Computer geeks, unite! Whenever you get a sweet new system upgrade, you want to show it off, right? Let's admit it- when it comes to computers, we can't help but brag. So I hereby dub this the Ultimate Computer Thread. Post specs, ask questions, whatever.
My baby:
Compaq Presario S6500NX
AMD Athlon 3000+ Quantispeed w/ 400 Mhz FSB and 512k L2 Cache
160 Gb Maxtor 7200 RPM Hard Disk
512 Megs PC2700 SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9600 SE 128 Mb
Dual DVD-R/CD-R 52x48x52 16X drives
8 USB 2.0 Ports, 2 IEEE 1394 Firewire ports
Hoo yeah. Grabbed the whole deal for the low, low price- of just over $750 (including upgrades).
Now, for question. When I got this computer, it came with a really shitty integrated card with a lame ass heat sink that kept overheating- which is why I panicked, splurged and grabbed this 9600 SE. I knew that it wouldn't last me forever, it was purely a transitional card (as the SE series sucks). It gets the job done, but on UT2004 at 1024x768 with settings at normal to low I average about 30 fps with 20 bots. Sorry, it's gonna have to go, especially with the beautifulness of HL2 and Doom III and whatnot coming out.
So! Time to upgrade. When I go to college, I'm getting a laptop, so this is basically the last card I'm going to buy until I settle in. I hoped that with the release of the 6800 Ultra and the X800 XT prices on older cards would plummet, well, that just seems to not be the case. I was planning on getting a Radeon 9700 Pro- my friend has it, it's a good all-around card, he gives it two thumbs up.
HOWEVER: Upon searching Pricewatch, I found out that for reasons unbeknownst to me, the 9800 Pro is actually less expensive than the 9700 Pro by about $10. Hmm, says I. That's odd. Then I notice that 9800 SEs are being sold for around $130, whereas 9800 Pros are about $180. $130 is definitely more in my price range, but it is an SE. So I'm here to ask anybody who knows that they're talking about- is the upgrade from SE to Pro worth the extra $50?
My baby:
Compaq Presario S6500NX
AMD Athlon 3000+ Quantispeed w/ 400 Mhz FSB and 512k L2 Cache
160 Gb Maxtor 7200 RPM Hard Disk
512 Megs PC2700 SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9600 SE 128 Mb
Dual DVD-R/CD-R 52x48x52 16X drives
8 USB 2.0 Ports, 2 IEEE 1394 Firewire ports
Hoo yeah. Grabbed the whole deal for the low, low price- of just over $750 (including upgrades).
Now, for question. When I got this computer, it came with a really shitty integrated card with a lame ass heat sink that kept overheating- which is why I panicked, splurged and grabbed this 9600 SE. I knew that it wouldn't last me forever, it was purely a transitional card (as the SE series sucks). It gets the job done, but on UT2004 at 1024x768 with settings at normal to low I average about 30 fps with 20 bots. Sorry, it's gonna have to go, especially with the beautifulness of HL2 and Doom III and whatnot coming out.
So! Time to upgrade. When I go to college, I'm getting a laptop, so this is basically the last card I'm going to buy until I settle in. I hoped that with the release of the 6800 Ultra and the X800 XT prices on older cards would plummet, well, that just seems to not be the case. I was planning on getting a Radeon 9700 Pro- my friend has it, it's a good all-around card, he gives it two thumbs up.
HOWEVER: Upon searching Pricewatch, I found out that for reasons unbeknownst to me, the 9800 Pro is actually less expensive than the 9700 Pro by about $10. Hmm, says I. That's odd. Then I notice that 9800 SEs are being sold for around $130, whereas 9800 Pros are about $180. $130 is definitely more in my price range, but it is an SE. So I'm here to ask anybody who knows that they're talking about- is the upgrade from SE to Pro worth the extra $50?
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