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Which PC would work best

Jasp Edo
Registered User
Join date: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 7
03-19-2005 21:29
Im planning to buy a new comp and i decided to get this

Area-51 Alien Ware PC

Processor
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor
520 with HT Technology

Operating System
Microsoft® Windows®
XP Home Edition

Memory
256MB Single Channel
PC-3200 SDRAM 400MHz

Hard Drive
80GB Seagate® SATA
with 8MB Cache

Graphics Processor
Integrated Intel® Graphics
Media Accelerator 900

Sound Card
Intel® High Definition
5.1 Audio

Would this work with SL? >.o i hope it will do good, but if that wont work i can always save up for another Graphics card, if not is there any suggestions for a certain Alienware PC?
Hiro Pendragon
bye bye f0rums!
Join date: 22 Jan 2004
Posts: 5,905
03-19-2005 21:56
From: Jasp Edo
Im planning to buy a new comp and i decided to get this

Area-51 Alien Ware PC

Processor
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor
520 with HT Technology

Operating System
Microsoft® Windows®
XP Home Edition

Memory
256MB Single Channel
PC-3200 SDRAM 400MHz

Hard Drive
80GB Seagate® SATA
with 8MB Cache

Graphics Processor
Integrated Intel® Graphics
Media Accelerator 900

Sound Card
Intel® High Definition
5.1 Audio

Would this work with SL? >.o i hope it will do good, but if that wont work i can always save up for another Graphics card, if not is there any suggestions for a certain Alienware PC?

Forgive me if this sounds harsh... but you seem like you want to be happy with your machine and I really dont' think you will be with this setup.

1. Alienware is overpriced. You're better off with Dell or someone else unless you're planning on paying top dollar. (Alienware is good stuff from every review I've read.) It may be pretty, but there are plenty of computer makers that can hook you up with a nice internally lit case and colored keyboard / mouse.

2. 256mb RAM will be insufficient. 512mb was light for me, as well. I recommend 1 gig +. Oh, and 2 512mb chips are significantly cheaper than 1 1gig chip, but 1 gig of course leaves you more room for expansion. Personally, I think 1gig will be good for a while, so you should be good with 2 512mb chips. DONT get 4 256mb chips, though, because most motherboards don't support 4 memory chips that are all at 533mhz FSB.

3. Don't bother with PC3200 RAM. The PC4200 is out and it's 33% faster. (533mhz rather than 400mhz). Memory is a big bottleneck with SL and other high-end games and programs (Photoshop for one, if you're using it while you play SL), and for the money you'd spend for the upgrade, it's worth it. NOTE: Remember to get a motherboard that supports 533mhz FSB)

4. Integrated graphics just plain won't work with most games, and if so, very slowly. You need a video card. Period. I recommend nVidia 6000+ (I'm getting the 6600GT), but ATI makes some decent cards... you may want to ask around of what video card you should get. Also, consider if you want to get an AGP card (current standard) or go SLI-ready PCI-express and an SLI-capable motherboard, in which case you can plug in a second card in a year or two as a cheap, effective upgrade.

5. You stated your processor, but not the mhz. 520 is decent choice; it's 2.8gigahz. But, for a small extra cost, you can get the same chipset but at 3.0 or 3.2 ghz speed.

6. Go with Win XP Pro if you can get it / afford it.

7. Hard drive is a good choice as long as you're not storing a DVD warehouse or running a RAID system.

8. Integrated 5.1 sound is also a good choice. While integrated graphics sucks, integrated sound is difficult to notice the different from high-end sound cards unless you have a really kickass surround sound system.

9. All in all, you should not be paying more than 1200-1300 for a fully loaded machine, without monitor, unless you're doing something very high end.

Good luck with your PC!
_____________________
Hiro Pendragon
------------------
http://www.involve3d.com - Involve - Metaverse / Emerging Media Studio

Visit my SL blog: http://secondtense.blogspot.com
Jasp Edo
Registered User
Join date: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 7
03-19-2005 21:59
Oi >> Guess ill have to search for a different computer, again.
Hiro Pendragon
bye bye f0rums!
Join date: 22 Jan 2004
Posts: 5,905
03-19-2005 22:02
From: Jasp Edo
Oi >> Guess ill have to search for a different computer, again.

Consider first: How much are you looking to spend?

That alone may guide your search. If it's 3000, you should be getting a top of the line with all the fixins - monitor, all-in-one printer/fax/scanner, webcam, etc etc. If it's 2000, you can get something damn good. If it's 1200, you can still get something that's fast. If it's 600, you can get a mid-range computer that'll do just about anything you want, but won't be as slick on the high-end games.

Check out this thread of mine to see what I've just ordered:
/111/b9/38739/1.html
_____________________
Hiro Pendragon
------------------
http://www.involve3d.com - Involve - Metaverse / Emerging Media Studio

Visit my SL blog: http://secondtense.blogspot.com
Jasp Edo
Registered User
Join date: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 7
03-23-2005 12:29
Hm...i probably for for the 1000 one o.o i want something fast and will be able to handle good graphics, how much is ATI?
Xtopherxaos Ixtab
D- in English
Join date: 7 Oct 2004
Posts: 884
03-23-2005 12:35
ATI? ya mean the graphic's cards? You can get a good 128mb card for <@$100...but don't.
Go with an Nvidia based card, especially if you are going to play SL.
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