Where to start... Okay, first of all, don't spend more than about $100 for a vid card unless you have lots of money to blow. You'll get much more out of your computer by buying a $100 card every two or three years than buying a $400 card and hoping it will last (it won't). Besides, a sweet vidcard is no good if you don't have a good enough AGP slot! (8x for new models, 4x for $100 models) (check your mobo's specs). Sure, you won't be able to run HL2 at 1600x1200x32 at max settings, but so what? 1024x768x32 with stuff cranked up is mighty fine too. Even 800x600 isn't so bad, as it's better than anything a regular TV can show.
Do your shopping online. Pricewatch, or any other place that quotes from manufacturers and OEM dealers is good. Pricewatch has never failed me before.
Get at least 512 MB of ram. DDR ram is a good investment, but pretty much any ram that your motherboard will actually support (check the manual or specs) and isn't massively more expensive than other types will probably be fine.
The biggest speed bottleneck is HD speed. Make sure you get a good one. 7200 RPM and no less. Getting much more speed than that requires either mode 0 raid or extra expensive hardware, both of which you probably don't want to get into.
You probably don't want to mess with your power supply. It's usually more painful than it's worth. Only consider it if your current supply is really cruddy or broken. And watts aren't a measure of <i>speed</i> but rather a measure of how much power your computer can consume at once. If you don't do goofy things like run 3 cd-roms, 8 HD's, your vidcard, and a microwave plugged into your computer all at once, you should be fine. While you are just playing vidgames, the only things that will be running off your power are your proc, vidcard, ram, and a HD. Of those, the proc will probably be about 60W or so and the vidcard will be most of the rest.
The 9800's <b>MINIMUM</b> requirements are 350W. No offense, but I'd take their word over yours about what is required. Yes I realize its not a speed its how many watts you can handle and the card specifically asks for atleast 350 watts.
<!--QuoteBegin--Thansal+Dec 20 2003, 01:53 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Thansal @ Dec 20 2003, 01:53 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Remember Dark
suposedly HL2 will RUN on anysystem, sometihng about auto scalining alot of stuff so that any system CAN run it, its just not gona be nearly as nifty <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I would suggest NOT getting new RAM for that mobo (seeing how as it probably can't take DDR ram if it dosn't even have an AGP slot)
My suggestion would be to get a mobo bundel form an online retailer.
You get Mobo, Ram, and a new proceser for a nice discount <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
$213.72 for a new Mobo, an AMD XP 2400, and 512 of Kingston DDR 266 (tack on $9 if you want them to put it to gether for you <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
so, yah kinda worth it in my opinion (also that mobo should last you for a while)
Or if you got alot of $$ $715.97 gets you: New MoBo (good one) AMD Athalon64 3200, and 1gig of kingston DDR 400
hehe, I would suggest not going top of the line, but thats just me <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Well, acctually, believe it or not my mobo <i>does</i> support DDR RAM. I've checked out what my current RAM is and sure enough it was a 256MB stick of DDR RAM so I guess the mobo isn't a complete P.O.S. The reason it doesn't have an AGP slot is proabably because I have that damn AGP "card" integrated into the mobo so there was no need for a slot.
Another question, I've already asked this in another thread but is it worth it to ditch my Intel Extreme Graphics (AGP) and get a (PCI) GeForce FX5200? I would rather get a Radeon card but I think the last PCI card they made was a 7500 so that's a no go.
Thanks for the advice, I might just save up some money and buy a new mobo with all of the extra goodies. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
get an Nforce2 with built in GF4 MX. Its a whole lot better your intel integrated graphics and will allow you quite a bit of upgrading flexability. Low end athlons are much cheaper than low end P4s.
What I'd say is, don't go for a PCI video card, get a new 70 dollar mobo that has an AGP slot, then get a real graphics card, you will thank yourself later. And maybe while you'ar at it buy yourself a nice case <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->. I'd say get a new case if you are going to replace the mobo just because it will make it less work. You just hook you new mobo into the new case, then transfer parts from your old case one at a time, into your new case , and hook them up the same way. That's what I did, and it only took around an hour and a half. But seriously, instead of blowing money on a PCI Graphics card, just cough up the extra 70$ and get a new mobo and an AGP card. Seriously you will thank yourself when you want to buy that next gen card in a year or so.
Ok, looks like I'll try that when I get the money. I'm already running this thing on a good case though so I'm not expecting to get another one. Thanks for the help.
Comments
Input Rating (Just Copying What it said) 100V - 127V 6A 200V-240V 3A 50/60Hz
Does a PSU have some compatibility you have to look out for or can you just buy any old one and plug it up?
Do your shopping online. Pricewatch, or any other place that quotes from manufacturers and OEM dealers is good. Pricewatch has never failed me before.
Get at least 512 MB of ram. DDR ram is a good investment, but pretty much any ram that your motherboard will actually support (check the manual or specs) and isn't massively more expensive than other types will probably be fine.
The biggest speed bottleneck is HD speed. Make sure you get a good one. 7200 RPM and no less. Getting much more speed than that requires either mode 0 raid or extra expensive hardware, both of which you probably don't want to get into.
You probably don't want to mess with your power supply. It's usually more painful than it's worth. Only consider it if your current supply is really cruddy or broken. And watts aren't a measure of <i>speed</i> but rather a measure of how much power your computer can consume at once. If you don't do goofy things like run 3 cd-roms, 8 HD's, your vidcard, and a microwave plugged into your computer all at once, you should be fine. While you are just playing vidgames, the only things that will be running off your power are your proc, vidcard, ram, and a HD. Of those, the proc will probably be about 60W or so and the vidcard will be most of the rest.
And 8x AGP is only marginally better.
suposedly HL2 will RUN on anysystem, sometihng about auto scalining alot of stuff so that any system CAN run it, its just not gona be nearly as nifty <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I would suggest NOT getting new RAM for that mobo (seeing how as it probably can't take DDR ram if it dosn't even have an AGP slot)
My suggestion would be to get a mobo bundel form an online retailer.
You get Mobo, Ram, and a new proceser for a nice discount <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
$213.72 for a new Mobo, an AMD XP 2400, and 512 of Kingston DDR 266 (tack on $9 if you want them to put it to gether for you <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
so, yah kinda worth it in my opinion (also that mobo should last you for a while)
Or if you got alot of $$
$715.97 gets you:
New MoBo (good one) AMD Athalon64 3200, and 1gig of kingston DDR 400
hehe, I would suggest not going top of the line, but thats just me <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, acctually, believe it or not my mobo <i>does</i> support DDR RAM. I've checked out what my current RAM is and sure enough it was a 256MB stick of DDR RAM so I guess the mobo isn't a complete P.O.S. The reason it doesn't have an AGP slot is proabably because I have that damn AGP "card" integrated into the mobo so there was no need for a slot.
Another question, I've already asked this in another thread but is it worth it to ditch my Intel Extreme Graphics (AGP) and get a (PCI) GeForce FX5200? I would rather get a Radeon card but I think the last PCI card they made was a 7500 so that's a no go.
Thanks for the advice, I might just save up some money and buy a new mobo with all of the extra goodies. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->