jfarms wrote on 2021-03-30, 23:10:
The reason is that CPU affects more than just gaming. Doing all the little things on the desktop, managing files, unzipping, etc... all feel just a bit snappier on a p4 than a p3. Plus, it's generally easier to find a cheap quality cooler for socket 775.
OK, I can agree with that. Windows 98 simply flies with a Pentium 4 / Athlon 64 (not to mention a Core 2 Duo), especially when also using an SSD.
jfarms wrote on 2021-03-30, 23:10:
These are CPU's and MB's that all roughly cost the same- if anything p4's are cheaper at the moment than p3's.
This, on the other hand, is debatable (or at least country/region dependent). More "exotic" P4 motherboards with universal AGP slot are definitely more expensive/rare than your average socket 478 or socket 370 motherboard. For example, in my country I can buy right now a P3 + socket 370 motherboard for < $20.
Having said that, I understand your point. If you're after a super snappy Voodoo 5 build... I'm not going to judge for spending more. We all did it at some point... 😀
rmay635703 wrote on 2021-03-30, 18:28:
Which brings me to a point how much faster is the RTX 3080 versus the original GeForce 256 in real benchmarks?
Order of thousands or millions?
I would say that the 3080's theoretical raw power capability is between 3 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than that of the GeForce 256. However, in most modern cases, its power is infinitely greater, since it has support for features that the GeForce 256 didn't even dream of having, and many of those features in and of themselves greatly increase performance and quality (like tessellation, which in certain cases can give you 10 times the mesh detail while requiring 20 times less memory bandwidth).
1 x PLCC-68 / 2 x PGA132 / 5 x Skt 3 / 9 x Skt 7 / 12 x SS7 / 1 x Skt 8 / 14 x Slot 1 / 5 x Slot A
5 x Skt 370 / 8 x Skt A / 2 x Skt 478 / 2 x Skt 754 / 3 x Skt 939 / 7 x LGA775 / 1 x LGA1155
Current PC: Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Backup PC: Core i7 7700k