Rig for movie dl cum streaming, CCTV & mid-end game

[jonkerboy]

Originally Posted by goldfries

X2 3600+ is nice, you might want to consider X2 3800+. it costs just a bit more.

Agree. On paper, X2 3800+ is better value for $$$ than X2 3600+ cos for just about RM75 more I'll get double the L2 cache memory (512MB x 2), even though the clock speed is the same (2.0GHz). Only thing is whether the difference in performance is noticeable .

Thx for your input.

[jonkerboy]

Originally Posted by Dashken

A64 should be just fine. I have a A64 2800+ with 1GB RAM which downloads video, Firefox and D2OL (distributed folding) running 24/7 while watching videos and sometimes playing games too. Where I have another 3 PCs connected to this PC playing the videos I downloaded from my shared folders. And so far after more than 3 years, it's still rocking! *touch wood*

But if you can afford an X2, the better.

If yours and goldfries' A64 can do what both of you said, then looks like X2 definitely will more than meet my reqirements .

Thx!

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by jonkerboy

Think I'll go for the A64 X2 cpu since it still has got lots more mileage in it before quadruple cpu becomes available (and affordable ). At least then my son will be able to use it for another 3- 5 years, I hope.

Incidentally, I checked out your review of Gainward GeForce 7300GT gc, I noted that you said "Although many games were not really playable at 1600x1200, this card delivered smooth-as-silk graphics at 1280x1024. This is perfect since those who will actually buy these cards are unlikely to own monitors that can support 1600x1200 or greater".

How do I find out my monitor's resolution? Is it the (maximum) resolution found in 'Screen Resolution' in Start > Control Panel > Display > Setting?

If so then no point I go for the 7600 as I think the 17" CRT monitor I want to use the rig with most likely will not have 1600x1200 resolution (manufactured in 2001).

Thx in advance for your feedback.

TBH, quad-cores will not become mainstream for many more years to come. Many software are not optimized for quad-cores yet, and are unlikely to be in the near future.

Yeah, an A64 X2 will last you for many years to come. But don't buy it at the expense of your RAM. IMHO, RAM is more important.

That's the resolution that you are running your monitor at. If you are using a 17" CRT, that's probably 1280x1024 maximum if it's a high-end CRT and 1024x768 if it's a low-end model. So, yeah, a 7300 GT will work just fine. Just make sure you get a GDDR3 model.