Need help / suggestions on new mobo & gfx card

Fei · 09-12-2007, 05:33 AM

Like many others I too am finally upgrading my graphics for the release of tf2 and ff. Right now I have an old ATI radeon 9200 which won't do for those newer games.

I'm fairly certain soemthing is messed with my motherboard right now also, so I plan to replace that as well. It doesn't read slave hard drive's correctly anymore for some reason (not a BIOS issue, checked). this currently used mobo is

Motherboard Model: Giga-Byte GA-8IPE1000(-L) (2.0)
Motherboard Chipset: Intel 865PE (Springdale-PE) + ICH5
Motherboard Slots: 5xPCI, 1xAGP v3.0

My CPU is a p4 2.4ghz so i don't think I want to upgrade that yet since thats enough for HL2. I've been told your memory has to match with your new motherboard, here is my memory specs:

two sticks of 512mb PC3200 DDR-SDRAM
Model: Kingston K

So I haven't bought anything in like half a decade (kind of nervous about replacing the motherboard, never done it before). What should I look for in a graphics card and new motherboard? How do I know if it is compatible with my memory? I don't really have a budget but I just want to spend enough to run ff and tf2 very smoothly. All these mobos & graphic cards to choose from is overwhelming me a bit

PoMo · 09-12-2007, 05:53 AM

I don't think you're going to find a new motherboard that will support your DDR1 RAM and 2.4GHz P4. New mobo, vid card, CPU and RAM will be needed. Luckily the cheap stuff will leave your old gear for dead. You will get a couple bucks for your CPU on eaby (maybe $20) and a hundred or so for the RAM (weirdly good DDR1 is more expensive than the newer, faster DDR2 as DDR1 is out of production) so you can use that to offset the cost of your new stuff.

Circuitous · 09-12-2007, 06:04 AM

This isn't at all helpful, but this should go to Chat.

For future reference.

Dospac · 09-12-2007, 08:13 AM

Fei just needs his lag hax, his pc specs don't matter. Moved to chat.. hi =)

StatisticZ · 09-12-2007, 08:16 AM

With my 512 mb of ram (embarassing I know), I'm hoping with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130285

It'll run FF =(.

Ihmhi · 09-12-2007, 08:54 AM

Well not blazingly fast, but yeah.

Just a note, I run a RADEON 9250 (which is like, 2 days newer than the OPs?), and I can run FF decently on all low settings in 1024 x 768. The rest of my computer makes up for it though. I do not think it would work well with that DDR1 RAM and other stuff.

Fei · 09-12-2007, 06:07 PM

Hm thanks for the information, too bad I need newer RAM had I known that I wouldn't of gotten an extra stick when I had my computer fixed 6 months ago or so =/ Oh well, shouldn't cost too much after I sell my old ram.

Guess I'll have to get a new CPU also.. whats the best technology out right now for those? I had an AMD a long while back, 1.4ghz I think, it always overheated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dospac

Fei just needs his lag hax, his pc specs don't matter. Moved to chat.. hi =)

Lol, you know my SHAW XTREME cable has been dwindling in quality the past month and a half... maybe the lag h4x is slowly overcoming me again just in time for FF

Uncle-Argon · 09-12-2007, 06:14 PM

I think the most helpful think would be for you to give us your budget, then people can make more informed recomendations.

Paft · 09-12-2007, 06:16 PM

Bloody hell! Someone make one Computer help/suggestion and one hardware/buying thread. Sick of seeing these threads. : )

Fei · 09-12-2007, 06:51 PM

alright I guess my budget is $550 or less.
Only thing I am SORT OF certain on so far is my CPU which is this one I've been eyeing:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (Dual Core)

And I only want to get 2gb of RAM for now...
I am still very in the dark as to what mobo and vid card to buy however

Somebody suggested this vid card to me because it was cheap:

ATI Radeon X1300 PCI-E 256MB DDR2 Video Card Retail V59

But I wouldn't mind spending a bit more if the performance upgrade would be noticeable.. It's usually listed at around $66 USD.

Uncle-Argon · 09-12-2007, 07:54 PM

Everything I've heard regarding current CPUs is that you should go for the Intel chips rather than AMD. Thats coming, in many cases, from people who have always been die hard AMD fans. Maybe things have changed recently, but I'd recomend looking at the Core 2 Duo chips instead. I'm hardly an expert though.

Fei · 09-12-2007, 08:32 PM

Yea somebody told me the same thing not too long ago. I just found out I can't order from newegg or the other usual sites because I am in Canada.

I've been told www.ncix.com is the best place to buy computer parts online for Canadians so later tonight when I get off work I will use that site to show the specs I am currently thinking of getting.

Fei · 09-20-2007, 11:59 PM

Alright I have finally assembled together some parts for a pretty powerful system:

CASE & PSU: Antec Sonata III Black ATX 16IN Mid Tower Quiet Case 3X5.25 2X3.5 4X3.5IN 500W 120MM Fan $118.98

HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA2 3GB/S 7200RPM 16MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive $115.99

MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R ATX LGA775 Conroe P35 DDR2 1PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 SATA RAID Sound GBLAN Motherboard $139.98

VIDEO CARD: EVGA E-GEFORCE 8800GTS 500MHZ 320MB 1.6GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDTV HDCP DIRECTX10 Video Card $309.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Dual Core Processor LGA775 Conroe 2.66GHZ 1333FSB 4MB Retail $218.98

RAM: G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit $86.99

TOTAL PRICE: $990.91 - ALL PRICES ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS

OKAY so thats all good for a decent price.. but I am afraid that the video card might be a bit overkill for what I want. I have no interest in playing newer games than HL2. I just wanted a video card that can run FF / TF2 / HL2 at a very smooth framerate in 1024x780.. It doesn't have to be the best looking, but 100fps is preferred I guess. I am afraid of overpaying for a video card that is mroe powerful than I need. Couldn't I get away with a card that is 50% less expensive than the 8800gts? I've been told both yes and no. This seems to be the last remaining factor in my setup.

Any help or info is appreciated.

09-12-2007, 05:33 AM	#1
Fei _The -Next ^Level Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canada Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Need help / suggestions on new mobo & gfx card Like many others I too am finally upgrading my graphics for the release of tf2 and ff. Right now I have an old ATI radeon 9200 which won't do for those newer games. I'm fairly certain soemthing is messed with my motherboard right now also, so I plan to replace that as well. It doesn't read slave hard drive's correctly anymore for some reason (not a BIOS issue, checked). this currently used mobo is Motherboard Model: Giga-Byte GA-8IPE1000(-L) (2.0) Motherboard Chipset: Intel 865PE (Springdale-PE) + ICH5 Motherboard Slots: 5xPCI, 1xAGP v3.0 My CPU is a p4 2.4ghz so i don't think I want to upgrade that yet since thats enough for HL2. I've been told your memory has to match with your new motherboard, here is my memory specs: two sticks of 512mb PC3200 DDR-SDRAM Model: Kingston K So I haven't bought anything in like half a decade (kind of nervous about replacing the motherboard, never done it before). What should I look for in a graphics card and new motherboard? How do I know if it is compatible with my memory? I don't really have a budget but I just want to spend enough to run ff and tf2 very smoothly. All these mobos & graphic cards to choose from is overwhelming me a bit

09-12-2007, 06:04 AM	#3
Circuitous Useless Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jun 2005 Class/Position: D Soldier, O Scout Gametype: AvD Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	This isn't at all helpful, but this should go to Chat. For future reference. __________________ Look at all those dead links.

09-12-2007, 08:54 AM	#6
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Well not blazingly fast, but yeah. Just a note, I run a RADEON 9250 (which is like, 2 days newer than the OPs?), and I can run FF decently on all low settings in 1024 x 768. The rest of my computer makes up for it though. I do not think it would work well with that DDR1 RAM and other stuff. __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

09-12-2007, 06:51 PM	#10
Fei _The -Next ^Level Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canada Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	alright I guess my budget is $550 or less. Only thing I am SORT OF certain on so far is my CPU which is this one I've been eyeing: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (Dual Core) And I only want to get 2gb of RAM for now... I am still very in the dark as to what mobo and vid card to buy however Somebody suggested this vid card to me because it was cheap: ATI Radeon X1300 PCI-E 256MB DDR2 Video Card Retail V59 But I wouldn't mind spending a bit more if the performance upgrade would be noticeable.. It's usually listed at around $66 USD. Last edited by Fei; 09-12-2007 at 07:10 PM.

09-12-2007, 05:53 AM	#2
PoMo Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I don't think you're going to find a new motherboard that will support your DDR1 RAM and 2.4GHz P4. New mobo, vid card, CPU and RAM will be needed. Luckily the cheap stuff will leave your old gear for dead. You will get a couple bucks for your CPU on eaby (maybe $20) and a hundred or so for the RAM (weirdly good DDR1 is more expensive than the newer, faster DDR2 as DDR1 is out of production) so you can use that to offset the cost of your new stuff.

09-12-2007, 08:13 AM	#4
Dospac Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Fei just needs his lag hax, his pc specs don't matter. Moved to chat.. hi =)

09-12-2007, 08:16 AM	#5
StatisticZ My title is... Custom. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tri-State Area Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	With my 512 mb of ram (embarassing I know), I'm hoping with this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130285 It'll run FF =(.

09-12-2007, 06:14 PM	#8
Uncle-Argon Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Manchester Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I think the most helpful think would be for you to give us your budget, then people can make more informed recomendations.

09-12-2007, 06:16 PM	#9
Paft Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: UK - http://forums.fortress-forever.com Class/Position: [O] Med Gametype: CTF/Skills Posts Rated Helpful 67 Times	Bloody hell! Someone make one Computer help/suggestion and one hardware/buying thread. Sick of seeing these threads. : )

09-12-2007, 07:54 PM	#11
Uncle-Argon Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Manchester Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Everything I've heard regarding current CPUs is that you should go for the Intel chips rather than AMD. Thats coming, in many cases, from people who have always been die hard AMD fans. Maybe things have changed recently, but I'd recomend looking at the Core 2 Duo chips instead. I'm hardly an expert though.

09-12-2007, 08:32 PM	#12
Fei _The -Next ^Level Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canada Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Yea somebody told me the same thing not too long ago. I just found out I can't order from newegg or the other usual sites because I am in Canada. I've been told www.ncix.com is the best place to buy computer parts online for Canadians so later tonight when I get off work I will use that site to show the specs I am currently thinking of getting.

09-20-2007, 11:59 PM	#13
Fei _The -Next ^Level Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canada Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Alright I have finally assembled together some parts for a pretty powerful system: CASE & PSU: Antec Sonata III Black ATX 16IN Mid Tower Quiet Case 3X5.25 2X3.5 4X3.5IN 500W 120MM Fan $118.98 HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA2 3GB/S 7200RPM 16MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive $115.99 MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R ATX LGA775 Conroe P35 DDR2 1PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 SATA RAID Sound GBLAN Motherboard $139.98 VIDEO CARD: EVGA E-GEFORCE 8800GTS 500MHZ 320MB 1.6GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDTV HDCP DIRECTX10 Video Card $309.99 CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Dual Core Processor LGA775 Conroe 2.66GHZ 1333FSB 4MB Retail $218.98 RAM: G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit $86.99 TOTAL PRICE: $990.91 - ALL PRICES ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS OKAY so thats all good for a decent price.. but I am afraid that the video card might be a bit overkill for what I want. I have no interest in playing newer games than HL2. I just wanted a video card that can run FF / TF2 / HL2 at a very smooth framerate in 1024x780.. It doesn't have to be the best looking, but 100fps is preferred I guess. I am afraid of overpaying for a video card that is mroe powerful than I need. Couldn't I get away with a card that is 50% less expensive than the 8800gts? I've been told both yes and no. This seems to be the last remaining factor in my setup. Any help or info is appreciated.

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