Graphic Card Question

[Skyviper 1,101]

I'm looking for another gamming rig and went to best buy (because the last computer I built was six years ago and I haven't touched the things sense). They have a nice tower for sell and at a decent price.

 

HP - Pavilion Desktop / AMD Athlon™ II Quad-Core Processor / 6GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive it comes with an ATI radeon HD 4200 graphics card.

 

I'll paste the rest of the specs for those interested. Its under 500 bucks so I figured what the hell but I'm a little concerned about the graphics card is it a crappy one or pretty decent?(I'm currently using an Nvidea 9500)

 

Processor Speed3.1GHz<LI class=banded>System Bus4.0 GT/s<LI>Cache Memory2MB on die Level 2<LI class=banded>System Memory (RAM)6GB<LI>System Memory (RAM) Expandable To16GB<LI class=banded>Type of Memory (RAM)DDR3 SDRAM<LI>Hard Drive TypeSATA (7200 rpm)<LI class=banded>Hard Drive Size1TB<LI>GraphicsATI Radeon HD 4200<LI class=banded>Video MemoryUp to 2943MB total available as allocated by Windows 7

 

Any suggestions you may have is much appreciated and thank you for looking at this thread.

Edited July 15, 2011 by Skyviper

[xclusiv8 35]

Its a integrated graphics solution. For gaming? not really the best thing on the field. I wouldnt even call it a budget model. Its below that. Rest of the specs are great. Just get a real graphics card and your set to go

[Skyviper 1,101]

Cool thank you

 

I knew something wasn't quite right with that rig. Anyway thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question.

[Skyviper 1,101]

Whoa this one looks really promising...but its backordered

 

ProcessorIntel® Core™ i7<LI class=banded>Processor Speed3.4GHzCache Memory8MB on die Level 3<LI class=banded>System Memory (RAM)8GB<LI>System Memory (RAM) Expandable To16GB<LI class=banded>Type of Memory (RAM)DDR3<LI>Hard Drive TypeSATA (7200 rpm)<LI class=banded>Hard Drive Size1TB<LI>GraphicsNVIDIA GT 530<LI class=banded>Video Memory2GB

[+streakeagle 871]

Be careful adding gpus to store bought PCs with integrated video chipsets. A lot of PCs are sold with the smallest, cheapest power supply that will get the job done with the hardware originally installed in it. Any decent gaming gpu may eventually kill the power supply. You also have to look at cooling issues. Cheaper PCs usually have smaller cases with less ventilation. If you are lucky, the case will be plenty big enough to fit a decent modern card and will have places to add more fans.

 

<rant>

I have a desktop PC my wife's employer gave to her. It is much newer and faster than my aging Athlon 64 3800 gaming PC. But it is in a smaller case, has room for only a single slot gpu, and only a 300 Watt power supply. If I put $100 into a new power supply, use an old case I have laying around, put $230 into an odd 6850 single slot gpu, and buy a Win 7 64 Home license for $120, I would have a decent PC compared to what I am using... but is at 3 years behind the times and at $450, I could buy a much newer better bare bones combo and end up with a far superior PC.

 

Some day I will get an up to date rig so I can fully enjoy my existing sims and be able to fly the latest ones like Rise Of Flight and DCS:A-10 as well.

</rant>

[MigHound 0]

My suggestion, for a good performance card would be the Gigabyte GeForce GTX-560 Ti . I was reading in the PC Gamer Builders Guide edition that this specific card, is mildly improved GTX-460 and the GPU clock has been tweaked just nicely, from 822Mhz to 900Mhz. Processor clock @ 1.645Ghz, SLI ready and includes Cuda tech. At $200, or so, it's a pretty decent card. I've been looking at this one to replace my old GeForce 8600GT. I'm not quite ready to swap out my entire system, yet.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Yep, for games that first one is not even budget box.

 

Skyviper, poast link to the offers so we can czech em out. or edit that rubbish into humoid readable format.

 

 

the last computer I built was six years ago

That's the best thing you can do; slap together your own box, if you have the time to catch up on the hardware websites.

 

 

Athalon II X4 is a great little quad chiplet, and you can't go wrong with it. I think the II series is the best low price cpu out there. I have the X2 dual core, 3.0Ghz.

 

You need a good grafix card. Shop out parts for own box to see what it would cost, assuming you can use some of your current gear (keyboard, drives, monitor, etc...)

[Skyviper 1,101]

Computer Number One(specs and price)

 

Computer Number (specs and price)

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Thank You!

 

Computer 2 -- 829$ ... mmm... build your own.

 

What kind of monitor do you have, and are you willing to move it over to the new build? Neither of those boxes comes with monitor.

 

Possibly keep your case, keyboard, hard drives, DVD, possibly power supply but it may be too old and low power...6 years old? Power supply is the most important thing, like engine is the most important thing in airplanes.

 

What Windows are you running now? I always suggest Win~7, but notice those two boxes comes with Win-7 "pre installed" and note that the software included does NOT state a full Windows installation disk. If so, that is unacceptable.

 

A bit different than the usual hardware sites, is Scott Mueller's website. He's writes the Upgrading and Repairing PC's books, now on 19th edition.

 

~> http://forum.scottmueller.com/

 

One of the better normal hardware sites is [H] ~> http://hardforum.com/

Edited July 16, 2011 by Lexx_Luthor

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

If you do your own build again, you are thinking good out of the gate.

 

For a low price build, get that Athalon II X4. Its smooth working. I have one, but only X2 dual core. Love it.

 

For a higher price build, go with i5 2500K...(not the much more expensive i7 2600k).

 

 

Do your research and see if you come up with similar idea. Okay, there are low priced budget Intel cpus out there, but I know nothing about them. I only know AMD, although my next build will be i5 2500k.

 

The most confusing thing will be deciding on motherboard. So many out there, so many slightly different sub~variants.

[Skyviper 1,101]

Thanks for the info and advice.

 

Currently Im running vista, dual core AMD athlon 500 G harddrive DVD Lightscribe, I meas its a stock compaq that has a new power supply in it as well a gigantic graphics card my Nvidia 9500.

 

I want a new operating system, bigger hardrive, better graphics card, and cpu. So I figured, with me being out of the game for so long, it was cheaper for me to get a tower from somewhere and slap another graphics card in it. Because most of these have what I already want or at least it seemed that way.

 

But I think what I'll do is shop around for all the parts that I want as well as a decent case and buy it all when I get the money saved up.

 

Which reminds me of another question.

 

Would you go with liquid cooled or just regular fans? Keep in mind that I don't have my computer running twenty four seven.

 

Once again thank you.

 

 

[xclusiv8 35]

Thanks for the info and advice.

 

Currently Im running vista, dual core AMD athlon 500 G harddrive DVD Lightscribe, I meas its a stock compaq that has a new power supply in it as well a gigantic graphics card my Nvidia 9500.

 

I want a new operating system, bigger hardrive, better graphics card, and cpu. So I figured, with me being out of the game for so long, it was cheaper for me to get a tower from somewhere and slap another graphics card in it. Because most of these have what I already want or at least it seemed that way.

 

But I think what I'll do is shop around for all the parts that I want as well as a decent case and buy it all when I get the money saved up.

 

Which reminds me of another question.

 

Would you go with liquid cooled or just regular fans? Keep in mind that I don't have my computer running twenty four seven.

 

Once again thank you.

 

 

 

There is no reason to go with a liquid cooling solution if you are'nt going to overclock the cpu. Sure it can be quiter but modern fans are pretty quiet.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Go Regular. The recent years' giant strictly fan cooled cpu heat sinks perform the same as equivalently priced pre~manufactured water cooling, but then the strictly air coolers are HUGE. On the other hand, if you build your own water cooling setup, or buy a very expensive water setup, with titan size radiators with several FANS on top of your case, you wouldn't be thinking Athalon II anyways.

 

There is NO WAY I will let *water* inside my computer case. Some things I don't do, and that's a big one right there. Also, I don't fully trust water pumps. In water coolers, you have not only radiator fans, but also pumps to pamper. In other words, water cooled setups are also air cooled, so its a bit more complex than the strictly air cooled coolers. Some like water as a hobby in itself. I only want decent cooling.

 

For my next build, whenever that is, I'm planning on the Noctua NH-C14. I like top-down coolers like this more than the side blowing tower castles (my name for them). This C14 is one notch below the giants, but only one notch. One fan only needed. Two fans cool a bit better, and more importantly, would give redundancy to fan failure. Noctua makes good fans though, apparently. Surf the hardware review and forum sites.

 

If you go Athalon II, you only need the stock AMD cooler. I know this very well. But, I don't overclock it, but I may try soon just for kicks. I do plan on playing with overclocking the i5k I'm planning to use, but that's down the road a bit. Surf the hardware forum and review sites.

 

Good move waiting to research *PARTS* before you buy, even if you go pre~fab box. Take your time, there is so much stuff out there to learn first. It is a lot of fun **see below**, and you learn things you never knew about. Take your time, and learn. The hardware sites are where you want to be, but more than one. Also, surf the hardware review/forum sites.

 

** One thing I never expected was becoming familiar with all the high end cpu heat sinks out there, and there are dozens of them, while just weeks ago the lot of them totally befuddled me. You learn them all, or any part type, in the various reviews all over teh~internets. That's part of the fun of poking around to learn about parts before you build, or even just order pre~built. Take your time.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Sorry about that novel I wrote.

 

In short -- if you build yourself, maybe start first with stock cpu cooler and its pre~applied thermal pad. Messing with non~stock coolers requires learning about applying thermal paste, and the pros and cons of dozens of brands. Keep things simple at first.

 

[Skyviper 1,101]

Sorry about that novel I wrote.

 

In short -- if you build yourself, maybe start first with stock cpu cooler and its pre~applied thermal pad. Messing with non~stock coolers requires learning about applying thermal paste, and the pros and cons of dozens of brands. Keep things simple at first.

 

 

 

Oh no you're fine. I thank you and everyone else for taking the time to answer my question. I found that you were thinking what I was thinking when it came to a liquid cooled system. I mean I was like water+electricity=a spot on a 1000 ways to die.

 

I'll hit the hardware sights and survey the landscape. And when I'm done I'lI post a pic of my rig!

 

Once again thank you everybody!

[xclusiv8 35]

Oh no you're fine. I thank you and everyone else for taking the time to answer my question. I found that you were thinking what I was thinking when it came to a liquid cooled system. I mean I was like water+electricity=a spot on a 1000 ways to die.

 

I'll hit the hardware sights and survey the landscape. And when I'm done I'lI post a pic of my rig!

 

Once again thank you everybody!

 

Just remeber. When buying a graphics card you get what you pay for. It is better to get a better graphicscard then 8giggs of ram that you wont need. 4 is enough for most things today.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

If you want a great leg up, get the latest Upgrading and Repairing PCs by Scott Mueller. That 20th edition is not out yet though. At over 1000 pages, its waaay more detailed information than you'd ever need. Amazon is great but its also commonly found in major bookstores.

 

Also poke around Scott's forum for good tips you can run with ~> http://forum.scottmueller.com/

 

Alternatively, Wikipedia also has good articles on types of parts (SATA/SAS for example, various DDR rams and stuff).

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

For motherboard, I'm gonno go with a Supermicro P67. SuperO has traditionally been among the highest qualitys board out there, although I talked to a local SuperO distributor today and he said the major common brands MSI, ASUS, and Gigabyte, have caught up with SuperO in basic quality.

 

But I ~love~ the retro green pcb look, very unique today, and normal spikey heat sink fins. I never got into the motherboard heat pipe theme. I had a SuperO board years ago before going AMD, and I want to go back. Since I'm going Sandy, I got my chance and I'm taking it. My ancient board (Pentium 133) even had a little US flag sticker on the pcb labeled Made In USA, although its not likely that flag is on their boards today though, and its not in any of those egg pics.