Dell Precision 490

[BrianB]

Hi all,

Is the Dell precision 490 a good PC to use as a gaming pc? If it is, I'm looking to find out what cards I'd need to install or how much Ram I'd need to install. Basically I'd like to know how to pimp my ride.

Any adivice is appreciate.

Thanks

 

[JMMD]

The 490 is meant to be a workstation PC, not so much a gaming PC. It uses FBDIMM memory and normally has workstation type graphics card like a Quadro FX or FireGL.

 

[BrianB]

Ok thanks. I just figured this machine is pretty damn powerful and can by upgraded with like 32 gigs of Ram. Was thinking I would put a really good video card in and be good to go.

 

[raybay]

Built for ruggedness, not for high speed. Methinks you will be disappointed of its gaming capabilities.

 

[BrianB]

Built for ruggedness, not for high speed. Methinks you will be disappointed of its gaming capabilities.

I see. So what makes a good gaming PC? Let's say I'm looking to put a flight simulator on it for the kids. I'm more a console guy so I don't know much about PC gaming.

 

[raybay]

You might want to take a look at some websites dedicated to gaming equipment... I would suggest you start with a search for MaximumPC or Maximum PC and see with those sections have to say... they lean more to homebuilt of hobbyist built computers... and there are not a lot of commercial computers targeted at the gaming market... but more so every month.

Also take a look at the hardware on such middle of the road sites as NewEgg.com, Directron.Com, and then examine other online sites... as well as the ads in the back of magazines on gaming at your friendly neighborhood or SafeWay magazine rack.

Or find some gamers in the community where you live...

Once you get started, there is more information than most folks can absorb.

 

[captaincranky]

I see. So what makes a good gaming PC? Let's say I'm looking to put a flight simulator on it for the kids. I'm more a console guy so I don't know much about PC gaming.

Depending on which flight simulator you choose, almost any machine will run it. M$ "Flight Simulator 2004" has very low hardware requirements. It will run successfully on integrated graphics. The new M$ issue, "Flight Simulator X" doesn't seem to want to run on even very powerful PCs. (Everybody seems to complain about low frame rates. I don't think the game requires high frame rates as would a FPS, but what do i know). Amazon still has FS 2004; http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Fli..._1_1?s=software&ie=UTF8&qid=1289598208&sr=1-1

As far as, (Dell 490), "it'll hold 32 GBs of RAM", so what? That's overkill, bordering on ostentatious, for any non-enterprise use I can think of off hand. Besides, I think that running that machine under a 32 bit OS, while attempting to access more that 4GBs of RAM, would require the implementation of PAE, which is pretty slow. I believe that PAE was used in servers at one time, to access more than 4GBs of RAM with a 32 bit OS. Don't know if a work station has it though.

I don't know how many RAM sockets that board has, but if it's only 4, this (or something similar) would be the path to 32GBs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...06074&IsNodeId=1&Description=ECC RAM&name=8GB Ah, ECC RAM, 8GB DIMMs, still a mere $250.00 bucks a pop. Meh, that's actually cheaper than I thought.