'Touched'
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But your processor requirements are pretty low
You always want to overshoot the recommended specs, I think. I'm not saying that publishers lie through their teeth when they write them, but they certainly have a vested interest in not scaring people off.
I don't think you can buy a new computer that isn't going to overshoot the processor spec.
Actually, looking at the Gateway DX110X
You can upgrade the video from integrated to an NVIDIA 7300LE for $60. The question is, is the NVIDIA 7300LE any good? The "LE" at the end means the performance has been downgraded in some way.
Second Life may not run on graphics/video cards other than the ones listed above. Unfortunately, if your graphics card includes any of the following words, it's NOT compatible with Second Life:
* nVidia cards that report as a RIVA TNT or TNT2 The following cards have not been tested with Second Life, and compatibility is not certain:
* nVidia cards that report as Quadro
How can I tell what a card reports as, for the love of Mike?
How can I tell what a card reports as, for the love of Mike?
If somebody sells you a computer with a TNT or TNT2, then report them to the Better Business Bureau. They are quite ancient and no new machine will have them.
Quadro cards are specifically for high-end graphics workstations. Again, unlikely that anybody would try to sell you that for a home machine. They're quite expensive.
Having said that, TNT and Quadro are names that would appear in the description of the "graphics" for a computer, if they applied. Which they won't.
How soon do you need the machine? If it can hold until the mid-april I'd be happy to build one for him and it could be in a custom case like the Bat Computer I built for Joe and Aimee.
RIVA, TNT, and TNT2 are really old chipsets, you might find TNT2 in some generic $25 video card, but generally they aren't available anymore. Quadro is the Nvidia workstation video card, it will be branded that way and won't be in any mainstream computer.
Edit: Nvidia chipset crosspost.
The 7300LE looks okay, it has DX9 support according to Nvidia. The 6600GT and 6600 are probably faster, but I have no idea how much difference it would make.
I've heard ND builds excellent computers. His secret ingredient? Love.
Awwww.
It also comes from the fact that most of the machines I build are meant to run in situations where failure would mean ruining a large performace.
ND, I think that would be a treat for him, but I should ask. The birthday is April 7th.
Do you have a link to a screenshot of the BatComputer so I can show him?