27 replies to this topic

[SouL Winner]

I'm going to see if i can upgrade my current rig to handle MWO so i can be spending less money on video games and more on college.

Here is my current motherboard

I have 1.5TB hard drive space, 3GB ram(it's dual channel but i'm only using one because i never needed the second channel until i started considering running games using MWO's graphics engine).

I already know for a fact that i'll be upgrading from Windows Vista 32bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

Next, since i'll be upgrading to a 64bit OS, i'm going to finally use BOTH channels, thus putting more RAM on the PC. I got four slots for ram sticks and i'm only using 2 right now.

Next, i'll be replacing my video card since it is only a 500mb video card
When it comes to video cards, as far as i know the slot is a pciex16...no 2.0 or 3.0. I got this motherboard 5 years ago so i don't think 2.0 existed yet back then...What happens if i put a 2.0 video card in that slot?

What's the best/cheapest deal i can get in terms up upgrading this so that i can play Crysis2 on high graphics settings? (Using Crysis2 for example because it uses the same graphics engine as MWO)

I have a 800 watt power supply.

CPU: I have a quad core proccessor with each core having a 2.0GHz clock speed. I hope that i don't have to upgrade the CPU but if i do, my motherboard's socket info is in the link to my motherboard if you have a better CPU to recomend for an upgrade.

Not sure what other info ya'all need so if you need to know more about my rig just ask.

Edited by SouL Winner, 13 May 2012 - 05:27 AM.

[Adridos]

Depends on the ammount you want (are able) to pay, since closely to 1000 bucks, you can easily make a machine running most games in HD resolution.

[Mason Ventris]

Should be able to. For just over $1100 I built my rig and got a 23" monitor and it plays crysis on the highest settings without the enhancements

[Marvin Martian]

You'll need to do some research on the PCI express slot.

http://en.wikipedia....PCI_Express_2.1

I ran into a problem upgrading my video card. My slot was 1.0 and the PCI-E 2.1 cards are not backwards compatible, so that meant new motherboard, processor, RAM. I went the AMD route and got CPU, MoBo, RAM, video card, and power supply for about $325, and I'm pretty sure it will run MWO.

My new computer is:

AMD FX-4100
ASRock 970 Extreme3
8 GB RAM
AMD 6750 1GB GDDR 5

Intel probably would only cost you $100-200 more, and a nicer video card wouldn't be too much more, so $600 for a nice build.

Edited by Marvin Martian, 14 May 2012 - 01:52 AM.

[Grokmoo]

Hi,

(1) You should definitely consider upgrading your graphics card. For example, one of these cards:
http://www.newegg.co...eon%20HD%207850

You will not have a problem putting a newer card in your PCI Express 1.0 x16 slot.

(2) The other big upgrade you can do is putting in a solid state disk. You can get one of these, for example:

http://www.newegg.co...Id=1&name=128GB

Basically, you would install windows and your games on there, and keep your 1.5 TB drive for data.

(3) Unfortunately, your motherboard is quite old and not compatible with the newer CPUs and memory. So, while you can buy more memory or a CPU that is compatible with your motherboard, I wouldn't recommend it. However, if you really want to spend $1100 you can easily build a pretty high end gaming PC from scratch for that kind of money.

Basically, if you go Intel you want a LGA 1156 or LGA 1356 motherboard, if you go AMD you want an AM3+ motherboard. Then you will need your CPU and DDR3 RAM.

[Barbaric Soul]

SouL Winner, on 13 May 2012 - 05:18 AM, said:

I'm going to see if i can upgrade my current rig to handle MWO so i can be spending less money on video games and more on college.

Here is my current motherboard

I have 1.5TB hard drive space, 3GB ram(it's dual channel but i'm only using one because i never needed the second channel until i started considering running games using MWO's graphics engine).

I already know for a fact that i'll be upgrading from Windows Vista 32bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

Next, since i'll be upgrading to a 64bit OS, i'm going to finally use BOTH channels, thus putting more RAM on the PC. I got four slots for ram sticks and i'm only using 2 right now.

Next, i'll be replacing my video card since it is only a 500mb video card
When it comes to video cards, as far as i know the slot is a pciex16...no 2.0 or 3.0. I got this motherboard 5 years ago so i don't think 2.0 existed yet back then...What happens if i put a 2.0 video card in that slot?

What's the best/cheapest deal i can get in terms up upgrading this so that i can play Crysis2 on high graphics settings? (Using Crysis2 for example because it uses the same graphics engine as MWO)

I have a 800 watt power supply.

CPU: I have a quad core proccessor with each core having a 2.0GHz clock speed. I hope that i don't have to upgrade the CPU but if i do, my motherboard's socket info is in the link to my motherboard if you have a better CPU to recomend for an upgrade.

Not sure what other info ya'all need so if you need to know more about my rig just ask.

You can build a new computer for less than $1000. Infact I am in the process of putting together a I7 860 HT quad/GTX560 system for less than $300(granted it's using used parts and some parts I already had laying around).

Yes you can upgrade that computer to run MW:O on high settings. Socket 775 quad cores are just as good or better as any AMD quad core running a comparable speed. You will need to learn to OC and will need a good heatsink(Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for $30 is my recommendation) if you want to stay with your current CPU/MB/RAM.

Also, about your CPU, I can't find any information about a socket 775 quad core running at 2ghz. The slowest one listed on Intel's web site is the 2.33ghz Q8200. You can easily find out exactly which CPU you have by DL'ing and running http://cpu-z.en.softonic.com/

Grokmoo, on 13 May 2012 - 05:46 AM, said:

(3) Unfortunately, your motherboard is quite old and not compatible with the newer CPUs and memory. So, while you can buy more memory or a CPU that is compatible with your motherboard, I wouldn't recommend it. However, if you really want to spend $1100 you can easily build a pretty high end gaming PC from scratch for that kind of money.

Basically, if you go Intel you want a LGA 1156 or LGA 1356 motherboard, if you go AMD you want an AM3+ motherboard. Then you will need your CPU and DDR3 RAM.

This is wrong. For Intel, you want socket 1155 or socket 2011. 1156 and1366 have been discontinued.

Edited by Barbaric Soul, 13 May 2012 - 06:10 AM.

[Bianca Flowers]

let me correct the previous poster. 1156 and 1366 are OLD. the newest intel chips use 1155 and 2011 sockets, and for $1000, you can build a system much, much more powerful than your old socket 775 system..

here's my suggested build:

[color="blue"]em List:[/color]

<p style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; float: left; width: 528px; line-height: 11px; "> Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1

425]Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor

Item #:N82E16819116504
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$244.99


1

425]Newegg Promotional Gift Card - $20.00

Item #:N82E168GC000001
1

425]HIS Radeon HD 7850 H785F2G2M Video Card

Item #:N82E16814161406
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
$259.99

$239.99

1

425]AMD Gift - Dirt SHOWDOWN Gift Coupon

Item #:N82E16800995124
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$59.99


1

425]Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit

Item #:N82E16832116986
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy
$99.99


1

425]Panda Security Antivirus Pro 2012

Item #:N82E16832152073
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy
$39.99


1

425]ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Item #:N82E16813157306
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$109.99


1

425]CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W Power Supply

Item #:N82E16817139026
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$49.99

$44.99

1

425]Rosewill RFA-120-K Case Fan

Item #:N82E16835200048
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$4.99


1

425]Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

Item #:N82E16820220569
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$40.99


1

425]Rosewill R102-P-BK Black Computer Case

Item #:N82E16811147111
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$29.99


1

425]OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Item #:N82E16820227725
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
$169.99

$64.99

1

425]COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+
Item #:N82E16835103099
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$34.99
$29.99

1

425]SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE
Item #: N82E16827151244
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

425]SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$50.00 Instant
-$13.00 Combo $156.98
$93.98

Grand Total: $1,004.88

Edited by Bianca Flowers, 13 May 2012 - 06:59 AM.

[Vulpesveritas]

Problem with the above is they're not aimed at gaming.
With what you have, you can reuse your HDD, and likely your case. If you have at least a 650w PSU you would be fine there too.
OS: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986 (duh XD)
Motherboard:
AMD- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157266 (one of the best value / performance boards out there, and all gold caps, which is nice. Any higher budget and I recommend an AsRock Fatal1ty board or Asus Sabertooth. [And no they're not the same company anymore. Asus broke off from Pegatron completely.])
Intel- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157295
CPU:
AMD- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819103961 (amazing if you multitask or OC, also cheaper vs Intel competition for what you get. As usual.)
Intel- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116504 (fastest CPU at stock for gaming on the market on the moment, but won't be as fast in multithread or heavy multitasking.)
GPU:
AMD- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161412 (As the Nvidia GTX 680 is out of stock at all times, only averages 2-5% faster in gaming, and the Radeon HD 7970 is in some cases up to 2000% faster (yes three zeroes.) in GPGPU, (averaging three to four times faster [This matters for bitcoin mining, folding, video encoding, and any hardware acceleration. Also this being non-reference, is quieter than a 680 would be.])
Intel- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161404 (best in it's price range, still faster than Nvidia in GPGPU, and Overclocks like nuts if you have the PSU for it.)
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820103006
(low profile, good timings, 8GB is great for gaming, lifetime warranty, guaranteed that every batch is the same and therefore better for your board if you ever add more. Also, goes through quality control at two different companies [Patriot and then AMD] and is fully compatible on both AMD and Intel systems.)
Cooling:
Heatsink- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835103099 (unless you have a better aftermarket heatsink that will work on newer platforms, this is the best value heatsink on the market hands down, if you have a bit more of a budget, I recommend this;
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835103176 )
TIM- http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835426020 (long lasting, better than articsilver, non-electrically conductive, and has no set time.)
But right now, GPU is king in gaming, so I would personally recommend the AMD build. You'll get better framerates and a better system all-around.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 13 May 2012 - 08:07 AM.

[Harrah]

Or you could go to your local Computer Shop and see what price they can build you one for so you can help support local businesses.
Or even buy parts to build your own. I am sure they can order what you want.

[Vulpesveritas]

Harrah, on 13 May 2012 - 08:02 AM, said:

Or you could go to your local Computer Shop and see what price they can build you one for so you can help support local businesses.
Or even buy parts to build your own. I am sure they can order what you want.

I'm fairly certain he is going to build his own based on he mentioned the words "rig" and "upgrade".

[Vincent Vascaul]

You can easily build a PC and buy a monitor for $1k to play MWO.

[Gabriel Bekker]

For a thousand dollars, you could just about buy a new computer that could handle MWO...

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Gabriel Bekker, on 13 May 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

For a thousand dollars, you could just about buy a new computer that could handle MWO...

For 1k$ he can EASILY buy a computer that can handle MWO.

[Gabriel Bekker]

DV^McKenna, on 13 May 2012 - 08:51 AM, said:

For 1k$ he can EASILY buy a computer that can handle MWO.

For a thousand dollars, he can easily buy a NICE computer that can handle MWO

[Adridos]

Gabriel Bekker, on 13 May 2012 - 09:05 AM, said:

For a thousand dollars, he can easily buy a NICE computer that can handle MWO

Hell, every rig can run it (if it's only abou 3-4 years old), even a bit nicely.

For 1000$, you get a computer that can run real engines like that from Arma 3.

[neodym]

this 6xx vs 7xxx Nvidia vs AMD seems to be in favor of Nvidia



may I recommend you this great soundcard

http://www.stereophi...stx_soundcards/

[Vulpesveritas]

neodym, on 13 May 2012 - 10:25 AM, said:

this 6xx vs 7xxx Nvidia vs AMD seems to be in favor of Nvidia



may I recommend you this great soundcard

http://www.stereophi...stx_soundcards/

Considering most motherboards have 7.1 surround capable sound cards, unless you're an audiophile there is no reason to get anything more whatsoever.
And on GPU, Nvidia only has an edge if the only thing you use your video card is gaming and nothing else whatsoever. You sacrifice 2-3% price/performance in games with AMD to be 2-30 times faster in GPGPU.

[guardiandashi]

SouL Winner, on 13 May 2012 - 05:18 AM, said:

I'm going to see if i can upgrade my current rig to handle MWO so i can be spending less money on video games and more on college.

Here is my current motherboard

I have 1.5TB hard drive space, 3GB ram(it's dual channel but i'm only using one because i never needed the second channel until i started considering running games using MWO's graphics engine).

I already know for a fact that i'll be upgrading from Windows Vista 32bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

Next, since i'll be upgrading to a 64bit OS, i'm going to finally use BOTH channels, thus putting more RAM on the PC. I got four slots for ram sticks and i'm only using 2 right now.

Next, i'll be replacing my video card since it is only a 500mb video card
When it comes to video cards, as far as i know the slot is a pciex16...no 2.0 or 3.0. I got this motherboard 5 years ago so i don't think 2.0 existed yet back then...What happens if i put a 2.0 video card in that slot?

What's the best/cheapest deal i can get in terms up upgrading this so that i can play Crysis2 on high graphics settings? (Using Crysis2 for example because it uses the same graphics engine as MWO)

I have a 800 watt power supply.

CPU: I have a quad core proccessor with each core having a 2.0GHz clock speed. I hope that i don't have to upgrade the CPU but if i do, my motherboard's socket info is in the link to my motherboard if you have a better CPU to recomend for an upgrade.

Not sure what other info ya'all need so if you need to know more about my rig just ask.

ok lets start with the basics

you have 2 options IF the cpu installed in that board is a quad core cpu then while it is dated by current standards it likely would work for the time being.

your pci express x 16 slots are most likely version 1.0 compatable
from my reading on pci-express 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 are usually interchangable (the 2.0, and 3.0 cards are backward compatable) however the 2.1 cards are NOT backward compatable

with that in mind you have your options

option 1 minimal upgrade buy ram, graphics card, and new os "upgrade" using those parts and put a done stamp on it for now. (you may consider an ssd for the os but shrug)

option 2 extensive upgrade: if you do have the parts listed then new mb/proc ram, gpu, and possibly ssd

the minimal upgrade you could drop a $200+ video card into the unit pay for the os ~$100, and mabie $100 worth of ram plus ~100-200 for a ssd total cost no more than ~$4-600

extensive upgrade, and you are going to spend some more, because now you are buying a motherboard and processor in addition, but it should still fit into your budget unless you want to buy a new monitor as well

[SouL Winner]

just remembered that i can look up my EXACT specs to my cpu via my control panel. To further help ya'all help me, the exact specs to my current CPU is as follows:

I have an Intel® Core™2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz(since i got four cores my device manger says that four times in a row)

Thanks a lot for the help, guys. I was kind of hoping i could spend less than 1k to do what i want. I was originally going to spend like 3k building a new PC from scratch(that would include TV stand, materials to create a custom desk and 500 max for a 42inch TV) but my financial priorities changed since i'll be moving from Georgia to Indiana for Bible college near Chicago and gotta save whever i can.

Can't wait to see ya'all this summer. I just purchased a sweet surround sound gaming headset for MWO today at best buy. Just tested it on Skyrim and it works great. I'd recomend it for ya'all here's a link to the headset: http://www.logitech....d-sound-headset

Edited by SouL Winner, 13 May 2012 - 08:18 PM.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Q6600 is not a bad CPU.

I would drop in 8gb of Decent ram http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820220409
(It appears your board supports DDR3 1333mhz but is capped at only 4gb)


GPU http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161404

Which is just less than $500.

Past that i would look at a SSD such as http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820227791

To get a bit more OOMPH from your CPU, i would invest in a decent CPU cooler, the Q6600 is overclockable towards the 3ghz and in some lucky cases beyond region.

Edited by DV^McKenna, 13 May 2012 - 11:44 PM.