Hardware Does my Desktop needs any upgradation?

[Chhotu uttam]

Well so my current specs are :-
Intel core 2 duo E4500 2.2Ghz
4gb(2X2gb)ddr2 ram
Asus p5kpl-am/pl mobo
Intel g33/g31 express chipset family
500gb WD HDD.

Does my PC needs any upgradation?
I want my PC to be able to play games such as Borderlands,Upcoming games(future soldier)etc. (just for example)
Don't care to run it in high graphics.
I don't want to change my CPU coz it will affect the mobo also.

EDIT:I can just upgrade my CPU to core 2 duo/extreme series.If any recommendation for this please tell.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sop]

Nope.
Borderlands Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 2.4 Ghz or equivalent
Memory: 1GB (2GB recommended with Vista)
Hard Drive: 8 GB free
Video Memory: 256mb video ram or better (GeForce 9 series or higher/Radeon R8xx series)
Sound Card: Windows compatible sound card
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard and Mouse
DVD Rom Drive

 

[Chhotu uttam]

@Sop-I know.
This is the current game i want to play,but what if to play other games.
There are so many new games.
So i wanted to ask does it needs any upgradation for that?

 

[bowser]

You haven't mentioned your graphics card. Or are you using the on-board graphics?

 

[Chhotu uttam]

You haven't mentioned your graphics card. Or are you using the on-board graphics?

Yup i'm using on-board graphics.
I had mentioned name of it so people may know about it

 

[Sicklyboy]

Ew, OB Graphics :X

My current build:

MSI 790FX-GD70 Mobo
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition "Deneb" (standard clock speed 3.2 ghz)
6gb (3x2gb) DDR3 Mushkin Enhanced RAM
BFG Tech nVidia GeForce 8800GTOC (factory overclocked)
1TB WD Caviar Black

Windows 7 Ultimate x64
22" Hannspree LCD monitor over a DVI connection (supports full 1080p)

Thing can run most games on ultra (max) quality graphics, including WoW and Borderlands. The only game I have played so far that has given me trouble is Metro 2033, which wrecks my framerate on anything other than Low graphics and Advanced PhysX disabled. Game still looks nice though. Upgrading the card soon.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

Ew, OB Graphics :X

My current build:

MSI 790FX-GD70 Mobo
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition "Deneb" (standard clock speed 3.2 ghz)
6gb (3x2gb) DDR3 Mushkin Enhanced RAM
BFG Tech nVidia GeForce 8800GTOC (factory overclocked)
1TB WD Caviar Black

Windows 7 Ultimate x64
22" Hannspree LCD monitor over a DVI connection (supports full 1080p)

Thing can run most games on ultra (max) quality graphics, including WoW and Borderlands. The only game I have played so far that has given me trouble is Metro 2033, which wrecks my framerate on anything other than Low graphics and Advanced PhysX disabled. Game still looks nice though. Upgrading the card soon.

It looks a good PC.
Good luck with it.

 

[Originality]

You've not mentioned the name of you IGP, only the motherboard chipset. Either way, it's easy to guess that your IGP doesn't have a chance of playing the games you want to play.

Solution? Get a graphics card. Check inside your case to see whether your motherboard uses AGP or PCIe for it's primary graphics, then get a compatible graphics card. Chances are it's PCIe so look into your budget and get the best graphics card you can. The CPU is good enough to play games (although it wouldn't hurt to try and find a slightly faster core 2 duo CPU), what matters is getting a graphics card.
EDIT: forgot to mention, also check your power supply. If it's under 300W, you will probably want to upgrade it if you're going to add a graphics card.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

You've not mentioned the name of you IGP, only the motherboard chipset. Either way, it's easy to guess that your IGP doesn't have a chance of playing the games you want to play.

Solution? Get a graphics card. Check inside your case to see whether your motherboard uses AGP or PCIe for it's primary graphics, then get a compatible graphics card. Chances are it's PCIe so look into your budget and get the best graphics card you can. The CPU is good enough to play games (although it wouldn't hurt to try and find a slightly faster core 2 duo CPU), what matters is getting a graphics card.
EDIT: forgot to mention, also check your power supply. If it's under 300W, you will probably want to upgrade it if you're going to add a graphics card.

Well I don't know how to find IGP(integrated graphics processor) but this Link might be useful.
It has a PCI-e slot coz I used nvidia 8400gs card.
As for the PSU it is 450W.
If anything needed please post

 

[Originality]

The link you gave tells me it has Intel GMA 3100, so I was right in guessing it can't play borderlands (GMA 4500HD would be the minimum). So, as I said, look for a graphics card to fit your budget. It's not PCIe 2.0 so it can't take full advantage of modern graphics cards, but any graphics card will still work with it and let you play those games you've been wanting to play. For example, try looking for a HD6650 or a GT 440. IIRC, they're around $100 or slightly less. Your county has it's own Market, so just have a look for graphics cards you can afford.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

The link you gave tells me it has Intel GMA 3100, so I was right in guessing it can't play borderlands (GMA 4500HD would be the minimum). So, as I said, look for a graphics card to fit your budget. It's not PCIe 2.0 so it can't take full advantage of modern graphics cards, but any graphics card will still work with it and let you play those games you've been wanting to play. For example, try looking for a HD6650 or a GT 440. IIRC, they're around $100 or slightly less. Your county has it's own Market, so just have a look for graphics cards you can afford.

Thanks for that.
I just phone them and asked the prices.
They suggested 9600 GT.
any better card than this one with same price or less?


BTW-This happens when i plug in my old graphics card(8400gs).

you can't see there,but there are yellow lining on the desktop.

 

[Originality]

If the yellow lines appear only for that graphics card, then it's either a pin or two from the VGA port (I'm assuming) that's damaged or missing, or the GPU that has something wrong with it. A new graphics card shouldn't have that problem.

The nVidia 9 series is basically the same as the 8 series, and the 9600 would be their mid-ranged model. It should be fine for playing games on mid/low settings, despite how old it is. You might want to try getting a newer graphics card if you can afford it, such as AMD HD5 series or nVidia GT 4 series.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

If the yellow lines appear only for that graphics card, then it's either a pin or two from the VGA port (I'm assuming) that's damaged or missing, or the GPU that has something wrong with it. A new graphics card shouldn't have that problem.

The nVidia 9 series is basically the same as the 8 series, and the 9600 would be their mid-ranged model. It should be fine for playing games on mid/low settings, despite how old it is. You might want to try getting a newer graphics card if you can afford it, such as AMD HD5 series or nVidia GT 4 series.

Just saw that Radeon Hd 5750 and Radeon HD 6550 are in the budget.
Which one is better?

EDIT:-Is there any need of upgrading processor?

 

[Originality]

The lower-mid ranged HD6 cards are pretty much rebranded versions of the HD6 cards, so I would say the HD5750 is better. Honestly I don't keep track with the lower end, since most people ask me about the higher end instead.
EDIT: The HD5750 is a bit weaker than my HD4870, which was top end at its time. When it comes to gaming, that basically means it won't have any trouble in any game (even Crysis).

For the CPU, you shouldn't need to upgrade it straight away. The reqs for the games aim for Pentium 4, and Core 2 Duo is a lot more powerful than Pentium was. Also games (at least FPSs) are not CPU dependant but GPU dependant. At some point you might want to upgrade to a CPU that's 2.5-3.0Ghz, but what you have is still good enough for gaming.

 

[qlum]

If the yellow lines appear only for that graphics card, then it's either a pin or two from the VGA port (I'm assuming) that's damaged or missing, or the GPU that has something wrong with it. A new graphics card shouldn't have that problem.

The nVidia 9 series is basically the same as the 8 series, and the 9600 would be their mid-ranged model. It should be fine for playing games on mid/low settings, despite how old it is. You might want to try getting a newer graphics card if you can afford it, such as AMD HD5 series or nVidia GT 4 series.

Just saw that Radeon Hd 5750 and Radeon HD 6550 are in the budget.
Which one is better?

EDIT:-Is there any need of upgrading processor?

for now just upgrade the gpu you can upgrade the cpu but you will most likely end up with an dual core with just 1ghz more tops for around 60€ or buy an overpriced old architecture quad core the cheapest one is still 120€ or you have to replace your motherboard and (ram if you choose a newer mobo that uses ddr3 ram instead of ddr2) (I base myself on dutch prices)
and the one you have now should be able to at least run most modern games (not all)
as for the gpu the 5750 is clearly a lot better than the 6550 and will do fine considering the rest of your system. if the 5770 isn't more expensive than the 5750 you should buy it (in holland they are around the same price)
generally with amd cards the higher the first number the newer and the higher the rest the better.
one other thing you may run into is the power supply as upgrading usually means that your system is gonna use more power and your psu may just not be able to supply enough.

 

[FireGrey]

Sounds like your computer is good enough, i would wait.

 

[Krystik]

Everything sounds fine but I would get a new graphics card. On board graphics are okay but can be limited in regards to support with games.

Or you could get a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 or a Wii to play games - easier due not having to upgrade every time the next big thing comes out.

All you have to do is pay for games with a console, if you prefer keyboard and mouse play you can get adapters for consoles, (I have a friend that plays halo with a keyboard and mouse). Online play can be expensive but there are other FREE options out there e.g. xbconnect, xlink kai etc.

With PC's you need to pay for games and new hardware or will have to buy a entire new PC when the next best thing comes out.

Ultimately in the end it is up too you to decide... so use that free will of yours

 

[Originality]

Re: AMD model numbers; For the AMD HD series up to and including HD5, the HD x870 has been the top end, x670 the mid-ranged, and the x470 the budget range. Within that, xx70 has full spec, xx50 is cut down (to cut down costs by disabling some of the stream processors), and xx30 is rereleased cut down (basically by recycling over tech to get prices even lower). With the HD6 series, the 6870 and 6850 are considered mid-ranged (they're mostly the same as the HD5 equivolents with no new technology, just tweaks) whilst the HD6970 and 6950 feature the new technology and are considered high-end. In terms of costower value, it's pretty much a straight line in terms of scale from their budget options to their flagship models - the more you pay, the better it is.

That information is not totally accurate, because whoever came up with the numbering scheme for AMD couldn't stick to it all the time, which gives reviews a headache for trying to understand exactly where in the scale each model belongs. Still, the end result is the same - the more you pay, the better it is.

Re: "onboard graphics are okay"... I don't agree. Onboard graphics are a fallback option for those who have no graphical needs beyond watching YouTube or BBC iPlayer or their equivolents. For gaming, onboard graphics are never sufficient (Intel HD graphics exempt) for playing games released in the same year. The rule of thumb has always been; if you're playing games on a computer or doing graphical work (image editing, video editing, modelling, animation or rendering), you need a graphics card... and usually, you need a good graphics card. Of course, what you get depends on your budget.

Re: "or you could get [insert console name] to play games"... not all games are on consoles that you can play on PC (strategy games for instance), and not all PC games are on consoles. Particularly, Wii and PC have no games in common. Moreover, consoles are not designed to use keyboard/mouse as a primary input (or rather, games are designed for controllers).

There are many other points I could make about consoles vs PC, but I don't want to spark an off-topic fan-war. In this case, the OP wants a graphics card to play his PC games, and probably doesn't have the budget for an Xbox 360 or a PS3. Focus on that.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

OK.
So am I getting correct?
The higher the price of graphics card,the better the performance.
And as for my budget I currently have Rs 10,000(approx. 212$).
I said I have,I'm not willing to spend all my money only on one thing.
The thing I can do for sure is ask my parents for 100$ for GPU + 100$ from my pocket.
OR
Save money for now and wait for price cut-down/festivals coming near?

EDIT:-Can I get the GPU on with cover on it

.

 

[Originality]

It's not entirely true that the more expensive the graphics card (e.g. the Project MARS cards that cost $2000 each IIRC), the better it is... but generally speaking that's how it is. Sub-$70 graphics tends to be trash, $100-180 tends to be the mid-range, and $200+ tends to be the high end stuff that'll last years. There's also things like factory overclocks and custom cooling that adds to the price (and subsequently performance) of a graphics card.

Whether a graphics card comes with a cover/shroud on it or not depends entirely on the company that made it.

If you want to play games sooner (rather than wait for the sales), you should get a graphics card that's as high up the scale as you want to afford. At around the $150 mark, you can get a GTX 460, GTX 550, HD 5790 or a HD 6850 (based off newegg, give or take $10). There's a link floating around in one of these threads for graphics cards comparisons (I'm too lazy to fish it out) but any of these should be more than enough to play your games at the highest settings, and more modern games at mid-high settings.