Rogue Leader

I should really keep an eye my 48x reader then

That game had so much potential...too bad it didn't take off. I'm going to miss it

I agree that today's games are using video RAM better and better, but I still don't think that our cards are powerful enough to allow for a solid framerate with AA at high-resolution. I know that we will be seeing it very soon, but the cards today that have all that RAM just aren't powerful enough to use them the way they should.

LG 52x CD-ROMs are the worst offenders at destroying CDs. I don't know why, exactly, but it is really bad when they do blow because it can ruin your drive, too.

That's a nice looking cooler - have you noticed a difference in your CPU temperature?

I'm looking forward to Troy this summer. Even though it is Brad Pitt, the movie looks to be quite the epic.

It is more or less unnecessary. The really important things when it comes to video cards is the speed and architecture of the GPU, and the speed with which it communicates with the memory it has.

Here I am The Radeon 9800 Pro is the better choice. The 9800 is still the flagship model, and outperforms the 9600 XT. As for RAM on Video Cards, it really isn't necessary to go past 64MB. The RAM is used to store the displayed frame while the GPU builds it. Once the whole frame is built, it is then outputted to the screen. The memory needed is just size needed to hold the image at whatever resolution you are building - usually no more 1600x1200. The extra RAM is used for other things these days, but system RAM is just as good for handling that and there little to no difference in cards with more RAM.

Shrek 2 opens May 21 in North America. As for movies out right now, NASCAR 3D: The Imax Experience is awesome, and Hidalgo is also a pretty good choice.

We'll have to wait and see how the implementation of the merger goes, but I think it will be a good thing. Combining the humor or Gamespy with IGN's resources could make for a great gaming network. I look forward to seeing what the results are.

Then she unfortunately paid too much for it. My local retailers all sell it for at least $15 lower. I still would encourage waiting until later this month before purchasing a new video card. Nvidia is definitely rolling out its new product line this month, and ATi may be following suit, so prices on the 9800XT will be dropping after that happens. It may be a good way to save $100 or more on your computer.

The Radeon is fine with the latest drivers. It's all a matter of taste, really. Nvidia has some advantages over ATI, but ATI's high-end model is faster than Nvidia's by a slight margin. It's really up to you as to what you want to spend on a video card. And as for the matter of the FX 5200 being slower than the Radeon 9000 Pro - it's meant to be, the price is between $15-20 CDN lower on the FX.

10,000 RPMs is fast, but you'll really only notice it if you are doing sound or video encoding, and even though the difference won't be noticable enough to legitimize the price jump from the 7200 RPM model. Serial ATA at 7200 RPM is fast enough for just about everything gamers need.

Point conceded

Once again, here is the latest version of Rogue Leader's Hardware Guide. Let's get to the action! Not much is new in the processor field since the last time I wrote a hardware guide, but exciting things are coming. Intel has decided to throw its hand in the 64-bit bandwagon by offering a server-side processor supporting 64- and 32-bit extensions beginning next quarter. Although this is specific to commercial processors, the lack of a consumer level 64-bit Operating System from Microsoft means that 64-bit processing won't realize it's full potential for some time anyways. Still, for those looking to purchase a new computer or upgrade an existing one, prices are very cheap for new processors. In video cards, ATI continues to reign supreme with the Radeon 9800XT, although Nvidia is poised to strike at the throne next month following the release of their next-generation video card, code-named NV40. Stay tuned for more news when that is announced in March. In other exciting news, PCI Express is poised to make its debut this year, hoping to completely replace traditional PCI and AGP slots by the end of the year. The advantage to this system is the scalability. The 1x speed runs at a maximum speed of 250 MB/s. Speed then multiplies from here, running to a maximum of 32x, effectively a maximum of 8 GB/s. AGP is being replaced by the 16x bus in this new system, doubling the amount of bandwidth available from the current AGP 8x standard. It also allows for all devices to be controlled by a single chipset bridge, rather than several different chips on the board. PCI Express will be making its debut with the launch of the new P4 chipset next quarter. PCI Express is already being featured by Nvidia, which has announced PCI Express versions of the GeforceFX and Geforce 4 MX, and will undoubtedly be featured in NV40. ATI has yet to announce products to use this technology, but are planning to in the near future. In RAM news, DDR2 is set to make it's debut, promising higher capacity and faster I/O cycles meaning more speed for gamers. So what does all this mean for we gamers? It's going to be an exciting summer. While we should be outside enjoying the sun, we'll be working our behinds off trying to save up money for an upgrade with all this new technology available to us to make our games run faster, look better, and push the limits of gaming. Intel and AMD and Nvidia and ATI are headed into the ring for a summer of speed battles, and the winners will be us. For the latest hardware news, be sure to check Tom's Hardware Guide and AnandTech for the latest. As always, feel free to post questions or comments below. Unfortunately my PC is down (the downside to a liquid-cooled PC is having to wait a week to get replacement parts if a pump fails ) so I don't have access to my CNCNZ account right now, but leave a message here and I'll do my best to get back to you. Happy gaming, all!

It's not typical, though. This is the first time since the 486 that clock speeds aren't being cranked up regularly. They've reached a plateau because they can't make them much faster without better, more expensive cooling. CPU speed isn't as important these days to gamers. RTS games and load times are the only things that gain an advantage by a faster CPU, while grpahics power is taking center stage.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, too. I think this is going to be an exciting year for computers, and I bet the holiday season is going to have a great performance/price war. I can't wait to see what ATI and Nvidia have cooked up for us this year.

120 GB is more than enough for anyone unless they are hardcore movie downloaders. The Pr0n collection really eats away at HD space As for a video card, if you have the money to spend go with the Radeon 9800XT. You can also wait a month for Nvidia to launch their new video cards, which will result in lower prices for the GeforceFX and probably the Radeon 9800 series. Right now ATI has the edge in video, but rumor has it good things will be coming out of the Nvidia camp next month so you may want to consider waiting.

My vote goes to Tanya

The only games I know that really need a gamepad on PC are sports games like NHL, NBA, etc. Everything else I've seen can be played just as well - if not better - on a computer, especially if you have a joystick or steering wheel. I suppose I'm biased because I never had a console when I was younger, but then again there are no console games that appeal to me that I can't get on PC. It's all a matter of taste - to each his own

That's what LAN parties are for, my friend... Personally, I like the games better on PC than I do on console. Anything that is really good on a console usually comes to PC within a year anyways, so I'd rather wait to see them do it right on PC. For example: Knights of the Old Republic is better on PC than it is on X-Box, because the controls are easier using a mouse, and BioWare added extra content to the PC version. The downside to PC gaming is the price of computer upgrades, but I don't mind shelling out some extra money for games I really enjoy.

I've never been an RPG fan myself either, but if you can get through the somewhat slow first few hours of gameplay, the storyline takes you over and gets you hooked. It easily was my favorite game last year, and ranks up there among my all-time favorites.

I dunno, but these are both new concepts for the Star Wars universe of games. Battlefront is a team based game like Battlefield 1942, with 4 playable sides with vehicles and multiple character classes for each. Republic Commando is apparently going to be the first SW game to get a "M" rating, because it is going to be like Alien vs. Predator - a terrifying FPS experience. As long as the games made are fresh - like Knights of the Old Republic, the best game of 2003 and the best SW game of all time - they can keep making them. Although I'd love to see a new X-wing game based in the expanded universe....

Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Republic Commando I haven't seen anything else that floats my boat yet...

I've heard really good things about NFS:U, but haven't had the money to pick it up yet. Maybe with my next paycheck....