Howz my config?

[sagar_mutha]

Hi guys!

Plannin to buy a new rig

Heres the config im thinkin of

AMD64 2800+

ASUS K8N

512 MB DDR 400-Transcend

17" LG Monitor(shud i go for flat screen?)

160 GB Segate PATA

Samsung Combo drive(old one)

Microsoft Internet Keyboard

Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical

VIP-855 Cabinet

400W Powersafe SMPS

Altec Lansing ATP3 Speakers

Pinnacle PCTV Stereo TV Tuner

ATI Radeon 9600-XT

Should i make any changes in the config?

[pimpom]

Evaluating any config must take into consideration the intended use. For a general-purpose system, here's my 2 cents worth -

AMD64 2800+ ..... good economical choice

ASUS K8N ..... a good no-frills mobo. Lacks Firewire and Gigabit LAN. The MSI K8MM-ILSR is cheaper and has Firewire built-in if you think you'll ever need it.

512 MB DDR 400-Transcend ..... good brand and good balance of size and price. Personally, I think RAM amount over 512MB is a waste of money except for a super-duper system or for particularly memory-hungry applications.

17" LG Monitor(shud i go for flat screen?) ..... flat vs. non-flat is really a matter of personal choice, balancing between price and performance. Flat presents a better viewing quality but is more expensive.

160 GB Segate PATA ..... Seagate is my choice for Hard disks. At the moment, SATA offers little performance gain.

Samsung Combo drive(old one) ..... OK since you already have it. Otherwise, avoid Samsung drives.

Microsoft Internet Keyboard ..... OK

Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical ..... OK

VIP-855 Cabinet ..... Haven't used it myself, so can't comment on it.

400W Powersafe SMPS ..... Haven't used it, but seems OK.

Altec Lansing ATP3 Speakers ..... as above.

Pinnacle PCTV Stereo TV Tuner ..... good.

ATI Radeon 9600-XT ...... Good balance between price and performance. The choice of gfx card really depends on your budget.

Conclusion : a good balanced config.

[sagar_mutha]

thanx a lot man

[indro]

Regarding the above 512 thing , i never seen the memory used above 384 mb , but ..but but .. i did see it going over 512 when playing doom3 at a reasonably high settings . System went paging paging and paging with 512 mb of ram .I dont know whether anyone of you ppl faced it or not ?

[pimpom]

I don't play games much myself, but I observe others playing all the time. I've seen them play Doom 3 with 256MB system memory with an occasional but not excessive paging.

In any case, please note the qualifying statement when I said that anything above 512MB is a waste of money. It does not mean that anything above 512MB has absolutely no use. E.g., for professional work with Photoshop or in video editing, having 1GB or more RAM can be very useful. It's just that most of us have a limited budget and the money can be better spent for other things, especially for non-professional use.

[chaos]

If you're into gaming, I suggest you go for a Geforce 6600GT video card. It's the best balance of price and performance right now.

The other components seem fine. Just make sure the power supply is a good one. A simple test is to take it in your hand and approximate its weight. If it's heavy, it uses good components. Otherwise, go for another good power supply from Antec/Codegen.

[darklord]

I think it is a perfectly balanced machine.Go for it

[blade_runner]

Get the 6600GT if u can afford it. Will be 2-3k more over the XT. Getting a gig of ram wont hurt either