# Upgrading entire thing



## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Hello

My AGP system is becoming rather out dated and athlon 3200+ just dont cut it anymore these days, everything wants you to have SSE2 and all that crap, and it sucks cause not long ago i purchased an expensive AGP card (sapphire HD 3850 512mb) and now i have to upgrade to play....Its really quite dissapointing because even as old as this system is, it can handle just about every non SSE2 game out there on maxed or near maxed settings and maintain a steady 40-50 FPS.

I contemplated for a while whether to build a new pc from scratch, or to just buy one pre made to play games. I was going to ask you people what you think i should do.

Please keep in mind that i ONLY want enough to play GTA 4 on maxed or near maxed settings. The spending limit here is $600.00. Speakers, keyboars, monitor, and mouse, i already have. If you guys could please give me some guidance as to what i should buy, i would be very grateful. I dont have access to ordering items online, so its walk in shopping only. Local stores are places like, micro center, walmart, best buy.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

What case do you currently have? And do you want to use that case or keep the current system intact?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

There is a big price premium by not being able to buy online.
Your also going to have to add a OS to this. and drives if you want to keep the current system intact.
Link........................................................................................	Discp.	Cost	Rebate
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307130 GA-MA780G-UD3H $109.99	
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304214 Phenom II 920	$189.99	
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0276536 4Gig DDR2 800	$47.99	
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0273361 650TX	$137.99	
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0305844 HD4850	$114.99	




$600.95


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

wrench97 said:


> There is a big price premium by not being able to buy online.
> Your also going to have to add a OS to this. and drives if you want to keep the current system intact.
> Link........................................................................................	Discp.	Cost	Rebate
> http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307130 GA-MA780G-UD3H $109.99
> ...




Man i cant thank you enough, luckily all of these parts listed are in stock at my local Micro Center. I dont know if you even realize how much time you have just saved me. And yes i am keeping my HDD and case for the time being, and rom drive. I am using the case that came with this PC when i bought it, before i put any upgrades in it. It is a Compaq Presario. Do you know if these items will fit properly inside this case?

Also, i have two copys of windows XP (Pro and Home), and a copy of Vista on disc's.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

As long as it takes a full ATX board and not Mirco only boards it will fit.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Yeah, i think it will be alright, the mobo inside now, takes up nearly the whole back side. Its named as Asus Kelut 2.2 or something. Cant wait to get these items, i just have to buy them one by one. I will start with the motherboard, processor and memory so that i can atleast be able to use those parts while i wait to get a video card.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Sounds like a plan.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Oh one more question. What about my sound card? Are sound cards universal to motherboards, or will i have to buy a new one. Im using the Realtek AC97 6 channel


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

The motherboard that wrench linked has onboard sound. Uses the Realtek ALC889A chipset. If you are using an add in soundcard in a pci slot, you can install that on the new motherboard if you like. Onboard is generally fine though.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

I dont mind, as long as i can use my x-530's with it, and EAX


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ok budget went up, its now around $800.00 what do you think of these parts? 


CASE
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0305944

VIDEO
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0299844


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Looks good but you'll need to bump the power supply up the 750TX with the HD4570>
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0273362


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Yeah see now im in kind of a predicament. i also need to buy a new hard drive and cd rom, i forgot that i was giving my old PC to my mother, doh!

Right now with all the parts i need im lookin at around $820.00 or so, but its not including the HD and CDROM. Now that leads me to this, about my video card. Is there any card cheaper than the 4870 with 1GB of video memory that wouldnt have any problems playing GTA 4? I wanna just try to keep it as close to 800 as possible but still have great performance in GTA 4 and far cry 2, the main games i bought, that i cannot even play yet lol.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0306914

Although 1Gig is more marketing then extra performance.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Really? I thought that you needed 1Gb of video memory just to be able to select high textures on GTA 4.


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## chowder_pants (Dec 3, 2008)

Minimum system requirements:
Operating System: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 OR Windows XP Service Pack 3
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz
Memory/RAM: 1.5GB for Vista, 1GB for XP
16GB Free Hard Disk Space
*Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA 7900 or 256MB ATI X1900*

Recommended system requirements:
Operating System: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 OR Windows XP Service Pack 3
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz, AMD Phenom X3 2.1GHz
Memory/RAM: 2.5GB for Vista, 2.5GB for XP
18 GB Free Hard Disk Space
*Video Card: 512MB NVIDIA 8600 or 512MB ATI 3870*

that card that wrench suggested will be fine


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

I haven't heard that, the Video requirements are not all that steep for the recommended hardware.
Graphics Hardware 
Minimum 256 MB Nvidia 7900 / 256 MB ATI X1900 
Recommended 512 MB Nvidia 8600 / 512 MB ATI 3870


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

ok, so does that mean the first card you listed, the 4870 is way more than enough, and probably even overkill for what i would need for GTA 4? Cause if it is im just gonna get that since its cheaper, i just wanna make sure i have no problems playing the game and that it will look great and run smooth while im playing.

this is all gonna be put together on the 28th


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The first card I listed is a HD4850 not a 4870, it does not need as large a power supply and will play the game nicely the 4870 is a more powerful card but the advantage would not be clear until you hooked it up to a monitor over 26".


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

yeah i only use a 19 wide screen.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Oh and one more question. The system im running now, i installed a sapphire HD 3850 512 AGP, but it had two power connectors. At first i was like hmm, guess ill have to buy some extender cables, but i was able to plug ONE of pins in, and my gaming has been pretty decent but im a little worried because my PSu is only a like 250 watt or something, way below the minimum video card requirements, and theres still one connector that isnt powered on the video card. Am i running the risk of damaging this PC?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

AGP cards are less power hungry then PCIe but 250 is a too small, running the PSU maxed out can cause it fail and take out other components, also the card will not be performing as well as it can.


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Alright cool, well i believe i have all the info i can come to think of as of now. I go to get the parts on the 28th and to be honest, i am so excited, yet kind of scared, because even though i have fiddled with the insides of PC's a pretty good bit, it still leaves me kinda scared that i might mess something up....


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Just take your time and read the manual for the board and case you'll do fine,
I set them up on the bench first and get them to post then install in the case.
http://www.techsupportforum.com/f255/how-to-bench-test-your-system-171424.html


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

I just got done readin that. Looks simple enough, sounds like everything just snaps into place lol.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

That it does, Legos for big kids


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Haha yeah, i always looked at my computer like a car enthusiast looks at his car, you gotta clean them, maintenance, upgrade, etc. lol


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## Elem3nt0 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ok, tomorrow is the big day, and great news. A few of those parts went down in price over the wait, haha


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