help needed

K

killergibbo

Geek Trainee
hi all am new as some may know i need somehelp about barabone computer systems i need to know what really are gd specs for playin online games like call of duty and that or what really r the specs 4 any type of comp that wud work on line gamin the min

plz helpmme tahnk u
 
first of all I'd go AMD because it is cheaper and performs very well.

Motherboard: I would suggest an nforce2 mobo. Either the Abit NF7 (S) or the Soltek 75FRN2 (L, R or RL). The former has more features than the latter, thus is more expensive. It also has the SoundStorm onboard sound which is said to be a lot better than any onboard sound and even better than some of the most popular sound cards (like the Audigy for example).

CPU: An Athlon XP 2500+ will suffice. It's highly overclockable and despite the fact that it's locked, the multiplier is right where it should be at 11 so you have headroom for overclocking. (comes with an hsf but if you wanna' overclock you WILL have to buy a better one. I suggest one from Thermalright. Note that the Soltek board doesn't have mounting holes so if you choose that board, you will need a heatsink with clips)

RAM: Don't skimp on the RAM. Get at least 512mb of PC3200 and I suggest Kingston (I am very pleased with their value ram). Corsair is said to be better but is more expensive. Big B (a mod here) likes Samsung a lot also.

Video Card: That's a tricky part because the new cards will be out very soon so you can either wait for those or buy now. Right now the best of the best is the 9800XT from ATI. It's also quite expensive so if you can get your hands on a 9700 Pro or 9800 non-pro or pro you'd be set for a long time. However if it's still too expensive, you can go for the 9600XT or Pro which is a mid-range card that can play all the recent games out there. The current line of nvidia cards have problems in DX9 and image quality so you'll have to wait for the next generation of cards if you really wanna' go nvidia. Also, don't listen to those who say that ATI drivers suck. They're not that bad really. I use the catalyst 3.10 and they work very good for me.

Hard Drive: I only buy Western Digital. They have been reliable to me and I suggest you get one of those. Get at least a 80gb one because the price/value ratio drops a lot if you go below that. I'd say that right now the sweet spot is at 120gb.

Optical drives: LiteOn is very popular. I've never owned one but it's supposed to be a great manufacturer. I have a Samsung and it's still running after 3 years so either one of those companies is good. Of course, Plextor is the best, but is more expensive.
If you're on a budget and would like a DVD drive, you can buy a DVD/CD-RW combo drive.

PSU: Never try to save money here. Get a good and reliable one from Antec. I suggest their TruePower series and either get the 380W or the 430W. I'll get back on this topic shortly.

Sound card: you can skip this one for now if you're on a budget as every board now has their onboard chip. It's not comparable as external sound cards but it's not that bad either. You'll be able to live with it.

Case: Get a big one because it's easier to work with, you have more space for drives and allows better airflow. I personnally suggest the 1080AMG or 1000AMG from Antec.
the 1080AMG comes with 3 fans, with space for 2 more and comes with a Antec TruePower 430W. So if you buy this one, you're set for the psu. the other one is the same exact one except that it comes with no psu, no fans but a side window. It's cheaper of course. The fans that come with the former are standard fans which push a good amount of air but they're a bit loud. They are decent though.

Mouse and Keyboard: I love my Logitech MX500 (mouse). It has a nice design, it'S big enough for my hands (I have big hands) and has good ergonomy. As for the keyboard, I use a basic Compaq keyboard and it suits me fine. However, Logitech has an MX duo which is wireless (the mouse is the MX700, it'S the same as the MX500 but wireless) I personnally wouldn't go wireless because I don't want to have the responsibility of recharging the mouse. But a lot of people love the combo.

Speakers: I bought the Logitech Z-560 which is a 4.1 system and I like them very much for games. You'll have to tweak the sound a little to get what you like though. It's ok for music but was apparently not made for that imo. If you wanna' go cheaper, there are the Z640 from Logitech which cost half the price and are 5.1. Big B also did a review on the Creative Inspire 4400 : http://www.zone365.com/content/17/7/1
I highly suggest you listen to the speakers before buying them because sound is a subjective thing.

Monitor: I have a LG and I hate it, so I can't see myself recommending this brand. Of course, you can't go wrong with sony but you pay much more than what you get because of the name. You'll have to go and watch monitors because image is also subjective. Reliable brands are NEC and Samsung. I have an Old 14'' Nec. It has to be 20 years old and it still works. I'd personnally go for one of those two brands.

And finally, one of the most important part of online gaming is your internet connection. You will definitely have to go broadband here whether it's DSL or cable. Cable is faster though so I would suggest that as it is not more expensive (at least it isn't where I live)

You may notice that what I'm suggesting is very similar to the system described in my sig, it only means that I practice what I preach ;)

P.S. If you want a good FPS , you have to look at Rainbow Six 3 : Raven Shield. The Single Player is good but hard. But the Multiplayer is really what makes that game shines. I just can't get enough of it. It's not just a shoot and kill FPS, it's a tactical FPS so you have to think before you act and you can't rush because you have a very good chance of dying. Another great one is Medal of Honor.

EDIT: This is by no means a barebone system, especially with the case I suggested. I have the 1000AMG and it's extremely heavy when everything's inside. It weighs 35 pounds alone so you can only imagine what happens when you fill it with peripherals and components: it gets very heavy. However, I think it's the best option for you as what you're looking for is a gaming pc.
 
Okay, my turn:

Motherboard: AMD or Intel will work. Abit and nVidia have had a falling out of sorts, so if you're going to grab the NF7, do it quick before the supply is depleted. If you go Intel, look at an i865PE board, like Abit's IS7 (or it's variants). There are a few brands I would stay the hell away from at this point in time: ECS (PCChips, Amptron), FIC, and Epox. Both ECS and Epox are fairly popular, but they've been more trouble than they are worth in my experience. I have not used Soltek (on the list), so I can't really say anything about them. Abit, Asus, MSI and Gigabyte are all very good brands.

Video Card: How much eye candy do you want? How high of resolution do you play at? How much do you want to spend.

CPU: AMD--Athlon XP 2500. Intel---Pentium 4 2.4C or any "C" designated CPU (they have the 800MHz frontside bus and are the best P4 values).

RAM: Yup. I like Samsung, although this Kingston ValueRAM I've got in my P4 box is really nice. Get at least PC3200.

HDD: I use Maxtor and Western Digital. Either works. In the past I've had to RMA several Maxtors, but I've not had to do that for over a year or so.

Optical: I suggest having 2 drives if you're planning on having a CD-Burner. It's a little bit more expensive to do it this way, but it's nice for disc to disc copying. Toshiba is very good, as is Pioneer. Lite-ON is pretty cheap and overall solid.

Power Supply: Again, don't go cheap here. Pick up at least a 350W unit from Antec or Sparkle/Fortron.

Sound card: If you have a quality on-board solution, I'd not worry about this. However, if you have the generic AC'97 audio, Philips and Hercules offer some nice cards for under $50 and, IMO, best the uber-expensive Audigy.

Keyboard: Logitech. I had my first one for 4 years before I had an issue. Went and bought another one. I wouldn't spend over $30 for a keyboard. Wireless is alright if you have a Home Theater PC or a LAN box, but beyond that, I think they're kind of senseless.

Mice: I use Microsoft's Intellimouse Optical on a couple of my systems. Regardless of brand, get an Optical mouse. No ball to get dirty. Personally, I don't like the weight of cordless mice, but I do like Logitech's rechargable MX700 idea with the charger cradle for it.

Case: Antec has some nice cases (they can also be found under the names of Chieftech and Uneec) that are awesome to work with. They're pricier than a plane jane case, but they are basically tool-less units with drive rails and removable HDD cages.

Monitors: I'd go with a flat CRT and at least 17". LCD's are generally not that great for gaming, and the ones that are are probably a bit more than you'd want to spend on your display. If you've used a flat CRT before, they're very nice. I have two Sony Trinitrons I'd picked up for a good price at a local shop. I was looking at a Samsung, but these were such a good deal, I couldn't pass 'em up. Check the likes of Best Buy as I've seen some E-Machine flat CRT monitors for around $120-140 for a 17" that does 1280x1024 @ 60Hz. Not the greatest, but use one and you won't be able to stand a normal CRT.

Speakers: If you're on a budget here, Creative makes some nice 4.1 setups. If you want something better, then look elsewhere for speakers.
 
ok ok all sounds good xept the ram im sorry but as good as you think samung or as good as i used to think it was i bout a 512 stick of there ram and had to get it replaced twice and in the end i got my money back and bought kingston also do you have the right internet connection to play these games anything under 256k will lag ;)
 
actually musnoko ur wrong about the internet connection anything under 256k will not lag, i have a media machine and a laptop and soon 2 build a new one:
Media Machine:
Duron 1.3ghz
m848ALU
Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum
ATI Radeon 9200SE 128mb (Using Omega Corner Drivers www.omegacorner.com)
512mb Corsair pc2700
XP Pro Sp1

I use a 150kbps Cable connection with this and i play: Call Of Duty / Counter-Strike / BF1942 / Splinter Cell e.t.c and this machine runs them more than perfectly with high
detail. COD / BF1942 / CS i get about between 20 - 40ms on most UK servers.

I also have single and dual ISDN line capability in another room, i can play the above games online with about 50 - 60 ping using 64-128k (not much difference either way)

I start to lag on larger servers (ms wise) on 20 Player + servers (but its just a mass suicide game with anything more than 18.
 
ok ok sorry for the false information im sorry you will get a decent game with out lagging under under 256 but eh ..... why would you want anything less then 256 for games then you can be downloading and playing games :D
 
misunoko: that's OT. Post your question in the Firmware and Drivers section please.

As for multiplayer gaming, it all depends on the game and the servers you're playing on.

for instance, Diablo II used to be quite slow even though you had a great connection while other games, like you mentionned (never played those btw) play good on a slower connection.

I know for a fact that you wouldn't be able to play Raven Shield with a 56K without a lot of lag.
 
thats bloody fantastic anti-trend! thanks alot mate :)

also harrack i highly recommend download steam (the platform used to run counter-strike) and buying Half-Life (if u already have it u can use the cdkey from that with CS, its a brilliant and incredibly addictive game.
 
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