Sertorius21

Allright, so you've got the low-profile 9600GT. I've never seen one of those before. If it's what you wanted, then that's good. If, on the other hand, you wanted a full-size 9600GT, then the company screwed up. Other than that, it'll be hard to evaluate whether the card is good until you have a PSU that meets specifications. If the PSU is the problem, then a new one should fix the problem. Provided that the graphics card is hooked up to power, the system should boot up and send graphics data to the monitor (Though not at particularly good quality). You can then install the drivers. If the system starts up, but the CD doesn't work, you could try installing fresh drivers from nVidia's website instead.

Well, the US and Russia are approximately in the same weight-class when it comes to number of men in arms, but the US spends almost 600 billion more dollars (Or 16 times more) per year. I'd imagine that the Russians can afford considerably less equipment per soldier. Then again, I think they have enough money for helmets for their officers. Plus, it would be a foolish officer who made himself more distinctive to snipers on the battlefield.

"The card is a ZOTAC 9600GT and its only source of power is from a 4 pin 8981 Mate-n-LOk connector (the one with the triangular corners at the top)." Hmm, I'm becoming intrigued. I looked up reviews of that card, and they all indicated that it used a standard 6-pin connector. As a matter of fact, here's a picture of the 6-pin port on a 9600GT card. Now, I've seen people use a Y-splitter to connect two 4-pin molexes into one 6-pin port, but that's different than running a single 4-pin to the card. Might you send a picture of your card's power port? I was under the impression that a 4-pin couldn't provide enough juice to run a graphics card. "One more thing. I was thinking of buying a small fan the likes we used to put into lighthouse control panels at work to help keep the machine cool. A simple square cut and file in the side of the PC casing and some holes drilled means I could mount a 240VAC fan that would blast cold air right into the motherboard. Or I could set it up so it drew air out of the tower perhaps this might be better - sort of setting up a strong permanent draft. What do you think?" You want to focus your attention on exhaust fans at the back of the case. Pushing cool air into the case isn't useful if you aren't pulling the hot air out. I've had better cooling from my case after I covered up the side vent and then put in the most powerful exhaust fans I could find (Along with a good front fan).

I'm not sure if I missed this, but what kind of graphics card are you working with? The cards I've worked with all used 6-pin power connectors. Are you saying that your primary power comes through a 4-pin cable? Or that there is an additional 4-pin port along with a primary 6-pin port? Also, I'd suggest following ch_123's advice: Just get a good Corsair PSU in the 500-550W range. Personally, I'd get a single-rail model, particularly if you only have one graphics card. As for replacing a PSU, all you have to do is disconnect all power connections, slide the PSU out, slide the new one into the PSU bay, and connect the wires. Cables should be already attached to the PSU. Edit: Here is a list of PSUs ranked by quality. Stick to Tier 1 or Tier 2 stuff. This is a good idea of what you're looking for.

A word of advice: If you're going to get this particular system, don't buy a gfx card until you have the case in your hands. A lot of new model gfx cards are pretty damn long, and might not fit into a small case. Measure the case first, then buy a card.

Quiet Blue Jay: I doubt that the Alienware will run Arma2 at top settings. I doubt any laptop in the $1000 range could do so. If you can compromise mobility for performance, start looking at desktops, since you'll get more bang for your buck. Pop into the PC Thread in Offtopic, plenty of good advice there. More generally, I've just upgraded my system, and I was wondering if anyone has had problems playing ARMA2 with a BFG GTX275 or an AMD 955. I'm thinking of picking up the game, but I don't want to if it'll be DOA due to hardware problems.

The Intel duo-cores are on the way out. When games didn't support multi-core, it made sense to purchase a CPU that only two very fast cores (The game would only use one core anyway). If the games could only use one core, then a 2.4GHz quad-core would be slower than a 3.0GHz dual-core. However, now that more and more games support multi-core, it makes sense to get a triple or quadruple core, because the game will be able to use several or all of the cores. A dual-core might still be very fast today, but they are not going to remain on the top of the heap as more and more games go multi-core. Using one also means that you must limit yourself to the older LGA775 socket. In order to determine what kind of memory to use, determine the amount of money you have to work with, guess how much space you need (4GB is quite good by today's standards), then find a stick that is compatible with the motherboard. The type of memory (DDR2 or DDR3) must match, as must the speed of the RAM (A four-digit number, like 1066 or 1333). For example, the Gigabyte board I recommended specifies that it has "4×240pin" memory slots, of memory standard "DDR3 1666(O.C.)/1333/1066 MHz". This means that you should look at 240-pin DDR3 RAM sticks, of speed 1333MHz. The "1666(O.C.)" means that the motherboard can overclock a slower piece of RAM so that it is running at 1666MHz. It does not mean that you should purchase DDR3 1666 RAM. Here is the selection of RAM that fits the requirements of the Gigabyte board.

Here are some problems, though I think I've accounted for them all in my theoretical build: 1. Out of date BIOS (Possibility that the board simply will not recognize a component. Can occur in a situation where the board is significantly older than the CPU). 2. Incorrect power connectors. Some video cards use 8-pin connectors, most use 6-pin connectors. If you have a power supply that only has 6-pin connectors, and your card has 8-pin connectors, then you're up shit creek until you find a converter. This can be avoided by purchasing a PSU with 6+2 pin connectors, which can function as either 6-pin or 8-pin connectors. 3. Not enough power connectors. Some cards require two connections, while weaker PSUs may only have one connection. 4. Buying weak/crappy components: Don't buy stuff just because it's cheap. If it's cheap and is well-reviewed, you're getting a good deal; If it's cheap and is poorly-reviewed, you're getting screwed. 5. ID10T errors: Buying incompatible parts, not doing any research, or acting the fool (Screaming at parts is always a winner here). I will be rebuilding my own rig very soon (parts should be in tomorrow or Wednesday). I'm using several of the parts on my hypothetical list (The CPU, PSU, RAM, and a similar mobo). I'll post the results here when I'm done, so I'll be able to give very up-to-date advice :) . Edit: sesdelta, you could also consider upgrading rather than building anew. What are your current specs? If you don't know, you can get them through dxdiag. Open the "Start" menu, then click "Run". Type "dxdiag" (No quote marks), then click OK. You should find lots of info under 'System', 'Display', and 'Sound'.

True that, but NewEgg has the Antec 1200 going for $170, and currently they're offering $120 off (Plus a free mouse) if you buy it along with the AMD 955 ;) . With the price at $943, one could potentially look at a GTX 285, but I'm inclined to say that wouldn't offer enough additional performance to justify the expense. If anything, I'd look at getting a custom CPU fan/heatsink.

1. A decent 7200RPM hard drive should work fine in a gaming machine. 2. nVidia vs ATI, in your price class, comes down to the HD4890 vs the GTX 275. The GTX 275 is a little more expensive, with a little more performance. Beyond that, well, the ATI/nvidia nerd wars have never really ended, so you may want to flip a coin or remain loyal to the brand that you previously owned :p . I just bought a GTX 275 ($220 vs the $200 HD4890), and that decision was influenced by the fact that my 7900GTO served me well for three years. 3. The AMD Phenom II in my current hypothetical list is the most powerful AMD CPU on the market. Intel's offering have more power, but the AMD is more price-efficient and can be over-clocked reasonably well. My current hypothetical wishlist for you: Case: Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel Full-Size Case PSU: PCP&C Silencer 750W Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Deneb Black Edition 3.2GHz Quad-Core Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) G. Skill DDR3 1333 RAM GPU: XFX Radeon 4890 1GB HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB 7200RPM D Drive: Lite-On DVD-ROM Drive OS: Windows 7 Release Candidate (Free Download) $943.12 including shipping and handling

1. Well, the PCP&C is currently on sale. It's normally $170, but NewEgg has got it going for $99.99. I should know, I just bought one yesterday :D . Edit: I should add that a 750W PCP&C Silencer is a Tier 1 PSU, while the 610W version is a Tier 2 (And you only save $5). At the moment, I think the 750W is price-efficient overkill, though if the price goes up, a more modest Corsair or PCP&C would be a good idea.

I did a quick run through NewEgg, and I put together the following example system: Case: Cooler Master HAF932 Full-Size Case PSU: PCP&C Silencer 750W Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Quad-Core Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) G. Skill DDR3 1333 RAM GPU: XFX Radeon 4890 1GB HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200RPM D Drive: Lite-On DVD-ROM Drive OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit $990.11, including shipping and handling That price includes a combo deal; if you buy the case and CPU together you get a $70 discount. Edit: Regarding the sound card, the Gigabyte mobo already has an integrated sound chipset (a Realtek ALC889A). You could also probably cannibalize the sound card from your old computer. If not, and you don't like the sound quality of the integrated chipset, you can pickup a sound card for very little, provided you aren't looking for exquisite surround sound.

1. To build a tower, you will need: A case, CPU, motherboard, Power Supply, Gfx Card, Sound Card (If you don't want surround sound, and the mobo has good integrated sound, a sound card is probably unnecessary), RAM, Hard Drive, a CD/DVD drive, and an OS (Probably Vista, unless you want to hold out for Windows 7). 2. It would really help if you could give a rough estimate of what kind of money you can spend on the tower. Even a very vague number would be helpful. The total cost of a tower can be anything from the high hundreds to several thousand dollars. 3. That said, if you're on a stricter budget, you'll want to start your search by looking at socket-AM3 AMD CPUs, preferably the Phenom II series (The Intel counterpart is the LGA1366 series, which is generally much pricier). Black Edition models are a little faster, and they are supposed to be friendlier to over-clocking. As for motherboards, NewEgg has got a bunch of AM3 motherboards here. I've always liked ASUS products, but I've also heard many good things about Gigabyte and MSI. You can also snag 4GB of RAM for a decent $65 (Link here). A graphics card is hard to pick out without a budget estimate.

1. I know this brings up the old nVidia/ATI debate, but does anyone have an opinion regarding the performance of the GTX 275 vs the HD4890? CPU will be an AMD Phenom II X4 955, the motherboard will probably be an ASUS M4A79T Deluxe (I got a better deal on this than on the Crosshair III. Plus the Crosshair is out of stock :p ). 2. I know AMD has the 'Dragon' platform, but is that actually something worth pursuing (Assuming I buy the HD4890)? And if I do so, should I switch to something with the 790GX chipset? What I'm currently looking at: Mobo: ASUS M4A79T Deluxe CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 GPU: GTX 275 or HD4890 PSU: Corsair 650TX RAM: 4x2GB DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)

I'm looking at higher-end AM3 motherboards, specifically an ASUS Crosshair III. I'd be getting it for $130, instead of $200. Is this a good deal, or can I get something better in the $100-$130 price range?

"What I'm looking for is a good 600ishW PSU with around 80A on the 12V rail and modular design. It needs to be really quiet though! Any suggestions?" @MehMan - 80A on one rail is pretty damn powerful. The PCP&C 910W PSU is pretty highly regarded (It's a 'Silencer' model, and is considered a Tier I PSU), and it bangs out 74A on one rail. The Corsair HX620 recommended by ch_123 is actually a triple-rail PSU, I'm not sure if you'd consider that a positive or a negative. If you really like single rails, check out the TX650, it's a 650W model with one 52A rail. You might also want to take a gander at the HX750, as it's got one rail rated to 62A.

Look where that position got Ron Paul. I'd like to be more isolationist, but I imagine it would take a truly catastrophic defeat (Far worse than Vietnam, so Iraq isn't going to cut it) to turn the American people as a whole into isolationists. In particular, the power of the American military makes moral crusades inevitable. You can't have that much power sitting around and not expect politicians to want to take the toys out for a spin.

Yes, an i7 920 is slower than an i7 975. However, a water-cooled 920 can be over-clocked considerably (Many people have reported that 4+ GHz is manageable). Considering that a 975 is something like $700 more than a 920, it might be a better idea to simply invest that money in a water-cooling system. If you aren't interested in water-cooling, at least purchase really good custom air-cooling for the CPU. Take a look at the Noctua NH-U12P fan or the Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink (You need to buy fans separately).

If you've got the sort of money to be considering an i7 975, you might be better off buying the cheaper i7 920 and using the money to buy a water cooling system instead. The GTX 285 is currently the fastest nVidia single-GPU card. Might be a better choice than the GTX 295.

OK, that fixed SP Mission worked fine. The boat arrived and the Spec Ops dropped off the guns.

I'm not sure if anyone else has reported this, but I had a problem with the Resistance campaign mission where you're supposed to pick up the weapons at the beach drop off. I fired a red flare like I was supposed to, but the boat doesn't arrive. I also fired off green and regular flares to no avail. It wasn't too much of a bother, but only because I'd picked up some Strela missiles during previous missions. Edit: BTW, the mod is awesome. Thanks for all the hard work, I've been having a blast playing the old missions.

They come for both the AM2+ and AM3 sockets. I'm assuming that since you have a 3500+ plus, you've got the old -939 socket, so you'll be upgrading either way. Remember that AM2+ CPUs will not work in AM3 motherboards, AM3 CPUs will work in AM2+ motherboards after a software update. Besides that, AM3 motherboards use the newer DDR3 memory, AM2+ motherboards use DDR2 memory. The prices on DDR3 memory have started to drop, so you may want to consider an all-AM3 system. Top of the line AM2+ CPU: 940 Deneb (3.0GHz Quad-core): $189 Top of the line AM3 CPU: 955 Deneb (3.2GHz Quad-core): $245 The AM3 Triple Core comes as either the 720 Black Edition, or the 710 regular version. 720 costs 20 dollars more, and runs at 2.8GHz instead of 2.6GHz. You can get a decent AM3 motherboard (A GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P) for $80, and 4GB RAM (2x2GB sticks) can be had for $60 (G-Skill stuff). The mobo won't do Crossfire or SLI, but I didn't get the impression that you wanted that. Personally, I'd go with an AM3 system unless you really must pinch the pennies. Edit: Here's a list ranking a number of PSU brands. Aim for something that's at least Tier 3. Corsair tends to make good equipment, so you should be OK with ch-123's suggestion. Edit2: Regarding GPUs, a 1GB GTS250 can be had for $145. Is that cheap enough?