# how future proof is my rig for gaming?



## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

a while back i built up my very first rig purly for the purpose of gaming and music production. When i built it The Dual core Cpu's were all over telly and there was a huge hype on how great there were so at the time i just bought it without really looking into it further and what intel an amd etc are developing for the future. But basicly i wanna no if my rig will be able to play games on full still in say another years time when games start to incorperate dual core or even quad core more then some are.

Here is my rig in detail.

Mobo: Biostar GF7050V-M7  (775 LGA socket, With one PCI-e x16, one PCI-E x1 and three PCI sockets)

CPU: Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 @2.0GHZ (not OC'd but has been successfully to 3.0)

Ram: 4Gig DDR2

Video: ATi Radeon HD 2600 xt   (GPU RV630, 256mb DDR3 ram bus width 128 bit, Directx 10 supported) 

sound soon to be: Asus Xonar D2X 

All advice would be great, like on any upgrades needed to make it future proof or how long you think itl be able to play the newest games without any form of problems on the highest settings

cheers ste


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## PaulieG (Sep 7, 2008)

Hmm, I don't think your rig is really future proof at all. Your cpu is OK for now, but honestly that 2600 xt will not get you very far on todays games, let alone tomorrows.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

it seems to be copeing quite well but yes i can she wat you mean with the new ATi cards lol
Im more concernd about my mobo is it compatable with quad cores or the 17 or i7  thing ive heard about?


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

No. You can't even play the nowadays games to the fullest with that setup. The problems are the CPU, but that can be partially solved with heavy overclocking, but the biggest problem is the graphic card. It's not bad, but it's not very good with highend gaming.

But I'd say sit tight at least until early 2009. There are some nice things coming up and by then the prices have probably settled a bit.

EDIT: And oh, isn't the i7 pretty much the enthusiast CPU?


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

i onestly dont no what it is i was hopeing to find out


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

Really that rig isn't cut out for much gaming at all (at higher image quality levels). What resolution do you play at?


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## mithrandir (Sep 7, 2008)

What res will you be playing at?

I think all your need to do is Oc that cpu to 2.8-3 ghz (higher clock speed is better for gaming)

AND

get yourself a 9800gt if you're on a budget or better still if you can afford a 4850 or 9800gtx+


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## kenkickr (Sep 7, 2008)

Your board chipset supports the 45nm Duo's and Quads so I would upgrade the CPU and your video card.  Seeing you have a 400W Crap box, I mean PSU, I would also recommend a PSU upgrade.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

Also, just looked at your hard drives in your system specs. 68gb all up? Games will suck that up like a vacuum cleaner lol.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Sep 7, 2008)

I think my steam folder is bigger than that.

I guess i would also say,oc the chip,get a 4850 and a new psu.Should be ok for rest of this year at least then.


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## MilkyWay (Sep 7, 2008)

what you need is at least a 500gb drive and a new graphics card, get a 4850 or even an 3850/70 ati

some users on the forums should be selling graphics cards

get a new cpu cooler and overclock it a little 3ghz minimum is what youd need


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

My Games folder alone is 120gb, not counting the few other games not installed on that hard drive. Also thats not including all of my downloads and DVD rips (~8gb each)...


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

right ok well i play at 1024 x 768 on a normal moniter


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

How much are you willing to spend??


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

to be onest i dont no i mean how much would the cards ur on about set me back? and as little as possible but id rather spend more if it will last longer then a year


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## MilkyWay (Sep 7, 2008)

1024 x 768 youd still need at least a ati HD3850

id get a 4850 just because you can keep it and sue it for a new system later on plus it will last a lot longer than other cards


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## Swansen (Sep 7, 2008)

i really don't think there is such a thing as a "future proof" gaming rig, they don't really exist.  On that, The more money you dump into a rig, realistically, the less worthwhile it becomes.  You spend around 2k on a machine and two years down the road you have to spend another 2k?? Alternatively, you could spend half that, maybe less, and then on your next build you would have saved over 3k.  That said, having bleeding edge tech is awesome, but its not very frugal, at all.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

I think your biggest gain would come from a new vid card and a new monitor.

Sapphire 4850, $150 after rebate (assuming you're in the US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102770

That will keep you going well into next year, maybe even longer, depending on if you upgrade you monitor. You'd need a new PSU as well, a quality Corsair will work wonders (help with OCing as well).


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## aCid888* (Sep 7, 2008)

nVidia 9600GT - Antec Neo Power 430W PSU  <- All together about $150...not a bad price and NOT overkill like a ATI 4850 would be to game at 1024x768...plus it wont cost you $200 alone for a gfx card lol


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

aCid888* said:


> nVidia 9600GT - Antec Neo Power 430W PSU  <- All together about $150...not a bad price and NOT overkill like a ATI 4850 would be to game at 1024x768...plus it wont cost you $200 alone for a gfx card lol



Yes but the 4850 is bit more future proof than a 9600GT, which is what the OP is looking for.


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## aCid888* (Sep 7, 2008)

It may be more future proof but with the rest of his rig is lacking (mainly in the mobo/CPU area) its pretty much a waste of time, he may as well save his money and buy something like what I posted and then buy everything fresh again when the 9600GT cant take gaming at 1024x768 anymore in the games he likes to play...and I'm pretty sure that'll be a while as the 9600GT is pretty damn good, even if he plays CoD4 and so on


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

hey
cheers for the answers n stuff, u say that its not just my graphics card thats at fault here well what else would i need to upgrade?
I mean uve mentiond mobo and cpu but what should i upgrade them to?


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## aCid888* (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425, read my first post and it pretty much tells you the best value for money upgrades that wont be a waste of money and give you the best performance for your cash 



Edit: I'll post it here again...  nVidia 9600GT - Antec Neo Power 430W PSU <- All together about $150


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

true but how long will that last before id have to do a whole rig overhall?


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

The 4850 would last you longer in the long run, you'll have to get a new PSU no matter which option you go for. Would you consider a new monitor also? 1024x768 is getting a little dated.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

i would like to hook it up to ma tv one day but id need a new one that has a propa connection on but what size's are the recomended now?


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## aCid888* (Sep 7, 2008)

If your telling him to get a 4850 you may as well tell him to get a new mobo, cpu and psu...then a new monitor...this is very expensive and its pretty much a new rig


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

What connectors does your current TV have? I'm assuming your current monitor as a 15-17inch CRT?? If so, anything from a 19inch widescrien up to a 22inch widescreen will be like see the world for the first time again lol, 19, 20 and 22 are quite common sizes and either the 9600gt or 4850 will handle the resolution fine for a while, the 4850 a bit longer (obviously, but more expensive).


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> i would like to hook it up to ma tv one day but id need a new one that has a propa connection on but what size's are the recomended now?



A TV? 42 inches at least. But frankly, a nice 22' monitor would be better imo. Unless you're planning on bying a TV anyways..


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

why? instead of just saying that, say  whats actually wrong with my mobo an cpu for that card? the fact that i started this post askin if it was ok should show that i dont no much about the technical side of it so could u explain what u say in more detail pease, like instead of sayin this wont work with that explain why please

frick:
i dont no i just want a nice big screen to play the games on


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

aCid888* said:


> If your telling him to get a 4850 you may as well tell him to get a new mobo, cpu and psu...then a new monitor...this is very expensive and its pretty much a new rig



Not necessarily, if he OC's his current CPU he should be fine. Neither of ur know his budget either, so we're both offering different solutions here.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> why? instead of just saying that, say  whats actually wrong with my mobo an cpu for that card? the fact that i started this post askin if it was ok should show that i dont no much about the technical side of it so could u explain what u say in more detail pease, like instead of sayin this wont work with that explain why please
> 
> frick:
> i dont no i just want a nice big screen to play the games on



I dont see anything wrong with your CPU and mobo, and neither do others in this thread. The 4850 will last you longer than the 9600gt, thats a fact and there is no way acid could dispute that. It is however a more expensive option than acid's, so really it comes down to your budget and whether or not you think it's worth it to pay more now and save later, or pay less now and pay more later.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

budget really isnt a problem i mean id like not to have to spend hundreds u no but i have no other expenses at the moment

and i have heard allot of good reviews about the 4850 its just from whats been said i thought that it wasnt compatable with my current rig thats why i posted what i did earlier about explainin stuff coz i was gettin wrong ideas


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> budget really isnt a problem i mean id like not to have to spend hundreds u no but i have no other expenses at the moment
> 
> and i have heard allot of good reviews about the 4850 its just from whats been said i thought that it wasnt compatable with my current rig thats why i posted what i did earlier about explainin stuff coz i was gettin wrong ideas



In that case just grab a new PSU (Corsair HX 520/620 are great  ), get the 4850 and a new hard drive. OC your CPU and you will be good as gold. If you can justify the cost, then a nice 20 or 22 inch widescreen will blow your mind


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> why? instead of just saying that, say  whats actually wrong with my mobo an cpu for that card? the fact that i started this post askin if it was ok should show that i dont no much about the technical side of it so could u explain what u say in more detail pease, like instead of sayin this wont work with that explain why please
> 
> frick:
> i dont no i just want a nice big screen to play the games on



And if you currently game at 1024*768 I don't see a reason to upgrade anything at the moment. You can get acceptable framrates at decent settings with your current setup. Also, if you buy a graphic card that's too good, the processor will hold it back, as well as that resolution. As said, If i were you I'd sit tight a couple of months and save up to an entire computer, with a good 22' screen.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

haha yea id love that but i tink ill wait till my bank acount came out of minus into plus 

the only problem i had when overclocking my cpu i got upto 3.0 at fairly good temps just raising the FSB but when i tried to get to 3.1 it wouldnt go past the screen to select bios. (im a complete novice to overclocking, a guy gave me some advice and said to rase the FSB by certain amount and itl rais my clock speed. Could it been my cooling wasnt good enough so it wouldnt let me or did i need to do sumit with the voltages?)


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## aCid888* (Sep 7, 2008)

I assume hes from the UK seeing how he types (I'm also from the UK)

And yes, if he OCs he will be better off...but seeing as its not OCed 24/7 then maybe he doesnt want to, who knows..either way I doubt hes in the market to be spending £/$400 on an upgrade of his system lol


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

aCid888* said:


> I assume hes from the UK seeing how he types (I'm also from the UK)
> 
> And yes, if he OCs he will be better off...but seeing as its not OCed 24/7 then maybe he doesnt want to, who knows..either way I doubt hes in the market to be spending £/$400 on an upgrade of his system lol



There are plenty of guides out there for OCing, and a LOT of helpful people here on these forums who will get him up and running without a hitch. He's obviously willing so I dont think theres any problems with this.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

well yes there is just one, since the guy who told me the basics i avent been able to get much help of any1 on the OC in front, iave left post's n stuff but no luck


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## wolf2009 (Sep 7, 2008)

sorry to say, but that rig is not even present proof. You should atleast upgrade the card, if you want to play some games on something more than low .


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> well yes there is just one, since the guy who told me the basics i avent been able to get much help of any1 on the OC in front, iave left post's n stuff but no luck



Well here's some guides to get you started: http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=9808
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=22916
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=30480
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=20251

I don't own an Intel rig, so I can't give you specific advice, however from what I've seen on these forums is nothing but good help


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

what you mean? i play every game i own on the highest settings they have

Jmatt110 and cheers mate


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## wolf2009 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> what you mean? i play every game i own on the highest settings they have



what games do you own ?

try playing COD4 , Bioshock, Unreal Tournament 3, STALKER , Oblivion on highest settings with 4AA .


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> what you mean? i play every game i own on the highest settings they have
> 
> Jmatt110 and cheers mate



No worries, I edited my post and added more links for ya


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

I think 3Ghz with that CPU isn't all too bad. If you increase the voltage to the CPU (if you have that option on the motherboard) you might get it all the way up to 3.5, but then you need some good cooling.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

Frick, I dont know why but your avatar really disturbs me for some reason.

ste, what cooler do you have on your CPU?


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

errrm something that cam with the mobo its just ya basic thing and i crnt tell u brand at this moment in time as the stickers is sorta spinning rather fast 

and i play age of empire 3 errm maelstrom Timeshift, Need for speed carbon, Prey, Quake 4, Batllefield 2142, X3 reunion, Lego Starwars2...

but im downloading the crysis demo just to see how bad my rig really is coz from what i heard this game could be used for benchmarking


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> but im downloading the crysis demo just to see how bad my rig really is coz from what i heard this game could be used for benchmarking



That game makes everything related to computers cry. 

@Jmatt: Aww. 

EDIT: But if you play only those games (although there's nothing "only" about X3) there's not much need in upgrading anyway.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> errrm something that cam with the mobo its just ya basic thing and i crnt tell u brand at this moment in time as the stickers is sorta spinning rather fast
> 
> and i play age of empire 3 errm maelstrom Timeshift, Need for speed carbon, Prey, Quake 4, Batllefield 2142, X3 reunion, Lego Starwars2...
> 
> but im downloading the crysis demo just to see how bad my rig really is coz from what i heard this game could be used for benchmarking



Are you looking to play any newer games, as those are starting to show their age. Good games though 

Crysis will bring your computer to its knees and make it beg for mercy. Try the Unreal Tournament 3 demo and see how that goes.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

Frick said:


> That game makes everything related to computers cry.
> 
> @Jmatt: Aww.



lol sorry, its just something about him.


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

right i will and yea i just avent really bought any at the mo lol not had time and i no wat ur saying, whats the point in upgrading if you dont have any more demanding games


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

aye i will and i am yea just not really had much time to lol
ive seen some great ones like dead space n stuff but i think pc gaming has slowed down i havent seen much to grip me so i havent really bought anytin i mean the last game i bought for pc was quake 4 lol id love crysis though but id like it to play slightly good first


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> aye i will and i am yea just not really had much time to lol
> ive seen some great ones like dead space n stuff but i think pc gaming has slowed down i havent seen much to grip me so i havent really bought anytin i mean the last game i bought for pc was quake 4 lol id love crysis though but id like it to play slightly good first



Crysis is quite a good game, despite what many believe lol, can't wait for number 2. There a quite a few good looking titles coming out this end-of-year, Fallout 3, Crysis 2, Far Cry 2, Dead Space, Legendary...


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

looks like i built my pc at the wrong time when pc gaming was a bit slow now its sped up a tad it crnt keep uup


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

Yea lol it seems to fluctuate a bit


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## ste2425 (Sep 7, 2008)

hmmmmm yea i wish id noticed sooner so it looks like the plan of action is to oc my cpu, replace my psu and get a 4780, was it? what about oc'inmy current card or my ram?


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 7, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> hmmmmm yea i wish id noticed sooner so it looks like the plan of action is to oc my cpu, replace my psu and get a 4780, was it? what about oc'inmy current card or my ram?



4850, the 4870 is about $100 more 

But yes, OC the CPU, get a new PSU (cant reccommend enough the Corsair's) and buy a 48*50*.

OCing your current card won't have much of an effect at all really. What brand/model is your RAM?


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## Frick (Sep 7, 2008)

As for future games, I WILL get a new PC when Mirrors Edge comes out. This is actually the first game I've looked forward to since .. i don't really know.


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## ste2425 (Sep 8, 2008)

i dont actually no what my ram is all i no is theres 4 gig of it but i can only use 3 an a half as im runnin the 32bit xp

heres the shots from CPU-Z hope that has all the needed info







oh an im just downloading the unreal tournament three demo lol got bord waitin for crysis

heres the sitwe for the ram i think anyway.  http://www.transcend-uk.com/index.asp?LangNo=0

its the uk version but u can change to where ever in the top right corner


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## MilkyWay (Sep 8, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> hmmmmm yea i wish id noticed sooner so it looks like the plan of action is to oc my cpu, replace my psu and get a 4780, was it? what about oc'inmy current card or my ram?



thats fine mate, so you are to get a new psu possibly just a good 550w should do and then get a 4850 and overclock it, overclock your cpu when you get a new psu not before

thats fine for the ram pretty much more than i have 4gb 800mhz is good for vista

hard drive is fine i guess unless you want more space

id try and overclock the ram a little with the cpu



£20 on a good dvd burner with lightscribe so just unless your set on getting a bluray drive id just get an new dvd burner healthy cheaper option


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## ste2425 (Sep 8, 2008)

hmmm true bout the blu-ray, i think thats bout it yes, do you no of any guidesinto ocin ram?


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 8, 2008)

It should be explained in those guides I linked you Ste, if not a quick google will be your friend. It's pretty easy to OC your RAM


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## ste2425 (Sep 8, 2008)

ok man cheers sorry havent had much time to read through them had allot of stuff to do with colege but now i no its in them guides to ill be sorted cheers

oh and i downloaded unreal tournament (spelt right?) three and its mint! Played it with every setting i could find on max and it run like a dream. If all the new games run like this then tbh i dnt need to upgrade yet  

oh and one question what the campaign like in u.t.3? Coz i can only do the areana style fights on the demo


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 8, 2008)

It's exactly the same lol. Don't forget you're playing on a very low resolution and on dx9. It play smootly now, but if at some point you get a new monitor (you have no idea how much better it would look) then it won't be cut out for the res. If however you decide to stick with your 1024x768 monitor, then upgrading now will mean you won't have to upgrade for a long time.


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## ste2425 (Sep 8, 2008)

you mean it would still play great on a slightly larger moniter? i mean i wont be gettin a huge 40 inch hd tv but summit a bit better


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## kysg (Sep 9, 2008)

yea mate if you play at a low res like 1024x768 then every other game is pretty much cake, crysis um I don't think I'd ever play it at 1024x768.  once you break into the high res like 1680x1050 and 1900x 1200, thats when you need a better setup.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> you mean it would still play great on a slightly larger moniter? i mean i wont be gettin a huge 40 inch hd tv but summit a bit better



It's not about the size of the screen, It's about the resolution. If you go to 1280x1024, you'll start to have to lower game settings (on your current setup). What resolution were you looking at getting?


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

i onestly dont no, just moniter size really i mean i aint buyin a huge tv so really the only time id play it a an big screen was if i was. Is there a stndard size now?


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

No real 'standard' size, however 20 and 22inch widescreen monitors are extremely popular and provide a very good resolution of 1680x1050. This of course would need the upgrade, but would be worlds better than your current setup.

Have you ever used a monitor with a res higher than 1280x1204??


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

i dont think ive ever owned a moniter of that size so i dont no, got any brands that youd recomend?


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## r9 (Sep 9, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> looks like i built my pc at the wrong time when pc gaming was a bit slow now its sped up a tad it crnt keep uup



Every year is the same. All the great games 5-6 come out in a month time and then gaming industry hibernation kick in till next year


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> i dont think ive ever owned a moniter of that size so i dont no, got any brands that youd recomend?



I've only ever used BenQ monitors, very good. Samsung is also good. Ask around on the forums, as I don't have much experience with monitors. Get one with as low as possible refresh rate.


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## kysg (Sep 9, 2008)

Dude there is a bunch of monitors out there,

Samsung, Viewsonic, BenQ, LG, NEC, <-----all top gun vendors well NEC I dunno kinda low in that group,  Samsung is a definate, LG is very good, you will also see dell's as rebranded LG's

Now I'm not sure about refresh rates, but also look into response times and contrast, samsungs are very good on contrast.

then on the cheaper end there is Acer, a few Asus, acer is very good on their monitors as well, 

mine is currently a 19 inch viewsonic gets the same res as a 22 inch monitor, kinda awkward since its 3 inchs smaller.


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

ive had a look on ebay and to be onest i cannot justify sepending that much money on a screen it just doesnt seem right id feel like i spent a load of money on sumit i dotn actually need. 
I actually have a 20sumit inch widescreen tv the only problem is that te only connection it has is the yellow plug for video and the red and white for audio meaning the video quality suckes through that connection


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## FatForester (Sep 9, 2008)

I haven't read the 70+ comments, so I'll just add for the OP. Since this is really a budget rig your CPU should be fine for now. I'd overclock your e2180 and pick up a 8800GT / 9600GT / 4850 with a new PSU. People think you need some beastly processor for gaming, but you'll be fine with an overclocked e2180 (2.8 - 3.0+ should be enough). When Nehalem comes out you can buy an e8400 for cheap if you want more power.


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

kysg said:


> Dude there is a bunch of monitors out there,
> 
> Samsung, Viewsonic, BenQ, LG, NEC, <-----all top gun vendors well NEC I dunno kinda low in that group,  Samsung is a definate, LG is very good, you will also see dell's as rebranded LG's
> 
> ...



Yea response time is what I meant lol, damn my tiredness


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

haha where u from man? over sea's lol its late here so it must be like midnight to one there


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

Australia. Nah I've just had a few late nights lately and its getting to me lol.


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

i have a choise of using two monitors, there not the biggest but like i said i dnt justify spending that much on a screen   
but heres the first http://computing.kelkoo.co.uk/ps_12398976/114401.html

and second   http://uk.shopping.com/xPF-Proview-PROVIEW-CY-465-14-TFT-FLAT-PANEL

which would i get the best quality gaming from? i no there both crap bla de blaaa but which would be better?

edit: haha ditto


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> i have a choise of using two monitors, there not the biggest but like i said i dnt justify spending that much on a screen
> but heres the first http://computing.kelkoo.co.uk/ps_12398976/114401.html
> 
> and second   http://uk.shopping.com/xPF-Proview-PROVIEW-CY-465-14-TFT-FLAT-PANEL
> ...



Neither, if they're your choices I'd just stick with the monitor you have, no point in wasting money.


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

no no no lol i have the proview one at the mo in my mate house im thinkin of sweet talkin him into lendin it me haha just wonderin if it would be better


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## mlupple (Sep 9, 2008)

Your rig isn't even present proof.


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

sorry mate but that comment is neither use nor ornament.   Weve gathered that my rig is dated and weve been talking about how to upgrade cirtain parts to make it present proof...


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## Jmatt110 (Sep 9, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> no no no lol i have the proview one at the mo in my mate house im thinkin of sweet talkin him into lendin it me haha just wonderin if it would be better



Wait I think I'm confused here lol. Your mate has the Proview and you want to borrow it, so what monitor do you have at the moment? Or you have the Proview and its at your mates house at the moment? I'm confused lol


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## ste2425 (Sep 9, 2008)

haha sorry no i have the proview but my mate has the other one i showed the compaq i think it was lol


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## ste2425 (Oct 5, 2008)

i dont no if anyone is still watching this post but if you are i have one question, i have currently bought a Corsair TX750W psu (well orderd) and will be oc'ing my cpu like you all advised but i was wondering about the graphics card, ati radeon hd 4850. Is there different memory sizes? and are some gddr2 and others gddr3? ive only been able to find gddr3 512mb cards but if theres larger memory sizes id like to no before i buy it


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## JrRacinFan (Oct 5, 2008)

512MB DDR3 is basically mainstream for those. Not going to find much better. What monitor you have again? Did you get the Compaq one back?

EDIT: Upon looking at both monitors, you may want to pickup a new one. 1024x768 max is a severe bottleneck for the HD4850. May as well keep the 2600XT in your rig until you get a new monitor.


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## ste2425 (Oct 5, 2008)

true im looking at monitors at the moment, round curry's argos etc id like to use my rig as a multimedia center, i allready have my hifi going through it but next i need the tv so i can watch movies throught it watch normal tv through my comp, basicly let it do everything.  im looking round 20" to 22" ive been told would be good for the card


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## kysg (Oct 5, 2008)

I disagree I wouldn't call it a bottleneck, I'd just say his potential is kinda shot, and the 4850 won't be able to unleash its full power.

still I think a monitor should be upgraded before picking up a new card, if keeping the same monitor might as well keep the 2600XT in there. and lets not forget there are 1gb versions of DDR3 for 4850.

Also I'm making a note 20-22' really depends on the money.  20 and 22 inch get 1680x1050 max so I would really suggest the 22 because of the real estate and yes 2 inches would make a slight difference.  Anything beyond 22 inch deserves a card with more memory.  sad my viewsonic 19inch gets the same res as the 20 and 22 inch monitors.


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## ste2425 (Oct 5, 2008)

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5293393/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C10199181/c_2/2%7Ccat_10199181%7CTelevisions%7C10199303.htm

this is the monitor ive been looking at for a while, well monitor/tv and kysg i gues ur right it does make sense to have a tv that can have hd and resolutions that will show of the card to its max.

what do you think of the monitor? its the cheapest 19 inch on the site but theres a fair few 15inch ones dearer. Is that coz this tv is crap quality just with a larger screen?

hope all that makes sense cheers


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## JrRacinFan (Oct 5, 2008)

1440x900 would still be limiting but not as much to factor as to not to make the purchase. IMO, keep looking around should be able to find a monitor with 1680x1050 max res that you like. 

EDIT: Here's somethin to look at ....

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143050

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/128411


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## ste2425 (Oct 5, 2008)

aaa right ok so 1680x1050 res is what i should be looking at for this card? thats like its max?  what size would that be in inches? or does it not work like that?


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## JrRacinFan (Oct 5, 2008)

Does not work like that (in inches). Most 22" monitors are 1680x1050. I'm just saying you could get better IQ at the higher res.


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## FooArm (Oct 5, 2008)

um time for a new build ??


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## newconroer (Oct 5, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> to be onest i dont no i mean how much would the cards ur on about set me back? and as little as possible but id rather spend more if it will last longer then a year



No direct offense, but from that response right there, I think you'd be best off asking for some advice on where you can learn about current and upcoming computing hardware architecture, and current market values, before you start asking around for more particular things.


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## kysg (Oct 5, 2008)

well hmm yes but standards in pc hardware and upcoming equipment change all the time though...

I give it a year and heck 23 and 24 inch monitors will practically be a norm, if not they probably are in a lot of places.

I think today's standard is the 22 inch which the monitors max res is 1680x1050 not the card, the card can go very high as far as resolution goes but here is the issue you face.

lets say you get a card oh lets say 4850 512mb, and 4670 512mb, and a 22 inch monitor, okay you would be fine no worries.  Anything beyond 1680x1050 is practically begging for a 4870, or 1gb variant of 4850, 4870, or 4670 if there is such a thing.  Now I'm not sure about prices in the UK but you should be able to score a 20 inch or 22 inch for decent price, if you can then get a 19inch. or be like me and get the viewsonic vx1940w which gets the same res as a 20 or 22 inch...

As far as the build itself goes it's fine, I see nothing that really needs any serious adjusting.  You already covered the PSU didn't you if got a solid psu then its just down to the monitor and the card.  And if you can't get a 22 inch for the price well go for the 19inch, and then down the line if you want more res buy another 19 and run dual monitors.  or wait until prices go down, just depends on how much cash you want to spend vs what you want the machine to do.


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