A Decent Computer for a Good Price

[Tenko]

Haha, hopefully not. I just hope the wireless thats already in the computer works good. If it doesn't then I hope the USB ones dont suck, and if they do, well then I guess i'll just have to spare another $30 for a good one.

 

[agi_shi]

Good luck.

Hopes you'll have fun with your new pc (prebuilt or not, it's still a pc I guess) .

Also, isn't the 7600GT you got way overpriced? I got a Radeon X850XT for 165$ (now it's 129$... [sad]), which has a 256-bit memory interface (compared to the 128-bit interface of the 7600GT) and 16 pixel pipelines (the 7600GT has only 12)... The only thing is lacks is SM3, which is pretty useless for now (HDR looks terrible on some games... just IMHO).

Oh well.

Anyways, right now I'm running on my new pc:

• NForce 4-MA AM2 Motherboard (~60$)
• Sapphire Radeon X850XT Video Card (~160$)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (~150$)
• CM Centurion 5 Case (~50$)
• 500W PowerSupply with 34 +12v amps (~60$)
• 1GB (2x512MB) DDR2 800 Corsair XMS2 Ram (~120$)
• Seagate 120GB HDD (~60$)
• Sony Floppy (~5$)
• Asus DVD-ROM (~20$)

It came out at about 700$, and performs like a champ. The build was quite simple, took me about 2 hours (remember, first time).

Anyways.... Good luck!

 

[Tenko]

Wow, I never noticed that that card was so much cheaper. It also looks like it would perform better. Maybe the 7600GT was more expensive because it is SLI ready? Argh, I feel ripped off! Especially since the card I ordered is out of stock and I don't know if I am getting one or if I am in the out-of-stock group Maybe it will go out of stock and they won't restock and then I can ask for the X850XT instead
Hopefully the 7600GT performs good or I am going to be sad

P.S. - Nice System I can't wait untill I move out or my new computer dies because then I can build my own

Edit: ARGH! Please tell me there is a way that I can change my order quick! My card won't even ship untill the 18th so I will only get it in about a week which is too long. I would rather get that other card too, plus it isn't out of stock! Someone help!

Edit: Nevermind, it is already shipped and I was lucky and mine was in stock. Can someone confirm if the 7600GT is anywhere near as good as the X850XT which is $80 cheaper and has better specs?

 

[sellmesanity]

the link you gave the the specs of your computer didn't work. can you tell me the brand and the model number? it is usually in front of the pc

 

[Tenko]

Well, I can't find it on their site, and Best Buy is sold out that is why the page no longer exists. I looked for the model number but I can't find it. All I know is that it's a Gateway with 1GB RAM, 250GB HardDrive, built in Wireless LAN, 17" LCD Flat-Panel Monitor, Photo Printer, Cd/Dvd Drive, Windows Media Edition, etc.
Well here is kind of what it is http://gateway.com/products/gconfig/prodhmseries.asp?seg=hm&gcseries=dx310. The one on the right, except the one I have has a 17" screen, normal Windows Media Edition, and a different integrated graphics card.

 

[sellmesanity]

What about the processor? It must say the processor. Right click my computer in the start menu and go to properties and tell me the processor

 

[agi_shi]

Don't worry!

Wow, I never noticed that that card was so much cheaper. It also looks like it would perform better. Maybe the 7600GT was more expensive because it is SLI ready? Argh, I feel ripped off! Especially since the card I ordered is out of stock and I don't know if I am getting one or if I am in the out-of-stock group Maybe it will go out of stock and they won't restock and then I can ask for the X850XT instead
Hopefully the 7600GT performs good or I am going to be sad

P.S. - Nice System I can't wait untill I move out or my new computer dies because then I can build my own

Edit: ARGH! Please tell me there is a way that I can change my order quick! My card won't even ship untill the 18th so I will only get it in about a week which is too long. I would rather get that other card too, plus it isn't out of stock! Someone help!

Edit: Nevermind, it is already shipped and I was lucky and mine was in stock. Can someone confirm if the 7600GT is anywhere near as good as the X850XT which is $80 cheaper and has better specs?

Sorry, I didn't want to make you feel ripped-off or anything, just wondering why the price was so high (I was considering to get the 7600GT too, when it was 169.99 because the X850XT was the same price then, too).

Anyways, the 7600GT will perform well, the X850XT doesn't literally blow it out of the water. They are about on-par with each other - it's just that the X850XT will [sometimes] out-perform the the 7600GT with a couple of frames. Sorry if I made you feel bad or something, didn't mean it that way . Though the X850XT does have a 4 more pixel pipelines, which will help out in some situations.

The reason the X850XT is much cheaper is because it's older and doesn't have SM3/PS3 - which means no HDR in newer games. The reason I chose it is because of it's price/performance ratio, and I don't use HDR in the first place.

Don't worry, even if there is a performance difference it probably won't be noticeable to the human eye .

 

[Tenko]

Well thats good. I checked out a couple of reviews and they look to be about the same. Most people said the X850XT will be slightly faster but the 7600GT has some newer features. I just hope the 7600GT works good

 

[i_am_a_newbie]

Well thats good. I checked out a couple of reviews and they look to be about the same. Most people said the X850XT will be slightly faster but the 7600GT has some newer features. I just hope the 7600GT works good

Personally I have an x850XT and the thing performs amazingly.

However, I'm pretty fed up with the terrible bloated crap ATI calls drivers.

nVidia has ATI beat with a wooden pole so bad when it comes to putting out quality drivers for their products(IMHO).

 

[legendz411]

ATI has a better IQ, (image quality) so says the majority of enthusiasts. The ATI Drivers are craptacular, however.

Also, just FYI, most x800 are actually yhe more expensive x850 XE PT's. The x800 chips on some brands can be WAY over-clocked and furthur unlocked to take full advantage of the Pixel Pipelines, etc... So it is definitly a sleep card. The 7600GT should more then preform well enough for you.

I was also wondering why you got that EXPENSIVE 7600GT CO when you can get the 7600GT KO for less and it has a better HSF, (Heat-Sink and Fan) stock on it. It is also clocked the same according to newegg. 580/700

Click here for the KO


But you are getting buyer's remorse listening to us. DO NOT regret what you have bought. You will constantly be disappointed if you start doing this now. Be happy with what you buy and learn a lesson for next time.

 

[agi_shi]

What?

Personally I have an x850XT and the thing performs amazingly.

However, I'm pretty fed up with the terrible bloated crap ATI calls drivers.

nVidia has ATI beat with a wooden pole so bad when it comes to putting out quality drivers for their products(IMHO).

You could get the "driver only" package without the control center you know... That's what I did... And I don't see anything wrong with their drivers - I can max out all the settings on mostly any game (if I can't then the resolution goes down a little and I can do it again).

 

[legendz411]

Just FYI, if you can't run at 12x10 with the 7600GT, try playing at 10x7. Even at 10x7, the picture will still be pretty damn beautiful... And you'll be running mad framerates.

 

[AMDIsTheBest010]

P.S. - Nice System I can't wait untill I move out or my new computer dies because then I can build my own

wouldnt count on that gateway dying very quickly. The only reason i say that is i have a gateway Pc thats lasted forever, and now they are even more reliable since they use BTX chassis, which extend the PC life an average of 50% longer.

...AMD

 

[Tenko]

Yeah, I'm thinking I should've researched Video Cards better haha. I'm happy with what I got though. Well, I learned a little something so I'll check that out better when I actually build my first awesome computer I guess
How long do you guys think this thing will last? Four or five years? I don't really WANT it to crap out on me, I will probably build a new computer when I go to college anyways.
Oh, and Sellmesanity the processor is a AMD 3800+ Dual Core. Also, what kind of lag and framerates do you think I will be getting with 12x10 resolution with the 7600GT, 1GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, and 3 Mbps internet on World of Warcraft? And how about with a 10x7 resolution?
Thanks a ton for all of the help,
Tenko

 

[sellmesanity]

Ah man!! The 3800+ X2 is the weakest x2 in existence...damn it! It is equal to a 3200+ Athlon 64 in terms of single-threaded apps (most apps). Still fast though, I guess... You can play WoW with ease at that resolution, see for yourself. Make sure to remove ANY and ALL programs you don't need, as those computers come loaded with crud.

 

[Tenko]

Yea, thanks for the advice, will do. What kind of framerates do you think I will get with those two resolutions? Do you think Ironforge and Ogrimmar will actually be enterable now without crashing the computer? Will I be able to have it on 12x10 in Ironforge or is that pushing it?
Thanks

 

[sellmesanity]

Haven't heard of those games but the 7600gt is a pretty kick-*** card, although not as good as my beautiful 7900gt! You'll get above 50fps most likely, constantly! Trust me, this computer is way better than your old one, you will see! Just take my advice and also after uninstalling all those programs make sure to Defragment and get this program:

www.ccleaner.com

Ccleaner cleans the leftover junk from the JUNK that comes with the computer. Alright enjoy.

 

[Tenko]

Okey dokey. Well Ironforge and Ogrimmar are cities in World of Warcraft which is an MMORPG. Could you or someone who has the game give me a guess based on the requirements?

Minimum System Requirements

Windows® System 2000/XP OS:
Intel Pentium® III 800 MHz or AMD Athlon 800 MHz
512 MB or more of RAM
32 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ 2 class card or above
DirectX® 9.0c (included) and latest video drivers
6.0 GB available HD space
4x CD-ROM drive
A 56k or better Internet connection

Recommended Specifications

Windows® System 2000/XP OS:
Intel Pentium® IV 1.5 GHz or AMD XP 1500+ MHz
1024 MB RAM
64 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX 5700 class card or above
Broadband Internet connection
Two-button scroll-wheel mouse

I played this game on this PC before which doesn't even meet MINIMUM requirements, but my PC would CTD (Crash to Desktop) if I entered one of the highly populated places. With the specs i've given you and the requirements, do you think it will run well?
Thanks in advance

 

[sellmesanity]

Tenko, are you kidding me? Being that your system exceeds the Recommended System Requirements, you will get explosive FPS and no "CTD". I know you are excited...so just relax. haha have fun.

 

[Tenko]

Yay, I think I'm going to explode!
/Dance
Wooo!
Hahaha...
Anyways, that is very good news
([sarcasm]Please note that I am not excited at all[/sarcasm])
Ok, I'm calm... Now, just have to wait for that darn video card...

 

[agi_shi]

Not THAT slow...

Ah man!! The 3800+ X2 is the weakest x2 in existence...damn it! It is equal to a 3200+ Athlon 64 in terms of single-threaded apps (most apps). Still fast though, I guess... You can play WoW with ease at that resolution, see for yourself. Make sure to remove ANY and ALL programs you don't need, as those computers come loaded with crud.

The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ might be the lowest end X2, but it's still pretty darn fast. Well, atleast for me it is, I'm coming from an AthlonXP 2000+.

 

[agi_shi]

Check it out.

Yay, I think I'm going to explode!
/Dance
Wooo!
Hahaha...
Anyways, that is very good news
([sarcasm]Please note that I am not excited at all[/sarcasm])
Ok, I'm calm... Now, just have to wait for that darn video card...

You might want to check out this site. You can pick a game from the list (lots of games), and it'll tell you if your computer is good enough to play that game at recommended or minimum.

Apparently, they tell me my pc will "rock" Oblivion, but I don't truly believe that . BTW, what's "rated at" performance? My X2 is at 2GHz, but since it's "rated at" 5.70GHz I can pass any game that needs a faster processor.

 

[Tenko]

Yeah, I have used that site before, but my old piece fails every test you throw at it.
That isn't the case anymore though
I heard something about that "rated at" performance before. Somebody else I know had a dual core and both cores clocked in at like 2.6GHz but then it would also tell him a speed of 5GHz and he thought it was weird but people said that it was the speed of both cores and that it wasn't 5.2GHz because the clocks don't run full speed together. I don't know if this is right or not though so don't quote me on it
I was just wondering, since this computer (my old one) has an Intel Pentium 4 processor, its going to be faster then my new one on some programs that require only one core since this thing is 2.8GHz and each core on the X2 are 2GHz right? Or will part of the other core kick in or something and make it faster? I'm just wondering. I'm sure I won't actually see a difference, and if anything the X2 will be faster just because of the specs. (With this old beater sometimes it almost freezes just from browsing the internet. It is so slow now that I can barely play a game that was made like four years ago. (Morrowind) It is truly a piece of junk with 256MB RAM, 36GB Hard Drive, 2.8GHz Intel Pentium 4, and integrated 32MB Video Card. )

 

[agi_shi]

Yeah, I have used that site before, but my old piece fails every test you throw at it.
That isn't the case anymore though
I heard something about that "rated at" performance before. Somebody else I know had a dual core and both cores clocked in at like 2.6GHz but then it would also tell him a speed of 5GHz and he thought it was weird but people said that it was the speed of both cores and that it wasn't 5.2GHz because the clocks don't run full speed together. I don't know if this is right or not though so don't quote me on it

Well, I don't know about that, but I DO know that [2GHz + 2GHz < 5.7GHz] .

I was just wondering, since this computer (my old one) has an Intel Pentium 4 processor, its going to be faster then my new one on some programs that require only one core since this thing is 2.8GHz and each core on the X2 are 2GHz right? Or will part of the other core kick in or something and make it faster? I'm just wondering. I'm sure I won't actually see a difference, and if anything the X2 will be faster just because of the specs. (With this old beater sometimes it almost freezes just from browsing the internet. It is so slow now that I can barely play a game that was made like four years ago. (Morrowind) It is truly a piece of junk with 256MB RAM, 36GB Hard Drive, 2.8GHz Intel Pentium 4, and integrated 32MB Video Card. )

I forgot the true reason, but most Pentium 4s have high clock rates but perform badly. So, one of the cores might even be faster than your Pentium 4.

For now, most programs will use only 1 core. But in the future, programs will be multithreaded which means that one program will take advantage of both cores. Once that time comes the dual-cores will blow single-cores out of the water.

Anyways, I don't really care. All I wanted is what I got:
-New, working pc.
-Being able to play on medium to ultra settings.

In Narbacular Drop (if you haven't tried it, try it, fun "proof-of-concept" portals game) I can play at max (1024x786 + Anti-Aliasing) and still get 300 fps.

 

[Tenko]

Yeah, how far into the future do you think programs will start taking the dual cores to an advantage? If they do in like 3-5 years then for the PC I build I should probably get a dual core right?
Also, what should I clip my anti-static wrist strap to if the PSU isn't in the PC? Should I just touch a fosset every once in a while or won't that work good enough? I could always unplug my old computer and bring it upstairs then plug it into the outlet strip and turn the outlet strip and PSU off and clip it to the back of the case, but that would be a pain and I was wondering if there's an easier way.

And yea I have no clue what that 5.7GHz is... because both of your cores max speed don't even add up to that. Maybe the SR Lab is just retarted and wants to make it so that you don't feel left out and that your PC passes all the tests