Vista Vs. XP for Games

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I am in the process of creating a gaming build at Digital Storm website and I noticed one of the options available at this company is to have it loaded with Windows XP.  My current computer has Windows XP and it seems to run the games I want without too many problems (normal game bugs happen from what I can tell).
I have a family member that has Windows Vista and they seem to have had some difficulty with some games not running and I had heard other stories online about games not running, but these stories were from back when Vista was first released.  Now that the OS has been out in the world for some time, I was hoping for some guidance.
I plan to call Digital Storm customer support before I place my order to make sure about getting Windows XP if I decide to go that route.

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Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Topic: Vista Vs. XP for Games Posted: 26 Dec 2008 at 10:54pm
	I am in the process of creating a gaming build at Digital Storm website and I noticed one of the options available at this company is to have it loaded with Windows XP. My current computer has Windows XP and it seems to run the games I want without too many problems (normal game bugs happen from what I can tell). I have a family member that has Windows Vista and they seem to have had some difficulty with some games not running and I had heard other stories online about games not running, but these stories were from back when Vista was first released. Now that the OS has been out in the world for some time, I was hoping for some guidance. I plan to call Digital Storm customer support before I place my order to make sure about getting Windows XP if I decide to go that route.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 12:50am
	let me see your ticket number I can tell you what I think if you like. build your pc with vista 64bit, that way you can use all of your total ram. also this forum is filled with people who have vista 64bit and run games with no problems. however you can have your cake and eat it too, get vista 64bit and when ever you want xp, run it in your vista using vmware
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

XpubuX Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 726	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 12:54am
	I have run into problems with my vista 64 but it is the old games anything current and upcoming will play just fine. I cant see going back to xp ever. Also I think there are some games that only play on vista.

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 1:33pm
	Here is a copy of my build as it stands now. Copy of Specifications: Chassis Model: Digital Storm 950Si Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Dual SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 3GB DDR3 1333MHz Corsair Dominator DHX (High-Performance) Power Supply: 750W Corsair TX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black) Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1TB Western Digital (7200 RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD-ROM/CD-ROM (DVD Reader 16x / CD Reader 40x) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Internet Access: D-Link Wireless-G 108Mbps (Supports 802.11g/b) Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: CLEARANCE HOT SELLER: Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Recommended) Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Cooler Master V8 (Compatible With i7 Processors) Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty I am not a hard core gamer playing FPS or adventure games. I mainly play RPG and strategy games. I also enjoy playing City of Heroes, but would like to check out Age of Conan. I will take a look at Champions Online and Stargate MMO when it comes out .

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 1:34pm
	give me your ticket number you need some modifications
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 3:25pm
	Ticket Number: 221039 Copy of Specifications: Chassis Model: Digital Storm 950Si Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Dual SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 3GB DDR3 1333MHz Corsair Dominator DHX (High-Performance) Power Supply: 750W Corsair TX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black) Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1TB Western Digital (7200 RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD-ROM/CD-ROM (DVD Reader 16x / CD Reader 40x) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Internet Access: D-Link Wireless-G 108Mbps (Supports 802.11g/b) Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 1GB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: Pinnacle PCTV HD Card (HDTV, Video Recording, Video Capture, FM Audio) Sound Card: CLEARANCE HOT SELLER: Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Recommended) Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Cooler Master V8 (Compatible With i7 Processors) Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty I made one change from my previous setup.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 4:05pm
	this system will eat the above system: here you go Ticket# 221049 --- Price: $2871 (To see this build click here) Copy of Specifications: Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Dual SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Corsair XMS3 Power Supply: 750W Corsair TX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black) Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (Extreme Speed) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) (LightScribe Edition) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: D-Link Wireless-G 108Mbps (Supports 802.11g/b) Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260+ 896MB (216 Streams) (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: Pinnacle PCTV HD Card (HDTV, Video Recording, Video Capture, FM Audio) Sound Card: CLEARANCE HOT SELLER: Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Recommended) Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Cooler Master V8 (Compatible With i7 Processors) Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty do you really need a tv tuner?
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

workingman Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 411	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 5:06pm
	I have vista 64..little problems encountered..and lets face it my friend...xp is a dead horse..and so will vista be (just a bad memory for microsoft..)..with windows7....or windows..or whatever they are going to call it... just around the corner....I would get a 64 bit vista..then when the next system of windows comes up..go for the 64 bit also...it seems to be more responsive..imho..anyway..

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 8:19pm
	Thanks for all the advice! I think I see what you did with hard drives. I would use the first one for my OS and the second one for my games and save files like pictures and music. Still gonna take some time to save up the money to buy it. If I follow my current plan, will take longer, but makes more sense. For about the cost of this computer, I can pay off my car loan two years early. Then I can add the car loan payment money to buy the computer. I just got to learn patience and discipline...

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 8:24pm
	One other question on the new chassis that was picked for me. I can't tell by the picture, but this is actually one of the biggest points for me. Is there a headset jack at the front of the computer? I have a 50% hearing loss and since I share a household with others, I use a headset for sound so my volume won't bust anyone else's eardrums, especially at night when they are asleep.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 8:32pm
	here is the case: HDD1 is for OS/apps/games, HDD2 is for personal/media files. HDD1 is a fast 10,000RPM drive so you want your games on the fastest drive. you can save money by dropping the veloci raptor for now and just using a 500GB HDD for everything, then in a few month or down the road, upgrade to the veloci raptor, that will save you about $200.
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 27 Dec 2008 at 11:58pm
	Thanks for the pics, that helps a lot. Now to save my money and when I get into range, I can revisit and see if anything needs to be modifide for any new bells and whistles that may have come out.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 28 Dec 2008 at 12:36am
	Yes defenitly comeback and config again, cause things do change, good luck
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 29 Dec 2008 at 1:45pm
	Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) I want to revisit the hard drives for a moment. I understand the Hard Drive 1 would be for my games. Hard Drive 2 would be for personal stuff like pictures and music. Here's the thing. I have a 50% hearing loss and while I do enjoy listening to music, I am not one to just sit and listen to music. Everything that requires sound on the computer, I use a headset. I don't even own an iPod and have no plans to download music from the internet. What I do most on a computer is watch DVD's and play games. My current computer has 40GB hard drive and yes, I am careful how much I put on there. It was plenty of space when I bought it and was a huge improvement from my previous computer. I am more likely to store pictures from my Skiffytown League of Heroes events than I am to store music and my understanding that music files are much, much bigger than pictures. I was wondering if the Hard Drive sizes should be changed around. Any suggestions for that? I apologize about missing the TV Tuner question. I don't have a TV. The household uses cable internet and has cable TV as well, but not in my room. With a TV Tuner, I could access TV again.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 29 Dec 2008 at 1:58pm
	I'm not clear as to what you are saying, are you saying you think the 500GB is too much or the 300GB is too much for the OS? which ever one or both we can lower them to be what you need it to be
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

Kryhavoc Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 362	Quote Reply Posted: 29 Dec 2008 at 2:53pm
	I think that the 500GB might be too much for just media storage if all I'm gonna do is store pictures. If I downloaded music, that might be another thing, but pictures aren't as space intensive as music and there are plenty of online sites that I can store my pictures on as well as the option to obtain an external USB hard drive, as well. I would like to have more storage capacity for games, cause the trend has been to have games be bigger and bigger. So if the second hard drive is not for games, then I have no need for it. I would rather have a larger hard drive for gaming. That was why I was fine with the single 1TB for a hard drive. It looks like 300GB is the largest size available through this company with the Velociraptor, however.

DST4ME Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758	Quote Reply Posted: 29 Dec 2008 at 3:15pm
	raptor only goes to 300GB period, but the 1TB drive will not have raptors's seek time which is the most important thing to the game, how long do you think it will take you to scan a 1TB drive with your anti virus or search or anti spyware? if that drive goes bad you lose everything in one shot. now based on what you have said, in that case, simple go with a 300GB raptor now, down the road when you see things getting toward 70% full, add a second raptor and install new games on that. or go with 2 raptors now, as HDD1 and HDD2, no raid. HDD1 = 150GB VR os/apps HDD2 = 300GB VR games/files down the road if that HDD2 gets filled you just add a 3rd veloci raptor: HDD3 = 300GB VR more games/files this would be the best setup to enjoy the speed of VR all the way around. Edited by DST4ME - 29 Dec 2008 at 3:17pm
	Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers

Vista Vs. XP for Games

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