COTS gaming box recommendations

**Wyzcrak** · 09-17-2007, 01:42 AM

Forgive me if this has been discussed recently. I couldn't find the thread.

I'm in the market for a new gaming rig. I'm content to leave my box-building days behind me. The box I have now was commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), and I've been very pleased. I'd like to repeat that process, but, for the first time ever, I'm getting bells and whistles (if I man up and actually go through with this).

That is to say... I'm looking for the fastest processor outside of the "only idiots with too much money they don't know how to spend" bracket, some amount of RAM I'll tell my grandchildren about, and a hard drive that won't slow the other two down any more than it has to. Oh, and a video card that makes the system fans work. Oh... and a quiet system fan (silent isn't necessary, and I don't need a waterfall in the box if it's not necessary).

So, I'm looking for a company from whom I can purchase a beefy gaming rig. I'm content with my 19" CRT, but I'm not necessarily opposed to a new monitor. I love XP (and can install it myself), but I'll jump to Vista if it makes life easier for my new hardware.

Otherwise, I want a fully-functional box. DVD burner, CDRW, etc. Don't care about sound so much. Onboard gets me by. One-year warranty has always been sufficient for me?

Sooo, anyway.... many thanks for any recommendations you can offer or concerns you can raise for me.

**Apophis** · 09-17-2007, 07:45 AM

I would probably go with a Dell XPS Gaming rig if I didn't want to build one myself. The warranty and overall support will serve you well and you won't really need to think too much about the box other than playing on it once you get it.

$1,700 will get you an XPS with a Core 2 Duo 6750, XP, 2GB memory, 250GB HD, CD/DVD Burner, and a 19" widescreen. The stock video in that config is a 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS but you can jump up to a 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX for another $400.

**loyalguard** · 09-17-2007, 09:12 AM

Before I built my last box I STRONGLY considered buying a custom build from Velocity Micro . They come highly rated from HardOCP and MaximumPC, they offer COTS rigs that are easy to customize, and have excellent service and support. MainGear is another high quaility builder that you could consider.

**tHa_KhAn** · 09-17-2007, 10:31 AM

Don't know if you consider them COTS, but good value and options and you don't have to put it together: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

I know a few people with these and they are completely satisfied.

Acreo Aeneas · 09-17-2007, 10:45 AM

DELL's XPS line (like Apophis suggested).

ABS PC also offers COTS gaming rigs.

Buckets · 09-17-2007, 12:02 PM

Another vote here for Velocity Micro. Their build quality is great. If I were to buy instead of build, I'd get a Velocity Micro.

Beatnik · 09-17-2007, 01:39 PM

I got my rig from directron.com a few years ago. I chose them because you basically spec out your parts, including everything from the case to the mobo, etc., and they assemble it all for $40. I was very happy with their service.

Black_V!per · 09-17-2007, 10:53 PM

While i prefer to build my own PC i hear a lot of great reviews on Velocity Micro. I've heard nothing but great things about them, read nothing but great reviews about them, and have even recommended them to a friend who now "Owes me their life" *Or so they said*. So i guess their pretty good. lol

**Wyzcrak** · 09-18-2007, 01:19 AM

Don't answer my silly questions unless you just "know" the answer and enjoy answering. I can find this crap on Google. I'm just trying to save myself time if friends already have the answer.

That having been said.......

What's a "physics accelerator" and should I buy one?

aeroripper · 09-18-2007, 02:41 AM

There are some games that support physics cards (PhysX), but I don't believe its been really incorporated into the mainsteam yet as a lot of games don't support it. From what I can tell, the power on current GPUs is sufficient to offload physics onto them without the need for a dedicated physics chip. Essentially, its a processor dedicated to just processing physics, instead of the CPU\GPU doing it.

Current games supported by the main physics accelerator out there:

http://www.ageia.com/physx/titles.html

FWIW, I don't think it would be a good investment with multiple processors becoming more common. In another 3-5 years that might be a different story.

**Dick Blonov** · 09-18-2007, 08:18 AM

Here's one of the threads on the Phys X card.

Also, Havok, another approach to physics.

Opinions vary

DB

**Wyzcrak** · 09-18-2007, 09:08 AM

Sounds like something I could add later. I'll skip it for now unless someone offers a compelling reason not to.

Zoopy · 09-18-2007, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyzcrak

Sounds like something I could add later. I'll skip it for now unless someone offers a compelling reason not to.

With a PPU you get more particle effects in Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Isn't that worth the $200?

=Sarc= · 09-18-2007, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoopy_T

With a PPU you get more particle effects in Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Isn't that worth the $200?

Yeah! I could totally spend hours shooting at trees and seeing more wood chips than normal. [/sarcasm]

There really aren't many games using PhysX. If they do, they aren't very popular or don't really add much to the gaming experience. The neat ones like Cell Factor require PhysX but I think it's the only one that requires PhysX anyway. Which means you end up playing the few others that bought a PhysX card.

**Wyzcrak** · 09-19-2007, 10:44 PM

I've always been satisfied by on-board sound. If I stay with on-board sound on this really fast system I'm looking at, does the system's reliance on the mainboard for sound appreciably slow down my experience with the rest of the components?

Also, regarding processors, I can get a quad-core Q6600 for about the same price as a dual-core E6850. I realize that most games today (especially the older crap I play) don't use quad-core, but I'm often running stuff in the background while the game is playing, and surely more games (nevermind other apps, and Vista) will use the additional cores in the future?

So, am I way off-base thinking that quad-core is a decent choice for me? A little slower for now, but better in the long run? No?

09-17-2007, 01:42 AM	#1 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,148	COTS gaming box recommendations Forgive me if this has been discussed recently. I couldn't find the thread. I'm in the market for a new gaming rig. I'm content to leave my box-building days behind me. The box I have now was commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), and I've been very pleased. I'd like to repeat that process, but, for the first time ever, I'm getting bells and whistles (if I man up and actually go through with this). That is to say... I'm looking for the fastest processor outside of the "only idiots with too much money they don't know how to spend" bracket, some amount of RAM I'll tell my grandchildren about, and a hard drive that won't slow the other two down any more than it has to. Oh, and a video card that makes the system fans work. Oh... and a quiet system fan (silent isn't necessary, and I don't need a waterfall in the box if it's not necessary). So, I'm looking for a company from whom I can purchase a beefy gaming rig. I'm content with my 19" CRT, but I'm not necessarily opposed to a new monitor. I love XP (and can install it myself), but I'll jump to Vista if it makes life easier for my new hardware. Otherwise, I want a fully-functional box. DVD burner, CDRW, etc. Don't care about sound so much. Onboard gets me by. One-year warranty has always been sufficient for me? Sooo, anyway.... many thanks for any recommendations you can offer or concerns you can raise for me. __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

09-17-2007, 07:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Apophis Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Rhode Island, USA Age: 36 Posts: 8,974	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations I would probably go with a Dell XPS Gaming rig if I didn't want to build one myself. The warranty and overall support will serve you well and you won't really need to think too much about the box other than playing on it once you get it. $1,700 will get you an XPS with a Core 2 Duo 6750, XP, 2GB memory, 250GB HD, CD/DVD Burner, and a 19" widescreen. The stock video in that config is a 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS but you can jump up to a 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX for another $400. __________________ Diplomacy is the art of saying "good doggie" while looking for a bigger stick.

09-17-2007, 09:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
loyalguard Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Reykjavik, Iceland Age: 36 Posts: 1,333	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Before I built my last box I STRONGLY considered buying a custom build from Velocity Micro . They come highly rated from HardOCP and MaximumPC, they offer COTS rigs that are easy to customize, and have excellent service and support. MainGear is another high quaility builder that you could consider. __________________ \|TG\| LoyalGuard Armed Assault Admin ArmA - Announcements & SOPs \| Coop Server Mission List Question/Complaint about ArmA? PM me!

09-17-2007, 10:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
tHa_KhAn Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: The Gunshine State Age: 28 Posts: 2,201	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Don't know if you consider them COTS, but good value and options and you don't have to put it together: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ I know a few people with these and they are completely satisfied. __________________

09-17-2007, 10:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,547	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations DELL's XPS line (like Apophis suggested). ABS PC also offers COTS gaming rigs. __________________ Acreo_Aeneas Former 9th MID Member Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs.

09-17-2007, 12:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
Buckets Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Age: 27 Posts: 539	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Another vote here for Velocity Micro. Their build quality is great. If I were to buy instead of build, I'd get a Velocity Micro. __________________ The artist formerly known as "pecker"

09-17-2007, 01:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
Beatnik Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, TX Age: 33 Posts: 4,337	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations I got my rig from directron.com a few years ago. I chose them because you basically spec out your parts, including everything from the case to the mobo, etc., and they assemble it all for $40. I was very happy with their service. __________________ -F- Beatnik

09-17-2007, 10:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
Black_V!per Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Kingman AZ. Age: 20 Posts: 1,445	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations While i prefer to build my own PC i hear a lot of great reviews on Velocity Micro. I've heard nothing but great things about them, read nothing but great reviews about them, and have even recommended them to a friend who now "Owes me their life" Or so they said. So i guess their pretty good. lol __________________ Start counting, when you reach infinity tell me. If you can read this you've got to much time on your hands.

09-18-2007, 01:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,148	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Don't answer my silly questions unless you just "know" the answer and enjoy answering. I can find this crap on Google. I'm just trying to save myself time if friends already have the answer. That having been said....... What's a "physics accelerator" and should I buy one? __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

09-18-2007, 02:41 AM	#10 (permalink)
aeroripper Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 25 Posts: 2,288	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations There are some games that support physics cards (PhysX), but I don't believe its been really incorporated into the mainsteam yet as a lot of games don't support it. From what I can tell, the power on current GPUs is sufficient to offload physics onto them without the need for a dedicated physics chip. Essentially, its a processor dedicated to just processing physics, instead of the CPU\GPU doing it. Current games supported by the main physics accelerator out there: http://www.ageia.com/physx/titles.html FWIW, I don't think it would be a good investment with multiple processors becoming more common. In another 3-5 years that might be a different story.

09-18-2007, 08:18 AM	#11 (permalink)
Dick Blonov Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: In a Vortex! Age: 51 Posts: 3,387	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Here's one of the threads on the Phys X card. Also, Havok, another approach to physics. Opinions vary DB __________________ \|TG-6th\|Blonov «Any situation that involves the line "I was ran over by a dumptruck..." can't be good.» eGoatBoy BattleField2 SOPs \| Teamspeak \| Server Rules and SOPs \| The 6th Devil's Brigade

09-18-2007, 09:08 AM	#12 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,148	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations Sounds like something I could add later. I'll skip it for now unless someone offers a compelling reason not to. __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

09-19-2007, 10:44 PM	#15 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,148	Re: COTS gaming box recommendations I've always been satisfied by on-board sound. If I stay with on-board sound on this really fast system I'm looking at, does the system's reliance on the mainboard for sound appreciably slow down my experience with the rest of the components? Also, regarding processors, I can get a quad-core Q6600 for about the same price as a dual-core E6850. I realize that most games today (especially the older crap I play) don't use quad-core, but I'm often running stuff in the background while the game is playing, and surely more games (nevermind other apps, and Vista) will use the additional cores in the future? So, am I way off-base thinking that quad-core is a decent choice for me? A little slower for now, but better in the long run? No? __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

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