My PC is terrible

[Arashikage]

I have an Everex(never heard of it, neither have I) GA3400, it is almost stock, I put a 256mb stick of ram extra in it for a whopping 768mb(Wow that's a lot!*sarcasm*) and I have a 2.5GHZ processor single core(the processing power of a dead cat) My graphics card is the only thing that is worth something, I have an NVIDIA GeForce 7800 which my crappy 250watt power supply can barely support, I just bought battlefield bad company 2, I thought even though I don't meet almost any of the specs I would give it a try, it runs, but crashes in five seconds after going frame by frame like a slide show =/.  I am supposed to be getting a better computer in a few months but I can't wait that long, by then my battlefield game is going to be outdated..... I have no idea what to do to get better parts, I can't buy them online because my parents want me to use my money for something useful, so I would have to go to a PC store, but in Branford, we have one PC store, and it doesn't stock much, just thought I would tell you guys this,

Arashikage - Distressed PC gamer wannabe

[Scott7]

If it is an older Computer you can only upgrade it to a certain level, I had to learn this the hard way by spending a large amount of money thinking that a simple grapic's card would be enough with 2005 window's XP...

Gameplay was absolutly impossible the only game i had for it, So I then began saving up money for current computer I have now which still wasn't enough on its own...

I used whatever Chrismas money I had left to get the best parts I could in the County, which was still a Whopping $210. But I have to say the end result was worth it...

[Arashikage]

The trouble is, I don't get much money for Christmas, I work for $20 a day, and even then work is not guaranteed I work at most 3 times a week, I can afford a better computer but after much time, all I want to do is play BC2, but that is virtually impossible for me at the moment, and will not be achievable until I get my new computer in about 2 months or more, it's mostly a waiting issue here, I can't stand having this game that I just bought(they had a sale at gamestop, $30 for the limited edition) and not being able to play it until I get this new computer, I would need to get a new processor and about 2GB of RAM, because lets face it, 768 megabytes of DDR RAM just sucks, I'm surprised I can play modern warfare 2 on this machine

[Guest FoXXX]

Intel GMA 900 :x

[Arashikage]

I didn't say that my graphics card was bad, It's my computer's inability to support games that my graphics card can

[B4D-W0LF]

you think thas SBOMB, i have no pc and i'm expecting to play garry's mod 11.

i'm on a ps3. its awesomer

saints row 2, skate 3, gran turismo 5, HD output

hooked up to a huge speaker that makes the music blast the neighbors windows out.. and... oh

sorry i'm just an immature teenager

best bet: don't game on an incapable computer. get a gaming computer (or laptop cause that is on-the-go)

if you made the money, you are intitled to get what you want with that money. upgrading's just gonna cost you more.

[Arashikage]

wolf, you don't understand.  I am going to have a good computer, but only when my friend gets a better one, I asked him countless times when he is going to get that new computer, but he hasn't ever given me a specific time, which tells me he is still looking for the parts to build it.  Also, I have the capacity to be using an HDTV for my monitor because my graphics card has that port to plug in my VISIO TV set, it's an HD television set, not sure how big but it is pretty big, and my speakers go so loud, I tested them and I can hear them up to my neighbors house with my doors shut

[Guest DRL]

I used to have a similar problem... I kind of

still do.

First, I had XP SP2, 950Mhz CPU Core (Single),

and a 256 MB graphics card. However, the PC could

barely handle it. Oh, and 256 of Ram, too.

Much time later - and by that I mean more than 6 years -

I got this new computer. It is not 'Top-down-tech', but it

is able to keep up with today's standards, and has room

for more improvement. I has a 1,89 Ghz Dual-Core, a

524 MB Nvidia Graphics card, and it came with 1 GB of

Ram (I improved this greatly, however, by adding 2 GB

more. Yeah, now I have 3 GB of Ram. )

My current issue is the CPU. While fine when I bough it,

it is mostly out-of-date now. The best would be to get

a 2,5 Ghz~3 Ghz CPU (Dual Core and 32 bits), but not

sure if I can get it.

[Mr. Fox13]

The computer I currently have is.....well it's just old. It's got 2 gigs of ram, the operating system is win98 se, and gawd, the thing feels like it ways 100 pounds.

I really need to get a new one sometime. :lol:

[Sabre]

I will put it this way. A volvo will never go as fast as a formula 1 car no matter how many turbos you put on it.

First, dont be worried about games being old. If you are playing games as fasion accessories you are playing for the wrong reasons. Get a Xbox if you're into that.

If you have the graphics for it, but not the CPU, Then buy an office PC and canabilize the parts from your current machine. Monitor, Keyboard, mouse, graphics, sound, speakers ect.

Since you have at least some competence with PC building and upgrading. A good CPU, Motherboard and maybe a power supply are where you should invest. Anything with "card" at the end can easily be swapped out, as can drives and ram. CPUs and Motherboards cant, but power supplies (just like monitors) are expencive so it pays to get a decent one that will last ears and handle almost any upgrade.

The computer I currently have is.....well it's just old. It's got 2 gigs of ram, the operating system is win98 se, and gawd, the thing feels like it ways 100 pounds.

I really need to get a new one sometime.

Hmm, odd OS for that much ram.

[Arashikage]

actually, Sabre, you can switch out CPUs but if you bend so much as one pin, you're screwed. 

also, I do not have BC2 as a fashion accessory, I just don't want it to be like modern warfare where I finally get it after a long time and everyone else has moved on to MW2, the clan I was about to join just recently stopped recruiting members for COD4, if BC2 becomes like that before I get to play it, somebody is going to pay

[Fana McCloud]

You can swap out motherboards too - it just takes about an hour to do it. There's really nothing you can't replace, so long as you have the money and the new part is compatible with everything else. I make systems from parts all the time. XD

It's usually better to upgrade with some cheaper mid range parts than buy one uber part, like a video card, that will have it's capacity limited by the other parts being outdated.

[Arashikage]

well I have a friend who gets me these graphics cards for free, I am up to my neck in graphics cards and nothing to do with them because they are all as old as dirt, and use AGP ports rather than the normal more reasonable PCIE port, I didnt buy a single part in my computer, I got it all for free, but I'm thinking that if I bought a computer, I would be able to play BC2

[ThePointingMan]

I spent about 1000$, which I thought was pretty cheap, to build a computer from scratch, (well not from scratch, I just bought all the parts n junk.) but you've got loads of graphics cards then right, and that's the most expencive part. Btw, Now I'm always the first peson in a game server :wink:

[Sabre]

Yes, you can swap out CPUs and Motherboards, but it's more hastle then it's worth, and can cause problems with your OS or other parts you bought. Technically you could "Upgrade" a volvo into a F1 car, but it's going to be such a pain and compatability nightmare getting it that far, and it would be easier and cheaper to build up from scratch.

[Fana McCloud]

Yes, you can swap out CPUs and Motherboards, but it's more hastle then it's worth, and can cause problems with your OS or other parts you bought. Technically you could "Upgrade" a volvo into a F1 car, but it's going to be such a pain and compatability nightmare getting it that far, and it would be easier and cheaper to build up from scratch.

If your OS happens to be a more recent version of Windows, maybe, though I cannot vouch for how easily Linux transitions. Once upon a time Windows didn't use to force you to reactivate it when you replaced major components of your system - and naturally Linux has no reason to do that. They made it an artificial hassle, but not an obstacle in any case. I don't consider it bad enough to avoid it completely.

It really doesn't take more than looking at the specs of the motherboard and checking them against your existing components, which is easy. Does it have a PCI-E x16? Check. DRR3 slots for RAM, and enough to accommodate all my sticks? Check. What kind of CPU slot? And so on and so forth. I don't know where you get this idea that it's nightmarish getting things to be compatible. You could just as easily stumble on a video card that your OS chokes on, if not MORE so, as you would a CPU that it dislikes. I'd argue the latter is actually far less likely.

well I have a friend who gets me these graphics cards for free, I am up to my neck in graphics cards and nothing to do with them because they are all as old as dirt, and use AGP ports rather than the normal more reasonable PCIE port, I didnt buy a single part in my computer, I got it all for free, but I'm thinking that if I bought a computer, I would be able to play BC2

Dude, I'd kill to get free parts. I could imagine making a bunch of cheap systems and clustering them into a rendering farm. XD But yeah, AGP video cards are indeed fairly useless these days.

[Arashikage]

Yeah, he gave me an ATI Radeon X1300 Pro and an Nvidia GeForce 7800 because he doesn't use them after he got his GeForce 9800.  the 7800 is the only useful thing in my pc right now as i have previously stated.  but what's really funny is the fact that bad company 2 doesnt run at all, while modern warfare 2 runs almost perfectly

[Guest DRL]

Yeah, he gave me an ATI Radeon X1300 Pro and an Nvidia GeForce 7800 because he doesn't use them after he got his GeForce 9800.  the 7800 is the only useful thing in my pc right now as i have previously stated.  but what's really funny is the fact that bad company 2 doesnt run at all, while modern warfare 2 runs almost perfectly

Comrade, I have an

GeForce 7300 SE/7200 GS...

'7' Series are C00L. :)

[Sabre]

If your OS happens to be a more recent version of Windows, maybe, though I cannot vouch for how easily Linux transitions. Once upon a time Windows didn't use to force you to reactivate it when you replaced major components of your system - and naturally Linux has no reason to do that. They made it an artificial hassle, but not an obstacle in any case. I don't consider it bad enough to avoid it completely.

It really doesn't take more than looking at the specs of the motherboard and checking them against your existing components, which is easy. Does it have a PCI-E x16? Check. DRR3 slots for RAM, and enough to accommodate all my sticks? Check. What kind of CPU slot? And so on and so forth. I don't know where you get this idea that it's nightmarish getting things to be compatible. You could just as easily stumble on a video card that your OS chokes on, if not MORE so, as you would a CPU that it dislikes. I'd argue the latter is actually far less likely.

Dude, I'd kill to get free parts. I could imagine making a bunch of cheap systems and clustering them into a rendering farm. XD But yeah, AGP video cards are indeed fairly useless these days.

Experience. I'm a Cisco certified IT technitian. Also while DDR3 will work in any DDR3 mother board most of the time, it pays to look up the official compatability lists as well as what your OS can handle, otherwise you can end up with RAM that doesn't work. That said RAM is cheap these days. And as I said, it's not impossable, but pointless. Eventually you end up so tied to your components that it would be easier to just build a new machine.

Let's take this example. You have a AGP card, ADE drives, but want a quad core intel and 8gb of ram. Trying to find a quad core board, with AGP, that will take up to 8gb of ram and has enough slots for your hard drive is going to force your hand as to what you can buy. Eventually you will buy a board for slightly more, then 6 months later, upgrade time. Oh no, you want a bluRay drive and they are all SATA, so you buy a converstion kit that works with your board, but your OS doesn't like it so- AAAAH!

Basicly, when it comes time to upgrade numberous serious components, you are just wasting time, money and effeciency/speed by going down the upgrade path. Eventually it makes sence to replace everything, or at least most of it. I'm still using my first monitor, a 1024 CRT, but after I maxed out my AGP graphics, my CPU was getting past it and it eventually came time to upgrade. I saved a bit of cash and replaced all the inturnals. I splashed out on a powerful CPU fan and massive power supply that glows blue for some reason, (was made for overclockers) but will handle anything. Even the case got upgraded to something so utilitairan I love it, and it also glows blue for some reason. As a result I'm not set until the next major tech jump. My machine is pretty much equal to a xbox 360 in terms of gaming power. The OS could do with a wipe to get rid of the gunk but I'm to paranoid.

Yeah, he gave me an ATI Radeon X1300 Pro and an Nvidia GeForce 7800 because he doesn't use them after he got his GeForce 9800.  the 7800 is the only useful thing in my pc right now as i have previously stated.  but what's really funny is the fact that bad company 2 doesnt run at all, while modern warfare 2 runs almost perfectly

I had a usless AGP card kicking around until recently. Best AGP card you could get before they (nVidea) stopped making them. I've not use for it, I'd give it to you if I could find it, assuming it still works.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Get an Apple Mac. :P

[Guest DRL]

Get an Apple Mac.

Intel Quad Core +3Ghz :ironfistsmiley:

[Arashikage]

I would if they were user friendly.  my dad is Mr. Mac after he started working for Yale.  we now have 6 macs in the house, three macbooks and three iMacs, none of which I use.  I like windows because it's compatible with more and it plays games.  There aren't as many games for macs...

[Fana McCloud]

Experience. I'm a Cisco certified IT technitian.

And I have plenty of experience with putting systems together too, so I can't imagine why our experiences with upgrading systems have lead us to such different conclusions.

Let's take this example. You have a AGP card, ADE drives, but want a quad core intel and 8gb of ram. Trying to find a quad core board, with AGP, that will take up to 8gb of ram and has enough slots for your hard drive is going to force your hand as to what you can buy. Eventually you will buy a board for slightly more, then 6 months later, upgrade time. Oh no, you want a bluRay drive and they are all SATA, so you buy a converstion kit that works with your board, but your OS doesn't like it so- AAAAH!

Basicly, when it comes time to upgrade numberous serious components, you are just wasting time, money and effeciency/speed by going down the upgrade path. Eventually it makes sence to replace everything, or at least most of it.

Yeah, but if it has become time to upgrade numerous components, then so be it. It wouldn't technically be an "upgrade" in that case anyway. I'm not implying that you can always get away with just upgrading the motherboard alone. And sometimes you might be forced to replace another component along with it - you have to choose which of your old components is expendable or the least expensive to replace. And occasionally, you might have to completely overhaul the system like I did a little over 3 years ago. Most of the time, however, I have been able to get away with only replacing the motherboard, or replacing it plus another component. Considering that sites like Newegg and Tigerdirect are very good about posting the stats on their motherboards, and reading reviews on them on those sites is also helpful, I've VERY rarely had a nightmare experience with upgrading motherboards, CPUs, or most anything else. As long as you don't try to be bleeding edge, you have little to fear from the OS either.

This has all been my experience, and I personally don't characterize any of it as nightmarish. Not a single system in our house is name brand because I put them together from parts. Because we're poor, we have to upgrade incrementally all the time - very rarely do we get to just dump a bunch of money into an overhaul. Nightmare scenarios were more common ages ago, but nowadays everything is so standardized and and created with transition in mind that upgrading in such a way is easy. I still have IDE on my motherboard alongside SATA, for instance. They're BOTH built into it, it's not an upgrade kit. Soon I probably won't need the IDE though, but its presence was most helpful in transitioning.

I would if they were user friendly.  my dad is Mr. Mac after he started working for Yale.  we now have 6 macs in the house, three macbooks and three iMacs, none of which I use.  I like windows because it's compatible with more and it plays games.  There aren't as many games for macs...

It seems odd to call Macs not user friendly because they don't play certain games. I have found the OS to be VERY user friendly for what it CAN do. That's part of why I looked at Windows 7 and snickered - then promptly upgraded (they were having a $30 upgrade special for students, I couldn't resist). They're taking plenty of lessons from Macs this time around, including their now very dock-like taskbar. XD

[Guest Julius Quasar]

My old PC was a Piece of Crap

I'm glad I got a Mac..but..I hope you can solve your PC problems.

[CrypticQuery]

My old PC was a Piece of Crap

I'm glad I got a Mac..but..I hope you can solve your PC problems.

, that's pretty good!  I always prefer a PC though :P