=F A=FlAkeyJake Posted August 28, 2013 Posted August 28, 2013 Let me start by saying that I read the forums religiously. I don't post much as I am learning the way things work around here. I have very little to offer and ALOT to learn. So, until I gain the requsite knowledge will let those in the know reply and learn from their wisdom. The Good Lord gave me TWO ears ond only ONE mouth for a reason! As a n00b, (to everything gaming), I have been investigating the remote possibility that my hardware might not be SOTA. In my defense, I have been able to play solitare AND minesweeper simultaneously, so it can't be completely obsolete. <== that's a wink... OK... Here is my hardware list- Intel 850 mobo w\ P3 1.4 ghz processor 1gb DDR 400mhz ram Sparkle nVidia 5200 AGP 8x w\ 128mb on board and... Gateway EV700 17" CRT monitor being driven by... WINXP SP2, 32 bit OS I'm pretty sure that 20-25fps, (on the exterior parts of the Oasis map), is not "all it could be" because on the interior parts of the map I can get 60+ fps. This frame rate is mysteriously cut in half when playing the Fuel Dump map. As stated above, I am a n00b to gaming. Although I have been computing since WIN 3.11, (you can get a good good laff by checking out the system requirements here: http://www.computerhope.com/win3x.htm ), I have never concerned myself with gaming systems and the hardware associated with their performance, until now. I remember paying $300 for a 420 MEGABYTE Western Digital hard disk drive, and thinking, "I will never be able to fill it." My current drive is 40gig WD that cost me $26, shipping included, on eBay. After checking out SOTA hardware, (specifically as it relates to gaming), the only thing I can say is, "Holy Carp!." Sooo many options by a jillion manufacturers is pretty intimidating. Not to Mention the price tag! So, I post here, knowing that I will get the straight dope. Let's assume that my current system is obsolute afterall anf that the only piece I can keep is the power cord. Where do I start? Thank You all in advance for your time and valuable knowledge. This has got to be the best community on the planet! Quote
Death_Reincarnated Posted August 28, 2013 Posted August 28, 2013 Hi Jake, Firstly it would be good to know how much you are willing to spend on your new PC (a.k.a. 'rig' or tower). Next, here is a good website to have a look at for PC components and rating - http://pcpartpicker.com/. Generally you can get a decent rig for $700-1000 which will run all modern games, albeit, not at extreme settings. Regards, D_R 1 Quote
a dog Posted August 29, 2013 Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) Abbreviations: MB : Motherboard PSU : Power Supply Unit CPU : Central Processing Unit GPU : Graphics Processing Unit RAM : Random Access Memory HDD : Hard Disk Drive SSD : Solid State Drive The 2 most important HW parts to not fudge on are the MB and PSU. If you buy a super cheap, off-brand MB or PSU then you run the risk of a failure that may damage other system components like CPU or RAM. It is important to find many good reviews on the HW from other consumers before you buy. Personally, I like looking at GPU benchmarks and CPU benchmarks and picking out 2 that I like and then building the system around them. Motherboard... The MB will limit your choice of PSU, RAM, and other peripherals. You must consider if you want a MB that can be upgraded with better CPU and/or more RAM in the future. Also the MB might support SLI (for nVIDIA) or CrossFire (for ATI) which would allow you to upgrade by adding a second GPU card. Another tricky part with the MB is whether it uses an old-fashioned BIOS or newer UEFI to communicate with the HW peripherals. BIOS is not as user friendly, but it is fairly reliable and predictable. UEFI is like a double-edged sword in my opinion; in some ways it is much more powerful and more user friendly, but in some ways it can be much more complicated to configure correctly. Processor... You must verify that the CPU you pick is compatible with the MB by checking the socket type (LGA115, AM3+, FM2, etc) and the chipset (AMD 970, Intel Q77, etc) of the MB. Memory... You must verify the RAM you pick is compatible with the MB by checking the type (DDR2, DDR3, etc) and the clock frequency (667, 800, 1333, 1600, 1866, 2133, etc) supported by the MB. Also, the MB will have a maximum supported RAM limit. Graphics card... For the GPU cards there are few compatibility issues with today's market, so this is a common place to upgrade. Most motherboards will have at least one PCIe x16 v2.0 or v2.1 or v3.0 slot for a GPU card. Matching up the version number is not required because they are generally backwards compatible, but if you want maximum performance you would want to match the MB PCIe slot version with the PCIe version of the GPU card. Make sure that the size of the GPU card will fit okay for the MB. Most GPU card these days will take up 2 card slots and are likely to block access to any PCI slot adjacent to them. Some GPU cards are extra long and might not fit with other MB elements like onboard heatsinks. Keep in mind that MB also commonly have PCIe x1, x4, x8 slots but these are generally intended for other types of PCIe peripheral cards, not GPU cards. Sound card... If the MB does not have onboard audio or if it is poor quality you will need to purchase a sound card as well. Power supply... You need to make sure your PSU provides enough wattage overall for the entire system. There are some voltage calculators on different websites that can help with this. The GPU card specs should have an overall system wattage recommendation that you can use as a general guide. If you want to be more precise, check the GPU card specs and CPU specs for required wattage (not for overall system but just for that component) and add these 2 wattages together. Then you should check the PSU specs for the A (amerage) of the +12V rails and add those A values together and then multiply that A number with 12 V to get the maximum wattage of the 12V rails and make sure this maximum wattage is greater than the combined required wattage of the GPU card and CPU. You must also make sure the PSU has an adequate number of connectors for your different peripherals. For GPU card: 6pin PCIe or 6+2pin PCIe. For high-end CPU: 4+4pin EPS. Hard Drive... These days you can really only choose from SSD or HDD and they all use SATA-AHCI connections. Soon the typical HDD will not be available as more and more of them are turning into hybrid HDD + SSD. SSD is faster and more reliable but more expensive and less secure compared to HDD. Optical drive... Meh. This is up to you. Personally I don't have any optical drives like CD/DVD/BluRay in my rig and I choose to use USB drives instead. Case... You must make sure the case you pick supports the MB form factor (standard-ATX, micro-ATX, etc), PSU depth, as well as GPU card depth and height. Some MB are a variation on an existing form factor and have a custom size. Many cases have special connections in the front panel that some MB might not support. Edited August 29, 2013 by a dog 2 Quote
putts Posted August 30, 2013 Posted August 30, 2013 Pretty much what a dog said. Personally, I pick: Processor (intel) Motherboard (Asus, EVGA, intel in no particular order) RAM that is compatible with motherboard (i'd max out 2 slots now and the other 2 later, unless you have only 2 slots or tri-channel) GPU (personally EVGA because of customer support) PSU (nothing under $80 and under 700Watts, prefer modular) SSD (for operating system) HDD (storage and programs that are not always used) $20 optical drives work Windows 7 64bit (i havent tried 8 yet, but willing to give it a shot) Case Modular means that you can disconnect wires from the PSU that you are not using. It makes it easier to work on without the mess. Coolermaster has a "refurbished" and a "clearance" section in their online store. EVGA has a "B-stock" section in their store. B-stock refurbished without accessories, and comes with a 1 year limited warranty. http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8 1 Quote
rolf Posted August 30, 2013 Posted August 30, 2013 Without a budget it's hard for anyone to suggest the hardware. Also, don't do an upgrade, buy a new one 1 Quote
TulsaGeoff Posted August 30, 2013 Posted August 30, 2013 Everything there is obsolete by todays standards. Your best best would be replacing at least the CPU, MB, ram, and graphics. You could use your old hard drive but it is probably on its last leg anyway. 1 Quote
=F A=FlAkeyJake Posted August 31, 2013 Author Posted August 31, 2013 Well tyavm!!! With all of the trip wires to building a new box I think I'm gonna see if I can find a proven rig. Something newer than the 2001 unit I currently have. This 12 yr old unit was kick ass in the day, but, like I have mentioned... I never thought I would ever play an online game... maybe dominoes. Never an FPS. Boy was I wrong!!! I'm gonna post in the wanted / for sale / trade section and see if someome has one kinda newer ish. If anyone has something from say 2007 or newer? maybe? I have a glass jug with ALOT of change in it, ticket stubs from Judas Priest, Skid Row, and most recently, Van Halen in Las Vegas, and a half of a pack of Camel non filters I'm willing to part with. Oh... and a slightly out dated computer I will throw in. I do appreciate the responses! The input is priceless!!! and so is this AWESOME COMMUNITY!!! Quote
Death_Reincarnated Posted September 1, 2013 Posted September 1, 2013 Glad we could help out. Alll of the resposnes were well put - in particualr 'a dog's' which was well formated. Just so you know, if you are going to get a pre-build PC from a retail store you will overpay and usually by quite a lot. It is (generally) better to get the parts from a specialy computer store and even then pay them $50-100 extra to build it for you. Let us know when you see something so we could perhaps let you know whether its worth it or not. Good Luck D_R Quote
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