Another "Rate my Hardware" thread, or "Is my computer big enough?"

[Dulce_et_Decorum_Est]

When I was younger, I was an enlightened young lad. I read the Dell and Gateway catalogs ecumenically, and debated with my friends the relative merits of AMD athlon and Intel pentium IIIs. CD readers were reaching breakneck paces of 32 and 48x, while 128 mbs of RAM was starting to look good too. Processors had even reached blinding speeds of 600 MHZ, and high-speed internet was becoming availible for the common man.

Heady times those were.

But things changed. The parents got divorced, and then 9/11 changed everything. Girls suddenly seemed like a good idea, and before I knew what happened, I had all but forgotten my roots as a geek. Truly, I had become unenlightened. Endarkened perhaps.

But now it's all better right? The girls I know think I'm as slick as teflon and only slightly less interesting, victory in the War on Terror is just around the corner, and my parents remarried (other people... who are jerks). It's time to hitch up a new computer and cristen it with cheetos!

Here's the system I'm eying:


20'' Acer flat screen monitor
Intel® Core™2 Duo E6600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz FSB 4MB cache, non-HT)
2048MB PC5300 dual-channel DDR2 667MHz SDRAM
NVIDIA® GeForce 7600GS 256MB Dual DVI - Dual Link w/ HDCP & TV-Out
160GB 7200rpm Serial ATA II/300 hard drive w/ 8MB cache

Will that run MT2 well, or should I bump those stats up just a bit more?

[Freddie]

When I was younger, I was an enlightened young lad. I read the Dell and Gateway catalogs ecumenically, and debated with my friends the relative merits of AMD athlon and Intel pentium IIIs. CD readers were reaching breakneck paces of 32 and 48x, while 128 mbs of RAM was starting to look good too. Processors had even reached blinding speeds of 600 MHZ, and high-speed internet was becoming availible for the common man.

Heady times those were.

But things changed. The parents got divorced, and then 9/11 changed everything. Girls suddenly seemed like a good idea, and before I knew what happened, I had all but forgotten my roots as a geek. Truly, I had become unenlightened. Endarkened perhaps.

But now it's all better right? The girls I know think I'm as slick as teflon and only slightly less interesting, victory in the War on Terror is just around the corner, and my parents remarried (other people... who are jerks). It's time to hitch up a new computer and cristen it with cheetos!

Here's the system I'm eying:


20'' Acer flat screen monitor
Intel® Core™2 Duo E6600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz FSB 4MB cache, non-HT)
2048MB PC5300 dual-channel DDR2 667MHz SDRAM
NVIDIA® GeForce 7600GS 256MB Dual DVI - Dual Link w/ HDCP & TV-Out
160GB 7200rpm Serial ATA II/300 hard drive w/ 8MB cache

Will that run MT2 well, or should I bump those stats up just a bit more?

Are you looking to build it or buy it? Either way I would want a beefier video card, something like a GeForce 7950 GT or an ATI X1950 XT, even it means you can only afford a Core 2 Duo E6400 (which can be overclocked farily safely well beyond X6800 levals).

[OTZ]

If you are buying, wait until March. New lineup of Core 2 Duo processors, and mid-range DX10 cards will be hitting the market.

I'll agreee with Freddie about the 7900GS - there are better options than this card, given what you have paired with it.

[Spart]

Definetely another vid-card, yes. 7600GS is a disgrace with that system :p.. Am I right that there will be gf 8600-series with DX10? Seems like a good choice, if the availability is good..

[OTZ]

IIRC, yes an 8600, and 8300...

[Citizen]

eVGA 7600 GT 256 MB, 128 bit DDR3 isn't a bad card at all. It's the one I have. Couppled with 2GB DDR2 667MHz Ram and the Conroe E6400 I get 80-120fps in Counter-Strike: Source, BF and other games with all settings on high and AA @ 1280 x 1024

Um, if you wanna get a decent graphics card, get the lowest model Conroe (E6300) and OC it to 2.8GHz... buy a Zalman 9500 Heatsink/Fan to cool it and then you got more money for a decent graphics card.

[powerpuff boys]

wait for directx 10 graphic card in about few months.

[Citizen]

wait for directx 10 graphic card in about few months.

There is never a "good" time to buy computer hardware as it's going to be surpassed in a couple of months, so if you wait you will always be waiting.

For example, if you got an eVGA 8800GTX now, it would probably be dwarfed by the R600 coming from ATI and the update that should come to the 8000 series in q1 2007.

In any event, dX10 games will still be able to be played on older hardware, I mean, you can play Counter-Strike: Source (a dx9 game) on dx7.

[Incinerate_IV]

That Geforce 7600GS is going to bottleneck the crap out of the E6600. You need to get at least a 7900GS or X1900Pro for that beast.

[Dulce_et_Decorum_Est]

Thank you all. What I seem to be hearing is that the system is good, except for the video card. I'm buying, but I don't have to use that particular company!

What are the minimum specs I should look for in the video card?

[Incinerate_IV]

Maybe something in the $170+ range, like a Geforce 7900GS or X1950Pro.

[OTZ]

Performance may also depend on the native resolution of the monitor. IF it is just 1280x1024, you could get by with a high-end 256MB card, like the 1950Pro or XT. If you can wing it, the 8800GTS would be a good match with your system.

[UnderdawgIV]

Where are you buying this form? Pre-built? Or building it yourself? Also, as has been already stated numerous times, get a better video card (X1950 Pro or 7900GS or better).

[Lee1026]

It depends entirely on what you are using it for.
If it is games, then everyone else have told you what I would tell you.

If it is not, the video card is overkill.

[Dulce_et_Decorum_Est]

Yes, this is to be a gaming rig.

I'm looking to buy, since I don't feel competant building my own.

I'm going to ask a local custom build company and see if they can do better, again, thanks for the tips.