Getting a new computer. Need advice.

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

I'm on the RC right now. It really is basically a fixed Windows Vista. The most obvious change is in the taskbar. You can make it so that none of the icons on the taskbar use text in any way, only icons, which saves space. All windows from the same program are grouped under the same icon. It's really very useful.

Search has been upgraded so that instead of navigating to all your different files, you can just type in the name and by some magic the OS manages to find it for you in a second or two.

There are new options for resizing windows which are particularly useful for dual-monitor setups.

Windows Update is much better than it ever was previously due to the ability for Windows to find drivers automatically for virtually all of your hardware.

Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player have been improved beyond all recognition. IE may not yet be a competitor with Firefox and Chrome yet, but it's much better than it ever has been. Windows Media Player has thrown everything I've played at it, and even succeeded at things that old favorite Media Player Classic has not.

Compatibility is a non-issue as anything that worked in Vista should work just fine in 7.

Homegroups are a fantastic addition to networking.

Finally, the most controversial aspect of Windows Vista, UAC, has been tweaked and improved in every way. It is now exceptionally effective while remaining non-intrusive. I experience maybe one or two UAC prompts a day at most.

Really, the list of improvements is endless. Compatibility was the main issue with Vista when it launched, and that's been largely fixed. Windows 7 builds on that and improves virtually every aspect of the OS. I have had absolutely zero problems with Windows 7 and would recommend that anyone who has the specs to run it get it.

How do you find Windows 7 to work with high end games? How about older games?

[Relambrien]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

How do you find Windows 7 to work with high end games? How about older games?

Everything has been working perfectly except Starcraft, which has some color problems in menus. That's it. And the color thing is a 64-bit issue, not a Win7 issue.

Like I said, if it works on Vista, it's more or less guaranteed to work on 7. Hell, you can even use Vista drivers for anything that doesn't have Win7 drivers and it'll work.

[MrGiggles]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

How do you find Windows 7 to work with high end games? How about older games?

I was running 7000 until a few days ago when I upgraded to the RC thanks to the bi-hourly shutdowns. If it works with Vista, it'll work with 7. I mean, 7 IS Vista, just with a new name and some improvements. All the drivers are the same and to date the only confirmed non-working program is daemon tools, and they released a 7-compatible release not long ago.

I don't know if the RC fixed this, but sleep mode works maybe 1/3 of the time. Otherwise, it's as if a random clock from 5 minutes to 6 hours starts timing down, and when it reaches 0 my computer starts back up again on its own. It TERRIFIED me when it first happened at 3 AM. I put it back to sleep, and ten minutes later it starts up again and I started sleeping with a bat next to me. Then I learned that other people were having this problem too.

Additionally, it tends to get stuck in a power cycle, where it turns on, turns off, rinse lather repeat. And you can't stop that ****er once it happens. Power button is unresponsive even when held, reboot button does nothing. You actually have to kill the PSU for at least ten seconds or else when you switch it back it just keeps going again.

Some people had issues with Windows Media Player using 100% of their resources to index music for hours on end and being unresponsive to the point where you have to reboot. That got fixed in the RC though, I know for sure.

But if the RC fixed those issues I have no other complaints. All my games run great, Fallout 3, L4D, Touhou, stepsmanier, Far Cry 2, Braid, Reckless Disregard for Gravity, etc. I haven't tried any emulators yet though.

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

WHAT I absolutely need Daemon Tools. I use that like I breathe air. I hope it works in the final release (assuming I've read you correctly -- I can't tell if you mean it's no longer a problem or not).

[Relambrien]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

WHAT I absolutely need Daemon Tools. I use that like I breathe air. I hope it works in the final release (assuming I've read you correctly -- I can't tell if you mean it's no longer a problem or not).

I believe Daemon Tools released an update that now allows it to work with Windows 7. I don't use it personally so I can't be sure, but you might want to look into it.

[MrGiggles]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

I believe Daemon Tools released an update that now allows it to work with Windows 7. I don't use it personally so I can't be sure, but you might want to look into it.

What he said. Daemon Tools recently had a W7-compatible release, so you should be covered. I'm pretty sure that Daemon Tools was the only major program that didn't work just dandy in W7.

[Kagami_Hiiragi]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Too bad you don't want the one submerged.
that one was badass.

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Dude that rig is $10K

lmao

Pretty sure anyone would WANT it. lmao




As for Daemon Tools, that's good to hear!

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

I am going to make a video of the rig when it arrives

[fido123]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Lolwindows

What other OS can you really do any gaming on? I'm a Linux nerd but I still have Windows on my rig for the sole purpose of gaming. Rubix is mostly using this game for gaming and not looking like a metrosexual ****** at Starbucks making coffee table albums on his macbook. Mac is good with the specific software it comes but sucks ass for basically everything else.

Also I've tried Windows 7 and it is godly. First of all it is NOT Vista with some fixes...it does come from Vista but the Kernal, and the way it runs its Filesystem are COMPLETELY different. I would say it's better than XP for gaming even at this early stage.

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Really... that is very good to hear

XP seems pretty solid right now, at least for me, but it would be great to actually have a faster OS that isn't bloatware (according to what I've heard about Vista)

[fido123]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Really... that is very good to hear

XP seems pretty solid right now, at least for me, but it would be great to actually have a faster OS that isn't bloatware (according to what I've heard about Vista)

Bloatware is just applications that come with an OS, and isn't really a bad thing unless it's overdone. The reason I think why Vista got a bad name is our age group got so used to XP, as we basically grew up on it (Not grow up but we don't really use computers as a kid), and Vista came as like "WOAH DIFFERENT MUST SUCK". Also a lot of noobs who think RAM is the only thing that will make your computer run faster gawk and the Task Manager and see it using so much RAM, which is being used to preform tasks XP does too just more efficiently. Also Windows 7 is better because it comes with better features...like a screen shot application (FINALLY IT'S ONLY BEEN A DECADE), a better file system, and it's way more efficient.

[Izzy]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Another great thing about windows 7 is its huge driver library. Makes it much easier to plug and play all kinds of hardware and have it find the driver automatically.

[MrRubix]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

Bloatware is just applications that come with an OS, and isn't really a bad thing unless it's overdone. The reason I think why Vista got a bad name is our age group got so used to XP, as we basically grew up on it (Not grow up but we don't really use computers as a kid), and Vista came as like "WOAH DIFFERENT MUST SUCK". Also a lot of noobs who think RAM is the only thing that will make your computer run faster gawk and the Task Manager and see it using so much RAM, which is being used to preform tasks XP does too just more efficiently. Also Windows 7 is better because it comes with better features...like a screen shot application (FINALLY IT'S ONLY BEEN A DECADE), a better file system, and it's way more efficient.

That feels so weird to read.

I started out on Windows 3.1 or whatever, upgraded to 95, then 98, then ME (worst. mistake. ever.) then XP

XD

[banditcom]

Re: Getting a new computer. Need advice.

lol Banditcom, it wasn't a Maxtor was it?

No.... rofl

It is a Hitachi. Here are the stats compared to a WD Black:

HD Tune: Hitachi HDT721010SLA3 Benchmark

Transfer Rate Minimum : 55.5 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 112.2 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 89.8 MB/sec
Access Time : 15.0 ms
Burst Rate : 167.1 MB/sec
CPU Usage : 4.0%

HD Tune: WDC WD1001FALS-00K1B0 Benchmark

Transfer Rate Minimum : 52.6 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 106.2 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 85.9 MB/sec
Access Time : 12.4 ms
Burst Rate : 112.2 MB/sec
CPU Usage : 7.0%