S
south_of_heaven
Guest
GeForce FX 550 256 meg
hows that?
hows that?
ATTENTION: Read this before posting upgrade questions/'Will my PC run HL2?' questions
- Thread starter Axyon
- Start date
B
Bomberman
Guest
What should I upgrade, and what first?
Alright, first off, here are my computer's stats:
OS: Windows XP
RAM: 512 RD-RAM @ 400 Mhz
Processor: 2.4 Ghz
Motherboard: Pentium 4
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200
Sound Card: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz (it can handel sound great)
Power Supply: 250 Watts
Internet Connection: Cable @ 3.0 Mbps
Router: Lynxis
I haven't touched or upgraded my computer since I bought it back in 2002 (wow yeah it automatically had recommended stats for HL2, isn't that awesome?)
But anyways, I need to upgrade my computer using DDR ram, or whatever is the best kind of ram out there for all of the high end systems, that and I want a really good video card but I only wan't to use an NVIDIA, I hate Radions ever since my old 16 meg one melted (refuse to work with them again, kinda like Firestone tires if ya know what I mean).
Anyways,
If anyone could help point me in the right direction on this, I'd love to be able to play HL2 Deathmatch online with full graphic capabilities.
And getting these parts won't be too hard money wise I suppose, since I am in the Army and they pay for all of my housing and food. So don't be sketchy on prices for the good stuff.
-----------------------------------------------
Edit:
The settings I currently play on because I am not sure of lag, that and I can't stand low fps. Everything is on low, models are on medium, and sound is on high, my resolution is 800x600.
Alright, first off, here are my computer's stats:
OS: Windows XP
RAM: 512 RD-RAM @ 400 Mhz
Processor: 2.4 Ghz
Motherboard: Pentium 4
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200
Sound Card: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz (it can handel sound great)
Power Supply: 250 Watts
Internet Connection: Cable @ 3.0 Mbps
Router: Lynxis
I haven't touched or upgraded my computer since I bought it back in 2002 (wow yeah it automatically had recommended stats for HL2, isn't that awesome?)
But anyways, I need to upgrade my computer using DDR ram, or whatever is the best kind of ram out there for all of the high end systems, that and I want a really good video card but I only wan't to use an NVIDIA, I hate Radions ever since my old 16 meg one melted (refuse to work with them again, kinda like Firestone tires if ya know what I mean).
Anyways,
If anyone could help point me in the right direction on this, I'd love to be able to play HL2 Deathmatch online with full graphic capabilities.
And getting these parts won't be too hard money wise I suppose, since I am in the Army and they pay for all of my housing and food. So don't be sketchy on prices for the good stuff.
-----------------------------------------------
Edit:
The settings I currently play on because I am not sure of lag, that and I can't stand low fps. Everything is on low, models are on medium, and sound is on high, my resolution is 800x600.
blahblahblah
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Recommended upgrade: Nvidia 6600 GT AGP Card ($240). This card will let you run HL2 at maximum settings.
I see you have RDRAM, is this correct? That most likely means you have a Dell. To upgrade your RAM you will have to pay out the nose (it really costs that much), also your case, powersupply and motherboard is all proprietary (which means you will have problems upgrading anything but your graphics card). You will have those limitations only if you have a Dell.
PS - ATI Radeon cards rock. They have fixed their problems of the past.
I see you have RDRAM, is this correct? That most likely means you have a Dell. To upgrade your RAM you will have to pay out the nose (it really costs that much), also your case, powersupply and motherboard is all proprietary (which means you will have problems upgrading anything but your graphics card). You will have those limitations only if you have a Dell.
PS - ATI Radeon cards rock. They have fixed their problems of the past.
B
Bomberman
Guest
Yeah, I do have a dell. I also saw this ram at the PX (army base store) 512 DDR @ 400 Mhz for only $85 a piece. Now I am not sure if its really supposed to be that cheap but you may have to see it for yourself by looking on www.affes.com
The video card, now, I may buy. But Do I need a new power supply or something? Could you give me a few directions/steps on how to do this and in what order?
The video card, now, I may buy. But Do I need a new power supply or something? Could you give me a few directions/steps on how to do this and in what order?
B
Bomberman
Guest
Ok, I did some research at dell on my computer's hardware. I need to know the best compatable ram that I can buy for my comp (because my golden rule is buy it right, buy it once).
What is the best (most powerful) ram I can buy?
Do I need to buy a new power supply for a new video card?
Can I use the 256 Meg NVIDIA video card (the best one they have)?
System
Computer Model Dimension 8200
BIOS Vendor Dell Computer Corporation
BIOS Version A05
BIOS Date 04-18-02
Windows Version Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Processor
Manufacturer Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Clock Speed 2.4GHz
Memory
Available Memory 60.39 %
Page File Size 1536.8Mb
Available Page File 60.53 %
Virtual Memory 2047.8Mb
Available Virtual Memory 97.99 %
Memory Slot 1 [RIMM1] 256Mb
Memory Slot 2 [RIMM2] 256Mb
Hardware
Type Description
DVD/CD-ROM Drives LITEON DVD-ROM LTD163
HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8400B
Disk Drives MAXTOR 6L080J4 74.55Gb
USB DISK 2.0 USB Device 0.237Gb
Maxtor OneTouch USB Device 233.7Gb
Display Adapters NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 64Mb
Floppy Disk Drives (Standard floppy disk drives) Floppy disk drive
IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE Channel
Secondary IDE Channel
Keyboards Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mice and Other Pointing Devices PS/2 Compatible Mouse
Monitors Plug and Play Monitor - (Standard monitor types)
Sound Devices Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Santa Cruz(tm) WDM Interface
USB Controllers Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2442
Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2444
Original Hardware Configuration on Purchase (and still this)
ASSEMBLY, CARD (CIRCUIT), PLANAR (MOTHERBOARD), 850E, TRANSFORMER SKY DIVE MINITOWER, DIMENSION
PROCESSOR, 80532, 2.4G, 512K, 533FSB, SOCKET N
RAMBUS INLINE MEMORY MODULE, 256, 400M, 128X16, 8C, 40
CARD (CIRCUIT), MEMORY BOARD, MEMORY, PRINTED WIRING BOARD, CONTINUITY, RAMBUS
-----------------------------------------------
There was some other stuff but I didn't think it was nessesary.
What is the best (most powerful) ram I can buy?
Do I need to buy a new power supply for a new video card?
Can I use the 256 Meg NVIDIA video card (the best one they have)?
System
Computer Model Dimension 8200
BIOS Vendor Dell Computer Corporation
BIOS Version A05
BIOS Date 04-18-02
Windows Version Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Processor
Manufacturer Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Clock Speed 2.4GHz
Memory
Available Memory 60.39 %
Page File Size 1536.8Mb
Available Page File 60.53 %
Virtual Memory 2047.8Mb
Available Virtual Memory 97.99 %
Memory Slot 1 [RIMM1] 256Mb
Memory Slot 2 [RIMM2] 256Mb
Hardware
Type Description
DVD/CD-ROM Drives LITEON DVD-ROM LTD163
HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8400B
Disk Drives MAXTOR 6L080J4 74.55Gb
USB DISK 2.0 USB Device 0.237Gb
Maxtor OneTouch USB Device 233.7Gb
Display Adapters NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 64Mb
Floppy Disk Drives (Standard floppy disk drives) Floppy disk drive
IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE Channel
Secondary IDE Channel
Keyboards Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mice and Other Pointing Devices PS/2 Compatible Mouse
Monitors Plug and Play Monitor - (Standard monitor types)
Sound Devices Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Santa Cruz(tm) WDM Interface
USB Controllers Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2442
Intel(r) 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2444
Original Hardware Configuration on Purchase (and still this)
ASSEMBLY, CARD (CIRCUIT), PLANAR (MOTHERBOARD), 850E, TRANSFORMER SKY DIVE MINITOWER, DIMENSION
PROCESSOR, 80532, 2.4G, 512K, 533FSB, SOCKET N
RAMBUS INLINE MEMORY MODULE, 256, 400M, 128X16, 8C, 40
CARD (CIRCUIT), MEMORY BOARD, MEMORY, PRINTED WIRING BOARD, CONTINUITY, RAMBUS
-----------------------------------------------
There was some other stuff but I didn't think it was nessesary.
the_lone_wolf
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Hey all, i'm getting a new rig in a weeks time and have couple of questions.
I've played HL2 on a friends machine, i'm stunned, it's awesome, but enough of that - he had all details on high with water set to "reflect world" - he uses an A64 3400+ with 1.28GB ram and a 9800 pro 128 and needless to say the game runs pretty quickly on 1024x768 with 2xAA and 16xAF
basically my new comp will be:
A64 3000+
768MB Kingston PC3200 DDRRAM
ATI 9600Pro 256MB
200GB 7200RPM HDD
i know the GPU is the bottleneck here and obviously i'm not expecting it to run as fast as my friends system but should i be able to get away with most or all high settings on 1024x768? will the higher speed processor make up for lacking graphics card speed? it's a bit of a moot point at best as it's already been ordered, i was that impressed but it's always nice to know
BTW as this comp was ordered originally as a media centre and not a gaming machine i have a TFT monitor so blazing fps numbers are not what i need,
thanks in advance, i expect i'll see a load of you on a CS:Source server soon, i'll be the one getting pasted :thumbs:
I've played HL2 on a friends machine, i'm stunned, it's awesome, but enough of that - he had all details on high with water set to "reflect world" - he uses an A64 3400+ with 1.28GB ram and a 9800 pro 128 and needless to say the game runs pretty quickly on 1024x768 with 2xAA and 16xAF
basically my new comp will be:
A64 3000+
768MB Kingston PC3200 DDRRAM
ATI 9600Pro 256MB
200GB 7200RPM HDD
i know the GPU is the bottleneck here and obviously i'm not expecting it to run as fast as my friends system but should i be able to get away with most or all high settings on 1024x768? will the higher speed processor make up for lacking graphics card speed? it's a bit of a moot point at best as it's already been ordered, i was that impressed but it's always nice to know
BTW as this comp was ordered originally as a media centre and not a gaming machine i have a TFT monitor so blazing fps numbers are not what i need,
thanks in advance, i expect i'll see a load of you on a CS:Source server soon, i'll be the one getting pasted :thumbs:
J
jules22
Guest
help :[
should a geforce4mx 440 run this game, or is it not a good enough driver? thanks in advance
should a geforce4mx 440 run this game, or is it not a good enough driver? thanks in advance
Boxed CPU fan
No need to make a thread, just a question.
Are the fans that come with boxed CPU's any good? I recently bought a new motherboard with boxed AMD 64 3400+ and I fear for it. What do you look for in a good CPU fan/heatsink?
No need to make a thread, just a question.
Are the fans that come with boxed CPU's any good? I recently bought a new motherboard with boxed AMD 64 3400+ and I fear for it. What do you look for in a good CPU fan/heatsink?
C
_Cronik_
Guest
Will A
- Intel P4 3.2Eghz
- 256Mbx2 (DUAL) Pc3200 Corsairs
- G-FX-5500 256Mb
- 80.0Gb 8Mb Cache (MAXTOR) 7200 Rpm
Run HL2 Or Counter-Strike : Source At Medium At Least ??
- Intel P4 3.2Eghz
- 256Mbx2 (DUAL) Pc3200 Corsairs
- G-FX-5500 256Mb
- 80.0Gb 8Mb Cache (MAXTOR) 7200 Rpm
Run HL2 Or Counter-Strike : Source At Medium At Least ??
Phisionary
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I have heard that the stock fans on Athlon 64's are quite good. They are reasonably quiet, and are used on (IIRC) every processor in the line (including FX's). You concievable could use them to overclock up to 2.3 GHz or maybe beyond, depending on the stepping and your luck.Spoonoop said:
You could purchase an after market HSF (stands for HeatSinkFan btw; it's an acronym for the combination). It's not worth it really, unless you want more overclocking performance or find the noise-level unacceptable. IMHO you need to spend more than $20 on average to get something substancially better. That doesn't include shipping or thermal interface (e.g. Arctic Silver 5).
If you haven't used the stock fan, try it out if you're not sure... If you haven't bought it, get the retail CPU (they usually only cost $10-15 bucks more, and sometimes only a few $).
Edit: I see you do already have it.. duh, missed that part. Don't worry about it unless you want to OC more, really...
If you want to go for the best, get an thermalright XP-120 or Zalman CNPS7700-Cu. They are both HUGE though, and run $65+ and $50, respectively. They can drop you temperatures up to 6C maybe, depending on how much noise you can handle. Their are many other options, these are just the best I've read about. Of course watercooling is the hard-core option of choice pretty much.
well, I'm just rambling now... GL m8.
L
Lozza332000
Guest
This thread has been really usefull so thank you for posting it - could i ask my question?
I currently am running a P4 2GHz, 512mb Ram and a GEForce FX5600. I was hoping to upgrade to a 2.8GHz processor but have found my motherboard is maxed out for its revision.
Because Santa is bringing me Half life 2 and The Battle For Middle Earth I am looking for a PC upgrade that is under £500 but will run games like Half Life 2 comfortably on mid settings.
I have seen these items :-
512Mb PC3200 (400mhz) Dimm X 2 = £120
P4 3.4ghz (800FSB) = £235
Intel D865PERL (s478) = £70
Geforce 6600 GT (128Ram) = £145
total = £570
Now I know these components are cheaper if I shop around buy my vendor has agreed to install them all for free. Could I ask if these parts are the minimum I need or could I cut back to keep inside my £500 (I can go over but would prefer not to)? Is there anything in my current setup that will be ok for now - graphics card for example.
I have noted that some people say Half Life will run ok on a 2Ghz P4 - should I put all my money back im my pocket and wait till newer machines are available?
Many thanks for any help you can offer
I currently am running a P4 2GHz, 512mb Ram and a GEForce FX5600. I was hoping to upgrade to a 2.8GHz processor but have found my motherboard is maxed out for its revision.
Because Santa is bringing me Half life 2 and The Battle For Middle Earth I am looking for a PC upgrade that is under £500 but will run games like Half Life 2 comfortably on mid settings.
I have seen these items :-
512Mb PC3200 (400mhz) Dimm X 2 = £120
P4 3.4ghz (800FSB) = £235
Intel D865PERL (s478) = £70
Geforce 6600 GT (128Ram) = £145
total = £570
Now I know these components are cheaper if I shop around buy my vendor has agreed to install them all for free. Could I ask if these parts are the minimum I need or could I cut back to keep inside my £500 (I can go over but would prefer not to)? Is there anything in my current setup that will be ok for now - graphics card for example.
I have noted that some people say Half Life will run ok on a 2Ghz P4 - should I put all my money back im my pocket and wait till newer machines are available?
Many thanks for any help you can offer
Asus
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HL2 is pretty CPU bound but a better gfx card would help as well.
Half-Life 2 CPU performance
Half-Life 2 CPU performance
A 6600GT would be a great option for the graphics card. 512MB memory is enough although adding another stick for 1GB total would be nice considering it would speed up the loading scenes quite a bit.
That's probably the order of importance for upgrading you rig. CPU, GFX, and then memory. My take on it anyway.
By the way, I recommend Athlon 64's over Pentium 4's for a number of reasons.
Half-Life 2 CPU performance
Half-Life 2 CPU performance
A 6600GT would be a great option for the graphics card. 512MB memory is enough although adding another stick for 1GB total would be nice considering it would speed up the loading scenes quite a bit.
That's probably the order of importance for upgrading you rig. CPU, GFX, and then memory. My take on it anyway.
By the way, I recommend Athlon 64's over Pentium 4's for a number of reasons.
Z
zenith10
Guest
will my pc run half life 2 and counter strike source
amd athlon xp2800
512mb ram
128 mb geforce fx5200
enough hard drive space left
will this run the game gud enough to hav an enjoyable game
amd athlon xp2800
512mb ram
128 mb geforce fx5200
enough hard drive space left
will this run the game gud enough to hav an enjoyable game
Phisionary
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yes.
As I understand it, that vid-card will run the game at playable rates at medium resolution (800 or 1024) with full directx 9 effects and no or low AA probably.
I'm sure someone who has a 9800 could tell you more better, but yeah. of course it will run.
As I understand it, that vid-card will run the game at playable rates at medium resolution (800 or 1024) with full directx 9 effects and no or low AA probably.
I'm sure someone who has a 9800 could tell you more better, but yeah. of course it will run.
C
cory_andrew
Guest
Would my pc run it well my pc has:
CPU: (754-pin) AMD ATHLON64 3000+ Processor
Samsung TS-H522B 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
HDD: Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache
MEMORY: 512 MB PC3200 400MHz DDR MEMORY
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition w/ Service Pack 2
SOUND: NEW!!! Creative Labs SB LIVE 24.bit 7.1
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 256MB 8x AGP w/ TVO, & DVI
CPU: (754-pin) AMD ATHLON64 3000+ Processor
Samsung TS-H522B 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
HDD: Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache
MEMORY: 512 MB PC3200 400MHz DDR MEMORY
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition w/ Service Pack 2
SOUND: NEW!!! Creative Labs SB LIVE 24.bit 7.1
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 256MB 8x AGP w/ TVO, & DVI
P
pgop_7922
Guest
Desperate to play
Bought for myself The Collection Package that includes Counter-Strike and the t-shirt and also bought the complete strategy guide as a christmas present, but im not sure if i should open it before asking you guys how would you think it should run on my computers cuz i dont know about the returning policy.
DESKTOP----External DVD Recorder/Celeron 2.5GHZ/Radeon 9200 256MB/638 MB RAM
LAPTOP----DVD Player/Crappy 64MB video card/Pentium 4 2.5GHZ512MB RAM
How should the game do on those? Eager to see your answears!
Bought for myself The Collection Package that includes Counter-Strike and the t-shirt and also bought the complete strategy guide as a christmas present, but im not sure if i should open it before asking you guys how would you think it should run on my computers cuz i dont know about the returning policy.
DESKTOP----External DVD Recorder/Celeron 2.5GHZ/Radeon 9200 256MB/638 MB RAM
LAPTOP----DVD Player/Crappy 64MB video card/Pentium 4 2.5GHZ512MB RAM
How should the game do on those? Eager to see your answears!
C
_Cronik_
Guest
guyz i tested this
athlon 2400
radeon 9600se
256mb ram
=
cs : source everything to high, but not the fsaa and af (1024x768)
***latest ATI drivers were used***
athlon 2400
radeon 9600se
256mb ram
=
cs : source everything to high, but not the fsaa and af (1024x768)
***latest ATI drivers were used***
Bane - not sure WHAT you did with that config, but I used to run HL on loads of P166mmx and P200mmx's without a prob: 4mb 3dfx card and 64mb memory for 800x600.
You weren't running a Cyrix CPU or somthing were you?
Although I normally ran it on a dual P2 392Mhz (256mb PC133cas2 clocked to 112Mhz) with a 16Mb TNT card.... it ran at 1280x960 at a saunter (I used to host an FTP site and burn CD's in the background - pre buffer underun protection days!) and it was SMOO-OOO-OOTH!
You weren't running a Cyrix CPU or somthing were you?
Although I normally ran it on a dual P2 392Mhz (256mb PC133cas2 clocked to 112Mhz) with a 16Mb TNT card.... it ran at 1280x960 at a saunter (I used to host an FTP site and burn CD's in the background - pre buffer underun protection days!) and it was SMOO-OOO-OOTH!
FieryGoose
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What kind of settings will i be able to run hl2 at, im really anticipating playing it, but i have to wait for my proccesor to arrive (which will be the last to arrive) see sig for specs.
C
_Cronik_
Guest
you'll run it real good, i tested less than this (2100+) i think and... i was to high everywhere and 1024x768, NO FSAA AND BNO AF, it's running at 35fps minus.... then you'll get no problem
ENJOY IT!
ENJOY IT!
The Terminator
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your gfx card will hold your system back the most. Id look to pick up a x800 pro, or a 6800 gt.
Foxhound - look around and see if it's possible to flash that Radeon9700 to a 9700Pro... then you'll be laughing.... 1024x768 very easilly and very smoothly, probably 1280x1024 quite easilly..... not sure beyond that.... my CPU hold me back too much.
FieryGoose
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how would i know if my 9700 isn't already a pro, i just figured that it wasn't but i don't know for sure... is there a way to tell if it is just by looking at the card, cause my computer isn't up and running yet?
FieryGoose
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yea, it came with my dell, but i'm taking it out and putting it in my custom comp. i found it's not a pro just a regular which is equivelent to what nvidia card, im just curious cause i don't know how good of a card a 9700 is....?bryanf445 said:
FieryGoose
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sounds good to me,spin03 said:
and overclocking will make it even better... i hope but last time i tried it said my driver was not responding or something and changed everything back to defalt, but that was with the rage3d tool, i have yet to try the ati tool.Foxhound888 said:sounds good to me,
seriously, dont worry about it. i wasnt going to get hl2, because i thought you needed a 2500 dollar pc to run it, but the source engine is really unbelievable. i have a:
intel p4 2.26 ghz processor
512 ram
nvidia mx 440 128 mb
i play on medium with 1024x768 res and my frames per second never drop below 30. normally in high 40's, mid 50's. and with a dx9 card, it will look really unbelivable on ur pc. enjoy hl2, it is the greatest game
