what hardware are you going to buy in 2005...?

[gryphon]

things like that already exist.... some are super computers with multiple nodes of what you described and they actually run extremely complex programs such as earth simulations.

There is a differance between Dual CPU [ multiple CPU ] architecture and clustered CPU architecture. The first is in reach for customers at home. As I own a Dual intell myself. The second however is not. Clusters like the Earth Simulator and the way IBM for instance can cluster internal computer hardware is something else though. :)

[GUNWOUNDS]

I wouldn't call Half-Life 2 or Doom 3 very photo realistic.

They're more realistic than most other games, but when you look at them, it's damned easy to see that it's not real.

The reason is that they lack details it will take years to add, like real grass ( they're good to fake it now, but it's easy to see that it's fake. ), realistic number of NPCs ( as Gunwounds mentioned ) and real curved surfaces ( as most of you know most games are based on polygon-3D, which means that models are created of flat surfaces. To create curves you need quite a lot of flat surfaces. Now, this can be faked to some extent too, but as move around it's so easy to see. Graphic cards need to handle many times more polygons to draw realistic models, especially of furniture and other non-critical models as they often need to be curved just as much as the player model. Take sofas as an example. ).

Also, animations need to be better. They're very good today, but they're still not generally good enough that I'd be fooled about it being real.

Well said.

[Khan]

I think FarCry is probably the nicest looking game I've ever played, and I get a smooth frame rate on full settings, so I don't really need to upgrade anything ;D. But I might get a quieter monitor.

[GUNWOUNDS]

I think FarCry is probably the nicest looking game I've ever played, and I get a smooth frame rate on full settings, so I don't really need to upgrade anything ;D. But I might get a quieter monitor.

lol i never seen a loud monitor before... what kind is it?

[Megashrap]

Is it loud or just old as hell?

[veK]

maybe he's mixing up the monitor with the washing machine and also wondering why the graphics look so bad and the games are all the same and very boring  ;D

[Khan]

lol i never seen a loud monitor before... what kind is it?

It's a dell monitor, its not that old but it makes a sort of screeching noise when it first gets turned on, plus theres the noise that all CRT monitors make when you turn them on. I'm ok with that noise but its the screeching which isn't very loud, but is so high pitched that it annoys the hell out of me.

maybe he's mixing up the monitor with the washing machine and also wondering why the graphics look so bad and the games are all the same and very boring ;D

You mean I didn't win the battle of red sock hill?? :'(

[veK]

in one way or another I tried to say this, yes  ;)

[Andrew]

It's a dell monitor, its not that old but it makes a sort of screeching noise when it first gets turned on, plus theres the noise that all CRT monitors make when you turn them on. I'm ok with that noise but its the screeching which isn't very loud, but is so high pitched that it annoys the hell out of me.You mean I didn't win the battle of red sock hill?? :'(

Is it similiar sounding as

http://www.dune2k.com/forum/index.php?topic=15418.0

[Khan]

Yeah that sounds a lot like it, but for some reason it stops if I squeeze the front panel against the back panel.

[veK]

finally I know all parts I'm going to buy for my highend watercooling system...

cyborg thought it would be crazy to spend 500

[gryphon]

sounds interresting. .. make shure to post some screenshots when you have it. :)

[desert_storm]

I know that most games are not compatable with 2 CPUs, but are most games compatable with 2 GPUs?

[Cyborg]

Most new games are compatible with two graphic cards. Also, new games often have dual processor support.

[d3m0nger]

I just finished building my second computer

Specifications:

64 AMD Winchester 3500+ (90mm core) now running at 2.5 Ghz

Asus A8N-Sli Deluxe

2 Asus Geforce 6600 GT's in SLI

1 GB Corsair 2-2-3 @ 400 Mhz (DC)

WD Raptor 36.7 GB 10000 rpm

Zalman cooling (Cpu)

I just installed WindowsXP Pro X64 edition (beta), had a little trouble with drivers but it's all Ok now.

So far this computer out performs my intel in just about every way, which I didn't expect.

[veK]

sounds interresting. .. make shure to post some screenshots when you have it. :)

I just changed plans... I'm going to sell all my hardware and... well I'll tell and show you later ;)

[Barbarossa]

http://store.microdeals.net/microdealsnet/Gaming.asp

MGC Intrepid X820  :D

[veK]

some hardware news from me: I changed plans... I'm just building up 2 new system. I have to wait for all parts to arrive and then I will start and show them to you... I'll make some photos then :)

[DukeLeto]

Hmm, my parents want to replace our old-ish HP Desktop with a laptop, something cheap but capable - portability is not an issue, but a price tag (well) under $1000 would be great.  I'm open to suggestions.

I'm looking at a getting a cheap little Averatec AV3225HS to take to school, as this 9+ pound Gateway is killing me, not to mention it has a battery life of all of about an hour when running any real programs, two and half if you aren't doing anything more than typing in Works.  The Averatec isn't very powerful (32MB integrated S3G Grahics, almost made me vomit upon reading that), but it's less than $600 USD, is under an inch thick, and weighs in at just over 4 lbs.  My friend has one, and it can decent framerates even out of UT2004 and WoW.

[desert_storm]

I noticed that the LCD monitor that my dad bout was kinda crapy.  It dosen't have the same exact colors as the old CRT and makes everthing a little off.  Also when I scroll down the screen fast, then it "ghosts", is that the word for it.  It seems as if it has too sort of a responce time.  Are all LCD monitors like this, or just the crapy and cheep ones?  What would be a good LCD moniter?

[veK]

huh? you mean lcd not crt, do you?

crt don't ghost, only cheap lcds do. and no: not all lcds are like this, just the crappy ones.

I've got a 20" LCD TFT from Dell with 16ms. All colours are good and every pixel is lightened as much as the other (my notebook e.g. is much brighter at the bottom and the top than it is in the middle - this sucks). I can play quake3 and painkiller with it without ghosting., but of course it's not cheap... though it only costs half the price now than I paid back then a year ago.

my advice: buy a good (but expensive) LCD. If you don't have the money or don't want to spend that much money then buy a good CRT. but keep your hands off cheap LCDs... you won't have much fun with most of them.

[desert_storm]

Thank you Vek!!!

Any suggestions as for the Brand and model?  It can't be too expencive (probaby under $350) I would like it if it were a 19inch but a 17inch would be ok as well.

[veK]

well... don't know much good TFTs but some BenQ, Dell and Samsung might be the best choice I guess..

This is mine: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=320-1578&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=5194&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx

This is the 19" model (still a bit too expensive if your limit is 350):

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=320-4113&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=211&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx

This is the 17" model:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=320-4042&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=210&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx

Here is a BenQ 17" (price comparison for germany):

http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a123289.html

BenQ 19" (again price comparison for germany):

http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a100769.html

And another BenQ 19" (which doesn't look that good):

http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a131279.html

There are more good monitors but this are some which I found right now and which I know of they are good. Be careful with the 19" monitors' resolution: most of them only have a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 which is in my opinion very low for a 19" TFT. I have a resolution of 1600x1200 at the 20" TFT and this should also be okay at 19" TFTs but I don't know if something like this exists. But that's up to your personal feeling if you are comfortable with 1280x1024 on such a "big" screen - I am not. Even my notebook with a 15" panel inside runs with a maximum resolution of 1400x1050.

[DukeLeto]

OK, I think I found a notebook for my parents: Acer Aspire 1363LCi

-AMD Sempron 3000+

-512MB SDRAM

-60GB Hard Drive

-Windows XP Professional

It's $799.81 + tax at Sam's Club.  It's kind of become a priority since in our current PC the (Integrated!  Damn HPs!) network card is fried, and there are no free PCI slots.  Besides, we're getting all sorts of weird errors, the power supply is going, the fan is cutting out, the speakers are messed up, and so on.

I've never had any experience with ACer and I can't find a proper review online for this model, so if anyone knows anything, I'd love to hear your opinions.

[Megashrap]

-AMD Sempron 3000+

-512MB SDRAM

-60GB Hard Drive

-Windows XP Professional

These specs are ok, but Sams Club? They may have the market cornered as one of the biggest retailers in the world, but PC service and sales pro's they are not.  No biggie I guess I just hate hearing people having to buy PC's or parts from these places. *Shudders at the thought*.

Pricewatch, or Newegg for starters.