Topic: OK You Computers <gaming> Gurus..

[Cleaven]

Perhaps a bit of quantum mechanics is also involved. Posts and anti-posts spontaneously coming into existence, meeting to annihilate each other and restore the thread to an energy neutral state. Now where is that anti-post????

[Strat]

Perhaps a but of quantum mechanics is also involved. Posts and anti-posts spontaneously coming into existance, meeting to annilate each other and restore the thread to an energy neutral state. Now where is that anti-post????

LOL!

????tsop-itna taht si erehw woN .etats lartuen ygrene na ot daerht eht erotser dna rehto hcae etalinna ot gniteem ,ecnatsixe otni gnimoc ylsuoenatnops stsoP .devlovni osla si scinahcem mutnauq fo tub a spahreP

[SSCF-LeRoy]

Perhaps a but of quantum mechanics is also involved. Posts and anti-posts spontaneously coming into existance, meeting to annilate each other and restore the thread to an energy neutral state. Now where is that anti-post????

LOL!

????tsop-itna taht si erehw woN .etats lartuen ygrene na ot daerht eht erotser dna rehto hcae etalinna ot gniteem ,ecnatsixe otni gnimoc ylsuoenatnops stsoP .devlovni osla si scinahcem mutnauq fo tub a spahreP

.dear ot darh laer s'taht ,yoB

[Hexx]

OK last thing (I promise!)

Was all set to get a Athlon XP 3200+, the guy at the store tells me for gaming I'd do better with a
P4 2.8 ghx (800 something or other) says hyperthreading is the way to go.
I thought I'd read that hyperthreading doesn't do anything for games.
Both are the same price, which is better for gaming?

[Kroma BaSyl]

OK last thing (I promise!)

Was all set to get a Athlon XP 3200+, the guy at the store tells me for gaming I'd do better with a
P4 2.8 ghx (800 something or other) says hyperthreading is the way to go.
I thought I'd read that hyperthreading doesn't do anything for games.
Both are the same price, which is better for gaming?

Would depend on the game, but in general Hyper threading adds performance only when multiple applications are being run. Thus if you run the game in windows mode while surfing the net for hardcore MPEGs it will be better.

As to the cost, even if the CPUs are priced the same you still need to factor in the difference in motherboard and possibly (if using rambus) RAM cost diffences. Also, in order to truly get better preformance out of an Intel rig you would need to use the more expensive rambus RAM as the intel chips are limited with DDR.

Long and short of it is, go with the AMD CPU. JMHO of course.

[kbf-jd]

OK last thing (I promise!)

Was all set to get a Athlon XP 3200+, the guy at the store tells me for gaming I'd do better with a
P4 2.8 ghx (800 something or other) says hyperthreading is the way to go.
I thought I'd read that hyperthreading doesn't do anything for games.
Both are the same price, which is better for gaming?

Here is a good deal if you want intel with PCI express...

http://www.slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=32755&postid=383225#post383225

[Hexx]

Thanks for the link jd.

Sfter reading opinions and specs from about 12 or so sites I still couldn't decide, so I said screw it, went with the AMD (thanks for the info Kroma) and got myself a drink.

So this is what the sytem is

AMD 3200+ XP
ABIT NF7-S MB
9800 Pro (256 ram)
2x512 mb of Kinston Ram (ooooh fancy)
160GB Seagate SATA HD
ND 2510A CD thingy
Some weird ass looking case...
http://raidmax.com/products/products_display.php?page_no=6&cID=1&pID=43
(only case they had in stock that wasn't beige- nothing wrong with beige I've just gotten bored of it)
-I went with the cases internal 420w PS, if something bad happens I'll upgrade to the Enermax 450 one.

Now...hehehe remember when I said that was everything? Kinda forgot I need a new monitor. I'm currently using an AcerView 77e, and I really like it. Problem is it gets a "haze" sort of effect going across the top of it every hour or so- not really bad but it's kinda distracting.

Anyway been looking at monitors

Anyone know anything about this one
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-116-232&catalog=23&manufactory=BROWSE
(Newegg does seem great, BUT THEY DON'T SHIP TO CANADA!!! ..heathen bastards..)

I can get it for about $360 -$400 here, but should I spend that much? Or can I get a good 19" monitor for much less? ( 19 is the biggest I can fit on my desk.. and I really don't want to spend the money on a LCD)

Again thanks everyone for the help, you're responses (while driving me insane looking at all the options presented) have been really helpful.

[SkyFlyer]

I'm waiting until next spring break/summer because I'm not going to be playing many games during school, and this comp is fine for school...

But when school is over, these will be my specs (approx)

Intel 64bit CPU @ 4ghz (approx)
64 bit mobo with PCI Xpress and DDR2
1stick of 1gb ram
160gb internal (non system apps)
15gb internal (already have... will have system apps ie OS etc)
40gb external (already have... will have games and stuff that I will move to diff comps etc)
DVD dual layer burner
DVD drive (which I have...)
7in1 memory card reader (which will come with the case)
New GeForce vid card
15 in moniter (until I buy a new one, this is the one I will have)

I'm building my own... and hopefully in about 10 months, these prices will be cheap enough that I can build this around $1500 USD.

[Strat]

OK last thing (I promise!)

Was all set to get a Athlon XP 3200+, the guy at the store tells me for gaming I'd do better with a
P4 2.8 ghx (800 something or other) says hyperthreading is the way to go.
I thought I'd read that hyperthreading doesn't do anything for games.
Both are the same price, which is better for gaming?

Would depend on the game, but in general Hyper threading adds performance only when multiple applications are being run. Thus if you run the game in windows mode while surfing the net for hardcore MPEGs it will be better.

As to the cost, even if the CPUs are priced the same you still need to factor in the difference in motherboard and possibly (if using rambus) RAM cost diffences. Also, in order to truly get better preformance out of an Intel rig you would need to use the more expensive rambus RAM as the intel chips are limited with DDR.

Long and short of it is, go with the AMD CPU. JMHO of course.

As far as Intel Vs Athlon Check out this link...
http://www20.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030513/index.html

If you look at those benchmarks, and the hardware spec they build them on, they seem pretty back-an-forth.

However, I'm with Kroma, stick with Athlon...

[SSCF-LeRoy]

I'm waiting until next spring break/summer because I'm not going to be playing many games during school, and this comp is fine for school...

But when school is over, these will be my specs (approx)

Intel 64bit CPU @ 4ghz (approx)
64 bit mobo with PCI Xpress and DDR2
1stick of 1gb ram
160gb internal (non system apps)
15gb internal (already have... will have system apps ie OS etc)
40gb external (already have... will have games and stuff that I will move to diff comps etc)
DVD dual layer burner
DVD drive (which I have...)
7in1 memory card reader (which will come with the case)
New GeForce vid card
15 in moniter (until I buy a new one, this is the one I will have)

I'm building my own... and hopefully in about 10 months, these prices will be cheap enough that I can build this around $1500 USD.

Nice

But why not an Athlon 64?

[SkyFlyer]

I prefer Intel... Especially the HT Tech.

[Elvis]

I went with the cases internal 420w PS, if something bad happens I'll upgrade to the Enermax 450 one.

As far as the power supply is concerned,, you've got 3 different types of DC output, 3.3V, 5V, and 12V. I couldn't find  the information for the power supply in that case, but there other supplies show 15-18A on the 12V line. If yours is the "15A" version it probably is not enough power. Most people just look at the volt rating and assume that is the important number, but it isn't; the number of amps carried on the 12V line is more important, you powering an energy hungry processor and video card. And when your case heats up which includes your power supply the Amps will drop and the quality of the power produced by that supply will also deteriorate.  Then stability of the machine will suffer.

If you wait till something "bad" happens it could be too late. Ever have a power supply pop and spew smoke?   When it pops what will it take with it, the motherboard, the processor, the memory? It is not worth the hassles of using a marginal power supply.

Look at the 12V line of the Enermaxs and Antecs, there is quite a difference. Also you'll be sure that power is clean and stable-which makes for a happy machine.

With that being said, you may never have a problem with your current power supply.