|
Navigate
|
Building a Game Rig on a Budget
|
Introduction
|
Last time we discussed briefly the
problem that we, the consumer, would face if software continues to
demand more processing power. Modern computer software vendors
continue to write programs that demand more memory and faster
hardware. There is no segment of the computer software for which this
statement is more true that the computer game industry. Beyond memory
and processor demands, many games require special hardware dedicated
to video acceleration or three-dimension positional sound.
Although the argument can be made that consumers should not
upgrade their computers because it supports or encourages the
continued bloating of today's software, but the fact is that the
consumers' expectations and standards for new software is extremely
high, and the consumer is constantly demanding the software vendor to
provide more features. It is impractical, if not ludicrous, both
physically and financially for an average consumer to remain ahead of
software's recommended requirements. There are several options that
exist, and we will briefly describe two common options here, and focus
on a third solution that we think is the most reasonable.
It must be stated, first, that though some comments may seem to be
biased against Intel, please note
that this article is the result of significant research. We are not
the employees of an Intel
competitor. We believe that Intel
currently produces microprocessors that are superior to their
competitors, but our arguments require that the reader see the "big
picture". Our goal is not to dissuade people from purchasing a
personal computer with an Intel
processor, but rather is to encourage the consumer to make wise
purchasing decisions to maximize their investments in their
computers.
|
Buying
A New
Computer |
When the average consumer decides that their computer is no longer
capable of handling the latest software, the first solution to
enter their mind is that they must purchase a new computer.
The total life span of most personal computers, in terms of
suitable computing power for current software, is approximately four
years. At the end of the fourth of fifth year, the user will find
that their computer is so far behind the times that very few of the
latest software titles will run on their machine at all. In fact,
some may find that the latest version of their operating system won't
even run on their machine. In order to always be able to run the
latest software, it is would be necessary for the user to buy a new
computer approximately every two years to meet the minimum requirements
for the latest software.
Although the price of personal computers is constantly falling,
the price a new computer that will satisfy the needs of a consumer
"power-user" will never fall much lower than approximately $1000 US.
It is possible to find new computers whose prices are lower than $1000
US, but these "economy PC's" will have a shorter useful life span
because they represent a compromise in computing power for the sake of
value. What this philosophy of computer upgrading translates into, if
one attempts to stay current, is a $500 US per year cost to the
consumer because the user will purchase a new computer ever other
year. This cost increases if the depreciation of the current computer
is figured into or if the user buys a computer with more
features.
Invariably the problem with this solution is that this is
expensive and leaves the user with aging hardware with, which they are
unsure what to do with. Throwing it away seems to be a waste, and it
is not usually a welcome gift for a friend or family member.
If the consumer plans on purchasing a new computer every year, it
would benefit him or her to compare the prices and features of
similarly equipped computers. One useful way to quickly compare similar
computers is to use a service such as c|net's Shopper.com to quickly
compare the prices of various computer models and manufacturers.
|
Leasing
A New
Computer |
The obvious solution to avoid the purchase of a new computer every
two years is to never actually own a computer. This means that
consumers would rent and lease a computer. The cost of leasing a
computer varies, but the cost of leasing a personal computer that is
equipped similarly to the computer described in the previous section
would be approximately $30 US per month . This translates to $360 US
per year, and at the end of the lease or rental agreement the user can
trade the computer in for a newer model and sign a new rental
agreement or lease contract.
The true cost of this strategy is hidden in the very fact that the
user never actually owns the computer. At the end of the rental or
lease agreement, the user doesn't even have the aging hardware to show
for their investment. There is always the option to purchase the
aging computer from the lessor for the remainder of the cost, but this
defeats the purpose of renting or leasing. For users who feel the
need to remain at the bleeding edge of technology, and don't care to
ever own aging computer hardware, this is definitely the way to
go.
Among the Microsoft
Windows compatible computer manufacturers, Gateway Computers has an
attractive lease program known as "Your:)Ware".
|
The
Incremental
Upgrade |
The obvious next solution to this problem is the continuous battle
to upgrade the components of one's computer. Upon initial inspection,
it may seem like this path would incur a much higher cost than either
of the other two solutions, but this document will attempt to provide
a strategy to minimize the cost of upgrading while maximizing the
computing power of the machine.
The key to this strategy is that the user must purchase a computer
that is able to be upgraded. It is vital that the consumer choose a
computer that is composed of components that meet the set industry
standards. In order to accomplish this goal, it behooves the user to
either purchase a generic ( non-brand name or "white box" ) computer
or build their own computer from parts. The reason for this is to
guarantee that the consumer is purchasing a machine that will have
maximal upgradeability. For it to be possible to different components
work together, it is necessary for the components to all meet a set
standard, and by building a computer from parts, the user guarantees
that the components all meet those industry standards. Generic or
"white box" computer companies accomplish the same. Buying from a name
brand computer company increases the risks of a computer being
nonupgradeable because many name brand computer makers use proprietary
technology. Although the technology meets software standards, new
components may not be readily swapped out and upgraded.
For this strategy to be more cost effective than either purchasing
a new PC ever two years or leasing a PC is to keep the upgrade budget
to less than $300 per year for any hardware purchases. The savvy
consumer would complain that if they purchased all the components that
they would like to upgrade, then their costs would exceed that of a
brand new computer. This is true if the consumer attempts to upgrade
everything in their current computer at the same time. The price of
individual components are not that expensive. For example, a video
accelerator can be purchased for less than $150 US and a new
motherboard and processor can be as low as $250 US.
Before proceeding with this strategy, set a fixed limit to how
much money is to be spent on any given year and stick to it
(preferably less than $300, otherwise the user might as well use one
of the other two strategies). Purchase parts or a new "white box"
computer using the guidelines listed below and then divide the
purchase price by the amount budgeted for each year. The result is
how long many years the user should wait before making the first
upgrade. Choosing fewer or cheaper components for the new system will
allow the user to make upgrades sooner. After the specified wait
period is over, the user can then decide what components require
upgrades.
From that point forth, the user can consider annually whether or
not upgrades are necessary. A simple rule-of-thumb is: "If the
computer does not meet the minimum requirements for the next
must-have software package, then it's time to upgrade
something. At that point the user needs to determine what components
absolutely require upgrade and upgrade only those components. It is
not necessary to spend any or all of each year's budget. The amount
of money that is saved can go into next year's upgrade or can simply
be saved.
|
Processors
|
The fundamental problem for a consumer when purchasing a new
computer should not be to look for features such as the amount of
random access memory, size of the hard drive, or the clock speed of
the processor, as is commonly the practice. Instead, it is important
for the consumer to consider which processor, motherboard design and
the chipset to purchase. Although most consumers find it tedious to
have to learn such low level information, the cost of investing in the
wrong technology, which will be described below, should convince the
user that this education is necessary.
The most common belief held by most consumers is that Intel processors are simply the best
and only processor to choose. This kind of thinking is the result of
powerful marketing and advertising. The fact is that the consumer
isn't being told the whole truth. The truth of the matter is that Intel processors are only slightly
better than the competitors, and the use of non-Intel processors is
just fine and can save the user a lot of money. The obvious question
then is, "Why shouldn't a user purchase an computer with 'Intel
Inside'?"
The answer to that question is very subtle. Although at one
point Intel, indeed, produced the
finest and fastest processors available for consumer or personal
computing user, but today their competitors are closing that quality
and performance gap and are doing it for a fraction of the price. In
fact, in comparison to the available non-Intel processors, the Intel processor's advantage is
slight.
Many users hear stories that non-Intel processors will cause
applications to hang or freeze because some applications or operating
systems are incompatible with non-Intel processors. This is simply
incorrect, because the non-Intel processors are designed to be
compatible. If computer were to experience a random freeze, it would
be much more likely to be caused by faulty memory (RAM or L2 cache)
than as a result of an inferior or defective processor. If the
processor were truly defective, the computer would not have booted at
all in the first place.
All Intel processors execute
only a limited, fixed and known set of instructions. This is the
processor's "instruction set". All computer software, regardless of
what computer language it was written in must eventually "compile"
into an executable application that calls only these few processor
instructions. You'd be surprised by how few in number are the
instructions that a computer's processor is able to execute. Simple
examples include tasks such as adding integers together, putting the
result into a memory register, or recalling that value from a memory
register. For any non-Intel processor to ever make it to market, the
processor must have passed strict compatibility testing done by third
party companies such as XXCAL, Inc.
Non-Intel processors must be capable of executing the same instruction
set as the Intel processors and
the results of the operations must be identical. Therefore there is no
such thing as a processor being incompatible with some software
package.
If indeed a freeze or hang is the result of the processor, this is
more likely due to a fabrication defect in the processor and not due
to a poorly designed processor. Defects in manufacturing or
"fabrication" are present in all microprocessors regardless of
who made them. Larger companies such as Intel, Motorola or Digital (now Compaq) are able to produce
higher quality chips in their fabrication plants; whereas, smaller
manufacturers' chips often suffer from a great number of these
defects. Chip defects generally only produce symptoms when the chip is
run at a speeds higher than it was rated for. There is a set standard
that exists that determines whether a processor is operating within
tolerance at a given speed. Each processor is tested and a processor
with more defects will be rated as a "slower chip" and a processor with
fewer defects will be rated at a higher speed. Therefore there is no
real distinction between 90MHz, 100MHz, or 133MHz Pentiums, except
that the faster chip has been found to have fewer defects and is known
to run stably at that higher speed. This is what makes it possible
for enterprising hackers to "over-clock" their processors. It is
fairly easy to overcome problems as a result of defects in non-Intel
processors can often be resolved by simply lowering the processors
internal speed with a jumper setting or dip switch setting on the
motherboard. Some consumers notice that other company's fastest
compatible processors are often slower than Intel's fastest
processors. This is also sometimes the result of manufacturing
defects.
However, what concerns some consumers is that in comparisons
between Intel and non-Intel processors, tests will often produce
suggestive disparities in performance. For example, in tests of
processors running at the same internal clock speed, the final
benchmark score for the Intel
processor is higher than the non-Intel processor. What th consumer is
often not told is that the benchmark is the result of an average of
several tests. Intel processors
are generally faster only for specific operations. For instance, the
AMD K6
processor executes floating point operations slower than an Intel Pentium II running at the same
speed, however their integer operations execute comparable speeds.
|
Chipsets |
So then, the user can argue, "Why not purchase an Intel processor since apparently the
higher price of an Intel processor
is the cost of a better processor?" Here is a second subtly, which is
created by the motherboard's chipset.
First, A chipset is an integrated set of VLSI chips that performs
all the vital functions of a computer, which includes controlling the
memory, the hard/floppy drives, the keyboard, the expansion slots and
so forth. The chipset is basically the conduit through which the
processor communicates to the rest of the hardware.
If a user purchases the "latest" Intel processor, what they don't
realize is that they are also purchasing Intel's latest chipset and
socket design. This would be perfectly innocent if Intel rarely released new chipsets
or socket designs, if the new chipsets and socket designs are fairly
backward compatible, or if Intel
continued to develop faster versions of existing processors. However,
these things are not the case. Approximately every two years or less,
Intel releases a new processor,
and with it a new chipset, socket design, and/or technology. The new
processor will not work in old motherboards, and simultaneously,
Intel will stop developing faster
versions of the previous generation of processors.
To better examine this, we can examine the recent history of the
Intel's Pentium processor. In 1993, the Intel Pentium was released,
which required a motherboard that had Intel's Triton I or 430FX
chipset. They produced processors that fit in Socket 4, Socket 5,
eventually Socket 7 processor sockets. In 1995, the Pentium Pro was
released for workstations which installed in a Socket 8 motherboard
processor socket and required the new 440FX chipset. The Pentium Pro
reach a maximum speed of 200 MHz, and Intel stopped working on faster
Pentiums and the speed of the original Pentium processor reached
166MHz. Intel then released the Pentium with MMX extensions, which
would only fit into Socket 7 motherboards, but required that the
motherboard have one of the new 430VX, 430HX or 430TX chipsets.
Although Intel made no further advances in speed for the original
Pentium, the Pentium with MMX extensions reached 233MHz. In 1997,
Intel released the Pentium II which fits into a newly designed socket,
the Slot 1. Although the Pentium II can work with the 440FX chipset,
in order to take advantage of AGP (Advanced Graphics Port) consumers
needed a motherboard that had the new graphics slot and the 440LX,
440BX or 440GX chipset. The speed of Pentium II's ranges from 266MHz
up to 450MHz, however with the 440FX and 440LX chipsets, only
processor speeds 233MHz, 266MHz, 300MHz and 333MHz are supported. In
order to achieve speeds of 350MHz, 400MHz, and 450 MHz, you need a
440GX chipset or newly released 440BX chipset. To add to the mix,
Intel has just release their Pentium II Xeon processor, which is meant
for workstations and servers, that runs at 450MHz and requires the
440GX chipset.
What does all that mean to the user? Let's assume a user insists
that his computer contain a genuine Intel processor. If this user had
purchased a new computer a few years ago with the original 430FX
chipset and, at that point in history, a speedy 100MHz Pentium, then
within two years that user will discover that Pentium Pros or the
Pentium with MMX extensions have been released that run in excess of
200 MHz. The user, however, cannot upgrade to one of these new
processors because his chipset or motherboard processor socket is
incompatible. Instead the user is faced with one of three unpalatable
choices. First, the user can choose to upgrade to the fastest genuine
Intel processor, which for the
original Pentium generation, runs only at the speed of 166MHz).
Second, the user can purchase an exorbitantly expensive Intel Pentium Overdrive processor to
upgrade his computer. Third, the user can throw away his current
processor and motherboard and purchase a brand new motherboard and a
Pentium with MMX processor. This with the assumption that a new
motherboard will fit in the user's current computer case). Let's
assume that the user chooses the third option because that appears to
be the most logical way to get the fastest computer with the latest
technology. Within another two years, that newly purchased computer
processor and motherboard will have also reached the end of its
upgrade cycle and is destined for retirement. In order for the user to
upgrade to Pentium II technology, he must consider purchasing a new
computer or a new motherboard and processor. The result is that in
order for the user to remain brand-loyal to Intel as they upgrade their computers,
he basically needs to purchase a new computer every two years.
Intel sells a version of their latest processors that is meant
exclusively as an upgrade for older computers. These are know as
"Overdrive processors", as mentioned in the previous paragraph. These
are basically the latest processors shoehorned into old processor
slots and old chipsets. The overdrive unit usually ships with an
integrated fan, its own voltage regulator to convert from the voltage
that the antiquated motherboard supplies to the voltage or voltages
that the new processor requires, and changes in pin-outs to fit into
the old motherboard socket. Intel's overdrive processors are
inexcusably expensive, often exceeding the price of a brand new
motherboard and a brand new processor, and never quite matches the
performance of the "real" processor which the overdrive processor is
based on.
|
Where
to
Start |
So where should one start when he or she is looking for more
computing power? First, the user should examine his or her own
computer and look at all the possible upgrade options. If the current
computer has no upgrade paths except for an overdrive processor,
consider purchasing a new motherboard and processor, which is often
the same price or less than an overdrive processor option.
If, however, the user chooses to purchase an overdrive processor,
seriously consider non-Intel upgrades, because Intel's overdrive
processors are the most expensive and the least compatible. A good
non-Intel overdrive processors are: Evergreen Technologies, PNY Technologies, and Zerus Hardware all of which uses IDT's/Centaur Technology's Winchip
(of the three, I like Evergreen's above par customer support). A
company called CCT offers an upgrade
processor based on AMD's K6
processor. If, instead, the user feels that he or she must purchase
an Intel based upgrade processor, consider Evergreen and Kingston Technologies which both
offer Pentium based overdrive chips at prices slightly lower than
Intel's own prices.
|
|
Cases and
Power
Supplies |
Most likely, the user's current computer is made by one of the
major personal computer vendor such as NEC, Hewlett Packard, or Compaq. In general the more renown
the vendor, the more likely they will use their own proprietary
hardware and designs. As a result all attempts to use the case or
power supply of the original computer will fail because they often use
their own proprietary motherboards which are non-standard shapes and
sizes. We've notice that some of the older computers was made by Gateway have quite a good chance
that the case and power supply can be recycled.
In the likely event that the user must purchase a new case, look
for one with at least two 3.5 inch drive bay and at least one 5.25
inch drive bays. This will meet the minimum requirements of a hard
drive, a floppy drive, and a CD ROM drive. Also look for cases that
will support multiple motherboard form factors. Motherboard form
factors are a set of standard shapes and sizes of computer
motherboards. They include: AT, Baby AT, ATX, NLX, LPX. The two "AT"
style motherboards use the old-style round plug keyboard and will
require a standard DB9 serial mouse, while the other form factors will
include the newer PS/2 style mouse and keyboard configuration.
|
|
Motherboards,
Processors,
and Memory |
Now comes the single most important decision that must be made when
purchasing a new computer. There are many features and chipsets to
choose from, but the only thing that really matters is price and
future upgradeability. Make sure the motherboard has at least 3 PCI
slots. Besides that, there are only two basic choices the user is
faced with. The user can either purchase a motherboard based on the
older Socket 7 design or the newer a Slot 1 design.
If the user chooses to purchase a Socket 7 based motherboard, he
or she should consider one based on the "Super 7" standard which
supports a 100MHz bus and AGP. The chipset on board will probably not
be an Intel chipset, but it will likely still support both Intel as
well as and non-Intel Processors. It may be a surprise that we would
suggest that the user consider this "old technology". The reason that
Socket 7/Super 7 socket design is still worthy of consideration is
because of the existence of non-Intel processors. Companies such as
AMD, Cyrix, and IDT Winchip are all still
developing and releasing chips that fit in the standard Socket 7
motherboard. One processor that stands ahead of the pack is AMD's K6-2 processor. The K6-2's
performance rivals that of an equivalent Pentium II. AMD has also
introduced 3DNow! in the K6-2 processor, which includes both Intel's
MMX extensions plus additional instructions for improved floating
point calculations which can improve the performance of multimedia
applications. For some floating point operations, the performance of
the K6-2 with 3D-Now! will actually exceed that of the Pentium II.
The K6-2 currently runs at 300MHz, 333MHz, and 350MHz and AMD has
stated that it is committed to the release of faster K6-2
chips that will fit in the industry standard Socket 7
motherboard.
If the user chooses a Slot 1 motherboard, then he or she should
choose one that is capable of 100MHz bus speeds. This will allow the
user to use the latest and the fastest Pentium II processors. A
motherboard with the 440BX chipset will have a jumper or DIP switch
that will allow the user to set the external bus speed at 66MHz or
100MHz which will allow the user to purchase Pentium II processors
from speeds of 233MHz all the way through 450MHz (but not the Pentium
II Xeon processor).
The average consumer should never consider purchasing a
motherboard that supports dual processors. Even if the user adds a
second processor, it can only be taken advantage of with operating
systems such as Windows NT or UNIX which support symmetric
multiprocessing, and programs must be written specifically to take
advantage of the second processor. If the user plans on primarily
running Adobe Photoshop, then this
may be the way to go, but for most applications, the second processor
is wasted. Also keep in mind that video game support is terrible for
either Windows NT or UNIX.
When choosing from manufacturers, users have many to choose from,
including genuine Intel
motherboards. However, one company that produces high quality
motherboards with plenty of features that users should consider is ASUS.
Now the user must choose a processor. Users should pick any
processor that will exceed the recommended requirements of most of
their current software. As always, genuine Intel processors are tempting, but
consider purchasing a computer based on the AMD's K6-2 processor. The consumer may
find that they will get the same performance for a lot less money. If
having the latest technology is important, then go ahead and purchase
a Slot 1 motherboard and a Pentium II processor. However, keep in
mind that there is no reason for the user to remain loyal to Intel for future processor upgrades.
When the time comes that a Pentium II is no longer capable of running
the latest software look for AMD's
next generation processor, the K7, which will be a Slot 1 design.
According to industry rumors AMD's K7, which is currently in
development, will not only catch up to Intel's processors but
will surpass their performance.
Finally, for the average consumer, 32MB of RAM will be more than
enough to run Windows, the typical office suite program, and all the
current video games. Any more would be a waste of money. If more
memory is ever needed, this is the easiest of all component to
upgrade. Just be sure to match the contacts. For example, if your
motherboard uses gold contacts, your memory modules should have gold
contacts, and if your motherboard uses tin contacts, you memory
modules should also have tin contacts.
|
|
Video
and
Audio |
The next component after having chosen the motherboard and a
processor is the video and sound cards. Just because the motherboard
has an AGP slot, doesn't mean the user must purchase an AGP video
card. The user can also install an old PCI video card as well. AGP
is a fairly new technology and not all video cards fully implement the
AGP standard and so they don't fully take advantage of the speed that
AGP can provide. If the user is shopping for an AGP video card, look
for one that is designated as 2x speed. Otherwise, any video card
with at least 4MB of VRAM will be sufficient. Although Matrox's Millennium G200
card is a really hot AGP video card, a 4MB no-name PCI video card
based on a Cirrus Logic video
chipset will probably suit the average gamer's needs.
The second decision is a sound card. Almost any sound card will
do, but if you want the maximum game experience, you should purchase a
sound card that supports 3D sound or four speaker technology. The
cost of sound cards has fallen dramatically over the past several
years due to stiff competition among vendors. The companies that have
come out on top of the heap include Creative Labs who are the
makers of the original SoundBlaster and Diamond Multimedia.
|
|
Drives and
Displays |
The last components that are required are the drives and the video
display. For the floppy drive, the user can choose any generic floppy
drive that can read high density floppies, but when it comes to hard
drives, however, the question is, "How big?"
If the user plans on running Windows 95 or 98, then any drive
larger than 1 GB is actually enough. All that is required for Windows
to run happily is at least 200MB of free space. If the user plans to
download every game demo they can find off the web, then a larger
hard drive will be necessary. Although SCSI hard drives are faster
and more stable, they are also more expensive. In addition, most
motherboards don't come with a SCSI controller. In order to use a
SCSI hard drive, the user will also need to purchase a SCSI controller
card. Since we're trying to keep within a budget, I recommend to skip
the SCSI drive, even though I personally believe that SCSI is a better
technology than EIDE.
As for CD ROM drives, there is nothing wrong with a 4X CD ROM
drive. Although they are slow, they are tireless and pretty much
always work without fault. Beyond 16X, the difference in speed will
not be noticeable by the average user. If the user is considering a
DVD drive, I'd recommend that they wait until the technology settles
into some solid standard. Keep in mind that if the user wants to
watch DVD movies on their PC, they will need a MPEG decoder card which
translates the movie data on the DVD in real-time to the video
screen. Software solutions are simply too slow to accomplish this,
and a slot on the motherboard will be required. Currently the price
of DVD drive kits with MPEG decoders is somewhat high. Consider
purchasing a DVD for some future upgrade.
Finally, choosing a display. As nice as it would be to purchase a
21 inch display, it is hardly necessary for the average user or
gamer. The price of displays falls dramatically with the size of the
display. A 15 inch display will be sufficient for the most users. It
is also not necessary to purchase a "flat screen" display. The
removal of the tiny amount of distortion introduced by a parabolic
tube is definitely not worth the cost.
|
|
Bells and
Whistles |
Finally, for this article to be true to its title, the user will
need room in his or her computer case and budget for a few bells and
whistles. First of all, no game rig nowadays is complete without some
hardware 3D video acceleration. This is practically a requirement for
most new video games.
One of the features of the newest 2D video cards is combined video
and 3D acceleration. Recently, companies have taken those 2D/3D
features and put them in an AGP card, and are now producing some of
the hottest 2D/3D video cards money can buy. These cards, however,
are all sinfully expensive, and alternatives can be found that will
give similar performance. A couple of examples of these high end
2D/3D cards are the new nVidia Riva
TNT chipset and the up and coming 3Dfx Voodoo3 chipset. If your
processor is fast, even the latest Matrox's Millennium G200
AGP can provide some 3D hardware acceleration on board.
If the user already has a 2D video card, instead of throwing it
away for a new one, he or she should consider adding a 3Dfx Voodoo2
card. One card this year will cost less than $150. To match the
performance of the Voodoo3 card, next year the user can purchase a
second Voodoo2 card and install it in SLI (scan line interleave) mode
and the result will be 2D/3D video performance that is close to the
Voodoo3 card for approximately the same cost or less, and the user
won't have to waste a perfectly good video card.
Beyond that, there are lots of toys people would like to add to
their computers, such as fancy force-feedback game controllers, DVD
player, MPEG decoder, TV receivers, video capturing, and so forth.
Consumers should be very careful, when it comes to computer
accessories, to only purchase what they need. It can be very easy to
spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on neat gadgets that really
do not add to the computing experience. The money would be better
spent, saved up for future upgrades.
|
|
Conclusions |
So in summary, it is quite possible for users to keep up with
current computer trends, but it is important for the smart consumer
maximize their investments it comes to purchasing computer equipment.
One must start with a machine that will have some room to grow, set
limits on all hardware spending for any year, buy only as much
computing power as is needed, and make reasonable upgrades only when
their software demands it. It's very tempting for people to purchase
an upgrade or a new computer because their computer feels slower than
their neighbor's new computer, but resist. Remember the neighbor's
new computer represents a significant initial investment and was meant
to overshoot current software needs. It will be possible and far more
cost effective for the user to upgrade to similar performance at a
later time when the need arises and the prices of the upgrades are
lower. Following these guidelines will help keep the cost of owning a
computer to a minimum.
|
|
|
Appendix A:
Example |
Below is a brief history of my current "game rig" that I built
pretty much from scratch (actually from "trash") and am currently
using at home. Because some of my circumstances are unusual, I've
also listed what the average user would be likely to spend on those
components in two other separate columns.
The "similar" column would represent a computer that one would
build that would be similar to what I currently have. Note that this
is a pretty basic computer with minimal features and processing power.
Some parts are significantly better than the machine that I have, but
that's because the parts I'm using are so old that they are hard to
find. The "recommended" column represents a much better computer, but
not the "best" computer money can buy. The "recommended" machine will
be sufficient for most of the modern games and applications, but won't
blow anyone's socks off. However, for the amount of computer you're
getting, it's a pretty good value.
|
Component |
My System |
Similar |
Recommended |
Motherboard |
Intel Advanced/ZE
Cost: $0.00 US
Features: Intel 430FX chipset, Socket 7, 4 SIMM sockets, 256Kb L2
cache, 3 PCI slots, 4 ISA slots, 1 combo PCI/ISA slot.
Notes: Acquired this motherboard from a friend's company. They were
throwing these motherboards away because they considered them outdated
technology.
|
Alton Vxpro ii
Cost: $40.00 US
Features: Intel 430VX chipset, Socket 7, 3 DIMM sockets, onboard audio,
3 PCI slots, 3 ISA slots.
|
Asus P5A
Cost: $90.00 US
Features: ALi M1541 Aladdin V AGPset chipset, Super 7, 3 DIMM sockets,
512Kb L2 cache, 1 AGP slot, 4 PCI slots, 1 ISA slots, 1 combo PCI/ISA
slot.
|
Processor |
100 MHz Pentium
Cost: $0.00 US
Notes: Same company as before throwing them away.
|
133 MHz Pentium
Cost: $40.00 US
|
266MHz AMD K6-2 3DNow!
Cost: $60.00 US
|
Case |
DTK Full Tower
Cost: $0.00 US
Features: 5 5.25 inch bays
Notes: My company was throwing away an old 486 machine. I salvaged
the case and power supply.
|
Tiger Mid Tower
Cost: $50.00 US
Features: 3 5.25 inch bays, 2 3.5 inch bays
|
Antec Value Line Full Tower
Cost: $100.00 US
Features: 6 5.25 inch bays
|
Memory |
four 2M X 32 72 PIN DIMMs = 32MB RAM
Cost: $0.00 US
Notes: Also being thrown away by my company because all the new
computers are using the 168 pin DIMMS instead of the 72 pin.
|
one 4M X 64 168 pin DIMM = 32MB RAM
Cost: $60.00 US
|
one 4M X 64 168 pin DIMM = 32MB RAM
Cost: $60.00 US
|
Video |
4MB Cirrus Logic 5465 PCI
Cost: $80.00 US
|
4MB Cirrus Logic 5465 PCI
Cost: $80.00 US
|
4MB Cirrus Logic 5465 AGP
Cost: $80.00 US
|
Audio |
Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16
Cost: $18.00 US
|
Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 PNP 3D
Cost: $25.00 US
|
Creative Labs SoundBlaster PCI128
Cost: $70.00 US
Features: includes Cambridge Soundworks PCWorks FourPoint Surround
|
Drives |
1GB Quantum HD, floppy drive, NEC 4X CDROM
Cost: $0.00 US
Notes: All salvaged from computers being thrown away.
|
3.2GB Western Digital Caviar, floppy drive, NEC 8X CDROM
Cost: $270.00 US
Notes: It's hard to find an HD that's smaller than 3GB. If you can
find a 1GB HD, it would be enough.
|
3.2GB Western Digital Caviar, floppy drive, NEC 8X CDROM
Cost: $270.00 US
|
Display |
NEC XE15
Cost: $0.00 US
Features: 15 inch display
Notes: Owned from previous computer.
|
CTX VL500
Cost: $125.00 US
Features: 15 inch display
|
CTX VL500
Cost: $125.00 US
Features: 15 inch display
|
Other |
Keyboard, and Mouse
Cost: $0.00
Notes: Salvaged from previously owned computers.
|
12MB Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2, Keyboard, Mouse
Cost: $165.00 US
|
12MB Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2
Cost: $165.00 US
|
Total Cost |
$98.00 US
|
$855.00 US
|
$1020.00 US
|
|
|
My computer was built over the course of the 1998 year. I had not
purchased a new computer or upgraded computer equipment since the end
of 1996. I upgraded the SoundBlaster 16 with the SoundBlaster PCI128
and Cambridge Soundworks PCWorks Four Point Surround, and added a
Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 for a total of $230.00 US late in
1998. Early year I purchased a 166MHz Pentium to replace my 100 MHz
Pentium because the 100 MHz processor was listed as below the minimum
requirements for Tomb Raider 3 with 3D hardware acceleration (though,
with the Voodoo2 card, Tomb Raider 3 runs okay at the lowest
resolution on the 100MHz Pentium). I also replaced the processor heat
sink with a fan. The cost of those items was $75. This brings my
total cost to $403 over the two year period between the beginning of
1997 and beginning of 1999. My cost of ownership for my computer is
approximately $200 per year, which is well within my $250/year budget.
If I had purchased similarly equipped computer instead, I would
consider upgrading components around the year 2001. For this
computer, the first upgrade I would probably consider is the processor
upgrade in 2001. For the computer with the recommended, I would start
upgrades in 2002. The 266MHz processor will likely be enough
processing power well into the next millenia.
You're probably wondering what hope of upgrade is left for my
current computer. Well, I've been tracking the price of the Creative
Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2, and I will consider purchasing another one
for SLI operation if the prices fall below $100 (current lowest price
is $106) and a press release states that Kingston intends to release
an overdrive processor based on the 333MHz AMD K2-2 with 3DNow! that
will fit in old Socket 7 motherboards sometime in 1999, so around the
end of 1999 or beginning of the year 2000, I will check to see if I
need that much speed for whatever software I want to run then. Most
likely, the 166 MHz Pentium will be sufficient to run my software well
into the year 2000 and probably into the year 2001.
|