle effects/ decals in bullet holes and stuff, the same generic stuff is used in every source game out there that has guns.

[mopman]

Do you guys overclock your PC's? Tbh i dont think its worth the hassle

I am too much of a comp noob, I am suprised I can even put new parts in lol. I have never bothered and I am afraid my comp will fry

[Edz]

I think im just going to buy another Gig of ram instead of overclocking. Oh and maybe get a dual core processor, haven't decided whether its worth it or not.

[Psyche]

512 MB RAM, GEforce Nvidia 6200, and a 2.2 Ghz Processor, but I am using my money and my Birthday money to possible Get
2 GB RAM, Dual Core and 2.5 Ghz, and any type of Video Card that meets the perferred expectations.

[Plankie]

I have got a dual core processor and 2 gb ram, although my graphics card is "only" a GeForce 7600GT. I'm sure I'll make it... But damn.. I hope they change the blood decals! I really hate the Half-Life 2 blood decals, they are so bloody(hahaha) ugly.

[Edz]

Shouldnt cost you too much, you can get good dual core for about £50-60....work it out in to dollars, as for ram, thats cheap as chips!

Buy the best gfx card you can afford...will save you upgrading for a while.

[dontleave]

I think im just going to buy another Gig of ram instead of overclocking. Oh and maybe get a dual core processor, haven't decided whether its worth it or not.

I'd get dual core just for Left 4 Dead.

512 MB RAM, GEforce Nvidia 6200, and a 2.2 Ghz Processor, but I am using my money and my Birthday money to possible Get
2 GB RAM, Dual Core and 2.5 Ghz, and any type of Video Card that meets the perferred expectations.

How much money do you get exactly?

[No Shelter]

I am guessing hes getting more than 1000...

[mopman]

yeah rly, I never get that much $$$ for my B-day, gotta save up

[seekdestroy]

actually dual core processors can be very cheap!
i have a 3.2 X 2 pentium D. only cost me £50 (roughly $100). It's the Pentium D 805 (1.66ghz X 2) i overclocked to 3.2, its capable of over 4ghz (with some good cooling). But if i am correct they dont make these anymore, you can find some of the later versions, such as 930, these are about the same price now and have a higher default clock rate. This processor is pretty good for £50, been using it to play everything, battlefield 2 (almost full specs), CSS, HL2, FarCry.
2GB of ram can be cheap, hell just spend 100 quid and get 2 2GB sticks!. You can get a stick of 1GB ram DDR2 5400 for £20 ($40), it's not exactly expensive, £40 for 2GB (meeting the preffered on that) So for Ram and Processor £90. All you need is a graphics card, usually the expensive part :P. you can get the Nvidia 8 series for about £100 or less. These will be more than capable with running L4D tbh. So £190 so far. Then you may need a new motherboard, you will want socked LGA775, If your stuck for money you can get a cheap £20 one. So £210, for CPU,GFX Card, RAM, MOTHERBOARD.
www.ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com) (good cheap site)
www.scan.com (http://www.scan.com) (good site, bit expensive, good returns and customer service)
They are UK shops i think!

[Arkeneaver]

Left 4 dead isnt going to be one of those "wow, look at the uber graphics games", it will be about the equivalent of half life 2 graphics, and because you dont have large, open ended scenery, you should be able to run it on pretty much any standard system. Its logical, making a game from the amazingly optimised source engine would increase profits dramatically due to its flexibility. But if you want all the effects, of course you're going to need more then 512mb of RAM, a 2ghz processor and 128mb vid memory. Besides, after the summer hols im going to buy vista and the latest graphics card and the amd quad core as it will be out by then. So im pretty much sorted lol.

But for all those asking "will my pc run L4D?" please dont take peoples answers as completely accurate, because no one really knows how much better the source2 engine actually is, except for those whom have actually played L4D of course.

[bub]

I really hate the Half-Life 2 blood decals, they are so bloody(hahaha) ugly.
What blood do you like better? Why is everyone knocking HL2's graphics. They still look great come on.

[Arkeneaver]

its a 2004 game and still respectable, i love the series, the source engine is genius, but theres always critics that blurt out complaints even if their not even worth the muscle movement.

[Shrubberyjsc]

Omigosh you guyz, i has a moderate computer, and I can run Source gamez fine,

but i am woried for no reson that i won't be able to run L4D! Oh teh noes!

lol.

;)

[Arkeneaver]

haha, you should be worried shrubb, the unknown is always scary, even though i sense a little bit of sarcasm in those short paragraphs of yours XD

[dontleave]

What blood do you like better? Why is everyone knocking HL2's graphics. They still look great come on.

No they dont...

[No Shelter]

Yeah they do, they have one of the best engines.. not so much graphic wise. I really like their visuals.

[dontleave]

Hardly, but whatever its your opinion.

See if you played more than on Source based game you'd understand why everyone is knocking on the blood/bullet effects.

[bobstheman]

I have seen, and have bookmarked on newegg, a $222.00 conroe e6600 that is a core 2 duo and is running at 2.4 gigs, which translates to a 4.8, seeing as it is a core2duo. I am pairing it with an asus p5b deluxe mobo as soon as I get the money. But all you single core guys should be fine, as long as you can play css and hl2 without a hitch. I'd suggest at the minimmum for l4d, a 1.8 would be pushing it, 2.0 processor should be safe. just turn off other proseccess you dont need running.

[bobstheman]

last post was for you mopman

[Teknobry]

core 2 duo and is running at 2.4 gigs, which translates to a 4.8,

You have to realise, that isn't how dual core works.

If you have two engines that can both go at 70mph, your top speed isn't 140mph.

As for overclocking, what utter nonsense about it not being worth it! If you can get 30% more speed for no cost, how can that be 'to much hassle'

N00bs :p

[Edz]

Its not worth the hassle if your computer can already handle every game.

[No Shelter]

Just if you can run any source game now, your probably fine.

[Arkeneaver]

Its not worth the hassle if your computer can already handle every game.

Quite...
The only reason i ever overclock is if my CPU is a tad slow and graphics card vice versa in a particular game. I dont see the point in reducing component lifespan just to look cool or for any other random reason you might overclock. Besides, overclocking isnt all that useful if you have a dual core anyway, because, for the most part, dual cores can handle gaming very easily.

[Edz]

Ive just bought another Gig of ram, going to get dual core tomorrow. Will make sure i dont need to overclock, and my pc will be good enough for other new games, aswell as l4d.

[Arkeneaver]

please say your going for AMD... you will be missing out on their uber quad cores and dual cores which are going to be released in September. The new product line will be compatible with the AM2 boards. The new dual cores are going to be taking on Intel core2duo, about time AMD stormed the dual core market. The quad cores will be in a completely new league compared to intels counterparts... until February of course.

[Edz]

lol ofcourse im going AMD, never been an intel fan, never used them.

[Arkeneaver]

lol XD excellent, atleast someone attempts not to be drawn in by an incredible array of mass advertisment. Tbh with AMD, you get more bang for the buck, and this is even the case with the dual cores, but intel are price cutting soon so that will change. But... with new dual and quad cores armed with L3 cache coming soon, its seriously unwise to go with intel right now. even if intel do produce 10 more frames per second but for £40 more then the amd counter part, o yer, providing you have an 8800gtx or gts of course. With the 7900 series theres no competition at all.

[Zombie]

got my PC from wmdpcs.com

it plays everything maxed at 3860x1024 (yes im using three 19 inch monitors)

i got the Q2-max or something

specs are, 2x 8800GTX's in SLI, an AMD x2 something its dual core

2gb DDR2 memory

pretty big hard drive, still have 200 gigs left to put games on

i compared dell and stuff to wmdpcs computer specs, and the price is a LOT cheaper than dell, omfg...

plus when i emailed customer support about the 8800gtx's getting hot they responded pretty fast and offered water cooling, all i had to pay for was shipping, pretty sweet

[mopman]

This is an upgraded version of source, it will be better than HL2. Every new source game will be better than HL2. It will look more like dark messiah, and that game looks great In my opinion.

[bub]

a $222.00 conroe e6600
Look into amd's before you decide on this.

[dontleave]

Uuuh don't think so. Dark Messiah graphics plus 40 zombies=10 frams per second. They're using low poly stuff so computers can handle easlier. Im thinking CS:S graphics/slightly better.

Hell mosto f the game is in the dark so I doubt anyone will notice.

[mopman]

LOW RES? Have you seen the pics, the skins look better than Counter strikes, they look better than DM!!! That is why it reccomends 2 gigs of RAM, so you can handle it all at once. Also a dual core, if people play on low settings it will be playable for moderator comps but it is made to take advantage of good computers.

[Pestoolio]

I got a 3.6 GHz processer, a gig of RAM, and a 7900 gs. I run HL2 and Counter Strike on highest, I'm hoping I'll be able to do the same for this game. But in reality, I'll probably have to tone the graphics down a bit.

[dontleave]

Yeah, LOW RES... Look again buddy. I'm an avid fan of the game, but im not delusional.

[mopman]

ok whatever, the skins look amazing to me

[Uz3r013]

im working on getting a 8800GTX. im checking my connections to see if i can get 1 for wholesale.

im most likely gunna be building a whole new computer around it, hopefully by the time im done with it L4D will be out soon.

This computer was orginally gunna be designed for spore, i even had my Spore designs for the custom case i was gunna make, but since they pushed that back to 2009, this computer is gunna be dedicated to L4D.

[mopman]

Oh nice, If you want some good RAM on the cheaps, look on newegg. They have uber low prices

[Arkeneaver]

Have you seen the pics, the skins look better than Counter strikes

erm, not from where im standing. All my skins are modded, and use way better textures then the default 2004 counter strike skins. Skins arnt what matter at all, because modders wil just make them look better. Wall textures and objects look pretty much the same as HL2. Although i would say the textures are a lot better done then CSS.

[Arkeneaver]

buying cheap RAM is ok, but if you can afford it, 800mhz RAM gives better performance then 622mhz and below. It just means that more data can be going in and out of the RAM a bit quicker, reducing bottlenecks.

[Edz]

The only thing that lets me down is my geforce 7600GT.....although it isnt a bad gfx card, it could be better.

[Arkeneaver]

i like the 7600, its very popular, reliable and doesnt make your pc melt. I have the 7900gs, runs every game on high settings, very faithful card. Im waiting for the new ATI 2900XTX to be released, but if it doesnt hurry the help up, im going for the nvidia 8800gts.

[dontleave]

7600>>>1600, it couldn't have been any better for me. It's the card im using right now on this computer (I have two, my other has an 8800GTX) and it runs everything fine... Im pretty sure it'll handle L4D on medium-ish settings. If it has to, I don't think I'll bother installing it on this computer.

I used to have a 7900GS, good card... Loved it when I could play C&C3 on high, less than a week later though I got an 8800GTX (7900 came with my PC) good trade in my opinion. There's a local shop nearby where I had my PC put together, I only had to pay another $75 for the 8800GTX. Unfortunately it was an evil ploy to get me to also buy new cooling units. Ah well... good stuff.

[Cerpin Taxt]

How do you think my computer will handle it?

X1600 pro 512mb
1 Gig RAM
2.6 GHz Pentium 4

[No Shelter]

Can you run source games? Then yes.

[mopman]

That should be enough for medium/high without AA

[dontleave]

Medium... im thinking the recommended processing speed will be 3.0ghz single core, and 2 gigs of ram.

[mopman]

2 gigs or RAM, how come now you say that after I posted the same thing 3 pages back??

[Jim_Riley]

Hey, do you guys think this would be alright to Run L4D? I'm quite confident it is but maybe more "experienced" folks with hardware can clue me in.

(Forgot the speed >.<) Dual Core, 3 gb of ram, Geforce8600... and something else...damn, I wish I knew the speeds, it'd be more helpful. I just bought it and upgraded it today so I'm not too familiar with my new computer :(

[mopman]

... Are you kidding? OF COURSE! It seems like your just rubbing it in my face jim

[Jim_Riley]

... Are you kidding? OF COURSE! It seems like your just rubbing it in my face jim

It took me 5 long years to get to this point, I just have to be clarified as I don't want a stupid mistake to occur :P

[Edz]

going for the nvidia 8800gts

Going for the ultra series? If you are i envy you, you bastard!!!

It took me 5 long years to get to this point

lol i just bought a new PC a few months back, and now ive started upgrading it already, its nice having money, the only thing i wouldnt buy atm is a £500 gfx card....pointless imo.

[mopman]

I envy whoever runs Nvidias research department, he gets the newest cards months before we even hear about them

[Jim_Riley]

its nice having money, the only thing i wouldnt buy atm is a £500 gfx card

I agree. My graphics card I got though, (The Nvidia 8600 one) was only $250-I was surprised, it was relatively cheap for that kind of card :)

How much in pounds would that be?

[dontleave]

My uneducated guess would be 170 to 180. Thats for the 8600 GTS right?

[Edz]

Its more like £125-£130, which i would pay for a gfx card...but im happy with the one ive got now :).

[globalenjoi]

I'm going to be building a new computer soon, and was wondering if I could get some help here...

Really going for high-end gaming specs here, if I can afford it. I have a budget of about $1000, maybe a little more. I won't need a new hard drive (keeping my 250gig IDE drive) or monitor. I could probably manage on my own, but I really don't know much at all about dual-core processors, SLI-enabled motherboards, and other things that have come out since I built my current computer. Any help is appreciated =D

[Arkeneaver]

tbh, the 8600 isnt cheap for what it is, my 7900gs can outperform it and thats a fact. They have cut everything down (onbiosly), but the only reason people buy it is because it can use &quot;directX 10&quot;, im pretty sure thats why you got it jim lol. Anywho, the 8600 isnt actually intended for the gamers market, as it will never run DX10 games, not even on low, mainly because it doesnt have a big enough memory bandwith, doesnt have enough shaders and definitely doesnt have enough RAM, sure itll play DX 9 games, but only just as well as a 7600... the 8600 is the lowest of the low for any DX10 game, so as i was saying, this graphics card is directed at everyday users of vista who wish to edit videos and watch them etc. Its just a basic card for everyday use of DX10. so there you go folks, if your looking for a nice cheap card to play games on, this isn't it, get a 7900 which is about 30 pound cheaper for better performance or... if your craving for a piece of DX10 action (which isn't actually fully supported yet), then either wait for the follow up cards, or buy an 8800.

[Edz]

My 7600 is a trusty piece of rock.

[Arkeneaver]

nice £600 to spend, ok lets see, first off you need to decide where you want to go with the new rig... as in, do you want the best now? or are you more concerned on how upgradeable your pc will be in say... a years time... once you've got that figured out, you either go for the most expensive route (Intel, very good at the moment, but not much upgradeability until February next year, or perhaps you might have to even buy a new mobo, who knows...) Or you can go with (AMD, very affordable, reliable chips, and give satisfactory performance for very little money. Plus, their quad core selection released later this year will be available for the board you will need to buy.)

SLI capable boards is always a bonus, but not critical. What you really need to find is one of the latest boards offering a very good chipset, i.e. the 590 chipset or higher if your going with intel. Dont be frightened to spend a lot on the mobo because your going to want to keep this for a good long time. i have a mobo which offer 16gb RAM support, which is brilliant because most mobo's only offer 8gb, so looking out for these little extras makes it all worth while and last longer. PCI *16 is a must, but if your getting a 590 chipset dont worry about an SLI board only having PCI*8 because it wont.

PSU, very very very important, i cant state this enough, usually people buy the cheap and nasty ones that say they offer about 700 watts when really its 500, they also only last 1 year. SO make sure you buy from a well known manufacturer and get a PSU with 12v rails (make sure it has PCI rails also) and is 800watt or over, DX10 cards suck up a lot of electrical energy, especially in SLI. Reason i say 800watt is so that you wont need to buy a new one by the end of this year.

Graphics card...hmm this can be a problem... the 8800 series has been out a long time, and wont be the top dog for much longer, but its just a question of whether your prepared to wait for the next card up, or want the best NOW! mwhahaha.

RAM, 2* 1GB sticks will do the trick, and make sure they are running at 667mhz or what ever it is. If you can afford 800mhz sticks get them, they are faster (obviously) the performance is noticeable trust me. Dont bother with 4gb yet, leave the other 2 slots on the mobo open for when the 2gb sticks come out.

i presume you know enough about monitors and cases lol so thats really the main places of concern with usual comp buying/building.

[globalenjoi]

Thanks for all the info =D

I don't really need the BEST at the moment, but I'd like to be able to enjoy games like Crysis and UT3 when they are released.

I have an AMD chip atm, the main reason I was looking at Intel is because it seems they have had more success with dual-core processors, which I'm interested in kinda.

[Arkeneaver]

yer... they have more success because where ever you look theres an &quot;intel&quot; logo. There nice 10 frames per second handicap with their $400 CPU is also a must for intel fan boys and &quot;must have the best&quot; people, but apart from that, intel are no better then AMD, until of course their price cuts are put in place. But o dear, intels glory will be short lived, as AMD are releasing brand new dual and quad cores out this summer which will kick ass in both the performance sector and efficiency sector. If you wanna play Crysis to the the extreme, wait until the ATI 2600XTX is out, or wait for the nvidia 9 series, personally im going for the nvidia series, not because they mass advertise, but because i want the best at the time, and it just so happens that the 9 series will be awsome. 1 terabyte floating point ftw! Also, its not just crysis, its every freaken DX 10 game coming out this fall, IM SO EXCITED!! *sorry was that abbreviated enough for you or would you like that in bold?*

[globalenjoi]

Lol, aight. I'm gonna work on some specs today, then I'll bring it to this thread, and get some opinions =D I LOVE OPINIONS!!

[mopman]

I want to make a computer made out of pregnant puppy orphans that runs on the hopes and dreams of people with cancer. Can someone help me out???

[globalenjoi]

Quick question... does AMD have dual core processors out right now? And if so, are they crap? Just asking, cause I read that AMD is releasing some in September...

Just curious, cause I have to have this build in the next month =\ Gotta get ready to head off to school.

EDIT: OK, so I have noticed that they DO have dual cores hehe. But.. what about sockets? I have no idea on the difference between Socket 939 and AM2 =\

Video card ideas? 8600GT, or 8600GTS?

[No Shelter]

I want to make a computer made out of pregnant puppy orphans that runs on the hopes and dreams of people with cancer. Can someone help me out???

Use kittens, much better quality.

[mopman]

Thanks, I got the idea from complete utter asshole magazine. There are some great reads on there.

[dontleave]

ATI 2600XTX

2900 you mean? That's supposed to be on par with the 8800 Ultra. Crysis will paly on all highs with an 8800GTX, it's what the game was designed on.

Video card ideas? 8600GT, or 8600GTS?

8600GTS definately, 8600GT is crap if you want to game with it.

[No Shelter]

Crysis will paly on all highs with an 8800GTX, it's what the game was designed on.

Seriously? YES!!!

Edit: The 8600GTS and GT, whats the difference?

[globalenjoi]

Is there much of a difference between these two CPUs?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16819115003 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16819115004 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115004)

[dontleave]

Clock speeds, I guess not &quot;much&quot; of a difference, they're both fine for games.

8600GTS is way better... the 8600GT barely outperforms X1600/7600 series cards. At least according to memory, haven't looked into it in a while.

[mopman]

Well memory aint everything, infact if you have say... 2 gigs of RAM that can make alot of GPU memory unnessasary. But the 8800 with 320 mb of RAM is still much better

[globalenjoi]

Hmm... Yeah, I've been checking the cards out.. The core clock speed of the 8600GTS seems faster than the 8800GTS though. No idea if that matters, at this point I'm just comparing numbers and prices. Dunno if I wanna spend $300 on the 8800GTS either =\

[mopman]

If you want the better one get 8800, it's that simple. Because if you get the 8600 you will be replacing it within the year

[globalenjoi]

Don't think I'll replace that fast.. I'm still running on a Radeon 9600XT hehe... Just wondering if its worth the extra money to get it right now, or wait and get the Ultra, or something better, when I can afford it.

[dontleave]

ultra might suck... atleast thats what ive heard... you cant go wrong with the 8800GTS or even GTX...

[mopman]

Be a man and get an 8800

[globalenjoi]

Hmm... Okay, on this whole AMD or Intel thing... I was leaning towards AMD at first, but as I read reviews and such, I noticed a trend with AMDs getting hotter than the Intels. Err, well thats what the reviews said.

Any input is great. I'm on an AMD chip right now, and I've never had a problem with it, but I get the impression that Intel is more... &quot;comfortable&quot; in dual core technology at the moment. While I would wait until September and get better, I can't. Gotta have this puppy running by the end of next month at the latest.

EDIT: These are the two main CPU's I've been looking at:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16819103759#spec (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103759#spec)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16819115003 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003)

[dontleave]

I'd wait until AMD's new Multi Core processors... Otherwise, Intel make dolls inprinted with Artificial Intelligence... they win.

[globalenjoi]

Alrighty, I've spent alot of today researching computer stuff hehe, and here is a bit of what I've got.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor (might go higher come Jul 22nd)

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Having trouble picking a PSU because I really don't know how to calculate the power. And I decided I'm going to go ahead and get an 8800GTS, just not sure if I'm going to get the 320MB or 640MB card. Did have a couple questions about SLI though...

1) If I get an SLI Motherboard, will my single GPU run slower than if I just had a normal motherboard?
2) How the hell do I pick a motherboard out...

[Arkeneaver]

Hmm... Okay, on this whole AMD or Intel thing... I was leaning towards AMD at first, but as I read reviews and such, I noticed a trend with AMDs getting hotter than the Intels. Err, well thats what the reviews said.

Any input is great. I'm on an AMD chip right now, and I've never had a problem with it, but I get the impression that Intel is more... &quot;comfortable&quot; in dual core technology at the moment. While I would wait until September and get better, I can't. Gotta have this puppy running by the end of next month at the latest.



Actually, amd runs cooler then intel, what ever you were reading was either biased, or not running equal systems. AMD = more efficient, Intel = better performance. AMD = cheaper, intel = more expensive, you see what im trying to say? Both equal each other out in different areas. The AMD fx60 is a very good cpu and is very cheap for what it is, on the plus side, you will be able to buy and use the quad core when it comes out. But if you go for intel youl have the best now, but wont be able to upgrade.

[globalenjoi]

Crap.. edited my post instead of making a new one...

[Infected World]

How would this do.

Pentium 4
2.26 GHC
G Force 4 mmx 123mb

[ArsenaI]

Just got a quick question ( I'm not good with all this technical stuff btw).

I bought a Ati Radeon x850 XT, quite a while ago now, my pc isnt the best but i can run source games on high/full settings and get good graphics / performance.

Just wondering what i would have to spend to get a better gfx card (and is it worth it). Coz im not that bad for cash atm, but im also not bothered about graphics much tbh, but if i could spend a little ammnt of money and see a improvment that would be great.

Or

is it best to just upgrade computer (the comp im using atm is just a shop bought pent 4 / 2GB ram blah blah blah dnt know what im talking about so ill stop.

[No Shelter]

Well, what kind of gamer are you? If you can run your source games high/full etc. and thats all you do and then L4D. Dont bother unless you know you want some of those new games.

[Teknobry]

Alrighty, I've spent alot of today researching computer stuff hehe, and here is a bit of what I've got.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor (might go higher come Jul 22nd)

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Having trouble picking a PSU because I really don't know how to calculate the power. And I decided I'm going to go ahead and get an 8800GTS, just not sure if I'm going to get the 320MB or 640MB card. Did have a couple questions about SLI though...

1) If I get an SLI Motherboard, will my single GPU run slower than if I just had a normal motherboard?
2) How the hell do I pick a motherboard out...

Good setup, tough choice between keeping that and spending a little more and going for the 6600 conroe. My advice is if you're willling to overclock, get the 6420, as the intel chips can handle large overclocks on stock cooling. If you feel that you aren't up to that, then get the fastest processor you can afford. (e6600 is a great processor)

Whether to get the 8800 GTS 320 or 640... comes down to your monitor. What resolution do you play at? If its anything less than 1600x1200, then there really is no point getting the 640mb card, as the extra memory is wasted, you'll never use it. In fact, the 320mb card in benchmarks has proved slightly faster than the 640 one on lower resolutions.

Personally, I think SLI is a bag of bullsh*t. Reason being is that for the cost of buying two graphics cards, you could just spend the money on the top of the range card, which will out perform two lower class cards in SLI mode!
This is just my opinion, but SLI is really for people who have money to burn.

BTW, no the card won't perform any less in an SLI enabled motherboard, there will be no difference.

As for motherboard.. this is one area you don't want to skimp in, you want fast FSB, good features and one that is aimed at high end/gaming use.

You'll find there are serveral motherboards by different manufacturers that are all on a similar par, and it just comes down to personal preference.

I'd recommend this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16813128048 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128048)

[globalenjoi]

Thanks Teknobry! Yeah, I will prolly get the 6600 conroe if I don't order before the 22nd of July. It'll just depend on when I wind up needing this machine. Also, I don't ever play over 1600x1200, so I think I'm going to go with the 320mb and shave off like 100$ on the price.

That motherboard looks like the same motherboard I had picked, but mine is a P35, not a P35C. Is the one you linked a newer chipset?
Here is the one I had picked:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16813128050 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050)

On SLI... The main reason I was looking into it is wouldn't it be easier for me to upgrade later? Like, rather than having to completely replace my card, I could put another in, and have near-excellent performance? (Talking about a few years down the road)

Also, how do I pick out a PSU?

Thanks again for all the helpful information people have put in!

[Teknobry]

Main difference is that the board I posted has DDR3 memory support, whereas the one you posted is only DDR2.
Obviously it also supports DDR2 as well.
Memory
Number of Memory Slots 4×240pin
Memory Standard DDR3:
2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 4 GB of system memory
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR3 1066/800 MHz memory modules
DDR2:
4 x 1.8V DDR2 DIMM sockets supporting up to 8 GB of system memory(Note 1)
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR2 1066/800/667 MHz memory modules

Up to you really, although if you need to save the $$$ you'll be fine without DDR3, but it will be taking over eventually, just like DDR has been phased out.

SLI... personal preference really, do you spend $300 on the latest graphics card, or buy another one of your existing old g/card for $150...

Personally I'd rather sell my existing one, add the money i got from it to the cash i had for buying a 2nd identical card, and then buy the latest top dog card instead :D
two lots of Last years top of the range DX9 cards will not be a patch on one of the new range of DX10 cards coming later this year.


When it comes to PSU, buy QUALITY. A cheap '800watt' psu will deliver less power than a 550watt more expensive high brand PSU. The more expensive one will last a hell of a lot longer as well.

[Teknobry]

Something along these lines:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16817194003 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194003)

[globalenjoi]

Alrighty, I think I'll go with the DDR3 then. Hadn't really looked into it. And I'll get that PSU, if you are pretty sure it will work. I'm gonna have to look up voltage, etc today and learn more about it.

Also, trying to figure out which video card to get:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16814150172 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150172)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16814130082 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082)

The overclocked one sounds nice, but I'm not sure if it will stay cool. Still gonna get the Antec 900 case, and it has a crapload of fans.

[mopman]

Lol I didnt even know there was a resoloution above 1600x1200 !!! I have a CRT so my resoloution isnt even close, I have to go to a friends house to see him play on his 32' LCD... *drool*

[globalenjoi]

Okay, so if I don't go for an SLI mobo...

Does the 8800GTS have a physx card in it? Read somewhere that I will need one of those, and I thought it was a PCI-e slot card.

[Arkeneaver]

the 8800 series has a physics processing unit yes, but not a card as such. However buying a card would be stupid because it just wouldn't be able to do anything the 8800 cant handle. The CPU is meant to handle physics but the 8800 takes control instead, just because it can lol XD.

[dontleave]

Yes it does. And no you wont need one for L4D... or anything for that matter.

[Arkeneaver]

you wont need one for L4D lol, but it would be handy to have anyway, its uber, and you have got to love anything which is uber. no really you have, look it says right here in this here book of &quot;unheard of rules for gamers&quot; *reads sentence*: &quot;rule 206: as a pc gamer, it is a known requirement to always passionately love and purchase uber technology&quot;... you see.

[globalenjoi]

Lmao, thanks =D

Any idea on which of those 2 video cards to get?

[dontleave]

8800GTS or GTX?

the GTS will play anything out on high, GTX is just extra..

GTS has 320MB of onboard ram, the GTX has 786 (or 68...) but it obviously cost more... I'd stick with the GTS if you just want to play Left 4 Dead, I have no doubt it can also handle the ones like Crysis and... some other DX10 game.

[Teknobry]

I'm gonna have to look up voltage, etc today and learn more about it.

Also, trying to figure out which video card to get:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8) 2E16814150172

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8) 2E16814130082

The overclocked one sounds nice, but I'm not sure if it will stay cool. Still gonna get the Antec 900 case, and it has a crapload of fans.

Honestly, NEVER bother with pre overclocked cards. If you look at the difference, there is a 60mhz core speed increase and a 100mhz memory speed increase.

The reason I say don't bother, is because there is a very simple program for overclocking nvidia cards. 'OMG NOT OVERCLOCKING!!1!' I hear you cry! It is incredibly easy. There are two slider bars, one for core speed, one for memory. You slide the slider bar up to 560mhz and leave it there, you then slide the memory bar up to 1700mhz, and leave it there. Click save.
Job done, for $0.00 you have overclocked your card to the exact same specification as the card that cost more money. It is that simple, it is also extremely safe.

Because its only a very small overclock (500mhz, to 560mhz on core, 1600 to 1700mhz on memory) heat isn't a problem, barely a few degrees if that. The cards also have a very good inbuilt fan which will stop temps getting anywhere near dangerous.

Here is an example of the overclocking tool:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/images/articles/How%20to%20Overclock%20the%20NVIDIA%20Geforce%2088 00%20Series/ATITool-3D-View-LG.jpg

Its actually more simple than that.. see the box that says 'link sliders together' simply click that, and raise core to 560, and the memory to 850. The picture by the way is from the geforce 8800GTX, hence why its showing higher figures.

[dontleave]

Hmm... I should do that right now.. or next month... probably by christmas I'll do that.

[Teknobry]

The whole 'GTS vs GTX' thing, well, comes down to your budget really and the kind of games you're gonna be playing.

For price against performance, I think the 320mb GTS card is great, and don't think you'll be dissapointed with it in the slightest.

As for left for dead, the 8800 GTS will definately be running everything on full without any hassle.

[Teknobry]

Lol I didnt even know there was a resoloution above 1600x1200 !!!

lol, the default resolution on my laptop is 1920 x1200! Hence why it needs a 512mb graphics card for the high resolution when gaming.

[dontleave]

2850...by 1500 something.. whats the size of your laptop btw.. im thinking of getting one so I can play L4D while vacationing.. although L4D is vacation in itself but still, that is IF it comes out during the summer, otherwise Ill bring ti school everyday.

[Teknobry]

its a 17inch dell xps m1710.

Its big, and heavy! I dunno if you would really want to be lugging it back and forth to school every day!

I purchased it because I needed a desktop replacement notebook that was powerful enough to play games. In October I start a new job and will be spending 5 days a week away from home, and I'm sure I'd get left for dead withdrawl symptoms without it! lol.

T7400 2.16 core 2 duo
geforce 7950GTX 512mb graphics
17inch truelife 1920 x1200 screen
2gig DDR2 670mhz RAM
Vista

Comes complete with tons of neons, lol

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/teknobry/lappy%20pics/lappy%20pics%20(4)_600x450.JPG

16 different colours :D

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/teknobry/lappy%20pics/lappy%20pics%20(2)_600x450.JPG

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/teknobry/lappy%20pics/lappy%20pics%20(6)_600x450.JPG

[dontleave]

I was just about to say, &quot;I hope it ain't an XPS,&quot; those things are expensive. How much was yours exactly? Because im desperate for one, and I don't think it'll be anything like putting together a desktop. (Which my friend gave me a guide to do)

As far at school, better than carrying around a bag full of nothing.

[Teknobry]

I got one of those &quot;one in a million&quot; bargains with this laptop.

It was 3 weeks old, hadn't even been taken out of the box and the lad was selling it for a car deposit.

Had receipt for £1600 ($3,200) full 3 years next business day warranty, all the software, everything all boxed up and unused.

I offered him £800 for it and he accepted :D

I was bit worried it might not be legit (stolen) but he phoned up dell whilst I was there and transfered the warranty in my name. Even got an expensive laptop bag he'd bought for it thrown in for free!

I accidentaly broke the mic connection on the motherboard, phoned up dell and the next day an engineer arrived and swapped the motherboard! I was well impressed.

Only thing I've purchased for it has been a logitech M518 gaming mouse.

[Teknobry]

BTW, with those laptops, they are built to order from dell. To try and buy the parts to build yourself would cost more than just buying it direct.

[dontleave]

I got one of those &quot;one in a million&quot; bargains with this laptop.

You son of a *****... Wow, you are either really freaking lucky and the people across the ocean are hella nice, or that is the greatest work of fiction since tobacco sauce. Im shopping for one now. It might be too soon, considering I got my new Desktop like 4 months ago, im not sure if Ill order just yet. But as a soon as I hear a whisper of L4D's release I'll certainly look on it, and hopefully it wont be during vacation. Then again, this is what I save up for. Good thing Im freaking brilliant or I would have needed that money for a car.

Whats your new job exactly... must be something... weird. You working on an oil rig? You going to strike up a really old oil desposit that has a dead fossil of an alien, that'll release an airborne virus that'll infect everyone with a rage diseas, except for you guys on the oil rig, or maybe a couple guys on the oil rig and you gotta fight them off while the oil rig malfunctions and is about to explode, so you gotta get outta there, only theres like 100 infected people outside the oil rig, so you tame sharks outside the oil rig and you escape from the oil rig...

Lol

[Teknobry]

Lol @ people being nice. If only!!

like I say, it was pure luck i saw it on ebay, the guy put his telephone number on, I phoned up, offered him a price, went and got it! He was pretty desperate for the cash.

Tbh, not something worth lying about. If I paid full price for it, I'd just say so. But its a true story.

[dontleave]

Damnit, if only things worked out like that for me... last thing I got from eBay was Vista... lotta good that turned out to be lol.

[No Shelter]

Vista a big mistake I take it? Nice tek.. lucky basta...

[globalenjoi]

Thanks man, was wondering if I could just overclock it myself or not! And woulda replied sooner, but I got sick for some reason.. puked, then fell asleep lol. Very bad day.

I'm fixing to go watch a movie, but when thats over, I'll post my completed build for some input. Wanted to ask though, as much as it scares me... should I get Vista, or just buy Windows XP Pro?

[globalenjoi]

Aight here goes...

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor

GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W Power Supply 90V~265V (Auto Adjusted) UL, cUL, TUV, CB

EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card

SAMSUNG Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X

For harddrive, I'm hangin on to my 250GB Seagate IDE. No need for more space, to be honest.

So... what do you guys think? Think I will have any complications? And Tek, that mobo that you recommended, will that work with my RAM? I noticed the DDR2 memory voltage is 1.8V, and my RAM is like 2 or 2.2V.

[Teknobry]

I'm just leaving for work, away overnight. I'll be back Wednesday evening (UK time) and I'll look over your spec fully then.

Vista vs xp pro service pack 2.... for gaming it has to be XP all the way.

Vista will eventually get there, but I doubt we'll see that until 2008.
I'm running vista myself, and intend to dual boot with xp, as the driver support just isn't good enough with vista.

[Teknobry]

Checked out the RAM, and according to gigabytes own specs page ( http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Pr oducts_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID= 2551&ProductName=GA-P35C-DS3R (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=2551&ProductName=GA-P35C-DS3R) )
the ram you have listed there is on their recommended RAM guide
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/MemorySupport/ motherboard_memory_ga-p35c-ds3r.pdf (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/MemorySupport/motherboard_memory_ga-p35c-ds3r.pdf)

Just check though that the code on the RAM is BL12864AA804. If it is, then its compatible.

The rest of the spec is definately compatible. I would recommend getting a sata II hard disk over your existing IDE one, but up to you really.

That motherboard has excellent overclocking features as well, so when you decide you want your 2.13 ghz chip to run at 2.8ghz, its easy to do ;-)

[Teknobry]

If your budget can stretch, this PSU comes VERY highly recommended.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 2E16817139001 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001)

[globalenjoi]

Awesome, yeah I can probably manage that. The RAM seems to check out also. So, seems I am good to go =D Now I just either need to order, or wait till July... I'll prolly wait, but it's soo tempting lol. I want a new machine hehe.

Do I need to get any of the Arctic Silver stuff for my CPU, or do you think I'll be alright? I read alot about people just staying on stock cooling and still being able to overclock fine.

Btw, thanks a TON man, hehe. You've helped me out a ton!

EDIT: The SATA II drive... Can I hook just one up? I really don't wanna have to buy 2 new drives for the RAID thing, if I can avoid it.

[Teknobry]

Don't have to run RAID at all, a SATA II hard disk is just alot faster than IDE.

No harm at all in putting some AS5 on the chip when putting it in, its a little touch but it does help. Saves having to do it at a later date.

Was quite surprised when looking on newegg, normally US prices are alot cheaper than in the UK, but seems its no longer the case!

Happy to have helped! Any more questions just ask away :D

[globalenjoi]

Tek, I'm glad you recommended that motherboard for me...

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/06/06/p35_suppor ts_pcie_2/ (http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/06/06/p35_supports_pcie_2/)

This will be nice, not only having DDR3 compatibility but PCI-Express 2.0 as well.

[Teknobry]

Its a great motherboard, I was going to buy it, and a similar spec PC to yours, until I found this laptop.

[DogTurtle]

Hey guys, Im thinking about getting Windows Vista (since i want DX10.. and a new OS look). But Im confused about that 32 and 64-bit stuff. Do you have to run the 64-bit Windows Vista on a 64-bit processor or what? I mean, can you like mix them and like have one 32-bit OS and a 64-bit CPU, and vice versa?
I read that you need to have a 64bit OS to have 4gb ram. And vista seems to have a need for memory.

[No Shelter]

You dont need vista for DX10, you need the video card.

[DogTurtle]

A few months ago Microsoft mentioned that DirectX 10 would be a Vista exclusive.
But hey, that's great that it isn't anymore. DX10 for the people! :D

I have another rookie question; Im gonna upgrade to quad core and need a new motherboard. The board I've picked says &quot;supports Ati Crossfire&quot;. But it's compitable with a Geforce 8800GT anyway right?

[dontleave]

Yes...

[Rufus]

How you you think a 8600 GT could handle L4D? I can run HL2 on high settings with no problem, so I expect L4D to perform similarly, maybe slightly worse due to the high amounts of infected on screen at once.

[dontleave]

With AF, and AA down but not off you can run it fine with an FPS 30^... if you're an FPS whore you might want to get another card, a 7950 ill probably run better but the 8600 can run DX10 features.

With my 8800GTX I ran well above 200 running normal HL2, EP1 and the CS:S Stress Test... the most taxing Source game would have to be Insurgency when I dropped to 150 insides, 120 outside sometimes even below 100...

You will be able to play if you dumb down some settings, I assume your aspect ration is 4:3... At full settings with Color correction offf and 4xMSAA and 4xAF you could probably play with a 30^ FPS average. And if that doesn't cut it I'd move to trilinear...

Thats how your graphics card will do but your processor might suck, you'd need a good one to handle the Infected.

[Rufus]

For a processor I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.2GHz, along with 2 GB of memory. Honestly, anything above 30 FPS is fine by me...

[globalenjoi]

You are sure DX10 isn't Vista only? If that's the case, I'll just buy XP and upgrade to Vista when I absolutely have to, or when it doesn't suck ass.

[Deek]

You dont need vista for DX10, you need the video card.
You do need Vista.

I have an 8800 and XP Home. I cannot access nor display DX10 graphics (though the card completely annihilates DX9 apps). You need both Vista and a DX10 card (88) to play DX10 games in all of their visual glory. However, the majority of DX10 games also support scaled down DX9 graphics, so you can still play them even if you're not DX10 ready.

[Teknobry]

Hey guys, Im thinking about getting Windows Vista (since i want DX10.. and a new OS look). But Im confused about that 32 and 64-bit stuff. Do you have to run the 64-bit Windows Vista on a 64-bit processor or what? I mean, can you like mix them and like have one 32-bit OS and a 64-bit CPU, and vice versa?
I read that you need to have a 64bit OS to have 4gb ram. And vista seems to have a need for memory.

Unless you REALLY need 64bit vista, don't bother. At the moment there is terrible driver support for it, and it'll take a good while yet before its sorted.

Vista needs 1gb RAM minimum. People may tell you it'll run on 512mb, but it'll run dogsh1t. Ideally, 2gb is needed.

For gaming, XP is still the best IMO. Vista 32 bit is catching up, and will eventually overtake, but its not at that stage yet.

Direct X 10 is only available on vista. Although direct X 10 games will have backward compatibility with DX9, so don't worry about it to much.

[Teknobry]

I have another rookie question; Im gonna upgrade to quad core and need a new motherboard. The board I've picked says &quot;supports Ati Crossfire&quot;. But it's compitable with a Geforce 8800GT anyway right?

Yes, you'll be able to run the 8800GTX on that board.

[DogTurtle]

Thanks! Now I have been enlightened! :D *rookie level up, blip!*

[Fish_Elite]

i want an 8800 gts but i don't know if it'l fit in my case i'm using the case from a dell xps gen5 any one know?

[Deek]

i want an 8800 gts but i don't know if it'l fit in my case i'm using the case from a dell xps gen5 any one know?
Sorry, not 100% sure. All I can tell you is my 8800 GTS fits in my mid-size Cooler Master Mystique 631 case. L480 x W205 x H445 mm.

[Teknobry]

i want an 8800 gts but i don't know if it'l fit in my case i'm using the case from a dell xps gen5 any one know?

Long as you don't mind hack sawing a bit of the case to make it fit, who cares! :D

Might be worth checking the dimensions of the card against the amount of space you have to play with.

[Fish_Elite]

....hmmmmm i would like to have one.....to the hardwear store LOLZ

[globalenjoi]

I'd recommend checking into your PSU also... friend of mine is planning on getting an 8800GTS for his Dell, but until he can, he has to replace the PSU that came with his system, because it doesn't put out enough power.

[globalenjoi]

What's the difference between the Intel Conroe and Allendale CPUs? Is one better for gaming?

[Deek]

Isn't the Allendale a &quot;hobbled&quot; Conroe? Less cache and FSB, something like that? Not 100% sure, but I think that's the case.

[Etheallmighty]

i'm gonna get the 360 version because no money for good computer, but heres a question....


....how u think the 360 will do, do u think they will very slightly dum down the graphics al all or ??????????? I remember playing HL2 on thefirst xbox and the graphics were just as good and no lag.


.....kinda off topic but does anyone know what graphics card the 360 uses or however that works....never thought about that.

[lilsamuraijoe]

360 could easily handle L4D. Have you seen a 360 game lately? I would rather get the PC version, because source games tend to be scalable graphically. A good CPU is all that you need, because Source games draw off your CPU a lot to run it's physics- or thats what some one told me. Plus you may or may not have to pay for Xbox live. Xbox live is a good feature, but if you are buying it for L4D only, its pretty expensive.

[Fish_Elite]

I don't think it would be that much of a difference you might have to wait longer for the 360 version......who can wait any more....honestly i can't

[Shrubberyjsc]

Operation CWAL

[DogTurtle]

Show me the money.

[No Shelter]

Black Sheep Wall

[moparmudder420]

u can run the min req's but with a fast paced blowing off heads zombie game, u wanna have the best experience.
i got a 3 ghz dual core cpu
geforce 8800 ultra
nforce 680i motherboard
4 gb ram
850 watt pwr spply

~ i think ill run it just fine~

[moparmudder420]

u ever see lotr bfme 2 on the 360? it lags more than my grandfather when he cant find his inhaler!!!!!

almost every console game is coming out for the pc, u can upgrade parts instead of buying a whole new system,


~THE 360 JUST PLAIN SUCKS~

[moparmudder420]

vista sucks, its slow as hell, 2gb with vista is like 256 mb for xp

[Teknobry]

vista sucks, its slow as hell, 2gb with vista is like 256 mb for xp

You're full of sh*t.

Which CPU do you have by the way?

[zombow]

there is no cow level

[DogTurtle]

Is there any noticable change if you have a lot of extra power supply in your computer? I guess you MUST have enough for the components. But like, if I have components that need 500W and a powersupply of 550W, would the computer go faster or something if I had 700W?

[Teh Swat]

I have a pentium-D 2.8GHZ, with 1 gb of drr2 PC5300 ram, and a AGP Radeon 1600 pro. I'm sure I'll be able to play it at medium high settings, when it comes out. Hopefully by then I will have an extra gig of ram also.

[Teknobry]

s there any noticable change if you have a lot of extra power supply in your computer? I guess you MUST have enough for the components. But like, if I have components that need 500W and a powersupply of 550W, would the computer go faster or something if I had 700W?

No, the PSU only supplies the power that is required, it won't over power any component (as that would destroy it)

So, your 700w PSU will comfortably supply 500w, and you have extra power in reserve for future part upgrades.

[Gh0sT]

Swat if you get that other gig you should be fine

[Teh Swat]

I figured so, I just gotta go order some, but i'm pretty lazy :p

[globalenjoi]

Finally got my parts in yesterday (was lazy in ordering lol), and got my PC built last night! Went ahead and got a 22&quot; Widescreen monitor, and its amazing! Wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped!!

Was a little sad at the fact that I had some framerate drops in Oblivion with everything maxxed =( was in the 20's when I overlooked a TON of forest, but for the most part, I maintain a nice 40-60fps everywhere.

Trying to figure out how to overclock this CPU without it overheating... it was idle at 26-28c, which is good I think, but under load it was at around 35-40c.. is that too hot?

[Lolerskates]

Guess I'll do the old &quot;post your specs&quot; thing because I'm a noob and it's 2 AM.

intel p4 2.4 ghz processor(not worried)
512 ddr2 RAM
geforce 5800LE

I run CSS and such fine on low-medium settings. Think I could pull l4d off even at lowest? I run COD2 on lower end settings also.

[Teknobry]

35-40c at full load is fine! don't need to worry until you hit temps around 60c.

Oblivion is pretty hardware intensive game from what I've read, what resolution are you running at? How much AA/AF are you running? HDR on?

Lolerskates, you could do with another stick of 512 DDR2 RAM, that way you could run in dual channel. A graphics card upgrade would be good, but should be able to get by on low settings.

[Magicprime]

Athlon XP 3000+ (2.4ghz)
1gig PC 2600 Ram
NVidia GeForce 6800 XT Video Card.

I have been able to run every Source Mod on High/Medium except for Insurgency, so I'm hoping for a Medium LFD experience until I can get my Velocity Micro.

[Lolerskates]

Lolerskates, you could do with another stick of 512 DDR2 RAM, that way you could run in dual channel. A graphics card upgrade would be good, but should be able to get by on low settings.

Thanks much. =)

[iRelentless]

I'm currently running, and have been for almost 4 years:
AMD Athlon XP 2800+ (I think its 2800+, but i know its a 2.08ghz amd athlon)
ATI Radeon 9800pro
1.25gb ram

I'm estimating that will run it on medium, but I'm also looking to build this sometime in the next couple of months to keep me going for the better part of the next 4 years, or more:
Intel Q6600 2.40ghz (after the price cut should be around £130)
Ati Radeon HD 2400 (Would rather have a 2900 or at least a 2600 but £56 is a price I cant disagree with for an entry level dx10 card.)
2gb ram with an upgrade to 4gb sometime next year if I feel like its needed.

[dontleave]

I really wouldn't go with the 2400, atleast opt for a 2600

[darksora2323]

when it comes to fps do you want more or less
say im recording with fraps do i want more fps or less

[iRelentless]

Oooo. I just rechecked the prices on the 2600 and their around £89 tops so I'll be substituting the 2400 for a 2600. I could swear they were £160 last time I checked. :S

[Teknobry]

I'd avoid low spec dx10 cards right now, you'll notice more benefit spending the cash on a more powerful dx9 card.

Relentless, how have you got 1.25gb RAM? 1 x 1gb and 1x256mb?

[Shrubberyjsc]

Nice. You have almost exactly what I have.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 2.01 GHz
1 gig of RAM
ATI Radeon 9800 PRO

I want an Nvidia for my next video card. Prolly the 8800 GTS.

I had an older compy with an old Nvidia card, and it was really easy to compensate for the darkeningly old CRT by adjusting the settings.

I can't say the same for my newer ATI card. =(

[Psyche]

My New computer will be like that,
Dual Core
Nvidia 8600 GTS
2 GB
I will be able to play L4D ON HIGH IN THE SKY.

[Shrubberyjsc]

when it comes to fps do you want more or less
say im recording with fraps do i want more fps or less

The more Frames Per Second, the less choppy it looks.

[Psyche]

I got a GTS so Then I didn't have to worry about games that are going to run on DX10 so I won't have to upgrade for a while.

[Teknobry]

when it comes to fps do you want more or less
say im recording with fraps do i want more fps or less

Higher FPS the better.

[darksora2323]

but if i have more fps with fraps it will make the game lag alittle

[dontleave]

Why are you using fraps? Just use the in-console recordey thing...

[Magicprime]

Contrary to what a lot of people will say, anything around 20-25fps is acceptable, I normally run Day of Defeat and Half-Life 2 around 35-40fps.

I'm planning on getting a new PC in the next year and a half, so hopefully when I get the scratch together we will be into the Second Generation of DX10 cards. I figure until then I will be good with what I've had. There aren't any super wow DX10 games coming out in the near future that I absolutely have to own that won't be there a year from now with a cheaper price tag.

[darksora2323]

Why are you using fraps? Just use the in-console recordey thing...
what in console? record

[Teknobry]

Contrary to what a lot of people will say, anything around 20-25fps is acceptable, I normally run Day of Defeat and Half-Life 2 around 35-40fps.

20-25 isn't great, your eye can see approx 30frames per second, so won't appear to smooth.

The ideal FPS is the same as the refresh on your monitor, thats why I enable vsync.

Example...your monitor has a refresh rate of 60, which means the image can change 60 times a second. Whats the point having an FPS of 80...when the monitor can only show 60? You actually get weird glitching effects if your fps goes to far beyond your refresh rate.

[Teh Swat]

The human eye sees 24fps. So 24fps and 100 fps look exactly the same. However, when things get busy on screen the 24 fps will reduce and look choppy. But some extra ram would get rid of that, if your not for replacing your video card.

[Teknobry]

The human eye sees 24fps. So 24fps and 100 fps look exactly the same. However, when things get busy on screen the 24 fps will reduce and look choppy

Not really worth going into, because its just not that simple. Unless very little is happening, 24 fps is too low.

Have a read:
http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_s ee.htm (http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm)

[globalenjoi]

35-40c at full load is fine! don't need to worry until you hit temps around 60c.

Oblivion is pretty hardware intensive game from what I've read, what resolution are you running at? How much AA/AF are you running? HDR on?

Lolerskates, you could do with another stick of 512 DDR2 RAM, that way you could run in dual channel. A graphics card upgrade would be good, but should be able to get by on low settings.


Lol, finally found this thread!

My resolution is 1680x1050. HDR is on, and AA is off. But, after checking some VGA charts, I feel much better that the 640mb card doesn't score much better, and in alot of cases, it scores lower, in terms of fps. And, it's not really worth an extra 100$ for 3-5fps...

I just downloaded ATI Tool, and was gonna do some overclocking... but it is showing that my card is running at 53-54c... safe to OC still? It shows my Core clock at 513Mhz and Memory clock at 792Mhz. The mem. clock seems way low, considering newegg lists it as 1600mhz. After clocking the mem to 801mhz, it started to reach 69-70c... Starting to worry me hehe.

Wanting to OC it to 575/1700 if possible.

Also, my CPU fan stops on occasion. Someone told me to set it to manual, but I have no idea what speed to set it to. I'd also like to OC that, though I really haven't figured out how. Thought I had it set to 2.4Ghz, but dxdiag didn't reflect the changes.

Btw, thanks again Tek! You've been extremely helpful!

[Teknobry]

DOH... just wrote a long reply to this, and i accidentaly hit back on the browser by mistake and lost it :(

You need to remember that your graphics card memory clock is running at DDR2... therefore 792mhz multiplied by 2... = not far off 1600mhz, which is normal.

As for your temps, the card is safe up to and over 100 degrees c, therefore 70c is perfectly acceptable, and well within tolerance limits.

You can safely overlcock to 575/850 (remember,DD2 makes it 1700mhz), just do it in increments and monitor temps. People have taken that card quite a lot more beyond that, but if your fps score is good, not much point maxing out the card for more.

For fan control, download riva tuner: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163



Its a great program, and even better is it comes with a very useful picture guide on how to set it up :D

http://www.vaguesoft.com/users/dwood/blog/tutorial s/rivatuner (http://www.vaguesoft.com/users/dwood/blog/tutorials/rivatuner)

Have a good read through of it.

I'd advise against CPU overclocking for now, its not as simple as just turning up a slider as with the graphics card. You have to affect the multiplier on the FSB, making sure that you don't decrease RAM performance, and decide the ratio to use (1:1, 9:8 etc). HTP multiplier also has to be taken into account and changed. I'd read up ALOT about it before you play around with it.

I've only overclocked AMD, so not sure how much the multiplier or fsb can be raised before adjusting ratio or HTP, so I suggest googling it and seeing what others have done.

CPU temp control should be fine being handled by the bios, but this program: http://www.almico.com/sfscreenshots.php will let you see the temps, and if they are getting a bit high whilst gaming you can change the fan speed according to temp (ie, if the CPU hits 60degrees, fan speed increases to 70%, cpu 70c, fan speed 90% etc)

^go to the downloads section at the top of that link to download the program^


For CPU fan control though

[Teknobry]

<double post>

[dontleave]

You need to remember that your graphics card memory clock is running at DDR2... therefore 792mhz multiplied by 2... = not far off 1600mhz, which is normal.

Bah, thanks for telling me... sheesh... overclocking my computer myself I was wondering the same thing... I was like cmon slider GO UUUUP!!

What card was urs global?

[Teh Swat]

Adding to what Teknobry said, the slow down threshold (dangerous levels) of a video card start to occur at about 125 degrees. To stay safe I wouldn't put it much above 85. Make sure you also have a few case fans, it can reduce the internal temperature of your computer by about 10 degrees.

[Teh Swat]

u ever see lotr bfme 2 on the 360? it lags more than my grandfather when he cant find his inhaler!!!!!

almost every console game is coming out for the pc, u can upgrade parts instead of buying a whole new system,


~THE 360 JUST PLAIN SUCKS~


You surly haven't because I have it and have no graphical lagg at all. And the 360 does not suck, I can easily guarantee the 360 has a lot of qualities that out-do the PC for gaming. And don't call me a fan boy either, I have both a decent gaming rig and a 360.

[dontleave]

Adding to what Teknobry said, the slow down threshold (dangerous levels) of a video card start to occur at about 125 degrees. To stay safe I wouldn't put it much above 85. Make sure you also have a few case fans, it can reduce the internal temperature of your computer by about 10 degrees.

Is that in Celsius or Farenheit, because at idle I think 575/1400 my card runs at 38-ish degrees celsius... Im looking to overclock it but im not sure this is my other computer its got 2x 8600GT running in SLi... I dont care much if I break it... but I dont want to break it... I guess im just experimenting, no use on experimenting and fucking up with an 8800GTX... I also plan on learning how to overclock the CPU (AMD Athlon X2 [2.4GHz])

Normally I wouldn't care and just play stuff on my good computer, but on this computer the framerate drops a lot on max settings in INS not noticeable but I leave showfps on just to see... Guess im just bored lol..

[Teknobry]

What card was urs global?

He's got an 8800GTS 320mb. (i think!)

dontleave, overclocking graphics cards is pretty safe (until you start playing with voltages, but I personally wouldn't start adjusting that) Just use the slider to overclock the card by a few mhz each time, run it for a while, check for artifacts and check temps. If it can be run on high load without artifcating and without overheating, then push it some more. Doing it this way the worst that will happen is you'll notice graphic gltiches once it reaches its limit (or game crashes) just pull it back a bit once that happens to a level that it ran fine on.

BTW, insurgency has some poorly optimised area's. You'll find when you're inside buildings the framerate will be really high, yet outside area's can cripple your fps to around 20. Nothing to do with your pc, its just bugs in the map which have yet to be ironed out.

[globalenjoi]

Yep, I do have an 8800GTS 320mb!

I'm doing alot of research on overclocking the CPU at the moment. It's something new to read, plus it'll come in handy when I'm at school this next year... going into Computer Information Systems hehe (IT). I probably won't OC for a while, but it's interesting stuff, though kinda technical. Eventually though, I'd really like to run this E6420 at 2.5-2.6ghz. And from what I read, this Crucial ballistix DDR2 800 is good for overclocking as well. Following some noobie guide (based on the 6300), I am running at 2.45GHz but my RAM is at 700Mhz... so going back to default =P

Glad you reminded me that its DDR2 for my GPU... I coulda done something stupid lol. I will take it to 575/1700 and probably leave it there!

[Shrubberyjsc]

Quoting: dontleave

Why are you using fraps? Just use the in-console recordey thing...

what in console? record


Everyone bookmark this for recording your games:

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Demo_Recor ding_Tools (http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Demo_Recording_Tools)

[Teh Swat]

Teknobry

Could you write up a quick guide on using ATITOOL or ATITRAY tools, for overclocking? I'm sure it would help us all out a lot :D Or possibly link us to any you know?

Thanks.

[Teknobry]

Sorry, just seen this post. I'll do it at the weekend, really busy this week!

[Teh Swat]

Actually, no need, I worked it out myself with some tinkering and what not. I have a ATI Radeon 1600 pro, What % do you reckon I could increase the mhz by? I've already increased by about 15%.

[Teknobry]

I've got the exact same card in my desktop, 1600pro 512mb. Sadly, its not to hot a performer I've found. I wasn't able to overclock it by very much without it artifacting and crashing when trying to run CSS.

What final mhz are you running on the memory and core speeds?

[Teh Swat]

560.25 and 477. I this is as far as I've gone. The performance does pretty well on my system, with 1gb ddr2 PC5200, and a Pentium D 915. I can run FEAR at medium high with 30 fps non over clocked, and WoW at over 200fps.

[dontleave]

WoW at over 200fps.

Lol... thats like watching an episode of Pokemon at 200FPS

[Zombie Ade]

I`m starting to build a second PC for when L4D comes out ( wont be till Feb 08 now by the looks of it )
Anyway - I`ll still build it soon as Crysis is out in November and once I move house I`ll have room for my `gamezone` !

My current PC is a Core 2 Duo 2.40Ghz ( E6600 ) with BFG 8800GTX video and 4Gb GEIL DDR2 PC6400 RAM.
When I build the second PC I`m considering getting a Q6600 ( 2.40Ghz Quad Core ) and putting that in my main machine and the E6600 into the second PC along with a 8600 graphics card.
I`m only looking at a mediocre second PC as its mainly for my mate to play on so we can have some Crysis and L4D multiplayer fun. ( Oh, and I may let the Mrs and my son use it too! )

Anyway - point is , do you reckon thats a wise decision? The Q6600 is only £170 and I was going to spend £120 on a Dual Core for the second computer.
May as well make my main one a quad.........
I`m sure Crysis will make full use of it, and I hear Bioshock should too.

[Teknobry]

Don't see why not, quad core support will only improve as time goes on, plus by the time you're ready to buy prices may be lower as well.

I've not seen any overclocking benchmarks yet for the Q6600, but if its anything like the E6600 it should reach nice fast speeds quite easily :D

What motherboard(s) are you using?

[d_cover]

i have a 7600 gt but it looks okay 2 use it

[d_cover]

mine has never gone above 30? i think we r all pritty safe

[d_cover]

i have pentium 4 3.20 GHz 3.19 GHz, 2GB ram and a 7600 gt all i need is 1 L4D 2 run it on

[QuotidianTemerity]

i have pentium 4 3.20 GHz 3.19 GHz, 2GB ram and a 7600 gt all i need is 1 L4D 2 run it on


Welcome to the forums :)

[Zombie Ade]

What motherboard(s) are you using?
My current motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4 URL (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=2288&ProductName=GA-965P-DS4)

I`m thinking of getting a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 URL (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(14498)Gigabyte-GA965PDS3-SKT-775-P965-Chipset-PCIE.aspx) for the second PC. I dont need anything too fancy for the second PC, and this was the cheapest motherboard that supported the GEIL memory I want to use - PC6400.

If there`s a better motherboard I could put in my main PC I could stretch to a more expensive board if the benefits are worthwhile. My currrent board supports quad core, so I see no reason to change it.

I`m a bit wary of overclocking as I dont think the risk of blowing components and the possibility of an unstable system outweighs the small performance increase.

Whats your opinion?

[countercrack]

any1 get the &quot;looping sound crash&quot; for hl2 ep1? if ur curious as to what it is, i think theres a big ass threat on steampowered.com. im one of the ppl that get this crash, so im hoping it wont effect L4D.

[d_cover]

thx QuotidianTemerity just saying left 4 dead will be a great game and hoping 2 run it on max :D

[Zombie Ade]

Teknobry
What do you think of this graphic card? 8600GTS - http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?Prod uctID=17156 (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=17156)

I`ve been looking at some benchmarks, and it seems a 7900GTX can outperform it.
I dont want to go too mad , but the 8800`s are pretty dear in comparison.
I`ll probably be running XP on the 2nd PC , as I only have on license for Vista Ultimate.
So, I wont need a DX10 card I guess. Perhaps I should go for a £100ish 7000 series.
What do you think?

PS - Motherboard info is a couple of posts behind this one!

[d_cover]

my m8 had a 8800 GTX and pentium 4 not a very good combo if u ask me his got quad core now tho crisis on max 4 him not a zombie fan tho he gets great fps rates cant wait 4 this game hurry up and come out already

[d_cover]

any1 get the &quot;looping sound crash&quot; for hl2 ep1? if ur curious as to what it is, i think theres a big ass threat on steampowered.com. im one of the ppl that get this crash, so im hoping it wont effect L4D.
no must be ur system maybe 1 of ur ram is going out of sync with ur hardware? but u better get ur system up and running be 4 this game comes out ;D

[d_cover]

what in console? record
source reacord but i use fraps so u can stop reacording quicker

[Teknobry]

My current motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4 URL

I`m thinking of getting a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 URL for the second PC. I dont need anything too fancy for the second PC, and this was the cheapest motherboard that supported the GEIL memory I want to use - PC6400.

If there`s a better motherboard I could put in my main PC I could stretch to a more expensive board if the benefits are worthwhile. My currrent board supports quad core, so I see no reason to change it.

I`m a bit wary of overclocking as I dont think the risk of blowing components and the possibility of an unstable system outweighs the small performance increase.

Whats your opinion?

Great boards, well worth hanging onto them. As you say, they support quad core and have great features. Nothing else I'd recommend over the DS4 tbh.

Overclocking is safe whend done properly. Its only when you start increasing voltages in extreme overclocking that it becomes risky,
Bit of FSB and multiplier adjusting is perfectly safe, and can get 500mhz boost thats stable. Have a quick google search of 'overclocking e6600'

Not a fan of the 8600 tbh, low down dx10 card, and if you're not even using vista then you'd be better off with a higher end dx9 card.

As for cards, check out this:

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/119441

see how it compares to the 7900GTX.

[d_cover]

im not going 2 keep changing my pc im going 2 keep upgrading as u spend more money changing a whole new rig when its better 2 upgrade and u never fall bak on the latest parts the next upgrade is a 8800GTX mother board and quadcore

[Zombie Ade]

Not a fan of the 8600 tbh, low down dx10 card, and if you're not even using vista then you'd be better off with a higher end dx9 card.
Yeah, thinking about it I`m inclined to agree with you, theres no point splashing out megabucks on a top 8800.
I normally go with nVidia, but I`m willing to try ATI.
This card here seems faster than the one you linked to -
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(19024)Sapphire-ATi-R adeon-HD-2600-XT-256MB-DDR4.aspx (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(19024)Sapphire-ATi-Radeon-HD-2600-XT-256MB-DDR4.aspx)

May go with one of those unless theres a big price shake up around November!
Thanks for the advice Teknobry

*edit
I`ve just realised the card I linked to above is a DX10 card. I take it this is similar to the 8600 and that the ATI card YOU linked to ( the DX9 one ) will probably be faster.
Time for some more research I think........

[Teknobry]

See what you think:

HD 2600 XT (red bar on the graphs)
http://www.hardwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2007/2307/FearB.gif

x1950XT (green bar on the graphs) the geforce 7950 is also on there as well.
http://www.hardwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2006/2122/FearB.gif

[hunter]

hi new to the formus what the latest thing around here anyway?

[Imogene]

My hardware is something like a Duo Intel Processor, 2 gb, Nvidia GeForce 3 (or 4) 7300. Will my PC be able to handle Left 4 dead?

[M1khail]

At the moment i have a rig that is about 2.5 years old. Im running a MSI K8N Neo4-Fi mobo, AMD 64 3200+ CPU, Radeon X800 XL GPU and 1gb of 400mhz Kingston ram. Luckily ive managed with this system as there hasnt been any games for my taste. Now that we are nearing Crysis's and L4D's release im propably going to buy a totally new rig. Maybe there will be a new card from Nvidia in the end of this year. For the CPU i will go with Q6600 and at least an 8800 GTX as the GPU.

[Teknobry]

My hardware is something like a Duo Intel Processor, 2 gb, Nvidia GeForce 3 (or 4) 7300. Will my PC be able to handle Left 4 dead?

Sounds like your graphics card is the weak point there.

M1khail, when are you thinking of upgrading then?

[Imogene]

Well, I can play half life 2 and Half Life 2 Episode 1, both on the fullest graphics without any lag. Does that mean anything?

[Teknobry]

On what resolution? 600x800 :D

I'm pretty surprised a 7300GT can play it on full settings.

[Imogene]

Hmm, no wait, my graphics card is like 256MB ATI Raedon X1300PRO, and I run it on 1280 x 1024 (LCD)

[darksora2323]

hey i got a question
does RAMM determine the speed of your cpu?

[FRAGious]

No RAM are the PC's shot-term-memory ... The speed of a CPU (Processor) is usually measured in MHz (or GHz, that's 1000/1024 Mhz) Your RAM can LIMIT your CPU's ability to run thinks smoothly. If you got a very fast CPU but not enough RAM to support it, the RAM will work as a bottleneck

Does that help answering your question, Sora?

[darksora2323]

No RAM are the PC's shot-term-memory ... The speed of a CPU (Processor) is usually measured in MHz (or GHz, that's 1000/1024 Mhz) Your RAM can LIMIT your CPU's ability to run thinks smoothly. If you got a very fast CPU but not enough RAM to support it, the RAM will work as a bottleneck

Does that help answering your question, Sora?
yes sir thanks

[Capo Di Tutti Capi]

hahahaha my comp. is so crap, 512mb of RAM, a nvidia gforce pro graphicvs card, a non-DVD drive, ithink 1.3giga htz a 2002 motherboard thats been upgraded as much as possible without making the CPU and motherboard better it sucks