Building/Upgrading a PC for TS2

[KatEnigma]

Denimjo: I've had that problem when I set my resolution and refresh rate higher than my cheap CRT monitor can handle. Just because the card supports a high resolution doesn't mean the monitor does. I never knew that until I had it happen.

And there are better AGP cards than the FX5500. They tend to be more expensive than the PCI-E cards of the same model and aren't as good since AGP is slower, but there are better choices out there.

As for the Sempron... maybe. You need to find out what socket you have. It's not hard to find 939 socket processors (annoying, because I want the price to come down to replace my x2 with a faster one! LOL) You can even find Socket A processors, if you look around.

[Aggie]

*finally gets CPU back*

0_0

My God! The Sims...they actually have fingers! And eyes...I can actually see their eye colors now! *swoons* This is amazing!

For the time being, this video card is a godsend to me. I'll probably just get a better card in a year or so when I save up enough money for an entirely new CPU altogether, but for now...'tis magnifique!

Denimjo: I've had that problem when I set my resolution and refresh rate higher than my cheap CRT monitor can handle. Just because the card supports a high resolution doesn't mean the monitor does. I never knew that until I had it happen.

I didn't know that either. It's good to know that now, though, as now that I actually have an icon where I can adjust the video card settings, I'll now know not to set the refresh rate too high (it's currently on the lowest setting).

And Katenigma, I only went with that card because it was the only AGP video card they had in stock (either better or worse than my previous card). And apparently, the only reason it wasn't working the first time was that I failed to notice that I needed to plug the monitor into the new socket. *blushes profusely* This would be an example of my complete and utter ignorance of computer hardware.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and assistance! *blows kisses at everyone*

[Dark Trepie]

Okay.  I've come into a bit of money and looking to build a whole new PC.  Because Season is just kicking this Sempron's ass.

I've been looking around on Newegg and found some combo deals with a case/motherboard + an Intel Core 2 Duo.

Here's the combos:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16856110071&SubCategory=3&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

I'm trying to make this as cheap as possible.  Would I see a big enough difference in performance between the 1.8GHz and 2.4GHz Core 2 Duos to justify the $100+ difference?

Keep in mind I still need a video card, ram, and hard drive.  I've pretty much settled on an ATI X1950XT, which is gonna run another $200.

I'm also looking for at least 2 gigs of RAM and at least a 150 gig hard drive.  But I haven't compared prices on those yet.

And don't worry about the 250 watt power supply that comes with the case.  I have a 450 watt power supply in the one I'm using now that'll be swapped out.

[syberspunk]

Okay.  I've come into a bit of money and looking to build a whole new PC.  Because Season is just kicking this Sempron's ass.

Ok... fess up... who did you kill/rob?

I've been looking around on Newegg and found some combo deals with a case/motherboard + an Intel Core 2 Duo.

Here's the combos:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16856110071&SubCategory=3&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

Linky no worky.  Server go splodie?

I'm trying to make this as cheap as possible.  Would I see a big enough difference in performance between the 1.8GHz and 2.4GHz Core 2 Duos to justify the $100+ difference?

In my limited experience doin research and what not, I would say yes.  U could split the difference tho and get the 2.13 GHz.  That's the one I ended up getting and it is speedy as a mofo afaik.  I am quite happy with my purchase.  If you want more info, go to tomshardware and read up on processors.

Keep in mind I still need a video card, ram, and hard drive.  I've pretty much settled on an ATI X1950XT, which is gonna run another $200.

Hrm. I'd shop around.  I'm pretty sure I read at tomshardware, you can get a good X1950 for under $200.

I'm also looking for at least 2 gigs of RAM and at least a 150 gig hard drive.  But I haven't compared prices on those yet.

That should all be cheap and relatively easy.

And don't worry about the 250 watt power supply that comes with the case.  I have a 450 watt power supply in the one I'm using now that'll be swapped out.

Check the specs on whatever video card you are getting and make sure 450 will be sufficient.

Ste

[KatEnigma]

I've seen good x1950's on NEWEGG that only cost $145 after rebate.  The prices may drop more at any minute, as soon as ATI releases their DX10 cards. The minimum requirement for an X1950 Pro is a 450w PSU.... so depending on how good your PSU is, and how many other things you're putting into it, you may want to consider replacing it, too.

[DrBeast]

Okay.  I've come into a bit of money and looking to build a whole new PC.  Because Season is just kicking this Sempron's ass.

I've been looking around on Newegg and found some combo deals with a case/motherboard + an Intel Core 2 Duo.

Here's the combos:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16856110071&SubCategory=3&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

Duh...dead link for me too

I'm trying to make this as cheap as possible.  Would I see a big enough difference in performance between the 1.8GHz and 2.4GHz Core 2 Duos to justify the $100+ difference?

Nah, go for the cheaper one...they overclock like devils anyway! Or better yet, follow Ste's advice...and overclock it! Core2Duos just beg to be overclocked!

Keep in mind I still need a video card, ram, and hard drive.  I've pretty much settled on an ATI X1950XT, which is gonna run another $200.

Sound choice...I approve!

I'm also looking for at least 2 gigs of RAM and at least a 150 gig hard drive.  But I haven't compared prices on those yet.

Sample prices for hard disks:
160GB: $63
250GB: $75
320GB: $90
All Western Digitals SATA II 16MB buffer from newegg. I'd personally go for either 250 or 320 GB.

RAMs:
Bleh...newegg's acting up on me, might try later.

(Later)

Ok, here are some sample RAMs that I find price-worthy. They're all 2 GB DDR2 dual-channel kits, with tight timings and a variety of speeds to choose from. Cost ranges from $141 to $194.

And don't worry about the 250 watt power supply that comes with the case.  I have a 450 watt power supply in the one I'm using now that'll be swapped out.

Like katenigma said, your PSU might be pushed to its limits just by the CPU/graphics card combo alone. Get a decent 500-550W one to be sure.

[Aggie]

Errr, I'm very sorry to return to this topic, but I have a question for those more knowledgeable than I. In the game, the new graphics card works great; however, I notice that when I go to watch some anime videos that I've downloaded, although the first one displays just fine, any subsequent ones played after that are displayed with the video entirely green.  What the hell? Is this a graphics card issue or a screen resolution problem? Current resolution is at 1045 x 768. To restate, the video card is a GeForce FX 5500.

[KatEnigma]

Errr, I'm very sorry to return to this topic, but I have a question for those more knowledgeable than I. In the game, the new graphics card works great; however, I notice that when I go to watch some anime videos that I've downloaded, although the first one displays just fine, any subsequent ones played after that are displayed with the video entirely green.  What the hell? Is this a graphics card issue or a screen resolution problem? Current resolution is at 1045 x 768. To restate, the video card is a GeForce FX 5500.

Hmmm... what player are you using to watch the videos? And can you watch different ones, as long as they're first, but not ones after that? 

[Aggie]

Hmmm... what player are you using to watch the videos? And can you watch different ones, as long as they're first, but not ones after that? 

Windows Media Player 11, and that's correct. It doesn't matter what video it is; I can watch the first one, but any others in the playlist suddenly turn lime green.

[Venusy]

Try WinAmp or VLC.

[Aggie]

I've got VLC, great. Edited to add, though, that the greenness seems to be sporadic. For instance, with this certain video, if I try to play only it, it turns green right away, but if I add a video after it, it plays just fine. It's the darndest thing. 

[Paperbladder]

Hmm...

ZoomPlayer
    Use overlay mixer as video output renderer - Overlay mixer is used as the default renderer for several reasons, compatibility being one of the foremost. VMR7 is only available on Windows XP and VMR9 is horribly buggy (jagged edges and extreme smoothing are common problems). The VMR7 renderless and all VMR9 modes have a tendency to make the video look distinctly greenish, especially on nVidia video cards. The overlay mixer should be the most accurate renderer - it shows you what the video really looks like. So for both compatibility and quality, we use overlay. If, however, you have issues using overlay, try the VMR7 windowed mode.
<snip />
MPC
    Use overlay mixer as video output renderer - See the same entry for ZoomPlayer above.

Since MPC is essentially the same thing as Windows Media Player when it comes to video, VMR9 is probably where the problems are coming from in that case.  Don't know about VLC having that problem, it shouldn't even use VMR since it's not a DirectShow player.

[Moa]

I've got VLC, great. Edited to add, though, that the greenness seems to be sporadic. For instance, with this certain video, if I try to play only it, it turns green right away, but if I add a video after it, it plays just fine. It's the darndest thing. 

Just a wild guess, but easy enough to check out. You might try checking to see that the cables are firmly seated. My monitor goes off color unless I have the monitor cable very firmly plugged in at the back of the case.  A loose connection somewhere could cause sporadic color changes.

[KatEnigma]

Most of us read the article when it came out, and they make some valid points, but they also overlooked some things. The main one being vsync. The reason all the cards tested at the same frame rate is because of vsync. Turn it off with the cheat, and suddenly the more powerful cards getter better frame rates than the crap ones. They also never tested on the larger lots with more than 2 Sims, a party, etc.

[J. M. Pescado]

Most of us read the article when it came out, and they make some valid points, but they also overlooked some things. The main one being vsync. The reason all the cards tested at the same frame rate is because of vsync.

Yes, but there's no real practical benefit to doing this, as you cannot physically see higher frame rates anyway.

[KatEnigma]

Is there a particular reason it has to be a Dell? Your money would go a lot further at HP. If it's because of their financing, you might want to reconsider. With the interest Dell charges, paying the minimum, your computer will be in a landfill before you are done paying for it. You'd be better off just putting it on a credit card.

Also, what is the confusion, exactly?

If I were building today, I'd include an Intel Core 2 duo, at least 2 GB RAM (more if you want to run Vista. As far as I'm concerned, being able to buy XP is a good reason to go with Dell!) and an ATI Radeon 1950 Pro (if money was no object,an XTX instead of Pro). I would not, under any circumstances, get a GeForce video card. There has been nothing but problems with their drivers and TS2 for over a year now, and even if you don't get their new DX10 cards, their drivers have been having problems with all kinds of other programs.  By fall, ATI should have their DX10 cards out too, but if it were me, I'd just take advantage of the price drop the DX9 cards will have, especially since nothing is really using it yet, anyway.

And those scanners are notoriously wrong. Anyone who only recommends 512MB RAM is wrong before it even scans your system. 

[J. M. Pescado]

Don't buy brand name computers, period. And DX10 is pretty meaningless, as nothing uses it and it's currently incompatible with XP. And Vista still sucks, as people in #grah are presently having issues with getting simple programs to run with it.

[mildlydisguised]

Right, I'm planning to build myself a pretty nice desktop as I have come into a bit of money.

I have decided to go with the X1950 XTX as I have found this at £229.90 (although it is currently out of stock).  In terms of the processor I will be going for a Intel Core Duo.  I am currently undecided between the E6600 at £226 or the E6400 at £153.  PCPro magazine describes the E6400 as the best buy in terms of both money and power however when I've calculated the cost of everything else, if I can afford it, I will go for the E6600.  I will start with 2GB of RAM because I want an XP OS rather than vista and I'm sure I read somewhere that XP won't use any more than about 3GB of RAM. 

Anyway onto the actual question, can anyone recommend a good motherboard as it is these that I have the least knowledge about.  Are there any particular makes I should stay away from?  Also the same issue with a monitor, I'm not really sure what manufacturers are good or what I should be looking for.  Any advice would be gratefully received.

Edit - I've been looking around and was thinking of this for a motherboard http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=2972&cat=319&page=1.  Any good?  Anything I should be wary of?  Also is there any difference in quality between Gigabyte and Asus?  I checked Gigabyte's website and the P965 DS3P is compatible with the E6400 and the E6600.   

2nd edit - Ignore the CPU prices above (they were taken from an out of date magazine).  I've found the E6600 for £152.74 (VAT incl) and the E6400 for £140.99.  Which definately makes me want to go for the E6600.

3rd edit - I am not sure whether this is right but because I want the X1950 XTX does that mean I need Intel 975X (Socket 775) Motherboard (or similar) and does it mean that the P965 DS3P would not be compatible?

[KatEnigma]

3rd edit - I am not sure whether this is right but because I want the X1950 XTX does that mean I need Intel 975X (Socket 775) Motherboard (or similar) and does it mean that the P965 DS3P would not be compatible?

Right now, most Intel boards only are compatible with SLI and most AMD boards with Crossfire. Which is pretty inconvenient, if you ask me.  However, when I was researching it a couple months ago, there was talk that some companies were working on a board that could do either.

If you're only going to use one video card, then it doesn't make a difference. But like me, you're probably looking to future upgrades.

[mildlydisguised]

I am probably going to get just the one card now but I would like the option to upgrade and take advantage of the crossfire technology at a later date.

I have found this board http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-108-AB that is an Intel and supports Crossfire too.  The reviews are pretty good too.  Oh and this one http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-020-DF which is a much better price.  Maybe the tide is turning  

[KatEnigma]

Yeah, I think I'd looked at the Abit. I sure hope the tide is turning, with the problems Nvidia has been having with drivers.

[mildlydisguised]

I have just seen an incredible deal for a Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 "LGA775 Kentsfield" 2.40GHz at only £149.99 and I am sorely tempted.  I was going to purchase an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 for £120 so i am wondering whether having a Quad would make much difference to Sims playing.  I am thinking it probably won't as the E6600 will severely reduce any lag in a new system.  Also [stupid question alert] the motherboards I have been looking at are Core 2 Duo compatible, I'm thinking that these would not be compatible with a quad core, am I right?

[J. M. Pescado]

Well, even if Sims can't benefit from more than one or two cores, that still means at least you'll have extra cores free to do all the other stupidly disguised things you might want to do.

[mildlydisguised]

Well, even if Sims can't benefit from more than one or two cores, that still means at least you'll have extra cores free to do all the other stupidly disguised things you might want to do.

That is a very good point, I'm glad I thought of it

[syberspunk]

Perhaps you can consult Argon on that.  He seems to have some expert knowledge regarding cores and such.

Quick question though... but it was my understanding that... in general, you would only be able to take advantage of multiple cores if you use programs that are... well... programmed to take advantage of multiple cores. i.e. the programs can do hyper threading and such and such... which, I vaguely recall being told that seems to be limited to only a handful of programs right now.  Yes? No?

I could be sorely mistaken, and if so, I gladly wouldn't mind being enlightened.


Ste