Sorry that this is off topic!  I have been trying to read
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action but I can't get any messages from it.  Has
something happened to it?  I haven't been on for a long time and now I need
advice on new video cards and I rely on those guys!  Can anybody tell me

I'm happy playing HL2 on my XBox 360 but pcgamer guilt made me realize I
couldn't abandon my desktop.  I just bought a bunch of PC upgrades and
decided on an EVGA 8600GTS video card.  Anyone have something in that range?
It's my first PCI-Express video card.  Does anyone here ...

Is there anyway to get rid of the 'name pop-ups' that appear when you look
at another player?

This is where I'm stuck (screenshot:
http://www.javierdl.com/temp/riotact.jpg). Am I supposed to pile up
boxes to jump over this shield? Or what?
It's hard to explain where I'm located as this place is like a

I have played it through, and to be honest it really sucks. Half-life 2
episode one is somewhat better but it´s not good either. I know several
people with this very same opinion about Half-Life 2 who have played it
through. There´s so many good fps shooter games out there, and ...

I knew you'd come through!  Still no pc.games newsgroup (I must have changed
something a long time ago, I'll have to look for it) but I'll know what to
look for for my video card now.
I just recently put my own RAM sticks in, for the first time.  Will I have a

If anybody has played both of the games, could you tell me what the real
differences are between the Quake mod and the Half Life mod? I assume
graphics are a huge difference, but was the gameplay the same, or did Valve
change it?

I cannot say i like episode 2 so far (portal is a different case: that was
very nice and liked it), but i now i am stuck a bit.
I killed a lot of striders and hunters, but at the point where i am now
there are 3 striders at the same time with hunters with too little ammo and

.
.
Spoiler Space
.

          I get texture problems in Portal and EP2 with my 7800GS using
latest drivers 163.71. In Portal, the elevator has huge rays coming from
wall. In EP2 often the chain link fences will go solid. All other 3D games
are fine.

Anyone hear any chatter about a similar problem?...
When I first attempted to start Ep. 2, the game would go through its
usual startup gyrations (Steam starting up,  etc.) but then it gets to
the "blurry menu" point (just before the image sharpens and the menu

I play Counter Strike: Source and, as I believe most of you, the
Steam
directory keeps growing larger and larger (over 10 GBs now...). The
problem is that some maps download almost thru the end and then they

New to the list, thought I would pop on and say hi.
Regards,

I love the game and all the effects except for the rendering of fire.
With Half Life 2 the fire seems to be rendered at 30 FPS and looks
pretty choppy and weak.
With Half Life 2: Ep 2 it appears to be rendered at full FPS but then

I'm guessing not.  Thought I'd check.
I haven't signed up for XBox Live Gold yet and wanted to see if there
was anyone in this group playing TF2.