That's cool. I miss fooling around with my PC hardware. I still have my 11 year old PC from the states (almost everything in it has been changed out once or twice (other than the motherboard). I keep waiting for it to die to I can start fresh with an Australian PC (different power).
aspro said:That's cool. I miss fooling around with my PC hardware. I still have my 11 year old PC from the states (almost everything in it has been changed out once or twice (other than the motherboard). I keep waiting for it to die to I can start fresh with an Australian PC (different power).
Here's a philosophical question: if you have changed all the parts but the motherboard, is it still the same computer?
Well, taking you seriously for a second, I'd say yeah. Same outer case, same mother board and same restore disc. I'd say that's the same computer. I really have replaced everything else, graphics card, ethernet, hard drive, RAM, power supply... I guess it's something car enthusiasts would have resolved over the years about whether there is a higher value in restoring over replacing.
aspro said:Well, taking you seriously for a second, I'd say yeah. Same outer case, same mother board and same restore disc. I'd say that's the same computer. I really have replaced everything else, graphics card, ethernet, hard drive, RAM, power supply... I guess it's something car enthusiasts would have resolved over the years about whether there is a higher value in restoring over replacing.
So let's say you changed the case and the motherbaord, but kept the same parts. (Not that anyone would do that of course!) Would it then be a different computer?
I think so. The motherboard is really the part of the computer that limits any other changes -- it's the core of the computer's very existence. And the case is it's appearance.
So if a human could have a brain transplant, and plastic surgery to look like a new person would they be the same person? I say no. But if you kept the same brain and outward appearance, but had a kidney, heart, lung transplant, then yeah you'd be the same.
However, I would hold to the definition that the identity of the computer is determined by the role it plays. Your home PC is the one you use at home. If you change your parts, it doesn't matter, same computer. If you replace it, well, now you have your home PC and the old home PC (whatever it ends up becoming). The home PC is still there and functions as required.
A computer can be a very simple thing. It merely has to manipulate input, and it's a computer. We have early mechanical computers, for example. The identity of the machine is based on what it does. Unless the change alters the functionality of the computer dramatically, it ought be considered the same.
A practical example, is this the same site as it was two years ago? It provides for the same, general function, so yes, it would be. However, if it were to maintain the same look and feel, but become dedicated to press releases of the vicar general, then no, it would not be.
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Tell me to get back to rewriting this site so it's not horrible on mobileI like your definition Yoda.
Hell, thevgpress was the vgpress (or rather ggweekly) on 1up (even if it was an abomination because of 1up) and it was ggweekly on GG's GS blog too.
I think this has to be one of the best thread derailings ever.
Foolz said:I think this has to be one of the best thread derailings ever.
Oh yes. I'm ecstatic. 
SteelAttack said:Oh yes. I'm ecstatic.
You just feel left out because there are no computers in Mexico. 
Foolz said:You just feel left out because there are no computers in Mexico.
There is one. We all share it while passing beer from the one fridge. 
SteelAttack said:There is one. We all share it while passing beer from the one fridge.
Yeah, but it's from 1976 so it almost doesn't count. Then again, the beer is too and it still gets you drunk so I retract my previous statement.
Foolz said:I like your definition Yoda.
I'm a computer science major who talks philosophy and writes like a dictionary. Of all things I better get this one right.
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Tell me to get back to rewriting this site so it's not horrible on mobile
SteelAttack said:Oh yes. I'm ecstatic.
Buddy you've nowt to worry about. With an avatar like that you are born royalty, no mere peasant. A true blueblood
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Listen to Wu-Tang and watch Kung-Fu
Tired of being restricted only to ancient PC games because of a crappy integrated graphics chipset, I recently picked up a low budget entry level video card. It wasn't an easy choice because my household's desktop is pretty tiny (micro-ATX case) and has a measly PSU (220W) with a shit form factor. There aren't many things that will fit in there and I can't be assed to search around for a PSU upgrade. Besides, there aren't many places around here to do the searching, and we don't have something like Newegg here. The few places that sell stuff online always have things quite overpriced because of taxes and whatnot. Building a proper gaming PC from the ground up has been in plans for a while, but I have serious space issues that prevent me from adding yet another PC case to an already cramped environment, and money, of course, is always something that has to be carefully planned.
So I got a cheap budget card, a 512 Mb GT220, which was about the only thing that fit in there and that I could find without too much of a hassle, with the advantage that it needs no extra power supply. I installed it with very low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised by the improvement in performance. Everything from my Steam collection runs great (with games ranging from Company of Heroes to Titan Quest and King's Bounty), and I have even tried a lot of demos that I wouldn't dare download before, such as Mafia II, StarCraft II, Batman: AA, Crysis, with nice enough results considering my modest specs. Mafia and Batman run nicely at 1280x720 with most settings on medium and a couple on high, StarCraft II the same. Crysis surprised me because of how well optimized it is, considering its reputation of being a game that can bring any system down to its knees. After a few tweaks, it ended up running at 1280x1024 with medium settings and a couple things on high and with a 35-45 FPS rate, which is more than enough to blow away anything I've seen on consoles so far.
All in all, I'm quite happy with the change, that will allow me to get games that I have been eyeing for a while now, such as Dawn of Discovery, Anno 1701, Europa Universalis III, Amnesia, Neverwinter NIghts 2, The Witcher, Civ V, HoMM V...it's a long list, actually.
tl;dr: I got an entry level card that allows me to play most modern games at nice settings (good enough for me). All for less than the price of one console retail title.