In Anticipation for ES Oblivion

I've been looking for a new graphics card and a new RAM card. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some that are cheap, but good as well. So do you know any?

Do you have a Pci express slot or an AGP slot? For video card.

I'm pretty sure its a PCI, but I'm not 100%. How would I check to make sure?

Remove the side cover from your CPU tower.

Use the graphic below to visually identify the slots on your M/B.

source


Most often an AGP slot is "brown" in color.

While both PCI and PCI-Express slots are usually "white" in color, the visual difference is the length of the slot itself. (refer to graphic above for clarity).

Hope this helps.

Thanks, I'll open it up and check tomarrow.

Well I decided not to wait until tomarrow. According to my manual I do have AGP slot and and three PCI slots

[edit on 2/2/2006 by hatchedcross]

hatchedcross,

Post the brand/model of your motherboard. I'm sure the group here could provide more useful assistance if we knew the specifics.

[edit: spelling]

[edit on 2/2/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

I'm looking and can't figure out what it exactly is. The only name it has on the motherboard is DELL.

I've opened up the Device Manager in Control Panel and looked. I've open some of the drop down boxes and under the "Computer" is ACPI Uniprocessor PC.

I don't know if that is what you all are looking for or not, but if its not tell me where I can find it.

I just wanted to ask if anyone does know of a cheap 1GB RAM card?

Thanks for helping me.

DELL ... what model? (i.e. front of tower 8140, etc.)

:shk: package system J/K

Post the model # and hopefully we can get you the best "bang" for your buck?!

Well its a DELL Dimension 4600 Series.

reviews.cnet.com...

Like this?

Originally posted by hatchedcross
Well its a DELL Dimension 4600 Series.

Apparently, it supports AGP 8x video cards and up to 4Gb of PC2700/PC3200 DDR memory.

I assume you are currently using the onboard video and have, most likely, a single stick of 256Mb memory.

Depending on your "budget" I would recommend at least another 256Mb memory module, using the remainder for the best AGP video card you can afford. I think Tiger Direct has some rather decent nVidia and ATI based 256Mb AGP cards for around $60 /w shipping. As for the memory, you should try to stick with the same brand/type currently installed, as you may experience compatibilty/performance issues otherwise.

Any ideas as to "how much" you were/are looking to spend, as well as "what" do you use it for mostly.

Just a few quick questions.

[edit: spelling]

[edit on 2/3/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

saw the Oblivion mentioned- i've been waiting for like nearly forever for this thing.

Have they even annonuced the system requirements for the game yet? is it going to be something extremely high end like BF2? (i have a late 2003 state of the art CAD system- but the video card(s) is not "optimized" for gaming or turn out to be supported by BF2 at all- what a waste.)

Also, what is with the delays and more delays? the games is well past a year late for the original release date. seems every quarter it is pushed back another one. -ah well, summer is coming up and i won't be in the house much to be playing games- i only do that when the weather is too extreme to be out enjoying life.

Is it really buggy? Is this going to be one of those high end games that are nothing but trouble on most systems due to crashing??

Originally posted by launchpad
saw the Oblivion mentioned- i've been waiting for like nearly forever for this thing.

Have they even annonuced the system requirements for the game yet?

source
Recommended:

3 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor

1 GB System RAM

ATI X800 series, Nvidia GeForce 6800 series, or higher video card

Minimum System Requirements:

Windows XP

512MB System RAM

2 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor

128MB Direct3D compatible video card

and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver;

8x DVD-ROM drive

4.6 GB free hard disk space

DirectX 9.0c (included)

DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card

Keyboard, Mouse

Hope this helps both hatchedcross and launchpad.
[edit: BBcode and to add]

That site also has a list of supported video cards for reference.

[edit on 2/3/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

Thanks that was helpful. Looks like i will have to yank out the cad card if i want to play this on as well. Dang that sucks. $50 for a game i might be able to justify. $500-$1000 for silly upgrades that would other wise be totally unnecessary- i don't think so.

the current system (still very sweet) has to last a few more years before i plan to spend anymore of my hard earned dough on upgrades- actually it would be nice to PAY IT OFF- before moving on to yet another very expensive machine.

Well one could just buy an xbox360 that would save a few quid on upgrades, that is unless you have problems playing the game with a pad.

I just rebuilt two PCs for less than a grand. Both Amd, one has two gig of ram the other has one. one is a gigabyte Sli MoBo the other is an Anus Agp board. Both chips are 3200+ basic chips, both video card are 6600 on with 256 the other is 512.

amd??? sorry won't go with that trash ever again- way,way too many bad experiences with that company. that company is on my permant ban list along with: epson printers, sony laptops,optima computer drives of any sort, roller mouses, and honda motorcycles. AMD (and cyrix) IMO is still a tecnology theif copying the INTEL folks and cutting corners to TRY and boast of higher troughputs than the real developer of the tech- ever wonder why . any such bosts turn out to be highly inflated over any real use of the system (kind of like EPA milage on cars now-a-days)

I told the same thing to my buddy who just spent nearly $6000 US on a completely top of the line Alien Ware game system- now he has the same problems i warned him of- the system is completely unstable- generates so much heat he has to run his AC in his apartment (this is Colorado- and in the WINTER) why do AMD systems generate soooo much heat???? because they crank up the voltage to the processor- an old overclockers trick-

Yeah, my buddies system will support BF2- but he might play all of 30 minutes before the system crashes. complete POS. If i had had to pay for the system Alien Ware would be on my permant ban list as well. He is continuously jealous of my system becasue it has never crashed- but its primary purpose it to run CAD- and CNC- gaming is just its second function for some rare down time. I cannot see changing out the video card if it will not get me ahead on my CAD as well-not like those cards are very cheap.


XBOX- ???? sorry game consules are for fat loser types who sit on their couches stuffing their faces with greasy potato chips - using their guts for a catch basin of the fallout- to be consumed later. the same folks who don startrek uniforms to watch the show and belive WWF is a real sporting event. JK.

Actually though, game consules have no upgradability- no use other than gaming/entertainment- the controllers suck and something along the lines of Morrowind or Oblivion- you just cannot use any of the consumer modifications/expansions etc. besides it won't run my CNC or CAD.

XBOX- ???? sorry game consules are for fat loser types who sit on their couches stuffing their faces with greasy potato chips - using their guts for a catch basin of the fallout- to be consumed later. the same folks who don startrek uniforms to watch the show and belive WWF is a real sporting event. JK.

Hehe ,well I wont mind sitting on my nice comfortable lazyboy playing obliving on my 42" hi-def tv set instead of hunched over my keyboard sitting on this awkward office chair.Im a pc gamer myself but alas oblivion will kill my current pc . Im not a fan of playing games with pads myself espcially first person perspective games but it will have to do for oblivion.

besides it won't run my CNC or CAD.

Not until the modders get there hands on it Who would want to program a large precision engineering machine on a console anyways


[edit on 3-2-2006 by Merkeva]

[edit on 3-2-2006 by Merkeva]

Orignially posted by SpittinCobra

reviews.cnet.com...

Yeah its just like that. Except mine don't have the fancy subwuffer or a flatscreen monitor.

Originally posted by 12m8keall2c

Apparently, it supports AGP 8x video cards and up to 4Gb of PC2700/PC3200 DDR memory.

I assume you are currently using the onboard video and have, most likely, a single stick of 256Mb memory.

Depending on your "budget" I would recommend at least another 256Mb memory module, using the remainder for the best AGP video card you can afford. I think Tiger Direct has some rather decent nVidia and ATI based 256Mb AGP cards for around $60 /w shipping. As for the memory, you should try to stick with the same brand/type currently installed, as you may experience compatibilty/performance issues otherwise.

Any ideas as to "how much" you were/are looking to spend, as well as "what" do you use it for mostly.

Just a few quick questions.

Actually I have two 128Mb chips. I would like to get 1Gb of RAM just so I don't have to worry about upgrading for a little while.

I would being willing to spend in around $150 US.

You should be able to pickup 2 sticks of 512MB PC3200 on Ebay for around $80 +/- a few$, NOT generic no-name memory, something along the lines of Crucial, Micron, Samsung, etc. Never skimp on the quality of RAM you use/choose.

Use the remainder to get the best AGP video card for your $. You might want to check out Tiger Direct, one of the larger online computer parts and accessories retailers/wholesalers. I've made several purchases from them and have been completely satisfied with their service, support, and shipping.

I'm not plugging Tiger Direct, just trying to offer you a source for comparison shopping.