Video card or RAM need upgrading?

[N-Gen]

Agreed. I had a $3200 US Dollars budget wasted to get the thing on my specs cos I don't have enough space =[

 

[panchoman]

Agreed. I had a $3200 US Dollars budget wasted to get the thing on my specs cos I don't have enough space =[

you payed 3.2k for that?!?!?!?!?!?! you could build such a sick system with that much chas..

 

[N-Gen]

I know I just realised that when I got the system being built. I get roughly $3k at my summer job and probably ..not next year that would be to short so next year I'm upgrading the notebook. But in 2 years I'll be building up a SICK $3k rig and SICK for 2009 is something lol.

 

[panchoman]

lol with 3k you can really go crazy when it comes to building desktops.

 

[N-Gen]

now lets not go off topic here let's leave space to this guy we can speak about my stuff on another topic bro lol

 

[Pinchy]

Guys....Aussie prices are not like American prices. We have to pay around $350 for a Quad .

Also, just because he "says" his budget is $1000-1300, it doesnt meant you HAVE to use it. As he said, he is just finishing high school; im in the same situation and can understand how much each dollar means .


Instead of trying to max out his budget, build a computer that caters for his needs, being futureproof at the same time.

What I recommend:

ASUS P5K - $143 - http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004864
2GB Generic DDR2 RAM - $60 - http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00004408
e2180 - $105 - http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00005050
X1950 PRO 256mb w/ AC - $190 (posted) - http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/pr...d=368&osCsid=995a6082317fb167ab208b76cb2ad969
160GB SATA Drive - $66 - http://www.itestate.com.au/products_detail.asp?code=PD00003493
SATA DVD drive - ~$55
Case and PSU - Personal preference, id say around $150.

Total: $770, and thats a damn sweet rig to play Warcraft on.

Prime95 test: found error in a matter of minutes.
FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4
Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file.

Sounds like a CPU problem then. Its probably overheating, or your power supply isn't delivering enough power to it. I'd still stick to overheating though.

 

[Widjaja]

It's me had an error in Prime95.
Looks like the CPU maybe the issue for BSOD.

Well, look like you will still hve to upgrade a fair bit to get your rig running nicely for todays games.

Here's some options with no future proofing but you won;t have to upgrade all your system.
3.0 P4 HT or higher 478skt
2GB DDR400
7600GT or higher nvidia card.
Reason why I haven't spoken about ATi is the fact you may have to get a new PSU.
I'm using a X1950pro at the moment but my PSU is more than enough for it.

If you want a future proofed rig I'd say go with TK's option.

But if your'e wanting a nVidia card instead, go with a higher 7 series.

 

[Pinchy]

It's me had an error in Prime95.
Looks like the CPU maybe the issue for BSOD.

Well, look like you will still hve to upgrade a fair bit to get your rig running nicely for todays games.

Here's some options with no future proofing but you won;t have to upgrade all your system.
3.0 P4 HT or higher 478skt
2GB DDR400
7600GT or higher nvidia card.
Reason why I haven't spoken about ATi is the fact you may have to get a new PSU.
I'm using a X1950pro at the moment but my PSU is more than enough for it.

If you want a future proofed rig I'd say go with TK's option.

But if your'e wanting a nVidia card instead, go with a higher 7 series.

It's not worth it. For example, new DDR 400mhz RAM is like $150, DDR2 800mhz is $60.
AGP graphics are around $50 more than PCIe
And a USED P4 on eBay (can't get em at shops) is around $150...

 

[N-Gen]

As soon as I checked this: ASUS P5K - $143 - I could add he can with the lower-end system than the one panchoman made and he could be up with upgrades later seeing the mobo supports loads of stuff. It's up to him now to decide if he want to save for maybe some other thing he might want to get. PCs aren't everything in life.

 

[panchoman]

well basically, i made him a quick wishlist, not much thought went into it, just quickly whipped up a mid range grafix system and kept in the budget, and then you guys have made a few good suggestions, lets see what he says and then we can go from there.

 

[ex_reven]

Quad core = pointless

Dual core ftw

$1100 US is not in budget over here.
You cant just convert the US$ to AUD$ because the parts cost different amounts here.

 

[Pinchy]

Quad core = pointless

Dual core ftw

$1100 US is not in budget over here.
You cant just convert the US$ to AUD$ because the parts cost different amounts here.

Agreed....what good is a quad gonna do in a game like counter strike or warcraft?

 

[N-Gen]

I run a C2D and find it pretty good. Before the notebook went for repair I could play Lost Planet @ everything max 1440x900 and got 35fps static. And lost planet is different...

 

[panchoman]

okay, didn't know that it was australian moneyk, well then idk any australlian sites, etc.

 

[ex_reven]

I run a C2D and find it pretty good. Before the notebook went for repair I could play Lost Planet @ everything max 1440x900 and got 35fps static. And lost planet is different...

That was random.

Are you in the right thread?

 

[panchoman]

That was random.

Are you in the right thread?

think that might've been for the teen thread.

 

[N-Gen]

No it was meant for here...I mean I don't run top of the list multi-processing anywho whatsit stuff and get that. So lets look not to overdo things like our friend said before especially because of the price difference. I know cos it's pretty effed here with prices too.

 

[ex_reven]

right.

Well I think Pinchy's build is the most suitable.
It has decent performance per the dollar, and it will play his current (and newer) games without issue. A quad core is unnecessary because I really dont think games even make use of it yet. Even Crysis performs better on a decently clocked dual core compared to a more expensive quad.

 

[N-Gen]

I think with 4 cores it would be splitting up too much work making access worse. Though I might be wrong too.

 

[ex_reven]

I think with 4 cores it would be splitting up too much work making access worse. Though I might be wrong too.

No. The problem is that the games he is playing are old. So they probably dont make use of quad cores. Meaning that the game will only use one core of the cpu (or two cores if it is threaded to run on a dual core, which some of his games might be).

Assuming you get him a Q6600 with stock speed of 2.4ghz, in an old game only designed to use dual core he is using 2 (out of 4 cores) to run the game, with 600mhz per core.
If he had a dual core, at least he is using the cpu to its full potential.
Eg e2180 giving the user 1000mhz per core (and thats a pretty cheap, low end dual core).

The CPU used by the OS is negligible (~5% utilisation at any one time).

 

[Widjaja]

It's not worth it. For example, new DDR 400mhz RAM is like $150, DDR2 800mhz is $60.
AGP graphics are around $50 more than PCIe
And a USED P4 on eBay (can't get em at shops) is around $150...

Yes it is cheaper to go for a new mobo, CPU, RAM, GPU and possibly PSU in the long run.

I'm not wanting to force any opinions on him, just give him some options.
One with future proofing and one without which both are under the $1000 he is willing to spend.

 

[keakar]

No. The problem is that the games he is playing are old. So they probably dont make use of quad cores. Meaning that the game will only use one core of the cpu (or two cores if it is threaded to run on a dual core, which some of his games might be).

Assuming you get him a Q6600 with stock speed of 2.4ghz, in an old game only designed to use dual core he is using 2 (out of 4 cores) to run the game, with 600mhz per core.
If he had a dual core, at least he is using the cpu to its full potential.
Eg e2180 giving the user 1000mhz per core (and thats a pretty cheap, low end dual core).

The CPU used by the OS is negligible (~5% utilisation at any one time).

i agree with what you are saying here BUT.....

what about any new games coming out he might want to play? the next game might "need" that quad?

games and applications being produced now and in the future will be designed for use with the quad cores. they may not be making full use of it today but next month or 3 months from now they probably will. if he doesnt get the quad he may have a brand new computer that is limited playing the next new game because he chose not to get the quad core and all he saved was $50. its just my opinion that its a no-brainer that its better to spend that $50 now on the quad and not roll the dice hoping they dont make games designed to use quad core capabilities. this is the reason so many posters say use a quad core in any new build, its not just for future proofing for gaming but also because it makes a better value choice for your money. its too cheap not to choose the quad.

 

[ex_reven]

i agree with what you are saying here BUT.....

what about any new games coming out he might want to play? the next game might "need" that quad?

games and applications being produced now and in the future will be designed for use with the quad cores. they may not be making full use of it today but next month or 3 months from now they probably will. if he doesnt get the quad he may have a brand new computer that is limited playing the next new game because he chose not to get the quad core and all he saved was $50. its just my opinion that its a no-brainer that its better to spend that $50 now on the quad and not roll the dice hoping they dont make games designed to use quad core capabilities. this is the reason so many posters say use a quad core in any new build, its not just for future proofing for gaming but also because it makes a better value choice for your money. its too cheap not to choose the quad.

$50 saving
Cheapest C2Q (Q6600) in Australia = $310
vs
Cheapest C2D (e2140) in Australia = $75
Or for more dual core punch (e6300) = $143

In any case, thats nowhere near a $50 bracket.
Its at the very least another $160 more for a quad.
And to get the quad up to a decent speed youd need to get a decent board to overclock it with anyway, which costs more money. Quad core is by no means a cheap venture.

 

[itsmeitsme]

damn, there is a huge selection and i don't know what to choose. As for my current one, i want to know what is the exact solution to fixing it. I ran that test - Prime95, and found results say 'hardware failure'. Is it overheating, hmm?? A thing to consider is that, ventilation in my room isn't very good. It heats up pretty quick, average temperature of 25degrees in room. So, i guess i need some fans or a cooler.
As for new computer, i'm not going to go extreme gaming. I would like it to run perfectly for the games i suggested - conqueronline, warcraft, counterstrike and alike. But, if there are parts out there that are cheap for its quality, i am happy to take it. Also, as i said, i am only a tight budget. I don't think i want to go over $1300 for all the parts, preferably as low as i can go, provided that the idea of 'gaming experience' is decent - without BSODs and crashes. Thanks all.

 

[Pinchy]

damn, there is a huge selection and i don't know what to choose. As for my current one, i want to know what is the exact solution to fixing it. I ran that test - Prime95, and found results say 'hardware failure'. Is it overheating, hmm?? A thing to consider is that, ventilation in my room isn't very good. It heats up pretty quick, average temperature of 25degrees in room. So, i guess i need some fans or a cooler.
As for new computer, i'm not going to go extreme gaming. I would like it to run perfectly for the games i suggested - conqueronline, warcraft, counterstrike and alike. But, if there are parts out there that are cheap for its quality, i am happy to take it. Also, as i said, i am only a tight budget. I don't think i want to go over $1300 for all the parts, preferably as low as i can go, provided that the idea of 'gaming experience' is decent - without BSODs and crashes. Thanks all.

If Prime95 crashes and memtest doesnt, your CPU is your problem. Can you get a temp monitoring program (such as everest) and see what temps its running at? Also, how many fans you you currently have in your computer?

i agree with what you are saying here BUT.....

what about any new games coming out he might want to play? the next game might "need" that quad?

budget: preferably around $1000-$1300
Uses: games like counterstrike, conqueronline, warcraft... (this is the about as far as i go), nothing like doom which requires high graphics.

....lol . The comp I built WOULD run the "high graphics games" (such as Doom3) maxed out for $700, let alone counterstrike, conqueronline, warcraft...