[Xyooj]

The current computer I own at the moment is a HP Pavilion a1210n. I am wondering what I can do to turn it into a pretty good or decent gaming computer since to me it is not built for gaming. I currently play mostly MMORPG games, which at the moment is, Sword of the New World and also Battlefield 2. A site ive gone to is www.crucial.com/ and it tells me I can add up to 4 gigs of RAM. Which I need someone to correct me if I am wrong. I am also trying to buy a 1 tb hard drive for more memory and I am wondering what new video card would be good for my computer. I am currently looking at NVidia graphics card but I do not really know my video card slot. I am currently looking to spend between maybe $400-$900 if not cheaper. Also looking for good sites with good parts for a fairly decent price. Thank you for your time.

[art209]

It is my understanding of this computer that you havel a PCI Express x16 slot for a graphics card. Considering the motherboard chipset, an ATI 1950XT card might be the best bet, available from www.newegg.com for under $200. The computer comes with 512 MB PC3200 DDR memory. I don't know if it"s upgradable to PC6400 DDR2 memory, probably not, but 2 matched modules of 1 GB (2 GB) would be the most I would install as a replacement for what is there.

Art

[techie4fun]

To help you out,
I want computer specs. I'm being lazy today so I am not going online to research for stuff :) What's inside the case?? Download this and list what you have inside your machine:
belarc.com/free_download.html
Another important factor is how fast your processor is. You really can't push or put any quicker hardware in your machine unless your current processor can really support it. Your new PCI-Express Video card won't run unless your processor is fast enough. So, what processor do you have? Is it quick? Will it provide the oomph to fuel new hardware?
What about your current power supply, how big is it?

[jbking]

I think you could run up to 4 GB of RAM though I'd likely suggest 2 as a decent amount unless you are using memory-intensive applications/games. Over at http://www.tomshardware.com there is a "The Best Gaming Graphics Cards For The Money" monthly article that would be useful though don't forget that the size of the case and power supply can be important factors in getting a video card as if it doesn't fit the case then things are somewhat bad while if there isn't enough power for the card that can also cause issues. One other short coming that may become more evident in the future is that it is a single-core CPU and not dual-core or quad-core which is what some games may require down the road if you get into games that require a lot of CPU power.

JB

[Xyooj]

Manufacturer: HP
Part number: EG194AA#ABA ||General||
|Type|Media center|
|Product Form Factor|Tower|
|Width|7.2 in|
|Depth|17 in|
|Height|15 in|
|Weight|24 lbs|
|Localization|English / United States|Processor||
|Type|AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ / 2 GHz|
|Multi-Core processor technology|Dual-Core|
|Installed Qty|1|
|Max processors supported|1|Cache Memory||
|Type|L2 cache|
|Installed Size|1 MB|
|Cache Per Processor|1 MB ( 2 x 512 KB)|Mainboard||
|Chipset type|ATI Radeon Xpress 200|
|Data bus speed|1000 MHz|RAM||
|Installed Size|1 GB / 4 GB(max)|
|Technology|DDR SDRAM|
|Memory speed|400 MHz|
|Memory specification compliance|PC3200|
|RAM form factor|DIMM 184-pin|Storage Controller||
|Type|1 x Serial ATA - Integrated|
|Controller interface type|Serial ATA-150|Storage Controller (2nd)||
|Type|1 x IDE - Integrated|Storage||
|Floppy drive type|None|
|Hard Drive|1 x250 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm|
|Hard Drive (2nd)|None|Optical Storage||
|Type|DVD±RW (+R DL) - IDE|
|CD / DVD read speed|40x (CD) / 16x (DVD)|
|CD / DVD write speed|40x (CD) / 8x (DVD-R) / 16x (DVDR) / 2.4x (DVDR DL)|
|CD / DVD rewrite speed|24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW)|
|Disc Labeling Technology|LightScribe Technology|Optical Storage (2nd)||
|Type|DVD-ROM|
|2nd optical storage read speed|16x|Storage Removable||
|Type|None|Monitor||
|Monitor Type|None.|Graphics Controller||
|Type|Integrated|
|Graphics Processor / Vendor|ATI Radeon Xpress 200|
|Video memory technology|Shared video memory (UMA)|
|Installed Size|256 MB(max)|Audio Output||
|Type|Sound card - Integrated|
|Sound output mode|5.1 channel surround|
|Audio output compliant standards|AC '97|
|Speaker(s)|6, x None|

||Input Device||
|Type|Mouse, Keyboard|Keyboard||
|Keyboard interface|PS/2|Mouse||
|Mouse interface|PS/2|
|Mouse features|Scroll|Audio Input||
|Type|None|Telecom||
|Modem|Fax / modem - Plug-in card|
|Max transfer rate|56 Kbps|
|Protocols & Specifications|K56Flex|Networking||
|Networking|Network adapter - Integrated|
|Data link protocol|Ethernet, Fast Ethernet|Printer||
|Type|None|Expansion / Connectivity||
|Expansion Bays Total (Free)|2 ( 0 ) x Front accessible - 5.25", 1 ( 1 ) x Front accessible - 3.5", 1 ( 0 ) x Internal - 3.5"|
|Expansion Slots Total (Free)|4 ( 2 ) x Memory - DIMM 184-pin, 3 ( 2 ) x PCI, 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x16, 1 ( 0 ) x Processor - Socket 939|
|Interfaces|7 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 2 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire), 1 x Parallel - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP) - 25 pin D-Sub (DB-25), 1 x Keyboard - Generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style), 1 x Mouse - Generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style), 2 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 2 x Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11|Miscellaneous||
|Cables Included|Power cable ( 1pcs.), Phone cable ( 1pcs.)|Power||
|Power device type|Power supply|Operating System / Software||
|OS Provided|Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005|
|Software type|Apple iTunes|Manufacturer Warranty||
|Service & support type|1 year warranty|
|Service & Support Details|Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year, Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year|Card Reader||
|Card reader|9 in 1 card reader|
|Supported flash memory cards|Microdrive, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SmartMedia Card, XD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Pro, CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II|



My power supply is I think 300 watts but im just getting this info from www0.epinions.com/content_216903290500

If there is anything else...just let me know.

[mjd420nova]

Some things that are commonly overlooked in gaming machines but are mostly dependent on the types of games played and the personal preferences of the user. One is a gaming keyboard, most commonly connected via USB. These bunch certain keys together and have additional functions marked on the keycaps. Some games come with clear stick on labels to add to the keycaps. The second is a joystick or driving controler and most commonly connected to a joystick port/MIDI port. Most newer computers today don't have these ports anymore, some are added to sound cards but they've also been left out in the latest cards. They can be bought with available USB options. These can help in adding some functionallity and realistic play.

[Xyooj]

I see where you are coming from about the joystick and such. But the games I play does not required those items except Battlefield 2. The gaming keyboard for me is just a waste for the games I play. But I do see where you are coming from as ive said.

[lilxkid24]

Well if you want easy upgrading, i would definitely get a better graphics cards since your is integrated and maybe 1more gig of ram. If you want a way better gaming computer replace the processor, get 1 gig of ram more, get a video card thats Geforce 8500gt+ or higher.

[TechyGuy]

You def. need to upgrade the GPU, an ATI Radeon X1950 XT is good, so are the GeForce 8600s if you're on a budget. RAM needs to be at least 1GB, if not 2, good RAM makers are Corsair, Mushkin, Kingston, Crucial. You Probably don't need 1TB of HDD, I'd go for 2 Western Digital Caviar 400GB 7200-rpm in a RAID-0 array. Seagate or Hitachi are good HDD makers, as well. Your PSU and mobo might need an upgrade, too. Your CPU needs upgrading, too. On your budget, I'd go for an Atlon 64 X2 5000 Black Edition (2 core) or a Core 2 Duo E6750 or E6600.

[Xyooj]

I was going to get a PNY GeForce 8500 GT for my GPU. I was going to go for 4GB of RAM but people just told me to go with 2GB, so im guessing im going with 2GB right now. Well....the problem is...I cant hook up 3 HDD can I? I have my OS on this current HDD so I might just go for a higher GB HDD than your double 400GB HDD. I am still considering the 1TB because of my household is also using the computer and trying to get a lot of space within my computer. If I get a new CPU, the one you recommended, would it still be compatiable with all the parts I buy? Thank you for your time.

[art209]

If your existing computer has the components as you listed, I don't think it's essential to get a CPU or RAM upgrade to make it gameplay capable. The first step would be a decent video card. The GeForce 8500GT is not very high on the list of video cards, so a faster CPU won't help much for gaming. Go to www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.html for ratings on video cards. There are also articles on this site that list the best values (performance vs cost) for different budgets.

Art

[Xyooj]

I am just trying to make my game more smoother. I am also getting advices from people from my area and also you guys. So what graphic card would you recommend? The PNY GeForce 8500 GT is a DirectX 10 or so what it says. I am just looking for a pretty good card for a decent price and runs great. The RAM I am sure to get an upgrade on. I have 512, but am just using about 448 or around that number so I think an upgrade would be good for me as I think. So you are saying to get a better graphics card? If so then I may look into a 8600 model if I can find it for the price I want. Thank you all for helping me.

[lilxkid24]

the 8800 would be the damn best choice, but if your on budget the 8600 is good too, i use that one and i get good amount of fps in games like counter strike source.

[Xyooj]

If an 8600 model is the one you guys recommend then what is the lowest price I can get? Or can I get an ATI graphics card instead?

[art209]

GeForce 8600GT 256MB = $90, GeForce 8600GTS 256MB = $130, Radeon X1950XT 256 MB = $200, GeForce 8800GTS 256MB = $250. The 8600GTS may be the best value if you are on a budget, and it is DirectX 10 compatible.

[Xyooj]

I need a 512 mb. Sorry about not letting you know. Depending on the price you give me...im trying to get someone to get their father to try to get a discount on it for me. So im just looking for the ones you recommended.

[art209]

"need a 512 mb" Go to www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130291 .

What application/game requires the 512MB video memory? What display resolution will you be running?

[Xyooj]

The game that I want to run more smoothely is "Sword of the New World" Here are the min. and max. requirements for the game.

Minimum:
|CPU:|Pentium III 1GHz|
|OS:|Windows XP, Windows 2000|
|RAM:|512M|
|Graphics:|Geforce4 MX440 (RAM 64MB), ATI Radeon 7000 or better|
|DirectX:|DirectX 9.0c|
|Hard Disk:|6GB Available|
|Internet:|56k or better Internet connection|
Maximum (Recommended):

*_|CPU:|Pentium IV 2GHz|
|OS:|Windows XP, Windows 2000|
|RAM:|1GB|
|Graphics:|Geforce FX5600 or better, ATI Radeon 9550 or better|
|DirectX:|DirectX 9.0c|
|Hard Disk:|6GB Available|
|Internet:|Cable Modem, ADSL, VDSL|
_*



I am wondering if these are good graphics card:

PowerColor Radeon HD 2600PRO Video Card

GigaByte Radeon HD 2600PRO Video Card

Diamond Multimedia Radeon HD 2600PRO Video Card

Sapphire 100218L Radeon HD 2600 XT Video Card

Sapphire 100207L Radeon HD 2600PRO Video Card

I am running the game under 1280x1024 to keep it in a window mode. I hope this clear a few things up for you. If not...just keep asking me questions I guess.

[art209]

From what you published about the game requirements, I see no need for a 512 MB video card. Were you looking at RAM? That's the motherboard memory. Running games at extremely high resolutions is usually the need for large amounts of memory on the video card. Your resolution is not a problem.

You should not have a problem running this game with any of the video cards you listed, with the HD2600XT probably being the best of the bunch.

[Xyooj]

Well...I mean the graphics for the game is awesome so thats the reason why I want to get a better graphics card. I want to turn most of the inside game features to its highest so I can get the most out of the games graphics. I also want the game to run smoother for me and have less lag when I start up. Well...ill talk to my friend about the HD2600XT. Thank you very much. Should I consider buying just a internal or external HDD? What amount would you recommend, cause I am somewhat a serious game player. I download a lot of online games to play. Could you give me your thoughts on this? Thank you very much.