Got an old rig...need advice

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Mr. Redbird

Got an old rig and looking to upgrade. I want a system that will run everything in SH4 as close to max as possible. I'm considering the following system:

Intel QX6850
2 GB DDR 800
768mb Nvidia 8800 GTX
160 GB 10,000 RPM raptor Hard drive

Will this do the trick or is there currently no system with enough horsepower to run all the sliders at maximum?

In short, yes you can run the game maxed and launch the Space Shuttle all at the same time.

[Doolittle81]

I run SH4 at max settings/options and at 1920X1200 resolution.
My Rig:
ASUS P5N32-E SLI, 680i
Dual core E6700 Cpu (Mobo upgradeable to Quad-Core)
2GB OCZ PC2 8800 (1100Mhz) RAM (Mobo upgradeable to 4Gb)
BFG 8800GTX Graphics card (upgradable to two cards in SLI config)
Audigy2 ZS
4 Seagate 400GB hard drives in a 0+1 RAID array
Plextor PX-800A
Samsung 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor 1920X1200 native
Windows VISTA 32bit

SH4 has run perfectly with fantastic graphics. However, I'm thinking about upgrading to 4Gb...VISTA eats up a LOT of RAM, sometimes pushing a whole Gb it seems. I have had an occasional SH4 lock-up oddity/CTD after recently installing the RunSilent run Deep Mod, which I think might be due to having only 2Gb RAM. In a separate thread, I'll be asking if others have experienced such lock-ups.

[CaptainHaplo]

The Ati/Nvidia argument comes around every so often - and each camp has valid points. In the end, the final results are this. Both makers make good cards. On AVERAGE - Nvidia cards tend to be a little higher on rendering quality (and we are talking a very minor amount here) - while ATI tends to be a bit "faster". Now - before people start getting nitpicky - this is a generalization - not a hard and fast rule - as things such as drivers and such also play a huge role in these things. All things being equal - both are very good chips that - because they compete - help keep the price of the other semi-honest. One recent (last 12 months or so) has been AMD acquired ATI while Intel bought Nvidia - so there is a valid reason to match hardware - Amd and ATI or Intel and Nvidia. Performance-wise you will see a tiny bit improvement when you match it up. Additionally - some games are developed primarily for one chip or the other - this also lets that one game run a little better (or prettier) on that vid chip.

Hope this helps muddy the water a bit.