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Hoping you guys can help me with my pc....
lostwhisper
Member Posts: 7
So i got this computer a few months ago for about 800$. So far it's been playing all my games great but really want to play FF XIV when it comes out. I tried the benchmark and got a score in the 1700's on low res, needless to say i was dispappointed lol. These are my specs:
Manufacturer: Acer
Model: Aspire M5811
Processor: Intel Core i5 CPU 650 @ ; 3.20GHZ 3.20GHz
Installed memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
64-bit operating system
GeForce GT 320
Total Available Graphics Memory 4095 MB
Dedicated Video Memory 1024 MB
I really don't know much about computer hardware so just wanted to put as much info as possible.
What i'd like to know is: Is my computer worth upgrading and if so, what needs to be done. Or am i better off getting a PS3 lol. Thanks a lot for your imput guys.
I should also add that if possible i'd like to run the game as well as possible to resemble the graphics in the benchmark.
Comments
You have a pretty solid computer on all acounts except the GPU which is a low end card in the 300 series.
All you would need to do is upgrade your video card and you'll be able to play FF14 in highres no probs try getting Nvidia gforce 470 or a Ati HD 5830 or 5850!
Which requires a free PCI-e16 slot... and a 5750 will do just great and be a lot cheeper but it should earn you a score of above 3000 in the benchmark on Low settings
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Ditto, Your pc looks good besides the GPU. I would suggest these on the nvidia side cards and some one can probably list some ati cards since I'm not to familar with them. From cheapest to the highest.
GTXS 250
GTX 260
GTX 275
GTX 475
GTX 285
GTX 470
GTX 480
The first thing you should do is:
1. Open your computer case and do a visual inspection of the inside.
things you need to look for is the pcie slot where your current vid card is, is there room for a double wide(2) slot card ?
Measure the length of the current card and see how much additional room you have. Some cards are very long and may not fit in your case. Do you have room for a vidoe card that takes up 2 slots? Measure twice install once rule.
While your in there check your power supply. How much, in watts does it put out, does it have the needed cables/connectors
ie:(2) 6 pin or 8pin connectors. Most of the high end cards require additional power and your budget box probally doesn't have what you will need. I have seen more arguements over how much power you need than there should be. So please don't everyone blast me for my opinions.
My rule is buy the highest quality power supply you can, from the most reputable manufacturer you believe in. Power supplies are rated for efficiency now, so gold is best followed by silver and then bronze. Price doesn't mean quality but the better manufacturers seems to cost more. You get what you pay for!
For your system single video card, single harddrive and a few fans, I would get a 700 to 750 watt power supply at the same time you buy your video card. Maybe over kill but having more power is not a bad thing. Card of preference now is the Ati 5850 or the 5870.
One thing about a quality power supply, you can move it from computer to computer as you rebuild your system over the next few years.
It's also worth mentioning that a quality monitor, case, cooling system, CD/DVD drive, and HD are re-usable as well.
When you upgrade that leaves CPU, GPU, and MB.
Though with SATAIII out now I wish I had the funds to invest in a faster HD. That can boost performance for a PC more than anything else, especially when loading more data than your RAM can buffer.
Thanks a lot for your input guys. And Tallic234, i'll do what you suggested and check inside my pc. Good to know my pc has potential, or else i'd have gotten a PS3 to play FF XIV but from what i've read that version only comes out in March next year.
The official benchmark is bugged to.
Your rig as is will play it with a mix of high and medium settings easy.
I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.
As for my video card i've inserted a pic to make it easier for you guys to help me.
My only other question is: is the video card and power supply (if needed) something i can change myself or should i seek the help of someone more competent with computers? lol
@eburn, i hope you're right, in case the upgrades are too pricey i could always get the game and see how it plays and in the meantime save up.
God it's been a while since I built a PC, so I might be wrong.
It looks like you only have a slot for 1 card, BUT, you have plenty of room. It looks nice and clean too, bravo.
Other than the GPU I'd seriously not worry. Your rig looks great. Only things that I would double check to be absolutely sure (especially if upgrading your GPU) is PSU and cooling. Your PSU looks a tad on the lower end, so maybe look into that (what is the manufacturer?). Are you overclocking at all? That can help too.
I'll be building a rig very, very similar to yours when FFXIV comes out, so it better work! Haha.
Well to put things in perspective I got a laptop with 4 gigs of DDR3 ram, a pcie 9800 gts vid card, just a Cord duo 2.3 processor and really a nice quick mobo and harddrive and was banking it at 2800.
Where as SLI machines double all of that hit the mid 1500s.
I think it's a known issue. I say mid Aug. download the benchmark again and see what it tells you. Heard word also some of the PS3 stablization will make it's way over to the PC version and will held mid-range machines keep it pretty.
I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.
I would only add two things for now:
Power supply (ULTRA LSP750 @ $69.99, FS)
and GPU (GeForce GTX 260 @ $204.99 / $184.99 after MIR, FS)
That's 250 bucks and you'll get some good looking FFXIV. Alternatively, if you have an HD television and don't already have a blu-ray player or upconvert dvd player, the PS3 might not be a bad idea. Food for thought.
Thanks for the suggestions Pinchfist. Will look into those two things. Definately would prefer to improve my pc since there are other games i'm looking forward to, like Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3. Although i'm sure my pc will be able to handle those no problem, a little more power never hurts. Thanks a lot for the positive feedback guys. Been looking at the forums here for years and this is my first thread, so was afraid i'd get a lot of smart ass replies like i see so often here.
I wouldn't even bother to upgrade your PC until after you have been able to download the game and try it out. If you have problems then, you should upgrade. I really don't think you will notice any problems though with what you have.
--------
"Chemistry: 'We do stuff in lab that would be a felony in your garage.'"
The most awesomest after school special T-shirt:
Front: UNO Chemistry Club
Back: /\OH --> Bad Decisions
I do like the specs on the 260 for the price.
I kill other players because they're smarter than AI, sometimes.