Computer Hardware from the states

L31mr0d

Ok, so my parents are heading stateside for a couple of weeks at the end of the month and are saying they'll pick me up something.

I'm thinking Hardware for the computer, or a peripheral. Whats the best buys from the states, that would work out the best value.

My present setup is:
Enermax Liberty, ATX 2.0 400W
2 x WD Caviar 250GB SATA2 (RAID 0)
AMD 64 3700+
Asus A8N-SLI, nForce4
TwinMOS PC3200 DDR 1024MB Dual
NVidia GeForce 6800 U 256MB PCI-E

I'm thinking of one or two of the following depending on price:
PhysX Physics Card
Decent sound card
External USB HDD
Better RAM
Maybe better graphics card
Wireless Teamspeak headphones
5.1 (or 7.1) speakers
Cooling equipment (fans heatsinks)

Any recommendations on places to get these (around New York, Washington), best deals, best manufacturers, compatibility over here (would I always need an apadter for everykind of speakers and wireless headphones)

Also, what would be the simplest thing that I could just write down on a piece of paper for my parents to hand into the clerk in a computer store (what hardware outlets are there in the states?) and that would more than likely be in stock.

My budget would probably be just over €200

Help really appreciated

Ruu_Old

The bigger computer and electronic retailers are Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples and Radioshack but Walmart also sell computer hardware (however I wouldnt trust their associates to know a whole lot, not trying to be offensive). Most of the stuff listed would be fine I *think* apart from anything that has an external power supply like the usb hard drive. I guess you could mention to them that you would need something universal. Oh and be careful of customs when your folks return to Ireland with the stuff though it should be ok, its not like they are bulk buying or anything.

KdjaCL

You say a couple of weeks? Visiting family?


Buying shops isnt really making a saving buying online is.


getting it back without getting stung for customs can be tricky.

Theres a thread in Tweaking forum about what you can get.

So if you could buy it online and get it shipped to the US address could save a lot of cash on something really nice.



kdjac

Ruu_Old

What KdjaC said, try NewEgg if you can manage to get it shipped to an address where your folks are in the US.

L31mr0d

ok i think its a toss up between the PhysX Physics Card or a decent soundcard. Could someone tell me what exactly the main benefits of a physx card is. I read some review about standardization and how they can sometimes actually decrease frame rates. Are they worth the hype and should i get one? Also my onboard sound is 7.1 surround, will i see much benefit getting a sound card?

PogMoThoin

Soundcard. physx not worth it yet, can always add 1 in future.

SeanW

Don't think you'll get much benefit from a sound card.

L31mr0d

i was actually thinking about looking to see if there is such a thing as 5.1 surround sound wireless headset with a mic on the market. Anybody know of such a beast and if they are available in the states?

zilog_jones

Ruu wrote:

Most of the stuff listed would be fine I *think* apart from anything that has an external power supply like the usb hard drive.

External Hard Disks should have multi-voltage power supplies, and most I've seen just have a standard 2-pin mains lead connection on the PSU so you can just change the lead to one with an Irish plug on it (unless you like wiring up plugs ^_^).

Just check for "100-240V" for the voltage input (or somewhere around 220-240V) - it will usually say on the box, and will always say on the power supply. Anything that will plausibly be used when someone's travelling (laptop, ext. HDD, chargers for anything portable) is almost guaranteed to have a multi-voltage PSU these days.

Duffman

Ruu wrote:

What KdjaC said, try NewEgg if you can manage to get it shipped to an address where your folks are in the US.

Agreed. Prices in stores are generally not that much better than here but there are some great deals on newegg.

I seem to remember that you need a US billing address though so that could be a problem.

L31mr0d

newegg isn't an option as they won't be staying with friends or family. Just touring around the east coast. What i'm going to do is look up all the outlets of the companies Ruu mentioned then see if there is any on the route they are taking.

What would be the best soundcard to get, and will I notice much difference in gameplay (i.e. will it increase framerates)

L31mr0d

ok sorry to bump. But I really needed some advice about getting a soundcard. I'm think about going for the XFI Fatal1ty, what are the main benefits to my system with this. I mean I have the NF4 AC97 onboard which has 7.1 surround. Will there be much noticeable difference in my frame rates and what kind of headphones would i need to be looking for to take advantage of it?

christophicus

The X-Fi's are good , They wont really give a significant boost to your FPS, id say maybe 5fps max. The main benefit of them is that they can really increase the sound quality of MP3's. Also dont go for the fatal1ty .it is overpriced,and some of the reveiws i have seen suggest that there is not much of a difference between the low end x-fi and the top of the range x-fi.

conzy

I wouldnt get a X-fi at all, waste of money €200+ for a soundcard:eek:

Get a Audigy2 they are great and a lot cheaper....

And if you really want to spend some money on sound get this its beautiful:o

christophicus

there wouldnt be much of a difference between the onboard sound though and an audigy 2 would ther?

conzy

Yes!

I have a Bog standard Audigy card and its amazing compared to the onboard sound on my lanparty....