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Geek Culture / My PC Specs and What I want to Buy - Is it worth it?

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GamerDude
User Banned
Posted: 20th Sep 2009 20:01
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Hi all, I am thinking about upgrading my PC and I would like to know if what I want can handle what I want it to do. This PC i am using has these specs:

1Gb DDR-400 Ram
2Ghz AMD Athlon 64 3200+
6600GT 128Mb

With these specs I struggle to play STALKER CLEAR SKY, as it runs laggy on minimum settings. I want to buy this:

2Gb DDR-400 Ram - $80
2Ghz AMD Athlon 64 Dual Core 3800+ - $105
HD4650 1GB - $180

So thats $365 worth of upgrades, is it worth it?

Oh, and by the way my 6600GT overheats alot and my PC crashes. So that needs to be replaced. By the time I upgrade this PC, it will be better than my laptop. (Or should I say craptop that has been out for repairs for the last 11 weeks now). I am going to be working on my Revenge mod for crysis when I get this PC upgraded. When it was a fresh install of windows XP, it could play crysis on medium with these specs.

thanks

PS: Sorry if this is not enough information, my pc is a bit skippy at the moment so i dont want it to crash .

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sprite
19
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Joined: 22nd Apr 2006
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Posted: 21st Sep 2009 02:22
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Theres a few things the check before you go for it

Can the motherboard take the new cpu and the other thing is the power supply enough for the new graphics card. Sounds like two dumb questions but lots of people forget these issues.

If you have checked these and they can work go for it.

Also shop around and check the P&P prices some maybe cheaper on the price but higher on the postage. I know the saving can be a few dollars but thats a beer.

I'll add something later on.
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lil marioman
17
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Joined: 21st Apr 2008
Location: Canada
Posted: 21st Sep 2009 02:33
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Maybe your PC crashes because your PSU can't support the load of the 6600GT?

I'd say it's worth it though.

Programming? Not my Forte. But THAT is!
-insert picture of a KIA Forte here-
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Phaelax
DBPro Master
22
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Location: Metropia
Posted: 21st Sep 2009 03:00
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He just said it's due to the gfx card overheating. An under-powered system isn't going to cause that.

Check your motherboard supports what you want to buy. I'd almost say the cpu upgrade is a waste of money. Same clock speed and unless your game will actually touch the 2nd core it won't make a difference.

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Neuro Fuzzy
17
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Posted: 21st Sep 2009 07:32
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Are you buying two more gigabytes of ram? I think just one gig more should have you about covered.
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Phaelax
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Posted: 21st Sep 2009 08:25
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I don't know this for sure, but I think DDR has better performance when it's installed in pairs. Anyone know if this is true?

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Van B
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22
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Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 21st Sep 2009 10:29
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I always upgrade in pairs, using identical simms, it might be a bit of a dated thing these days, but I like to exclude memory issues and one way to do that is to have a solid memory configuration.

You have 1gb already, so if I was you I'd replace that with 2 x 1gb simms that are the same, assuming you can't get another 1gb simm the same as what you have. You might want to go to 4gb, although if you are using XP you'd only get around 3.2gb out of your 4gb.

Your main thing is that GFX card, change that and you'll see a huge difference, it's obviously overheating because it can't cope, poor little mite...


Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 21st Sep 2009 13:40
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If your graphics card is overheating, your case might not be very well designed for airflow. My old case had no vents anywhere and relied on the PSU sucking air out of the case. In times of stress, squeaks were emitted from around the drives due to the air passing between them at a silly speed.

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GamerDude
User Banned
Posted: 21st Sep 2009 14:45
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Well, the PSU is 500W. here is what I have running inside my PC:

4 x HDD
1 x DVD Drive
Motherboard
CPU
1 stick of ram
6600GT
Wireless card

so i dont see a problem there. 500w should be enough for all that. BTW, this graphics card is a limitted edition that is clocked to 600Mhz CORE, that is very high for a 6600 that isnt overclocked (or is it?). In the bios, my graphics card clock is at 660Mhz minimum so i dont know if I can underclock it for cooler operation.

thanks

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Darth Vader
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Location: Adelaide SA, I am the only DB user here!
Posted: 22nd Sep 2009 03:11
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Quote: "I always upgrade in pairs, using identical simms, it might be a bit of a dated thing these days, but I like to exclude memory issues and one way to do that is to have a solid memory configuration."
I'm running 8GB's of identical RAM simms.

I don't want to hijack this fellows thread but I don't want to start a new thread for a related question, basically my motherboard sucks, if I was to replace it would that mess up my Windows 7 Installation? I didn't install any of the supplied motherboard drivers, Windows is using it's own ones. I think I've read somewhere that it's not a good thing to do.
Thanks and sorry!

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El Goorf
18
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Location: Uni: Manchester, Home: Dunstable
Posted: 22nd Sep 2009 19:59
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would a HD4650 even cut it? you could probably get a better performing card from the HD3*** series for a similar price, i'd seriously consider it.

http://notmybase.com
All my base are not belong to anyone.
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jeffhuys
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2009 17:15
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Dude, don't get just 2GHZ, at least get 2.4, makes a whole world of difference.

Just my 2 cents.

You're the 'th to view this signature!
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Phaelax
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22
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Posted: 25th Sep 2009 01:03
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Quote: " my motherboard sucks, if I was to replace it would that mess up my Windows 7 Installation?"


It'll probably just think it's a different system. Since Windows 7 is technically free with no cd-key until next Spring, I don't see it causing any issues. But it's Windows, there is no gaurantee.

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GamerDude
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Posted: 26th Sep 2009 00:53
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jeffhuys, i can overclock my CPU to 2.4ghz, but i need proper cooling or it will crash.

well, now my HDD had some problems. It corrupted itself (so some files could be recovered), i got back the important files but now i need to reinstall windows. Ill then reinstall all the drivers and try it out.

I have found a fitting cooler off an 8500GT for the 6600GT, though it needs new cooling grease crap. And the other problem is that the GPU is straight onto the heatsink and i dont know if it will work 100%. At the moment I am using a 128MB FX5200 in PCI, so ill try this as it could work better with a few of my games. Then I have a plan,

There will be a garage sale in a week, so plenty of time to sort it out. So I will keep the stock windows and ill try to sell the computer for $400, enough to buy an upgrade kit with a M/B, CPU, RAM, and a 2gb 9600GT graphics card. So out of that PC all I need to keep is the 120GB sata HDD and ill swap the DVD drive with another one I got (it is a good one). And I got a 650W PSU here aswell. I can earn enough to buy a reasonable case for it, maybe a $120 one from a local store. And ill buy some cooling for it too, like 5 high-velocity fans at $15 each.

thanks

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Cong
17
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Posted: 26th Sep 2009 13:45
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My pc specs bigger then yours now i see why this forum is called geek culture
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jeffhuys
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Posted: 26th Sep 2009 16:29
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Cong, that makes no sense. You're saying that we're trying to beat each other, which we aren't.

You're the 'th to view this signature!
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Benjamin
22
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Posted: 26th Sep 2009 16:30
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Maybe he's just mad because he has a crappy PC?
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Aertic
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Joined: 2nd Jul 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 26th Sep 2009 16:40
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If you got a dollar every day, starting from new years day, end ending on next new years day, you could afford that upgrade.

Also wait until the HD5850(?) comes out, which will be soon(4 months?)

Also Cong, my PC will always > your PC. Sorry lad, but you're outta date.

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GamerDude
User Banned
Posted: 9th Oct 2009 19:26
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well, i just bought a new PC off ebay. it is a 3.2Ghz P4 and it comes with a 6800GTS at 512mb, and 2gb ram. Im sure that this pc will be more than capable of playing all my games. And best of all, it was only $182.50 (about US$145). Now if this pc doesent run what i want it to run, ill just buy a 1gb HD4650 for $160. Unless this PC is PCI-E, then I will get a 2gb 9600GT for the same price.

GamerDude's New PC

Though this is good, i promised my mother I would upgrade her PC with the parts from my old PC. (Even though 3gb is tempting ^^) Well, hopefully this PC does what I am expecting it to and it can play my games (mainly Crysis, STALKER CS, Call Of Duty 4, and GTA IV) will be playable on it, which i assume will.

thanks

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Veron
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Posted: 9th Oct 2009 23:39
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A P4 and a 6800GTS...? I'm confused.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 10th Oct 2009 00:45
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Why?

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