Dude, Dell's stupid!

[JustADude]

I'm not a gamer, dude. I render. GeForce cards are OK for rendering, but Quadro's ROCK for it. BB doesn't even sell Quadro's, I found out. I buy most PC parts at NewEgg now.

So, the question I'm wondering now is... how do Quadro's do for video games?

[Jadedcarguy]

So, the question I'm wondering now is... how do Quadro's do for video games?

I've never tried, but I've been told that they do alright depending on the game. Games that require fast frame rate and such are best played on a dedicated gaming card. Quadros do well if your rendering an image or series of images, but from what I understand anything that is render-on-the-fly won't fare as well as it would on a GeForce or Radeon. Here is a link to the different Quadro cards at NewEgg.

[JustADude]

I've never tried, but I've been told that they do alright depending on the game. Games that require fast frame rate and such are best played on a dedicated gaming card. Quadros do well if your rendering an image or series of images, but from what I understand anything that is render-on-the-fly won't fare as well as it would on a GeForce or Radeon. Here is a link to the different Quadro cards at NewEgg.

Cool. I'd always wondered about that. Well, now I know... and knowing is 2/5ths the battle!

[Jadedcarguy]

Cool. I'd always wondered about that. Well, now I know... and knowing is 2/5ths the battle!

If I was a gamer as well as into 3D, I'd probably just stick with the baddest GeForce I could get. I currently have a GeForce 7600 GS that does alright, but Poser still locks up on me if I try anything intense. Quadro is next though.

EDIT: I just realized I hijacked this thread. I am a bad, bad man.

[RichS]

So, the question I'm wondering now is... how do Quadro's do for video games?

I remember a test that Maximum PC did awhile back - they tested the Quadro and Fire GL (the ATI equivalent of the Quadro) cards in gaming, and they did well, but not as good as the dedicated gaming cards.

Just like Jadedcarguy said, the workstation 3D cards are made for accuracy in 3D modeling. Don't want any inaccuracy in a 3D model of a building slated for construction.

Oh, and kinda back on topic - I do use one Dell part in my HTPC...I had to use a case slot cover from one because I couldn't find any of my originals.

[TKPsycho]

If I was a gamer as well as into 3D, I'd probably just stick with the baddest GeForce I could get. I currently have a GeForce 7600 GS that does alright, but Poser still locks up on me if I try anything intense. Quadro is next though.

EDIT: I just realized I hijacked this thread. I am a bad, bad man.

Not so much hijacking as it is necromancy. We still love you, though.

[Jadedcarguy]

Not so much hijacking as it is necromancy. We still love you, though.

I'm a necromancer? I just might have to change my avatar to Dr. Orpheus.

[Acolyte]

Your hatred of Dell's got nothing on mine. Their computers? Pretty decent. Dealing with their support? Makes me want to sodomize the support lackey with a dumpster.

As background, I'm one of the 'local techs' that Dell always promises to dispatch if your computer breaks and you can't install parts yourself. But getting paperwork from them is a stone bitch. Case in point: A laptop comes in with a broken keyboard. It's under complete care warranty. So, I call to get a new keyboard. I mention no less then 4 times 'Please, attach me as the tech for this call. The customer is an old woman who has no chance in hell of getting the keyboard installed correctly.'

So, the next day, no work order. The day after, the keyboard arrives, no work order. The next day, nuthin'. So, I call Dell to ask about the work order. The tech I get mumbles some bullshit about UPS and a tracking number and hangs up. The next day, nothing. My manager gets on and starts bitching them out. They refuse to attach a tech now. Today, I just said 'Fuck this shit fuck. I'm not going to spend the next 3 hours fighting with Dell over three minutes of work.'

And this happens at least once every week or so that we need to fight Dell over our work orders.

And then there's trying to get parts quotes...somehow, they manage to mess up basic instructions like 'Please fax the quote to XXX-XXX-XXXX.' or 'I'd just like the quote, the order isn't being placed right now.' or 'I'd like a price quote on a motherboard for a Dimension 3000.' Fuckers!

*Stabby-motions*'WREE! WREE! WREE!

And the Geek Squad and Staples tech support are some epic fail. Case in point: We got a computer that went into Staples with virus problems. Normally solved by us wacking it a couple times with Antivirus and HijackThis! and common sense. Staples? Well, somehow, they'd disassembled it, then PLUGGED A FLOPPY POWER CONNECTOR INTO A FAN PLUG ON THE MOTHERBOARD (Frying it, needless to say). They told the customer that their motherboard was shot and that they needed to buy a new computer.
Seriously, WTF? How does it even come to that with a virus problem? I mean, I can see pulling the HDD, but that? And how did you even manage to cram that plug in there? Dammit!

[Sandman]

Oh behalf of all smart Staples techs, I apologize. Even our GM, who is an absolute idiot when it comes to fixing computers wouldn't do that.

[IT Grunt]

When it comes to tech support, I typically try to get all of my ducks in a row before I call, because I /know/ they're going to ask me to do certain things. I have Dell's spiel memorized by now, so I go ahead and do it, then call, repeat everything I did. Then they verify my address.

I'll never forget this call with Gateway tech support once. For time frame, this was in '97. I had a monitor that started getting a deep sea-green tint to the picture. If you whacked it good on the side, it went back to normal. Definitely something in the monitor. So I call tech support:

Tech: "Hello, thank you for calling Gateway. How can I help you today?"
Me: "I have a monitor that's gone bad. The picture keeps getting a sea-green tint to it."
Tech: Here it comes.. "Have you tried another monitor, or tried it on a different PC?"
Me: "No, but if you whack it real hard on the side it goes back to normal."
Tech: "Oh... can I verify your shipping address?"

Shortest tech call I ever had.

[technical.angel]

I lost all faith in Geek Squad when I told them I use Poser and he said, I shit you not, "Poser? Sounds like a virus." No, moron, it isn't. Even if you don't use it, someone who works around and troubleshoots computers all the time should at least have heard of it.

Um.... This is the first I've heard of Poser. A google search only brought up a graphics program. Is that it?

[lordlundar]

Yeah, Poser is a 3D graphics program.

And for those of you wondering, the geek squad primarily hires from the computer sales department who get the A+ cert. This means they have little to no contact with the software side.

[Pezzle]

And the Geek Squad and Staples tech support are some epic fail.

Hey, us retail tech slaves have feelings too...

[Jadedcarguy]

Um.... This is the first I've heard of Poser. A google search only brought up a graphics program. Is that it?

Poser makers

Yeah, Poser is a 3D graphics program.

Cookie

[technical.angel]

So, sorry, jadedcarguy, I can't stand by the statement that anyone who works with computers should know what poser is.

While I wouldn't have called it a virus, I would have asked what it was, and figured that it would have some kind of spyware.