just got a new computer

[legacy-nixor]

I just purchased parts for a new computer I am building to hold me off until I finish builing my ultimate gaming rig ::echo::

Anyway, I got a athlon xp 1900, 256mb ram, 80 gig hard drive, and a GeForce 4 ti 4200 128 meg video card, I'm pretty sure I will be able to run UT2k3, but I am wondering how good I will be able to run it. Thanks

[legacy-Ral-Jiktar 1]

well it should be able to run UT2K3 with some damn good image and FPS, I can guess you can put in at least all at Medium/High settings. At a decent 1024x768 Resolution.With the AMD XP I can see Ut running great, for some reason AMD XP seems to run best in games and high performance settings, just tehy they generate lots of heat. There hard to overclock efectivly, but if you don't give a **** about that you can have mad speeds with no trouble.

Also if you are building a PC here is the best tip. Get all at once. Get the money all of it, do not get the mother board, a week later the CPU, etc. When you do this you have your first parts lag behind wile the newer parts are great. It turn into an endless circle of constant upgrades.

I recomend building it by yourself, no mechanioc, help. Just you and a screwdriver. It's greatly rewarding and a blast to upgrade.

[legacy-nixor]

yeah that's what I did, I got paid today so I bought everything, also incase you were wondering, this is the plan so far for my pc.

Dual AMD Athlon XP 3000's
Microstar 6501 mb
1 Gig of ram
120 gig hard drive
GeForce FX 5900 256MB or RADEON 9800 Pro 256MB
any suggestions would be welcome to that, seeing how I can always change them, because i have some time before i am able to buy all of this,

[legacy-Abettor]

it'll play ut2003 probably very nice. for the video, I'd take the radeon...

[legacy-Ral-Jiktar 1]

Just a little tip. Don't take a 256MB card. Why.

It's quite simple, 256MB is the amount of information trasfered per shot, but hardly anygame even Unrea2 does not use the full 128MB at times.

I saw a bench mark between the the 128 and 256. aon 3D mark 2003.
The Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB had 5,085 (Game 4:nature 32 FPS.)
The Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB had 5,187 (Game 4:nature 32 FPS.)

The game pushed over the 128MB with but .2FPH over all the games and is a mear 2% faster, but almsot 40% more expensive.

the only game which might actually use this 256MB is doom 3, even Half-Life 2 and UT2K4 is not going to need that much. Plus by the timd Doom 3 will be out, much more complete and beter cards will be available.

"We honestly didn't want 256MB, there hard to make, and nothing ever uses, but there is deman so we dicide to just make a limited stock." This was a quote from an Interview with ATI. Even they agrea 256MB is useless.

the only time is touches i is over 1600x1200 Resolution, but to do that you need a monitor over 21inches. Which also just gives you a slight advantage of about 2 to 3FPH. It's extimated a game like Unreal 2 in a full 20hour game goes over 128 MB to 130MB about 2% of the time, which gives it a barly noticable setting.

Also avoid the Geforce FX5900 Ultra, it's a oad of crap. From the benchamrk, itcould not Run splinter cell with AF and AA.

So here is a load out to compare.
The Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB had 5,085 (Game 4:nature 32 FPS.)
The Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB had 5,187 (Game 4:nature 32 FPS.)
The Geforce FX 5600 Ultra (256MB) Had 4,538 (Game 4: nature 32FPH.)

It's up to you, but the best bang for your bucks is a 9800pro with 128MB. It's about 100$ less. And has a 2% speed increase.

here are bench marks of UT2K3 to compare.
Radeon 256MB
No AA = 8x AF 154 fps
2x AA = 8x AF 105 fps
4x AA = 8x AF 96 fps

Radeon 128MB
No AA = 8x AF 155 fps
2x AA = 8x AF 124 fps
4x AA = 8x AF 111 fps

5600 Ultra 256MB
No AA = 8x AF 157 fps
2x AA = 8x AF 104 fps
4x AA = 8x AF 99 fps

(Everything was triple checked in the bench marks, there no mistakes, they are all ran on on the Flyby all settings maxed.
The PC's specs are. 2.4GHZ P4 with 512 RAM

It's up to you.

[legacy-MSNY]

Just built a new system myself:

P4 3.0ghz 800, ASUS P4C800-E, Radeon 9800 PRO 128meg,
1 GIG Corsair XMS3500C RAM.

What would be the best in game video setttings ? Can I max them all out maybe ?

Thanks !

[legacy-Ral-Jiktar 1]

I generaly don't recomend maxing out everything.
I have a similar Comp, except tis a P42.4

I good mix for most games seems to be having medium detail shadows, all 3D graphics and decal/textures maxed. and a resolution of 1024x768. With externaly 4xAA and 16xAF. I can pull over a minimum 20FPS in most graphic heavy games like Dungeon siege, and Unreal2. Splinter cell and and Unreal seem to run a bit faster, at about 30min, so I gave SC full shadows. Games like Morrowind on the other hand simply slow to an unplayable speed, about 2 to 5FPS in large towns with lots of NPC, and about 10 to 12 in the wilderness. So far I liked this setting, and with AA and a small resolution it looks like your playing on 1600x1200. Games run great, and far textures are equally smooth with AA. But with no AA and 8xAF you can run any game at 1600x1200 wit no hitch. (Except for Morrowind and Unreal 2 Who have low FPS.)

Still it's up to you, play aroun with a few ganmes until you get a good average of 20 to 30fps. If a game runs over 90fps, try enealing AAx2 or 4 since it will take it.

[legacy-iboo]

Originally posted by nixor
I just purchased parts for a new computer I am building to hold me off until I finish builing my ultimate gaming rig ::echo::

Anyway, I got a athlon xp 1900, 256mb ram, 80 gig hard drive, and a GeForce 4 ti 4200 128 meg video card, I'm pretty sure I will be able to run UT2k3, but I am wondering how good I will be able to run it. Thanks

I think it will work fine. I would try to get 512mb Ram if I were you though, other than that it seems fine.