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BPSITE => Games and Gaming => Topic started by: evilknight on March 25, 2004, 11:36:04 PM



Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 25, 2004, 11:36:04 PM
Ok, I'm hopefully going to have a job within the next two or three weeks.  It should pay about 100 dollars a week, which is really fuggin good for a startup job.  That adds up to 400 a month or so.  Now then, I'm going to have to spend 200 of that on insurance, plus up to another hundred, depending on how much I drive.
That being said, I believe that my computer is in serious need of an overhaul.  I have absolutly NO idea what this thing has on it now, because my idiot parents trusted the people at dell to make a decent one for them.
stupid morons. <_<
anyways, im almost certain that the first thing i am going to do is double my RAM, which is currently a measly 256. after that, im upgrading my hardrive.
now then, here's the problem. im not sure which video card to get. i think this thing has a pentium 4 processor, so unless there's something better out there that isnt too expensive, i should be fine on that part.
so, does anybody have any suggestions on what video card i should get?


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: SS on March 26, 2004, 01:25:54 AM
A half-decent video card and 512MB of RAM will probably cost about $150-200, so you'll probably want to get one the first month and one the next. I'd say get the RAM first, unless you've got a really crap card... what is your current graphics card?
Hmmm, you said you only wanted to double your RAM, so you might be able to get them for about $100, but I'd prefer to get more stuff now and wait for a decent GPU, or the other way round, because that way you've got longer to wait before next needing to upgrade.
/me wonders if all this garbage actually makes any sense.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 26, 2004, 01:37:07 AM
well, like i said, i have no idea what the card is, cause my parents had the folks at dell throw it together.
however, this computer is about a year old or so, so im sure that the video card is outdated.
and yeah, im definatly going for the RAM first.
but on the other hand, it might just be better to scrap this one and put together a computer from scratch. this things kinda slow by today's standards, and i cant overclock it because it's just got a standard in and out fan. very very cheap, usually my computer starts to overheat slightly after three or so hours of gaming.
so....lemme see here.
1.RAM
2.Video Card
3.Hard Drive
4.Better Cooling System


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 26, 2004, 03:01:33 AM
eek, i just checked, and it turns out ive been running this shitty thing with a NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 420 video card. im gonna have to replace that as soon as i get my RAM up to 512


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 26, 2004, 05:37:16 AM
personally--id scrap it. use it as storage or as a dedicated server. as for video cards....get a radeon 9800 XT if its anytime soon, dunno what ati has planned for the future though.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: Goryous on March 26, 2004, 10:03:17 AM
Amazing deal on ram, $40 for 256mb before $15 mail in rebate. Usually these are limited to one per household, so you buy one then you get a friend to buy one and you pay him afterwards....he mails in the rebate also and that usually ends up working good with deals like this.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id...goryId=cat01169 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1064001118684&skuId=5958859&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01169)

If you can afford 512mb more ram, your integraded video uses alot of ram and you really can use the extra 512 stick of ram trust me on this. Once you have enough ram it will make a large difference, well worth the upgrade. Make sure you have enough ramslots for the ram you buy , make sure the computer can take an agp card/has an agp slot. Some dells do NOT have agp slots!!!. I would go to www.inflowdirect.com  or www.svc.com for cooling stuff usually. Www.newegg.com is really good also.  Inflow has some really amazing deals on fans/heatsinks and even monitor coolers for cheap. You could for a radeon 9600 pro~maybe just wait a month/two till ati comes out with new video cards. The 9800XT is too much for most people$$$.  Then you can get better deals on video cards that way.  


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: RipperRoo on March 26, 2004, 03:33:57 PM
Go nuts.... (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=50358)


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 26, 2004, 05:14:47 PM
One problem guys--those are both ddr. He has a P4--he needs rdram.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: SS on March 26, 2004, 05:15:54 PM
Eh? Not all P4s are RD? :miffed:


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: RipperRoo on March 26, 2004, 05:17:06 PM
Doesnt it depend on the mobo?


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: SS on March 26, 2004, 05:24:07 PM
It does.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 26, 2004, 05:31:16 PM
most of them are though, arent they? its made my dell. methinks they probably used rd. most of their systems do.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 26, 2004, 10:16:04 PM
well, if somebody'll tell me how to, ill check it for u. ;)

also, im looking at the costs of all these upgrades, and im wondering wether or not i should either just buy a new computer, or maybe put together my own comp. what do you guyz think?


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: RipperRoo on March 27, 2004, 12:26:06 AM
Put together your own, more fun and you know whats in it....


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 27, 2004, 12:48:06 AM
sounds like a good idea.
hmmm, i suppose i could take the hard drive and the processor out of this computer.
the video card is crap, so i wouldnt need that.
main problem is, ive never put together my own computer.
*considers going out to get one of those making your own computer for dummies books*


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 27, 2004, 05:30:46 AM
its easier than it looks. screw it in. plug it in. rinse. repeat. and you're done. Well, of course there's the configuring everything, but thats another story.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: RipperRoo on March 27, 2004, 03:30:02 PM
What im inteding to do when i change Mobo, is take the plug out of the current one, stick in straight into the new one....


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 27, 2004, 04:16:37 PM
if i do make my own computer, i know that im gonna take the processor and the RAM outta this one. definatly the stuff on the hardrive as well, cause it has uhhhhh, "pictures", that are no longer available, as transfur.com has now officially stopped hosting their sites.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 27, 2004, 06:37:59 PM
id up the ram, assumin its rd. rd ram can only be upgraded in pairs. ie, if you want 512, you need to put in two 256 sticks. if you dont have enough ram already, id definitely upgrade that. Getting a nice video card will definitely reduce the strain, but then again.....I have a 128mb video card and 512 mb ram, and i still need a crapload of virtual memory. If i dont get a new computer soon, im going to upgrade to 1gb.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 27, 2004, 06:42:44 PM
goddamnit, i figured out what kind of ram i had yesterday, and now ive forgoten.
i remember fusionx showed me a pic of it.


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 27, 2004, 06:51:11 PM
RDRAM:
(http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/20-150-311-06.JPG)

DDR RAM:
(http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/20-209-013-01.JPG)


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 27, 2004, 06:53:00 PM
well, i know that my old computer used the 2nd ram, and they said it wouldnt work on my new computer, so im guessing this one must use the first. ;)  


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: FragMaster1972 on March 27, 2004, 06:56:01 PM
yeah, thats rdram. in that case id definitely upgrade.

and go on aim if you want ut2k4....


Title: Hoping for a new computer
Post by: evilknight on March 27, 2004, 06:57:05 PM
ok, thx.

and im on.