Ok, how does this sound for a gaming computer?

[MSkeezer]

Compaq
Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2 GH
1024 MB PC3200
MSI NVidia GeForce 6600 GT 128 MB AGP 8x Video Card
Sound Blaster Live 24 Bit Sound Card
160 GB Hard Drive
Win XP Service Pack 2
350 Watt PSU

I'm also thinking about taking back the sound card and exchanging it for an Audigy. I'm not sure yet. This should be adequate enough for my gaming needs, I think...

[audiobliss]

Since I'm not a gamer and don't play a lot of games on my computer, I can't really answer your question with regards to gaming. However, earlier this year I bought a Compaq desktop from CC that's pretty similar to yours.

I bought the SR1050NX:
AMD Athlon XP 3200+
200GB 7200rpm Ultra DMA hard drive
DVD-writer/CD-writer drives
512MB RAM
9-in-one media card reader
etc, etc

Again, I don't do much games but....What I do do........When I have AIM, FooBar2k, 2 IE browser windows, and Encarta Encyclopedia open and I try to start Outlook Express to get my mail, I'm mad and wish I had gotten a P4.

As for Compaq.....my dad works out of a box truck selling tools (Snap-On dealer), and he carries a laptop with him on the truck. It can get pretty tough on equipment bouncing around in the back all day 5 (oops....now 4....days a week). He's always owned Compaq (except for his first laptop and now his latest one), and they've all held up very well.

Anyhoo......maybe I didn't help at all.....

[MSkeezer]

He's always owned Compaq (except for his first laptop and now his latest one), and they've all held up very well.

Anyhoo......maybe I didn't help at all.....

No, you helped. It's good to know that my computer should last a while. My dad has had his Compaq for years with no troubles at all. Then again, he only uses it maybe, maybe once a month.

[beardog03]

I always liked the P4..

The Athalon is good for games, it might even be better in some instances than the Pentium (I think it takes less power,or resources to operate), but it bottle-necks when you have too much open at one time, and slows everything down alot.

Not as much as the Celeron though
The Celeron is known for bottle-necking when you have more than a couple thing going.

Sounds like you have a good thing going, but I would Definately
go with the Sound Blaster Audigy...
I`ve got it and it rocks
Especialy with my Altec & sub-woofer set-up...

Love those explosions in Medal of Honor, and Call of Duty..:D

[Shizelbs]

Yes, get the biggest and baddest Audigy you can get. Thats an easy decision there.

[PolkThug]

MSkeezer, what is the latency on the RAM?

[MSkeezer]

MSkeezer, what is the latency on the RAM?

I'm not sure...

[PolkThug]

Originally posted by MSkeezer
I'm not sure...

You'll want a CAS latency of 2 (or less). A lot of times they throw the slower stuff in 'computer in a box'.

[MSkeezer]

Gotcha. Thanks.

[Tomasz]

Originally posted by MSkeezer
Compaq
Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2 GH
1024 MB PC3200
MSI NVidia GeForce 6600 GT 128 MB AGP 8x Video Card
Sound Blaster Live 24 Bit Sound Card
160 GB Hard Drive
Win XP Service Pack 2
350 Watt PSU

I'm also thinking about taking back the sound card and exchanging it for an Audigy. I'm not sure yet. This should be adequate enough for my gaming needs, I think...

I am running something similar with 3-optical drives. DVD-ROM, DVD-R and CD-R and the 350 watt power supply wan't cutting it so I had to upgrade to a 420 watt. I would recommend having more power then not enough. I had my motherboard and harddrive crash from not enough power. Just a thought.

[MSkeezer]

I went ahead and went with an ATI XTasy 9600XT 256 MB card instead of the NVidia 6600. It doesn't require as much power. Just a couple nights ago I headed out to Best Buy, and on my way, I saw a little shop called Computer Room. I stopped in. Their prices of some things were really good. I got a Logitech wireless mouse for only $20, and a nice pair of Labtec headphones for only $10. I was talking to the owner, who's more like a regular computer geek than the "suits" you talk to at some places. He had an NVidia BFG 7500LE Overclocked that I decided to try out. He also had a used 350 PSU for only $35 that I passed on for the time being. The 5700 did run better than my 9550, but not by much. I was able to use some extra features on some games that I couldn't with the ATI, things like "distance fog". But, I didn't think its performance justified its price, so I took it back. After reading a lot of great reviews, I picked up the 9600XT, and wow! This thing runs my games(and my wife's) very smoothly at high resolutions with max settings. It runs circles around both cards, and it doesn't require as much power as the NVidia does. I'm still going to get a 420 watt PSU, just to be safe, though.

[bknauss]

Originally posted by Shizelbs
Yes, get the biggest and baddest Audigy you can get. Thats an easy decision there.

Nope, stay away from Creative. They make nice claims, but its marketing and near lying in some cases. Example: 24bit/96kHz capabilities... what really happens is that it takes 96kHz, downgrades it to 44.1kHz, and then upgrades it back to 96kHz.

Head over to the HTPC area of avsforum.com. At least a year ago, everyone was recommending the m-audio revolution7.1. At the time it was $100 at newegg.

[Sami]

If you are hooking it up to a receiver then a $25 Chaintech AV-710 with toslink would be my choice.

How much was the 9600XT? $100-$150? If it was anywhere close to $200 I would take it back and go with 6600GT.