Upgrade Help

Discussion in 'New Build / Upgrade Advice' started by Lilskeeter2008, Jul 15, 2006.

  1. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hello my current System Specs are

    Code:
    --------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys, Inc. ]------------------------------------------------------------
    
        Version                                           EVEREST v2.20.405
        Homepage                                          http://www.lavalys.com/
        Report Type                                       Report Wizard
        Computer                                          LIL-50BEADC1EFD
        Generator                                         Owner
        Operating System                                  Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
        Date                                              2006-07-14
        Time                                              20:14
    
    
    --------[ Summary ]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        Computer:
          Operating System                                  Microsoft Windows XP Professional
          OS Service Pack                                   Service Pack 2
          DirectX                                           4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
          Computer Name                                     LIL-50BEADC1EFD
          User Name                                         Owner
    
        Motherboard:
          CPU Type                                          Intel Pentium 4, 2.8ghz OC'D 2 3366 MHz (21 x 160)
          Motherboard Name                                  Asus P4P800S-X  (4 PCI, 1 AGP, 2 DDR DIMM, Audio, LAN)
          Motherboard Chipset                               Intel Breeds Hill i848P
          System Memory                                     1024 MB  (PC3200 DDR SDRAM)
          BIOS Type                                         AMI (11/17/05)
          Communication Port                                Communications Port (COM1)
          Communication Port                                Printer Port (LPT1)
    
        Display:
          Video Adapter                                     NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT  (128 MB)
          3D Accelerator                                    nVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT AGP
          Monitor                                           AG Neovo F-417  [17" LCD]  (233)
    
        Multimedia:
          Audio Adapter                                     Creative SB0350 Audigy 2 ZS Sound Card
    
        Storage:
          IDE Controller                                    Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 24DB
          Floppy Drive                                      Floppy disk drive
          Disk Drive                                        WDC WD800BB-00JHA0  (74 GB, IDE)
          Optical Drive                                     LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1673S  (DVD+R9:4x, DVD+RW:16x/8x, DVD-RW:16x/6x, DVD-ROM:16x, CD:48x/24x/48x DVD+RW/DVD-RW)
          SMART Hard Disks Status                           OK
    
        Partitions:
          C: (NTFS)                                         35000 MB (19417 MB free)
          D: (NTFS)                                         39989 MB (30877 MB free)
          Total Size                                        73.2 GB (49.1 GB free)
    
        Input:
          Keyboard                                          HID Keyboard Device
          Mouse                                             HID-compliant mouse
    
        Network:
          Network Adapter                                   Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC  
    
    I am looking to upgrade this PC it has been well kept and clean and well vented its ran like a champ but its getting to the point where i notice things i dislike like lockups in games actual pc lag while the system is clean and omptimized newer games are harder to run but well i only play WoW and CS:S atm but i dont buy games because the system has trouble running HL:2 at times with good rates

    Some other info that wasnt included was that

    Code:
    Psu : 420 Raidmax [Came with Custom Case]
    1 Side Fan
    2 Back Fans
    and blower in PCI slot

    Just did some benchmarking

    Code:
    In 3DMark2001 Second Edtion i scored 	16610 3D marks
     
  2. Marcus_X

    Marcus_X Expert N00b

    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Depending on your budget, I'd say you should look for a better videocard, 128 MB videomemory is a bit low these days. An 7800GS series card would be the fastest gpu available you can get for an agp motherboard.

    My brother recently purchased a XFX 7800GS for a P4 3.0 GHz system and he's very excited about that card.

    The XFX has a core clock of 375 though, there are other types available from different brands; Gainward has a version available with 512MB ram which runs at 420MHz for instance, but that's also the most expensive one of all I believe.

    Good luck, but do some research before buying one.
     
  3. Chris_

    Chris_ Excalibur

    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    It would be a great help if you could post your budget estimate, this we can work off and help you upgrade your system!
     
  4. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Well last night a friend and i picked out some Apperance upgrades and Wire mang to increase the airflow and blah and a new case bc i hated my older one thats costing about 166.62 so i wouldnt wanna spend over 500 on performance
     
  5. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The 2.8GHz P4 is an adequate chip to run any modern game. It's no screamer but I wouldn't say you need to blow several on a new motherboard (thus a new video card) just to pop in a better cpu. 1 gig of ram is still about all you'll need for all but about 3 games (see FEAR, Oblivion, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter). But another 512 wouldn't hurt as PC 3200 is dirt cheap, just for futher proofing really. The video card is all that I could really see bumping up. I too have a few hickups running HL2 and I've got a 6800. I agree with the others, the 7800GS is a great card and as good as you can do for AGP. It runs around $300 (less with a rebate). Newegg.com - Search Results for 7800GS\
     
  6. Willz

    Willz MiCrO$oFt $uK$ :D

    Likes Received:
    36
    Trophy Points:
    48
    wasent there a 7900gs or somthing?, also, if you could find an x850xt pe, its worth buying that, there under £140 in the uk not sure what that is in $, but its alot cheaper than a 7800gs, and in some cases can beat it in some games. You get hickups on a 6800, thats unusual, i did not even get hickups with my radeon 9600, overclocked to 486MHz core, and i was on fairly high settings, but anyway, a 7800gs or x850xt pe will both run most modern games at nearly all the highest way, i have an x800xt and play all games at highest, F.E.A.R, Prey, Oblivion etc.., i have 1gb of ram too, but as Exfoliate said, the extra 512mb would do good.
     
  7. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yeah good call Will, if you can find a cheaper X800XT or X850XT or better you'd be wise too look into that too. Great card for AGP. Pretty much everything out will run great on higher settings.
    As far as HL2 running not so swell on my 6800 but quite good on yours when you had the 9600. Well this takes us back to the whole ATI optimization deal. It makes a big difference between ATI and nVidia cards to the point that a X300 or even an Express 200, HP's integrated ATI option of choice, can crank the settings on high and enjoy good fps. Plus I had really dated drivers for it as well. I imagine things have improved in later series.
     
  8. izzy007

    izzy007 Big Geek

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    yeh get a bettter graphics card, mainly, the p4 shud be able to handle most games as already stated but if u want more juice, rather than upgrading it to a 3.2 or 3.4 ghz, i wud rather get a socket 939 board for bout £50, and an athlon 3500+ or above for around £100. it wud work out cheaper becoz the p4 3.4ghz is roughly £150+ and athlon is betta for gaming really
     
  9. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  10. Willz

    Willz MiCrO$oFt $uK$ :D

    Likes Received:
    36
    Trophy Points:
    48
    i would reccommend getting a AMD 64 3700+ san diego if you can, there very good overclockers, i got mine at 100% stable at 2.8ghz, using stock cooler and 1.45v, its not rare for these to get to 2.8ghz, loads of people have done it, and on watercooling of phase change, somthing like 3.2 or 3.4ghz is possible. stock for a 3700+ is 2.2ghz. i have found that my performance is about the same as an fx57 now with the overclock.
     
  11. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The 3700 is great but the 3800+ is so cheap these days (less than $150 I believe, like $130 that it's just a crazy good deal. 200MHz fast than the 3700 too).
     
  12. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  13. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    decided rather not spend to much so just getting the 3800 but do you guys think i should keep teh ugly stock HSF or put on a custom
     
  14. Willz

    Willz MiCrO$oFt $uK$ :D

    Likes Received:
    36
    Trophy Points:
    48
    it all depends really, if you think the stock fan is ugly, then go ahead and buy a new one, a new one will offer better cooling, but the stock cooler is usually good enough, i am finding my stock cooler really is getting too loud, are you planning on overclocking? if so, get a new fan/heatsink, i dont know what the x2's are like so maybe they wont be good at overclocking withought a decdent fan/heatsink.
     
  15. Lilskeeter2008

    Lilskeeter2008 Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  16. Willz

    Willz MiCrO$oFt $uK$ :D

    Likes Received:
    36
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Get the Arctice Freezer 64 if you can find one, i had an Arctic freezer for my pentium 4, was preety good.
     

Share This Page