Gaming help with upgrading my computer

[Fluto]

I was playing some games on my pc realized they are really slow
i want to upgrade my pc to a average gaming pc, what should i do? what information do i i give you? How do i find out what information i need to give you about my oc?

 

[omgdaniel]

I was playing some games on my pc realized they are really slow
i want to upgrade my pc to a average gaming pc, what should i do? what information do i i give you? How do i find out what information i need to give you about my oc?

Is it a custom build PC or a pre-built one? If it's a pre-built, the manufacturer and model number should be enough information.

 

[Fluto]

its custom build

 

[FireGrey]

its custom build

Did you build it?

 

[Fluto]

no a friend of mine did
also the pc was build over 5 years ago ... if that helps

 

[Scorpei]

@FireGrey: I doubt it....
====
Rough covering of what a PC is / what parts are usefull for you to know:
# Motherboard
# CPU
# RAM
# PSU
# video (grafics) card
# Hard Drive
(# case)
Italic: possible upgrade (useful and or too outdated to take with you, assuming you can spare the cash)
Bold: stuff you will probably have to upgrade

You could also go the 'cheaper option' which leaves you with less genuine upgrade but also less parts to replace. That would be trying to find some secondhand cheap proc and vid card that fits your system but is better then what you have now.

http://www.aida64.com/ - Poop out some aida info here so people have a clue what your hardware is.

Learn a bit before you carry on along this path. That way you know what info you could give us, instead of us feeding you random info

. Try learning a bit about general PC building and a little about components out there. Also start deciding on a budget (even before you are thinking about certain hardware) and a goal.

 

[Fluto]

Motherboard Name: Epox EP-8RGA+
CPU Type: AMD Athlon XP, 1153 MHz (11.5 x 100)
RAM: 1.5 g
PSU: cant be stuffed checking (on the back it says ac 230)
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce 6200
Hard Drive: 111 and 57 (i have two)
Case: A white one?( jokes) i honestly dont know

 

[Originality]

For the PSU, AC 230 generally refers to the power type it takes in (from the wall), and not what it produces for the PC. Look on the side of it to see if it has a sticker describing the rails/wattage it provides. If it doesn't have any branding (e.g. OCZ, Corsair, Antec, Tagan, etc) then it'll be one of those cheap PSUs that are liable to exploding.

If it's a "white" case, chances are it's one of those old generic steel cases like the one my PentiumII was using. It'll just have a single exhaust fan at the back, if at all.

Anyway, it's clear that it's time for you to upgrade, since you have a budget PC using low-end parts from 5 years ago. Low-end parts usually last 1-2 years before the need to upgrade again, so you've done well considering. The simplest method to improving performance in games is to grab a low/mid-ranged graphics card, but your CPU is very weak too, so that probably needs upgrading.

What's your budget?

EDIT: Might aswell throw in this link: PC Buying Guide. It can answer some questions without me needing to.

 

[Fluto]

i was thinking maybe maximum 400-500 $
i also have a 1t portable hard drive

 

[Originality]

It's possible to get a Core i3 upgrade kit (CPU, 4GB RAM and motherboard) for around $300, although Sandy Bridge boasts a huge improvement in performance. Others would probably recommend getting an AthlonII or PhenomII kit anyway because it's slightly cheaper.

That'd leave you for around $100-200 for the graphics, which can land you a HD5770 or GTX 460 easily, and even leave enough left over for a 500GB HDD.

Look at the link I gave and use it to balance out between the parts you want. You're probably looking for the entry-level computer. Just remember that the most important parts for gaming are the CPU and graphics card. You can go without a new HDD and case if it means getting better parts elsewhere.

 

[Scorpei]

It's possible to get a Core i3 upgrade kit (CPU, 4GB RAM and motherboard) for around $300, although Sandy Bridge boasts a huge improvement in performance. Others would probably recommend getting an AthlonII or PhenomII kit anyway because it's slightly cheaper.

That'd leave you for around $100-200 for the graphics, which can land you a HD5770 or GTX 460 easily, and even leave enough left over for a 500GB HDD.

Look at the link I gave and use it to balance out between the parts you want. You're probably looking for the entry-level computer. Just remember that the most important parts for gaming are the CPU and graphics card. You can go without a new HDD and case if it means getting better parts elsewhere.

I think Fast would agree with me, that a HD (especially one built 5 years ago) is not a luxurious upgrade if you want to play games

. Speeds of discs have increased quite a lot and loading times among other things decrease because of it. The case, as long as it is ATX (probably is) you can simply keep. Personally would recommend the AMD route in this case as the budget would be a better fit but I haven't really watched the i3 prices).

 

[Fluto]

Is this a good upgrade kit?
ebay
I've decided i wouldn't use a quad core

 

[Originality]

"Good"? No. But it's not "bad" either. In the PC buying guide I linked, it's ranked a "Minimum" CPU and a "Destitute" Motherboard. It will probably still be a good upgrade from your current PC, but I can almost guarantee that you'll want another upgrade in the coming year, especially if you're a PC gamer.

On the other hand, I don't trust eBay. That shouldn't affect anything, but I prefer getting it from an actual retailer - you get a warranty that way.

 

[Fluto]

Well its 3.1 ghz better than my 1.1 ghz now
4g ram compared to 1.5g ram
Its over the recomended system requirements for most new games

Also i currently have a geforce 6200 will that work with that motherboard? Because i cant find it anywhere

P.s you do get warrenty from ebay.

 

[Originality]

Quick important point: Speed of AMD chips does not match up to speed of Intel chips. Generally, Intel are ~30% stronger (ergo better in games) than AMD.

nVidia GeForce 6200 is the weakest in the series (aside from the IGP versions), although it does feature Shader Model 3.0. I don't think it'd stand a chance in playing any newer games, but for most of the older games it'd probably get by. There are 2 versions of the 6200, one of which uses AGP (instead of PCI-e). AGP will not work with any modern Motherboard.

That's why I recommended putting $100-200 for a mid-ranged graphics card - it'll be much, much, much more powerful, and let you play any game that doesn't put too much stress on the CPU.

 

[Scorpei]

Well its 3.1 ghz better than my 1.1 ghz now
4g ram compared to 1.5g ram
Its over the recomended system requirements for most new games

Also i currently have a geforce 6200 will that work with that motherboard? Because i cant find it anywhere

P.s you do get warrenty from ebay.

It's a dual core, it's more then a good enough proc seeing how long you have used your Athlon 1.1. 4 gigs ram is more then you will ever need though not extreme (so thats good). It's an okay / good motherboard assuming you can live with mAtx. Not sure what the AU is doing but the price seems okay.

Your 6200 could fit (depends on if it is AGP, PCI or PCI-E) but I doubt it. Besided for ANY gaming you are gonna want something new, bigger and better. The Radeon 3000 on the motherboard (intergrated grafics) is quite a lot better then your 6200 anyway.