Good Enough?

[2k6]

Is my computer good enough to play FFXI and how good would it play? Yes, i know... :sweat:

Intel Celeron 633mhz :sweat:
512mb SDRAM
GeForce FX5200 PCI (Motherboard got no AGP) :sweat:
I've got enough hard disk space.

[Siber]

Only 1 thing doesn't meet the sys reqs. And that's the CPU. Not only is it a celeron, but it is 633 MHz. The minimum is 800 MHz pentium. So yours won't run well at all (from a spec stand point).

But because it is a Celeron you could over clock it. That's always the best part of the Celeron, easily over-clockable. And this might make up for it and it would run on all the lowest settings.

[The Chemist]

Hey Siber. I have a questions for ya. What do you know about the new P4 extreme. Is it worth the extra 1k for the upgrade from the P4 3.0 gig? I know that it has a 2.5MB Cache which is 2 MB more than the P4 3.2 W/out the upgrade to extreme. So what info do you have on the new extreme version of the P4?

[Siber]

The EE was abit of a dissapointment in my opinion. What they did was added 2MB to the Level 3 cache. But cache is best the closer it is to the CPU, so you don't get much of a performance boost at all. In fact, in most benchmarks it only did as well as the P4 3.2GHz. Intel put out the chip in order to steal the thunder of AMD's release of it's 64-bit architecture line to the average consumer. It bombed miserably lol. It was also labeled as a "Gamer's processor" but it isn't. If that was true, they would have added cache to both Level 1 and Level 2. But the closer you get to the CPU w/ cache, the more expensive it gets. So the idiots at Intel added it to Level 3 which is no good. If I was you, I'd try and go for the AMD FX-51 Athlon 64 or the AMD Opteron. Save yourself $200, and get 64 bits which (when I think it's code named "Longhorn" right now) Windows-64 comes out, or one of the many linux distros, you will be able to take full advantage of it. If you have any more ?s, drop me a line.

[The Chemist]

Siber that was very informative thanks for the speedy reply. So what do you think the odds are of me finding a computer with a cache larger than 512kbs (more like 1 or 2 MB) in level 1 or 2? And if I can find it how much extra will it be? Does the larger cache size improve the game play of a computer? Here are the stats on my new computer what areas can be improved for game play?
P4 3.0 GB with a 1 or 2 MB cache in level 1 or 2 (if needed for improved game play)
1 GB DDR Ram (2 x 512 MB module)
Geforce FX 5950 Ultra 256 MB
Alien Ice cooling system

The only reason I can get a new computer like this is because my old one was stolen and now the insurance company is reimbursing me.

[The Chemist]

Hey Siber I did some research on the AFX and the A64? Looks like I might be going with the AFX instead of a P4? How do you fix the need for Register memory that is required by the AFX? What computer company(ies) that you know of actually use the new AFX in their computers?

[Siber]

The 2 AMD chips that I mentioned earlier have a 1 MB L2 cache. As to how much performance it will give you, I'm not sure sorry but it will give you some. It is cheaper than the Extreme Edition at www.newegg.com (a very cheap place that is reliable). And you lucky bast*rd for getting it stolen. I'm not sure what you mean by the register memory ?, so I'm gonna briefly explain this: Currently, most CPUs run on 32 bits (except the 64 bits obviously). The theoretical address space is limited to 4 GB, but more memory is becoming necessary. And the only way to break that is to either go to 64-bits or to use things like Registry extensions. Is that what you're talking about lol? And eMachines (the biggest joke of a company) is going to start putting them into their computers, when I do not know lol. But soon. I found this article at THG that might clear things up abit more and give you more information about it: http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030923/index.html Everyone loves THG lol.

[Doppelganger]

siber, longhorn and win xp 64-bit edition are not the same thing. soon next year, windows will release a home use version of it's 64-bit server OS (like NT becoming 2k... sort of). longhorn is a longer term OS (it will be out at the time of the LGA prescott chips), which will support both 32 and 64-bit processors (dunno how they can do it without lowering proformance on either platform though).

as for that computer, there is a 1-15% chance it actually can play ffxi, though in a mode so low you might as well just have stickfigures..:sweat:

as for the processor, go for 3.0 or 3.2 p4 and overclock it to 3.4-4.0 GH (the higher end numbers WILL require VERY GOOD COOLING, else it will be the end of your cpu)

[Siber]

Thx for the info on the OS Doppel.

[Doppelganger]

no problem ^^



if anyone is saving money for a new comp, and you can wait for a few more months, wait til november of next year; longhorn + prescott lga + >1 gh fsb + pci express + ati r420 + firewire 800 = one kick ass comp (prescott will also be cheaper than a p4 due to a smaller die size)

[The Chemist]

Siber and Doppelganger, Thanks for the info. Doppelganger when you said that the computer specs were so low they might play the game, and if it did I might as well have stick fingures. Were those computer specs the ones I sent in? If so what would you suggest my upgrades be? Now you said to wait for the new 64 bit computers coming out. I want to wait really I do but I have been unable to play any online games since Oct (due to computer being stolen). In January 3 months will have passed, and now it seems like I am so far behind in SWG that catching up looks worse and worse everyday (I see that the Jedi slots have finally been unlocked). This is also one reason I am looking for a new online game. How much do you think the new 64 bit computers will be upon release?



Q