For midstakes grinding

Hopefully that keeps it on topic!

What monitors do you guys use, anyone use more than a 30" one? Good resolution?

PC reccomendations?

I usually buy the first thing i see but this time I wanna get the real deal.

dell and sony monitors are generally the way to go

re: computer rigs, i would lean towards getting something custom-made but at the same time try to have some accountability for it if the computer fails. dunno how to accomplish though, since I just bought a Dell.

PS dont buy dell

30" dell ultrasharp is the one i have, amazing.....
desktop - newegg.com ...
MAKE sure you have the right video card that will support the connection to your monitor (its called a DVI connection or something.. forget the exact name)

Get the cheapest 30" pretty much (differences are not warranted for grinding). I got a 305T and love it.

This thread has about 30 clones in CTH.

I use 1x30, 2x20 (not widescreens); one of the 20's for IRC/chat and one for TV/movies while grinding.

I have a 27" Dell and its amazing already. Colour contrast is awesome. The 30" is a re-vamped version of the 27", but is also more than twice the price.

Depends on different shops and offers, the 30" Dell should be around 1000 GBP.

get the dell 30"
and new mac book pro

I just got a custom built PC from www.ncix.com and it's great. Best 30" monitor is the Gateway XHD3000. I had to get the slightly inferior, yet more expensive, Dell 3008wfp because the Gateway was sold out across the country. The Dell isn't bad at all, but the Gateway performs a little better for gaming and is around $500 cheaper last I checked.

no.

The 27 is a re-vamped version of the 24. Same rezz. The 30 is a whole different beast, with a much higher resolution (2560*1600).

dual dell 3007wfps ftw

If you play on FT, I would just use the points to get the 30" monitor. There isn't a lot you can use the points for and grinders accrue them at a pretty fast rate. Not sure there's a huge difference among the major monitors for poker. I bot a Dell ultrasharp and wasn't that impressed. I'm expecting my "free" samsung 305T next week.

Make sure you get a separate video card that supports dual monitors, because I'm pretty sure you're going to want to add a second monitor at some point. I got my computer a few months ago and now I think I should have gotten 4gb memory and 1,000gb hd. But the 3 + 500 I got is adequate. I bot a Dell out of sheer laziness, and it's adequate - but they are not the company they used to be.

First thing's first - poker PC's aren't gaming PC's. Remember that nearly all PC enthusiasts are gamers, so when you ask for advice from a "computer guy" 95% of the time they will give you a list of parts optimal for gaming, but bad choices for poker.

Gaming PC - Hard drive is the LEAST important piece of the machine. Dual core's are better than quads, and 4GB ram is the MAXIMUM you'll need.
Poker PC - Hard drive is the MOST important part (we're essentially building a database server), quad core helps a ton with lag, the more ram the better, choose

Very important for poker players: A new Solid-state disk (SSD) called the Intel X25M just came out which completely does away with the wear and random-write problems of previous generation SSD's. This represents the biggest leap in computer performance in about 5 years, and is imho an absolutely essential component if you're earning decent money at poker and have any self respect. It basically means that your databases / HUD will never slow down no matter how many hands you have in them, also you can run as much stuff as you want and your PC will always be super snappy. A few million hands into my Databases and I'm still getting 200hands/s into HEM, and 650 hands / sec into PT3. On a LAPTOP.


Balla Desktop
Monitor: Dell 3008WFP (x2 for real balla status)
Processor: Q6600
Processor Heatsink: Noctua NH-U12P
Ram: 8GB Generic DDR2-800 (1066 if price is close)
HDD Primary: Intel X25M 80GB SSD
HDD Secondary: 640GB Western Digital
Mobo: Gigabyte EP43-DS3L
Case: Antec P182
Power Supply: Corsair HX 520
O/S: Vista Home Premium 64bit (just buy academic upgrade, it doesnt even check for a previous install or whether you're a student)
Graphics Card: Cheap with Dual-DVI-D, so a Powercolor HD2600PRO 512MB (fan), ASUS Radeon HD 3650 EAH3650 (Silent), otherwise a 4870 1GB / 4870X2 to power that 30"!


Balla Laptop (What I have. Can HIGHLY recommend)
Macbook Pro 17", Glossy Hi def (WUXGA), standard everything else
HDD: Intel X25M 80GB SSD (Get a certified apple technician to install this for you, for ~$50)
Ram: add 1x4GB G Skill SODIMM for 6GB total
Wireless Numpad: Logitech Cordless Numberpad
Monitor: Dell 3008WFP


Busto Desktop
Monitor: Cheaper 30" (Dell 3007WFP, or Samsung 305T)
Processor: e5200
Ram: 8GB Generic DDR2-800
HDD Primary: 640GB Western Digital
Mobo: Gigabyte EP43-DS3L
Case & Power Supply: Antec NSK 4480B
O/S: Vista Home Premium 64bit
Graphics Card: Powercolor HD2600PRO 512MB


Busto Laptop
Dell Studio 17
Use coupon from notebookreview.com if any, otherwise look for good deals on Dell website
upgrade to include WUXGA resolution, and 7200rpm HDD
Upgrade to at least 4GB ram


Nice Accessories I really like:
MousePad: (very very important imho!) Razer Destructor, plus a Razer Exactmat which you're only using for the palmrest. Pure bliss like you wouldn't believe, huuuge difference.
Keyboard: Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

/end thread

Dual 30" is the way forward, if you get only 1 you'll soon want more.

Buying them in the UK is friggin expensive so get whichever one is the best deal.

Hypothetically speaking, if I were lazy and not particularly good with computers, what should I be looking to get off the shelf that comes closest to FoldEquity's recommendation for a balla desktop? Thanks.

lol if you're playing poker you dont need near those recommendations,
they're way overkill if youre just playing poker

if your just playin poker you can save much more money, lol at buying a Mac to play poker...

edit: well maybe not but still seems like overkill

yeah i don't understand why people need such a fast machine to multi-table and run a hud.

LOL at you LOLLing at how overkill the clearly-stated "balla" recommendations are moran. The budget desktop will cost you around $600 max. And the "balla" desktop is WELL worth it when you consider opportunity cost if you're a solid MSNL+ grinder.

and LOLLLL at LOLLing at the MacbookPro 17": It's one of the only laptops with dual-link DVI-D required to power a 30", the only 17" with an LED-backlit screen, and the only truly portable 17".

Sighhhhhhhh

Sure you don't "need one", but if spending an extra $1k on a fast machine helps you play an extra 10 minutes a day on average, and your hourly is $200/hr+....................

If 1-2 second lockups and LAG while multitabling don't tilt the hell out of you, stressing you out while making big decisions, overall leading to smaller sessions and worse play, then you're a different breed than me. If your database isn't so big that it's slowing your computer down, then you're not table selecting well enough.

I'm thinking about getting a dell laptop. Probably go for the Dell XPS, but maybe I would be better to go for Dell Studio 17 and upgrade screen and memory and harddrive. Thoughts? Only want it for poker but I want to use an external screen and 8-10 table with no lag.

Just saw FoldEquity's latest posts. You're right, paying a bit extra to avoid any LAG is worth it. So you'd say the Macbook is better than the Dell because of the backlit screen and that it can power a 30" (I don't have a 30" at the moment, but you never know)

Can you buy the Macbook with Vista and without the MacOS?

As far as I know the MacbookPro is the only laptop with dual-link DVI-D, required to run a 30" LCD. I've heard the XPS 17" can too but I'm not sure, that's pretty damn expensive itself anyway. The MacbookPro's a hell of a lot more expensive than the Dell studio or other 17"ers though, so the value-proposition is:

Essential (for some people): Powers a 30"
Nice features: Reduced eye strain from LED backlit display, size/weight and style

If you don't need to run a 30", then it's couple of extra benifits compared to other laptops mightn't be worth it for you, depends on your hourly and whether or not normal notebook screens give you any eye-strain, and how much you'll be travelling.


MacOS is included, but you can wipe it and windows installs fine. There's a cool trick with vista which saves a fair bit of money. Pick up a copy of Vista Home Premium academic upgrade for ~$70, then order the 64-bit DVD for like $5 from the web using instructions in the case. Install vista as a trial (don't enter product key, don't check "automatically validate"). Once installed put the DVD in again while in windows and "upgrade" from this trial installation, entering your product key this time and validating. Microsoft doesn't know the difference.

The 305T in the Fulltilt shop any good?

I have the Samsung 305T, it's an awesome monitor imo! I really love mine!

haven't read the other replies.. but I've tried out Dell's, LG's and HP's 30's. If I were you, I'd choose the HP LP3065. It costs a bit more then LG's.. probably the same as Dell's? but it's the best 30" out there, and it's pretty.

approx. price of balla desktop?