With impending release of a new GTA game...

Losty · March 10, 2008, 07:30:15 PM

£1.2k inc monitor

HardRockCamaro · March 10, 2008, 07:43:43 PM

Aside from the better graphics card that's basically the same spec as an iMac for the same price...

(Yes I know the graphics card is the most important thing for gaming but it does show that Macs are not as overpriced as people make out when comparing like for like).

FUBAR · March 10, 2008, 10:28:27 PM

Quoting: Losty

£1.2k inc monitor

yeah... im looking at about 1.2k with no monitor & re-using a couple of plug in bits...

Losty · March 11, 2008, 04:29:54 AM

The main reason for my pc being so expensive at the time was that i was having to do a total upgrade, mobo/cpu/memory/gfx, but the advantage now is, all i need to do is either cpu or gfx \o/

One other factor at the time, was that the monitor and gfx card were out less than a month when i "needed" to buy it....so,like a fool, i paid through the nose for it.

the monitor itself asus mw221...not a 226 as i said above)is now £70 cheaper (mind you if it was badged with a silly fruit like logo it woulda been nearly £500 to start with

)

Titsy · March 11, 2008, 04:30:18 AM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Aside from the better graphics card that's basically the same spec as an iMac for the same price...

(Yes I know the graphics card is the most important thing for gaming but it does show that Macs are not as overpriced as people make out when comparing like for like).

Dude, stop trying to convert people....

Quoting: FUBAR

Pc People out there... which one of these 2 processors would you go for & why.... 1st one straight up out of the box... 2nd one Overclocked but cheaper.

What is it with Mac users...

Incursus · March 11, 2008, 04:43:18 AM

Quoting: Titsy

What is it with Mac users...

Kenny · March 11, 2008, 05:17:55 AM

The reason I went for the low cost option is because the upgrade option has always been a bit of a myth. Every time I've needed to upgrade, the processor sockets have changed, the RAM sockets have changed, and the GFX sockets have changed, so you have to upgrade everything anyway.

My system is:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ AM2 3.0GHz
Asus M2n-sli Deluxe
4GB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz RAM
XFX GeForce 8800GTS 320MB DDR3
OCZ StealthXStream 600W PSU - SLI Ready
Which cost £480.
minus the £140 for my old stuff on ebay: total for system £340

Pretty cheap for a relatively powerful PC

Incursus · March 11, 2008, 05:21:41 AM

Quoting: Kenny

The reason I went for the low cost option is because the upgrade option has always been a bit of a myth. Every time I've needed to upgrade, the processor sockets have changed, the RAM sockets have changed, and the GFX sockets have changed, so you have to upgrade everything anyway.

true though I did managed to put a new duel core processor in my 4 year old mobo a new gfx card would probably mean new mobo, ram and processor

FUBAR · March 11, 2008, 06:00:29 AM

Quoting: Losty

The main reason for my pc being so expensive at the time was that i was having to do a total upgrade, mobo/cpu/memory/gfx, but the advantage now is, all i need to do is either cpu or gfx \o/

This is exactly the situation that i'm in now. when I upgraded my PC early last year I made a series of decisions in a very bad order which basically left me with an already obsolete PC and about £500 out of pocket!!! It wasn't very well planned out.

This is why i'm now looking at about £1200 worth of new hardware, case etc. This isn't the 1st time i've spent this much on a PC either, in about 2001 I bought a similar priced Evesham machine which kicked arse, was current for ages and was upgradeable.
I have looked at a lot of pre-built machines in the last couple of weeks and NONE of them for the same money use the newer DDR3 RAM. Old RAM was one of the reasons behind last year's bad PC upgrading decisions so this time i'm determined to Skip the DDR2 generation all together.

The Motherboard and CPU i'm looking at getting for this machine are not even out until a couple of weeks time so yes this means they'll be expensive but they will last ages because its a very modern Mobo to use as a base for the future.

The cheaper alternative is this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-021-AK&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=811\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-021-AK&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=811
Coupled with the same BFG 8800 GTX card because my current ATI x1950Pro Turbo card is still AGP.

This would re-use everything else from my current machine and upgrade me to PCI-Express. however there isn't ANY upgrade ability or future-proofing with that option and that is something that 7 years after my last major PC purchase i'm currently looking for.

Quoting: Kenny

the RAM sockets have changed, and the GFX sockets have changed

This is why i'm looking at building a DDR3 system with future dual x16 PCI-E for the possibility of SLI graphics in the future. Also the recent change to PCI-Express was a much needed upgrade to the hardware standards and doesn't happen very often.

Losty · March 11, 2008, 06:58:59 PM

I "think" you may get a pretty decent amount for the agp gfx card, as new decent ones are getting rarer, should you decide to sell it

FUBAR · March 11, 2008, 10:28:19 PM

When upgrading The Following will be for sale:

GFX Card - HIS ATI Radeon x1950 Pro ICEq3 Turbo 512MB AGP (Vista Capable etc) Dual DVI outputs etc £???

RAM - Corsair 2x1GB PC3200 C2 Pro DDR (This has REALLY low latency settings) and was damn expensive £???

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ (Socket 939) 2.21GHz £???

CPU Cooler - Zalman Flower AlCu (Socket 478/754/939/940/AM2/LGA775)
Similar to this one: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-030-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-030-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821 £???

(I know it fits the new CPU socket too but I want one that blows towards the rear case fan as opposed to at the motherboard)

CDRW drive - Free
DVDRW drive £5 (because i'm buying a SATA one)

Case - Chieftec something tower, flame painted & modified, Including the customised-to-fit Akasa fan controller, 4 quiet fans and noise reduction lining. Not decided what this is worth yet...

The motherboard is faulty with an intermittent short-circuit problem so thats being scrapped, or put on flebay with this fault described although thats probably not worth it...

Unless something changes the Power supply, Keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitors and HDD will be reused.

Depending on how the mobo behaves will determine how long I can string this setup out before upgrading.

Roadkill · March 12, 2008, 04:27:26 AM

Can I possibly

GFX, RAM CPU . . . . ? (depending how my discussions with Ian go on Friday).

Chris needs a CD drive.

ianjpage · March 12, 2008, 05:00:00 AM

lol ok but i get second dibs on Gfx and RAM!!!

Incursus · March 12, 2008, 05:09:36 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

Chris needs a CD drive.

I do?

Roadkill · March 12, 2008, 05:13:18 AM

Quoting: Incursus

I do?

I'm sure you said yours doesn't read some disks . . . .

Incursus · March 12, 2008, 07:26:41 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

Quoting: Incursus
I do?

I'm sure you said yours doesn't read some disks . . . .

DVD player.

the only disk it refuses to read is Flatout 2.

Anywho should be getting Steve's lightscribe jobby

Roadkill · March 12, 2008, 07:33:02 AM

Ahh, whatever.

FUBAR · March 12, 2008, 01:21:26 PM

Quoting: Roadkill

Can I possibly

GFX, RAM CPU . . . . ? (depending how my discussions with Ian go on Friday).

Indeed you can, when i've figured out what they're worth and i've ordered the new stuff i'll let you know.

Quoting: ianjpage

lol ok but i get second dibs on Gfx and RAM!!!

Cool.

The RAM is PC3200 400MHz stuff... make sure your mobo's can take it.

Kenny · April 28, 2008, 07:49:35 AM

Just been told by my friends at GAME that GTA IV isn't being released on PC, and there's currently no plans to.

I hope they do, it's one of the few great game series around.

Roadkill · April 28, 2008, 08:14:00 AM

Quoting: Kenny

Just been told by my friends at GAME that GTA IV isn't being released on PC

Sort it out Rockstar !

FUBAR · April 29, 2008, 03:35:06 PM

Indeed

they say this all the time tho and there has always been one for the PC so far

Rocky · April 29, 2008, 03:36:51 PM

Ive ordered it with a new PS3 which was supposed to be delivered today, supprise supprise stocks are low have to wait.

nick69 · April 29, 2008, 03:50:21 PM

Hehehhe ive got my copy!!!

Fieldy · April 30, 2008, 02:11:56 AM

Quoting: Rocky

supprise supprise stocks are low have to wait.

Was in 'Game' yesterday, they had loads of copies and quite A few PS3's.....

I was tempted for A second....

FUBAR · April 30, 2008, 02:16:23 PM

How things change eh...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGFRi_ueq-M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGFRi_ueq-M