Hi i need help with upgrading my hardwares inside my computer. Im using it for hard-core gaming so i need go advice on which to get first.
here is my Current PC specifications...
Processor: Intel pentium DUAL CPU E2180 @ 2.00 gHz
RAM: 2GB RAM
Graphics card: GEforce 7100/nforce 630 @512mb
Currently i cant play L4D and COD:WAW because its very laggy. same goes to GTA: IV
and others that requires high-end specs. im thinking of upgrading my graphics card to GEforce 9800GT to reduce lag for the games. would it be better to upgrade the processor to Quad Duo at 2.6+ gHz first?
need advice. thanks :)
quad core, 3gb ram and GTS250 ?
GTS250 quite expensive. looking for graphics card less than $300.
but is it graphics card or processor will reduce the lag?
Whats yr internet speed?
Processor speed plays a main part.
Single, Dual or Quad core does not really matter.
BTW, did you optimize your computer?
it does matter if you get single,dual or quad core because getting quad = more speed. that is why quads are more expensive.
im using Sintel Modem, but it doesnt really matter because im using it for gaming offline. im not really a tech-pro but i dont think optimizing my PC makes a difference.
Originally posted by Sgdevilzz:it does matter if you get single,dual or quad core because getting quad = more speed. that is why quads are more expensive.
im using Sintel Modem, but it doesnt really matter because im using it for gaming offline. im not really a tech-pro but i dont think optimizing my PC makes a difference.
Quad can multitask more
A high end core 2 duo is good enough. As for graphics card i think the one u mention is good enough.
Upgrade your graphics card since that is the one making your games laggy. A quad-core will benefit you if you multitask alot, or you simply cannot wait for the program to load at start-up. But for now, upgrading the GPU is the cheapest option. The 9800GT is powerful enough for your gaming needs.
So even if i upgrade my processor to lets say 2.8GhZ, my games will still lag without the proper graphic card?
Originally posted by Sgdevilzz:So even if i upgrade my processor to lets say 2.8GhZ, my games will still lag without the proper graphic card?
yes
it is due to bottlenecking
imagine ur processor can handle 10 piece of information in one sec, but you are using a graphic card that can only handle 2 piece of info in one sec. so overall it still lag
Dont buy a fast cpu and a slow gpu, and dun buy a slow cpu but a fast gpu
need to be somewhat stable
Maybe like a core 2 duo 2.8 and a 9800
Originally posted by MyPillowTalks:yes
it is due to bottlenecking
imagine ur processor can handle 10 piece of information in one sec, but you are using a graphic card that can only handle 2 piece of info in one sec. so overall it still lag
Dont buy a fast cpu and a slow gpu, and dun buy a slow cpu but a fast gpu
need to be somewhat stable
Maybe like a core 2 duo 2.8 and a 9800
True story
Oh. so can my Intel Pentium dual with 2ghz take up the 9800GT?
budget?
Theorily it is possible but 2ghz seems to be a little slow
unless u overclock it a little, after that get the 9800gt
but in this case i will save up for a few months and get a new PC
your pc is around 1-2years old? or more than that? the grphics card seems to be a little old
1 1/2 yrs old.
its custom build and its a gift from my dad. so i would not want to get a new PC. plus, this pc can play COD4 finely. so i guess its already not that bad.
well my budget would be $500 or less with upgrading of system power supply, graphics card, processor and RAM.
What powersupply are you using?
What motherboard are you using?
For ram i think it is enough for now.
If you give me the money to upgrade, i will do the following:
If your powersupply is a true power 450-500watts you can consider to continue using it for a 9800gt, and it cost around $210 max
That makes an extra $290
If your motherboard supports E7500 2.93ghz processor, you can consider buying that cpu, max it should cost $200. I think there is not worth getting the E8400 that is at 3ghz, however it does perform better...and it cost $62 more
And that leaves $90
You can spend the money for a coolermaster extremepower 550w for $90max
that will take up $500
However if your motherboard does not support newer processor, then i think you can try overclocking it up abit and get a 9600gt graphic card, as i feel that it is more 'compatible'.[PLEASE ADVICE, im not very sure about the performance diff]
I dont wanna say this but if your mobo doesnt really support the new processor, i think i will save up and spend the $500 on the next PC.
Reason is that if you spend a lot on a graphics card and your processor cant keep up, it is not worth it as the CPU will bottleneck
And if you get a slow graphics card that your processor can keep up with, you might not get a lot of performance gain, and you will feel that the money is not well spent
Raraken please give some professional advice, i might be wrong
okay, first things first.
1st, im not a tech pro.
2nd, how to check your power supply?
3rd, how to check your mother board and what can it supports?
4th, the guy (seller) ask me to get a new monitor because the graphics card cant support my VERY OLD monitor.
5th, i already have a cooler but i dont know what brand or how much it can cools. ( but when i ON my come for hours, the PC case seemed to be cool and not hot)
please answer my questions. and many thanks MyPillowTalks for some advice :D
and others too :D:D:D:D:D:D
Powersupplies are normally installed on top inside your casing, look at the sticker and see the power, how many watts. Mostly if they write there "450watts standard rated power", it can only produce 250-300watts. Best is to check the sticker and look at "true power"
Motherboard u can manually open up your casing and look at the bottom of your motherboard, look at the model and make.
Or u can download CPU-Z and look under the 'Mainboard' tab
Actually for monitor there is no need to change. What the salesman might be telling you may be the video out plugs of your graphics card.
To put it simple, your old monitor supports only VGA input connection. However most new graphics card does not have VGA output connections anymore, they have something called DVI and HDMI or a mixture. However there is something called a DVI to VGA converter that should come with the graphics card to allow you to hook up your monitor
How old is your monitor? Nowadays monitor are all widescreen(so u can see more in your games) and thin in appearance. However to me it is the same becos i dont game a lot.
Speaking of coolers, if you are not going to overclock your CPU by a lot, there is no need to buy 3rd party coolers to replace your old one. Anyway CPUs comes with their own coolers
Originally posted by Sgdevilzz:okay, first things first.
1st, im not a tech pro.
2nd, how to check your power supply?
3rd, how to check your mother board and what can it supports?
4th, the guy (seller) ask me to get a new monitor because the graphics card cant support my VERY OLD monitor.
5th, i already have a cooler but i dont know what brand or how much it can cools. ( but when i ON my come for hours, the PC case seemed to be cool and not hot)
please answer my questions. and many thanks MyPillowTalks for some advice :D
and others too :D:D:D:D:D:D
2nd: Add on to what MPT said, when you check your power supply, look at the label for +12V. The value shown underneath +12V is very important when it comes to upgrading the computer, as it determines if you need to change it.
3rd: As MPT said, check CPU-Z under Mainboard tab, and look under Link Width. Though with the NVidia 630i Chipset, it should be PCI-E X16. Any PCI Express videocard will fit.
4th: He's trying to make you buy a new monitor. Your current monitor is fine, if it's a CRT even. He's talking about the connectors on the monitor, be it VGA or DVI, though most, if not all, video cards come with DVI - VGA adapters.
5th: The standard cooler is fine if you aren't going to push the computer hard.
okay thanks guys for your replies :)
i've looked through my outside casing of my computer but find no sticker accept the license for windows XP.
About the motherboard thingy, it will take some time for me to open up the case.
my monitor's brand/model is " Compaq 1501" very old. its been with me for 8 years already.
@ raraken
i've downloaded the CPU-Z thing but cant check it out yet as i cant use it now( using another computer ).
will be doing all these later.
thanks again for your help! :D
Originally posted by MyPillowTalks:What powersupply are you using?
What motherboard are you using?For ram i think it is enough for now.
If you give me the money to upgrade, i will do the following:
If your powersupply is a true power 450-500watts you can consider to continue using it for a 9800gt, and it cost around $210 maxThat makes an extra $290
If your motherboard supports E7500 2.93ghz processor, you can consider buying that cpu, max it should cost $200. I think there is not worth getting the E8400 that is at 3ghz, however it does perform better...and it cost $62 more
And that leaves $90
You can spend the money for a coolermaster extremepower 550w for $90max
that will take up $500
However if your motherboard does not support newer processor, then i think you can try overclocking it up abit and get a 9600gt graphic card, as i feel that it is more 'compatible'.[PLEASE ADVICE, im not very sure about the performance diff]
I dont wanna say this but if your mobo doesnt really support the new processor, i think i will save up and spend the $500 on the next PC.
Reason is that if you spend a lot on a graphics card and your processor cant keep up, it is not worth it as the CPU will bottleneck
And if you get a slow graphics card that your processor can keep up with, you might not get a lot of performance gain, and you will feel that the money is not well spent
Raraken please give some professional advice, i might be wrong
The 630i supports 1333MHz FSB CPUs, from what NVidia says, so a new CPU is possible though go to your mobo manufacturer's website to confirm, since I think this is more about mobo implementation, since the manufacturers may not have designed the board for 1333MHz FSB. I would suggest an ATi GPU right now, like the 4670 or 4850, since the price/performance ratio is pretty good compared with Nvidia.
And since his monitor is a 15-inch, probably 1024x768, the 4670 is more than enough.
1st. what is FSB CPU?
2nd. what is mobo?
3rd. ATI radeon 4670? if yes, is it better than nvidia GEforce 9800GT? how much the ATI graphics card cost?
4th. yes my screen is 15-inch 1024x768 compatible. flat screen too. (not too flat) and the seller ask me to change because my old monitor cant support the new graphic card.
Originally posted by Sgdevilzz:1st. what is FSB CPU?
2nd. what is mobo?
3rd. ATI radeon 4670? if yes, is it better than nvidia GEforce 9800GT? how much the ATI graphics card cost?
4th. yes my screen is 15-inch 1024x768 compatible. flat screen too. (not too flat) and the seller ask me to change because my old monitor cant support the new graphic card.
1st: FSB is the 'old' way of CPU - Northbridge communications. The FSB carries all instructions to and fro, like memory acceses, Floating Point calculations and so on.
2nh: Mobo = Motherboard
3rd: Yes, but not more powerful. However, the CPU will not bottleneck the card, and the processing power will not be wasted by playing at 1024x768. The 9800GT was meant for high-res gaming.
4th: He wants you to buy a new screen and earn more money. 'Nuff said.
Originally posted by Raraken:1st: FSB is the 'old' way of CPU - Northbridge communications. The FSB carries all instructions to and fro, like memory acceses, Floating Point calculations and so on.
2nh: Mobo = Motherboard
3rd: Yes, but not more powerful. However, the CPU will not bottleneck the card, and the processing power will not be wasted by playing at 1024x768. The 9800GT was meant for high-res gaming.
4th: He wants you to buy a new screen and earn more money. 'Nuff said.
hmm... okay...
i've checked using CPU-Z and the results...
-PROCESSOR-
Name: Intel Pentium E3180
Code name: Conroe
package: Socket 775 LGA
technology: 65nm
Core voltage: 1.168V
-CORE (Core#0)-
Clock speed: 1200 - 2000 MHz
Multiplier: x 6.0
Bus speed: 200.1 MHz
Rated FSB: 800.2 MHz
-MOTHERBOARD-
Manufacturer: To be filled by O.E.M
Model: To be filled by O.E.M
LPCIO: | ITE | | IT8718 |
And my BIOS is American MegaTrends.
question: they didnt show my mobo specs and shoed only this... so i must open up my computer/case to see? must i take out the motherboard to CLEARLY see the labels?
thanks for your replies :)
Originally posted by Sgdevilzz:hmm... okay...
i've checked using CPU-Z and the results...
-PROCESSOR-
Name: Intel Pentium E3180
Code name: Conroe
package: Socket 775 LGA
technology: 65nm
Core voltage: 1.168V
-CORE (Core#0)-
Clock speed: 1200 - 2000 MHz
Multiplier: x 6.0
Bus speed: 200.1 MHz
Rated FSB: 800.2 MHz
-MOTHERBOARD-
Manufacturer: To be filled by O.E.M
Model: To be filled by O.E.M
LPCIO: | ITE | | IT8718 |
And my BIOS is American MegaTrends.
question: they didnt show my mobo specs and shoed only this... so i must open up my computer/case to see? must i take out the motherboard to CLEARLY see the labels?
thanks for your replies :)
Seeing from your graphics card, we can tell the chipset is a 630i. I am using the exact same chipset, OEM Compaq PC + a few upgrades. You still need to open it up since we need to know what model and how capable you PSU is. Specifically amperage on the +12V rail.
Hi raraken.
okay, i've opened up my PC and found a label located at the back of the PC(inside).
the label shows a table of watts or others. on top of the label that should be the motherboard name.
Name: EnLight
Model: LPJ2-350W
EDIT
Motherboard name is "MSI motherboard" but i dont know the model.
somewhere near the label is another small label iwht numbers on it. "260708"
watts should be 350W or 430W
1st. i don't know where is the motherboard located nor i've seen it before. i only see a big blue square piece board, my cooler, at the side is my RAM and hard Drive. cant seem to find the graphics card too..
thats all. i've check the "enlight" on google and i cant seem to find any...