umfk Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Hey guys, haven't looked into the forum since it moved. I hope everyone's fine. I was hoping you could help me with my current hardware situation, it's slightly complicated but please bear with me. A few years back I bought a nice gaming PC with the following specs: Asus P5W DH Deluxe Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, 2.4 GHz 256MB Sapphire Radeon X1950XT 2x1024MB DDR2 Corsair Twin RAM In fall 2009 I went on a 1 year study exchange to Tokyo so I bought a nice gaming Laptop to take with me: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, 2.4GHz Mobility Radeon HD 4650 3 GB RAM I returned from Japan last summer and got the desktop machine back from my brother and he reminded me of something I had completely forgotten. Shortly before I went away my graphics card broke. It starts up everything nicely but after some time spikes appear and get worse until the games are unplayable. Seems the card overheated at some point. Seems pretty irreperable to me and from what I know those spikes appear when parts of the graphics card's RAM is fried and so the vertex positions can't be read and either default to 0 or just return some nonsensical value. Anyway, up until now I simply used my laptop plugged into my gaming monitor and that was fine. Until I borrowed Black Ops from a friend today and tried playing it. Even on the lowest settings in my monitor's native resolution I have horrible lags in the second part of the first mission. It's unplayable and looks horrible. So what I need now is just some advice. Is Black Ops a poor console port and very badly optimized which would mean I can wait for some time to get a new gaming rig and still play other games until then? Is my old rig upgradable? Or is the only thing I can do to buy a completely new one? I have some money saved up but since I turned 25 recently my parents won't get any child support anymore soon(a German thing I presume) and I have to find my own health insurance so I would love to wait a bit. As a student I don't make much money. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) Since the engine Blacks Ops runs on has been around for a long time and started life as a PC engine, it's pretty well optimised at this point. I don't know how the game itself is budgeted or how bugs effect the performance as I haven't played it however. You system could be improved if you don't want to throw down too much cash. Your CPU could be upgraded to a Core 2 Quad. You could also replace your graphics card with some low-mid range. A 5770 or whatever the current equivalent (~$150) is would be a good choice, in my opinion. Your motherboard also supports crossfire if you were interested in doubling up down the line. I'd also upgrade the RAM to 4gb of RAM (at least) and Windows 7 if you haven't already. If you want to hold onto your money, I'd say go for the upgrade. Your system isn't horribly outdated. Edited March 25, 2011 by MasterDex 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 5770? I just got this in the email today... http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5660536&csid=ITD&body=REBATES# $99, after everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirandello Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) So what I need now is just some advice. Is Black Ops a poor console port and very badly optimized I'd say it was poorly optimized. At it's launch, it was unplayable for the most part and required actual text file editing in order to get it playable (not smoothly playable, but still), resulting in a massive sh**storm on the Steam forums until they patched it. Though they have "fixed" it mostly, the problem still persists, and is especially noticeable in multiplayer, where a single screen stutter could mean the difference between life and death. Still, though, best to upgrade anyways, it never hurt to have a beefier system. Keep your eye out for good deals on high-end graphics cards or otherwise invest in a cheap-but-decent card. I heard Nvidia was rolling out a high-end $150 card soon, though I could be mistaken. For me, personally, I have not even beaten the singleplayer because the lag, even now, is still pretty damn annoying, which leads me to Dex's quote: Since the engine Blacks Ops runs on has been around for a long time and started life as a PC engine, it's pretty well optimised at this point. That's the point. There was no way in hell they could have messed up graphics or optimization, but they overcame odds and decided to show the world who's boss. Edited March 26, 2011 by Pirandello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thanks for the advice! I only have a 400W power supply in there atm, can you recommend a good one with enough power for the quad core and the new graphics card? (It has to have IDE power supplies because I want to keep my old IDE hard drives, don't know if new PS's come with them or not.) And is my Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro powerful enough to keep the processor cool? I'm thinking about getting a Q8400, a Sapphire HD 5770 and 2x1024 MB Corsair RAM. The total cost would be about 250 €. I might also get a new case because mine sucks. I'm gonna wait a few weeks before I order anything though, because I have some exams to learn for right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staySICK Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 oh yea its sufficient, I love those things, had my q9400S (stock 2.66) 3.4 with no real issues. The Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantelope Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Black ops for some reason runs much better on a quad core pc than a dual core. It's one of the few PC games that is that way and I'm not sure why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faiblesse Des Sens Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Because they actually put in proper multi-core support? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 I've been looking through the internet to find a suitable PSU but I'm not sure what to think. The official specs of the Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 recommend a 600W(!) PSU but in the comments some people claim they use a 350W PSU and have absolutely no problems. I was thinking about getting a brand 530W PSU. If I ever wanted to get a second 5770 to use in Crossfire, would that PSU be powerful enough? I currently have 1 SATA DVD-RW and 2 IDE HDDs installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 I don't think you should try to just wing it with just minimal specs. I think you will run into problems for sure when the PSU start to age and you Crossfire it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Yeah, as MaliciousH said, you really don't want to wing it. A good quality 600-650w should do you just fine though. 530w would probably do your system as is but it's going to be sketchy if you decide on crossfiring it up. 600w is the safe bet. Edited March 29, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Ok, so I put some stuff together, does that look like a good upgrade? Do all the parts fit together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kovach_ Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 If you're willing to spend ~300e for an upgrade, my advice is to save a bit more cash adn get a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) You're planning on adding that RAM to the 2gb you have already, yes? If so, make sure that they're the exact same RAM as you have already, down to the brand. I've never heard of Netzteil so I'm not sure about the PSU and the price seems a bit on the cheap side. It could be just fine but I'd make sure there's a decent warranty there just in case it doesn't live a long life. Everything else looks ok from where I'm sitting. Edited March 29, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 I tried to get the same RAM but the Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 that they sell has a CL of 5 instead of 4. I don't think they produce the RAM I have in there anymore. So I thought it's more important to have the same timings than the same brand. Am I correct? Netzteil is the German word for PSU, the comments seem to agree that it's a good PSU and I also found some in-depth reviews that concluded the same. (The full name is actually "650W Rasurbo GaminX & Power GAP656 V2") Seems to be a small German company that makes quality PSUs but includes no manual, no accessories etc. and can therefore sell them for a low price. @Kovach_ I think this upgrade would get me very far and would push the inevitable completely new rig a few years away. And I think 300€ is actually a really good deal for the huge improvement I'm expecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kovach_ Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Oh, no, i agree that those parts are all good and a definite impovement over your current one, i'm just thinking 300€ is like two thirds of a new good pc, so if you're not in a hurry that you'd maybe be better of saving a bit more and geting a new one instead of upgrading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) So for 450€ you think you can put together a significantly better PC including a new Motherboard? Show me how Edited March 29, 2011 by umfk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kovach_ Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Well i don't know if it would be "significantly" better, but lets see... Maybe get an i5/i7, Sandy Bridge MB (ASUS is my favourite there), Seasonic/Antec 620-650 PSU, 4x2gb dd3 RAM, you've already got a case, dvd, and hhd. That GPU you picked is fine (maybe a 6850 instead). This should last for at least 2 years imho, then later on just get a better GPU at the time for some added mileage. Ofc, i'm pretty sure there are a lot of people here that are more tech savvy than myself, i just wanted to tell you to think about some other options since you're willing to spend a fair bit of money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 What the hell is with everyone's fascination with a "new" PC? It's not any better because you replaced all the parts, people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umfk Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Sigh, Kovach_, now you completely confused me. I guess it's true that I could get a Sandy Bridge/DDR3/6850 system for about 550€. But in the long run I think I save more money by using my old parts (MB, CPU cooler, RAM) for as long as possible. And I expect this PC to serve me longer than 2 years, I usually start looking for an upgrade only if the games start to look really terrible . Can anyone answer my question regarding the RAM? Is it more important to use the same brand or the same specs? Both my old RAM and the one in the picture are PC2-6400 with timings 4-4-4-12. They should work fine together although 2 are from Corsair and 2 from Kingston, right? @Johnny At some point you usually have to upgrade almost all your hardware parts because of a change in technology. Edited March 29, 2011 by umfk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 *shrugs* I don't think I've ever been in a situation where every part in my PC was worth upgrading. If it's the hard drives, the GPU, CPU, motherboard, RAM or whatever, I'll save in where I can. Also I've had the same chassi and DVD drive for over six years, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 I guess it depends on how you define "new". I got what I considered to be a "new" PC when I replaced the mobo, cpu, RAM, tower and upgraded OS all at once, even though I kept the same PSU, HDDs, DVD drive and GPU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Yeah, once you start building and upgrading PCs, the line blurs. I'd consider a new PC one built from the ground up with at least a new CPU, GPU, RAM and mobo. I wouldn't count new HDDs, PSUs and DVD drives as neccessary to say you have a new PC. Hell, my last "new" PC had 5 year old DVD drives and HDDs. Now only one of the HDDs remains. Edited March 30, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staySICK Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 to me, new cpu + mobo + ram = "new computer," especially when the socket changes. (LGA 775 to LGA 115, Intel to AMD, etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faiblesse Des Sens Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Yeah, once you start building and upgrading PCs, the line blurs. I'd consider a new PC one built from the ground up with at least a new CPU, GPU, RAM and mobo. I wouldn't count new HDDs, PSUs and DVD drives as neccessary to say you have a new PC. Hell, my last "new" PC had 5 year old DVD drives and HDDs. Now only one of the HDDs remains. agreed with this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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