Upgrading Instead

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RationalInsanity

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A few weeks ago I posted a thread saying I was gonna build a new computer. But I found out it will take me a few months to save up enough money. Plus, Im joining the navy in a year, so I I wouldn't have much time at home to play any way. So I've decided to stick with my current computer for now.

My computer runs most of my games without problems. But then I tried GTA IV, and it only runs on very low settings, and still get bad frame rates. So I want to upgrade my PC.

Here are the upgrades I chose. Please tell me if these will help and if you have any suggestions. Thank you!

CPU
AMD Athlon 64X2 4000+ ==> Athlon 64X2 5600+
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2905658&CatId=2328
RAM
2GB Samsung PC2-5300 DDR2 +==> 4GB Corsair PC-6400 DDR2
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4631346&CatId=2264
PSU
Unknown ===> Thermaltake 430-watt
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1389575&CatId=1078
*Note: Im only uprading the PSU if I need a better GPU*
GPU
XFX 9800GT ==> open for suggestions
 
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Upgrades look fine, however for GTA4... not much you can do.

I run a very high clocked C2D and unfortunately GTA4 really does require a quad to play well. I manage to get med/high settings @ 1680x1050 and average 30-40 FPS in game, however keep in mind the chip I am using is clock for clock about 3-4X as fast as the one you are considering upgrading too.

I wouldn't personally decide it based on 1 game however, GTA4 requires a beats of a processor to run well, so if you are fine with low/med settings and 20-25 FPS you should be fine. Without overclocking like mad or going to a quad this is about the best you can do with an AMD duo core :( (That said, this game runs like silk at a constant 20-25 FPS, it's only when you have dips down closer to 10 does it seem laggy)

However for every other game that chip will do just fine, should be able to max out nearly everything.

If you MB supports it, I would spend a little bit extra and go with 4GB's of PC-8500 ram (1066 mhz). Not a huge difference but for a few extra dollars it is very worth it.

Your GPU should be fine if you mostly play Valve games and GTA4 (again GTA4 can be played on mostly max settings with a very weak card, its the CPU that matters. And it takes 1.5GB of Vram to max all settings so unless you want to spend 350+ for a card) I would stick with your 9800.

PSU is your call, I personally think it is the most important part of any system and should be the best part in the system, if you have an "unknown" one. Consider upgrading just for the sake of reliability and keep in mind you can always put it in a new rig later if you buy a nice one.

TLDR. Don't worry too much about GTA4, the chip you suggested will play it decently on low/med settings. It will take a decent quad to do much more than that so I say go for the one you picked out.


Oh, and check Newegg before you order, there prices are often better than most if not all other computer parts sources.
 
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For the CPU I'd save more and get the Phenom II 550 which is amazing, it OC's extremely high like C2D's and are just epic. RAM is fine, 1066 won't cause a big difference for the price.

And for the video card try getting a HD 4770. It's priced around the same as a 9800 GT but performs near a 9800 GTX level, the HD 4770 is on par with the great old 8800 GTX with 768MB of GDDR3. Not to mention the HD 4770 is the first video card with a 40nm chip and it also has GDDR5! The PSU is fine, just don't try to run anything higher than a HD 4850/9800 GTX which would barely run on that.
 
That upgrade looks fine. Good luck with everything, especially the Navy.
 
Vader said:
For the CPU I'd save more and get the Phenom II 550 which is amazing, it OC's extremely high like C2D's and are just epic. RAM is fine, 1066 won't cause a big difference for the price.

And for the video card try getting a HD 4770. It's priced around the same as a 9800 GT but performs near a 9800 GTX level, the HD 4770 is on par with the great old 8800 GTX with 768MB of GDDR3. Not to mention the HD 4770 is the first video card with a 40nm chip and it also has GDDR5! The PSU is fine, just don't try to run anything higher than a HD 4850/9800 GTX which would barely run on that.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately my Mobo is kinda old and doesnt support phenoms.

And I may get a more powerful PSU, depending on if I upgrade my GPU.
 
bigwilly said:
Skip the RAM, won't make a difference. CPU and PSU you have are good ideas.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4170042&CatId=2328
Click to expand...

Bold statement considering benchmarks have proven that even going from 800mhz to 1066mhz on a duo core processor will net 3-5 FPS in most games. This made all the more interesting by the fact that such an upgrade would cost (if anything at all) less than 10 dollars more than the lower speed sticks. Find a good brand on sale and PC-8500 is cheaper than the lower speed stuff.

To each there own tho.

After about 30 seconds of searching I found these 2, should be able to find an even better deal if you look around a bit. The Patriot has better timing in addition to being faster so one can expect even better results. Not to mention going with a quality high speed low latency ram designed for overclocking... well should you decide to overclock you can see where this is going.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220315
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298

Anyways no it won't make a huge difference, but for a few extra dollars who wouldn't want a few (or more) extra FPS?
 
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im in the same position, to upgrade my cpu i MUST upgrade my mobo...it will make a huge difference, i highly suggest it. you can get decent mobos for $100 also, so maybe hold back on your GPU for now and upgrade your mobo, and consider this CPU instead. its only .2 ghz slower but it comes with a cpu fan and heatsink, as well as having a huge capacity for overclockage if you're interested in trying that out (could get it to 3 ghz EASY) and its even cheaper than the listed CPU you had

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4327030&CatId=2328
 
^ yes its is a little slower in clock speed but the type of athlon x2 the kumo possessors have an L3 cache and the other athlons do not so you will actually get better performance out of the 7750
 
The more I look at it the more I think (providing you don't mind spending a bit of cash now, not that much mind you) you should upgrade your MB now and move to the Phenom II or Intel if you desire.

Upgrading to an AM3 board would give you quite a bit of futureproofing, a vastly (and I mean vastly) superior processor and have the ability to purchase plenty of fast ram when you desired.

It all boils down to money really, cheapest route would be what you suggested in your first post, perhaps a more economical purchase however considering the upgrade you would be getting as well as the futureproofing would be to pick up a new MB as well, spend a bit more on a processor and upgrade the rest whenever you find the time/money.

It's never an easy choice, if you do upgrade when does it end kinnda thing.
 
a bit off topic someone mentioned GTA is a bad ported game. i've noticed games that are ported over directly from console usually run really really bad on pc's. like halo it ran horrible on my friend's dad's comp and it was a beast at the time.
 
Well, if Im upgrading my Motherboard, I dont want to buy the newest yet. Like I said in my original post, Im joining the navy in a year and wont have much time at home to play on a new system. I dont want to spend extra money, then come home to find myself with the same problem Im having now.

How would this compare to my current set up?
XFX GeForce 8200 Motherboard
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4680308&CatId=2320
X2 7850 Black Edition Kuma
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103678

Thanks again for the help!
 
I would probably stick with your upgrade plan in your OP if you didn't want to spend alot and won't have much time to play. You should get a significant improvement in performance for a minimum of cost. The 5600+ is a great proc for the price. I would stick with your 9800, to upgrade from that card would significantly increase your budget.

Just my $0.02 :)
 
Thanks everyone for the help! Heres what I've decided to go with.
Motherboard
ECS MCP61PM-HM ==> XFX GeForce 8200
CPU
Athlon 64x2 4000+ ==> Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition
RAM
2GB Samsung PC2-5300 DDR2 +==> OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
PSU
Unknown ==> Thermaltake PurePower 430-watt

In total this will cost me a little over $200.

My only remaining question is this. My computer was made compaq/HP ( the hardware says compaq, The software says HP , so I dont know which it is). The Motherboard I have now is a Micro-ATX 9.6 X 9.6 . the board I'm looking at is a ?ATX 9.6 X 8.9. Will this fit in my case?

Thanks again every one!
 
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