So I never mess around with PC games but I'm getting interested...

Calinks

Calinks

CAGiversary!
My computer is pretty weak. I bought it in 2007 and even back then it was pretty underpowered for games so I know by today's standards I'm screwed. I'm willing to put about $150 into it to upgrade so I can play some more games. Mainly, I want to play GTA IV.

Looking at these specs what do I need to upgrade and can I do it for $150 or less? I don't know how much I need to upgrade and depending on what it is, I will probably just say screw it lol. Thanks.


Dimension C521
General Windows Version Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Processor Model AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+

Hard Drive Drive Size Free Space Utilized C: 97.66 Gb 17.57 Gb
82 %


E: 97.66 Gb 14.22 Gb
85 %


H: 270.45 Gb 38.34 Gb
86 %


Video Adapters Model Memory NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE 256 Mb Memory Total 3072 Mb Available 56 %


Slot Size Speed Type Slot 1 1024 Mb 533 Mhz Unknown Slot 2 512 Mb 533 Mhz Unknown Slot 3 512 Mb 533 Mhz Unknown Slot 4 1024 Mb 533 Mhz Unknown Available Slots 0
 
Hate to break it to you, but you're better off just building a new PC. Everything you listed is below or barely meets requirements of newer games. That and your MoBo wouldn't be compatible with newer parts regardless. Just pocket the money for now and treat yourself to a nice PC when you can build up $4-500.
 
GTAIV? Good luck. That game is so poorly optimized for the PC. People with really high-end rigs can barely even play it.
 
Damn. So how much do you think it would cost me if I were to get a new PC? I don't need it to be the grand master of gaming PC's or anything but one that could run.. lets say 70-80 percent of games well? I will probably end up getting a new PC in 12-18 months.
 
[quote name='Calinks']Damn. So how much do you think it would cost me if I were to get a new PC? I don't need it to be the grand master of gaming PC's or anything but one that could run.. lets say 70-80 percent of games well? I will probably end up getting a new PC in 12-18 months.[/QUOTE]

You can build a relatively good gaming PC for $400-$500.
 
Thanks man, that sound encouraging, Even though I don't know the first thing about "building" a pc. Hopefully with enough help I will be able to pull it off. Alright well, that sounds like the future plan. Thanks again everyone.
 
[quote name='Calinks']Damn. So how much do you think it would cost me if I were to get a new PC? I don't need it to be the grand master of gaming PC's or anything but one that could run.. lets say 70-80 percent of games well? I will probably end up getting a new PC in 12-18 months.[/QUOTE]

Some of the ppl have already responded with an somewhat accurate price range of $400 to $500.

If you take advantage of closeout deals + rebates + reward programs - You can get a great rig for $200 to $400.
 
Building a PC can seem intimidating, but it's really easy. If you can follow instructions to put together some Legos, you can build a PC.
 
I used this article to help me build a budget gaming rig. It is a little dated, but still VERY imformative. Most of the parts are now even cheaper and other than the video card are still pretty relevent. I am still running the 5770 they used and it works great. I run BF:BC2 on max settings 1920x1080.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_build_awesome_pc_647

Check sites like Newegg.com and Tigerdirect.com for parts. Amazon is usually pretty competitive with prices too, ecspecially cases.

Watch for shell shocker deals on newegg, and rebates to save even more. It took me about a month to accumulate all my parts.

Hope this helps.
 
[quote name='Calinks']Thanks alot guys you have been very helpful. Way more than some other sites lol.[/QUOTE]

BTW - If you ever decide to go all out and spend top dollar on PC parts and such - Make sure you take a look at parts that have limited lifetime warranty. You can basically get that same part again down the road for free (pay for shipping usually but you can always haggle that) and/or upgrade to that companies latest tech at a small fee.
 
Haha these tips are awesome I'm tempted to start doing this now just becasue I don't want to lose this info lol. Thanks!
 
[quote name='Megazell']BTW - If you ever decide to go all out and spend top dollar on PC parts and such - Make sure you take a look at parts that have limited lifetime warranty. You can basically get that same part again down the road for free (pay for shipping usually but you can always haggle that) and/or upgrade to that companies latest tech at a small fee.[/QUOTE]
EVGA for nVidia cards if you go with them; best RMA in the business. I know ATI cards have a similar brand that is great for lifetime warranties, but I can't recall who it is (I want to say it's Sapphire or XFX).

I haven't been keeping up with who is on top $/FPS these days, but simply speaking from experience I'd recommend ATI right now. Maybe it was a string of bad luck, but like clockwork I'd have nVidia cards go bad after a year to a year and a half. Granted these were bleeding edge cards that ran hot, so it may not be an issue with mid-range models but the rate of failure is really unacceptable. It's also funny how ATI used to get dogged hard for shitty drivers, but oh how the tables have turned. Witcher 2 is a prime example from recent memory of how bad nVidia drivers have got.

This will certainly all be useless information by the time you're ready to buy, but it's food for thought from an experienced user.

EDIT: You should monitor articles like this when you're ready to buy.
 
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[quote name='Fonz72']I used this article to help me build a budget gaming rig. It is a little dated, but still VERY imformative. Most of the parts are now even cheaper and other than the video card are still pretty relevent. I am still running the 5770 they used and it works great. I run BF:BC2 on max settings 1920x1080.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_build_awesome_pc_647

Check sites like Newegg.com and Tigerdirect.com for parts. Amazon is usually pretty competitive with prices too, ecspecially cases.

Watch for shell shocker deals on newegg, and rebates to save even more. It took me about a month to accumulate all my parts.

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]
The current issue of Maximum PC has a Sandy Bridge build in it, I think it was around $660 or so.
 
[quote name='Jodou']EVGA for nVidia cards if you go with them; best RMA in the business. I know ATI cards have a similar brand that is great for lifetime warranties, but I can't recall who it is (I want to say it's Sapphire or XFX).[/QUOTE]

I've used many brands of ATI cards. I'd say HIS and XFX have the best warranties/customer support of the bunch. My old HIS 4870 somehow got kind of mangled at a LAN, and they replaced it no questions asked. I was pretty shocked to say the least.
 
[quote name='SEH']I've used many brands of ATI cards. I'd say HIS and XFX have the best warranties/customer support of the bunch. My old HIS 4870 somehow got kind of mangled at a LAN, and they replaced it no questions asked. I was pretty shocked to say the least.[/QUOTE]

Agreed.
 
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