ATTENTION: Read this before posting upgrade questions/'Will my PC run HL2?' questions

[ThePuppetMaster]

me. Its onboard. I dont think u can play the game. Not sure tho. And is that ram ddr? or sdram?

You know, pcs are cheat nowadays.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Mate, thats not onboard graphics, that S3, a graphics card company like ATi or nVidia.

You'll be able to play, thats for sure, but not sure to what level

 

[<RJMC>]

I also thought that is a graphics card company
cuz in the configurationg display say "S3 graphics card"

I hav need for speed underground
and in graphics dont look too bad(but in minumun)
also apear particles and shadows
but run slow, but NFSU need more than HL2 (I think)
I tryed to instal Halo but I cannot do it cuz my computer dont hav 3d acelerator, that was the only problem(AND I AM ANGRY WHIT THAT)
so maybe my computer will run HL2 not too bad
I just hope

 

[Brazooka]

My pc

winxp pro
P4 2,0ghz [mobo] D845WN
PSU ? (where can I get it?)
512 sdram
GForce 2 MX

Will it run? Which Vid card should I get?

 

[ComradeBadger]

GeForce 2 MX :/ It's not a great card, and struggles with the Unreal 2 engine.. I'd recommend waiting for the prices drops in 9800 Pros when the X800XT comes out.. but if you musy buy now, a 9600XT

 

[Axyon]

GeForce 2 MX :/ It's not a great card, and struggles with the Unreal 2 engine.. I'd recommend waiting for the prices drops in 9800 Pros when the X800XT comes out.. but if you musy buy now, a 9600XT

The price difference between the 9600XT and the 9800 Pro really isn't that much now - around £20-30... be much better off picking up a 9800 Pro or waiting for the price to drop further.

 

[simmo]

The price difference between the 9600XT and the 9800 Pro really isn't that much now - around £20-30... be much better off picking up a 9800 Pro or waiting for the price to drop further.

Thats what i'm doin...btw, is there much difference in a GENERIC 9800pro or a saphire etc etc card ?

 

[Axyon]

Thats what i'm doin...btw, is there much difference in a GENERIC 9800pro or a saphire etc etc card ?

Apart from maybe a little core and memory clock speed increases and extra coolant gel or fan size, no, not at all. Buying an OEM (without proper packaging, manual etc.) is alot cheaper, plus you can add your own accessories for helping to overclock to it if you like.

 

[Brazooka]

Thanx a lot. I Think I'll wait till the game to be released, well I'll get it a bit earlier. And what about power supply. ATI website says that the card needs aditional 300watt, is this so?

 

[Axyon]

Thanx a lot. I Think I'll wait till the game to be released, well I'll get it a bit earlier. And what about power supply. ATI website says that the card needs aditional 300watt, is this so?

Not additional, just get yourself a 300 or 350Watt PSU to be safe... but bear in mind that if you ever want to buy a next generation video card, you'll need a more powerful PSU than that. Choice is up to you.

 

[Brazooka]

Not additional, just get yourself a 300 or 350Watt PSU to be safe... but bear in mind that if you ever want to buy a next generation video card, you'll need a more powerful PSU than that. Choice is up to you.

How can I check if my PSU is 300watts or greater? Sorry but I'm lame at hardware

 

[Alig]

I think the only way to check your psu watt is by actually having a look at the sticker that should be on the side of it.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I think the only way to check your psu watt is by actually having a look at the sticker that should be on the side of it.

Yes, this is true. Mine says 400W on a big white sticker. It should be on the left (if you are looking at the computer from the front) of the PSU. So, take that side of the case off, look for the sticker, if it's not there, put that side back on, and look on the other side.

If your computer is pre-made (this excludes Alienware), chances are that it has a 230W PSU.

 

[Maxi]

That is if it is so calld package computer, if it's built by specs it might have a psu with more wattage.

 

[Sai]

i've got a 1.8 gigahertz 648 mbs of ddr ram and a really low end graphics card, like an intel do i have any hope?

 

[Striker]

intel?? hell no... i had intel got a 9600 pro! run's farcry like a charm and i only have a intel 1.3ghz cpu... so im pretty sure HL2 will run fine on this rig.

 

[BigGoose2006]

HERE ARE MY TWO COMPUTER SPECS:

ati radeon 9800 128mb
2.7ghz pentium iv, 533 bus
512 mb sdram w/ ddr

ati radeon 9000 64mb
1.7ghz
512 mb sdram w/ ddr

ABOUT WHAT FPS AND RESOLUTION WILL EACH BE ABLE TO HANDLE, OR WILL THEY WORK AT ALL?

 

[BigGoose2006]

Also, What Should I Update On The First Computer If Its Not Fast Enough, Ram, Or Cpu?

 

[blahblahblah]

The computer with ATI radeon 9800 - Will run HL2 at high resolutions and max details with no problem.

The computer with ATI radeon 9000 - Will run HL2 at lower resolutions and low/average details. If you wanted to upgrade this computer, i would recommend buying a ATI Radeon 9600 (it is around $100 if you buy it at newegg.com ). This will help HL2 look and play better on your second computer. But it will still be slower than the computer with the ATI radeon 9800.

 

[The.Spiral]

How about:

Athlon XP 1700+
512 Mb RAM
ATI AIW 9800 Pro 128 Mb
SB Live! Value

I usually play at 1280x1024x32 with 4xAA and 16xAF

 

[itakeyourbullets]

So, what should I upgrade first?

Well, well, well...2004 is shaping up to be, The Year of the First-Person-Shooter. With games like Doom III, Halo 2, Half Life 2, and Vampire: The Masquerade-Bloodlines, just around the corner, my PC may need a serious upgrade. And the already-released Painkiller and Far Cry seem to be a problem, too, with my last-years PC. So, what I am asking from all of you, or anyone, is what should I upgrade first to be able to run those upcoming games at high detail (excluding Halo 2, of course)? But I do have one minor query, my budget is $150.

Here are my current PC specs:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Intel Pentium 4 Processor
2.26 GHz
768 MB RAM (I am not sure if it is either DDR or RD)
7200 RPM 30 GB HDD (I have filled up around half of it)
Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 128 MB RAM (I purchased it on September of 2003)
Compaq CV735 Monitor (Manufactured: October 2000) [I run all of my games at 1024x768x32]
Netzero DIALUP (Soon to be either Comcast High Speed Internet or Verizon DSL)
52X CD/RW Drive
4X DVD/RW Drive
Logitech Z-340 (2.1 speakers) [But I do have a spare Logitech Z-540 (4.1 speakers)]

*If a video card is next in line for an upgrade, I prefer Nvidia over ATI.

BTW: Does anyone know the official release date of Half Life 2? No, it is not June.

 

[Asus]

Well, well, well...2004 is shaping up to be, The Year of the First-Person-Shooter. With games like Doom III, Halo 2, Half Life 2, and Vampire: The Masquerade-Bloodlines, just around the corner, my PC may need a serious upgrade. And the already-released Painkiller and Far Cry seem to be a problem, too, with my last-years PC. So, what I am asking from all of you, or anyone, is what should I upgrade first to be able to run those upcoming games at high detail (excluding Halo 2, of course)? But I do have one minor query, my budget is $150.

Here are my current PC specs:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Intel Pentium 4 Processor
2.26 GHz
768 MB RAM (I am not sure if it is either DDR or RD)
7200 RPM 30 GB HDD (I have filled up around half of it)
Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 128 MB RAM (I purchased it on September of 2003)
Compaq CV735 Monitor (Manufactured: October 2000) [I run all of my games at 1024x768x32]
Netzero DIALUP (Soon to be either Comcast High Speed Internet or Verizon DSL)
52X CD/RW Drive
4X DVD/RW Drive
Logitech Z-340 (2.1 speakers) [But I do have a spare Logitech Z-540 (4.1 speakers)]

*If a video card is next in line for an upgrade, I prefer Nvidia over ATI.

BTW: Does anyone know the official release date of Half Life 2? No, it is not June.

Your system will play HL2 pretty well and the only thing holding it back is the 5200.
I would suggest upgrading the graphics card (when HL2 is released).
For a 150$ there is no Nvidia card worth upgrading for HL2 since the FX series really lacks in shaders which is used extensively in upcoming games.
Right now, a 9600XT 128MB can be had for ~150$ @ newegg.com.
By the time you are ready to purchase a card, prices will have fallen on current cards and Nvidia may have released a new card in the 200$ range from their new series.
But avoid the FX series as I doubt you would be happy with it.

After that, if you need more space I would rather spend money on a new/larger hard drive before anything else like memory or CPU/board upgrades.
768MB of RAM is plenty btw.

 

[itakeyourbullets]

Your system will play HL2 pretty well and the only thing holding it back is the 5200.
I would suggest upgrading the graphics card (when HL2 is released).
For a 150$ there is no Nvidia card worth upgrading for HL2 since the FX series really lacks in shaders which is used extensively in upcoming games.
Right now, a 9600XT 128MB can be had for ~150$ @ newegg.com.
By the time you are ready to purchase a card, prices will have fallen on current cards and Nvidia may have released a new card in the 200$ range from their new series.
But avoid the FX series as I doubt you would be happy with it.

768MB of RAM is plenty btw. I would rather spend money on a new drive after the gfx card on your system than more memory or anything else.

And didn't I say that I prefer Nvidia over ATI?!

 

[Asus]

Like I said before, a FX card is the only Nvidia card in your price range which is really too bad. But it really doesn't perform that well on new DX9 games so I would think it wouldn't be worth 150$ as a upgrade for HL2.

If you must, a FX 5700 ultra (170$) may work out but you would really be best, if you are buying now, to grab a 9600XT or wait til Nvidia has a lower model in your price range from the 6800 series. FX = poor shader performance.

Look at the Tomb Raider benchmark as that is DX9.
Find the 5700Ultra and then the 9600XT
Link

 

[itakeyourbullets]

Like I said before, a FX card is the only Nvidia card in your price range which is really too bad. But it really doesn't perform that well on new DX9 games so I would think it wouldn't be worth 150$ as a upgrade for HL2.

If you must, a FX 5700 ultra (170$) may work out but you would really be best, if you are buying now, to grab a 9600XT or wait til Nvidia has a lower model in your price range from the 6800 series. FX = poor shader performance.

Look at the Tomb Raider benchmark as that is DX9.
Find the 5700Ultra and then the 9600XT
Link

Now how much RAM does each come with?...The Nvidia 5700 Ultra and the 9600XT.
Also do you think that I would also need to upgrade my monitor to a flat screen CRT or an LCD? But then again, I heard that LCD monitors aren't the best for gaming.

 

[Asus]

Both cards are 128MB which is more than enough.
A new monitor won't do much for you.

You can have a great HL2 experience with what you have except the 5200 would be limiting you.

 

[Maxi]

Yeah, I have the agree that your bottleneck is the 5200, its DX9 performance is... less then you want.

 

[Sai]

i recently got a graphics card upgrade, due to funds it came down to the 5900 and 9200, i chose the 5900 b/c of it's dx9 capabilities, did i make the right choice

 

[IntimidatingAnt]

Video Card worth updating

I have:

866MHz P3
768 MB RAM
64MB GeForce4 MX440

I know this will run HL2 on Low settings. I can't afford to upgrade the CPU because that means a new motherboard and RAM.

So my question:
Do you think upgrading my video card to a nVIDIA FX5200 256MB or a nVIDIA FX5600XT 128mb DDR (something I can afford) will dramatically increase the performance? Or am I doomed to play HL2 on low settings?

 

[blahblahblah]

I honestly think you will benefit more from a processor/motherboard upgrade than anything else. You are fine on the RAM, video card front. But your processor is on the verge of not being able to play HL2.

For about 100-120, you should be able to get a decent processor and a decent motherboard. When you do look for Processor/Motherboard, make sure you are looking for AMD not Intel. The price/performance is much better with AMD.

 

[gh0st]

you really need a new graphics card, the MX series will not cut it. (im pretty sure about this, maybe asus knows differently)

 

[blahblahblah]

Actually in his case, the processor is the bottleneck. Pound for pound, he will see his framerates increase more with a new processor/motherboard than with a new graphics card. His processor is on the verge of not being able to play HL2 at all.

Intimidating Ant - I think you should create a new thread. State your computer specs again. You should also be specific as possible, such as who made your computer (yourself, dell, etc), your power supply (find the info inside your case) and other useful stuff.

[Edit]: A carefully planned CPU/Motherboard shouldn't cost you more than $100. You should be able to reuse your ram again.

 

[gh0st]

Actually in his case, the processor is the bottleneck. Pound for pound, he will see his framerates increase more with a new processor/motherboard than with a new graphics card. His processor is on the verge of not being able to play HL2 at all.

Intimidating Ant - I think you should create a new thread. State your computer specs again. You should also be specific as possible, such as who made your computer (yourself, dell, etc), your power supply (find the info inside your case) and other useful stuff.

[Edit]: A carefully planned CPU/Motherboard shouldn't cost you more than $100. You should be able to reuse your ram again.

2500+ and an A7N8X would be a pretty good combo. though that graphics card is not going to get you above the lowest possible settings.

 

[blahblahblah]

I think a 2500+ and a Asus MB is a little bit out of his price range if he is only willing to spend up to a hundred dollars.

I got my prices from newegg.com a very reputable online business.

These options really depend on what size your case is. I will list them in order of preference

Option 1 - Shuttle KT266A Chipset motherboard for $52 and a AMD Athlon XP 2000+ retail processor for $57. Total comes to $109 overall. You must have a ATX form factor. Probably the easiest way to tell what form factor you are using, count the number of PCI slots in your computer right now. Regular ATX form factor usually has 5 PCI slots (this number excludes your AGP slot).

Option 2 - Upgrade your P3 to a 1.13 Ghz P3. This options depends if your motherboard has a 133 Front Side Bus speed. $40 plus $10 or so to purchase a heatsink and fan combo for the processor. Total is $50.

Option 3 - ASUS "P4SGX-MX" SiS650GX Chipset Motherboard for $51 and a 1.8 Ghz Celeron processor for $61. Total comes to $109. This option requires a micro-ATX case. The motherboard should have a total of three PCI slots. This is my least favorite option because the Celerons have horrible performance relative to what you can get from AMD.

 

[neil7]

Didn't you remember that he said that they have it able to scale up to degrees that are not currently available on modern graphics cards, as in to allow for expansion after its released, i sincerely doubt you will be able to run it at BEST i doubt anyone will be able to.

How can they possibly design a game to cater for a card that doesn't even exist?

 

[neil7]

I think a 2500+ and a Asus MB is a little bit out of his price range if he is only willing to spend up to a hundred dollars.

I have recently purchased a asrock k7s8x-e DDR400 SKTA board for under £30
Suitable for athlon XP3200!! Memory 256mb for £30, and a xp2200 for £50!
I got this to upgrade my computer! try worldofcomputers and dabs for the above. i needed the board to use my graphics card better (creative blaster5 5200fx ultra) in an 8AGP slot!!!!!!!!!! I will probably get another 256mb! soon but a new case will be next!

 

[Sai]

apologese on my last post here, what i meant to say is that i chose a 5200 over a 9200 b/c of its dx9 features, did i make the right choice?

 

[Asus]

apologese on my last post here, what i meant to say is that i chose a 5200 over a 9200 b/c of its dx9 features, did i make the right choice?

What games do you play currently? Anything popular, then I can grab a link to show performance differences.
You probably know the the added effects of DX9 in those games (if they were DX9 games) if you had a DX8 card before.

Here's a DX9 game. link
obviously the 9200 isn't running the DX9 effects here.
Here's FarCry. link
And then COD which both will be running DX8 effects. link
UT2003 link
BF1942 link

 

[neil7]

And didn't I say that I prefer Nvidia over ATI?!

I have a creative 5200fx ultra 128mb which has given me no problems in a 4x agp slot. I have recently purchased a new motherboard with 8x agp slot and a new processor amd xp2200. I cant wait to see the difference it makes. I prefer nvidia as well and creative is a good company and i would recommend these cards. The 5700fx or 5900fx ultra's would be exlant choice and should be cheaper now with the new cards coming out. You should get a card based on the 5900 with slightly less power from another manufacter that gives good performance for about 150.

 

[IntimidatingAnt]

Thanks guys for all your input. My comp was built by me, though I got most of the parts from a guy I know, so I'm not entirely sure what the motherboard is and stuff.

Anyways, blahblahblah, thank you for your three options. I would never do number 3, as I HATE Celerons. I'm also not sure I would be happy with a P3 1.1 Ghz processor. Now for the AMD. I'm not very familiar with AMD processors, so I don't know what's good and what isn't. Could someone give me comparisons relative to pentium processors?
Also, being that I live on Canada, I can't purcahse stuff from newegg. However, I have a hookup to a place up here where I can get cheap hardware.

Another thing: How can I reuse my PC133 SDRAM with a higher up motherboard. I thought for the nextgen motherboards you have to have DDR Ram.

To get to the meat of my problem, to be ready fo HL2, I'll need a new video card too no matter what (if I want anything but the low settings). I think I'm going to wait until the game comes out, see how it runs, then seeing that it runs crappy, spend a whole bunch of money on my computer instead of saving fo school. Thanks again for all your help.