What games WONT run on Intel "Extreme" Integrated Graphics

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Rough rule is 2 years after you bought it it will be getting old; perhaps not bad enough to make you upgrade everything, but maybe just a graphics card. 3 years and you'll probably need to upgrade.

However it is possible that games are less likely now to use all the resources of the best machines. I still think you will want to get some new parts in 2-3 years though.

My machine is just over a year old now, and is going strong.

So a nonupgradeable budget system will last like 2 years. And cost, say, $350. a fully upgradeable system WITH a discrete card will cost say $500 (and yes, I need them to assemble it, and thats $70 right there) and will last say another year? but I will have to spend money 2 years out to get that extra year?

[DrSpike]

Well that was in response to LN, who, unlike yourself likes to play recent games. I'd see you upgrading on an as needed basis, a process that would be much easier with an upgradeable budget system.

I think that not being able to upgrade yourself may tip the scales a little, but would consider very seriously finding a shop (nearby or online store) that will build you a machine with components you specify (I'm sure people here will help). A nearby shop is best for support, and less chance of you needing it with a decent system.

Going around in circles a bit. I think you need to research more thoroughly what a budget machine with parts you specify will cost compared to the 'Extreme' type machines. If the difference is too much, then fair enough.

[Tassadar500]

Hmm... I hope 64-bit applications/games don't come anytime soon.

[lord of the mark]

I'd see you upgrading on an as needed basis, a process that would be much easier with an upgradeable budget system.

Even the bare bones systems with the onboard graphics would allow RAM upgrades, which from what I can see will be by primary upgrade need.

Going around in circles a bit. I think you need to research more thoroughly what a budget machine with parts you specify will cost compared to the 'Extreme' type machines. If the difference is too much, then fair enough.

Youre right, and i really wont be going to the trouble of looking closely at the build option till about 2 months from now. Of course if ANYONE is interested in doing the analysis for me ( ) id be happy to post the link of the local shop - i had mentioned them in OT, to see if anyone local here could vouch for them, but none of the DC area polytubbies had even heard of them.

[DrSpike]

So you want me to give good advice *and* research it for you? Hell, why don't I build it for you and airmail it to your house?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike
So you want me to give good advice *and* research it for you? Hell, why don't I build it for you and airmail it to your house?

surface will be just fine, Im in no hurry

[Spaced Cowboy]

Hey chaps, perhaps some reading on the "Grid" system that IBM is working on, will add some more light to the situation.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


surface will be just fine, Im in no hurry

How reasonable.

[child of Thor]

Well i can see LotM's point of view, especially if he's unlikely to want to be able to run the latest Halo15 etc in the next few years. There are a huge ammount of older and (imho)better games available for non top of the range gamers

If your going to be running mostly TBS/strat type games, then you really probably dont need an uber graphics card(still my situ is a case when the on-board is not enough even then!And Rome TW is way out my league).

Still i'm one PC away from covering all the gameing genre with my selection of pc's, and the last cog in the wheel will be a real PC, fully upgradeable and with a minimum of 1.5Ghz(cot dreams of the power ).

This way i'll be PC gameing for a long time to come.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by child of Thor
Well i can see LotM's point of view, especially if he's unlikely to want to be able to run the latest Halo15 etc in the next few years. There are a huge ammount of older and (imho)better games available for non top of the range gamers

If your going to be running mostly TBS/strat type games, then you really probably dont need an uber graphics card(still my situ is a case when the on-board is not enough even then!And Rome TW is way out my league).

Yeah, as I said it comes down to the price difference. Personally even with LotM's preferences I'd spend an extra £50-£100 (or possibly more) on a system I was confident I could upgrade, with a cheap discrete graphics card.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike


Yeah, as I said it comes down to the price difference. Personally even with LotM's preferences I'd spend an extra £50-£100 (or possibly more) on a system I was confident I could upgrade, with a cheap discrete graphics card.

stirlings at a $1.91 today. So thats $85 to$190(US).

Note. Weve got 3 options. PC with extreme. PC with extreme AND an open slot. PC with a discrete card.
Ive assumed PC with card>PC with slot> PC with extreme only.

But Cots experience indicates PC with slot is not much better than PC with extreme only. So we're talking about about getting a PC with a slot AND getting card, for $90. ( the $190 doesnt do it for me, as PCs as part of the cheapest system bundles are barely that much)

[lord of the mark]

local pc build it shop

http://www.tcponline.com/Video%20sou...ideo_Cards.htm

cheapest video cards are "Radeon 7000 64MB DDR AGP $49". Would that be much better than Intel Extreme?

[DrSpike]

Wouldn't like to say........haven't had much experience with budget budget cards.

[Nostromo]

Hmm... I hope 64-bit applications/games don't come anytime soon.

In themselves, 64-bit CPU's aren't twice as fast as 32-bit CPU's: they can handle a lot more memory, that's basically it. Irc, 32-bit CPU's can handle up to 2 or 4 GB or ram. 64-bit CPU's can handle a lot more than that. So you'll basically need a 64-bit CPU the day games will require more than 4 GB of ram. In other words: not anytime soon. Otoh, the extra ram is useful for game developers. That's why the guys who, for example, are making Unreal Tournament use AMD 64's with, like, 8GB or 16GB of ram.

Games will probably require multicore CPU's before they require 64-bit CPU's and OS's.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
local pc build it shop

http://www.tcponline.com/Video%20sou...ideo_Cards.htm

cheapest video cards are "Radeon 7000 64MB DDR AGP $49". Would that be much better than Intel Extreme?

Spend an extra $10 and get the MSI RX 9200 128MB DDR