NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, guys, I have a choice of upgrading to one of three different computers, now, for you computer guys, which should I pick?
By the way I know VERY little about computers so please be nice and tell me the truth.

First comp.
AMD Athlon X2 (Dual Core) 4200+
1 Gigabyte of RAM
200 Gigabyte Hard Drive
Dual Layer DVD Burner
Internal Card Reader
Geforce 7600 Video Card
19" LCD monitor.
Mouse
Keyboard

Second Comp, (worse but four hundred dollars cheaper)
AMD Athlon X2 (Dual Core) 3800+
1 Gigabyte of RAM
160 Gigabyte Hard Drive
Dual Layer DVD Burner
Internal Card Reader
Geforce 7300 Video Card
19" LCD monitor.
Mouse
Keyboard

Last comp, different gear.
Intel Core 2 Duo E 6300
1 Gb memory.
320GB Hard Drive
DVD Burner
19" Widescreen LCD monitor
GeForce 256Mb Video card, speakers, keyboard and remote.
It comes with Windows Media Center as opposed to Windows Professional that the other two have.

What do you actually want it to do?

GeForce 256Mb Video card, speakers, keyboard and remote.

Which model? This is what would make it my choice over the first one, although i'd be using it for games.

I'm guessing the last one is also a lot more expensive, too.

But even for a gaming machine, the middle one would serve your purposes perfectly.

These are all really nice systems, but like the person above said, what exactly are you using this system for?

Are you needing a gaming rig?

Becuase right away I can tell you that if your not much of a gamer, you dont need any of these systems.

probably the last one
bigger HD
intel core2 duo is good
depends on the videocard though - what nvidia is it?
and not sure about mediacentre...

The last one, simply for the Intel.

Becuase right away I can tell you that if your not much of a gamer, you dont need any of these systems.

Yep.

Yep.

4 months in an A+ Certified Computer Technician course, baby!

Wich means.....

Ive officially passed computer Kindergarten.

4 months in an A+ Certified Computer Technician course, baby!

Wich means.....

Ive officially passed computer Kindergarten.

Hahaha. I'm self-taught here. :p

Me too. I started when I was 4, so it's like a second language.

Hahaha. I'm self-taught here. :p

Wich is just as good.

The a+ has lots of useless information like "what was the first computer?"
(They mean the abacus).
Lots of info about outdated os's like Windows 3.1 - thru 98.

Or how to read Binary....

Not much of wich will help you diagnose and repair computers.

Intel Core 2 Duo E 6300
1 Gb memory.
320GB Hard Drive
DVD Burner
19" Widescreen LCD monitor
GeForce 256Mb Video card, speakers, keyboard and remote.
It comes with Windows Media Center as opposed to Windows Professional that the other two have.

This is the one I would pick, the core 2 duo is a speed machine. But in the end, it all boils down to what you want to do with it. For surfing NSG this machine is a weee bit overkill... But if the graphics card is decent you got a nasty machine:)

It is supposed to do three things, two of which it doesn't need speed for, one of which it does.
By the way, the last and the first are both the same cost.
Basically this computer is gonna be for internet searching, which I could use anything for, it is gonna be for school work ,writing essays and stuff, also something I could use anything for and lastly...Games which I think I do need a high powered beast to play on.
The only problem is that it doesn't actually say in the catalog what GeForce it is it just says..."Geforce 256mbVideo Card."
So basically you guys are saying I should go with the last one, yes?

Depends what GeForce is in the Intel machine. But um, the Core 2 Duos are fast, and WMC provides features that are just as useless as the features XP Pro provides, so take the Intell unless it has a BAD vid card, which is unlikely.

It is supposed to do three things, two of which it doesn't need speed for, one of which it does.
By the way, the last and the first are both the same cost.
Basically this computer is gonna be for internet searching, which I could use anything for, it is gonna be for school work ,writing essays and stuff, also something I could use anything for and lastly...Games which I think I do need a high powered beast to play on.
The only problem is that it doesn't actually say in the catalog what GeForce it is it just says..."Geforce 256mbVideo Card."
So basically you guys are saying I should go with the last one, yes?

Ask the Sales Rep exactly what GeForce is in it. If they can't tell you, they are incompetant and you should not buy from them. If it is a GeForce 6*00, the machine is incompetant and you should not buy it.

*is very lost*

First comp if you can afford it. Second comp is second best.

*is very lost*

*gives map*

*gives map*

*doesn't know why Posi just gave him a map of Norway*

*doesn't know why Posi just gave him a map of Norway*

*assumes Ruffy must be Swedish*

*assumes Ruffy must be Swedish*

*scratches head*

*scratches head*

*knows only a Swedish person couldn't find a map of Norway useful in any situation*

*knows only a Swedish person couldn't find a map of Norway useful in any situation*

*eats a whale*

Posted by: Posi
Ask the Sales Rep exactly what GeForce is in it. If they can't tell you, they are incompetant and you should not buy from them. If it is a GeForce 6*00, the machine is incompetant and you should not buy it.

Well the person on the phone didn't know a lot... They said 256 mb video cards had a whole range of features but that something like a 7600 was a brand name not a description of its abilities.

Well the person on the phone didn't know a lot... They said 256 mb video cards had a whole range of features but that something like a 7600 was a brand name not a description of its abilities.

Don't buy from that guy. Geforce is the brand name, not 7600. 7600 is the model.
A performance review/comparison:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_7600_gt_performance/

Alright then, so you're saying go for the first one? By the way what do those numbers mean? I mean 7600 and 6300 and those?

Alright then, so you're saying go for the first one? By the way what do those numbers mean? I mean 7600 and 6300 and those?

They are simply model names. Like the Chevy Cavaleir and Cevy Corvette. They don't tell you anything in particular about the performance, but people know that a Corvette is much better than the Cavalier.

Ah I see...so lets say that for the moment they had the same graphics card, the last one would be the right choice yes?
Now I'm pretty sure they don't so if the first one did have a good one and the last one didn't the first one would be the best right?
So whats the differences in computer quality here except in graphics cards? Is it big? major? small? there at all?

Ah I see...so lets say that for the moment they had the same graphics card, the last one would be the right choice yes?
Now I'm pretty sure they don't so if the first one did have a good one and the last one didn't so in this case, the first one would be the best right?
So whats the differences in computer quality here except in graphics cards? Is it big? major? small? there at all?

Ah I see...so lets say that for the moment they had the same graphics card, the last one would be the right choice yes?
Now I'm pretty sure they don't so if the first one did have a good one and the last one didn't the first one would be the best right?
So whats the differences in computer quality here except in graphics cards? Is it big? major? small? there at all?

Correct. It all depends on what graphics card it is.

As for other differences, the Intel processors at the moment I believe are faster than the Athlon ones, and the hard drive in the Intel machine is also a lot bigger than the first machine.

If I were you, though, no matter what machine you get i'd upgrade to 2gb of RAM.

Apart from that, I don't think you'd notice a huge difference in performance between the first or the last machines. Like I said, the middle one would probably suit you just fine, even for gaming (i'm going along just fine on a machine worse than that)

Really? So it won't really matter which of these three I get so long as it has a..."l33t" graphics card? Gee-whiz that's good to know.
On a sidenote I'll ask about RAM upgrades.

Really? So it won't really matter which of these three I get so long as it has a..."l33t" graphics card? Gee-whiz that's good to know.
On a sidenote I'll ask about RAM upgrades.

A PC is a system, and every part has an impact on its ultimate performance. It'd be too complicated to get into motherboards, ports, CPU sockets, RAM latency and all that in here, but in general a well-balanced PC is better than one with one übercomponent and mediocre everything else.

Now, on the realistic side of things, you'll be hard pressed to see any differences in every day performance. Also be aware that Windows Vista introduced a new graphical system which will require new graphic cards for optimal use. I recommend you get the second system and save the difference towards a new DirectX 10 compliant video card in the future.

I see, I'll bear that in mind but what else would you recommend?

First one ... I will not take a gamble on the vid card and the performance specs are probably about the same. The 9600 is a solid card specially if it is a 512 mb card

Okay, guys, I have a choice of upgrading to one of three different computers, now, for you computer guys, which should I pick?
By the way I know VERY little about computers so please be nice and tell me the truth.

First comp.
AMD Athlon X2 (Dual Core) 4200+
1 Gigabyte of RAM
200 Gigabyte Hard Drive
Dual Layer DVD Burner
Internal Card Reader
Geforce 7600 Video Card
19" LCD monitor.
Mouse
Keyboard

Second Comp, (worse but four hundred dollars cheaper)
AMD Athlon X2 (Dual Core) 3800+
1 Gigabyte of RAM
160 Gigabyte Hard Drive
Dual Layer DVD Burner
Internal Card Reader
Geforce 7300 Video Card
19" LCD monitor.
Mouse
Keyboard

Last comp, different gear.
Intel Core 2 Duo E 6300
1 Gb memory.
320GB Hard Drive
DVD Burner
19" Widescreen LCD monitor
GeForce 256Mb Video card, speakers, keyboard and remote.
It comes with Windows Media Center as opposed to Windows Professional that the other two have.
Well, you don't want an Intel chip, so screw the last one. That leaves the first or second. Obviously, the first.

You can always get a second hard drive later anyway and set up a SATA RAID.

First one ... I will not take a gamble on the vid card and the performance specs are probably about the same. The 9600 is a solid card specially if it is a 512 mb card

I still say to wait for DX10 cards.

Well, you don't want an Intel chip, so screw the last one. That leaves the first or second. Obviously, the first.

You can always get a second hard drive later anyway and set up a SATA RAID.

Why wouldn't I want an Intel chip? Is there something wrong with them>?

Why wouldn't I want an Intel chip? Is there something wrong with them>?

No.

There's an irrational hatred by AMD fanboys of all things Intel, and the same applies in reverse to Intel fanboys.

The Core 2 Duo processors actually outperform the Athlon dual cores.

A PC is a system, and every part has an impact on its ultimate performance. It'd be too complicated to get into motherboards, ports, CPU sockets, RAM latency and all that in here, but in general a well-balanced PC is better than one with one übercomponent and mediocre everything else.

Now, on the realistic side of things, you'll be hard pressed to see any differences in every day performance. Also be aware that Windows Vista introduced a new graphical system which will require new graphic cards for optimal use. I recommend you get the second system and save the difference towards a new DirectX 10 compliant video card in the future.

Well, right now the majority of games seem to be graphics limited. Just look at the vast improvement in frame rates from the new GeForce cards and compare that to mhat you get by off loading the CPU to a physics card. Upgrading the GPU will make more of a difference than anything else.

No.

There's an irrational hatred by AMD fanboys of all things Intel, and the same applies in reverse to Intel fanboys.

The Core 2 Duo processors actually outperform the Athlon dual cores.
Of course they do. They're a newer chip. They're also extremely overpriced at the moment.

I said he wouldn't want an Intel chip because I've found on the whole that AMD chips have better performance over the long-term and overclock better. Of course, my computers are designed around gaming, so your mileage may vary. I find it mildly offensive that I'm being called an AMD fanboy. I am not an AMD fanboy. :(

No.

There's an irrational hatred by AMD fanboys of all things Intel, and the same applies in reverse to Intel fanboys.

The Core 2 Duo processors actually outperform the Athlon dual cores.

Yes, the new Intel chips are good for more than just boiling water. *nod*

Of course they do. They're a newer chip. They're also extremely overpriced at the moment.

I said he wouldn't want an Intel chip because I've found on the whole that AMD chips have better performance over the long-term and overclock better. Of course, my computers are designed around gaming, so your mileage may vary. I find it mildly offensive that I'm being called an AMD fanboy. I am not an AMD fanboy. :(

Have you seen a Celeron overclock?

I can't decide without cache sizes :cool:

Core 2 Duo chips own just about everything on the market atm. Having said that there's nothing wrong with the AMD chips, either. They're still quite fast.

It depends on the graphics card on the last one. Are the first and last from the same place? if so, get the first one - in this case the second would probably be a lower end 7xxx GeForce or (gasp!) 6xxx card.

Find out what the Graphics card is. If it's a 7600GT, get that computer. If not, go the first one.

Either AMD will be good. If you are really hung up on the 400, the 3800 will still give you great performance. I doubt you would notice much difference against the 4200 for most applications.

I gave up on Intel when I got my first AMD 1800. It was a hell of a lot cheaper, and ran circles around the Pentium 4 1.4ghz it replaced. But then, those weren't dual core either. I don't have much of any experience with either brand, but I'm still inclined to go AMD.

Ill take all 3, sell them and buy a better computer

Of course they do. They're a newer chip. They're also extremely overpriced at the moment.

I said he wouldn't want an Intel chip because I've found on the whole that AMD chips have better performance over the long-term and overclock better. Of course, my computers are designed around gaming, so your mileage may vary. I find it mildly offensive that I'm being called an AMD fanboy. I am not an AMD fanboy. :(

*pats the fanboy* :p

I've been using AMD's since the original Athlon came out. But in every current benchmark i've seen, the AMD chips have been practically blown out of the water.

As I said though, it doesn't matter, because even the second machine will be perfectly suitable for all modern games. My current PC is worse than that.

Have you seen a Celeron overclock?

Yes and they run hotter then fuck

Yeah you can do it but damn

*pats the fanboy* :p

I've been using AMD's since the original Athlon came out. But in every current benchmark i've seen, the AMD chips have been practically blown out of the water.

As I said though, it doesn't matter, because even the second machine will be perfectly suitable for all modern games. My current PC is worse than that.


Except in video encoding
Or Audio encoding

Or Photoshop

Or zip/rar compression

Or benchmark's by SiSoft

Personally the power consumption is not worth it and Intels quad core solution is more elegant then dual the FX74 but they are hardly "blown out of the water" either if you set it up right.

In the end (Depending on the processor) they are going to be similar … Intel at equivalent cost tends to be better at gaming and some media play back. AMD tends to be better at media encoding and rendering at a similar price level

The Nintendo Wii will do all that and more, including editing photos... :p

The Nintendo Wii will do all that and more, including editing photos... :p
Not to a decent quality. Consoles are not and never will be a general purpose computer. Once they become one what makes them different? besides lack of flexibility

Wait...So this is confusing me.
Is AMD or Intel the better? What are the stregnths and weaknesses of each?

It is supposed to do three things, two of which it doesn't need speed for, one of which it does.
By the way, the last and the first are both the same cost.
Basically this computer is gonna be for internet searching, which I could use anything for, it is gonna be for school work ,writing essays and stuff, also something I could use anything for and lastly...Games which I think I do need a high powered beast to play on.
The only problem is that it doesn't actually say in the catalog what GeForce it is it just says..."Geforce 256mbVideo Card."
So basically you guys are saying I should go with the last one, yes?

The second thing is obviously porn.

Obviously:D
But please, stay on topic...or try to say something on topic as well.

Ok guys I finally managed to find the graphics card.
It is a GeForce 6600 and the RAM is single-channel.
The first computer however has dual-channel RAM and a higher series graphics card.

Wait...So this is confusing me.
Is AMD or Intel the better? What are the stregnths and weaknesses of each?

Sadly Intel is now better. Core 2 Duo are faster than Athlon 64 by maybe 25% when clocked at the same speed. roughly. And dont call me a fanboy I have an AMD desktop and an Intel laptop.

Id go with the cheaper of the 3, then upgrade the RAM and video card. that should cost less than the amount you save.

Or go to a place like Cyber power systems and get one custom built, instead of being stuck with crap like a 6600GT.