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Old 07-01-08   #1 (permalink)
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Default Heading to college...upgrade my rig?
I am heading off to college this fall, and with that I purchased a Dell XPS M1530, just to hold myself over on the gaming side of things (very light!).

During the visits home, I would like to have a gaming rig which can handle anything thrown at it for a few years to come (within reason of course). I am unsure which upgrades would be of great benefit to the rig in my signature below. This isn't really a gaming machine, but more like a media powerhouse, with some gaming on the side.

I am not sure how much I am looking to spend, but the cheaper the better (definitely under $500, even $300 is stretching it!).

For those of you who care about the specs of my laptop:

Dell XPS m1530 - Tuxedo Black
T9300
256MB 8600GT
4GB RAM
320GB 5400RPM HDD
1440x900 LED LCD Screen
9-Cell Battery

Ordered 6/27/2008
ESD 7/29/2008

In boxing as of 7/1/2008?!
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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Old 07-01-08   #2 (permalink)
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Get 2GB ram, and an ATI HD 4850. That will hold you for a while.

System: Agent-Based Modeling Machine
CPU
Q6600 G0 @ 3.6Ghz		 Motherboard
ASUS P5Q Pro		 Memory
8GB (4x2GB) Geil Black Dragon DDR2 800 		Graphics Card
PNY 9600GT 512MB DDR3
Hard Drive
4 x 160GB Seagate HD (Raid 0+1)		 Power Supply
Corsair 750TX		 Case
Antec 300
CPU cooling
lapped TRUE		 OS
Vista Ultimate x64 / Ubuntu Linux		 Monitor
2 x HannsG 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor
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Old 07-01-08   #3 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anqt31 View Post
Get 2GB ram, and an ATI HD 4850. That will hold you for a while.
++

By the way, I have the same laptop for the same purpose. Difference is the CPU (T7500 here) and I don't have a LED screen. It's a nice laptop and if the 8600m isn't a bad overclocker if you're willing to take the chance (I actually have AS5 on mine...).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John C. Dvorak
Obama is the Macintosh of politics

System: Prelude (New build in Nov hopefully)
CPU
Athlon X2 3800 @ 2.35GHz (will be K10.5)		 Motherboard
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe		 Memory
4GB G.Skill 		Graphics Card
Radeon HD 3850 (will be 4870)
Hard Drive
500GB WD		 Sound Card
Onboard...meh		 Power Supply
Corsair 650TX		 Case
Coolermaster Centurion
CPU cooling
Stock :)		 GPU cooling
Stock :)		 OS
Windows Vista Premium x64		 Monitor
22" Acer
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Old 07-01-08   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darkcloud89 View Post
++

By the way, I have the same laptop for the same purpose. Difference is the CPU (T7500 here) and I don't have a LED screen. It's a nice laptop and if the 8600m isn't a bad overclocker if you're willing to take the chance (I actually have AS5 on mine...).
Did you end up doing a clean install of Vista?
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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Old 07-01-08   #5 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cras4u View Post
Did you end up doing a clean install of Vista?
I did, but only because it came with 32-bit and I wanted x64. I don't recall the original install being particularly bloated, but the Vista disc it comes with does allow you to do a clean install.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John C. Dvorak
Obama is the Macintosh of politics

System: Prelude (New build in Nov hopefully)
CPU
Athlon X2 3800 @ 2.35GHz (will be K10.5)		 Motherboard
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe		 Memory
4GB G.Skill 		Graphics Card
Radeon HD 3850 (will be 4870)
Hard Drive
500GB WD		 Sound Card
Onboard...meh		 Power Supply
Corsair 650TX		 Case
Coolermaster Centurion
CPU cooling
Stock :)		 GPU cooling
Stock :)		 OS
Windows Vista Premium x64		 Monitor
22" Acer
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Old 07-01-08   #6 (permalink)
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You folks recommend any specific ram for my rig, I never really understood the difference in speeds. I plan to begin overclocking again if that helps.
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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Old 07-01-08   #7 (permalink)
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Something likes this. Solid and stable. It is 2x2GB kit. Good price. Get a 4850 and OC your E6600. It will last for awhile.

System: QD65D45
CPU
65Q/D&45D		 Motherboard
DFI/Asus/Gigabyte
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Old 07-01-08   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by linskingdom View Post
Something likes this. Solid and stable. It is 2x2GB kit. Good price. Get a 4850 and OC your E6600. It will last for awhile.
Does my cpu support that ram?
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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Old 07-01-08   #9 (permalink)
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I am pretty sure my DS3 only supports DDRII 800/667/533 - which one would be more beneficial?
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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Old 07-02-08   #10 (permalink)
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Anyone
__________________
System: My Rig
CPU
Intel E6600 @ Stock		 Motherboard
Gigabyte DS3 rev 3.3		 Memory
G.SKILL 1GB (one stick failed!) 		Graphics Card
Evga 8800 GTS 320MB
Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x2 (500GB - 250GB)		 Sound Card
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer		 Power Supply
CORSAIR 520HX		 Case
Antec P180B
CPU cooling
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7		 OS
Windows XP Home SP2		 Monitor
SMASUNG SyncMaster 20" 2MS
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