Gameing System

[DDNC]

Well,I built me a little computer system(mostly by reading this board http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif.But now my brother wants me to build him one.The CPU and mother board I have no problem picking out,but when it comes to Vid and audio cards for gaming I'm lost.What cards would get the best Bang for the buck?
I'll be useing a AMD 1.4G Tbird ,for the CPU on a SOLTEK SL-75DRV2 VIA KT266A Mother board,,everything else is still up for grabs http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

Thanks;
DDNC

[BigBlue66]

Hey,

Before we can help you, we need to know what the wallet says. Do you want to go the cheaper route or is money no object, or somewhere in the middle?

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
- Pamela Vault Starr

[DDNC]

LOL,well it's not my money,,but I would say somewhere in the middle

DDNC

[ranchdog]

DDNC....

If you haven't allready placed your order on the CPU, the XP 1700 processor is the way to go. Going to be in the same price range and same Mhz range, but you'll get more bang for the buck. The XP chip loves to work with DDR RAM. And it'll work with your KT266A chipset. After you get things running use the latest/best BIOS available.

A Geforce2 w/64MB DDR is "middle of the road" but does a good job. Half the price of a Geforce3.

SoundBlaster has caused a lot of grief for some folks. Driver conflicts and IRQ issues. A good Turtle Beach card is my choice. Don't knock some of the on-board sound systems. Some of the later ones are even digital supported.

Good Luck.


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....How long is a minute... depends on which side of the Bathroom door you're on. ......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
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[pentachris]

AC97 onboard sound is great for most general purpose usage. Before you go with the XP processor, though, you might want to consider this (http://www6.tomshardware.com/column/01q4/011029/index.html).

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...
If my computer were the eighth dwarf, it would be Dumpy.
-Chris

[ranchdog]

I don't know why anyone would want to disable
the HS/F unit and fire up the CPU until
it melted. I've always considered the above
story a propaganda issue toward AMD anyway.

A systems warning signal will suffice for those
who don't have their head buried in the sand.
Whether it comes from BIOS or a third -party.

Just my 2 pennies.



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....How long is a minute... depends on which side of the Bathroom door you're on. ......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
..........

[DDNC]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.I have been thinking of useing the XP 1700,but I had it so easy setting up this one with the AMD 1.4G Tbird,did'nt realy want to mess with a winning set-up http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif.Ranchdog,I'm with you on the over heating,You can fry any chip,if your dumb or crazy enought,to keep running it with no fan or heatsink.As, for the SoundBlaster cards,lets just say that my one try at installing one,is the main reason I asked for your ideas http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

Thanks again;
DDNC

[ranchdog]

The XP sets up as easy as all the rest. And
runs cooler, being on the Morgan core. XP with
DDR RAM is a work horse. Throw on an SK-6
for a HS/F.

1.4Ghz wants to fight with a lot of BIOS versions.
Or to put it a better way... A lot of BIOS versions
were never programmed just right for the 1.4. One
thing I noticed, the code stepping on the 1.4 has
a lot to do with things.

BTW. SOLTEK makes a good board.


Luck.



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....How long is a minute... depends on which side of the Bathroom door you're on. ......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
..........

[pentachris]

AMD considered the Tom's Hardware story important enough to give mobo makers new guidelines for making XP-compatible boards. I agree, you'd have to be a real bonehead to fry your cpu like that, but my main criteria in computer equipment is reliability and stability. I'll take a performance hit if means eliminating a potential reliability problem - especially with new technology like the XP chip where all problems may not have had time to manifest themselves.

I respect all the opinions voiced in this topic so far - we're all "above average" http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif. And, I'm sure there's at least a 95% chance you'll not notice any problems with your XP chip, ranchdog. But as for me, take away a few hundred mhz in speed, but give me that extra piece of mind. It's not like I'm gonna be splitting atoms with it, anyway... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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...
If my computer were the eighth dwarf, it would be Dumpy.
-Chris

[ranchdog]

You Got It.

This hardware costs entirely too much $$ just too
go up in smoke regardless who makes it.

A shut down system is something that should have
been designed by AMD almost 3 years ago. When the
Athlon/Duron style chip first came out.

At that rate there wouldn't be near so many AMD
users frying a CPU because of poor installation, etc.

The heck of it is when a CPU has a meltdown It'll
take down other hardware with it as well.

Let's go split some atoms. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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....How long is a minute... depends on which side of the Bathroom door you're on. ......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
..........

[DDNC]

Well,this has got a little off the subject http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif.Ranchdog,yep,saw alot of BIOS updates for the 1.4,but I pulled it from the box,pluged it on the M/B,,got the rest of the system going,,and flashed the latest update,,No problem.Someone from the UK sent me a SOLTEK M/B to use awhile back,,I like the way they are,set up (well they could go with another PCI slot),and I realy can't see me tring to use any of the over clocking stuff http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif
Pentachris,I'll go with about any good chip other than intell,,sorry ,I have problems with people,who build back doors into their hardware.

DDNC


Ok,now that we have spit the atom,,,What flavor,of Quark would you like? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[JadedC36]

I think the Tom's article was refering what might happen if your HSF failed, not that you would, or could run without one. So if you had a failure of the HSF, how many of you could shut down befor the cpu fried? If it happened while you were going to the fridge? I do not believe that Tom's Hardware would try to give AMD negative publicity, as they seem to be very pro AMD, and quite anti Intel, while being very objective in their articles. How often have I read from posts in these forums "get an AMD, with a really good HSF"?

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Mike