› ›

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Quick Links

Suggestions for some changes!

ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212
in Hardware

Greetings people :)!

 

Here is my rig:

 

Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 260 Processor (2 CPUs), ~3.2GHz

 

RAM: 4,00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 669MHz

 

ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series (Display Memory: 2424 MB, Dedicated Memory: 1018 MB)

 

Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-880GM-UD2H (Socket M2)

 

 

In games like ArcheAge, Mortal Online I get disconected when I am in crowded places. Generally I play sandbox PvP games and its impossible for me to participate in sieges, massive battles etc.

 

I will change the RAM for sure,but I'll have to go through all the process of formatting, isntalling 64 bit and so on..

 

Also I saved some money and with all these christmas offers I think I might be able to change something else too. Like the GPU or the CPU/Motherboard. I have a maximum budget of 300 $...

 

What do you think? what can I do?

 

Links of stores with RAMS, items you suggest are much appreciated!

 

Thank you in advance!

 

P.S: I dont want to play these MMOs on max graphics, I want to just play them, just not to get disconnected/ freezed while on massive battles.

 

Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)

Comments

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    The CPU here looks like the single biggest bottleneck.

    It's possible to drop a Phenom II X4 CPU in that motherboard, and that would give you a noticable improvement - similar clock speed and 4 cores. That alone may get you to playable in some of those games.

    That would be cheap, especially if you bought used/refurb.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6392983517&cm_re=phenom_x4-_-9SIA6392983517-_-Product

    This is more or less a bandaid - you really ought to start considering an entirely new system.

    The next step beyond that would be a new motherboard+CPU (and Windows license possibly). If you need that Windows license, getting that inside of $300 wouldn't net you much of an upgrade. You could get up to an AMD FX-series quad or hex core with a AMD 970 chipset - the motherboards start around $70US, an FX-6300 is about $100US, and this could be the basis for a new budget system, although I usually recommend not piecemealing a system together, as it ends up costing more in the long run.

    Just an example:
    $70 Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128602&cm_re=AMD_AM3+_motherboard-_-13-128-602-_-Product
    $100 CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286&cm_re=AMD_FX6300-_-19-113-286-_-Product
    $110 WIndows 8.1 Full Download 32 or 64 bit (not OEM, this license will transfer for your next build): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416786&cm_re=Windows_8-_-32-416-786-_-Product
    Which leaves room for tax/shipping. That would be a good jump faster on the CPU, provided you re-used everything else, which could be a good baseline to upgrade the RAM and Video later on when you get a bit more money. ($120US is about the baseline for a graphics upgrade, and then runs all the way up to as much as you care to spend, and 8G or RAM right now is running about $70 US)


    The RAM is older, Ill take you at your word that it's DDR3 (if it's DDR2 the motherboard upgrade won't work without new RAM, which is $40 for 4G replacement), but unless your running 64-bit programs or trying to multibox and just flat running into virtual memory often, I'm not entirely positive that it's what is holding you back. The video card is also older, but upgrading it without addressing the CPU issue won't do you any good, and you don't really have enough budget to do both right now.

    A tight alternative would be to go with an APU, but I don't know that $300 with a Windows license will get you there. The GPU wouldn't necessarily much faster either.

  • jdnewelljdnewell Member UncommonPosts: 2,237

    I would probably upgrade your CPU. To the one Ridlynn linked. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6392983517&cm_re=phenom_x4-_-9SIA6392983517-_-Product

    RAM to this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231308

    GPU to something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127784

    All of these will be within your $300 max budget.

    The CPU, RAM & GPU should help you get playable performance in most games. Just keep in mind that the rest of the computer hardware is aging as well. Sooner or later a new PC will be your only option.

    Another option and one I would recommend is holding on the the $300 and gradually save for a nice new PC. Getting around $800 to build something new would be my suggestion, if you can limp along with the old PC until you can save it.

     

    Here is a link to your motherboard spec.

     http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3475#sp

  • ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212

    Hmm yeah, thank you for your posts, they were really helpful.

     

    Most likely I will buy than AMD phenom II x4 CPU, upgrade the RAM and see if I get disconnected. If I do I'll gather more to buy a new system.

    Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

    Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)
  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385
    Originally posted by Manasu

    Hmm yeah, thank you for your posts, they were really helpful.

     

    Most likely I will buy than AMD phenom II x4 CPU, upgrade the RAM and see if I get disconnected. If I do I'll gather more to buy a new system.

    If you are freezing in large battles so badly that you get disconnected, it sounds like you don't have enough RAM.  Upgrading the CPU won't help.  Your system is being forced to load a lot of textures from the hard drive but there isn't enough RAM to store all of them.  That is causing the operating system to cache some RAM contents to the page file on the hard drive which slows down the computer to a near-freeze.  An upgrade to 8GB of RAM should fix that.  A SSD would also help.  

    Overall, though, your system is fairly old.  You should be planning and budgeting for a new system if you expect to play modern games.  Do you really want to throw a lot more money in your system, or save that money for your next system?

  • ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212
    Also can I use 64 bit OS with that motherboard?
    Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

    Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)
  • CleffyCleffy Member RarePosts: 6,414
    Yes.
  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385
    Originally posted by Manasu
    Also can I use 64 bit OS with that motherboard?

    The 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility is based solely on your processor.  Pretty much every desktop CPU made after 2004 is a 64-bit processor.  The memory limitation of 32-bit (3GB for Windows) would mean every gamer should have a 64-bit OS.

    Don't expect 64-bit computing (or OS) to improve performance.

  • ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212

    At my motherboard site it says "(Note 1) Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than 4 GB."

    So if I use 64 bit and 8 GB, with that motherboard, it will be fine?

    (Yeah, i'm stupid enough...)

    Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

    Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)
  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Originally posted by Manasu
    At my motherboard site it says "(Note 1) Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than 4 GB."So if I use 64 bit and 8 GB, with that motherboard, it will be fine?(Yeah, i'm stupid enough...)

    Yup.

  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385
    Originally posted by Manasu

    At my motherboard site it says "(Note 1) Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than 4 GB."

    So if I use 64 bit and 8 GB, with that motherboard, it will be fine?

    (Yeah, i'm stupid enough...)

    I highlighted the important part.  They put that in the motherboard documentation to prevent people from returning the motherboard when it doesn't show all the memory due to the operating system installed.  Motherboards have absolutely no effect on 64-bit compatibility.

  • ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212

    Greetings again, I need some new help now..

    I got a new CPU, AMD Phenom II x4 955 3,2GHz and a new RAM: GSKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL Ripjaws 8GB (2x4GB).

    Now all I have to do is to remove the old ones and connect these? Do I need to do anything more? I mean like installing new drivers, doing stuff with BIOS etc?

    (Yeah I am not that good with hardware, your help is much needed and appreciated!)

    Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

    Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)
  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385

    I would make only one change at a time.  Start with the RAM because that is most likely to not be an issue.  Make sure your system boots with the RAM and make sure it recognizes all 8GB in the BIOS.

    After the RAM, make sure your motherboard does not need a BIOS update before installing the CPU.  You can find the information on your motherboard manufacturer's web page.  Again, make sure it boots with the new CPU.

    For the video card, it is safest to uninstall the drivers before removing the old card.  You might be fine just swapping it, though.

     

    Have you changed your OS to a 64-bit version?  Without 64-bit, your system won't be able to use more than about 3GB of RAM.

  • ManasuManasu Member UncommonPosts: 212

    Yes I changed the OS to 64-bit and its fine (reads 4 GB now). Also I didn't got a video card...

    Thank you for your reply, will check the motherboard speccs and will add RAM first

    Sandbox MMORPGs that are not very well-known but definitely worth a look:

    Ryzom, Haven and Hearth, Xsyon, The Repopulation, UO private shards, Mortal Online, Darkfall 1 remakes (New Dawn or Rise of Agon), RPG MO, Project Gorgon, EQ: Sanctuary (custom  server)
  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Make sure you seat the heat sink properly on the new CPU - using fresh/new heat sink compound (the new heat sink in the CPU box probably came with either a little tube of the liquid type, or a pad that looks something like double-sided sticky tape - possibly already attached to the new heat sink). Don't try to scrape off the old heat sink compound and reuse it, assume what's left on the old heat sink is still good and reuse it, or not use any at all.

    You can reuse your old cooler if you want, and if it's a beefier style with heat pipes you want to do that. If the old one is the same style as the one that came with your new CPU (stock OEM heat sinks aren't that great, adequate, but not great) just use the newer one since it'll have a new fan on it. Some heat sinks have brackets on the underside of your motherboard, and that would require pulling the entire motherboard out of the case. Just a word of caution if you plan on changing the heat sink (not hard, it's just a half dozen screws, the tedious part is unhooking everything else that is attached to the motherboard and then hooking it back up afterward).

    RAM is just plug and play - although DIMM slots are sometimes tight and you have to push in a lot harder than you otherwise think you should have to.

    There may be some driver updates for your CPU - but it won't be anything major. And as previously suggested, make sure you have the latest BIOS update before you install the CPU - that was good advice.

  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,989

    Reading your motherboard manual while making the changes is a good idea if you've got the manual available. It has often helpful info and pictures.

     
Sign In or Register to comment.