Complete Newbie

JakeLuxor

Hi there Iv decided that Id like to start using my pc to play video games (might as well do soemthing with it!)
But Im not really sure what I need.
Im using a Dell pc, running windows xp pro.
It has a P4 2.80GHz cpu.
It also has 512MB of ram.

Question 1. Are the above specs good enough to run the latest pc games?
Question 2. What kind of card would I need to add to my pc (assuming the specs I mentioned above are good enough) tp run games like Rome Total War etc?

Many thanks in advance, assuming tis' good news ye give me!

sebastianlieken

JakeLuxor wrote:

Im using a Dell pc, running windows xp pro.
It has a P4 2.80GHz cpu.
It also has 512MB of ram.

Question 1. Are the above specs good enough to run the latest pc games?
Question 2. What kind of card would I need to add to my pc (assuming the specs I mentioned above are good enough) tp run games like Rome Total War etc?

first off, ur cpu is fine, min spec for a game like battlefield 2 is 1.7Ghz or better, which i suspect is slightly more demanding than rome total war. secondly, a bit more ram wouldn't hurt at all, 512mb these days isn't much, in saying that tho, min specs for most games are 512mb of ram. thirdly, its a dell, so interchanging components such as adding a video card could be troublesome (think they only have pci slots, someone who knows will elaborate a bit more)

to answer Q.1, the above specs will run the latest games, albeit at minimum specs.
Q.2, dont really know what slot is on your mobo for a grafix card, (maybe you can check n find out?)

JakeLuxor

Hi there Sebastian, regarding the ram I was thinking of adding another 512MB
I have a spare pci slots if this is what you mean?

christophicus

Yeah you will just about be able to tun ROME with a PCI graphics card ( it only requires 64 Mb of video ram, infact your current graphics chip ,which i'm assuming is integrated, could possibly run the game) . But for the latest games a pci card is not going to be good enough. YOu will need at least an agp slot, but preferably a pci-e slot which I doubt you have.

TerrorFirmer

Most Dells had an Agp slot and I think nearly every Dell these days has a pci-e slot, but in the past the very low end budget systems only had Pci slots....if your's falls into this group, gaming is still possible, and at good levels if you want to only play games like Rome Total War. But for more recent, demanding games, PCI, although it will support most if not all games, will perform terribly.

christophicus

I'snt there a stypulation on some games saying for example the 128mb card needed excluding pci cards?

sebastianlieken

find out if youve got either a pci-ex or (more likely) an agp slot on the mobo, if not... like HaVoK said, its still possible with a pci grafix card. ( they cost between 50-100 quid, and they will run the mid-level games fine.
http://www.komplett.ie/k/kl.aspx?bn=10415

the_syco

Can you tell us what type of Dell it is? Then we may be able to tell you what's in it.

Anti

pci cards will run bollock all of games from the last few years. The bandwidth/raw power isnt there.

As for your motherboard, please open up the side of the pc, and look at the board. And find a serial number. Or just tell us which model dell you have. IT will be on the back of it on the service tag. If not go to support on dell.ie and enter the service tag number, there you can get the full specs.

JakeLuxor

Jayzus, who would have thought playing video games would be so complicated!
Thanks for the help, Im off now see what type of Dell Iv got!

TerrorFirmer

Anti wrote:

pci cards will run bollock all of games from the last few years. The bandwidth/raw power isnt there.

Actually, there are PCI X1300's readily available, which run BF2, Half Life 2 and the like fine at medium-ish settings.

And there's also a PCI X1550, which performs even better, although that one seems not to be available outside of the US.

Unless you're playing games from 2004 downwards, then a PCI Fx5200, 9250 or anything in that range is useless.

christophicus

christophicus wrote:

I'snt there a stypulation on some games saying for example the 128mb card needed excluding pci cards?

I'm just after checking this, and with BF2142 at least , it says that you have to have a 128 MB graphics card AGP or PCI-e only.

TerrorFirmer

I'm pretty sure BF2142 works on the PCI X1300

JakeLuxor

Hi there, Iv spent the last couple of days snooping around the web.
What Iv decided is that Im going to get a new pc that uses that new fangled intel core 2 duo technology.
I was planning to do this pretty soon anyway as I use alot of music applications that are very cpu intensive.
Iv been looking at that www.Komplett.ie website which offers a pc built with gamers in mind with a fast cpu that would be great for running music applications.

My question now is are Komplett.ie a reputable company?
I only say this as Iv never heard of them and you hear so much about dodgy tinterweb companies etc.
Im sure they are grand but I thought Id run it by you guys first as unlike me in this area, you lot seem to know what your talking about!

papu

yeah komplett are a great company really sound to deal with ,

if you want to save money and get better parts i recoomendhttp://www1.hardwareversand.de/6VinsFoVJbWjVA/2/home.jsp?lid=2

there a german company , im getting my new pc from them and il save about 200 euros doing it XD

sebastianlieken

oh yeah, komplett are completely legit! great service aswell and top quality products. ive prob thrown around 2 and a half grand at them by now buyin lots of different things, never had a problem. highly recommend them!

JakeLuxor

Thats great, thanks for your help fellas.
btw Im thinking of getting either a 7900 GS or a 8800 GTS 320MB depending on how brave Im feeling with the auld credit card.
One final question though regarding the graphics card......

As I understand it from the reading Iv done both the 7900 GS and 8800 GTS chipsets are made by the same company (GeForce) and are just housed on different pci-e cards, right?
Does the actual manufacterer of the pci-e card ie. "Point of view" "Xfx" "Club 3D" make a difference?