Results 51 to 75 of 226
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21st Jan 2008, 12:03 AM #51
Yup. It's kind of a bit pointless to divide them up according to whether the thing you play them on has a keyboard or not
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23rd Jan 2008, 10:47 PM #52
Finally got round to getting The Orange Box yesterday... found myself staying up until nearly 3am working through all of Portal! (Luckily I've got today and tomorrow of work, so I kinda "let myself" stay up that long ). I've been working on Half Life 2 Episode One today and think I'm about halfway through... sadly it seems to be having issues with my graphics card - I had to tone it a fair bit down from the settings it recommended for my comp, and keeps crashing when trying to load the area I've got up to.
Oh yeah, I'm also doing the Wii Sports fitness test on a nearly daily basis. At present, it says I'm 34 and have been around the 20-40 area for the last week or so.We ride tornadoes. We eat tomatoes.
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23rd Jan 2008, 10:50 PM #53
What graphics card and set-up do you have? Just wondering cause I have been thinking about building a new PC for myself (still running a pentium III at home).
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24th Jan 2008, 12:25 PM #54
Bear in mind I put this together a year ago... back then it was "powerful but affordable", and I think it cost me around £500-600 to put together (ordering most if not all of the parts from http://scan.co.uk).
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5B-Deluxe
PROCESSOR: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 (2x 1.86GHz)
POWER SUPPLY: Forget what make, but off the top of my head it's 500W.
RAM: 1GB DDR
GRAPHICS: 256MB XFX 7600GT
HARD DISK: 320GB SATA Drive (this is my main disk - I've also got a couple of extra IDE disks for more storage, and a 400GB external disk for backups)
Generally speaking, HL2 chose medium to high settings as the recommended graphic settings for my system. When I initially started playing Episode One, it crashed when trying to start a new game, but I was able to get it going after changing all of these to medium to low settings.We ride tornadoes. We eat tomatoes.
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24th Jan 2008, 3:39 PM #55
That's pretty similar to what I am planning to get, but I don't think I will get a processor quite as nice yet. I don't actually have any new games to play yet, so I may get a cheaper Celeron or Sempron single core processor and possibly a Mobo with a built in video card that can be upgraded to a nicer processor and grahics card down the road...
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24th Jan 2008, 4:26 PM #56
Although I'm not sure how the motherboard market caters for this these days, I've generally known that this is usually more hassle than it's worth - if you get a cheap processor and motherboard, you'll be limited on how much power you can get out of it. Motherboards are (IIRC usually) made for one specific sort of processor, so if you get one for a Celeron, you're stuck using a Celeron (not to mention that removing and replacing processors is a major pain).
Also, I gather the number of motherboards that do both on-board video and decent support for a separate graphics card are few to none (and those that do probably cost a fair bit).
If you're planning to build something you want to make into something more powerful, I'd recommend the following...
- Put a bulk of your current budget onto a decent motherboard and processor - these are the "core elements" so needs to be able to handle the powerful kit when it comes along.
- Get a cheap graphics card for the time being - I'm not sure what the current recommended "budget" card is at the moment, but you should be able to get one for around £20-30. Replacing this when a decent card for gaming is available should be fairly easy to do, and means you can focus a chunk of your budget on it at that time.
- For a hard disk, get what you want now. If you want more disk space later, you can buy extra hard disks then and keep using the first, but bear in mind that most of the games and programs are likely to go onto the main disk, so get one that's big and powerful enough to do what you plan for it to do whilst still being affordable.
- For RAM, you might as well get as much as you think you need - you can get memory fairly cheaply, and possibly find that it does the job when you build a more powerful machine. You could buy some of the more powerful (and pricier) memory at that time, but I'm never sure if they're worth the price.
Alternatively, you could buy a cheap core computer for around £200 (keeping your current monitor, keyboard and mouse), and then buy a whole new system in the future when you're ready to splash out.We ride tornadoes. We eat tomatoes.
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24th Jan 2008, 10:11 PM #57Although I'm not sure how the motherboard market caters for this these days, I've generally known that this is usually more hassle than it's worth - if you get a cheap processor and motherboard, you'll be limited on how much power you can get out of it. Motherboards are (IIRC usually) made for one specific sort of processor, so if you get one for a Celeron, you're stuck using a Celeron (not to mention that removing and replacing processors is a major pain).
Also, I gather the number of motherboards that do both on-board video and decent support for a separate graphics card are few to none (and those that do probably cost a fair bit).
Here'a s mobo I was looking at today.. nicely priced at around $65 after rebate.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=S458-1276
- For a hard disk, get what you want now. If you want more disk space later, you can buy extra hard disks then and keep using the first, but bear in mind that most of the games and programs are likely to go onto the main disk, so get one that's big and powerful enough to do what you plan for it to do whilst still being affordable.
- For RAM, you might as well get as much as you think you need - you can get memory fairly cheaply, and possibly find that it does the job when you build a more powerful machine. You could buy some of the more powerful (and pricier) memory at that time, but I'm never sure if they're worth the price.
Alternatively, you could buy a cheap core computer for around £200 (keeping your current monitor, keyboard and mouse), and then buy a whole new system in the future when you're ready to splash out
OTOH, I need a new roof on my house and have some work to be done on our autos, so I'm not sure yet that I might not buy the very cheapest stuff I can get for now and re-use every part I can that I already have, and then just start from scratch in a few years if I am ready to upgrade again.Last edited by Jeff; 24th Jan 2008 at 10:31 PM.
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25th Jan 2008, 11:31 AM #58
With the hard drive capacity, it may be worth looking at external hard drives to back up data such as movies, photographs and music that you don't need to access so often. My dad has downloaded about 300 concerts (legally!) from 'Dime-a-dozen' website and he runs them off external hard drives with no problem.
Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
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8th Feb 2008, 8:04 PM #59
Well, if anyone's interested I did get parts for a PC earlier this week and built it the other night... still need to update some drivers and get XP service pack 2 installed
I ended up going a bit more expensive than I thought I might, but I got a good PC for pretty cheap and I got a mobo that can be upgraded later on...
The motherboard is Biostar TA770 A+, built on the little hyped AMD 770 northbridge. It's the cheapest chipset you'll find that is AM2+ (will support the new Phenom processors with Hyper Transport 3.0 technology) and has PCI Express 2.0 (the cheapest intel mobo I found with PCI-E 2.0 was over twice as much). It will handle 8GB of 1066 Mhz memory (though only the Phenoms with the HT 3.0 bus can use that high of frequency)
here's a good article on it - http://www.pcper.com/comments.php?nid=4883
I got the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ processor (2.1 Ghz dual core based on 65nm Brisbane core)
2GB PC6400(800 Mhz) dual channel DDR2 memory
500 watt Ultra power supply
KAF2 (Galaxy?) Geforce 8500 GT video card with 512 MB DDR2 memory
I think I might get a SATA hard drive soon too.. There is a Western Digital 320 GB 8MB cache HDD and a Seagate 250 GB 16MB cache HDD that are both priced the same though, and I'm not sure which is the better deal? does the 16mb cache improve the performance enough to warrant the size difference? The only other factor was user reviews said the WD was a little noisy wheras the Seagate reviews said it was quiet (not that noise matters to me). Which is the better brand (I've always had WD's before)?
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8th Feb 2008, 9:25 PM #60
AMD, eh? Well, there's not much to choose between AMD and Intel these days, really. 2GB memory is good and are they really at 6400 clock speed? That is fast!
The only weak link in the chain there might be the power supply... 700-1,000W might have been better. Check that your Graphics card doesn't suck up too much power. Although you might be alright with the AMD processor.Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
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11th Feb 2008, 6:42 PM #61
No. the PC6400 is the memory, that is 800 Mhz. The AMD processor is listed as 4000+, but the naming scheme is based on performance or something now and has little to do with clock speed at all. The 4000+ processor operates at 2.1 Ghz. The Biostar motherboards come with overclocking utilities built in though, so I could easily overclock it if I wanted to, though I doubt I will.
The only weak link in the chain there might be the power supply... 700-1,000W might have been better. Check that your Graphics card doesn't suck up too much power. Although you might be alright with the AMD processor.
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11th Feb 2008, 9:07 PM #62WhiteCrow Guest
I played a great game for 3 hours on Vista, it's called "Dude, where the f*** has my DVD drive gone!".
Yeah because I dared to install Vista, every so often the DVD drive magically goes. Vista tells you it's a driver problem, and you spend hours looking for a driver. Of course you DO have a driver .... but it's on a DVD, which can't be read.
But anyway, not meaning to spoil the ending, so I'm using spoler space
It turns out all along it's not the driver at all, but instead a problem with an obscure regedit setting which has to be cleared. Reboot your machine and the DVD works again.
It's a real clever final twist, worthy of M. Night Shyamalan, and it had be guessing all the way through.
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4th Jul 2008, 1:00 PM #63
I've been playing RISK for a few days now. I love it, I must have been a war mongering git in a previous life. I wonder if Arnold Rimmer wants a game?
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5th Jul 2008, 5:42 PM #64
I played an online version of Attack of the Mutant Camels today. It's just as rubbish as I remember it being
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9th Jul 2008, 7:26 PM #65
I can't believe that for a second! I used to spend hours playing that game, and whilst admittedly I haven't played it for...erm...well, about 23 years, I still refuse to believe that it's not a classic game that'd still be great today
Last edited by Alex; 9th Jul 2008 at 7:31 PM.
"RIP Henchman No.24."
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10th Jul 2008, 3:59 PM #66
Revenge of the Mutant Camels is better.
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23rd Oct 2008, 4:18 PM #67
I am addicted to playing Peggle at the moment. It's great fun. I'm doing the challenges at the moment to become a Peggle Grand Master!
I think Steve is frustrated with me because he wants to play it too, but I keep beating him to it, since it's installed on my PC!
Si xx
I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.
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23rd Oct 2008, 4:22 PM #68
Sounds interesting. Downloaded?
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23rd Oct 2008, 4:43 PM #69
There's more info here Tim:
http://www.popcap.com/games/peggle
Si xx
I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.
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23rd Oct 2008, 5:33 PM #70
Cheers Si. No free* downloads then.
*Other than the trial which is presumably an hour.
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23rd Oct 2008, 6:03 PM #71
The demo is good- it does give you a good flavour of the game... but yes alas you have to pay I'm afraid. But it's worth it. I hate computer games generally, but I'm loving this one!
Si xx
I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.
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23rd Oct 2008, 6:03 PM #72
The demo is good- it does give you a good flavour of the game... but yes alas you have to pay I'm afraid. But it's worth it. I hate computer games generally, but I'm loving this one!
Si xx
I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.
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23rd Oct 2008, 6:08 PM #73
I'm still ebroiled in Super Mario Galaxy after about 4 months of very sporadic play (I get to play a session 1 or 2 weekends a month).
I need to get more serious about my gaming.
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23rd Oct 2008, 10:17 PM #74
I am now, with a little help from being unemployed , about 110 hours in to Final Fantasy XII on the PS2 (played on my PS3). Did the same on FFVII a few years ago.....now I know why I stopped buying them!
At least you have to say they're good value for money....“If my sons did not want wars, there would be none.” - Gutle Schnaper Rothschild
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27th Oct 2008, 4:12 PM #75
I'm up to 100 stars in SMG now. Need two more from the Garden, and then the rest of the Trial and Luigi Purple levels. So far I've disciplined myself not to go to the center of the universe to complete the story mode. I'd like to finish all the stars first.
Bully - Scholarship Edition was just released for PC. That may be my next game...
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