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Author Topic:   Buying a new computer
crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 46 of 55 (630160)
08-22-2011 8:03 PM
Reply to: Message 45 by hooah212002
08-22-2011 7:52 PM


Re: Thanks for the Info
Wow.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 45 by hooah212002, posted 08-22-2011 7:52 PM hooah212002 has replied

Replies to this message:
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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 47 of 55 (630167)
08-22-2011 8:26 PM
Reply to: Message 46 by crashfrog
08-22-2011 8:03 PM


Re: Thanks for the Info
Further
Michael Yang, flash marketing manager at Samsung
"There are also concerns about wear. That is, flash has the potential to wear out after tens (or hundreds) of thousands of write cycles.
This characterization, however, is too simplistic. A flash device that is rated at 100,000 write cycles, for example, can write 100,000 times to every single (memory) cell within the device. In other words, the device doesn't write to the same cell over and over again but spreads out the writes over many different cells. This is achieved through wear leveling which is carried out by the SSD's controller.
This would make it virtually impossible to wear out a flash chip. A pattern could be perpetually repeated in which a 64GB SSD is completely filled with data, erased, filled again, then erased again every hour of every day for years, and the user still wouldn't reach the theoretical write limit.
Samsung defends flash reliability in solid-state drives
It is difficult to find recent articles because it is pretty well established that they are just as reliable, if not more so, as standard mechanical drives, particularly due to the fact that they do not have any moving parts. And, as stated before, each year controllers get better and wear leveling gets better.

"Why don't you call upon your God to strike me? Oh, I forgot it's because he's fake like Thor, so bite me" -Greydon Square

This message is a reply to:
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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 48 of 55 (630290)
08-23-2011 6:09 PM
Reply to: Message 25 by crashfrog
08-20-2011 3:43 PM


Just to further the point that an i7 isn't worth the extra cost, here is a post over at my other internet home that I just made. I know it's testemonial evidence and that doesn't bode too well around these parts, but it really is the consensus that an i5 is sufficient.
I honestly am having a hard time anymore even convincing myself as to why I should stick to AMD, let alone recommend it to anyone other than someone on an EXTREMELY tight budget. The price to performance just isn't there. I've heard tell that an i3 (which is a dual core) can perform just as well as a AMD quad. Plus, there's the whole memory limitation deal.
Hopefully with Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge comes down in price so I can make the leap.

"Why don't you call upon your God to strike me? Oh, I forgot it's because he's fake like Thor, so bite me" -Greydon Square

This message is a reply to:
 Message 25 by crashfrog, posted 08-20-2011 3:43 PM crashfrog has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 49 by crashfrog, posted 08-23-2011 11:32 PM hooah212002 has replied

  
crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 49 of 55 (630321)
08-23-2011 11:32 PM
Reply to: Message 48 by hooah212002
08-23-2011 6:09 PM


I know it's testemonial evidence and that doesn't bode too well around these parts, but it really is the consensus that an i5 is sufficient.
That's fair.
Plus, there's the whole memory limitation deal.
I turned my back on AMD about 6 years ago; what's the deal with AMD chips and memory?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 48 by hooah212002, posted 08-23-2011 6:09 PM hooah212002 has replied

Replies to this message:
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 Message 51 by hooah212002, posted 08-24-2011 2:05 PM crashfrog has not replied

  
hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 50 of 55 (630327)
08-24-2011 2:34 AM
Reply to: Message 49 by crashfrog
08-23-2011 11:32 PM


The memory controller is extremely limited. The RAM I have is rated 1600MHZ, but I'll be damned if I can't get it to run past 1300. I wouldn't have that problem with ANY Intel rig.
Some proof at the G-Skill forums
Some at the AMD forums
This isn't something I think AMD is forthcoming about because if they did, it would be basically admitting defeat and saying they can't compete with Intel. It's more something that has been discovered in the community.

"Why don't you call upon your God to strike me? Oh, I forgot it's because he's fake like Thor, so bite me" -Greydon Square

This message is a reply to:
 Message 49 by crashfrog, posted 08-23-2011 11:32 PM crashfrog has not replied

  
hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 51 of 55 (630348)
08-24-2011 2:05 PM
Reply to: Message 49 by crashfrog
08-23-2011 11:32 PM


TechReport when the Phenom II came out on AM3: (better than forum posts, no?)
The new Phenom IIs officially support DDR3 memory at up to 1333MHz, but the multipliers are present for 1600MHz operation, as well, as they are in high-end Core 2 and Core i7 systems. Unlike the Core i7, the Phenom II still has "only" two memory channels onboard, not three. I say "only" because each channel of DDR3-1333 memory can transfer up to 10.7 GB/s. Combined with the 2GHz HyperTransport 3 link on each CPU, the total bandwidth available via Socket AM3 is roughly 37.3 GB/s, considerably more than the peak data rate of 10.7 GB/s available via a Core 2 processor's front-side bus (even if it is less than the staggering 64 GB/s possible with a Core i7-965 Extreme and three channels of DDR3 at 1600MHz.) One caveat: the Phenom II only supports 1333MHz DDR3at least, officiallywith a single DIMM in each memory channel. With four DDR3 DIMMs, 1066MHz is the standard. Such limitations are nothing new, of course. Previous Phenoms have long supported 1066MHz DDR2 memory, but only with a single DIMM per channel.
That said, it is not impossible, per se, but it IS a bitch to get RAM to run above 1333. The trade off then, it seems, is to underclock and get timings as tight as possible.

"Why don't you call upon your God to strike me? Oh, I forgot it's because he's fake like Thor, so bite me" -Greydon Square

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Stile
Member
Posts: 4295
From: Ontario, Canada
Joined: 12-02-2004


Message 52 of 55 (660194)
04-21-2012 8:03 PM


Into the fray again... maybe
Hi guys,
Thanks again for the previous information. I did read it all, learned a lot and actually put together a setup I was going to go ahead with.
Then, one night, I had an epiphany that a laptop would be better.
(Read... I had a talk with the wife and learned that she would be the primary user of the laptop and I no longer needed a desktop)
In all actuality, she was right. I don't really use a home computer anymore, but she does... a lot.
So, we looked into laptops, and I still wanted one that would play DIII on it and found an ASUS i7, 6GB, with one of those optimus-switching-to-NVidia graphics things on it for about $1000. (Bought it about 6 months ago or something like that...)
DIII is having open beta this weekend (ending Monday April 23rd, 10am) though often the servers are full... hence me posting here and not playing right now... but I did get a chance to test it out and it worked great with DIII, so I did good enough.
Anyway, the wife and I are discussing playing DIII together. Which means I might need another computer that can play the game...
So, I first thought I might be able to use my work computer. It's a Toshiba Tecra M10 with the silly integrated Intel (R) Family Chipset or whatever graphics. A good work computer, but junky for DIII. DIII actually says it won't let me play with it, but I found a work-around online that will allow me to play the game and ignore Blizzard's hardware check. It does work... but it's not really playable. Even on lowest settings, it's just too choppy.
So, again, I'm looking at a budget of likely less than $1100. And with how well the other ASUS I have worked out, I'm actually looking for another laptop that will run DIII. I just don't really have a place in the house to put a desktop. I have so far picked out this:
Acer Aspire AS7750G-9898 Notebook Intel Core i7 2670QM(2.20GHz) 17.3" Wide SXGA 6GB Memory DDR3 1066 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVDR/RW AMD Radeon HD 6850M ($989.00)
I was also looking at a few others:
ASUS A73SD-TS72 Notebook PC - Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, DVDRW, 1GB Nvidia GT610M, 17.3" Display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Brown, 1-Yr Warranty / 1-Yr Accidental Damage ($930 -> maybe even $830 with a coupon)
...but I've heard that the Nvidia GT610M isn't all that great of a graphics card?
ASUS N53SV-EH72 Notebook PC - Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2 GHz, 6GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, DVDRW, 1GB Nvidia GT 540, 15.6" Display, Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit ($1000)
...but I think the Nvidia GT 540 is a bit of an older graphics card now?
Any tips or comments would be appreciated.
Although it looks like it, I am not set to "must have" an i7. I'm open to any kind of laptop, I'm just looking to get what I can in order to play DIII smoothly with decent settings.
Edited by Stile, : No reason given.
Edited by Stile, : No reason given.

Replies to this message:
 Message 53 by Taz, posted 04-21-2012 11:44 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied
 Message 54 by Huntard, posted 04-22-2012 3:55 AM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3292 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 53 of 55 (660201)
04-21-2012 11:44 PM
Reply to: Message 52 by Stile
04-21-2012 8:03 PM


Re: Into the fray again... maybe
Stile writes:
DIII is having open beta this weekend (ending Monday April 23rd, 10am) though often the servers are full... hence me posting here and not playing right now... but I did get a chance to test it out and it worked great with DIII, so I did good enough.
A friend of mine called me up today excitedly telling me something about a game or something was free this weekend or whatever. Since I don't play game, I had no idea what the hell he was talking about.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 52 by Stile, posted 04-21-2012 8:03 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
Huntard
Member (Idle past 2295 days)
Posts: 2870
From: Limburg, The Netherlands
Joined: 09-02-2008


Message 54 of 55 (660205)
04-22-2012 3:55 AM
Reply to: Message 52 by Stile
04-21-2012 8:03 PM


Re: Into the fray again... maybe
For playing D III, any of those laptops will do. So, either go for the cheapest one, or the one that you like the specs of the best.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 52 by Stile, posted 04-21-2012 8:03 PM Stile has seen this message but not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 55 of 55 (660210)
04-22-2012 7:04 AM


me too
I am in the market for a new work laptop.
I would like full streaming video and dvdrw is virtually standard need (unless somat else is replacing It?) to be able to store job information and record designs specifications etc
It needs to be good at graphics and able to model 3d cad
But I would also like it loaded with Ubuntu 10+ rather than windows or mac os and no extraneous software that I'll never use.
I am also interested in a tablet for more leisure use, and can see playing games on this platform.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
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to share.


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