Definitely one of the more annoying bugs, I'm getting it constantly whether I use the WYSIWYG editor or writing out the HTML by hand.

Boz

I take it you suspect the graphics card to be the primary bottleneck, then?

I'd prefer to stick with a reputable seller, and have used Newegg extensively. I also have a Microcenter nearby. I would also strongly prefer Directx 11, since the latest iteration of WoW uses it extensively.

My apologies for not specifying this earlier.

Thank you,

Boz

Good afternoon:

• CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz Processor BX80557E6550
• Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Motherboard (new, not pictured)
• RAM - Crucial Ballistix 4 x 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM (PC2 6400)
• Graphics Card - SAPPHIRE Radeon X1950PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card Model 100176L
• Power Supply - Thermaltake Purepower 500W PSU Model W0100RU

I'm looking to upgrade at a $130-150 price-point.

At the moment I play pretty much just World of Warcraft and Team Fortress 2 at native resolution on a 22" 1680 x 1050 monitor. TF2 is fine, but WoW is pretty choppy at medium settings and up, running only minimal applications in the background. I am not overclocking any components, but would consider CPU overclocking. I have not found a guide that I am comfortable following, though.

To summarize: Right now I'm considering either a 6790 or a 6850 as the lowest-tier with 256-bit RAM that my PSU will support at my price point, but I've been told that World of Warcraft is CPU-intensive, and that it, too, may be a bottleneck. I'm also concerned I might drop cash on a card right before a tier is released pre-holiday.

Any thoughts on the best value upgrade, and whether I should wait for the next graphics tier?

Thanks in advance,

Boz

There's a sticky at the top of the forum called, "Headphone FAQ." There you'll find a large number of recommended headphones in various price ranges.

Good luck,

Boz

...I have read reviews that claim the wires rubbing leading to sound distortion. Hellcat-

The ULTIMATE solution I'd like is to get a headphone amp that I can also carry around with me.Heirren

I've been looking for an optical DAC (most headphone DACs are USB) as I consider my options, but there actually are very few with an integrated amp, and dedicated DACs and a seperate headphone amp can be expensive.

The best compromise in terms of price:performance is the Yulong D100 (Head-Fi Rank #14, Gamespot links are broken) is probably your most realistic option. I'm not even bothering to list anything else, it was that tough to find the Yulong at its price point (~$500). You can find some less-expensive alternatives using some generic DACs from Parts Express, but it's not going to hold a candle.

At that price, though, you might want to consider using a receiver, but then you're venturing beyond the boundaries of my expertise. My knowledge ends at the audiophile stage where someone at Head-Fi might be able to tell you the difference between the guts of one DAC/Amp combo over another.

Good luck,

Boz

Game Night Radar, what's that?
Please refer to this sticky regarding the unofficial game night radar if you're interested.

Why Team Fortress 2?

• Team Fortress 2 game night was the most successful night I've attended, and it would be great to get a regular crew together on a weekly basis.
• The game is free.
• TF2 has minimal system requirements
• It is non-console specific (more folks have access to a PC than any other platform)

Why weekly?
Less frequently and people forget to show up, more frequently and it gets stale. Weekly is that perfect balance of routine and infrequency that keeps things fresh. That, and people show up to my weekly meetings at work, and miss daily, bi-monthly, and monthly meetings all the time.

When would it happen?
Preferably at a similar time to current game nights without conflicting, meaning the 5:00 PM PST time slot, which allows Gamespot employees the ability to participate without obligating them to do so.

Any and all thoughts and comments are encouraged, including whether you think this is a terrible idea!

Happy gaming,

Boz