Need help with computer

[The One]

Well I got a new laptop but I dont want to put games on it. Just use it for work and all that stuff. But I have my desktop computer that was messed up but I fixed it a bit.
Since my xbox RROD'd I'm thinking of converting to PCality. So I dont know where to start.

So I was wondering if you guys can help me with the comp. Should I get a new one or just add on things to it.


Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
3.19 GHz, 0.99 GB of Ram

dont know how to put the rest of the specs up :P or where to find them.
I was going to buy more ram and a new graphics card just dont know which or what else to get. Any advice or tips or suggestions would be great

[Goldkills]

Well if you have a PCIe slot on the motherboard you should be good for a little bit but if you want to play more of the newer games in high or max settings you might want to get a new computer with a Dual core CPU. but look up what video card you have and post it here and we can see what you can do.


to look up what you have try to look in your control panel and see what you have.

[The One]

Well I'm not too sure this is it but this is what I found

Intel(R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family.

My graphics card is internal

[The One]

bamp

[Goldkills]

check inside your case to see if you have a PCIe slot google for a pic of it

[ieatrocks]

Download everest. www.lavalys.com (http://www.lavalys.com)
Install trial
Run report, select only hardware.
Save report as html, save it to yousendit.com or something so people can download it and see your specs. It'll find out everything we need to know about your system to advise you.

Pentium 4 was a rather long run, and the boards for those chips can be SDRAM, RAMBUS, or DDR, and may have AGP, PCI only, or PCIE slots.

Too many variables to guess at knowing just that you have a pentium 4 @ 3.2ghz and 1gb of ram with onboard graphics (which certainly won't cut it for L4D).

[The One]

I just saved the report as an HTML file, I just dont know where to upload it :P I could write up all the Specs here?

[ieatrocks]

awful lot to post here without knowing what needs to be included.

http://www.filehosting.org/ should let you upload the html, then paste the link they email you here for us.

[The One]

http://www.filehosting.org/file/details/13741/QQeU w3bGBCzQ9Qes/yousendit.com (http://www.filehosting.org/file/details/13741/QQeUw3bGBCzQ9Qes/yousendit.com)

Theres the link to download it, it says it can be used only once so...

[Funky Biscuits]

Delete system 32


















Just kidding, right back at ya One!

[The One]

You know, I lol'd a little. Because right before I fixed this computer I deleted all files in System 32 to see what really happens.


It was hell.

[Infest0125]

It was hell.

Care to elaborate?

[lawlhat]

Quoting: The One
It was hell.


Care to elaborate?
Please do.

[The One]

Care to elaborate?
Please do.
at first nothing happened, I was like... Hmmmm wtf is the point of telling people to delete files if nothing happens?
So I felt stupid and laughed, but the second I did a pop up came and said there is an error and I was like ok... so I clicked ok and then pop up after pop up after pop up for what seemed like an armada of pop ups.
I couldnt take it, then my monitor displayed weird ass colors and shit and it had a seizure I swear, then it went pitch black for a few seconds and then the blue screen of death.


Back on topic plox

[ieatrocks]

OT, someone used the link already. PM me one, or approve the request i made using my email.

Sorry I missed this, was in game.

[The One]

Its ok, I PM'd you the link. Thanks for your help

[ieatrocks]

Ok you have an LGA775 p4 cpu on a 915g chipset.
You can stick a core2duo in it, but it won't work even though it *will* fit.
The best cpu you can get for this would increase your cpu cache to 2mb instead of 1mb, add 64 bit support, be a bit faster.... and need a huge cooling system.

You have 2x512 DDR-400, and a slot free to put a 3rd stick of memory in. This is good, since it's nowhere near as expensive to upgrade as rambus ram would be.

Your computer thinks it has a free pcie slot you can add a video card too. Since your motherboard is from a major OEM though, you definitely need to verify that it exists with your eyes. Sometimes dell, hp, whatever will actually leave a blank space missing a $0.02 piece of plastic where the slot should be. Your pcie slot can be google imaged to see what it looks like. It'll be thinner, and longer than the white PCI slots beside it, and it may be a different colour, and probably located closer to the cpu than other slots. If it's there, great! Pick up a cheap video card and pop it in.

So:
Getting a 1gb stick of ddr400 would help a lot. It's easy to slot in. It'll speed up your whole machine.

Getting a Pcie video card for $150 or less would be enough to play games using your PC. Spending more than that means that other parts of your computer will bottleneck you pretty quickly and the card will go to waste.

Getting a new cpu is pretty much a waste of time. Your motherboard uses the same socket as modern core 2 duo/quads but it won't understand them. The highest end pentium 4 you can drop in isn't much better than the one you already have in there.


If you feel like spending $400+ though, gut the whole thing and replace the motherboard with something that supports c2d/ddr2 and get ram/cpu/video to match your budget.

EDIT:

Check your motherboard ram slots and ensure that your board really does have what it thinks it has. Some of those boards actually had slots for ddr2 AND ddr1, but could only use 1 type at a time. 2gb of ddr2 is probably cheaper than 1gb of old ddr. They'll probably be 2 slots each and different colours, and the little notch in the bottom will be in different positions between them. If your board supports 2 different types of ram get ddr2 and get rid of the ddr1.

[The One]

So the 1gb stick would be good, and the Pcie video card would be good. And that alone would be good enough to be let me play games like L4D, or any of the recent games that have come out?

Thanks alot again, this helps alot.

[Blackdeathee]

Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
3.19 GHz, 0.99 GB of Ram

crap. buy new.

[ieatrocks]

crap. buy new.


It's not that bad. adding 1gb of ddr and a cheap video card will get him gaming at decent quality for around $200.

If he wants to spend more, getting a new mobo/cpu/ram would help, but now he's looking at adding $2-400 more, and there's no guarantee it'll fit into his dell case properly.

:/

[The One]

It's not that bad. adding 1gb of ddr and a cheap video card will get him gaming at decent quality for around $200.

If he wants to spend more, getting a new mobo/cpu/ram would help, but now he's looking at adding $2-400 more, and there's no guarantee it'll fit into his dell case properly.
Should I probably take it to Comp USA to have it checked just in case?

[ieatrocks]

Try a local place. Phone around and see if you can bring it by someone local and get a free consult and quote on new parts.

Support the guys who do repair and you'll usually get better service than someone with an A+ cheat sheet and a job at a chain.

In any case you have options. I misread your OP I just realized... I thought you mentioned something about doing this on the cheap. IF a new PC is possible and this rig would be used for gaming over the next few years, yeah... get a new one.

ncixus.com has some pretty good deals if you click the hot deals link.
Currently they have a core i7 920+ 6gb of ddr3-1600 from infineon for $359, neweggs best deal for i7/920 and 6gb ddr3 is $439 or so. Building a system around an i7 would be a monster.

If you have a budget it's easy to pick out the best parts to meet that budget, a $700 gaming rig is possible, but for $900 you go with totally different parts.

EDIT:
Check: http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=35958&vpn=512- P3-N977-TR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1001 (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=35958&vpn=512-P3-N977-TR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1001)
,
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=36363&vpn=E520 0-610i-2GB&manufacture=Bundle%20Deals&promoid=1001 (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=36363&vpn=E5200-610i-2GB&manufacture=Bundle%20Deals&promoid=1001)
,
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=26851&vpn=EN-P A411411&manufacture=ENLIGHT&promoid=1001 (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=26851&vpn=EN-PA411411&manufacture=ENLIGHT&promoid=1001)
,
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=30145&vpn=SS-4 00ET&manufacture=Seasonic%20Electronics&promoid=10 01 (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=30145&vpn=SS-400ET&manufacture=Seasonic%20Electronics&promoid=1001)
Makes $350 + shipping + taxes. You'll need to assemble it or pay to get it assembled and move your existing hard drive and dvd drive into the new computer. You can get a new hd and dvd for another hundred or so and you basically have 2 working pcs then. You'll most likely also need to get a new copy of windows. You could just get the win7 beta for now and buy 7 when it comes out later though. August 1st the beta expires and it's fast like xp, features like vista, and smooth like osx; highly recommended.

Or if you have the coin to drop and want it all done for you:
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=36217&vpn=9SER IES%20V-5500&manufacture=NCIXPC&promoid=1001 (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=36217&vpn=9SERIES%20V-5500&manufacture=NCIXPC&promoid=1001)

[Goldkills]

a better Idea would be to just change out the mobo ram and cpu and buy a new video card and keep your hard drive and stuff.

[ieatrocks]

a better Idea would be to just change out the mobo ram and cpu and buy a new video card and keep your hard drive and stuff.
Dell case, Dell power supply. Can't count on them being compatible
So, the only thing left really would be a HD/dvd that he could salvage, and for what they sell for, he might as well get a new one and sell or give away the old working computer.

[SlainPwner666]

ya know, for 500 bucks, theres a video card that can run crysis on max settings at 30 FPS

[EFG]

Do you think its possible to run CoD4 on this computer?