(Slightly) Old Hardware Rules!

Giggz · Post by **Giggz** » 13 May 2008, 14:21

Through all my years of being an avid gamer, I have never owned a PC with hardware that was released within the last six months.

I am currently running a P4 3.0Ghz HT on a GA P35-DS3L board with 2Gb 800Mhz DDR2 memory and a (brand forgotten) 7600GT 256Mb. The machine cost me around R5000, excluding a case I picked up from my girlfriend's younger brother for free and a 17" CRT screen I bought for R400 at Cash Converters.

The system runs Kane's Wrath, Hellgate London, and Need for Speed Pro Street at 1280x1024 with all detail at max without any lags or frame-rate dives.

I'm currently in the market for a new video card. I'll probably pick up an 8800GT when they drop below R2500.

I ask you, why spend R10000 or more on a PC for an extra 10fps you won't see anyway?

And yes, I know, Crysis will bend my PC over it's knee shouting "Who's your Daddy!", but that game is simply a polygon orgasm anyway. Great for benchmarking, but I'm no fan.

Firestrm_ZA · Post by **Firestrm_ZA** » 13 May 2008, 14:26

Giggz wrote:Through all my years of being an avid gamer, I have never owned a PC with hardware that was released within the last six months.

I am currently running a P4 3.0Ghz HT on a GA P35-DS3L board with 2Gb 800Mhz DDR2 memory and a (brand forgotten) 7600GT 256Mb. The machine cost me around R5000, excluding a case I picked up from my girlfriend's younger brother for free and a 17" CRT screen I bought for R400 at Cash Converters.

The system runs Kane's Wrath, Hellgate London, and Need for Speed Pro Street at 1280x1024 with all detail at max without any lags or frame-rate dives.

I'm currently in the market for a new video card. I'll probably pick up an 8800GT when they drop below R2500.

I ask you, why spend R10000 or more on a PC for an extra 10fps you won't see anyway?

And yes, I know, Crysis will bend my PC over it's knee shouting "Who's your Daddy!", but that game is simply a polygon orgasm anyway. Great for benchmarking, but I'm no fan.

ZAPS BIOSTAR 8800GT 512MB R2350 wat you waiting for join the dx10 guild

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 13 May 2008, 14:53

Some of the newer games are unplayable if you have anything less than a dual core, but you have the right idea, it's the graphics card that still counts the most. A graphics card upgrade can double or triple your frame rates, especially at high resolution.

I ask you, why spend R10000 or more on a PC for an extra 10fps you won't see anyway?

Newer games need lots of power, you'll see much more than 10fps gains at high res. Some of us have large monitors that need power to get over 30fps.

I34z1k · Post by **I34z1k** » 13 May 2008, 15:14

Bud, I'm glad you're happy and all, but try run those games @ 1680x1050 with 4x FSAA or equiv and 8x anisotropic filtering... Then you'll see why people like fast pc's.

But I agree, anyone wanting a decent pc can do with an e4500 overclocked, a cheap p35 board and a 9600gt.

Giggz · Post by **Giggz** » 13 May 2008, 15:39

Point made with higher resolutions, but I reckon a 8800GT would squash that issue.

My point is simply that HUGE premiums are charged for the latest hardware, and for what?

QX9650 for example...a Q9300 will probably do just as well in any game and it retails for one third the price

Post by **GDI_Lord** » 13 May 2008, 16:05

It seems like unless one spends a boatload on a LCD that's bigger than 19", one won't be able to use those high resolutions. My 19" LCD at home has a max res of 1280 x 1024 (with a 2ms response time and 3000:1CR - it's an LG L1960) and it was expensive!

Giggz · Post by **Giggz** » 13 May 2008, 16:12

Yup, and you'll run all your games at your max res on a R5k PC...power to you buddy

There's a balance to be found with hardware

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 13 May 2008, 16:17

What's your video encoding times like?

I34z1k · Post by **I34z1k** » 13 May 2008, 16:44

Giggz wrote:Point made with higher resolutions, but I reckon a 8800GT would squash that issue.

My point is simply that HUGE premiums are charged for the latest hardware, and for what?

QX9650 for example...a Q9300 will probably do just as well in any game and it retails for one third the price

Whoever buys a 9650 and doesn't intend to overclock is just plain stupid.

You gotta realise, that alot of people will pay premiums to have the top of the range hardware, but some people want more.

You ever seen what kinda fps the 9800gx2 does? It's an awesome card for playability, but hey, that's if you care.

Some people want high end systems to play games with all the goodies on max, and personally, it's worth it. But then again I also bench so yea...

Samaya · Post by **Samaya** » 14 May 2008, 07:24

I used a 2.8GHz P4 with a 6600GT up until August last year and I played lots of graphics intensive games. Didn't have any issues except where there were very many explosions on screen and so on. I have a 19" LCD as well and 1280 x 1024 is the max res. Now though I have a E6600 with a 8800GT with the same screen and I play EVERYTHING at MAX res and I can only say that if I have to go to lower specs, I would upgrade again. The graphics are just so good that to see jagged little lines again would seriously annoy me.

Maybe I should get myself a Q9450 as an upgrade...

Domino_PhoeniX · Post by **Domino_PhoeniX** » 14 May 2008, 23:41

haha i just liquid cooled a celeron 2.4! old hardware really is the best. im gonna mod a game boy into the front of my case for when i get the restart blues

GrimStoner · Post by **GrimStoner** » 15 May 2008, 11:54

It seems like unless one spends a boatload on a LCD that's bigger than 19"

22" LCD's aren't that expensive...

DeanMF · Post by **DeanMF** » 15 May 2008, 14:59

GrimStoner wrote:
It seems like unless one spends a boatload on a LCD that's bigger than 19"

22" LCD's aren't that expensive...

Ditto

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(Slightly) Old Hardware Rules!

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