I found this really interesting case on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170895239926?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

They say it is from the 2006 World Series of Video Games competitions.

awesome case with 4mm thick aluminum plate, looks like a competition case with the logos like a race car.the back of the case shows the model as 'FC-1 WSVG' so it seems real.

I was wondering if there is anyone here who played in WSVG and can verify that these cases were used in competition?

I looked around and read the rules and stuff, and could not find that I can't post some stuff a friend of mine is trying to sell on eBay.

Still not 100% certain this is OK, but he has these computer parts he is trying to sell on - some of them look like good deals (and he tested most of them):

XFX GeForce 7900GT PCI-E Video Card, 256MB DDR3 - Fast!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233289454&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

Creative X-FI Fatal1ty Champion Sound Card with Front Panel
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233297834&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

Fatal1ty Gaming Keyboard with EL Lighting - NEW!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233296134&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

ABIT - Fatal1ty AN8 SLI AMD Socket 939 Gaming Mobo!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233292316&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2GHz Socket 939 64-Bit CPU
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233294381&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

168 Pin DRAM Modules - 4 Memory Modules for upgrading
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170233296758&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=007

Please note these auctions end on July 2nd, 2008.

Sorry if I offended anyone with this post, I didn't mean too.

1) Misconception. PC gaming is as expensive as you make it. If you have a PC built around 2000-2003 you can play games from around that time. Specifically... System Shock 2, Deus Ex, Half Life, StarCraft, Age of Empires II, Call of Duty, Delta Force, etc, etc. You do not have to buy a top-of-the-line rig in order to play games.

Do these people allocate a budget for consoles to support the "required" HDTV to get the "full" experience as well as all the "required" peripherals? Do they mention that PC games (many start even lower) start out at $50 and drop quicker over time?

2) Not really. Most console games are built around the gamepad. With PC you can use whatever type of control you want. Keyboard + Mouse, 360 Gamepad, Sixaxis, Wiimote + Nunchuk, Gravis Gamepad, Joystick, Flight Sim Pod... whatever plugs into a USB port or connects wirelessly can be used by a PC and majority of the time, can be made to work with most games.

3) In order to understand all the functions of a console, you have to read the manual, and manuals these days are getting quite thick. For the PC, you can browse one of the many hundreds of message boards and online FAQ's to get all the answers to any problem that might arise. Let us also not forget all the connectivity problems people have when trying to figure out whether or not their TV is composite, component, DVI or HDMI and whether or not their Wireless router is capable of supporting Wifi.

4) A PC can just as easily hook up to your living room TV as a console can. It all depends on how much effort you are willing to put into moving the case from desk to TV. And family orientated is meaningless to a gamer who doesn't want to game with their family.

As for it being unpopular, the PC Gaming Alliance has reported that there are 263 million PC gamers online as of GDC 2008. That is exponentially greater than both Xbox Live and PSN combined. Don't listen to your friends, they are obviously not informing you with facts, only misconception and hearsay.foxhound_fox

Foxhound - thanx for putting some thought into this - I do agree with some of your points for sure.

Frankinstein Card - I like that!!!

Looks like there are some good deals out there on 8800GT's, and I am seriously considering one, but the XFX 9700GT is still worth concidering for me cuz if I am going to spend on a graphics card, I want the latest series.

I haven't been around for a while (had to focus on girl and school), but now I am thinking of getting back in PC gaming.

I was chatting with some friends/people, and there general feeling was that console is better than PC Gaming cuz:

1) Cheeper - console = $300-600 - a really good PC Graphics Card can cost that much. Also, everytime a new PC game comes out - you gotta upgrade the graphics card and maybe other things, which makes it more expensive.

2) Can use a keyboard and mouse with some of the consoles, and most PC games have a console version.

3) Consoles are easier to learn and use, and not as scary as learning a PC game.

4) Consoles are in living rooms and more family oriented

Now, I don't agree with all these point, but some of them I do feel are real with some people.

Also, it seems like PC gaming doesn't seem to be as popular as it did a year or 2 ago.

Anyways, now it is off to see about a new graphics card...

Based on the Tom's HArdware 9600GT review, it looks like the 8800GT and 9600GT have similar performance with the 9600GT showing great performance with antialiasing enabled:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/02/21/nvidia_geforce_9600_gt/page10.html

Comments on some of the threads here say that the the 9600GT has similar price and performance to an 8800GT

So I went on newegg and found these cards:

XFX - 9600GT 512MB 256-bit with 650 Mhz core $180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150277

eVGA 8800GT - 512MB 256-bit with 600 Mhz core $230

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130318

The 9600GT looks to be $50 cheeper, but similar performance, uhh - $50 is not so similar to me, so I would go for the XFX 9600GT in this case.

Am I missing something, or that is the argument that the 9600GT is same performance and price as the 8800Gt - false?

$50 is not similar in price to me, even though the performance is similar - 9600GT seem to make sense to me.

I went to the Newegg.com LANfest2K7 (BYOC and LAN) this week-end, because of the Command & Conquer.

I saw a lot of things and will post them.

This post is about the CS:S Challenge put on by XFX. This is the competition popularity - like American Idol thing they are putting on to promote there cards.

No problem with that, I did there qually in August and thought it was cool.

So they are going to pick 5 gamers who qualified and won the popularity contest, my favorites are:

Heather
http://www.xfxteam.com/profiles/100386

aLive,
http://www.xfxteam.com/profiles/100393

So, at Lanfest, I got to see 'The Bus':

Not bad, would not mind getting a chance at it. The XFX people told me that you can sign up for 'King of the Hill' ladders which will begin October 21 at 5 locations in the US South West region. They said the info is on xfxteam.com The winner of the locations tournament will then face the chosen XFX team member in a best two out of three head to head match. He who wins get on the bus.

Now, I had to pee, and the restrooms were behind The Bus, so I got to see the other side:

Looks like they have a new Fatal1ty card coming out. The 8500GT Professional, and that it is approved by CGS and tested by Fatal1ty.

They also let me take a photo of inside The Bus:

Very Pimp!!

I guess I am a FPS gamer, since I mostly play Quake3 and 4.

I tried an RTS game - Command and Conquer (C&C), and liked it but wasn't ready to spend $40 on it.

Now I heard about Company of Heroes : Opposing Fronts and that it was a good RTS game.

It seems like it is totally different from C&C in the sense that it is a WWII game, but is it basically the same in the level of play?

I mean after 2 hours of playing C&C, I felt like I could play the game and had fun, with Company of Heros, is it similar like that, or is it a game that takes day to get the hang of it?

The reason is that I was looking at getting a 8600 GTS card and I found this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150227

It is around the same price for a similar card from eVGA and BFG, but it comes bundled with Company of Heroes - which is a $39 saving then if I but the game separately, and if the COH is similar in skill, ease of picking it up and as entertaining as Comand and Conqure then I am in!

Oh, the game bundle info is here:

http://xfxforce.com/web/viewFeature.jspa?featureId=1225845

I wonder when XFX will start bundling the girl with a card, then I would buy a pair!!

I would go with a basic Intel Duo core system like Dell/HP/Gateway:

ON HP I configured:

Review your a6150y series

Price after rebate $794.99

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista(TM) Home Premium (32-bit)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor E4400 (2.0GHz)
Memory: 2GB DDR2-667MHz dual channel SDRAM (2x1024)
Graphics Card Integrated Intel(R) 950
Networking No Modem
Hard Drive 250GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Front Productivity Ports 2 USB, 1 FireWire IEEE 1394, audio ports
Sound Card Sound Blaster Audigy X-Fi, 24-bit Xtreme Fidelity

I would then spend $150 on a DX10 graphics card like this XFX Fatal1ty 8600GT:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150238

That should give you a decent uptodate gaming system for $950 - I think that would be a great system for a great price - minimum hassle - just swap out the graphics card.

If you really hunt, you could probably find a way to get a similar system for under $800, but it might mean more leg work or a brand without the service of a top 5 system builder.

JMHO