Another "Should I Install Vista?" Thread

[Shadow Conception]

It's very tempting, as I have a Vista Business DVD sitting right next to me. All the pretty effects and such! But I'm afraid that installing Vista would significantly hinder gaming performance, thanks to my CPU and RAM. What do you guys think?

P4 3.0GHz w/HT
Radeon X1950GT
1.25GB DDR PC3200 RAM

My idea is to just install XP atm, and then upgrade to Vista whenever I feel that the drivers for Vista have matured a bit more. But my RAM... the mobo's limit is 2GB. Is there any way to get around this? I'm not upgrading to more than 2GB anytime soon, though. I only recently got my 1GB stick.

And no, any recommendations to "just get a new rig", you can go away.

Thanks

 

[cmdrdredd]

if you don't build new...don't install vista. Simple as that IMO.

That system is not going to have all the support since the hardware is way too old.

Unless you're running socket 775 which I don't think you would be since you're on DDR and not DDR2.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
It's very tempting, as I have a Vista Business DVD sitting right next to me. All the pretty effects and such! But I'm afraid that installing Vista would significantly hinder gaming performance, thanks to my CPU and RAM. What do you guys think?

P4 3.0GHz w/HT
Radeon X1950GT
1.25GB DDR PC3200 RAM

My idea is to just install XP atm, and then upgrade to Vista whenever I feel that the drivers for Vista have matured a bit more. But my RAM... the mobo's limit is 2GB. Is there any way to get around this? I'm not upgrading to more than 2GB anytime soon, though. I only recently got my 1GB stick.

1) What mobo is it and what DIMMs are you running right now?

2) Is the Vista an OEM license, or retail? And is there any new rig on the horizon for you? Because if you have an OEM Vista license, you probably don't want to marry it to a motherboard that you're planning to replace in 6 months, wasting a Vista license in the process. If it's a retail license, this is a non-issue.

3) will DirectX 10, much better OS security, Shadow Copy or other Vista-only stuff be important to you?

4) do you intend to get at least 2GB at some point?

 

[cmdrdredd]

Just realized your on a SB Live card...that has no vista drivers so effectively it's broken under vista.

 

[nerp]

Yeah, in your config, I'd hold off on Vista until you're using a more modern architecture.

Powertogether? It's all good. Hang on to it. Using mine. Sweet deal. Have a drink on me, cheers.

Maybe I'm in such a good mood because I'm leaving for Italy for 10 days tomorrow.

 

[will889]

I would wait a bit and determine just how long you'll use the setup you have. It will run Vista just fine (for gaming) though as long as you use it with 2 gigs of memory. The x1950gt is a nice card and Vista runs better on ATI hardware over nVIDA currently, but I would still wait until SP1 comes out to see how well drivers and gaming ability is improved with Vista -- given that your setup isn't a conroe system. By that time you may move to a conroe based system and mobo which will really open up that x1950gt.

 

[BladeVenom]

Just say No to Vista. In some games, it can cut your performance almost in half. Link

 

[stevem326]

I'm in the same situation as you and I'm going to wait until later this year, if not longer. Vista is having too many problems with some drivers from everything I've read (and I've got an nVidia 7950GT card). Sounds like you'll have some problems with your SB card, too.

Right now, XP is working just fine for everything I do. Just put your Vista DVD away someplace where you won't see it everyday and then you won't think about it so much. Wait until Vista SP1 comes out and then do the upgrade!

 

[ndee]

Ubuntu

 

[Shadow Conception]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
It's very tempting, as I have a Vista Business DVD sitting right next to me. All the pretty effects and such! But I'm afraid that installing Vista would significantly hinder gaming performance, thanks to my CPU and RAM. What do you guys think?

P4 3.0GHz w/HT
Radeon X1950GT
1.25GB DDR PC3200 RAM

My idea is to just install XP atm, and then upgrade to Vista whenever I feel that the drivers for Vista have matured a bit more. But my RAM... the mobo's limit is 2GB. Is there any way to get around this? I'm not upgrading to more than 2GB anytime soon, though. I only recently got my 1GB stick.

1) What mobo is it and what DIMMs are you running right now?

2) Is the Vista an OEM license, or retail? And is there any new rig on the horizon for you? Because if you have an OEM Vista license, you probably don't want to marry it to a motherboard that you're planning to replace in 6 months, wasting a Vista license in the process. If it's a retail license, this is a non-issue.

3) will DirectX 10, much better OS security, Shadow Copy or other Vista-only stuff be important to you?

4) do you intend to get at least 2GB at some point?

1) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157106
1x 1GB stick, 1x 256MB stick, all at DDR PC3200.

2) It's an OEM upgrade. I get what you mean, I probably will save it for something better.

3) Considering all that, I suppose I should hold off on it on a computer with a bigger hard drive, etc.

4) I do, in a few months perhaps.

btw mechBgon, you're a hugely helpful member. You've helped me in like every thread I've posted. I just gotta say thanks, and your guide is just amazing. I'll be using it when I build my computer tomorrow. Thanks a huge bunch to you, and all others that posted here.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
It's very tempting, as I have a Vista Business DVD sitting right next to me. All the pretty effects and such! But I'm afraid that installing Vista would significantly hinder gaming performance, thanks to my CPU and RAM. What do you guys think?

P4 3.0GHz w/HT
Radeon X1950GT
1.25GB DDR PC3200 RAM

My idea is to just install XP atm, and then upgrade to Vista whenever I feel that the drivers for Vista have matured a bit more. But my RAM... the mobo's limit is 2GB. Is there any way to get around this? I'm not upgrading to more than 2GB anytime soon, though. I only recently got my 1GB stick.

1) What mobo is it and what DIMMs are you running right now?

2) Is the Vista an OEM license, or retail? And is there any new rig on the horizon for you? Because if you have an OEM Vista license, you probably don't want to marry it to a motherboard that you're planning to replace in 6 months, wasting a Vista license in the process. If it's a retail license, this is a non-issue.

3) will DirectX 10, much better OS security, Shadow Copy or other Vista-only stuff be important to you?

4) do you intend to get at least 2GB at some point?

1) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157106
1x 1GB stick, 1x 256MB stick, all at DDR PC3200.

2) It's an OEM upgrade. I get what you mean, I probably will save it for something better.

3) Considering all that, I suppose I should hold off on it on a computer with a bigger hard drive, etc.

4) I do, in a few months perhaps.

btw mechBgon, you're a hugely helpful member. You've helped me in like every thread I've posted. I just gotta say thanks, and your guide is just amazing. I'll be using it when I build my computer tomorrow. Thanks a huge bunch to you, and all others that posted here.

cool, glad it was some use It's a bummer that motherboard doesn't take more RAM and/or have more RAM slots.

 

[jzodda]

I just finished a 2 week experiment on my new system with Vista32. I have gone back to WinXP Pro.

Games were buggy, and a little slower.

Sound on my Xfi Fatality Extreme Gamer was aweful

Some of the apps I like were not compatable yet. I went through much frustration, especially over the sound card. So I am back to XP and will install Vista later on and resize the partition in Vista and keep XP for just the games I have installed on there and boot there only when I want to play something old.

Vista needs more time for the driver folks to get their act together. Its getting there, but not quite ready imo.

 

[jediphx]

I have tried vista home edition and ultimate on my E1505 dell laptop and went back to XP pro. I am amazed and horrified on the flaky and half-ass vista drivers manufacturers are putting out there especially since they had a LONG ASS time to work on them. Its a shame though that MS seems to going through the same OS cycle.

Win95 SUCKED
Win98,SE Very Good
WINME SUCKED
Win2000 good @SP4
Winxp pro very good
VISTA WTF

They always seem to fall into this mentality "We must dumb it down and make it pretty for the masses to understand it"

 

[Shadow Conception]

Took everything out of my Dimension 3000 today and stuck it in a new case with a new mobo and PSU. The case fan should've been proprietary, but my dad somehow came along and beat the system.

We weren't so lucky on the heatsink/fan for the CPU, however. So I'll be marching over to my local computer store tomorrow to pick up a heatsink/cooler combo for the Socket 478 CPU.

The jumpers however, were an absolute horror for a first-time builder. Also turns out that the Power LED Jumper for our case is 3-pin, whereas we need a 2-pin for the mobo. So we'll need to buy an adapter for that. Well, didn't expect much more from my dad's 5 year old ATX case. -_-

Hopefully by tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll be up and gaming!

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
Took everything out of my Dimension 3000 today and stuck it in a new case with a new mobo and PSU. The case fan should've been proprietary, but my dad somehow came along and beat the system.

We weren't so lucky on the heatsink/fan for the CPU, however. So I'll be marching over to my local computer store tomorrow to pick up a heatsink/cooler combo for the Socket 478 CPU.

The jumpers however, were an absolute horror for a first-time builder. Also turns out that the Power LED Jumper for our case is 3-pin, whereas we need a 2-pin for the mobo. So we'll need to buy an adapter for that. Well, didn't expect much more from my dad's 5 year old ATX case. -_-

Hopefully by tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll be up and gaming!

Regarding the 3-pin-to-2-pin thing, you can just bust the 3-pin plug down the middle, turn the two halves 90° and stick them onto the mobo's two pins. Or just skip it... Power LEDs aren't a mission-critical part.

 

[Shadow Conception]

Did everything. My system won't boot up. The power supply doesn't even turn on (fan doesn't swirl). What could be wrong?

 

[Shadow Conception]

Never mind, got it working. Is there any possible way to format my hard drive through DOS? It has an old installation of XP on it.

 

[Maximilian]

the command FORMAT C: always used to work.

But the windows xp/vista bootable cd/dvd's have disk formatting tools on them, so do most linux cd's.