rec.autos.simulators

I'm somewhat knowledgable about computers, but very ignorant of what
is the "cutting edge." I basically want a computer that is great for
*** (I really only use racing simulators) and for programming. I've
got something in the Micron/Dell/Gateway2k general design in mind...
P300 with some marvelous motherboard (any suggestions??), 64 meg ram
(what kind??), some form of 3d/2d board (what kind??), lots of disk
space, good modem...

so where should I look? Which of those companies is presently best in
terms of speed, cost, and general flexibility. G2k has given me a
little trouble with being sort of proprietary...

Thanks! Please post here...

I'm somewhat knowledgable about computers, but very ignorant of what
is the "cutting edge." I basically want a computer that is great for
*** (mostly I use racing simulators) and for programming games. I
think I'll probably go with something in the Micron/Dell/Gateway2k
general lines. General specs I'm envisioning are: P300 (I take it the
Pentium2MMX is the  way to go?) with some marvelous motherboard (any
suggestions??), 64 meg ram (what kind??), some form of 3d/2d board
(what kind??), lots of disk space (what's the best deal now?), good
soundcard (what kind?), good modem...

Which of those companies is presently most on the mark in  your
knowledge and opinion? I've worked a lot with Gateway2ks- which have
been great except for some oddly proprietary hardware (odd video cards
and odd sound cards, for example).

Thanks! Please post here...

This is pretty much the definitive hardware page with everything from
specs on CPU's to mobo's to video cards.  You could build a shopping
list from the web page and build a really fast (and over-clockable)
system.

You might also want to check out the current issue of Computer ***
World, as it has a feature on hot *** platforms including Dell,
Gateway, and Micron...but my personal favorite was the Falcon
Northwest...for $8500 US!!!!  I think this one might run CPR at a
decent framerate.. :)

--

Neil Yeatman          
Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

From what I've currently read, the hottest system (at the moment)
is the Gateway P-II 266, and not its 300Mhz cousin.  The 266
smashed the record books with the highest Winmarks (780?) for
any off-the-shelf system, and most of the "custom built" ones too.

Price comes in around $3,000 with all the extra bells and whistles.

(Not sure, but I think this may have Intel's new AGPort...call
Gateway to find out)

Cheers!

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

* No animals were harmed in the making of this e-mail.

This is in the neighborhood of what I am expecting to pay. How is it
that a 266 is faster than the 300 -> because the 266 is the fastest P2
and the 300 is the fastest straight Pentium? What would the down side
be to a P2 (if any) in a *** system? Are they both "MMX" systems?

I am also wondering- should I go WinNT or Win95? I figure everything
will be NT in a year or two, and I prefer NT, but I have noticed that
NT isn't quite as good a *** system that 95 is (at least in running
my own compiled programs).

Hmmm... I'll have to read up on what that is. Thanks! GIves me
something to start with.

Buy a Dell....

On Mon, 10 Nov 1997 19:50:23 -0500, Neil Yeatman

<...>

Yes indeed, that is one hell of a page! Thanks.

It looks like the P2-300 is the ultimate PC processor right now. But
the fact that it has bizarre votlage requirements and is on an
Intel-licensed "pseudo-socket", hence needs a proprietary motherboard
which will possibly be "obsolete" in 9 months when the "Descheutes"
(sp) P2s needing a whole new bus comes out... that really isn't a
great selling point. It might be better to stick with the old "Socket
7" motherboards and the flexibility they will continue to offer for a
long time (because of millions of AMD and Intel processors being based
on it)- but then, you don't get the fastest machine.

I hoped that by holding out a year or two with my old machine, I'd
come back to find that all the questions were now simpler- but they
ain't!

Sell a Dell...

On Mon, 10 Nov 1997 21:52:00 +0000, Mike Williams

<...>

Ya- if I wait another 6 months, I could be asking for an Intel  400Mhz
or 450Mhz Deschutes processor! My main hope is that whatever I buy
will be highly upgradeable with the existing motherboard. But I know
it won't be compatible for long...

- Gerry

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