G
Guest
Well, after much debate I think it may be time to get a new PC. I have been
reluctant to as we just bought a new PC last year, but a couple of things
have changed my mind:
It only has a PCI slot for video card upgrade, no AGP. And in any case, the
monitor has this wacky ‘digital +’ plug that appears to only fit with Fujitsu
computers. No DVI or VGA adapters appear to be adaptable. I went ahead and
bought a Ge-Force 5600 PCI video card that does get me into the market for
Direct X 9b games, but the performance is sketchy (always have to set to
lowest options, and then still get lag in games like BFV). I also bought an
old cheap VGA monitor, but it hurts my eyes. Not thrilled with the prospect
of shelling out a couple of hundred dollars more for a new DVI monitor to
equal the original, and still being yesterday’s PCI technology, I thought
getting a new system might be in order. Too bad as Fujitsu has a good
reputation for quality here, and I am happy with the PC otherwise. And it’s
all still under warranty.
Keep in mind I am in Japan, and the language barrier makes everything more
difficult. Also, selling/buying used computers is not common here, so I’ll
probably have to take a huge hit if I go that route. We got the system for
130,000 yen (about $1200 US), much cheaper than normal retail. Anyway, if
possible I would like to try and salvage something from it to be cost
effective. Is it possible to do this? The low end SiS 740 video card is
built into the mobo, and there are no AGP slots.
Make/name: Fujitsu FMV-Deskpower (Model: CE21C).
AMD Anthalon XP 2100+
266 MHz system bus clock
256 MB memory (plus 512 MB stick I added)
120 GB HD
Accessories: 17†flatscreen monitor with built-in speakers, laser mouse,
DVD-R CD-RW drive, Ge-Force 5600 PCI card.
I play a lot of games, so would like to have a decent system, but don’t need
to get an outrageously new/expensive type. Any advice or recommendations
greatly appreciated!
Also, I'm having someone call the internet company for me tomorrow morning
about max speeds. But if I understand correctly, ADSL is the fastest hookup
here, offered through a company called Yahoo BB (Yahoo broadband). I'm
getting about 26 M as my connection speed (sorry but I don't know what 'M'
stands for - again the language barrier). I should mention that BB was only
introduced in my region last year.
So is this speed the ultimate bottleneck for online gaming? Will an upgraded
system only be a waste?
On a side note, I went to the 2 PC shops in my city here. Believe it or not,
the ONLY PC that either of them carried that had an AGP slot was their 'top
of the line' Sony Vaio model VGC-RA50L7. link and specs:
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGC-RA70P/
-HT tech intel Pentium 4 processor 3.20E GHz
-memory 512MB（256MB × 2）
（DDR 400）
-200GB HDD
-DVD±RWdrive（DVD＋R 2）
-17" flatscreen monitor
-GeForce 5200 video card
This sells for the 'screaming deal' of 239,800 yen (about $2200 US). At one
shop, the guy didn't even know what an AGP slot was! I had to point out the
parts I was interested in while asking for advice! Not exactly a confidence
booster.
Anyway, it apperas as though laptops and unupgradable 'desktops' like I have
now, are the main fare in Japan. It may be possible to get other stuff in
Osaka though, as it's a large center, but I'll have to make a special trip
just to check it out, so it would be good to know what I generaly want before
I go there.
Again, thanks for your help!
Cheers! -j
reluctant to as we just bought a new PC last year, but a couple of things
have changed my mind:
It only has a PCI slot for video card upgrade, no AGP. And in any case, the
monitor has this wacky ‘digital +’ plug that appears to only fit with Fujitsu
computers. No DVI or VGA adapters appear to be adaptable. I went ahead and
bought a Ge-Force 5600 PCI video card that does get me into the market for
Direct X 9b games, but the performance is sketchy (always have to set to
lowest options, and then still get lag in games like BFV). I also bought an
old cheap VGA monitor, but it hurts my eyes. Not thrilled with the prospect
of shelling out a couple of hundred dollars more for a new DVI monitor to
equal the original, and still being yesterday’s PCI technology, I thought
getting a new system might be in order. Too bad as Fujitsu has a good
reputation for quality here, and I am happy with the PC otherwise. And it’s
all still under warranty.
Keep in mind I am in Japan, and the language barrier makes everything more
difficult. Also, selling/buying used computers is not common here, so I’ll
probably have to take a huge hit if I go that route. We got the system for
130,000 yen (about $1200 US), much cheaper than normal retail. Anyway, if
possible I would like to try and salvage something from it to be cost
effective. Is it possible to do this? The low end SiS 740 video card is
built into the mobo, and there are no AGP slots.
Make/name: Fujitsu FMV-Deskpower (Model: CE21C).
AMD Anthalon XP 2100+
266 MHz system bus clock
256 MB memory (plus 512 MB stick I added)
120 GB HD
Accessories: 17†flatscreen monitor with built-in speakers, laser mouse,
DVD-R CD-RW drive, Ge-Force 5600 PCI card.
I play a lot of games, so would like to have a decent system, but don’t need
to get an outrageously new/expensive type. Any advice or recommendations
greatly appreciated!
Also, I'm having someone call the internet company for me tomorrow morning
about max speeds. But if I understand correctly, ADSL is the fastest hookup
here, offered through a company called Yahoo BB (Yahoo broadband). I'm
getting about 26 M as my connection speed (sorry but I don't know what 'M'
stands for - again the language barrier). I should mention that BB was only
introduced in my region last year.
So is this speed the ultimate bottleneck for online gaming? Will an upgraded
system only be a waste?
On a side note, I went to the 2 PC shops in my city here. Believe it or not,
the ONLY PC that either of them carried that had an AGP slot was their 'top
of the line' Sony Vaio model VGC-RA50L7. link and specs:
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGC-RA70P/
-HT tech intel Pentium 4 processor 3.20E GHz
-memory 512MB（256MB × 2）
（DDR 400）
-200GB HDD
-DVD±RWdrive（DVD＋R 2）
-17" flatscreen monitor
-GeForce 5200 video card
This sells for the 'screaming deal' of 239,800 yen (about $2200 US). At one
shop, the guy didn't even know what an AGP slot was! I had to point out the
parts I was interested in while asking for advice! Not exactly a confidence
booster.
Anyway, it apperas as though laptops and unupgradable 'desktops' like I have
now, are the main fare in Japan. It may be possible to get other stuff in
Osaka though, as it's a large center, but I'll have to make a special trip
just to check it out, so it would be good to know what I generaly want before
I go there.
Again, thanks for your help!
Cheers! -j