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  #1  
Old 11-20-2007, 12:39 AM
ARHookEm ARHookEm is offline
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Default Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

I will soon be ordering a new Dell XPS 420 desktop, when building this system, I am offered three video card options, all of which I will consider. I plan on running a 30' in the middle with a portrait 20' on the right side. My question is which of these will be the right video card to order.
-128MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO
-256MB Radeon ATI HD 2600 XT
- 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS

I plan on buying this computer pretty much stock, so I am wondering what the correct amount of memory is to buy. All I really do on my comp. is internet, poker, and email.

Is this good as far as a hard drive? Or is this a place I should drop some money?
- 320GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache

-Thanks a bunch guys-

AR
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  #2  
Old 11-20-2007, 01:15 AM
plool plool is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

Unless you are doing 3D video games, those cards are not really going to vary in terms of quality in what you see on your screen. They are all pretty good. I would go with the cheapest.

Hard drive is fine, but if you want to spend some money you can get a 10K RPM hard drive. (Usually smaller, but a little faster for reading/writing to disk) You may see a slight performance increase if you are reading thousands of hands in PokerTracker.

In my experience though, 10K RPM hard drives do run hot and are more prone to failure than 7200 RPM drives.
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  #3  
Old 11-20-2007, 01:41 AM
ARHookEm ARHookEm is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

plool- In the stickied thread concerning running a 30' monitor, which supports the highest resolution, I will need a graphic card with Dual Link DVI capability, the nVidia bolded above says it's Dual Link DVI-I, and not Dual Link DVI-D, from what I read online this is ok and better that DVI-D. Is this the case? I guess I need a card that has at least DVI-D so that it will support the highest resolutions.. Will all 3 of these work?
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  #4  
Old 11-20-2007, 09:03 AM
Josem Josem is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

with due respect to plool, i don't think he understood the question.

typing "256MB Radeon ATI HD 2600 XT" into google took me to http://www.sapphiretech.com/fn/produ...=179&grp=3

it says it has:
[ QUOTE ]
two integrated dual-link DVI display outputs

* Each supports 18-, 24-, and 30-bit digital displays at all resolutions up to 1920x1200 (single-link DVI) or 2560x1600 (dual-link DVI)

[/ QUOTE ]

this means that it supports dual-link dvi.

repeat this for the other model names you are considering, and you'll be fine.



also, if you're just using your pc for interweb, poker and email, then that hard disk will be sufficient. you can always buy another one later, and they're relatively easy to install. depending on the retailer, you simply have to consider the benefit of a larger hard disk - if you use it for much video, you'll almost certainly want a bigger one.
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  #5  
Old 11-20-2007, 03:39 PM
ARHookEm ARHookEm is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

[ QUOTE ]
with due respect to plool, i don't think he understood the question.

typing "256MB Radeon ATI HD 2600 XT" into google took me to http://www.sapphiretech.com/fn/produ...=179&grp=3

it says it has:
[ QUOTE ]
two integrated dual-link DVI display outputs

* Each supports 18-, 24-, and 30-bit digital displays at all resolutions up to 1920x1200 (single-link DVI) or 2560x1600 (dual-link DVI)

[/ QUOTE ]

this means that it supports dual-link dvi.

repeat this for the other model names you are considering, and you'll be fine.



also, if you're just using your pc for interweb, poker and email, then that hard disk will be sufficient. you can always buy another one later, and they're relatively easy to install. depending on the retailer, you simply have to consider the benefit of a larger hard disk - if you use it for much video, you'll almost certainly want a bigger one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the help, I imagine the most exercise I will be putting the computer through would be-
-Playing Poker 4-6 tables (w/ PT running)
-Browsing tabbed Mozilla
-& watching a DVD in a window near the tables I have running, would that hard drive be sufficient?? What size should I be looking into to handle these tasks??

Also, what if I wanted to watch a DVD in full screen on the 30'? Is it going to be a seamless experience or do I need to definitely upgrade the HD to keep it from getting choppy??

AR
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  #6  
Old 11-20-2007, 05:54 PM
Josem Josem is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

[ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the help, I imagine the most exercise I will be putting the computer through would be-
-Playing Poker 4-6 tables (w/ PT running)
-Browsing tabbed Mozilla
-& watching a DVD in a window near the tables I have running, would that hard drive be sufficient?? What size should I be looking into to handle these tasks??

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes....but I'm assuming that you a being perfectly literal when you say you will be a watching a DVD. With this stuff, you need to be careful with your terminology.

If you're going to be watching a DVD on a DVD disk, then the hard disk requirements are virtually zero - obviously a normal DVD player (hooked into a TV) has no hard disk and it plays DVDs fine.

If, however, you are talking about playing DVD movies that you have stored on your hard disk, then you need to be aware that, depending on compression and quality, you're likely to be talking around 1gb per movie. Thus, you'll need more disk space for something like that.

[ QUOTE ]
Also, what if I wanted to watch a DVD in full screen on the 30'? Is it going to be a seamless experience or do I need to definitely upgrade the HD to keep it from getting choppy??

[/ QUOTE ]
The hard disk will have no significant impact on this.

The video card will have an impact, but any of those options listed will be fine.
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  #7  
Old 11-20-2007, 08:55 PM
ARHookEm ARHookEm is offline
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Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

^^ Thanks Josem

I have decided to keep the memory how it is (although I will reanalyze this once I get the comp, if need be I will go to Frye's and upgrade), upgrade to a 500GB hard drive, as well as going with the 256MB Radeon graphics card. Should be ordering the setup tomorrow.

You have been alot of help.

AR
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  #8  
Old 11-21-2007, 12:46 AM
Josem Josem is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 4,780
Default Re: Quick ? regarding the right videocard..

[ QUOTE ]
I have decided to keep the memory how it is (although I will reanalyze this once I get the comp, if need be I will go to Frye's and upgrade), upgrade to a 500GB hard drive, as well as going with the 256MB Radeon graphics card. Should be ordering the setup tomorrow.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't thank me until it all works
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


Also, when (if?) you decide to later get a new hard disk, you can install it into your desktop so that you have two hard disks.

Thus, instead of having 320gb and then upgrading "to" 500gb, you'll be upgrading "by" 500gb and will then have 820gb of total storage.
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