Your dream system under $1000

**Bootsiuv** · 10-04-2007, 18:01

Aaahhh....Oblivion.

That's a game I have never even played, believe it or not. I've actually never played any of the ES series. I always assumed my computer couldn't handle it, and I hate buying a game that you find out is too much for your computer to be playable....you can't return open video games. So I never bothered.

I do fully intend to at least get oblivion when I get my new rig....maybe it will even be pretty cheap by then.

**Kekvit Irae** · 10-04-2007, 20:34

Daggerfall is the best of the Elder Scrolls series. You should give it a try, bug-infested and all.

**Charge** · 10-04-2007, 22:18

Bootsiuv, when you going to buy all this?

**Bootsiuv** · 10-05-2007, 01:05

Within the next few weeks....although I could wait if there was a good reason.

If you were referring about my comment of a cheaper oblivion...the game isn't very high on my priority list, so I don't see myself buying it until it comes down in price.

**Bootsiuv** · 10-05-2007, 03:01

On a completely unrelated note....does anyone know if adding ram to a laptop is extremely difficult. I've never had a laptop before, so I'm not too familiar with them.

I haven't had the desire to open this one up and screw something up....but with 512 MB RAM and Vista, things run a little slower than I would like.

**Husar** · 10-05-2007, 10:49

512MB and Vista? I hope you didn't buy it like that.

The only notebook where I ever added RAM just required me to losen a screw underneath to get access to the RAM slots, was quite easy.

**Charge** · 10-05-2007, 13:16

Soon nvidia will replace 8800gts 640 with new version, and add 8800gt.
I'm a bit confused about 8800gts 320. It will remain in prices?

EDIT: Crap, it will be removed. Choice now really depends on what display and resolution you will use. If around 1280, better if you speed up and get gts-320, if larger wait and get gt-512 to save money, or gts-640 for better perfomance...

**Spino** · 10-05-2007, 17:11

Originally Posted by Charge

Soon nvidia will replace 8800gts 640 with new version, and add 8800gt.
I'm a bit confused about 8800gts 320. It will remain in prices?

EDIT: Crap, it will be removed. Choice now really depends on what display and resolution you will use. If around 1280, better if you speed up and get gts-320, if larger wait and get gt-512 to save money, or gts-640 for better perfomance...

Yeah, the 8800GT is going to be Nvidia's new baby in the $200-300 price range and will come in 256meg & 512meg flavors. The 8800 GTS 320meg is going bye bye and Nvidia is rehashing the 640meg model with some more streaming processors to set it apart from the 512meg 8800GT. So far it seems the 8800GT is going to be a single slot solution but there is some concern about heat issues, I expect many of the non-stock versions will sport cooling solutions that require two slots.

The good news is that ATI's upcoming RV670 cards based on the .55nm process (2950 Pro, XT, XTX, etc.) are rumored to be surprisingly fast and extremely competitive in terms of pricing. Nvidia may finally have some serious competition in the $200-300 range in late Fall/early Winter. Since the threat from ATI's original 2900 XT fell apart Nvidia's entire 8800 line has been annoyingly overpriced. Now that ATI seems to have its act together we should see some great deals this holiday season.

**Kekvit Irae** · 10-05-2007, 17:19

Originally Posted by Bootsiuv

On a completely unrelated note....does anyone know if adding ram to a laptop is extremely difficult. I've never had a laptop before, so I'm not too familiar with them.

I haven't had the desire to open this one up and screw something up....but with 512 MB RAM and Vista, things run a little slower than I would like.

Echoing Husar, most laptops now have RAM placements on the bottom, where you need to remove a screw to get inside. Once you do that, it's simply a matter of putting in your new RAM chip and putting the cover back on. Easy, which is one of the reasons I bought an extra 512mb chip for my laptop (that, and my laptop is running at 256mb currently).

**Husar** · 10-05-2007, 17:34

Originally Posted by Spino

So far it seems the 8800GT is going to be a single slot solution but there is some concern about heat issues, I expect many of the non-stock versions will sport cooling solutions that require two slots.

It's a 65nm design, unlike the old ones which are 90nm. I also read it got 10,769 points in 3DMark06, which sounds rather weird considering that Tom's Hardware shows the 8800GTX gets less than 6000.

**Spino** · 10-05-2007, 18:02

Originally Posted by Husar

It's a 65nm design, unlike the old ones which are 90nm. I also read it got 10,769 points in 3DMark06, which sounds rather weird considering that Tom's Hardware shows the 8800GTX gets less than 6000.

65nm design or not it appears the single slot stock cooler design Nvidia chose for the 8800GT might not be terrible effective in systems where ventilation is usually lacking. This is all rumor so it means nothing right now.

http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/13321

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Ja, 3DMark scores are always an oddity. You have to pay attention to the systems specs otherwise those numbers could mean anything. Anyway 3DMark is a synthetic benchmark that has been subject to all kinds of shenanigans by 3D chip makers throughout its history; the most notorious being clever driver workarounds by Nvidia and ATI to make the benchmark score higher for their cards. It's much wiser to pay attention to actual game benchmarks than something like 3DMark. Look at enough actual game benchmarks and you can get a much better idea what a 3D card is capable of. Remember, you can't 'play' 3DMark so it's nothing more than a glorified demo.