marketing BS...

[brando]

Originally Posted by proton45

The thing that bother's me is the pace of progress, and the changing cost of the latest and the greatest...

I never know when to buy hardware!?! It seems like everytime I research the cost of upgrading my system a new spec is released from one (or more) of the component manufacturers...and then the price drops on the (former) "top of the line" as the "new/better" component is released.

I usually try to catch this price drop, and upgrade my system so that I have the "formerly" best spec system...it's even better when I can get an over-lap of components (like cpu and gpu).

I agree entirely. The bleeding edge is exactly that - you get the very latest in technology but your happiness only lasts a few months at best.

Right now I'm still using x2 4600 on an NF4 board with an x1950 Pro, 2 gigs of high quality DDR, a high-rated PSU, and the latest addition was an X-Fi soundcard. But the most useful addition was water-cooling!

This has really altered the situation regarding steadiness of play and component reliability and I never want to be without it again. Best of all it's relatively cheap once you have a good pump, rad and reservoir - needing only new blocks and tubing (if required) for new cpu and gpu configurations.

It helps to hold back the need for new all the time. Once you're over the AGP/PCI-E hump you can afford to cruise a while as far as IL2 is concerned.

Just my 2p

B