This Week's Hot Purchases - Page 3

Tilda · #31 (**permalink**) 25th February 2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TdC

seriously considering getting a eee for teh girlfiend. you guys say it's ok?

edit and a quick question for you: it runs a linux...any idea if you have full access to the command prompt, and if you can install software. I'm thinking of using it as a terminal, but I'll need it to talk serial across the USB port to my adapter </nerd>

It has full root access, very easy to install stuff even i'm picking things up! I've already put VNC and VLC on mine.
If you dont like the default OS there are now supported eeepc distros of plenty of other linux os's and windows is also possible although slightly harder.

Kryten · #32 (**permalink**) 26th February 2008, 09:08 AM

Bit quiet this week, nothing really jumping out at me.
Q6600 processor sitting at around £152 inc VAT mark nearly everwhere.
No real change in "favoured motherboards"

However, for those of you looking at new graphics cards, we have a new contender worth batting an eyelid at:

Zotac 9600GT 512MB DDR3 Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer

Point Of View 9600GT 512MB GDDR3 Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer

Either way, £120 quid inc VAT (and delivery from there) gets you a card equalling the performance of the 8800GT at 20-50 quid less than the latter costs, so may open up options for those of us on a tighter budget.

"So, what am I missing, for that cut in cost?"
Not a lot. Think of the 9600GT as you would comparing the 8800GT and GTX. Up to semi decent resolutions the 9600 will be similar/quicker than the 88GT - start firing up more complicated games, shaders, anti aliasing, higher resolutions, and the 8800GT comes back into it's own.

Still certainly worth a look, it bridges the gap VERY nicely between the 8600 and 8800 - and Crysis won't be a no-no on that.

Looking forward to the 9800s and seeing what they can do.

dysfunction · #33 (**permalink**) 26th February 2008, 03:38 PM

I wish they wouldnt do that with video cards.
I would like it if the 9600 would be better than a 8800GTX.

The higher the number the better the card. Not always the case....

Kryten · #34 (**permalink**) 26th February 2008, 06:43 PM

Not really possible to do, annoyingly. Only way they could is to give them each a single incrememtive number

"Geforce1"
"Geforce2"

But I'd feel a bit of an arse saying I have a Geforce 193 in my system.

Either that or just daft names with SLI/GTX/SRI on the back.

But it's never that easy :/

Jonty · #35 (**permalink**) 27th February 2008, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dysfunction

I would like it if the 9600 would be better than a 8800GTX. The higher the number the better the card. Not always the case....

Hi dysfunction

To be honest, it's not too bad once you decode the numbering:

First digit: the series/generation. For example, '9' is the ninth generation (although in real-terms this doesn't always match the actual chips being used).
Next three digits: the 'tier'. For example, '800' is enthusiast, '600' is mainstream, '400' is value (sometimes more will be slotted in, e.g. 300, 500, 700 etc.).

So a 9600 is the ninth generation's mainstream card, the 8800 is the eight generation's enthusiast card etc.

Now of course this would be simple, but nVidia's marketing people thought otherwise, so they introduced suffixes. The best way to deal with them is to remember the higher up the alphabet they are, the better performance you're getting. So from best to worst:

Ultra (usually only for enthusiast cards)
GTX (usually only for enthusiast cards)
GTS
GT
GS

So a 8800 Ultra is the highest performance card, and the 8800 GS is really quite different. The problems come at the borders, e.g. is an 8800 GS better than a 8600 GTS? Usually the performance becomes very similar, especially when manufacturers overclock cards and change the default specifications.

The most important thing to remember is: always look at the actual specifications and the real-world performance. Sometimes an enthusiast card will have a mainstream price; sometimes cards will be overclocked or come with upgraded components that belie their marketing name.

I actually started this post thinking everything was clear, but having finished writing, I can see that's it not ^^

Kind regards

Jonty

P.S. There are other suffixes used by nVidia, such as GX2 (two graphics cores on one card), and M (for mobile versions, e.g. GeForce 8800M etc.).

Kryten · #36 (**permalink**) 2nd March 2008, 05:28 PM

Samsung 750gb 32mb cache OEM hdd - £90 inc VAT.
Samsung HD753LJ 750GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm *32MB Cache* - OEM - Ebuyer

2gb kit OCZ Platinum 800mhz RAM £36 inc VAT.
OCZ 2GB DDR2 Memory - Cheap at Ebuyer!
Or, if you prefer Corsair:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/produ...oductID=780717

4gb kit for £65:
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

Due to the recently announced price cuts, Windows Vista Premium 32bit £59
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium - Licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 32-bit - English - Ebuyer

Shopping for a cheap lappy? HP - £279
HP 530 Celeron M 440 /1.86 GHz 15.4" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ), RAM 512 MB HDD 80 GB DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM GMA 950 Vista Home Basic - Ebuyer

Not my usual pimp, but damned good - Wharfdale HDD TV Recorder £50 inc VAT
BigPockets.co.uk: Wharfedale 80GB DVD HDD Recorder £49.99 - Blank Media - Gadgets - Ink Cartridges - Free Delivery

Need an optical drive? £20 for a Pioneer is a bargain..
BigPockets.co.uk: PIONEER 20X INT. DVDRWRAM BLACK SATA BARE £19.55 - Blank Media - Gadgets - Ink Cartridges - Free Delivery

Cheap Akasa Zen case:
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

Kryten · #37 (**permalink**) 4th March 2008, 08:41 AM

Thanks to inactionman in the 9xxxx card thread:

512mb Geforce 8800GT at a shade under £130:
OcUK GeForce 8800 GT 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail

Couldn't resist putting that in here, it's a cracking card and a cracking price - I don't remember the 6800GT's ever getting that low.

Reza · #38 (**permalink**) 7th March 2008, 09:58 PM

Found something decent to share. Samsung new 334GB per platter HD tech. The same as used in their 1TB Spinpoint F1, but now on their new 320GB.

So single platter, Samsung 320GB Spinpoint F1 HD322HJ :

SAMSUNG HD SERIAL 320GB UDMA 300 7200RPM 16MB OEM - Custom Built PC Base Units - 0871 230 7170

Initial tests are showing comprable performance to Raptors (slower access time, but faster transfer rates and of course quieter and cheaper with more space).

German review:
Samsung SpinPoint F1 mit 320 GByte - Review Hartware.net

Western Digital have 320GB per platter drives coming out also around now:

320GB : WD3200AAKS-00B3A0 (need to specify full product code to ensure single platter)
640GB : WD6400AAKS (up for preorder at a few places now)