Will this computer work for SL?

I am considering purchasing an HP model#D5000z CPU for $899.99 without upgrades. It comes with 3 GB of memory, an AMD Phenom 9550 2.2 GHz processor, Windows Vista (64-bit), and an NVIDIA GeForce 9300 (256 MB) graphics card. Are any of these components not supported? Is this a powerful enough system? Any comments?

On the surface that system seems powerful enough to handle SL. Only problem you might have is getting a graphics driver to work with Vista 64. Nvidia's 9000 series are relatively new and I know I've heard people having trouble finding a driver that will work. But, I think those folks finally get it sorted out. Heck, the problem may not even exist anymore.

Thanks, Peggy, for the advise. I did some SL Forum searches on the Vista 64 / driver issue that you mentioned and I see that you are quite right, including how some have been able to work around it. I'm going to take the plunge and get that system, even knowing full-well that I may have some headaches before I get it going. Wish me luck!

I ended up getting the HP Pavilion with Intel Core2 QUAD 64 bit processor, Windows Vista 64 bit, 6 GB memory and the NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GT graphics card. When the computer first arrived, I had problems getting a display on the screen so I called HP Tech Service. They were very helpful and we determined that the graphics card was bad. HP FedEx'ed a new one, I plugged it in and I was up and running! No problems with Second Life at all!!! Everything worked in that regard, however, my old printer needed a new driver and none was available so I am using the free printer that came with my new system. My Qwest DSL connection also does not have an appropriate driver for Vista 64 bit but I found I could log on by putting in the install disk and running install. The computer doesn't think that it is on line but it is. Anyway, I am happy and amazed by the speed and absence of lag when touring SL.

yea thats the downside to mass produced anything, sometimes things are bad atleast they were helpful and zipped it to you right away

Lets hope they installed the BIOS workrounds for the AMD quad core and 64 bit Vista.

Apparently, the AMD tech forums have been buzzing with ppls offering binary files to update your BIOS with fixes, whereby, as I found out myself first hand, the AMD feature 'cool and quiet' actualy fluctuates the core voltages to control heat output, rather than adjusting just the fan, to save electricity. Vista 64 wasn't designed to cope with that and BSOD, even during installation.

I 'fixed' my own, but manually setting the cpu core voltage in the bios and turning off Cool and Quiet, not for the faint hearted. The sole reason? AMD is the first true quad core chip (not stacked dual core chips), each core having its own L1, L2 and a shared L3 cache, unlike stacked dual cores that share L2 and L3 cache and some thread divisions. Each core can control its own core speeds/loadings by adjusting its own voltages. Vista 64, although 'designed' for Quad cores, never actually had any testing on a true quad core and none were in existance at the time.

Vista took nearly 7 years of development, yet still comes with old 2000+ drivers. Most GC manufacturers weren't really ready for it and had to play, last minute catchup, some still haven't. I also didn't like Vista requesting a solution to my headphones, after an hour, stating that they were not Vista compliant and turning off my sound board until I contacted my supplier for a compliant pair. I bit of 'fixing' under the hood got rid of that nonsense.

Or perhaps not.