Want to be FS2004 ready? (and run FS2002 really, really good)

[ilove2ski42]

Ok, you've probably been looking around for a new computer for FS2004. Possibly you checked out Dell with their Dimension XPS because you were referred. Oh well, that's an ok computer...but how about this:

If you have 2000 dollars to spend:

***Koolance, CPU-200G Cooler. The CPU cooler includes brackets for both Intel P-4 socket 478, and AMD K-7 socket 462/ Intel P-III socket 370. more info> $54.99

***KOOLANCE EXOS EXTERNAL SELF-CONTAINED PC LIQUID COOLING SYSTEM
$239.99

***Koolance, MB-GOLD Copper Motherboard Cooler $23.99

***Thermaltake Xaser II A5000 A Plus Chassis, 10-Bay, ( BLACK ), ATX Full Tower. Built-in Hardcano 7, Large Side Window - Retail.
Specifications:
Form Factor: Suits Standard ATX & Micro ATX
Drive Bays: External 4 x 5.25", 2 x 3.5" Internal 4 x 3.5"
Material: 1.0mm SECC Japan Steel
Expansion Slots: 7
USB/IO: 2 x USB, 1 x IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Case Fans: 2 x Rear, 2 x Front, 1 x Side Panel (All 80mm see pic)
Power Supply: **No Power Supply**
Dimensions: 20.6"x8.1"x18.6" (HxWxD) $99.99

***LG ELECTRONICS DVD COMBO 48X24X48 CD-RW/ 16X DVD-ROM (BLACK), MODEL GCC-4480BB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Data Rates:CD-RW: 24x (1.5MB/sec), 4x CD-R: 48x (4.8MB/sec), 24x, 16x, 8x DVD-ROM: 16x (21.6MB/sec) Max. CD-ROM: 48x (6.0 MB/sec)
Access Time DVD 120ms, CD 110ms
Interface: E-IDE/ATAPI
Buffer Size 2MB with SuperLink
OS Support:Windows 2000/ME/98//NT 4.0 (Above plus) Solaris Ver.2.4+, Linux Slackware Ver.3.1+ OS/2 Warp Ver.3.0
OEM Bundle $71.00

***MITSUMI 54X MAX EIDE INTERNAL CD-ROM DRIVE BLACK Model FX5411M-BK - OEM
Specifications:
Interface: ATAPI EIDE
Access Time 75ms
54X Max Data Transfer Rate
128 KB buffer
100,000 hours MTBF
OEM bundle $20.50

***Arctic Silver's NEW Premium Silver Polysynthetic Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 3. 3-gram( 1 cc. ) tube. Artic Silver $5.99

***SONY 1.44MB 3.5 INCH INTERNAL FDD DRIVE - OEM $7.00

***Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive Cuda 7200 ST380013AS - OEM
Specifications:
Size: 80 Gigabytes
Interface: Serial ATA
Seek time: 9ms
RPM: 7200
Data Transfer: 150MB/sec
Cache 8MB
(OEM) 2 X $113.00 = $226.00


***GEIL 512MB(2x256MB) PC-3500 (433MHz) Dual DDR RAM, 6 Layer Lower Noise PCB Copper Heat Spreader, Dual Channel SPD Enhanced Model# GL5123500DC
Specifications:
Dual Channel SPD Enhanced PC3500 Dual DDR 512MB. Special design for dual channel motherboard
Type: 184-pin DDR Memory
Capacity: 512MB
Speed: PC-3500(433MHz)
Voltage:2.6-2.9
CAS 2 6-3-3 1T
2 X $118.00 = $236.00

***ASUS Motherboard for Intel Pentium 4 / Celeron Processors, 800Mhz FSB Model# P4P800 DELUXE Retail
Specifications:
Supported CPU: P478 Pentium 4 / Celeron HT
Chipset: Springdale 865PE + ICH5R
FSB:800/533/400 MHz
RAM:2 Channel DDR400/333/266 Support Max 4GB
IDE: Dual Ultra DMA ATA100/66 up to 4 Devices
RAID: Dual Channel 133/100/66/33 up to 4 Devices and SATA
Slots:1x AGP (8X) 5x PCI
Ports:2xPS2, 1xCOM,1xLPT,1x Audio, 1xLAN,2x IEEE, 8xUSB20
Onboard Audio:AD 1985 6 Channel Codec
Onboard LAN:3COM Gigabit LAN 1000/100/10 802.11b
Onboard SATA: Dual Channel Serial ATA up to 150MBs
Onboard Firewire: 2 1394 Firewire ports
built-in Intel PAT (Intel Performance Acceleration Technology) It helps to boost performance by 3~5%. $145.99

***Antec Power supply True480 with Blue LED Fan Retail Antecs's True480 power supply with blue LED internal illumination.
Specifications:
+5V Stand-By & Logic On/Off
Antec Low Noise Technology
Maximum Power 480W
Dimensions - L5.9" x W5.5" x H3.4"
UL, CSA, TUV, CB, CE, NEMKO Approved
Antec Low Noise ATX12V, for AMD® $99.99

***Intel Pentium 4 / 2.8GHz 512k socket 478 Hyper Threading Technology 800 MHz FSB - OEM
Specifications:
CPU: 2.8GHz
Type: Pentium 4 Northwood
Cache: 512K
BUS: 800 Mhz
Socket: 478
OEM $269.00

***ATI OEM SAPPHIRE RADEON 9800 PRO 256MB DVI/TV 8X AGP OEM
Specifications:
Chipset:ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
Memory:256MB DDR RAM
Bus:AGP 8X
256-bit memory interface
First to fully support DirectX® 9.0 and the latest OpenGL® functionality
New SMARTSHADER 2.1 technology allows users to experience complex, movie-quality effects in next-generation 3D games and applications
128-bit floating-point color precision allows for a greater range of colors and brightness
Ports: VGA + DVI + S-Video $499.00

Total: $1999.43 + Shipping ($52 for me to ship to NH)

All prices are in USD, and everything is from newegg.

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishLis...VIEW&ID=337385 if you want to view everything.

Oh- and I'd overclock this baby to 250 mhz+ FSB, which should be well within every component's ability, especially wither water cooling. 1 ghz FSB, and 3.5 ghz processor...of course if that runs stable you could always go higher...

The Dell XPS doesn't come close to the performance, even with the $3300 version.

Of course, if you don't want to spend that much on a system, you can swap out the 2.8 for a 2.4 ghz, change the drives around, get the non-pro, and/or the 128 mb version of the GPU, or even skip the water cooling. You could go with IDE instead of Serial ATA on the HD's, and only get 1 (I want 2 for RAID) But for $2000 that's a pretty full-featured system if you ask me! (water-cooled too :-))

Now I just need to go out fund-raising...:-lol :-lol :-lol

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[spenchutch]

I would really suggest that u go with the dell dimension with a pentium 4 processor. ive got two dell dimensions one with the pentium celeron and one with a pentium 4. the pentium 4 one is the best computer i have ever used (and i have used a lot of computers) i would highly suggest it. FS2002 works great with it and if you get XP theres a lot of other things u can do with it.

[ilove2ski42]

Unfourtanetly, I'm not looking at that computer for myself really; it's outside of my current budget ($2000 for a computer is pretty steep if you ask me). But even if I was, I would definitely not go with the Dell. I own a Dell laptop. I have a few minor problems with it, but overall it's a great machine. Dell's a good company. However, they are over-priced by a lot compared to what you can build yourself. Also, I don't know what is in that Dell. I don't know the power supply (important for overclocking & running lots of drives), I don't know the brands of everything, although it's mainly just the motherboard that matters. I don't know the latency (timing) of the RAM, I don't know how much cooling is inside, etc. All these factors are important in a computer, but since they're rarely if ever on the spec sheet, companies such as Dell & the rest tend to use cheaper components. Compaq and/or HP are the worst; Dell is better than most, but I'd still much rather build my own.

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AMD Athlon XP 1800, Radeon 9700 Pro
WestWind Director of Fly-in Ops
VATSIM KZLC
Senior Student
Visit my Round the World website:
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/wwrtw

[panzerschiffe]

It takes alot or reearch and reading, but you'll spend alot less money, and gain a much better understanding of how computer components deal with other, by building the system yourself. Also there is a reassurance of knowing exactly what is in your machine, which isn't the case with mail order systems.

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[rhodges]

Ben:

Couldn't agree with you more on the advantages of putting together one's own system. Have done this myself several times going all the way back to the early AMD's. (Presently 1.2 - Yea, I know, but it has been a good system). Usually, I pass my older system down to my wife, who passes her's down to my daughter, and donate my daughter's to a charity Mission. IMHO you get twice the system for half the money if one has any mechanical ability at all.

So far, I have managed to avoid fiddling with the CPU, and the procedure for implementing liquid cooling to the MB and CPU has me a bit apprehensive. (Purchased Motherboard + CPU combinations usually with a new case, PS and memory if applicable for the upgrade).

I would prefer to follow my old procedure with the purchase of a new motherboard/CPU combination with a new case, possibly with one of the newer cooling applications.

Liquid cooling is a new item to me, and I am not confident as to how to implement it. Is it possible to purchase a liquid cooled case with CPU and Motherboard liquid cooling (i.e. Koolance as you have listed) already setup in place? I have not found such an installed assembly (pricewatch).

From where did you get your pricing? Does your source sell bare bones systems as described above including liquid cooling, or do you know who does? So far, all I have found are complete systems including all the bells and whistles (i.e. Hard Drives, DVD's, CDRW, Floopy Drives, Graphic Cards etc. etc. which I already have.)

Thanks for the info.
RTH

[flyinggriffin]

When people say that assembled computers are overpriced compared to what you can assemble yourself they leave out that very important element TIME. Do you have the time to sit down and research all the components. Then you put them together, load in software, tweak and if it doesn't work for some reason, go back and try to fix it.

A gentleman here does all his maintenance and repairs on his automobile. He goes to the library, digs out the Chilton books and then runs to the autoparts store. He can spend a whole day working on something like replacing brake pad and rotor. Yes, he saves on labor but...... The same day he is sweating and swearing in his driveway I am out dancing in the clouds, or sitting in the yard soaking up the sun and relaxing.

If you get your kicks out of working with computers go for it. Just like veteran pilots forget how difficult those first landings were, people who bash around in computers forget all the woes and sorrows they went through to gain the experience.
When you buy a ready built computer, your paying for someone else to do the dirty work for you. It all comes down to your spare time and inclinations.

[Craaaake]

I think that 2000$ for a PC is a very high price!!!
I'm still a student- I even don't have 1000$ per year!!!!
I think for all the money you could make an ATPL-licence ( real licence!!9 or private pilote license... and flying real makes much much more fun!!! I think, better save your money for flying in reality! This is my dream, -->but I would like it to get true, so I anyway have to save every single 'cent'.

[bobschm]

If you're going with Dell, you owe it to yourself to call them and ask about factory refurbs. You can get some pretty hot stuff that was built, returned, and rebuilt by Dell. Warranty and all. Prices used to be phenomenol. Now they're still decent. You have to call, cuz the inventory turns over daily, sometimes hourly!

Bob

[MIKEYORCHIE]

Do not buy any dell apart from a the XPS, why? because they put a puny 250W - 300W PSU, you really need more if you want to run a high end PC, my bro just built a pc ( Chieftech case, green, looks like the old alienware one, 2500+ AMD Athlon XP Barton, 512mb PC333, and the Asus A7N8X-X mobo, Asus GeForce 4 Ti 4200) I must say, it sure is a belter. my bro has tested the most demanding games he has, UT2003 and Unreal II, both run prefectly , 30fps, with no slow down on full graphics. but I where you ,I would just wait till FS2004 comes out, then get some confidence with PCs, and build yourself a frikken fast PC, you can can get a high end machine if you build it yourself , today for I'd say about £500 - £600 and I mean high end as in Asus A7N8X mobo, 2800+ AMD Athlon XP, 1gb DDR400, ATI radeon 9800 Pro, with the standard stuff, and I bet it'll run FS2004 just fine. see Dell add on about £500 for building it, and thats a rip off

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