The A2A Simulations Community

Just wondering if anyone had any good advice on a new video card. I currently have an ATI X800 PCI Express on a P4 3.0ghz based computer with 3GB of RAM.

Should I bother with a new card? What's the best I can get where my processor isn't going to be a bottleneck causing the card's performance to go to waste. Thanks in advance.

I personally would get a new mobo + cpu, like an Asus mobo and like an AMD 4000+ CPU....

_________________
Project Consultant - Luft'46 Design Team

I've done just about everything in a computer aside from a motherboard. Is it as easy as pulling out the old one and assembling the new one in there, or does it involve a bunch of backing stuff up and re-installation of WIndows?

Well once you have changed the Mainboard(Motherboard) and CPU it's essentially a new machine so you are supposed to obtain another version of the Windows O.S. for it.
My opinion is that you wait until Windows Vista comes out later this year to build a new machine.Windows Vista will be in 5 versions in the United States.3 of them are for consumers and 2 are for businesses.
However you can greatly increase your framerates by obtaining one of those new Creative Labs X-fidelity sound cards that have their own powerful microprocessor on board.
Building a system from scratch is very simple.The instructions come with the motherboard.You will need a case with a power supply probably between 450 to 600 watts depending of course if you chose a regular motherboard or one that uses SLI(2 video cards in SLI mode).
Asus is a great choice.That's what I use.

Myself I make a rule of thumb and only build a new machine every 3 years.However I upgrade the video card on it a year and a half after I build it so it is capable of playing video intensive games or simulations.
Since I built my current system in March 2004 I plan to build a new system in March 2007.

_________________
Son of a U.S.A.A.F. 15th Air Force 463rd bomb group 772nd squadron B17 pilot.
Video of my dad on a B-17(So you can kind of meet him-he passed away in 2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOP53TkGtA

Thanks for the advice. By that rule I'm getting close. What's the average cost? I already have two H/D's, a DVD RW drive and regular DVD reading drive, and the above mentioned card and memory.

Would it be cost effective to re-use what I could, or would that just cause me compatability issues in the long run?

I always rebuild as a rule to using some of my existing stuff as long as it appears to be of good quality and somewhat current.

Usually harddrives, CD readers/burners, DVD readers/burners, & video cards. It will cut the cost down somewhat in the begining allowing for a fairly cost effective upgrade when newer stuff comes out later.

I'd do the motherboard, case, powersupply (the bigger the better) and system memory. Your older stuff will be the bottleneck but at the rate the system processes information that bottleneck will be negligible.

Good system estimate using existing parts, $700.00 U.S.

_________________

Snuffy

Cool, thanks Snuffy. That's a lot cheaper than I thought. I'm waiting on a board for the Army Warrant Officer Flight program. If I get accepted, that'll be just the pay raise I need to pull it off.

Depending on the age of your DVD drive, or better yet burner, I'd think of upgrading that too. Certain new sims could have problems with older drives. The sims that come to mind are the ones with StarForce in them, as in Silent Hunter III.

_________________
"War does not determine who is right- only who is left" Bertrand Russell

Member Of Mid Atlantic Air Museum Reading, Pa.
Tour Coordinator KILG and Member of Collings Foundation Stowe, Mass
Goundcrew Member - Warbirds of Delaware KILG
Bombs-Away.net