Posts by Nancy Miller4

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly... I did a little digging online, and it looks like the GTX 560 and the 6870 are pretty much in the same ballpark, though the 6870 ends up being the cheaper option for my budget...

Hey everyone...

So, I’ve officially reached my limit with my Sapphire 4870. It’s basically unusable now because after about ten minutes of gaming, I get hit with this crash (7:45). Since I can't actually play anything, I figured it was time to upgrade to something better.

I'm currently eyeing the EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 1GB priced at $426 (plus, there's a 10% discount if I pay cash). What do you guys think? Is this the right move, or should I be looking for something else in the $433 price range?

My current setup:
ASUS P5Q Pro
Q6600
4 GB RAM
LC8650 650W
Running at 1680*1050 resolution

So, the HD4850... got it. Thanks.

Hey there.
So, my old Gigabyte HD 3870 finally decided to call it quits. It started throwing weird colors all over the screen before just dying on me completely. I’ve got about $333 to spend on a replacement, and I’m currently running at 1680x1050. Any suggestions on what I should grab?

Current setup:
Intel Core 2 Duo
Dell Inspiron 4GB RAM
2 GB RAM
EVGA 450W

David Price5 said:You forgot Aliens and The Abyss...

Yeah, fair point. I missed them. I was typing this out pretty quickly, but honestly, if we're talking about Terminator, I’d probably just toss Cameron off to the side alongside everyone else mentioned above.

It’s got to be James Cameron. Even if you only count his two real heavy hitters—and I’m counting Avatar in that group. Terminator 1 and 2 are easily the peak of the Sci-Fi genre because they actually carry genuine tragedy. Most of the movies mentioned in the opening post feel like glorified picture books for kids (with the exception of Alien and Blade Runner). Now, don't get me wrong, there are some very good picture books out there. I’m thinking specifically of Star Wars; it’s a beautiful space opera, but in terms of raw weight, no single scene comes close to the moment in T1 where Kyle Reese explains the fate of humanity in that parking garage, or even that opening sequence in T2. It’s a shame you didn't include Cameron; he probably would have taken the top spot.

Alright, just finished watching it and honestly... what can I say? The movie is damn good. Smith really knocked it out of the park here. This is easily his best work behind the camera yet.

The reason it stuck with me is because it actually functions on multiple levels. It’s not just some mindless sequence of cheap gags and shitty jokes—though, okay, one joke is definitely pretty terrible—like a lot of recent R-rated comedies you see lately (think > or >). Sure, the crude humor is there, and you get those classic Smith-style bits, but what actually elevates this (at least for me) is the romance between Zack and Miri. Thanks to how Smith directed it, the love story is genuinely beautifully told (once you hit the love scene, you'll see exactly what I mean). In reality, almost all of Smith's movies (with the exception of >) are basically just love stories disguised by a layer of "fuck" and "shit" jokes.

Bottom line: it’s probably not the best choice for a first date since things could get awkward, but it's perfect for people who have spent years in a platonic friendship before finally hooking up.

Absolute masterpiece. Even the second one isn't half bad, but man, that third installment is a total miss.

Terminator!

Jack Sparrow is the first one up?? Based on what criteria exactly? That's just sad.

I honestly think "The Terminator" is one of those movies that feels less like sci-fi and more like a terrifyingly plausible roadmap. The whole concept of AI waging war against humanity? It’s such a brilliant, dark premise, especially considering it laid the groundwork for stuff like The Matrix a good fifteen years later.

The fifth element is absolute perfection, purely because of that insanely futuristic aesthetic. I’m talking skyscrapers stretching miles into the sky and that whole vibe of flying traffic weaving between buildings. It’s just iconic.

The most realistic vision of our future? Honestly, it’s probably Mad Max—just endless gangs and absolute lawlessness in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

An alien future isn't just some sci-fi trope; it’s a very real possibility. We're looking at massive deep-space voyages and full-scale colonization. Honestly, it feels like we're just waiting for the technology to catch up to the ambition.

Armageddon is your textbook Hollywood summer blockbuster, and honestly? I loved it. You've got a stellar cast, a killer soundtrack, and a massive asteroid threatening to wipe out the entire country...

Here’s a little trivia for you. I was browsing IMDb and saw a stat claiming the average shot length is only about 1.5 seconds. I didn't really buy it at first—I didn't notice it myself—so I went to double-check. Turns out, it's true. The cuts are happening every second or two. But hey, that’s just classic Michael Bay!

The trailer for "300" is easily one of the best pieces of marketing I've ever seen. It’s honestly a shame the actual movie didn't quite reach that same level. If you ask me, the trailer actually packs more of a punch than the film itself.

As for War of the Worlds—that was an excellent movie.

Honestly, most of these recent superhero flicks are just a massive letdown. They’ve got zero substance, but man, they sure know how to throw money at the CGI. If I had to pick one that actually worked, I’d say the original X-Men was a solid entry—it felt like a real movie instead of just a glorified tech demo.

I took a quick look through that link, and honestly, the guy isn't nearly as brilliant as he thinks he is.

Alien 3 is actually a return to form—it’s just one Xenomorph hunting a group trapped in a dead end. It’s easily ten times better than Alien Resurrection. His main issue was assuming the story should have stayed on Earth.

As for Star Wars, I’ll say it: Revenge of the Sith is my favorite installment. I know, I know, the fans will probably drag me through the mud for this, but that final duel and the ultimate transformation into Darth Vader are easily the best parts of the entire six-film saga.