So I just...
By
Father Xmas,
Posted on: 2009-12-02 23:44 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
SinOfEnvy,
Yes, in all probability the GTS 250 is overkill for a 1.8GHz, single core Sempron. But the Corsair PSU and the GTS 250 would be a good start toward future upgrades.
Also compared to what you currently have as graphics, you should see a fair improvement in performance as well as image quality through higher world texture quality settings as well as higher shader settings. It will seem like a whole new game with non-fuzzy signs and shinny/bumpy textures.
But still, your bottleneck from now on, presuming the graphics and PSU upgrade, is going to be the CPU, having enough memory to prevent excessive swap file usage during play. Problem is that finding a replacement CPU that fits a Socket 939 motherboard would just be throwing money away that could be saved toward the next upgrade.
As for the performance of a GTS 250, it's nothing to sneeze at. While it's true that it's a twice renamed, overclocked 512MB 8800GTS, there are still only a handful of single GPU cards that outperform it. Also don't let the price fool you, ever since ATI came out with the HD 4xxx series and took control of setting price points for certain performance levels, video card prices in general have taken a nosedive and you can get quite a card in the $125-150 price range, 18 months ago this would have been a $300+ card.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Oh and the official reason the new Antec Earthwatts Green series of PSUs don't come with a power cord; you should recycle your old one by using it with your new power supply. 
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
LOL.
That's actually an excellent reason.
I think I have over half a dozen PSU power cords stashed away.
I have a question. Is his computer a socket 939 or a socket AM2 machine? I haven't seen any evidence either way; clearly, I missed something.
Necrobond - 50 BS/Inv Scrapper made in I1
Rickar - 50 Bots/FF Mastermind
Anti-Muon - 42 Warshade
Ivory Sicarius - 45 Crab Spider
Aber ja, nat�rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.
Just to address the part of the OP that I feel qualified to deal with: installation.
I was in the same boat as Sin, with limited experience; if it weren't for reading some threads here before I upgraded my video card, I wouldn't have realized that a new power supply would be needed.
Installing these two aren't terribly difficult, thankfully, although make sure to allow plenty of time for it; you'll want to go slow to make sure you didn't miss anything.
I'd suggest finding some kind of mental system to remember where all the connectors went in from the power supply; two of my failed restart attempts were because I didn't plug the hard drive back in. One key thing to look out for is the 20+4 connector; that will be the big one. If your mobo just uses 20-pin, you're okay; if it needs 20+4, take a moment to look at the connectors first, since they have to fit side-by-side in a specific way. These aren't just plug-and-play, they have to be rotated a certain way or they won't work.
Once all that's done, the card is pretty easy. Personally, I'd suggest removing your existing card if possible; with the LE, though, that might not be an option. Just make sure you can move it out of the way, since the cards you're looking at basically take up two slots (as has been mentioned previously).
Couple embarrassing things to look out for, based on experience: one, make sure the fan side of your new power supply is facing down, into the case, and not flush up against the case wall. It'll run initially, but you'll be getting a "fan failure" message in short order. Keeping it face down ensures air circulation. Second, if you're certain you have everything connected properly but your computer won't boot up (no hard disk activity), remove and replace your RAM. It can get jostled loose when you're putting the 20+4 connection in, and without it your system won't initialize.
tl;dr, it's not as hard as it looks, but you'll need patience.
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It's 939. I found a link from the HP/Compaq website for the motherboard and posted it on the first page of the thread.
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Originally Posted by Necrotron
I have a question. Is his computer a socket 939 or a socket AM2 machine? I haven't seen any evidence either way; clearly, I missed something.
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Yeah, that'd be what I missed.|
Originally Posted by Human_Being
It's 939. I found a link from the HP/Compaq website for the motherboard and posted it on the first page of the thread.
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Getting a hold of a dual-core 939 chip ain't gonna be easy.
Necrobond - 50 BS/Inv Scrapper made in I1
Rickar - 50 Bots/FF Mastermind
Anti-Muon - 42 Warshade
Ivory Sicarius - 45 Crab Spider
Aber ja, nat�rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.
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hm, rather lame. When I build a new system, it's because my old one is becoming underpowered for high-end apps. It's good enough for 'regular' use so I give it away. It kind of needs a power cord.....
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Oh and the official reason the new Antec Earthwatts Green series of PSUs don't come with a power cord; you should recycle your old one by using it with your new power supply.
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Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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Quick question.|
Originally Posted by Human_Being
The AMD Athlon II X2 240 chip with MSI GF615M-P33 AM3 motherboard and 2GB Crucial DDR3 1066 RAM. That would get you a dual-core processor with ram just as good as high-speed DDR2, decent integrated sound, parts that are certified to work together, component standards that will still be available in the market for a few years, and that will all fit with the original Presario case. Total price tag: $160 (plus shipping for the motherboard and ram).
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If I purchase that Dual Core chip, will I need that motherboard that you posted or more than the 2.2gb's of RAM that I currently have, or can I just install it on my current motherboard and switch over later when I get the money to afford them?
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If you get the chip, it will not fit in your current Socket 939 motherboard; you will need the new one. If you get the new motherboard, I don't think your current RAM will work in it. So those three items are kind of a package.
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Originally Posted by SinOfEnvy
Quick question.
If I purchase that Dual Core chip, will I need that motherboard that you posted or more than the 2.2gb's of RAM that I currently have, or can I just install it on my current motherboard and switch over later when I get the money to afford them? |
Ah, alright. That will have to be something for another time then.
The reason I ask is because I got a little more money, so I actually have 230 bucks to spend now. Is there perhaps anything else you would suggest?
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Not really. I'd give the 5770 ($165) another glance just to be thorough. It's a bit faster in benchmarks than the GTS 250 and is a little more "future proof" since it supports DirectX 11 (which something like only one game, Dirt 2, uses thus far). However, you would again have to put up with some graphics glitches as per Bill Z Bubba's sticky thread until Going Rogue actually comes out, and might have to deal with buggy drivers until ATI gets a solid handle on their new product.|
Originally Posted by SinOfEnvy
Ah, alright. That will have to be something for another time then.
The reason I ask is because I got a little more money, so I actually have 230 bucks to spend now. Is there perhaps anything else you would suggest? |
But there's absolutely nothing wrong with the GTS 250 ($135). It should work well right off the bat and the $30 difference can be put towards some further upgrade on the rest of the system. The GTS 250 is definitely the more "certain" value to you here.
http://i49.tinypic.com/25zqurk.jpg I know, it makes my eyes bleed too T_T
This is with character settings on Very High, but World on Low. I can turn it up a little higher, but if I do, it starts to lag pretty badly, even when I solo.
So you be the judge on how big a change this new card will hopefully make. I already know the maximum potentially that CoH can get to right now on at least an Nvidia 8800, as my friend has one and I would like to compare if anyone could maybe get me a rough screenshot of how if would look with this card I plan on purchasing.
That assumes the card isn't too bottle necked by the processor.
Here's a screenshot from the aforementioned Pentium D + GTS 250-alike taken during a Beta earlier this year (photobucket has reduced the resolution somewhat).
On a separate note, I'd been mulling the possibility of you running with just one stick of 2 GB RAM in slower single-channel mode, costing the same as two 1 GB sticks but leaving the second RAM slot open to add a second one to 4 GB total at a later date when you had more money. Then I realized I had accidentally linked to exactly that above: a single 2 GB stick instead of a 2x 1 GB kit =P. So yeah, this is actually the two x 1 GB stick kit (at $56).