Gaming What should I upgrade?

[Zenith94]

So I just started playing some pc games and some of them out their are pretty demanding, so I think its time for an upgrade. Here are my pc specs:

Windows 7 Ultimate
32-bit Operating System
Intel Core™2 Duo CPU E8300 @ 2.83GHz 2.83 GHz
3.00 GB (RAM)
ATI Radeon HD 2400
Intel 8256V-2 10/100 Network Connection

So what do you guys recommend?

 

[Cermage]

how much are you willing to spend?

cpu is fine for now, i'd go the graphics card. either a HD5770 (150-160+) or a GTS250 (100~)

 

[Deleted User]

The processor need upgrading. Try getting a quad-core processor like a Intel® Core™ i7 or Intel® Core™2 Quad.

 

[timmyisme22]

The CPU is fine for now, but try upgrading the GPU as radiant said. You should see a nice boost from that.

Also, check to see if your motherboard can handle faster RAM and if so, upgrade the speed and quantity to 4gigs. Otherwise, just buy another gig and you should see a nice boost all around with the GPU.

 

[Joe88]

The CPU is fine for now, but try upgrading the GPU as radiant said. You should see a nice boost from that.

Also, check to see if your motherboard can handle faster RAM and if so, upgrade the speed and quantity to 4gigs. Otherwise, just buy another gig and you should see a nice boost all around with the GPU.

another GB of ram would be pointless
he has a 32bit operating system which would generally recognize up to 3.25GB only not matter how much more was added

anyway to the point
cpu is fine and so are other components

obviously downfall if gfx card
so upgrade and you should be good

you can get a nice 4850 for around $100

 

[kylehaas]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

 

[Lee79]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

 

[Scorpei]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

Overclocking can damage the CPU, this you should know. I do agree however, that the CPU is more then up to the task (personally running an e4500 @ 3GHz and a HD5770) but the GPU is a better choice in upgrading.

Agreed however that he e8300 should overclock quite nicely with at least a good FSB overclock and probably a core clock of around 3,6Gzhz (however naturally no guarentees).

 

[Zenith94]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

Well is there a guide for overclocking a E8300?

 

[Lee79]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

Well is there a guide for overclocking a E8300?

Try this guide to start with
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/497993...d-core-2-a.html

and here is links to some more and Intel CPU information.
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/225371...ted-guides.html

 

[Zenith94]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

Well is there a guide for overclocking a E8300?

Try this guide to start with
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/497993...d-core-2-a.html

and here is links to some more and Intel CPU information.
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/225371...ted-guides.html

Before I read into this, do you think overclocking an Intel 2 Core Duo E8300 @ 2.83 GHz would be safe? And how high of GHz should I go?

 

[Lee79]

As people have already said, your CPU is fine.
I have a 3.8ghz pentium 4 and I can handle everything on highest quality, even Crysis.
Your dual core should perform just as well or better.

Just spend some money on a graphics card. I recently got a HD4850 for 80$ at Newegg.com...
Just search around for a good deal and make sure your powersupply can handle it.

This and overclock your CPU if you can will give you a nice boost my friend has got a E8400 and I just up'd the FSB from 333 to 400 to overclock it to 3.6ghz and it plays games very well.

Well is there a guide for overclocking a E8300?

Try this guide to start with
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/497993...d-core-2-a.html

and here is links to some more and Intel CPU information.
http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/225371...ted-guides.html

Before I read into this, do you think overclocking an Intel 2 Core Duo E8300 @ 2.83 GHz would be safe? And how high of GHz should I go?

It depends on what your PC system is like PSU make/voltage/Wattage, what model Motherboard and RAM you have and what sort of cooling you have on the CPU and Case?

Found another link with people that have overclocked that chip try asking on there you should get lots of help from people who have that chip and experiance.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=190564

 

[Zenith94]

Well I don't really know where to find that info but here is my info from SpeedFan:

Spoiler

I also found this program called EVEREST that gives some overclocking info:

Spoiler

If I increase the CPU multiplier to 10x, wouldn't that put me at like 3.14 GHz? I could just do that its better than 2.83.

 

[Scorpei]

Stop what you are doing. Don't overclock, try such things on a test system of little value and learn how and what on there, you clearly do not know what you are doing. Simply replace / add a graphics card and be done with it. You will get more gain in speed in games from that anyway.

 

[Cermage]

^lol.

the only way you can really damage a processor during an overclock is if you put some stupid value in for vcore. just mess with the fsb and multi for now if you really want to o/c. but yeah, you'll see a bigger increase in performance if you get the card than overclocking your current proc.

 

[Scorpei]

^lol.

the only way you can really damage a processor during an overclock is if you put some stupid value in for vcore. just mess with the fsb and multi for now if you really want to o/c. but yeah, you'll see a bigger increase in performance if you get the card than overclocking your current proc.

If you feel like playing with the OC regardless, please do take the V settings off off auto (as the board will increase it whenever you increase FSB or core speed).

 

[BoxShot]

I'd go for with updating the graphics card first. I also second Joe's suggestion of getting a 4850 for about $100 or so. That graphics card is killing gaming more than the processor.

 

[dilav]

I'd upgrade video card first if its for gaming. keep your hdd defragged, one of the slowest things in most computer nowadays.

 

[Cermage]

he's got 7, by default its set to defrag daily.

 

[Zenith94]

^lol.

the only way you can really damage a processor during an overclock is if you put some stupid value in for vcore. just mess with the fsb and multi for now if you really want to o/c. but yeah, you'll see a bigger increase in performance if you get the card than overclocking your current proc.

Anyway, so should I overclock it to 10x? That would increase it to like 3.13ghz which is much better than 2.83. But would it affect both cores?