CrapGame Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Hello gang, I'm purchasing a new PC in the immediate future, and I have a pretty good idea what I am looking for. It will be primarily a gaming machine, with the bulk being CMBB and the rest being some Battlefield 1942 and MOHAA, etc. I've received some helpful advice from jwxspoon and some other members that have given me a good framework for the basics of what I should look for. That being said, 2 issues keep bothering me. First, I have always used Intel processors. With the cost difference now being little, is there any advantage/disadvantage to either going with an Athlon or new Intel chips? For example, any motherboard issues I should be aware of? I'm not looking for any Intels Suck/Rule or Athlons Suck/Rule comments, just trying to get a better grip on why I should buy DDR or SDRAM or RDRAM, etc. Second, and this is probably the kicker, Radeon or GeForce? I know the Fog issue exists with ATI, and NVidia drivers are a pain in the A$$, but is the Radeon that much better? I rarely play with fog, but does the smoke look good with the Radeon? Is it that much better with BF1942, etc? Thanks for any input, and anyone can e-mail me with their thoughts too. Thanks again. Paul 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil stanbridge Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 I don't think it really matters whether you go Intel or AMD these days. I think it's personal choice. You'll always find Intel more expensive like for like, but IMHO I have found them more stable. This is my primary rig setup, used for CMBB. P4 2.53b @ 3.29ghz, phase-controlled Vapochill Asus P4G8X Deluxe 512mb XMS3200 TwinX (DDR) ATI 9700 N/P @ Pro speeds 550w Antec PSU Hitachi 17" tft Believe it or not I saved myself £600 by building this little lot myself. Generally I look at what is top of the range, and knock it down two or three revisions where possible. Ie, I could have got the 3.06ghz P4 but these cost buckets, and I saved myself about £250-£300 just by buying a 2.53 and as you can see I'm running it faster anyway! Go DDR ram. RDram is on its way out. Up to you which card, but the ATi looks amazing in comparison to a GF4, plus it is faster. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Carr Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 The only advice that I could give you is that if you do decide to with the NVIDIA video card, make sure that you get one of the NVIDIA cards that can run the 30.82 or 41.09 drivers. Preferably the 30.82 driver as this driver will enable you to use all of the functionality the card has to offer. I have two machines currently. Both have NVIDIA video cards GForce Ti4600. I am happy with both. As far as the processor goes, both of my machines use AMD XP processors but Intel seems to be making them faster these days. It appears as though AMD can't keep up. My processors are 2 GHZ and 2.17 GHZ and both are fully capable of running both CMBO and CMBB without stuttering or locking up or taking too long to figure out what is going to happen. If I had my dithers I would get an Intel 3.06. Get a motherboard that can use the fast RAM. For a gaming machine, it's all about speed. Just my two cents. Good luck! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kong Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Hey Crapgame Intel and AMD processors are very comparable and you would be hard pressed to tell a speed difference between the fastest from each. AMD processors are stable, but some chipsets have not been too stable. Currently the Nvidia Nforce2 is the hot chipset. I have an Nforce1 MB and it has been the most stable MB I have ever had, it is an Asus. If you are going build your own then, whether Intel or AMD look at MB's from Asus and Abit, they are more expensive but they are also packed with features and rock solid. DDR is the defacto standard, all the more so because of dual channel memory. RDRAM is still more expensive. I would stick with DDR personally. As for Video Cards I have been a Nvidia user now for 3+ years. Currently have a GF4 ti4400. If I were buying a video card right now I would take a serious look at the ATI Radeons. All the feedback I hear and read is very positive. As for fog and smoke I could not answer. I'd just post another message asking Radeon users for their feedback. If you're gonna buy it I would recommend going with an online purchase, Dell or Gateway. Simply because the build to order and you get the latest Hardware at the best price. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaylord Focker Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 It is true that the fastest from AMD and Intel are comparible to each other, but this does not apply to anythinng sub 3.0 gig, and above 2. For instance, a 2.8 Pentium IV is signifcantly faster then the AMD 2800xp. Also, RD 1066 ram is faster then the ddr. Dell and Gateway are known to use oem parts as well, if yo want a nice gamig rig and don't want to build it yourself, i would suggest an alienware, or falcon northwest pc, dell's are nice and quiet though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaylord Focker Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Oh, and go with the ATI 9700pro, it's realy alot better then the Gforce4's, so if you play alot of games thats your card. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 CG, I got a new system a few months ago as well. Doesn't it seem like yesterday that we were trying to figure out how to burn CDs on our new Dell 933 Mhz systems? I wound up getting an Alienware P4 2.8 with a Ti4600 card. The system is great but it is rather loud because of all the extra cooling. I would consider Dell again. The new Dell PCs we have in our office are whisper quiet. Check out this site for good deals that Dell occasionally has, especially on peripherals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACTOR Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 Just got my new Gateway 700XL two days ago. It is very nice, and also my third Gateway. Overall the performance is really good and the ATI 9700 card rocks. Bill 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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