hardware advice:

[Star Ranger4]

Current system:  One very old and kluged Dell 2350
1.8g P4 CPU
512mb Memory (ddr 1 @ 2700, I think)
80+ g of HD space
NO PCI E slots, originally had on board ethernet and sound.  The ethernet died, the sound I 'upgraded' to a pci SB Audiaulogy  (not sure it was actually an upgrade anymore though)
On board intel graphics chip, also no longer used.  So out of the 3 pci slots it came with, I now have a ethernet card, the SB Audiaulogy, and a 256m ATI X1300 graphics card.
And I'm bloody tired of missing out on half of the tf missions because I move so slowly between zones and to and from mission maps.  The fastest fix, of course, would be to scrape together $60 or so and replace the two 256m sticks with a single 1g stick.
But thats just a band aid.  And still wouldnt help what I suspect to be the real problem at the moment, that the existsing PCI bus just cant handle the current level of buss traffic.  This is also based on an observation that I have the worst lag problems when a large number of noisy or graphicly flashy powers go off at once.  And when I ZC, its right about when the sound for the new zone or whatever should start playing...
So, obviously I need a new system.  And I need to balance cheap vs game performance, vs future upgradeabilty.
Help?
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

[Sofaspud]

Well... if you have an ATX power supply and case, you can put together a decent system for about $250 - $300, assuming you use as much as possible from your old one.
Wire found the same/better hardware that I was looking at cheaper than I had (I'm linking his finds), but what I'm looking at for just under $200 is this:
Motherboard, about $50: http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16813128357
CPU, about $125: http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16819115206
You can find 2 1-gig sticks of PC6400 RAM for about $50 via Amazon (only place I checked, might be cheaper elsewhere), and at that point it's just a matter of slotting a decent graphics card.  I already have one, so not a problem for me, but if you need to get one I'm running an NVidia 9500GT, and it's pretty awesome.  You can get passive-cooled versions (no extra strain on your power supply) for $60 these days... or less.
That configuration gets you into dual-core territory with decent upgrade paths open.  It'd be an upgrade for me, too, and at this point I need it (system died), but bear in mind I've been playing CoX on a single-core P4 for a long while now, acceptably.  So this would -smoke- either of our current systems.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[Foxboy]

I'm pondering a desktop upgrade myself. as in getting a box from a BigBox with my tax return and slowly upgrading. I've been on my current comp for three years this April, see.


''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Wiregeek]

chiming a 'hear hear' on spud's assertion

the problem is, there's starting to be a real dearth of entry-level performance hardware. You can put together a 2.x ghz system with onboard graphics for about $500, but.. it sucks, especially for gaming.

3.x ghz dual-core with a 9800 GT or better (I don't believe in ATI video cards, sorry) is going to end up running $750 or so by the time you're done 8 (

And you don't save that much by cannibalizing an old system. You're gonna get mouse/keyboard, optical drive, and hard drive. not a big help.

Not a good time to be building a new PC, I'm afraid.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[ECSNorway]

Right now I'm eyeing my current desktop PC (1.6 ghz, 1 gig RAM, I forget what it has for video) and considering the best way to get better performance out of it... I'm thinking a better video card would be the way, but I don't want to spend over $100 or so.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Wiregeek]

1.6ghz implies either PCI or AGP graphics.

Best thing I can find for PCI graphics is

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16814134073

and AGP is

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16814143069

but neither of these is a very 'good' card. Again, bad time to be building (or upgrading!) a PC 8(

If you had PC Express, you could get

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16814143169

Which is the card I use, and am VERY happy with, for $100 US.

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16814500144

or for $110, you can get it with a gig of ram.

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16814162034

or for $140, you can get the newer GT 250, which is another step up the Power Tree...

ECS, what motherboard do you have?
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[ECSNorway]

It's definitely AGP.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Wiregeek]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814143069

is about the best card available for AGP.

Model
Brand BFG Tech
Model BFGR76512GSOC
Interface
Interface AGP 4X/8X
Chipset
Chipset Manufacturer NVIDIA
GPU GeForce 7600GS
Core Clock 420MHz (vs. 400MHz standard)
PixelPipelines 12
Memory
Memory Size 512MB
Memory Interface 128-bit
Memory Type GDDR2
3D API
DirectX DirectX 9
OpenGL OpenGL 2.0
Ports
D-SUB 1 x D-SUB
DVI 1 x DVI
TV-Out HDTV Out
General
RAMDAC 400 MHz
Max Resolution 2560 x 1600
SLI Support No
Cooler With Fan
Operating Systems Supported Windows XP
System Requirements A minimum 350W system power supply (with 12V current rating of 20A or more)
Dual-Link DVI Supported Yes
Features
Features Superscalar GPU architecture
NVIDIA CineFX 4.0 engine
NVIDIA UltraShadow II technology
Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 support

Vs.

Model
Brand ZOTAC
Model ZT-20402-10L
Interface
Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Chipset
Chipset Manufacturer NVIDIA
GPU GeForce GT 240
Core Clock 550MHz
Shader Clock 1340MHz
Stream Processors 96
Memory
Memory Clock 1580MHz
Memory Size 1GB
Memory Interface 128-bit
Memory Type GDDR3
3D API
DirectX DirectX 10.1
Ports
HDMI 1 x HDMI
D-SUB 1 x D-SUB
DVI 1 x DVI
General
RAMDAC 400 MHz
Max Resolution 2560 x 1600
SLI Support No
Cooler With Fan
System Requirements 300-watt power supply recommended
Dual-Link DVI Supported Yes
HDCP Ready Yes
Dimensions Height: 4.374in - 111.11mm
Width: 6.198in - 157.45mm
Features
Features NVIDIA Unified Architecture
NVIDIA PhysX Technology
NVIDIA CUDA Technology
NVIDIA Lumenex Engine
NVIDIA GigaThread Technology
NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses
NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology
Packaging
Package Contents ZT-20402-10L
3D Vision Discover glasses
ZOTAC Boost software bundle

is the same price in PCI Express. 8(
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Drenivian]

For a cheaper upgrade, I'd just suggest 2 512 sticks for the 1gig and finding an oldish video card.  I'd say nVidia 6000 series.  That should only be, at most
$125.
That should suffice until you are able to outright purchase or build a better, more spectacular pc.
I play on a 2G processer with 2gig ram and a nVidia 6200.  nothing spectacular, but enough that i don't went crash anymore.
dren
*********************
In the epic rage of furious thunder
legends create their tales
when the twilight calls and the dark lord falls
our glory will prevail

[ECSNorway]

I believe I have the RAM strips already to do the upgrade... so all I need is a decent video card.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Wiregeek]

Well, if you're in the US or Canadia, see above Newegg link.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Foxboy]

Okay as a potential "DIY" project for myself...

Let's think "Frugal/Tightfisted" Minimal requirements, allowing for a gradual buildup to awesome...

What do I need to make my own system from "scratch?"

I'm already presuming:

Case [Which may be a cabinetry job for my uncle... Pulp-Tech Aesthetic, Baby!]

Mother Board and CPU
At least two HDs, one Optical Drive/Burner
Memory Sticks
GFX and Audio Cards
Power Supply
OS Pack, preferably an OEM edition. {I'm not programming-savvy enough to tinker with Linux, and Mac just creeps me out}

The rest is peripherals I may or may not already have in usable condition.

OF course I'm gonna try for a GFX card to handle ShinyMode for GR as well
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Wiregeek]

what's your starting budget?
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[ECSNorway]

Hmmmm. Steampunk casemod. Now I'm tempted.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Wiregeek]

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1327603

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1440201

LOTS of pages on these topics, but eminently worth it. PrometheusCU is just gorgeous, even if he's been working on it long enough for it to get outdated >.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Sofaspud]

Fox: regarding ShinyMode graphics, the -minimum- listed specs are juuuuuust barely met by my current card, an Nvidia 9500GT.  For true Shiny, you'll want better.  So you're looking at probably $150+ right there just for the card.  You can get a GTS 250 w/512MB onboard for $145, before shipping... if you're going to spend that sort of dough, I'd go better than that if I could, honestly.  If you're satisfied for the moment with bare-minimum graphics then the 9500GT series meets it, according to a Posi post on the subject (link to it somewheres on this forum, I don't remember where exactly).  9500GT is about $60, depending on bells, whistles, and source.
I'm not sure why you specify 'at least 2 hard drives'.  A 1.5TB (TERAbyte, yes) drive is only $100.  Yes, granted, one can fill that, but as a starting point it's hard to beat 1500 gigs of space.  As for the optical drive/burner... I don't personally think it matters much these days.  Unless you go seriously high-end, they're just replaceable parts anyway.  Budget $50 to $75 for it and just remind yourself that you may have to replace it a couple years down the road.
Memory... figure roughly $25 / gigabyte, in 2-gig chunks (best price/performance ratio; buying 1 GB at a time gets more expensive than it's worth).  More expensive = better, but you can get by well enough with the cheap stuff.  Corsair or PNY are the two brands I'm most familiar with, but there may well be better out there that I don't know about.
Most motherboards come with onboard audio, which is plenty "good enough" unless you're an audiophile.  Speaking of motherboards, you want something that supports dual-core at a minimum.  The links at the top are still my favorite for entry-level.  I trust Wire's opinion on these things, heh.
The OS is where you're going to be stuck, unless you have an XP license key lying around that you can re-use.  Simply put, your choice these days if you don't go Linux or Mac is Windows 7.  Which is $200.  You can get a deal if you're a student, but it's still on the pricey side.
And finally... if you're going to make your own case, keep in mind that wood tends to swell and contract and retain moisture.  I can't really recommend it.  (You mentioned Pulp-Tech, so...)  Also, you really do want metal around your motherboard, at the very least.  RF interference is no joke, and it can go both ways unless you've got something stopping all those friendly electromagnetic waves.  I've seen a caseless computer mess up a satellite box from across the room, and let's not even joke about what a vacuum cleaner (all those juicy DC brush motors, mm!) made Windows do.  Remember, FCC Class B, more specifically this bit: "This device must accept any
interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation."
Without a metallic shroud, you're going to have hella fun tracking down that stuff, if you run into it.   For best asthetics/practicality tradeoff, I'd buy a regular no-frills case and just re-skin it, if I were you.


--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[Foxboy]

what's your starting budget?

Low enough the salesman at the Brick and mortar components store hands me a stack of punch cards.
"What's this?" I ask.
"Your OS," he replies.
Seriously, I'm thinking of about 500 to 700 dollars once my tax return gets in. As long as I don't have to SOLDER or have the manual dexterity of a neurosurgeon I should be fine.
It also helps if a magnetized screwdriver won't mess things up.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Wiregeek]

magnetized screwdrivers are 100% a-ok.

You'd have to get close enough to the actual hard drive platter that you'd scratch it before your puny little magnetic screwdriver could flip so much as a single domain.

650$, better than a 9500 GT.

hrm.

http://www.newegg.com/Pro...spx?Item=N82E16883229124

hate to say it, but.. there you go.

I loathe pre-built machines, but I don't think I can beat that on price/performance, especially with the shitty situation of windows 7 pricing.

probably be about $650 once you get it shipped.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[ECSNorway]

That's actually pretty high. Anything that runs on punch cards is an antique by now, and valuable if it's available at all.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Foxboy]

Far out. I'll keep it in mind once the return... returns. But still... looking into some of the Diesel Punk stuff:

OMFGWANT
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Morganite]

Figure I might as well use the existing hardware discussion thread...

Due to recent developments, I'm contemplating getting a new gaming machine. Need something prebuilt. Preferably from Newegg, I think. Absolutely not more than $1000.

Doing some searches, I think the Gamer Xtreme 1030 would suit my needs and then some, but I wouldn't mind a second or third opinion...

-Morgan.

[Wiregeek]

I are lazy, is to be linking to 'Gamer Xtreme 1030'?
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Morganite]

[url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Desktop

[Wiregeek]

delicious.

The only thing I'd look at is a video card upgrade. The 9500 is a lightweight, you'll get a lot more pixels and whatnot out of a 9800 gt (I'm glorying in that card right now - Left 4 Dead 2 at moderate pretty in 1920x1080 is just delicious).

My only concern with that machine is the motherboard - specifically, what board is it?

No info available on that.

However, given _what_ it is, individual component replacement or upgrade is a viable option.

I would not hesitate to recommend this machine.

My recommended upgrade path would be: Video Card to 9800 GT or better. CPU to i7 or i9 @ 3.0ghz or better. Power supply to ~850w (hardocp.com reviews power supplies good). Disk to 2tb/32mb cache @ 7200 rpm or better.

all in all, quite nice.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Morganite]

From a review I found while searching, it's apparently something called a GiG P55.

Switching out a power supply I think might be a bit more than I can handle. Should I really have a need for a new one if I'm not adding any drives?

-Morgan.