02-14-2004, 06:49 PM | #1 (permalink) |
Insane
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Need advice on new PC parts
I'm looking to upgrade my computer for the upcoming games, such as WoW, Doom 3, and Halflife 2. Here's what I've put on my newegg wishlist so far:
- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Retail w/ heastsink/fan - GIGABYTE nForce3 150 GA-K8N PRO - Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series 512MB ECC DDR PC-3200 w/ Platinum-Silver Heat Spreader - ATI RADEON 9800 PRO I'm trying to get the biggest bang for my buck, so I was hoping to get some feedback about my choices. Is this a good setup or are there better alternatives. One thing that I'm wondering about is the CPU. I've read that the Athlon 64 is an excellent chip, but is it really neccessary? I have no problem spending the cash for it, but I don't want to waste any money. What other (cheaper?) chips are a reasonable alternative to the 64? The 64 is going for $282 at newegg. Thanks
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02-14-2004, 09:30 PM | #2 (permalink) |
Knight of the Old Republic
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Looks good, but I'd upgrade to 1 GB of PC3200 (same type, just two sticks). That RAM is perfect, but you'll want more for the newer games. Even 768 MB from 512 MB makes a BIG difference in some games, with 1 GB being the most you'll need for games.
Everything else looks good. NewEgg has a damn nice Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro for cheap (it's like $225). Get that one...a 256 MB version won't improve the system much, if at all. You'll save the money, and then be able to get 1 GB of RAM instead of 512 MB. The processor is DEFINITELY worth it. I've heard that the Athlon 64 3000+ is the best bang-for-your-buck in the 64 series, however. But if money isn't an issue, I'd go for the blazing 3200+. If you get it, it'll be one HELL of a system -- those games won't be a problem for it. Just another day at the job for a system like that. -Lasereth
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"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert |
02-14-2004, 10:27 PM | #3 (permalink) |
eat more fruit
Location: Seattle
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Laserth is correct about the RAM. Originally I had one 512mb stick of the Corsair XMS and I was getting around 27,000 on Aquamark with a 2.8 HT and 9800 pro. I was like what the hell? I added ANOTHER stick of 512 XMS so I could run in dual channel and that alone brought my score up to about 42,000 .
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"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche |
02-15-2004, 01:25 AM | #5 (permalink) |
Mushroom
Location: West coast of michigan
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You might want to just get a 2500+ and A7N8X for now, and then upgrade later this year when PCI Express and DDR II come out Save some $ now, and get a kicka$$ machine in a couple months. Plus, by then then 64 bit chips will be much cheaper hopefully!
The 1Gig of RAM is definitely worth it, RAM prices have come down quite a bit in the last month or now, so its a good time to buy
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02-15-2004, 01:21 PM | #8 (permalink) |
Knight of the Old Republic
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Well, that exact card on NewEgg has a 5 star rating after a hundred reviews, so I still have to recommend it. Maybe they just shipped a box of broken ones. Sapphire is known for making as good of a videocard as ATI, so their reputation is definitely worthy.
-Lasereth
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"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert |
02-15-2004, 06:34 PM | #11 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Connecticut
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Let us know what you think of the 64-bit Athlon. I know no one yet who has one, and personally I believe the cutting edge is a bit beyond what 98% of people need in a PC. If you see an appreciable difference, I'd love to hear about it.
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02-15-2004, 08:18 PM | #13 (permalink) | |
Insane
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Quote:
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If I say a chicken can pull a boxcar, hitch it up. |
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02-15-2004, 08:35 PM | #15 (permalink) | |
Knight of the Old Republic
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Quote:
-Lasereth
__________________
"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert |
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advice, parts |
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