World Police
Posts: 4,391 
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Location: toranna
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Location: toranna
April 29th, 2008, 11:03 AM
Quoting #juan
There is a newer flight simulator out, I think it's 2006, lots of eye candy
Funny you should mention that. I just happen to have the Microsoft Combat flight simulator. I used to get a little frustrated with the small screen. I just checked in my used junk drawer and the best I could come up with was a couple old ATI video cards that only had the VGA connector. The flight sim was okay with the built in card but the picture was a little grainy.
World Police
Posts: 4,391
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Location: toranna
Videos: 1
Location: toranna
April 29th, 2008, 03:49 PM
Quoting #juan
Nice, dedicated graphics cards are a huge improvement over the integrated types.
My computer store can have that video card in by tomorrow at noon for roughly the same price. Another store had it in stock but they wanted an extra twenty so we'll wait the day. We'll be organized soon..............
Dark Overlord
Posts: 2,426
April 29th, 2008, 10:27 PM
I did have to get a different power supply placed inside as it was too powerful for the one they had in the computer. Since I was buying a new computer and video card, they installed it for free.
My CD/DVD player is crapping out on me, but I am bringing it into Futureshop on Thursday to get it replaced for free even though I bought the computer 3 years ago. That 4 year extended warranty is great!
Juan, it sounds like you enjoy simulation games. Have you ever played the Civilization series?
Quoting DurkaDurka
That is for sure. The integrated card that came with my computer was a Nvidia 6100. Since I had a PCI Express slot on the computer, I bought a GeForce 7800 GT OC when I purchased the computer and got it installed instead.
Nice, dedicated graphics cards are a huge improvement over the integrated types.
I did have to get a different power supply placed inside as it was too powerful for the one they had in the computer. Since I was buying a new computer and video card, they installed it for free. My CD/DVD player is crapping out on me, but I am bringing it into Futureshop on Thursday to get it replaced for free even though I bought the computer 3 years ago. That 4 year extended warranty is great!
Juan, it sounds like you enjoy simulation games. Have you ever played the Civilization series?
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,476
April 29th, 2008, 10:55 PM
Quoting shadowshiv
Juan, it sounds like you enjoy simulation games. Have you ever played the Civilization series?
Actually, I'm not into gaming at all. I'm into flight simulators because I used to fly in the air force many years ago. I find it interesting that the flight simulator can get so close to the real aircraft.
Juan, it sounds like you enjoy simulation games. Have you ever played the Civilization series?
Dark Overlord
Posts: 2,426
April 29th, 2008, 10:57 PM
Quoting #juan
Ah. Thanks for the clarification, Juan.
Actually, I'm not into gaming at all. I'm into flight simulators because I used to fly in the air force many years ago. I find it interesting that the flight simulator can get so close to the real aircraft.
Knows No Bounds
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Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
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Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
April 30th, 2008, 12:22 AM
Ah yes, a new machine is a joy... well, not forever, but certainly for a while, until it's no longer powerful enough to run the software you want to use. A few years, if you're lucky.
I just replaced my old PC, it was 5 years old and showing its age (eh, so am I...), so I bought new components--case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, RAM, video card, monitor, and disk drives--and built it over the last three days. Actually I built it in one day, took me two more days to figure out the optimal BIOS settings for everything with a lot of trial and error. And while I was at it I upgraded my Internet connection to 5 Mb/sec from 1.5 Mb/sec because my ISP had a special promotion going on. A joy indeed, this thing is blindingly fast, and almost inaudible. The cooling fans in the old one were pretty loud.
Interestingly, I found that on the whole it's cheaper to get everything from a local vendor than it is to order online from places like Tiger Direct. Certain components, especially memory, are much cheaper online, but for a whole system, once you factor in the shipping and handling charges, online doesn't appear to be the way to go. I'd go online to buy certain upgrades, like two more memory sticks or one more 500 Gb SATA drive, but for big pieces like a case or a monitor, the shipping charges will kill the budget. And if you buy from a local vendor, you've got some place to go, with real live people to talk to, if something doesn't work.
Ah yes, a new machine is a joy... well, not forever, but certainly for a while, until it's no longer powerful enough to run the software you want to use. A few years, if you're lucky.
I just replaced my old PC, it was 5 years old and showing its age (eh, so am I...), so I bought new components--case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, RAM, video card, monitor, and disk drives--and built it over the last three days. Actually I built it in one day, took me two more days to figure out the optimal BIOS settings for everything with a lot of trial and error. And while I was at it I upgraded my Internet connection to 5 Mb/sec from 1.5 Mb/sec because my ISP had a special promotion going on. A joy indeed, this thing is blindingly fast, and almost inaudible. The cooling fans in the old one were pretty loud.
Interestingly, I found that on the whole it's cheaper to get everything from a local vendor than it is to order online from places like Tiger Direct. Certain components, especially memory, are much cheaper online, but for a whole system, once you factor in the shipping and handling charges, online doesn't appear to be the way to go. I'd go online to buy certain upgrades, like two more memory sticks or one more 500 Gb SATA drive, but for big pieces like a case or a monitor, the shipping charges will kill the budget. And if you buy from a local vendor, you've got some place to go, with real live people to talk to, if something doesn't work.
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,476
April 30th, 2008, 05:58 PM
Quoting shadowshiv
No problem shadowshiv. I looks like I'm in the market for the latest flight simulator although I've already knocked the hell out pf my toy budget.....
Ah. Thanks for the clarification, Juan.
World Police
Posts: 4,391
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Location: toranna
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Location: toranna
May 1st, 2008, 08:22 AM
Has your new card arrived yet, Juan
Has your new card arrived yet, Juan
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,476
May 2nd, 2008, 10:33 AM
BTW, will this card tax my power supply?
Quoting DurkaDurka
I'm told "today for sure".
Has your new card arrived yet, Juan
BTW, will this card tax my power supply?
World Police
Posts: 4,391
Videos: 1
Location: toranna
Videos: 1
Location: toranna
May 2nd, 2008, 12:42 PM
Quoting #juan
Yeah, your motherboard should automatically disable the onboard card when you plugin the new one, unallocating that RAM in the process.
Another question. The mother board automatically steals around forty meg of RAM for the built in video card. Here's the dumb question: Will putting in a separate video card get that RAM back?
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,476
May 5th, 2008, 12:13 PM
Quoting DurkaDurka
Arrived and it is installed. I must say I don't see a really huge improvement for my $90 dollar investment but I'm sure I will once I get use to it. You were right about the RAM.......Now, if we could find a way to get windows to give back some of the two or three hundred meg of RAM that routinely uses...............steals...
Has your new card arrived yet, Juan
World Police
Posts: 4,391
Videos: 1
Location: toranna
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Location: toranna
May 5th, 2008, 12:33 PM
Juan, did you install the forceware drivers for it? There is great screen calibrator software built into it. Grab the latest one's from www.nvidia.com
Quoting #juan
Arrived and it is installed. I must say I don't see a really huge improvement for my $90 dollar investment but I'm sure I will once I get use to it. You were right about the RAM.......Now, if we could find a way to get windows to give back some of the two or three hundred meg of RAM that routinely uses...............steals...
Juan, did you install the forceware drivers for it? There is great screen calibrator software built into it. Grab the latest one's from www.nvidia.com
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,476
May 5th, 2008, 01:55 PM
Yes, I had already installed the forceware drivers. I guess I was expecting bigger results from the video card. It is better but not as much better as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it is very good. I think the big change from the old crt monitor was a bit overpowering. Thanks again Durka.
Yes, I had already installed the forceware drivers. I guess I was expecting bigger results from the video card. It is better but not as much better as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it is very good. I think the big change from the old crt monitor was a bit overpowering. Thanks again Durka.
