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At the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference

Posted by michael on from the nuts-and-bolts dept.

downix writes "At Toms Hardware they're running an article where they discuss the next-generation Windows graphics system. The big part of the scoop, it's being done via DirectX. Have to validate those 2Ghz CPU's and GPU's that need their own nuclear power plant to run somehow." Some other interesting things there - quiet PCs, more about the Oqo, etc.

2 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Killer App? by DickPhallus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Personally, I see little driving the next generation windows boxes. I mean seriously, most computers that are 3 years old will do most things the average person could ever want. It'll burn CDs, play DVDs, read email, do word processing, email, blah blah blah...

    What's next to drive people to upgrading? Will the game market be enough to drive the market?

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  2. Re:3d being used more on the non-gamer desktop? Wh by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Interesting
    • some games can be played just fine on a 2 MX

    "Some"? Holy heck, welcome to the problem. I've just built a machine for my brother. An XP 1700+, 256Mb of DDR 2100 and a 64Mb GeForce 2 MX 400 with TV out. We debated hardest on the card. He wanted to go for a GeForce 3 TI to future proof himself. Here's how my reasoning went:

    • The 3 TI costs 2.5 x the price of the 2 MX.
    • Either card will push images to his (expensive) TV or (cheap) monitor as fast as it can take them for any current game.
    • When games come out that overstretch the 2 MX, what's the price on the 3 TI going to be? Probably about the same as the 2 MX today. By waiting a year, buying the 3 TI and binning (or donating to a needy brother, ahem) the 2 MX, he actually saves himself money. At no point will he be running a clunky game.

    Logic prevailed. Oh, he still wanted the 3 TI, because game mags say it can run at a squillion fps @ 1600x1200x32, but we did manage to establish that the noticable benefit would be zero, because he doesn't have a monitor that can handle that.

    I'd advise anyone else thinking of buying a high end graphics card to do this calculation. Unless you've got a 1600x1200 @ 80fps monitor, what the heck do you need a GeForce 3 or 4 TI for? Don't spend money "future proofing": all you're doing is paying a premium on hardware that will be a lot cheaper when you do find yourself needing it.

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