My desktop PC

[cel4145]

This is completely WRONG.

I just built a new rig (summer) that was less than $400, and I have an NForce board (Biostar T-7050) with an ATI X1950 Pro and the system runs every single game on the market very well.

Good for you. Glad you have a very stable hardware configuration. There are certainly many other stable ATI+Nvidia configurations.

However, hardware compatibility over the last ten years has frequently demonstrated that manufacturers spend more time testing and optimizing hardware and drivers with their own equipment and partner vendors. It's just common sense to understand and to imagine that Nvidia is going to make performance/stability a priority for their own equipment, and likewise AMD/ATI. And I've seen reports of Nvidia cards being unstable on AMD chipset boards based on ATI technology, and here's an instance of where Nvidia driver support was lacking for installing an X1950 Pro AGP on a legacy nForce3 board in Vista (found this in a 30 sec search on Google).

But we are getting way off topic. Since the original poster mentioned little knowledge of motherboard selection, I assumed that he might not do the indepth research necessary to guarantee hardware compatibility. Sticking with a single vendor's own equipment is one way to focus research to minimize problems.

[Jingle Bells]

I don't know if it's still too eairly to know but will my system play Unreal Tournament 3?


Desktop Specs:


ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard with AMD XP 2500+ 1.8Ghz with 768mb PC3200 ram, with 40 gig hard drive with Sapphire ATI Radeon 9250 AGP 128mb DDR video card with Win XP Home.

My PC was a step up in every department from yours. I have an AMD XP 3000+, 1.25gb RAM, 120gig HDD, Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600 AGP 256mb. My computer wouldn't run UT3 at all. I had to buy a newer AGP video card just to get into a game and it still freezes on my in certain maps.

[TPSFan]

My PC was a step up in every department from yours. I have an AMD XP 3000+, 1.25gb RAM, 120gig HDD, Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600 AGP 256mb. My computer wouldn't run UT3 at all. I had to buy a newer AGP video card just to get into a game and it still freezes on my in certain maps.

You had to buy a new video card because the 9600 doesn't support Shader Model 3.0 which is mandatory for UE3 and most modern games.

The Holidays is the best time to upgrade because a lot of e-tailors will have Holiday price reductions and such. The only down side is supply will be more limited than in other times of the year.

[Leak]

You had to buy a new video card because the 9600 doesn't support Shader Model 3.0 which is mandatory for UE3 and most modern games.

Which, of course, doesn't explain why the 9600 is actually listed as the minimum system requirement on the box... so no, SM30 *isn't* actually required, it just doesn't look as good without it though.

np: Axel Bartsch - Galaxy (Speicher CD3)

[Devil_Spawn]

i have poor performance on most maps on a 2500+, you will not manage to play any warfare, and alot of deathmatch maps.
other specs are x1600 pro agp
1.5gb ram
80gb hdd

if you cant upgrade the processor, dont bother, you cant get a system that will run the game on ANY graphical setting

[Skill]

It wont run on your computer. Just by posting a thread like this your already on "The list". Anyone who doesn't read the minium specs and asks the good people of the forums is instantly posted on "the list". UT3 knows whos on the list, and will never let you play. next time try not being lazy