Atomic Systems

Hello all,

I have been looking over this Zoostorm Tower only PC for a good £214.99

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/251310

It has no OS so I would but my Windows XP on there (can I use the XP disc that I use on this machine onto another or is that not allowed?) but I would upgrade to Windows 7 if its any good to make use of the 4GB. It looks like it has an internal graphics card so I would by a 512mb or 1GB PCI-E graphics card.

All I would need to do is find a good workstation as my table for this has no room to attach a steering wheel to it for driving games.

With its processor and memory, I would imagine RW2 would run over the 30FPS mark? Does anyone have a similar spec and have it running fine? I only ask as I have read a couple of items where people say 'I bought this hugh spec machine but it doesn't work' and knowing my luck if I bought it before it wouldn't

Any opinions appreciated!

James.

Ive been running a similar spec system for sometime, and runs RW at 40-50fps quite happily. Im using an E5300 processor OC'd to 3.2ghz with an ATI4870 1024mb GFX card. You could probably do it cheaper than that system though.

EDIT: Novatech do this:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prod ... 674GB.html

Better processor, and you could add a 1TB HD and save yourself £20. Top chaps at Novatech too, I get all my bits n bobs from them.

Hi

It might look new and sparkley but I would say its fairly old technology and quite a poor spec being only a single core chip.

Try novatech.co.uk

Frank

Now you lost me

I thought Quad Core 2 was descent enough? I'm not up with all this so I don't know, I've just 'heard' they run well for processing

tubemad wrote:Now you lost me

I thought Quad Core 2 was descent enough? I'm not up with all this so I don't know, I've just 'heard' they run well for processing

Just to be clear the pc you highlighted has a dual core not a quad core chip.

John

tubemad wrote:Now you lost me

I thought Quad Core 2 was descent enough? I'm not up with all this so I don't know, I've just 'heard' they run well for processing

The actual link refers to a Pentium Dual Core chip. The Pentium processor core has been around since the mid 90s, although vastly improved over time.

The Pentium dual Core processors are basically "crippled" Core2 Duo processors, with half the amount of on board cache memory, and this will have a noticeable affect on overall performance as the CPU essentially cannot keep as much information "to hand" as it's more upmarket cousins.

Oh and I'd 3rd the Novatech suggestion, used them for over 14 years without a hitch.

Sounds better, had a look at it, all I need is the OS (my XP) and the GFX card, GeForce one as they are good in my opinion.

The reason I want a high FPS that's well over the 30FPS mark is because I do video recording with FRAPS. At the moment with, say, MSTS I can get 30FPS on low spec routes but hit record and it's down to an awful 14FPS, so really I'd like to average 50-60FPS maybe just to give a gap for the reduction and still keep it smooth.

XP reads upto 2GB so really that should be enough for now?

tubemad wrote:The reason I want a high FPS that's well over the 30FPS mark is because I do video recording with FRAPS. At the moment with, say, MSTS I can get 30FPS on low spec routes but hit record and it's down to an awful 14FPS, so really I'd like to average 50-60FPS maybe just to give a gap for the reduction and still keep it smooth.

XP reads upto 2GB so really that should be enough for now?

Ummm, Ish. XP should be able to address 3gb RAM. Railworks isn't yet a 64bit app anyway so other than being a gig down you should be ok.

I used to run RW on a similar base spec, be prepared for the frame rates to drop <30 at busy locations still, but was perfectly playable.

Be warned ref your copy of XP, there is a risk it's locked to the hardware of your existing PC. When activating, details of certain bits of hardware are passed back to MS so they can work out if you are installing it on a new or substantially altered computer. For some reason OEM licences of Windows are much more stroppy about activating on a new computer.

Still, nothing ventured.....

tubemad wrote: It has no OS so I would but my Windows XP on there (can I use the XP disc that I use on this machine onto another or is that not allowed?) but I would upgrade to Windows 7 if its any good to make use of the 4GB. It looks like it has an internal graphics card so I would by a 512mb or 1GB PCI-E graphics card.

The Ebuyer says explicitly, and the Novatech implicitly, don't include an OS.

You may be able to use your existing XP but if it's an OEM edition (has "-OEM-" in the product key) then you won't be able to - once its activated the first time it is locked to that hardware. Also, XP is really old, and risky as anything on the modern 'net, so you'd be much better off with one or other version of Win 7. The Home Premium edition is generally recommended and IIRC costs about £60.

Re both systems - they're based on previous-generation tech and so you won't be able to upgrade them much, so if you go for it do so with open eyes! Useful upgrades for the Novatech would be to a Core2 Quad (e.g. Q9650) and for 6 or 8GB RAM. Having done that you're probably at the limit of it.

Best of luck,
Ruth

If your version of XP is an OEM Version then legally you cannot transfer it to the new PC even if you remove it from that PC. You may find difficulty when activating the OS on the New PC.

If it is a Retail Copy of XP then there is no problem so long as it is on one PC only.

If it is a Custom Version of XP from say Dell or HP for their specific PC, like the Pavilion PC Range, then it may not install on any other PC at all.

Marleyman wrote:If your version of XP is an OEM Version then legally you cannot transfer it to the new PC even if you remove it from that PC. You may find difficulty when activating the OS on the New PC.

If it won't activate, they give you a number to phone. It has an automated process that generally activates. If that fails, they put you through to a guy. To that guy you say "My hard drive failed and I had to reinstall". That guy says "OK" and then gives you the activation key. Hurrah!

andynwt wrote:

Marleyman wrote:If your version of XP is an OEM Version then legally you cannot transfer it to the new PC even if you remove it from that PC. You may find difficulty when activating the OS on the New PC.

If it won't activate, they give you a number to phone. It has an automated process that generally activates. If that fails, they put you through to a guy. To that guy you say "My hard drive failed and I had to reinstall". That guy says "OK" and then gives you the activation key. Hurrah!

OK, that is possible but if the Checksum is still on the MS Database they will know the CPU and Motherboard that the OEM Key was linked to. As far as I recall the database is refreshed on a 6-12 month cycle. So if you have recently installed the OEM OS this method will not work because the checksum will reveal that more than one component has been changed in the system. Major hardware changes always trigger reactivation on OEM OS.

Strictly speaking though if the Licence is OEM you should not be transferring it to a new PC as this is in breach of the EULA. You should buy a new Licence. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824125

Understanding that end-users, over time, upgrade their computers with different components, Microsoft views the CPU as the one remaining base component that still defines that original computer. Because the motherboard contains the CPU, when the motherboard is replaced for reasons other than defect, a new computer is essentially created. Therefore, the original OEM cannot be expected to support this new computer that they did not manufacture.

"How many times can I install Windows on my computer before I have to activate Windows again?
You can reinstall Windows on the same computer as many times as you want because activation pairs the Windows product key with information about your computer hardware. If you make a significant hardware change, you might have to activate Windows again."

So it is up to you how you proceed based on which version of XP Licence you have

I would really suggest upgrading to Windows 7 then stay with XP.

But if not you will have to call them when you activate it. Most the time they will ask why and previously i have just said motherboard had failed or something.

As Marleyman has said if your copy is OEM you would be breaking the EULA, but a lot of people do, do that for their systems especially on Tech forums.

But i suggest going to Home Premium verison of Win 7 & make sure it is 64bit verison.

Chris

Just make sure you get a processor that can run 64bit

Dean

Graphics card is??

No monitor included.
No keyboard nor a mouse.
No OS.
=================================
A somewhat decent PC costs it' s double, sorry
Have a look at Dell.