Hey, I used to be a heavy EQ player for years and finally cleansed myself of the illness only to get sucked back in!
I am in the midst of hunting down a new computer, my budget is around $700...I know..weak huh? Well I found one with a pentium 4, 512 ram and blah blah so now I need a bit more ram and a graphics card. I figured all that matters with Eq2 aside from my internet connection is Processor speed, Ram, and Graphic card.
I will have 2G Ram, 2.8 Pentium 4 when I am done but I am so confused on graphic cards. The titles list all sorts of abrv. and they mean nothing to me. I actually have to shop for most computer items by price. Hey this cost more it must be better...well I have been checking out that new Radeon x800 for $399 from Best Buy.
!@#$ Heck my computer will only cost a bit more than the card in it! Now, I am never gonna be power raiding or anything, im a casual gamer but can not stand lag. Suffered EQ 1 on a 128 Ram, 56k Aol connection computer for a year before upgrading, I was doing 2 minute zone loads /cry
So I want the best card I can get for my money but I do not want to over kill. I will buy this card as it is now but if there is one for maybe 199 that is good enough to run the game than please toss me a friggin bone here.
Sorry about the lenght but those who stuck with me, thanks, I would appreciate any input.
P.S. Sorry if there is a post like this already but none seem to quite touch on my question. I just do not understand the lingo with graphic cards and there are a thousand brands with a thousand models these days.
Thanks Again.
- Forums
- EverQuest II
- General Discussion
- Video Card Question?
Video Card Question?Follow
Save yourself some money get the Radeon x300 its cheaper and will work fine. (It works fine in my low end PC)
Also you can save yourself some more money and settle for 1g RAM. 2G Ram at this point is an overkill and will not effect the performance.
Does your board use PCI express? I know the PCI express components tend to run slightly higher in price.
Hope this helps need anything else post it here and myself or someone else can help you out.
Oh on another note if you want faster zoning you could always see if a 10,000 RPM hard drive is in the budget.
Take Care,
Gooback
Server: Unrest
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:40:30 2004 by discoern
Also you can save yourself some more money and settle for 1g RAM. 2G Ram at this point is an overkill and will not effect the performance.
Does your board use PCI express? I know the PCI express components tend to run slightly higher in price.
Hope this helps need anything else post it here and myself or someone else can help you out.
Oh on another note if you want faster zoning you could always see if a 10,000 RPM hard drive is in the budget.
Take Care,
Gooback
Server: Unrest
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:40:30 2004 by discoern
20 posts
GF 6800 GT 256 meg card or an ATI x800 if you can afford them. 400-450$
Or if you do have PCI-X get a GF6600 GT 256 (like 230$ or so) or an ATI x600 i think it is? 200-250$
I highly recommend spending the money on the better video card.
Or if you do have PCI-X get a GF6600 GT 256 (like 230$ or so) or an ATI x600 i think it is? 200-250$
I highly recommend spending the money on the better video card.
This is a very good question you pose. Buying the appropriate VC for your situation (and especially budget) is not always an easy thing to do. Others will obviously have a different thought on this than I, but from building many systems, and hunting for the best card for myself, here are the main things that come into play with a VC that will usually concern the average gamer:
1) VC processor power. This is akin to your P4 2.8 Ghz processor so to speak. obviously, the faster the VC processor, the better loads it will handle.
2) VC bit-rate. this has nothing to do with the RAM on a VC. for example, the ATI 9700pro is only 128 Megs, but 256-bit. what does this equate to? it is able to handle more processes across the board than say the 256 Meg, 128 bit GFX5200. Imagine the bit-rate of a card as having more hands. if you have 10 hands, you can obviously handle more projects than just with 5.
3) VC Pipe-line. now-adays, the difference here is between 4x and 8x. don't get the pipeline confused with the AGP slot 4x/8x. that is different. the VC pipeline is how much info is transfered between the VC and mobo, and consequently how fast. that one is a no brainer. 8x is obviously faster than 4x.
now, like i said, for the average gamer, those are the only real things that matter. yes, there are other factors like overclocking rates and frames-per-second, but these are marginal if you are just a casual gamer that wants to limit lag.
My Suggestion: if i may put in my biased opinion here, i did my research not too long ago to upgrade my system and my VC. i ended up going with the ATI Radeon 9700 pro. pound for pound, perfromance for $$ it is the best performer out there RIGHT NOW. i capitalize that b/c if you read this post in 6 months from now, that'll prolly change. especially since PCI express is just around the corner to break out. so, if you are looking to make an upgrade as in this week, the 9700 pro is your jem. to be fair, the GeForce counterpart is the 5800, I THINK. i'm not 100% sure on the specs, but it should give u the specs u are looking for as well.
the 9700 pro has 1) decent processor speed 2) 256-bit rate 3) 8x pipes 4) only $150 max! (that includes shipping and handling)
best of luck, whatever your decision is and have fun!
p.s. no, i do not work for ATI... just a happy customer.
p.p.s. I've found ATI cards to require just an extra bit of juice to perform their duties, so you may want to consider uping the AGP voltage in bios from 1.5v to 1.6v. this is still low enuff that it won't blow your card out.
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:46:04 2004 by EQbubs
1) VC processor power. This is akin to your P4 2.8 Ghz processor so to speak. obviously, the faster the VC processor, the better loads it will handle.
2) VC bit-rate. this has nothing to do with the RAM on a VC. for example, the ATI 9700pro is only 128 Megs, but 256-bit. what does this equate to? it is able to handle more processes across the board than say the 256 Meg, 128 bit GFX5200. Imagine the bit-rate of a card as having more hands. if you have 10 hands, you can obviously handle more projects than just with 5.
3) VC Pipe-line. now-adays, the difference here is between 4x and 8x. don't get the pipeline confused with the AGP slot 4x/8x. that is different. the VC pipeline is how much info is transfered between the VC and mobo, and consequently how fast. that one is a no brainer. 8x is obviously faster than 4x.
now, like i said, for the average gamer, those are the only real things that matter. yes, there are other factors like overclocking rates and frames-per-second, but these are marginal if you are just a casual gamer that wants to limit lag.
My Suggestion: if i may put in my biased opinion here, i did my research not too long ago to upgrade my system and my VC. i ended up going with the ATI Radeon 9700 pro. pound for pound, perfromance for $$ it is the best performer out there RIGHT NOW. i capitalize that b/c if you read this post in 6 months from now, that'll prolly change. especially since PCI express is just around the corner to break out. so, if you are looking to make an upgrade as in this week, the 9700 pro is your jem. to be fair, the GeForce counterpart is the 5800, I THINK. i'm not 100% sure on the specs, but it should give u the specs u are looking for as well.
the 9700 pro has 1) decent processor speed 2) 256-bit rate 3) 8x pipes 4) only $150 max! (that includes shipping and handling)
best of luck, whatever your decision is and have fun!
p.s. no, i do not work for ATI... just a happy customer.
p.p.s. I've found ATI cards to require just an extra bit of juice to perform their duties, so you may want to consider uping the AGP voltage in bios from 1.5v to 1.6v. this is still low enuff that it won't blow your card out.
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:46:04 2004 by EQbubs
Graphics Card Buying Guide CLICK HERE
This is a very good guide. It explains graphics cards in general and very specifically.
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:57:08 2004 by Jute
This is a very good guide. It explains graphics cards in general and very specifically.
Edited, Thu Nov 18 14:57:08 2004 by Jute
38 posts
Go nVidia and if you can get a 6800 GT.
Well, I thank you all for your input, I plan on using this pc for atleast a few years so I am hoping it can just be upgraded as I go till it becomes too obsolete.
Now as far as PCI Express I have not heard of this, since i strayed from pcs all together when I quit EQ. Though my old computer was a plain old PCI and it was almost impossible to find a graphics card, we were told PCI was almost non-existant next to AGP...but I will probley not have the computer for about a month longer but I am looking into what I need now.
Thanks again for the help, and if I may pose one more question.
I have made my mind up on processors mostly, though I caught an article that argues that the Athlon 64 runs BETTER than most every other Gaming Processor including P-4.
Now most the Athlons 3200+ I have seen are only 2.2 ghz...I was under the impression that 3200 was the GHZ number till on a computer site they listed the ghz to the pc as being only 2.2. Since than every Athlon I have checked into has indeed turned out to be no stronger than a 2.4 ghz...am I missing something. It seems a 2.4 would never compare to the Pentium 4's range of up to 3.8ghz.
I realize that those processors ( the Athlon 3200 ) is not the same as the Athlon 64..but I can not find a site that actually lists the Ghz power of a 64.
Well thanks for the help, apologies for nit picking every little detail to a computer purchase but it will be for nothing but intently playing Games, primarily EQ 2 or DAoC...so... I would like to get what I can right the first time, ya know?
<~~~~Has spent 4 hours straight this morning reviewing Alienware, Widow, Dell, Gateway, BestBuy... and reading reviews and info articles...You guys are the best source yet.
Thank you all!
Now as far as PCI Express I have not heard of this, since i strayed from pcs all together when I quit EQ. Though my old computer was a plain old PCI and it was almost impossible to find a graphics card, we were told PCI was almost non-existant next to AGP...but I will probley not have the computer for about a month longer but I am looking into what I need now.
Thanks again for the help, and if I may pose one more question.
I have made my mind up on processors mostly, though I caught an article that argues that the Athlon 64 runs BETTER than most every other Gaming Processor including P-4.
Now most the Athlons 3200+ I have seen are only 2.2 ghz...I was under the impression that 3200 was the GHZ number till on a computer site they listed the ghz to the pc as being only 2.2. Since than every Athlon I have checked into has indeed turned out to be no stronger than a 2.4 ghz...am I missing something. It seems a 2.4 would never compare to the Pentium 4's range of up to 3.8ghz.
I realize that those processors ( the Athlon 3200 ) is not the same as the Athlon 64..but I can not find a site that actually lists the Ghz power of a 64.
Well thanks for the help, apologies for nit picking every little detail to a computer purchase but it will be for nothing but intently playing Games, primarily EQ 2 or DAoC...so... I would like to get what I can right the first time, ya know?
<~~~~Has spent 4 hours straight this morning reviewing Alienware, Widow, Dell, Gateway, BestBuy... and reading reviews and info articles...You guys are the best source yet.
Thank you all!
no problem, satch. this stuff is fun to talk about. its amazing how much u can learn from fellow comp/game folks.
as far as the AMD 64's, what makes them better (and subsequently dramatically more expensive) is not the speed per se, but the construction. the P4's and all other chips of similar design are 32-bit processors. as the name would suggest, the AMD 64's are 64-bit. much like the VC bit rate situation, the same applies for the processor. better bit rate = more processes that can be handled.
in short, a 2.2 AMD 64 will handle many more processes than a P4 3.8. will it process faster? not necessarily, but it can just handle a heavier load. pentium's response to this is the Hyperthreading technology. both companies are trying to sell processors that act like multiple mini-processors. then again, its not all just dependent on the processor. can't forget the Mobo, RAM, Hardrive, and Internet connection all play into your computers performance.. as well as what exactly u are using it for.
now, i'm no expert here, but here's what i understand to be the difference. due to the construction of the processor, the AMD can handle more programs at once.. as if u wanted to have your Media player open to listen to music while playing EQ. this is hardly a good example as any decent processor should be able to do this, but this is the idea of what the better processors will do for u. more things at once, faster. for more info on them, check out www.amd.com
if u do go AMD 64, u will have to buy a Mobo that will accomodate the chip... these 2 together will be mondo $$$... more than the $700 u were planning to spend. i would get a P4 and spend the money on a good VC instead. IMHO
keep the questions comin!
as far as the AMD 64's, what makes them better (and subsequently dramatically more expensive) is not the speed per se, but the construction. the P4's and all other chips of similar design are 32-bit processors. as the name would suggest, the AMD 64's are 64-bit. much like the VC bit rate situation, the same applies for the processor. better bit rate = more processes that can be handled.
in short, a 2.2 AMD 64 will handle many more processes than a P4 3.8. will it process faster? not necessarily, but it can just handle a heavier load. pentium's response to this is the Hyperthreading technology. both companies are trying to sell processors that act like multiple mini-processors. then again, its not all just dependent on the processor. can't forget the Mobo, RAM, Hardrive, and Internet connection all play into your computers performance.. as well as what exactly u are using it for.
now, i'm no expert here, but here's what i understand to be the difference. due to the construction of the processor, the AMD can handle more programs at once.. as if u wanted to have your Media player open to listen to music while playing EQ. this is hardly a good example as any decent processor should be able to do this, but this is the idea of what the better processors will do for u. more things at once, faster. for more info on them, check out www.amd.com
if u do go AMD 64, u will have to buy a Mobo that will accomodate the chip... these 2 together will be mondo $$$... more than the $700 u were planning to spend. i would get a P4 and spend the money on a good VC instead. IMHO
keep the questions comin!
Wonderful! It all makes sense now, it didnt help that I had no idea what the 64 even meant. As of right now I have no more questions but keep your eyes peeled I might just come back with a few more, thanks again for all the help.
And don't forget that the abilities of the AMD 64 are yet to truly be realized as nobody writes consumer 64 bit code. So honestly it helps about as much as a Hyper Threaded P4.
Also don't get wrapped up in the Mhz. Why do you think Intel has chanmged their nomenclature from P4 3.8 to something like P4 360 or 380.
Because people were saying things like, "Why does my AMD 2.2 Ghz Proc perform better than a Pentium 4 3.0 proc?" The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what speed it can go if it doesn't have any tires. It's what AMD does with less cycles is what makes them good.
I am an avid Intel/Nvidia guy btw. :-)
Also don't get wrapped up in the Mhz. Why do you think Intel has chanmged their nomenclature from P4 3.8 to something like P4 360 or 380.
Because people were saying things like, "Why does my AMD 2.2 Ghz Proc perform better than a Pentium 4 3.0 proc?" The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what speed it can go if it doesn't have any tires. It's what AMD does with less cycles is what makes them good.
I am an avid Intel/Nvidia guy btw. :-)
Yeah plus they have the P4 extreme edition for about $1000 for starters but yeah that already puts you over the mark. My expereince with this chip so far has been nothing short of pleasant. My High-end PC is badass but my lower end PC still runs EQ2 extremely well and was contructed (minus the Monitor and other accesories) for about your price range.
If anyone would like to know any more specs PM me or post here and I am happy to help.
Also I use a fanless water cooler setup for my VC and P/MB.
Don't worry about that unless you start to overclock and tweak some stuff.
Other than that,
Take Care.
Gooback
Server:Unrest
If anyone would like to know any more specs PM me or post here and I am happy to help.
Also I use a fanless water cooler setup for my VC and P/MB.
Don't worry about that unless you start to overclock and tweak some stuff.
Other than that,
Take Care.
Gooback
Server:Unrest
Oh hey one more thing!!
Don't forget to rate posts please.
Thank you again,
Gooback
Don't forget to rate posts please.
Thank you again,
Gooback
I just ordered an AMD Anthalon 64 FX-55 and an Abit Av8 motherboard to go with. I have a preference for AMD over Intel purely because with my Anthalon 800 mHz comp I am still capable of playing games such as EQ2 albiet with some lag issues. With my equivelent Intel comp, (Yes I have both) I can't. So I'm more in the attitude of sticking with whats worked for me, regardless of the cost. I also like helping make competition more dangerous by bying into the "weaker" of the two positions.
Satchamo: No Athlons have the GHz numbers of P4s, nor do they need 'em. The Hz number isn't a measurement of the "speed" of the processor per se, it's a measurement of how fast pulses of electricity is sent into it. Athlon processors can do a great deal more calculations per pulse than Pentiums so comparing Hz numbers between brands is not a good comparison of speed at all.
The problem for AMD is that if they list just the Hz number, people will just assume that the 3,4 GHz Pentium 4 outperforms the 2,4 GHz Athlon 64 since the number is more shiny, when the reverse is actually true. Hence the "3400+" designation for easier comparison. 'course, although AMD so far have mostly presented undervalued numbers (An Athlon 64 3200+ outperforms 3,4GHz P4s, for example), the designation is arbitrary and you'd be wise to ask around or check out some serious testing sites before deciding. I personally prefer AnandTech, some people visit Tom's hardware guide ... regardless of which one you pick, hardware sites like 'em are always good to check before deciding on an upgrade.
In my opinion, if you're building a gaming computer today there's no reason whatsoever to get a Pentium over an Athlon 64. They're slower, more expensive and not 64-bit compatible. If you're upgrading the CPU on a P4 mainboard I can understand it, but building from scratch it's tossing away money. Oh, and I do concede P4s are better at video rendering, MP3 encoding and so on ... but we're in it for the games, no? :D
As for the OP's Graphics Card, depends on budget & desire to tweak, as well as for what applications you intend to use it for. nVidia will summarily trounce ATI in anything OpenGL but ATI is more competitive in DirectX games (such as EQ2). Short list of recommendations:
<$150: Radeon 9800
$150-$350: Geforce 6600 GT (Yes, there are AGP versions out)
$350-$450: Geforce 6800 GT (Usually outperforms the similarily priced X800 Pro)
>$450: Radeon X800 XT (Usually outperforms the 6800 Ultra)
Mad Tweaker's Special: If me saying "Rivatuner" doesn't immediately confuse you, consider getting a Geforce 6800 LE, unlocking the initally locked extra rendering pipes, overclocking it a bit and hopefully ending up with a 6800 GT-equivalent for about $200. Or not, if you got a bad draw on the card lotto ... 's the risk you take :p
Edited, Thu Nov 18 16:13:48 2004 by Xerophyte
The problem for AMD is that if they list just the Hz number, people will just assume that the 3,4 GHz Pentium 4 outperforms the 2,4 GHz Athlon 64 since the number is more shiny, when the reverse is actually true. Hence the "3400+" designation for easier comparison. 'course, although AMD so far have mostly presented undervalued numbers (An Athlon 64 3200+ outperforms 3,4GHz P4s, for example), the designation is arbitrary and you'd be wise to ask around or check out some serious testing sites before deciding. I personally prefer AnandTech, some people visit Tom's hardware guide ... regardless of which one you pick, hardware sites like 'em are always good to check before deciding on an upgrade.
In my opinion, if you're building a gaming computer today there's no reason whatsoever to get a Pentium over an Athlon 64. They're slower, more expensive and not 64-bit compatible. If you're upgrading the CPU on a P4 mainboard I can understand it, but building from scratch it's tossing away money. Oh, and I do concede P4s are better at video rendering, MP3 encoding and so on ... but we're in it for the games, no? :D
As for the OP's Graphics Card, depends on budget & desire to tweak, as well as for what applications you intend to use it for. nVidia will summarily trounce ATI in anything OpenGL but ATI is more competitive in DirectX games (such as EQ2). Short list of recommendations:
<$150: Radeon 9800
$150-$350: Geforce 6600 GT (Yes, there are AGP versions out)
$350-$450: Geforce 6800 GT (Usually outperforms the similarily priced X800 Pro)
>$450: Radeon X800 XT (Usually outperforms the 6800 Ultra)
Mad Tweaker's Special: If me saying "Rivatuner" doesn't immediately confuse you, consider getting a Geforce 6800 LE, unlocking the initally locked extra rendering pipes, overclocking it a bit and hopefully ending up with a 6800 GT-equivalent for about $200. Or not, if you got a bad draw on the card lotto ... 's the risk you take :p
Edited, Thu Nov 18 16:13:48 2004 by Xerophyte
Well Shard once the public applications for 64 bit technology are out you will be ahead of the game until then you may not see the desired effect you are looking for.
As far as the Abit Av8 motherboard that is not a bad choice I belive that Alienware uses those. Plan on spending some decent cash for the uber PC you seek. I know I did even after building it myself.
I highly recommend Seagate 10,000 RPM HD once I made the switch I never went back. I keep it for my main and a 7,200 250GB for storage. but hey we all have our reasons but just keep in mind somethings are NOT necessary.
Take Care,
Gooback
Server:Unrest
As far as the Abit Av8 motherboard that is not a bad choice I belive that Alienware uses those. Plan on spending some decent cash for the uber PC you seek. I know I did even after building it myself.
I highly recommend Seagate 10,000 RPM HD once I made the switch I never went back. I keep it for my main and a 7,200 250GB for storage. but hey we all have our reasons but just keep in mind somethings are NOT necessary.
Take Care,
Gooback
Server:Unrest
Thanks for some ideas on the HD's. I just realized today that the majority of my slow zoning is because my HD is so slow. I'm just unsure how to go copying everything from my current HD to a new one once I get it.
Once the public apps for 64 bit are released. Intel will have revamped and released the XEON(only in consumer form). Long time has a 64-bit proc been out. Just mostly commercial. Don't think for a second Intel is gonna let AMD get that market :-)
I like Intel, they both have the strengths and weaknesses. I still have yet to see either of them truly out perform the other.
I like Intel, they both have the strengths and weaknesses. I still have yet to see either of them truly out perform the other.
I'm with you there I have one PC with AMD and my newer one is Intel extreme. I mean obviously due to the age difference I can tell but as far as same age AMD vs. Intel not a noticeable difference at all.
Honestly as long as I have 1 computer that is capable of what I need from it I am happy regardless of the manufacturers.
The competition and market would really never allow a huge advantage over the other.
DONT FORGET TO RATE!!
later,
Goo...
Edited, Thu Nov 18 16:43:56 2004 by discoern
Honestly as long as I have 1 computer that is capable of what I need from it I am happy regardless of the manufacturers.
The competition and market would really never allow a huge advantage over the other.
DONT FORGET TO RATE!!
later,
Goo...
Edited, Thu Nov 18 16:43:56 2004 by discoern
I suppose it depends on what you see as noticable difference. See:
Test 1 (AnandTech)
Test 2a & b (Tom's hardware)
Test 3a, b, c & d (FiringSquad)
Test 4 (HardOCP)
Intel retains the performance crown for professional applications, but for a gaming rig they lose in every single price range. This may very well change within the next 6 months, goodness knows the hardware market changes fast, but right now I'd not recommend one for a gaming rig.
Test 1 (AnandTech)
Test 2a & b (Tom's hardware)
Test 3a, b, c & d (FiringSquad)
Test 4 (HardOCP)
Intel retains the performance crown for professional applications, but for a gaming rig they lose in every single price range. This may very well change within the next 6 months, goodness knows the hardware market changes fast, but right now I'd not recommend one for a gaming rig.
Scholar
43 posts
Quote:
GF 6800 GT 256 meg card or an ATI x800 if you can afford them. 400-450$
Or if you do have PCI-X get a GF6600 GT 256 (like 230$ or so) or an ATI x600 i think it is? 200-250$
I highly recommend spending the money on the better video card.
Or if you do have PCI-X get a GF6600 GT 256 (like 230$ or so) or an ATI x600 i think it is? 200-250$
I highly recommend spending the money on the better video card.
stay away from this card. alot of people are having poblems with it. check the tech form.
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=tech_support&message.id=10070
Wow, alot of replies since I left and all great stuff! I was just at Best Buy and I found a computer for $409. After mail in rebate without a moniter, here are the specs.
Pentium 4 2.8ghz
256 Ram DDR
60 Gigs Hard Drive
Pretty much that is all I am scoping on PC's right now.
My question is this, I could opt for a Athlon 64 and all that but do any of you guys think it is worth it if I have such a good deal on my hands?
For another $400 I can have a good Video Card AND boosted up to a 1000 Ram, maybe a bit more. So should I continue my search for this Athlon or just take the deal I found?
Located this at Circuit City just a little bit earlier for $850.00
• Athlon™ 64 processor
• 160GB hard drive
• 512MB RAM
So...what would YOU do..
Thanks again for the input, you all never cease to amaze me!
P.S. Keep in mind that this PC is only probley going to be with me for 2-3 years as than I will have more money saved up, a credit history formed ( I smell debt.. ) and a better job.
This is temp. but its not. I will run games on it hard the next few years but than I am moving out and should be done with college.
Edited, Fri Nov 19 01:32:50 2004 by Satchamo
Pentium 4 2.8ghz
256 Ram DDR
60 Gigs Hard Drive
Pretty much that is all I am scoping on PC's right now.
My question is this, I could opt for a Athlon 64 and all that but do any of you guys think it is worth it if I have such a good deal on my hands?
For another $400 I can have a good Video Card AND boosted up to a 1000 Ram, maybe a bit more. So should I continue my search for this Athlon or just take the deal I found?
Located this at Circuit City just a little bit earlier for $850.00
• Athlon™ 64 processor
• 160GB hard drive
• 512MB RAM
So...what would YOU do..
Thanks again for the input, you all never cease to amaze me!
P.S. Keep in mind that this PC is only probley going to be with me for 2-3 years as than I will have more money saved up, a credit history formed ( I smell debt.. ) and a better job.
This is temp. but its not. I will run games on it hard the next few years but than I am moving out and should be done with college.
Edited, Fri Nov 19 01:32:50 2004 by Satchamo
do they offer support with that deal? if they do, i would say jump on it, myself. especially if u are not that certain with how to set up a comp and what goes into "sooping it up".
Yes, I am almost certain it comes with support, but listen to Best Buys last attempt at customer support for me.
Just purchased a computer from them and maybe 6 months later it started having technical problems with some hardware inside the CPU. So I called them, seeing as they are supposed to have on-site computer techs who will come to you in the warranty. They would not, so I drove my computer out there and they looked at it. They later called me to inform me that sure something had fallen apart and it would be $400 if I would like it fixed.
I continued to explain it was nothing I did and it is in the warranty. They told me that it looked like the casing had been opened and they probley would have to void the warranty...
So in short
Best Buy + Warranties = Yank Yank
Just purchased a computer from them and maybe 6 months later it started having technical problems with some hardware inside the CPU. So I called them, seeing as they are supposed to have on-site computer techs who will come to you in the warranty. They would not, so I drove my computer out there and they looked at it. They later called me to inform me that sure something had fallen apart and it would be $400 if I would like it fixed.
I continued to explain it was nothing I did and it is in the warranty. They told me that it looked like the casing had been opened and they probley would have to void the warranty...
So in short
Best Buy + Warranties = Yank Yank
<bump>
Sorry just looking for atleast one opinion on the two choices there, than ill finally let this thread die.
=)
Sorry just looking for atleast one opinion on the two choices there, than ill finally let this thread die.
=)
I would go with the Circuit City deal personally. I like them better as I used to work for them. Plus you are already having to upgrade you RAM as soon as you buy it with Best Buy.
And even though I'm an Intel guy... Athlon 64 > P4 2.8 no matter which way to turn it..
Support never "comes with" a purchase. You always have to buy it. And also what are the video cards in each of them, they are rather important for making a proper decision.
And even though I'm an Intel guy... Athlon 64 > P4 2.8 no matter which way to turn it..
Support never "comes with" a purchase. You always have to buy it. And also what are the video cards in each of them, they are rather important for making a proper decision.
Dependent on your ram's bus speed, these are good set ups and cost little for the upgrade
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-141-423&depa=1
If you go with Corsair or a lesser brand you can even shave a few more dollars off but I wouldn't advise going to cheap on RAM.
Vid cards, heh sooo many to choose from.
Bleh, my linky didn't work so well, trying again
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-145-076&depa=1
Thats a cheap 256mb card there that will run EQ2 fine but in some cases you may get what you pay for.
Might want to surf http://www.newegg.com/ and get an idea then bounce your preferences against performance reports and value.
Edited, Fri Nov 19 09:00:51 2004 by Tsakiera
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-141-423&depa=1
If you go with Corsair or a lesser brand you can even shave a few more dollars off but I wouldn't advise going to cheap on RAM.
Vid cards, heh sooo many to choose from.
Bleh, my linky didn't work so well, trying again
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-145-076&depa=1
Thats a cheap 256mb card there that will run EQ2 fine but in some cases you may get what you pay for.
Might want to surf http://www.newegg.com/ and get an idea then bounce your preferences against performance reports and value.
Edited, Fri Nov 19 09:00:51 2004 by Tsakiera
Recent Visitors: 19
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (19)
- Forums
- EverQuest II
- General Discussion
- Video Card Question?
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC