Topic: Which computer is better (URGENT) (Read 15149 times)

Casey13 · « **on:** December 22, 2010, 05:03:43 »

Ok, so I am basically now asking something different. I need a graphics card and a new processor. Can anyone give cheap solutions that are slightly above the minimal requirements?

vin_sun · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2010, 06:10:57 »

Hi Casey,

Sorry, the news is not good!

Both your laptop and desktop are way below the System Requirements of SSE. In both cases the processor clock speeds, RAM and video RAM are not at all suitable for running SSE.

See the attached files for SSE system requirement details. I have also highlighted the drawbacks in your Dxdiags.

Regards
vin_sun

Casey13 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2010, 07:10:47 »

Quote from: vin_sun on December 22, 2010, 06:10:57

Hi Casey,

Sorry, the news is not good!

Both your laptop and desktop are way below the System Requirements of SSE. In both cases the processor clock speeds, RAM and video RAM are not at all suitable for running SSE.

See the attached files for SSE system requirement details. I have also highlighted the drawbacks in your Dxdiags.

Regards
vin_sun

I forgot to say, I am going to clear up very large amounts of space on the desktop, I have deemed the laptop 100% unsupportable.

vin_sun · « **Reply #3 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:08:47 »

Hi again Casey,

Clearing up space on your desktop / hard disk is not going to help.

Your machine does not qualify for SSE since:-

(A) Your processor's clock speed is only 2.0 Ghz. You need 3.0 Ghz
(B) You have only 960 MB RAM. SSE requires 2048 MB of RAM
(C) Further you need a dedicated graphics card. Your machine seems to have an integrated one (embedded in
the motherboard). Added to that the video RAM is only 64 MB. SSE requires a minimum of 256 MB.

I understand your eagerness to get involved with SSE. It would hurt a lot more to own the DVD and not be able to use it effectively.

Bottom line ...... you need a new computer or get a hardware pro to figure if he can upgrade your present one. Think it over.

Regards
vin_sun

nathan.rail · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2010, 15:37:31 »

Sorry to say it man, but anythink can work in that thinks

You will need to buy a new computer or a new graphic, RAM, processor and HD (a new computer

)

If you want somethink very cheap, I have a suggestion:

Graphics NVIDIA 9500 GT
RAM: 3GB
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0Ghz

Casey13 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2010, 00:06:13 »

Quote from: nathan.rail on December 22, 2010, 15:37:31

Sorry to say it man, but anythink can work in that thinks

You will need to buy a new computer or a new graphic, RAM, processor and HD (a new computer )

If you want somethink very cheap, I have a suggestion:

Graphics NVIDIA 9500 GT
RAM: 3GB
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0Ghz

So technically I could use a 4GB flash drive as RAM?

TNeves · « **Reply #6 on:** December 23, 2010, 02:18:28 »

Quote from: Casey13 on December 23, 2010, 00:06:13

So technically I could use a 4GB flash drive as RAM?

Yes, if you use ReadyBoost option in Vista or Windows 7. However, I must say that it won't help that much...

michabned · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:24:24 »

Quote from: nathan.rail on December 22, 2010, 15:37:31

Graphics NVIDIA 9500 GT

That is still under the specs. Although it will run, the performance won't be very high.

Casey13 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 24, 2010, 05:49:37 »

Quote from: michabned on December 23, 2010, 11:24:24

That is still under the specs. Although it will run, the performance won't be very high.

I only put graphic settings on high when I am shooting video on Fraps or taking screenshots to post online.

SeaDogBob · « **Reply #9 on:** December 28, 2010, 05:47:20 »

What about a Core i3 540 @ 3.07 GHz, 8GB RAM, Win 7 Ult 64bit, ATI Radeon HD 5400 (1GB Video RAM) HDMI out to 28" monitor (1920x1200)?

Seems to be a tiny bit sluggish and a tiny bit choppy to me although acceptable. The audio breaks up just a tiny bit. Seems that this should be smoother than it is. It's also very slow to load up and very slow to respond to mouse activity when selecting parameters. I'm not seeing any high CPU usage, its very low so the issue must be graphics. Would overclocking the CPU help? Would a higher performance graphics card help?

I only paid $20 US for it so its not a big loss if I can't make this run better.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

vin_sun · « **Reply #10 on:** December 28, 2010, 06:34:20 »

Hi SeaDogBob,

Is this a branded desktop PC ?

The specs are well above the minimum System Requirements of SSE. It should suit you fine. If you feel that graphics is an issue you can consider the ATI HD 5750 and above. I figured from the AMD website that the HD 5400 is a series and the only gfx card in that series is the HD 5450. Most branded PCs do not give you a high end gfx card. Even then it surpasses SSE's HD 4850 requirement. I also read a comment on the AMD Forum that the HD 5400 is not really meant for gaming (

?)

I have an HD 5670 with a 22" LCD monitor, a mid range 3.1 Ghz processor and 4 GB RAM. I use the DVI port with an adapter connected to the VGA port of the monitor and I am quite pleased even with the 20 fps I get. Well, of course if you are into heavy gaming things could be different.

Regards
vin_sun

DVOMarineDesign · « **Reply #11 on:** December 28, 2010, 08:31:18 »

Quote from: vin_sun on December 28, 2010, 06:34:20

Hi SeaDogBob,

...I figured from the AMD website that the HD 5400 is a series and the only gfx card in that series is the HD 5450. Most branded PCs do not give you a high end gfx card. Even then it surpasses SSE's HD 4850 requirement. I also read a comment on the AMD Forum that the HD 5400 is not really meant for gaming (?)

An ATI 5450 is clearly below an ATI 4850 in term of performances (don't be fooled by the numbers). Exactly like for instance a Nvidia 330 is way below a 285 for instance. So your graphic card is under VSTEP requirements (4850).
Another important thing to consider when posting specs of a computer is the ram quantity, many persons forget about that important factor.

DVOMarineDesign (Dom).

vin_sun · « **Reply #12 on:** December 28, 2010, 09:52:01 »

Quote from: DVOMarineDesign on December 28, 2010, 08:31:18

An ATI 5450 is clearly below an ATI 4850 in term of performances (don't be fooled by the numbers).
DVOMarineDesign (Dom).

Thanks .... that is indeed good advice. One is always under the impression that as the "numbers" increase it supersedes the ones with lower numbers.

Regards
vin_sun

vin_sun · « **Reply #13 on:** December 28, 2010, 10:23:41 »

This is just to highlight what Dom said about card numbers

vin_sun · « **Reply #14 on:** December 28, 2010, 11:03:55 »

What the numbers on the ATI Radeon graphic cards mean.

Regards
vin_sun

SeaDogBob · « **Reply #15 on:** December 28, 2010, 22:28:43 »

Quote from: vin_sun on December 28, 2010, 10:23:41

This is just to highlight what Dom said about card numbers

Great!, thanks for all the info.

No, its not a branded PC. No big deal for me to upgrade the video.

Followup:
I replaceed the Hd 5450 with a HD 5770. Wow.... what a difference in performance. Absolutely no sluggishness now and no issues with choppy audio.

Casey13 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 01, 2011, 02:01:44 »

So, what exactly would everyone suggest?

vin_sun · « **Reply #17 on:** January 01, 2011, 06:19:47 »

Quote from: Casey13 on January 01, 2011, 02:01:44

So, what exactly would everyone suggest?

Hi Casey,

So ..... do you want to get a new desktop or upgrade your present one

Here is a basic suggestion:-

Processor - AMD
Motherboard - Gigabyte / Asus
RAM - Kingston
Graphics card - ATI Radeon
Power supply - 500W Coolermaster
Casing - Coolermaster
DVD RW drive - Sony / LG

Just depends on your budget. Will give more details based on your reply.

Regards
vin_sun

Casey13 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:00:54 »

Quote from: vin_sun on January 01, 2011, 06:19:47

Hi Casey,

So ..... do you want to get a new desktop or upgrade your present one

Upgrade present one because it will cost less.

Quote from: vin_sun on January 01, 2011, 06:19:47

Just depends on your budget. Will give more details based on your reply.

My budget is $237 for a processor, $309 for a graphics card, and since I have no idea how much RAM costs, I will say $120.

vin_sun · « **Reply #19 on:** January 01, 2011, 14:59:47 »

Hi Casey,

I will work on your $666/- budget and get back to you.

Regards
vin_sun

vin_sun · « **Reply #20 on:** January 01, 2011, 18:04:25 »

Hi Casey,

Firstly, A Very Happy New Year

The good news is that your budget of $666 is good enough for a new computer, but without a new monitor. You can also squeeze in Windows 7 Home Premium. Please bear in mind that Windows XP is on its way out and soon Microsoft will stop supporting it. I have stayed very close to the minimum requirements of SSE and kept in mind the processor clock speed of 3.0 Gz and the recommended graphics card.

To summarize your rig will be more of an entry level gaming PC. I will give all the details later if you approve this configuration.

Processor: AMD Phenom II Dual Core 3.2 Ghz $ 92
Motherboard: Asus $ 85
RAM: Crucial 2 x 2GB (4 GB) DDR3 1600 $ 76
Graphics card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850, 1GB, GDDR3 $ 100
Hard disk: Western Digital 500 GB $ 50
Power supply: Coolermaster 500W $ 40
Casing: Coolermaster $ 60
Windows: Home Premium 7 $ 100

Total: $ 603

You still have $63 left. If you can increase your budget to $ 700, I can recommend a more superior motherboard and a newer graphics card.

Regards
vin_sun

Casey13 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 02, 2011, 02:11:29 »

Quote

Firstly, A Very Happy New Year

Thank you!

Quote

The good news is that your budget of $666 is good enough for a new computer

I had no idea that it totaled $666, how funny. But that is good news.

Quote

Processor: AMD Phenom II Dual Core 3.2 Ghz $ 92

They (Vstep) have raised the required processor speed before, do you think they will again?

Motherboard: Asus $ 85
RAM: Crucial 2 x 2GB (4 GB) DDR3 1600 $ 76
Graphics card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850, 1GB, GDDR3 $ 100
Hard disk: Western Digital 500 GB $ 50
Power supply: Coolermaster 500W $ 40
Casing: Coolermaster $ 60
Windows: Home Premium 7 $ 100

Total: $ 603

You still have $63 left. If you can increase your budget to $ 700, I can recommend a more superior motherboard and a newer graphics card.

FANTASTIC!!! I can increase to $700, but no more.

Capt. Matt · « **Reply #22 on:** January 02, 2011, 02:34:16 »

HI Casey!
If you can build computers what Vin_Sun is suggesting is great, I personally like Intel Chips more, they are faster...last longer, and just better in my opinion. But quality comes with a price...graphics wise I like ATI. I run an ATI 5750 and Love it (see my DxDiag attached) On my lower spec machine I have:
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.8GHz
7GB 833MHz RAM
ATI 4670 1GB
And it ran SSE with 20 FPS Cost me 60 dollars, I supplied the hard drive and OS and had a shop build it.

My new machine I built, see Dxdiag.

vin_sun · « **Reply #23 on:** January 02, 2011, 06:41:23 »

Quote from: Casey13 on January 02, 2011, 02:11:29

FANTASTIC!!! I can increase to $700, but no more.

Hi Casey,

Will work on it again. Please give me some time. Will give you the option of an Intel rig too.

Capt. Matt is good with computers and what he has to say about Intel is very true.

Regards
vin_sun

vin_sun · « **Reply #24 on:** January 02, 2011, 15:27:27 »

Hi Casey,

I have managed to give you an AMD config and an Intel config based on your budget of $700.

I have to mention that I am no computer pro and my knowledge is more based on from what I read on the Net. I would urge you to please consult any computer expert you may know to audit my suggestions for any change that he make think is worthwhile.

All prices quoted are from the www.newegg.com website. I am not aware if these prices also include relevant taxes so please clarify this. You may use the prices to compare what is being quoted in physical stores like CompUSA, Best Buy, etc. You can also visit their respective websites and choose what suits you especially for the case to suit the storage position at home.

As for the advantages / disadvantages of AMD and Intel there some points to be noted. AMD's processors are cheaper than Intel's but it is said they they tend to heat up more. AMD processors are backward compatible, meaning that normally when AMD releases a new processor it can be fitted into the slot of your existing motherboard, which simply means that you need not change your motherboard. Intel however does not support this as when a new processor is released, you will have to change the motherboard too and maybe even the RAM. A new motherboard also poses another disadvantage as the Windows OS sees it as a brand new computer and online activation through Microsoft will not be successful. This has been made very clear in the Microsoft website. That means you will have to buy a fresh copy of Windows and kiss you existing one goodbye !!

I have kept the System Requirements of SSE in mind and you can be rest assured that both the configs will be suitable. You will observe that it is coincidental that your budget was just right !! You may have to invest in an anti virus software though, additionally.

Please review the attached Excel files and feel free to ask me for any clarifications.

Capt. Matt, you are most welcome to offer any suggestions / comments that may help Casey.

Regards
vin_sun

Author Topic: Which computer is better (URGENT) (Read 15149 times)