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Need advice on upgrade...
Kangum:
--- Quote from: IG-88 on September 23, 2007, 09:00:36 pm ---
--- Quote from: Kangum on September 23, 2007, 08:39:56 pm ---you should see a huge jump with dedicated video vs onboard graphics as well. it doesnt have to be overkill. i wouldnt spend more then 75 or 100 dollars.
--- End quote ---
Ok. I was looking at a 128mb PCI card for around $40 on newegg. You think I oughta double the ram too...?
--- End quote ---
i would upgrade your ram first. 512 really isnt alot for xp. so i would do that first. i think you should find out what your video is too.
did you try clicking start->programs->accessorys->system tools->system information
once in systeminfo look at components -> display type
it should show what kind of video adapter you have along with size.
IG-88:
--- Quote from: markrvp on September 23, 2007, 09:18:27 pm ---Running graphics through the PCI slot is a bottleneck. You will be much better off with an AGP video card.
--- End quote ---
Unfortunately there are no AGP slots. It's PCI only. I should have been thinking of that when we got it. :P
--- Quote from: MrMojoZ on September 23, 2007, 09:30:50 pm ---
--- Quote from: IG-88 on September 23, 2007, 09:00:36 pm ---Ok. I was looking at a 128mb PCI card for around $40 on newegg. You think I oughta double the ram too...?
--- End quote ---
The amount of ram a video card is pretty much meaningless, the chip on the card is what determines the performance. So buying a "128mb PCI card" may or may not be much of an upgrade. Also for low end cards the interface doesn't matter as they aren't fast enough to push the slots anyway.
--- End quote ---
What kinda chip would you suggest? What do I look for?
--- Quote from: Kangum on September 23, 2007, 09:48:02 pm ---
--- Quote from: IG-88 on September 23, 2007, 09:00:36 pm ---
--- Quote from: Kangum on September 23, 2007, 08:39:56 pm ---you should see a huge jump with dedicated video vs onboard graphics as well. it doesnt have to be overkill. i wouldnt spend more then 75 or 100 dollars.
--- End quote ---
Ok. I was looking at a 128mb PCI card for around $40 on newegg. You think I oughta double the ram too...?
--- End quote ---
i would upgrade your ram first. 512 really isnt alot for xp. so i would do that first. i think you should find out what your video is too.
did you try clicking start->programs->accessorys->system tools->system information
once in systeminfo look at components -> display type
it should show what kind of video adapter you have along with size.
--- End quote ---
I will check this out and let you know. Thanks
weasel-like_animal:
I'd agree that RAM makes a huge difference in machine speed. See how much your motherboard will accept before buying anything though! If you are keeping this machine for a while, try and stuff as much RAM in there as you possibly can. My MAME box holds 1GB, my Mac Power PC holds 16GB... major difference!
XyloSesame:
I tend to purchase my PCs one to two years out of date, so I can sympathize with you and your outdated machine. Budget never seems to allow for a Super-PC...
--- Quote from: IG-88 on September 23, 2007, 08:24:28 pm ---It would seem to be enough hardware-wise but when he installed the game it was un-palyable.
--- End quote ---
What do you mean by un-playable? Frame-drops? Unresponsive? Audio glitches? Online lag?
--- Quote from: IG-88 on September 23, 2007, 08:24:28 pm ---One of my sons is wanting to play Age of Empires 3 on the game cab but the machine inside is a little outdated for it. (works great for mame). Heres' the specs:
# 2.5gig CPU
# 512mb ram
# on-board graphics (don't know the specs for it)
--- End quote ---
Seems like the CPU should be OK, but the RAM ought to be bumped to at least 1Gb.
If your son wants to play any graphics-intense PC-based games, then you'll need to get off of the onboard GPU. The trouble is the sub-$200 market for GPUs is not all that great. Check out an ATI X1950; I've heard generally good things about this card, and, for under $150, it's the right price. I think most are PCIx, so you'll need to check your system support. Also, make sure your PC case can accomodate a full-size PCI card; most of these GPUs are loong.
I don't game, but know when editing video, XP processes can be killers. Make sure nothing is running in the background and take some of the XP bling down (try Windows Classic Theme). Optimize the OS as much as you can...
xmenxmen:
Your onboard video is your main problem. I have attached a chart from 2005 (when the game was release) showing what the minimin video chipset require to run the game decently. You need at least 30 fps to consider a game playable. The chart is with everything set to the lower side (according to todays standard). Hopefully it should give you a clue on what you need to purchase. Just looking at it, I would say you would need at least a Nvidia 6600GT or ATI X700 or higher.
Games like these require 'real' 3d card, which most onboard card are really NOT.
Here's link if you want to check it out too...
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics2005.html
Once you elimiate the video problem, you can probably add more ram, but 512mb be okay.
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