Heya, PC-GAF! About a year and a half ago, I built a new computer. I wasn't a huge fan of PC gaming at that point, so it's been great for all the stuff I've used it for thus far. But now, I'm considering biting the bullet and picking up a 3D monitor, seeing as I need a new one anyways...and so, with 3D gaming, would come an increased strain on the system. I don't have Windows7 yet (going to pick up a new HDD to test it with), so I haven't been able to test my current system with the Resident Evil 5 benchmark yet.
Here's the games I'd probably be playing in 3D, if I picked up everything:
-L4D, L4D2
-Resident Evil 5
-Aion
-FFXIV
-Audiosurf
Here's my current machine:
-4GB RAM
-Card:
GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
-CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
-MoBo:
EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
Keep in mind, I'd like to avoid replacing the motherboard if possible.
I was planning on picking up a
GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit GDDR3, since with the rebate, it's a "mere" $160. Beyond that, I was also considering upgrading to a Quad Core, if it turns out to be necessary (It probably would, wouldn't it?).
In regards to the monitor, it looks like there's only two 3D monitors available right now: the Samsung SyncMaster and the ViewSonic FuHzion. The FuHuzion seems to be available for $100 less, and has a lower response time to boot. Is the FuHuzion a no-brainer, or is there some reason nVidia is bundling the Samsung and not the ViewSonic with the glasses? Is ViewSonic an unreliable company, or is there something else I'm missing?
Lastly: I just noticed my CPU supports 64bit, but I'm pretty sure I've been running 32bit XP on it. Are 64-bit capable CPUs able to run 32-bit OSes as well, or have I just been using 64bit XP this entire time?
Thanks sooooooo much for all your time.