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meuge

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Posts posted by meuge

  1. Thanks for the advice. I agree with your

    suggestion of upgrading on component at a time. I never really thought

    about doing that. I'm sure my wife would thank you for the insight

    also. My sub currently has an option to switch over from music to

    cinema. I usually watch movies though. I would say that's my biggest

    reason to upgrade. If you think that the two RF-7's will sound

    better then my one sub, how about going without one? I wonder if I

    would miss it.....I want something clean that would give out a nice

    deep bass without sounding too too aggressive. I wouldn't want to

    spend more the $1,000 or so. Any recommendations? I usually keep my sub

    in a corner so the size wouldn't be that big of a factor.

    Dayton Titanic III Kit

    2 Hours of work, and a heck of a lot of sub for the money.

    http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-764

    $688 with FREE SHIPPING.

    I doubt anything under $1000 can touch it.

  2. XP 64 is not a crappy system, but the lack of driver is a problem yes.

    Hypothetically

    you would see some increased performance from running all native 64 bit

    stuf, since on a 32bit OS the AMD is emulating a 32bit proc.

    Well, to be perfectly sincere, AMD64 is not a true 64-bit CPU... it's a

    32-bit CPU with 64-bit registers and extensions (hence the x64 name).

    But yes, the gains from a 64-bit operating system can be huge, but the

    lack of driver support and regular updates makes it the poor brother of

    WinXP-32... at least for now.

  3. Meuge do you think I would benefit a significant

    performance boost with going with a new processor such as the Amd

    Athlon 64 3200+ ( venice ) from a Amd xp 2700+ ( thoroughbred) 32bit?

    Would it be worth the extra 200 something for cpu and motherboard.? Or

    should I hold out for something better later on? I like the idea of

    having high numbers in the front side bus, and the upgradable graphics

    card ( pci express 16) down the road. Also would it still run

    on regular windows xp untill I could afford the 64 bit version?

    Thanks

    WinXP x64 is a pretty crappy system right now, since there are very few

    drivers out for it. I wouldn't use it until it becomes more mainstream

    anyway.

    As far as upgrading from XP2700 to AMD64, it's a worthwhile upgrade,

    depending on what you want to do. Obviously for general computing it's

    useless, but if you play games, it's a big jump. For example, (using

    Tomshardware CPU charts) the differnce between Newcastle AMD64 3200 and

    XP2700 is 141fps vs. 100fps... and that's using NForce3. With Venice

    (and its SSE3 support) and Nforce 4, I expect the difference to be as

    high as 50%. And that's assuming the same video card.

  4. Meuge, have you noticed anything funky with

    your dual-core proc? A friend of mine who builds PCs claims I

    should really wait for the next generation as there are some kinks to

    be worked out of the current line?

    No kinks. Running flawlessly at 2.4GHz (from stock 2.0), otherwise

    known as X2 4600 speeds. Single-process applications run fine,

    multiple-thread applications run amazingly well, and multitasking is a

    breeze.

  5. I just got this album, and have to admit it's really interesting. It

    was quite different from her first album, which was pleasant to listen

    to, but not remarkable. However, once you get through the first couple

    of songs (why are they there in the first place?) the album really

    opens up. Katie's voice is something to behold (I missed seeing her

    live last year, but won't make the same mistake again), and while her

    lyrics could use some more maturity, the musical arrangements are

    tastefully done, and the quality of the recording is excellent.

  6. How about both?

    AMD64 X2 3800+ (OCed to 2.4GHz or 4800+)

    X800GTO2 (unlocked and clocked to 520/550 or X850XT)

    1GB Corsair XMS @ 200MHz

    Antec P180 case (the Jaguar of PC cases)

    3x 120mm fans @ 7V (>60CFM through the case at <40dB altogether)

    Thermalright XP-90 w. Panaflo L1A 80mm fan (yeah, I know - 80mm fans are so two years ago... but it's quiet... and free.

    Antec TruePower 430W (modded w. 1x80mm Panaflo L1A @ 10V, 10V 90mm fan mod)

    :)~

    CS:Source 1280x1024, 2X AA, 4X AF, detail to max, doesn't drop below 60 fps.

    Too bad I had to sacrifice my RAID array.

  7. Comes out today. Can't wait to go pick

    it up. The doom 3 engine with Quake-3 style multiplayer.

    I got banned from a bunch of QIII servers because I kept railing

    everyone. Over and over... I kept trying to explain to them that I was

    world top 50 in RogueSpear, and can't help my aim, but they just

    wouldn't listen!

  8. Do you have a link to info on this chip you bought? Exact model, etc.

    Here's a review that should have all the information you need:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/200508011/

    The chip is an Athlon64 X2 3800+

    At newegg.com which is my preferred dealer in hardware, the chip costs

    about $350. It uses Socket 939 motherboards, and a good one will run

    you about $105 (based on the Nforce 4 Ultra chipset). You'll also need

    to get a PCI-Express video card if you want to use it, since these

    boards no longer support AGP.

  9. I also want to add something - systems based on AMD chips feel faster.

    They are just snappier in day-to-day use. Programs open faster, the

    system just feels more responsive. My 1.4GHz Athlon Thunderbird still

    boots 2s faster than my 2.8GHz P4... and feels much better overall,

    although it can't deliver the same frames per second, in games.

    For the day and a half, that I used my new AMD64 (dual-core mind you,

    so the benefit of dual CPUs is there too), there is only one phrase

    that I can come up with to describe it -> BLAZING FAST.

    You'd think that going from a P4 at 3GHz to an AMD64 at 2GHz wouldn't

    be an upgrade, and you'd be dead wrong. At 33% less clockspeed, AMD

    slaughters the P4.

  10. Do you have any Athlon vs. P4 comments?

    I've always gone with Pentium after bad experiences with early athlons

    (1998-2000 era) but I've been reading that the Athlon 64 is excellent

    for gaming and compiling code, the two things I do most.

    Since the original Athlons (I had a 1.4GHz one) and especially since

    AthlonXP chips, AMD has killed Intel chips when it comes to

    performance. With AMD64, AMD has extended its lead to the point where

    large manufacturers are beginning to shake their committment to Wintel

    systems.

    If you need price/performance ratio, and do not require cutting-edge

    performance (for 3D rendering, audio editing, or modern gaming) then go

    with the AthlonXP chips - they are very cheap, and still hold their own

    against the current P4s. If you crave pure performance, or extreme I/O

    speeds for servers, AMD64/Opteron chips are the way to go. I cannot

    think of a single reason to recommend an Intel system to anyone at this

    point, and this is coming from someone who owned an Intel system in the

    last incarnation of my desktop (first a P4 1.6A that I ran at a 50%

    overclock at 2.4Ghz for 2 years, and my recent P4 2.8GHz which was a

    dud).

    P.S. Just my luck - my new motherboard happily died after 2 days of

    usage (first motherboard to ever fail on me). Now I am left without a

    desktop, as I await its replacement.

  11. Ok, so I got the new computer. and man - it screams!

    Now I know why people have raved about multiple processors all these years. It's just so... smooth.

    Modding of the X800GTO2 went without a hitch, so at this point I have a

    fully functional X850XT... and maybe even XTPE, but I'm waiting to get

    my NV Silencer cooler from a friend before I try that.

    The CPU is still at stock speeds (till tonight) but I fully expect to be running it at X2 4800 speeds by the end of the evening.

  12. Looks like you'll have a nice fast setup there.

    With the new consoles coming out, it won't be too long before the bar

    has to be raised for PC games. With that setup, you'll be set. My XP

    2800+ and ATI 9600XT have done well the last couple of years, but I

    doubt it'll get me by much longer.

    Enjoy.

    I was amazed that my PC was no longer able to handle modern games at

    medium settings with a P4 2.8 @ 3.1GHz and Radeon 9800Pro @ >9800XT

    speeds.

    But Call Of Duty 2 demo and FEAR demo brought my system to its knees. So I guess it's time to upgrade.

  13. I just got the utterly ridiculous razer

    copperhead mouse. It is a 2000 dpi optical mouse with a 1000hz

    USB polling rate. The mouse has embedded firmware and memory such

    that any sensitivity or button macro setting changes you make can be

    saved on it and just taken to another PC etc. Its very neat that

    without installing any special driver I can click a button on the mouse

    itself and change sensitivity on the fly.

    Its also very pretty:

    What mouse were you using before?

    I am using a Logitech MX510 and I like it... I also couldn't do without the side buttons - how are they on the copperhead?

  14. I'm in the process of purchasing a new home theater system for my new house that is under construction.

    These are the speakers that I was planning on buying...

    Fronts: Pair of RB15

    Rears: Pair of RCR3

    Middle: Pair of RCR3

    Center: RC25

    Subwoofer: RW10

    I am also planning on placing HS-1 out by the pool....

    Couple of questions....

    1)

    Is this better than average setup for Home Theater System? Is it the

    right setup for someont that spends 75% movies, and 25% music?

    2) What receiver would you recommend to get the most out of this 7.1 speaker selection?

    Thanks in advance....

    Just substitute a pair of RB-25s for the RB-15s... and perhaps a different sub is in order.

  15. Please, please, please stop using analog outs from a mainstream computer sound card. The degree to which they are trash will amaze you once you upgrade to something better.

    I would suggest getting an external DAC cheap from audiogon (<$300) and outputting SPDIF digital from your current soundcard into it. Otherwise you could purchase a pro-type sound card with much better analog outs - an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 or an EMU 0404... or the higher up models of the same.

    Khorns might just be more revealing of the problem with your source. A computer is the best transport for digital music, but it must be used correctly.

  16. ----------------

    On 8/25/2005 11:17:13 AM texxas guy wrote:

    ...and what are the specs on it? I don't find a lot of info on their site. I am asking about the 12" and 15" models. Are they comparable to SVS and HSU?

    Thanks in advance for the info.

    Larry (still weighing options)

    ----------------

    I have the 15" model, which I've reviewed here:

    http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=59175

    It is an amazing sub, especially given its modest price.

    Check out the thread... it should contain all the information you need. The only thing that I would like to add is that I now prefer the crossover point at 80Hz instead of 40Hz. The high quality of the Titanic III and the fidelity with which it reproduces sound allow you to add punch to the mid bass without losing clarity... something I couldn't do with my HSU VTF-2.

  17. Firstly, you shouldn't worry about clipping the speakers with your amp. You will never wind up putting that much power into them, except perhaps for incredibly short intervals of time during peaks at high volume.

    Secondly, your room is actually LARGER than my 10x16 room, and I have a pair of RF-3II floorstanders. Trust me - the 25s are NOT too big for the room.

    I think what you should do is purchase the speakers first, before buying a new receiver, unless you're dead set on what you want to buy. Listen to them at home, with your own equipment - that's the only real way to see how much you like them.

    Also, I would advise you to upgrade fronts/center together, and if a delay is necessary, upgrade the surrounds later. The fronts/center synergy is very important for a good HT experience.

  18. ----------------

    On 8/23/2005 1:41:44 PM crazytubepower wrote:

    Cannot upload pictures! Sorry guys.

    ----------------

    Email me the pictures at themeuge_@_gmail.com (remove underscores - they are to fool bots scanning for emails to spam). I'll host them for you.

    P.S. Mark - if you read this - I guess you've already sent out the first batch of Merlins for trials. I had the impression that I'd be getting one too, but I haven't heard from you. Can you let me know if there is a Merlin heading my way? I'm eager to try it out.

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