Yes - and no

PC is built and last night got my GPL backup copied onto it.

Quick test - BoG at Monza, 19 AI, 36fps til the cars dissappeared. Plugged Momo red in - works alright, I can actually feel the bumps now (on the other machine, FFB had got to the point where I could go headlong into a wall, with very little feedback).
Another run at Monza from the back - took off with the AI and all fine though there was a small sound stutter as I went past the end of the pits.
From what I've read at RSC I might need to do another run and pass close by the pits, or pull in/out and see if there are any CTDs.

Running 1280x1024, full detail, bias set to 70 at the moment. Screen set to 72hz. Sounds set to 6 - Did have to turn down harware acceleration to 1 click from left due to distortion once the engine went over 9-10k.
The nvidia graphic drivers are 177.xx I believe.

The pc has been up and built over a week, but my dearest darling decided to take the opportunity to re-arrange the room, which involved her trying to move the desk, by herself, before I came home. I came in to find the desk looking distinctly triangular. She'd tried to lift one end and drag it - didn't stop til the side dragging ripped out the retaining screws.

Anyway, still some tests - online to do - before totally happy. Also want to try out GTL - use to get 30-40 fps at best on the old pc.

Havin fun  getting XP to load on the f'in thing.

Started out with the install cd bombing as it came to 'Start up windows' with a pci.sys error. Turns out you have to have an XP SP2 install disk. Managed to merge SP2 into my vanilla cd using a program called NLITE.
Then found I needed to load the mobo drivers so that the install could see the sata hd, and xp install only accepts floppys...arrrgggghhhhhhhhh! SO back to copying the install cd and merging in the drivers, burn the cd. New pc decides it wont read it, laptop wont read it either. OK burn another...arrrrggghhh x 2 None in the house. Got to Tesco 5 mins before closing and it's now formatting the drive.
If I can keep clear of wifey may have it in place and GPL tested on it before tomorrow evening

Bought the e1200 and p5n7a-vm along with 2GB 6400 ram.

Hopefully will have it built over the weekend.

The board can take quad cores, but they are way out of my price range, the e1200 cost £36. With a decent (quiet) Heatsink & fan, it could reach around 3Ghz if needed - that will come later in it's life, when it fails to please me sufficiently.

Found someone on silentpcreview forums who has GPL running on the AMD 780g chipset, so pretty hopeful for the 9300 IGP.

btw, from the old pc, only really had HD (although that is behaving a little wierd, needing CHKDSK running every couple of bootups) and PSU survive. The cpufan header was where the motherboard lit up.....so fan not running there, so not sure on cpu. When I gave the mobo a slap to put the flame out (after cutting the power) gave one of the memory sticks a whack as well. But wasn't worth getting hold of a socket A board in the hope of cpu/memory being ok.

Aye Clive, GPL is heavier on cpu. Or at least it was in original spec. Might be a little less so as the graphics were updated.

The cpu I'm looking at is around 2-3 times faster than xp1700, at least in synthetic tests like 3dMark06. And it's the bottom of the pile for current Intel cpus.

On another forum they've suggested AMD 780g chipset along with a 4850e cpu. The onboard grphics are a little less powerful, but cpu beefier and more energy efficient, 45e compaered to celerons 65w. The setup they suggest would use around 80w when running full steam, the intel setup maybe around 110-120w.

Which is 'better' depends on which test you look at, bloomin minefield. Now I remember why I stopped messing around with pc innards a few years back.

 

Hi Guys,

After a small pyrotechnic display from my pc, I'm now in the process of speccing a new system.

Gaming wise it only has to cope with GPL (and some kids games). Other use is photo edits and surfing.

I figured maybe an Asus P5N7A-VM for the mobo with a Celeron E1200 for cpu - cheap is my middle name - as I'm coming from an Abit NF7-S and XP1700+.

The Asus has integrated graphics, Geforce 9300 which looks on paper to be more useful than the FX5600 I've been using.

Am I totally underspeccing here ?

Lousy first race of the year for me.

2 weeks of Mariokart on the kids (Honest!) wii didn't help, plus my comp was having framerate issues, which I thought I'd resolved during qually. But no, they were back in the race, along with god-awful sound.

Apologies to Sam who I think I may have knocked or caught out by early braking into T2, Clive for a shoddy rejoin infront of him close to the racing line as he came past, Remy for similar.

Contemplating a HD wipe and install, may do same to the computer as well

Bernie....wasn't sure who I'd harpooned on the S/F...and still not checked the replay to see if I could have avoided. Don't remember seeing a yellow - hoping thats the case, in which case c'est la vie. If there was a yellow up and I've ignored it....getting the phone book ready to stuff down me trousers, that cane can sting

Crystal is a good run, though does require patience and building up to a pass in online races rather than gung-ho efforts

Also arrived late for Qually. managed to get 3-4 laps in with a mid 28 good enough for 6th.

At the start, got away slow then back into the pack for T1. Held the inside alongside Geoff (I think) as we got to the exit a combo of me moving out slightly and Geoff moving in caused a tag and the scrap heap that followed.
Think I had Burt and Bernie behind me after the dust cleared. Made another error later on the lap/early L2 to put me at the back.
From then on, just tried to keep it clean. Made a couple of spots due to others pitting. Then had to pit myself due to a reset - yeh, I failed to keep it clean.
Eventually finished up 8th after Craig let me through towards the end - only afterwards found out it was for position!

Congrats to Rik on the win and Sam & Jack for showing SBRC the way home - Lord Loot was cock-a-hoop.

Not sure yet if I can make Kyalami - work may intervene, postponed from this weekend.

I'm still at work.....nuff said

Looks like I'll be continuing my record of no shows for this series.
Currently sat at work waiting for a system to stop playing silly b*ggers and let me complete a Disaster Recovery test.

So far all I have is the disaster

Had a horrid time in qually, attempting to get gearing sorted amidst problems with my 'net connection and a couple of disco's. Finished up with no time posted.

Took it easy at the start, ready for any T1 tangles, but not ready enough. 10th & 11th had a coming together on the leftside, I thought I might get through on the right just as one of the cars attempted a manouvre a la Speed Racer. Unfortunately I didn't duck down enough.

Still, no damage done, and over the next couple of laps moved up the field as others had problems. Got to 5th about 20 secs down on Graham, when I got caught out trying to do 2 things at once - drive and decide whether to go for place or push. That dropped me to 6th, then a lap later Burt had a moment and I was back to 5th, now 28secs down and 5 to go.

Could only make 2-3 secs a lap on Graham, so was about to settle down and take it easy, when he dissappeared, and Diki Waza had gone from behind as well....was it me about to disco..nope, others still showing in prib. Ok....definately take it steady last 2 laps and 3rd place.

Hard luck to those that had problems but big congratulations to Sam !!   

Failed to turn up for this due to a distinct lack of Broadband - or phone line in general   :'(

Hopefully will be fixed later today.

If you haven't already seen it, Jim Pearson created a document for the GPL driving school which ran a few years back, may be of assistance - http://jrpearson.homestead.com/gpldrivinginstruction.html

Glad I made it in the end, great fun.

Gratz to the podium and all who took part.

Vosblod, you did fine. Keep at it and you'll be in the thick of it before long 

Apologies if I tagged anyone, haven't got used to the 65s yet.