Low end debug machine Dell with Intel Extreme

#1 Probably cheapest to build one yourself or hit ebay. My debug box is a 850Mhz Duron, currently with a 32MB GeForce2 MX in it (I have a couple of crap cards I swap over for testing occasionally). It handles TGE fine on Windows and Linux.

I would be wary of the card in that machine you mention. However, if you make sure you get a machine that has an AGP slot, then you can just replace the graphics card and it should be fine. CPU speed isnt really an issue so just get whatever you can afford. Note that some motherboards like to tell you "With AGP!" when what they mean is it uses AGP internally for its crappy onboard graphics, but it doesnt have an AGP slot. I always build my own machines so I'm not too sure what Dell are like in that regard, but I'd be careful just in case.

Oh, when you get your new box, make sure you read up on remote debugging if you dont already know how to do it, its worth its weight in gold :)

T.

#2 I have dual monitor setup on this old compaq, with built in "extreme" graphics (not), and it is capable of running torque, but obviously not TSE. It runs ok, but it certainly doesn't have all the cool features of Nvidia or ATI. I only use mine for IRC, IMing, and emailing. My old Lat. Dell laptop with Neogeo card ran Torque pretty well, but I had to add a hack for opengl.

EDIT: Spelling

#3 Your best bet for the money is someplace like this Computer Geeks
get one of the refurb or year old systems on the cheap, or get a bare bones kit and piece something together.

I got my mother in-law an HP system for these guys and it has been flawless for the last 3 years!

Dell is going to be hard pressed to beat something like this! Example

I have gotten lots of stuff from them over the years and had ZERO problems with refurb equipment from them.

#4 Thanks for the information.

#5 Don't get a dell, period. I've had one for 4 years, after the 2nd year, my CPU and comp ran so hott, if i put the side of the scase on, my comp lcoks up. It literally heats my room, i don't need a heator. Ontop of that, yea they gave me an AGP slot, but a slow one. They rip the FSB off the mobos on some of they're machine, i paid upwards of 3K for my machine, and to upgrade it, id have to sink 700+ dollars into it. Want a good deal, go HP/Compaq, or raid www.newegg.com

#6 @Dan:
1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes

:)

#7 You can run TGE on just about anything. Right now, I'm running it on a 1Ghz Duron laptop. The graphics card has less features than a chalkboard... Of course I get like 5 FPS, but it runs ;)

#8 8MB for your graphics card is as low as you can go though (not that it really matters in this day and age) I've played around with Torque on a 400MHz machine and it goes fine... It will run on pretty much anything (excpet this computer I'm using now! stupid old craptop)

Oh well :P

Nick

#9 Thanks for all the helpful information.

Torque wont run on my old laptop so I thought I would ask.

#10 Does anybody know of a good site that would help me build my own machine that's Linux friendly? I want to build something that has a very small case, like a mini-atx case with a good nVidia card. NVidia's product labeling is difficult to decifer.

Thanks for any tips.