Techie Q

Hayashi · 06-10-2002, 09:30 PM

I am scanning ads for new PC systems as I feel the urge to upgrade coming on... (now, if I can only convince my wife that we could use a new computer...

)

A couple of questions:

1. What's the difference between DDR RAM and PC800 RAM?

2. What's the difference between the Intel 845 & Intel 850 chipset?

3. (Alright, 3 questions

) Is a GEForce2 MX any good, or should I go for something else. I read somewhere a long time ago in a gslaxy far, far away (cue Star Wars Theme) that MX cards are essentially watered-down versions of the full-blown cards.

Thanks in advance.

Megabot · 06-10-2002, 09:51 PM

Quote:

2. What's the difference between the Intel 845 & Intel 850 chipset?

I think you can read about that on www.intel.com

06-10-2002, 09:57 PM

Stay Away from anything less than a GeForce3 card.

DDR Memory is cheaper than the Rambus Equivelent and darn near as fast. Most people are going away from the Rambus proprietary memory.

The Intel 845 chipset is a decent and proven P4 chipset. Don't know much about the 850...what I have heard was not great.

Hayashi · 06-10-2002, 10:01 PM

Thanks for the quick replies.
Err... what's a chipset? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

LennonCook · 06-11-2002, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hayashi:
Thanks for the quick replies.
Err... what's a chipset? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

A set of chips.

slackerboy · 06-11-2002, 03:16 AM

3. (Alright, 3 questions

) Is a GEForce2 MX any good, or should I go for something else. I read somewhere a long time ago in a gslaxy far, far away (cue Star Wars Theme) that MX cards are essentially watered-down versions of the full-blown cards.[/QB][/QUOTE]

Like somebody said before, dont get anything less than a geforce 3 right now.
Look here to see a break down on the capabilities of the current cards
its in a graph so its easy to understand
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1619&p=7

Earthdog · 06-12-2002, 09:00 AM

As stated before: dont get anything less than a Geforce 3 ti 500. the Geforce 3 ti 200 may be easier to find and easier on the wallet but the frames it puts out are far inferior to the ti 500.

They are trying to phase out the Geforce 3 line in favour of the Geforce 4.

the Geforce 4 MX 440 and MX 460 put out about a quarter of the fame rates than the Geforce 3 ti 500. If you want to truly Future Proof your system you will want to go for the Geforce 4 ti 4600. Its the meanest most feature rich card on the market. It has dual diplay support and more features than I can list.

Read this to learn more.
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic...522/index.html

If youre going to buy a Geforce 2 get an ULTRA or GTS. They both compare favourably as far as frame rates go with the Geforce 3 cards though with fewer features and older technology. You wont be Future Proofing your system with one of these cards though. Pay more for the Geforce 4 ti 4600 and know that youve got the best card on the market, and one that wont be obsolete in 5 years.

In answer to slackerboys question: NO, the Geforce 2 mx is an old moldy piece of crap compared to the newer cards. Dont waste your time or money on it unless youre looking for a really cheap solution for a video card. Its not much better than the TNT2 M64 (which is what the large majority of gamers play online with, very surprising but true, thats why its really the standard for 32 meg cards or better).

DDR ram isnt as fast as PC800 but its one hell of a lot less expensive. I cant see the logic of paying through the nose for Rambus RAM

PC2100 233mhz FSB ram works just fine for me for a hell of a lot less cash. Learn more here : http://www.pcmech.com/memory.htm

I havent really looked at the difference between the 845 and the 850 chipsets. Personally I would never but an Intel CPU. AMD makes faster processors at half of the price. Why is AMD so much cheaper??? Because they dont spend billions of dollars on TV advertising. When you buy Intel you arent paying fora better processor--you're paying for the commercials. AMD Architicture is much quicker even if the actual clock speed is a little slower. Its what is done during the clock cycles that count. AMD does more per clock cycle.

My AMD 1600+xp (1.4 Ghz) has been side by side with an Intel 1.8 Ghz and smoked it in several tests and benchmarks. Its not even funny considering my sucker of a friend paid 3 times as much for his CPU. I tried to tell him, and he wouldnt listen. He went by the commercials and reputation and now that hes actually seen how big the performance difference is he swears he will never buy Intel again. He knows now that he got robbed. BTW its for sale [img]smile.gif[/img]

Oh yeah one more thing along those lines. Dont bother buying a P4 that supports SDRAM. It works but it defeats the purpose of buying a superfast CPU. Get Ram that can keep up with the FSB speed to processor was intended for. RAMBUS ram is extremely fast:super duper fast. But I dont think its worth the price. Like 4 to 8 times the price of DDR SDRAM. If you have a buttload of money to blow, go for it. Otherwise.... dont bother.

theres my 2c [img]smile.gif[/img]

06-12-2002, 09:10 AM

LOL EarthDog [img]smile.gif[/img] Your Intel bias is showing. But what you said is essentially correct. As for the GeForce 3 card [img]smile.gif[/img] Im running Morrowwind with maxed settings for graphics at 1600x1200 and it is smooth as silk, and all the nifty keen water effects and stuff look awesom. So Either get a GeForce3 or a GeForce4 full version, don't hamstring your self with the MX versions.

As for the AMD Processor, lots of people love them, but I know a lot who are switching back to intel just to avoid the occasional odd incompatibility....You cannot go wrong with intel, but you will pay a bit more...some times a lot.

Hayashi · 06-12-2002, 09:23 PM

Errr, thanks for your replies, especially Earthdog's. I think I understood only half of it... I think.

My current system is about 30+ months old. Here are the key system specs:

Pentium 3 500 MHz
256 MB SDRAM (2 x 128 MB sticks)
Creative Labs 3D Blaster Riva TNT2 Ultra
Soundblaster Live! Value sound card
17" monitor
12GB HDD

As you can see, it's nothing compared to the systems that are available these days. It still serves well though, although I've had to replace the power supply and CD-ROM drive.

I was looking at Dell but, as you suggest, if I go for AMD then I'll probably have to go to those smaller vendors who assemble PCs from pre-bought components. I'm a bit nervous about the professionalism of these chaps as (I assume) that big names like Dell would do a better job.

Besides RPGs, I'm also into flight sims. These obviously need a good graphics card, although what the TNT2 Ultra is good enough for my games. I don't have much free time anyway, and RPGs take up so much time to complete.

That said, I'll probably go for a GEForce 3, probably a Ti 200 or 500 if I can afford it. A GEForce4 would probably be too expensive at this point in time. I make it a point not to be an "early adopter" - things are cheaper this way!

BTW, what's with the "Ti" label? I understand it satnds for Titanium, but what's the diff b/w a Ti and non-Ti card (if there is one)?

/)eathKiller · 06-12-2002, 09:47 PM

I only get top of the line stuff when it comes to buying things like that, OH and I loved the "set of chips" answer [img]tongue.gif[/img] that really cracked me up and made my day

06-10-2002, 09:30 PM	#1
Hayashi Silver Dragon Join Date: March 25, 2001 Location: The Lion City Age: 64 Posts: 1,699	I am scanning ads for new PC systems as I feel the urge to upgrade coming on... (now, if I can only convince my wife that we could use a new computer... ) A couple of questions: 1. What's the difference between DDR RAM and PC800 RAM? 2. What's the difference between the Intel 845 & Intel 850 chipset? 3. (Alright, 3 questions ) Is a GEForce2 MX any good, or should I go for something else. I read somewhere a long time ago in a gslaxy far, far away (cue Star Wars Theme) that MX cards are essentially watered-down versions of the full-blown cards. Thanks in advance. __________________ I visit IW occasionally...

06-11-2002, 03:16 AM	#6
slackerboy Gold Dragon Join Date: March 5, 2001 Location: smyrna, tn, usa Age: 47 Posts: 2,506	3. (Alright, 3 questions ) Is a GEForce2 MX any good, or should I go for something else. I read somewhere a long time ago in a gslaxy far, far away (cue Star Wars Theme) that MX cards are essentially watered-down versions of the full-blown cards.[/QB][/QUOTE] Like somebody said before, dont get anything less than a geforce 3 right now. Look here to see a break down on the capabilities of the current cards its in a graph so its easy to understand http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1619&p=7 __________________

06-12-2002, 09:00 AM	#7
Earthdog Emerald Dragon Join Date: May 1, 2001 Location: melbourne victoria australia Age: 60 Posts: 960	As stated before: dont get anything less than a Geforce 3 ti 500. the Geforce 3 ti 200 may be easier to find and easier on the wallet but the frames it puts out are far inferior to the ti 500. They are trying to phase out the Geforce 3 line in favour of the Geforce 4. the Geforce 4 MX 440 and MX 460 put out about a quarter of the fame rates than the Geforce 3 ti 500. If you want to truly Future Proof your system you will want to go for the Geforce 4 ti 4600. Its the meanest most feature rich card on the market. It has dual diplay support and more features than I can list. Read this to learn more. http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic...522/index.html If youre going to buy a Geforce 2 get an ULTRA or GTS. They both compare favourably as far as frame rates go with the Geforce 3 cards though with fewer features and older technology. You wont be Future Proofing your system with one of these cards though. Pay more for the Geforce 4 ti 4600 and know that youve got the best card on the market, and one that wont be obsolete in 5 years. In answer to slackerboys question: NO, the Geforce 2 mx is an old moldy piece of crap compared to the newer cards. Dont waste your time or money on it unless youre looking for a really cheap solution for a video card. Its not much better than the TNT2 M64 (which is what the large majority of gamers play online with, very surprising but true, thats why its really the standard for 32 meg cards or better). DDR ram isnt as fast as PC800 but its one hell of a lot less expensive. I cant see the logic of paying through the nose for Rambus RAM PC2100 233mhz FSB ram works just fine for me for a hell of a lot less cash. Learn more here : http://www.pcmech.com/memory.htm I havent really looked at the difference between the 845 and the 850 chipsets. Personally I would never but an Intel CPU. AMD makes faster processors at half of the price. Why is AMD so much cheaper??? Because they dont spend billions of dollars on TV advertising. When you buy Intel you arent paying fora better processor--you're paying for the commercials. AMD Architicture is much quicker even if the actual clock speed is a little slower. Its what is done during the clock cycles that count. AMD does more per clock cycle. My AMD 1600+xp (1.4 Ghz) has been side by side with an Intel 1.8 Ghz and smoked it in several tests and benchmarks. Its not even funny considering my sucker of a friend paid 3 times as much for his CPU. I tried to tell him, and he wouldnt listen. He went by the commercials and reputation and now that hes actually seen how big the performance difference is he swears he will never buy Intel again. He knows now that he got robbed. BTW its for sale [img]smile.gif[/img] Oh yeah one more thing along those lines. Dont bother buying a P4 that supports SDRAM. It works but it defeats the purpose of buying a superfast CPU. Get Ram that can keep up with the FSB speed to processor was intended for. RAMBUS ram is extremely fast:super duper fast. But I dont think its worth the price. Like 4 to 8 times the price of DDR SDRAM. If you have a buttload of money to blow, go for it. Otherwise.... dont bother. theres my 2c [img]smile.gif[/img] __________________ THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!

06-12-2002, 09:47 PM	#10
/)eathKiller Dracolisk Join Date: January 5, 2002 Location: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Age: 40 Posts: 6,043	I only get top of the line stuff when it comes to buying things like that, OH and I loved the "set of chips" answer [img]tongue.gif[/img] that really cracked me up and made my day __________________ [img]\"http://membres.lycos.fr/th8or/ZeroSigForIronworks.gif\" alt=\" - \" /> o.o;

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06-10-2002, 09:57 PM	#3
MagiK Guest Posts: n/a	Stay Away from anything less than a GeForce3 card. DDR Memory is cheaper than the Rambus Equivelent and darn near as fast. Most people are going away from the Rambus proprietary memory. The Intel 845 chipset is a decent and proven P4 chipset. Don't know much about the 850...what I have heard was not great.

06-10-2002, 10:01 PM	#4
Hayashi Silver Dragon Join Date: March 25, 2001 Location: The Lion City Age: 64 Posts: 1,699	Thanks for the quick replies. Err... what's a chipset? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

06-12-2002, 09:10 AM	#8
MagiK Guest Posts: n/a	LOL EarthDog [img]smile.gif[/img] Your Intel bias is showing. But what you said is essentially correct. As for the GeForce 3 card [img]smile.gif[/img] Im running Morrowwind with maxed settings for graphics at 1600x1200 and it is smooth as silk, and all the nifty keen water effects and stuff look awesom. So Either get a GeForce3 or a GeForce4 full version, don't hamstring your self with the MX versions. As for the AMD Processor, lots of people love them, but I know a lot who are switching back to intel just to avoid the occasional odd incompatibility....You cannot go wrong with intel, but you will pay a bit more...some times a lot.

06-12-2002, 09:23 PM	#9
Hayashi Silver Dragon Join Date: March 25, 2001 Location: The Lion City Age: 64 Posts: 1,699	Errr, thanks for your replies, especially Earthdog's. I think I understood only half of it... I think. My current system is about 30+ months old. Here are the key system specs: Pentium 3 500 MHz 256 MB SDRAM (2 x 128 MB sticks) Creative Labs 3D Blaster Riva TNT2 Ultra Soundblaster Live! Value sound card 17" monitor 12GB HDD As you can see, it's nothing compared to the systems that are available these days. It still serves well though, although I've had to replace the power supply and CD-ROM drive. I was looking at Dell but, as you suggest, if I go for AMD then I'll probably have to go to those smaller vendors who assemble PCs from pre-bought components. I'm a bit nervous about the professionalism of these chaps as (I assume) that big names like Dell would do a better job. Besides RPGs, I'm also into flight sims. These obviously need a good graphics card, although what the TNT2 Ultra is good enough for my games. I don't have much free time anyway, and RPGs take up so much time to complete. That said, I'll probably go for a GEForce 3, probably a Ti 200 or 500 if I can afford it. A GEForce4 would probably be too expensive at this point in time. I make it a point not to be an "early adopter" - things are cheaper this way! BTW, what's with the "Ti" label? I understand it satnds for Titanium, but what's the diff b/w a Ti and non-Ti card (if there is one)?

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