Posts by fadedorca66

Looks like they already threw two options your way.

One more thing: what kind of RAM and processor are we working with here?

So, what GPU are you running, and what's the rest of your build look like?

Daemon Tools, it's free, lightweight, and actually works pretty well.

The only real difference is that one digit; if the card supports 10.0, I guess it probably handles 10.1 too.

Gary Price7 said:so if I clocked my CPU to 2.2 and grabbed another gig of RAM, maybe I could actually run these games at 1280 or higher
I've noticed Intel chips seem a bit higher quality, which is probably why they overclock better. I might even try pushing my 1.8 up to 2.5

They aren't necessarily better; honestly, AMD and Intel are pretty much on the same level. It just seems like Core 2 Duo tends to overclock more easily than Athlon 64 x2

dustyridge44 said:Hey,
can anyone weigh in on post #282?

A buddy of mine is breathing down my neck because he's in a bit of a rush.

Thanks

Maybe tell him to hunt down an HD2600, ideally one with DDR3 or DDR4, and then try modding it into a FireGL:
http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthread.php?t=80409

Sure, assuming the rest of the rig holds up.

The HD4670 is newer, slightly faster, and more power-efficient than the HD3850.

I guess I'd probably grab a new 4670 or maybe a used 3850.

It doesn't really matter how many MBs are on the card. A 1GB card is pretty much useless if the chip itself is weak, the memory is slow, or the bandwidth sucks. I guess the manufacturer isn't all that important either (Gigabyte, Gainward, XFX, Sapphire, etc.). You just have to look at which one has the best cooling, the best value for what you're actually getting, and how long the warranty lasts.

I’d probably lean toward the
since it actually has DDR3, which makes it worth paying $3.25 a bit
more.
EDIT: Plus, according to this, it runs faster than the 3650 with DDR2 or DDR3:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2033-7.html

That 9500GT is basically just an 8600GTS with faster memory. Probably a decent buy for the price, I guess.

Jonathan Morris40 said:Could you maybe elaborate on that? A DM works too, I guess.

Check this out:

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthread.php?t=80409

stormytiger19 said:Is this one any good?
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-gb/produc.../9500GT.aspx#2

If you're dead set on buying from there, just make sure it actually has DDR3 memory. And honestly, I wouldn't fall for those cards claiming they have 1GB.

stormytiger19 said:Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM

Is there any decent card that would fit under $167? 😉

Also, I guess it wouldn't be a huge deal if it has an output for an analog monitor? Or are those digital-to-analog converters a thing?

If the card doesn't have an analog VGA port, you'll probably just need a DVI to VGA adapter. You mean those blue and white slots for the monitor, right?

Aha, memory. I thought the 2.2V was meant for the CPU...

You’re gonna fry something at 2.2V, man. I guess.

I'm having a hard time deciding which GPU to grab. What's the consensus on the Gigabyte Radeon HD3650, 512MB DDR2, TVout, DVI for $120 at Vemil? I've got a bad feeling about those memory chips, and there's no fan control...

Just looking to play some light stuff. It'll need to run GTA4. Probably sticking to 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution, and medium settings should be fine for me. Is this a decent pick, or should I look for something else used? Ideally, I want to stay under $133...

I was also eyeing the 2600 with DDR3 memory—would that be a better bet than this 3650?

Oh, and the specs will be:
Some kind of dual-core at 2.5GHz
4GB RAM
M55plus-S2G
M55plus-S2G Coolermaster 430 w extreme Power
etc.

Here are the easiest ways to dig up this info. You'll probably need CPU-Z, which you can grab HERE
.

• Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?

How do you check?

Just download CPU-Z, unzip it, and run cpuz.exe. Check out the Tab Motherboard:



It should tell you right there if it's an Inferace PCI-Express or AGP. If it doesn't show up, I guess you could just Google the motherboard model and check the manufacturer's site.

• What's your current or upcoming setup, and what kind of power supply are you running?

How to find out?

Grab CPU-Z, unzip it, and fire up cpuz.exe.

Start with the CPU tab. We need the processor name, and it might be helpful if you include the Package and Core speed too.

Then hit the Tab Motherboard; we'll need the Manufacturer and the model from there.

Lastly, we need to know how much RAM you have. Just open the Tab Memory and let us know the siz.

Here’s a breakdown if you need it:
http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthread.php?t=616

Anthony Scott93 said:What's the stock clock speed on that Celeron?

It's 1.6GHz... I guess we'll see how far it gets with the stock cooler.

Check out this Celeron some guy sent me:
http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=100143

And here's mine:
http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=417094

I'm cleaning the heatsink and slapping on some fresh paste today. I might even hit 2.5GHz, I guess.