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Is your PC "fast enough"?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
I'm happy with mine...the only thing in my next-few-months list is an SSD, and maybe by summer/fall-ish I'll upgrade my 4890. For now, I'm happy.
 

Qest

Junior Member
Dec 20, 2010
2
0
0
I don't play games or anything. Just browse the internet, listen to music, watch movies, etc...

My Pentium 4, which was top-of-the-line when I got it, hasn't changed at all in the 9 years since. It runs Windows 7 acceptably, though my 9600 all-in-wonder is clearly a little taxed outputting duel 1080p for my two monitors. Also I can't watch hi-def content :(.

I am planning on replacing it with a fusion nettop in a few months for environmental reasons (my ancient rig idles around 110 watts).
 

RPD

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
5,109
600
126
I'm happy with my E8400, 6gig ram on windows 7 runs fast. Only upgrade I'm eying is an SSD and/or a new video card once Diablo3 comes out. So I'm safe for awhile :)
 

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,357
3
81
I want a sandforce SSD in a 100gb+ capacity. Other than that I'm good.
 

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
E8400 Wolfdale.
4GB RAM.
Totally forgot the video card. Fast enough for HD Vids, don't game at all on the PC anymore.

I plan on doubling the RAM and tossing in a nice SSD.
Who knows, maybe I'll try overclocking it for once.
That will fix it for another couple of years. Honestly, I don't see a need for that much more speed.

If/when I do video stuff, that's when I'll think about it.
 

thescreensavers

Diamond Member
Aug 3, 2005
9,916
2
81
my laptop is still ok, the GPU is lacking now :(

T9300 with the 3650.

I just installed a 60gb SSD and this thing is like a new computer now!
 

kitchiku

Senior member
Nov 6, 2009
277
1
81
I will be building a sandybridge set-up next march which should set me up of the next 5 years or so.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
Still running Q6600 with GTX 280 + 9800GT and I don't feel any pressure.
 

kamikazekyle

Senior member
Feb 23, 2007
538
0
0
Until I saw some Sandy Bridge benches on encodes, yes. Now...not quite so fast enough. I do a lot video encoding, and while I can leave the system encoding overnight/through the next day, I'd still like to be able to do larger batches, or run small encodes quickly. But in the end, it at least suffices so I don't fall behind on anything.

Gaming wise, however, my secondary (285GTX/QX6700@3.14GHz/4GB DDR2) and primary(460GTX/Athlon II X4 640@3.3GHz+/4GB DDR3) systems are enough. As someone said, with so many high-profile games being ports or multi-platform without PC optimization, there's only a handful of titles can really start to push it. It also probably helps that I'm one of the few people who DOESN'T like antialiasing on anything but fonts :p
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
1
0
E6600, 2GB, 8800 GTS 320 (all 3.5 years old).

It keeps up with office software, music, video, web surfing, and I don't game anymore, so I don't need a faster card. Wish I could run 1080p Youtube vids though - they're a bit choppy. Only 720p is completely smooth.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,228
136
Looking at a vid. card upgrade and an SSD, but whole computer? Not now, not yet. Maybe Ivy Bridge.

i7 920 @ 4GHz @ 1.25V on water, 6GB RAM. Runs quiet, cool, and is still quite quick.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
3
0
E8500 here @3.6. Seeing as I could probably sell it for almost as much as the new 15 2500K's are selling for @ MC I'm tempted to upgrade.
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
Athlon X2 2.1GHz + 2GB ram + HD3850 here, No reason to upgrade.

No real problems with games like Fallout NV/Crysis/DiRT2. I jack up the settings all the way and put them down a little and they run fine.

Today I wouldn't go with anything less than that - dual core, 2GB ram, and a high end video card from a few generations back.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
3
0
Athlon X2 2.1GHz + 2GB ram + HD3850 here, No reason to upgrade.

No real problems with games like Fallout NV/Crysis/DiRT2. I jack up the settings all the way and put them down a little and they run fine.

Today I wouldn't go with anything less than that - dual core, 2GB ram, and a high end video card from a few generations back.

Hell I use up 2GB of ram with all my open IE Windows
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
The SSD makes all the difference.
I am running a three year old Core2 Duo at 2.66 and since my SSD buy I see no reason to upgrade in the foreseeable future.
 

Riverhound777

Diamond Member
Aug 13, 2003
3,360
61
91
Still have the rig in my sig, but it's at stock clock now. And I did add an Intel 80GB SSD and 1TB HDD. No plans to change anytime soon.
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
I moved to macbook's a while back, I took a big hit in 'power' by giving up my desktop, yet I never noticed any usability differences.

I recently got rid of all my other computers. I now have a single macbook pro I use for everything. I used to upgrade or build a new computer every year. I don't think I'll ever buy a computer again (I'll just wait for work upgrades).
 

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
2
81
Computers have become fast enough that we no longer are utilizing their full potential.

It's ironic, but I'm finding that my work computer lags out a lot more often than my gaming computer does. At home, people deal with 1mb pdf files. At work, try 100mb pdf files. Try sending it to the printer and it sits there at 100% on one of the cores for a while. Certain commands in AutoCAD can lag the system out for a few minutes. There always seems to be at least one program running at low priority just so it doesn't lag the system.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Yea I actually downgraded my system. I went from a Q6600 to a E2220 (clocked at 3Ghz). Now that I have a HTPC and Xbox I don;t encode anything anymore.
I did upgrade to a GTS450 mostly for the extra ram and ability to use it for Civ5 and maybe some other stuff.

But waiting for BD and even then probable wait till later this year to build.

I agree that the SSD is probable the best thing for performance feel. I am also waiting for next gen in hopes it fixs all the issues now, let alone price.
 

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
60,801
10
0
i7 and an SSD, yes, it is fast enough for everything except SCII maxed. With the addition of two new graphics cards, it should be done for a long time.