Suggestions for new computer needed

Fellow racer's-- I had been thinking about upgrading my 486/100 but have recently gotten a new job which will allow me to do the "real deal" upgrade to a whole new system. I'm planning on spending between $2,500.- $3,000. I've looked into a Dell 266 w 64 meg ram, matrox mellinium. ect ect. Does anyone a similar system. Local computer stores are a little bit more but if the thing breaks down you can always throw it through the window. Not to mention some local stores have burned me in the past or simply do not know what they're talking about... I have yet to find one that knows the difference between a rendition based card and a 3dfx card. Anyhow your suggestions comments are welcome and needed. If I'm shootin too high looking at the 200+ machines let me know that to. I'm just trying to anticipate the future software and it's requirments so I don't wind up in the boat that I've been in with my current computer. Thanks R. Faust aka Xducer

Don't hestitate to go with the Dell system. I purchased their Xps 233 mmx system a few weeks ago, and have been very pleased. I had to contact customer service once, on a saturday,because my cd-rom driver was not loading in dos. Got to speak to a live person within 10 minutes, he gave me the commands to add and had it working in no time. I had gone to their website, custom configured my system, ordered it from their website on sunday morning, and had the system on friday. I was leary of going with the PII chip since they were just coming out, but I wouldn't hesitate now. Couple of upgrades I did - I upgraded to their 17" TX ultrascan monitor, very good monitor. I also upgraded the speakers to the Altec Lansing acs 490 surround sound speakers, with 40 watt subwoofer. They really rock! I got the Matrox millinium graphics card, was a good card, but I swapped it out for the rendition card I had in my old system. I highly recommend a Dell, plus they have a 30 day total satisfaction guarentee. -- Don Burnette snip snip

Get a DVD SYTEM ONLY!!!!! They are the best. Imagine, on one CD-RoM, you can hold 17gbs of memory on one side! So that gives you a total amount of 34gb per cdrom! Don't go for a stinky sytem. ONly get top of the Tech. Well, don't get 300mhz. Your best buy is would be a P2 233MMX. Atlest, 5gb hard disk (trust me, you'll use it up quiker then you think), a extremly good card with about 4mb of ram on it. Preferbly 3d f/x or Rendition. Just to tell you, they have DVD Cdroms, video card, sound cards, and etc..., and lemme tell you that they are awesome and I have seen 'em work. It's worth every cent of your money. If you get a stinking dell or any other company and no dvd technoloy, your computer will be out in the trash can in about 5mounths when the fiber optic technology comes out. But DVD will last you atleast till the first Intel 64 bit proccessor in '99. DVD is a fully digital system which gives out pure digital outputs that can work with any apliance out of the computer. Think about it, TV instead of monitor, better sound quality, etc.... -- Sincerely, Mark F. Got a site on the Web? Want to promote or Join a Network? Heres your place to go: http://www.webstorage.com/~simgo/ Want to learn NASCAR 2 and/or Icr2 Editing? Well, then come here!: http://www.webstorage.com/~simgo/mypage/ >Don't hestitate to go with the Dell system. I purchased their Xps 233 mmx >system a few weeks ago, and have been very pleased. I had to contact >customer service once, on a saturday,because my cd-rom driver was not >loading in dos. Got to speak to a live person within 10 minutes, he gave me >the commands to add and had it working in no time. I had gone to their >website, custom configured my system, ordered it from their website on >sunday morning, and had the system on friday. I was leary of going with the >PII chip since they were just coming out, but I wouldn't hesitate now. >Couple of upgrades I did - I upgraded to their 17" TX ultrascan monitor, >very good monitor. I also upgraded the speakers to the Altec Lansing acs >490 surround sound speakers, with 40 watt subwoofer. They really rock! I >got the Matrox millinium graphics card, was a good card, but I swapped it >out for the rendition card I had in my old system. I highly recommend a >Dell, plus they have a 30 day total satisfaction guarentee. >-- >Don Burnette >> Fellow racer's-- >> I had been thinking about upgrading my 486/100 but have recently gotten a >new >> job which will allow me to do the "real deal" upgrade to a whole new >system. >> I'm planning on spending between $2,500.- $3,000. I've looked into a >Dell 266 >> w 64 meg ram, matrox mellinium. ect ect. >snip snip

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> Fellow racer's-- > I had been thinking about upgrading my 486/100 but have recently gotten a new > job which will allow me to do the "real deal" upgrade to a whole new system. > I'm planning on spending between $2,500.- $3,000. I've looked into a Dell 266 > w 64 meg ram, matrox mellinium. ect ect. Does anyone a similar system. > Local computer stores are a little bit more but if the thing breaks down you > can always throw it through the window. Not to mention some local stores have > burned me in the past or simply do not know what they're talking about... I > have yet to find one that knows the difference between a rendition based card > and a 3dfx card. Anyhow your suggestions comments are welcome and needed. > If I'm shootin too high looking at the 200+ machines let me know that to. I'm > just trying to anticipate the future software and it's requirments so I don't > wind up in the boat that I've been in with my current computer. > Thanks > R. Faust > aka Xducer

Xducer, three thousand bucks will buy a heck of alot of 'puter power these days. In my own biased opinion, I would have someone build you a new machine. I don't know where you are but if this is an option it is one I would highly recommend.(That's what I do in my spare time.) Heres what I would do for the money: Intel 300mz Pentium 2 chipset on a Asus or Tyan motherboard, 128 megs of SDRAM, about 10 gigs of drive space on two seperate drives, CD-ROM-RW burner drive to write your own CD's and rewrite also. I would slam in a tried and true Intergraph Intense 3d 100 for 2D and Rendition work (racing sims!) and pair it with an Orchid Righteous 3d 3dfx card. You may want to go with the new Canopus 6meg 3dfx card instead of the Orchid. I would go for a AWE 64 gold Soundblaster card so you know it's compatable with everything. A 17" monitor of your choice, whatever one you like. Good quality Microsoft mouse and keyboard. Oops, I almost forgot, throw in a LS120 drive as a second floppy drive, they scream along pretty good and the 120 meg floppys are great. For the speakers I would go with a Cambridge Soundworks setup with Subwoofer. There, I spent the three grand in no time flat. You would sure have a smokin' system though. I know from experience, I'm typing on it. All the best, Mike P.S.- The Dell is a pretty sweet system in its own right, however tell them to replace the Matrox card, or replace it yourself and use it as a coaster for your Coffee cup. -- Michael S. Davis Creative Media-Works Computer/Audio/Video Convergance http://www.creativemedia-works.com "From Creative Minds spring Creative Solutions."

I may be wrong, but isn't dvd just a new form of a cdrom drive (digital video disc), and can't this be added anytime by replacing our currrent cdrom drive with a dvd kit? I'm not up to***on dvd's , but this is the impression I have. -- Don Burnette > > Get a DVD SYTEM ONLY!!!!! They are the best. Imagine, on one CD-RoM, you > >can hold 17gbs of memory on one side! So that gives you a total amount of > If you live in a fairly decent sized city look at a local seller. You > can save a bunch of money. If you live in the boondocks > go with either Micron or Dell. I personally like Micron, but living in > Dallas I buy from local dealers and save 35%. > DVD is cool, but is far from mainstream. I would hesititate before > buying a DVD system, personally. > Richard

Yes that is true, and VCR's are soon also going into the world of DVD! -- Sincerely, Mark F. Got a site on the Web? Want to promote or Join a Network? Heres your place to go: http://www.webstorage.com/~simgo/ Want to learn NASCAR 2 and/or Icr2 Editing? Well, then come here!: http://www.webstorage.com/~simgo/mypage/