Curse

gwfan121 · Dec 18, 2006, 05:37 PM // 17:37

I'm very interested in playing Guild Wars but with my computer I never know what to expect with any new game I want to play. My computer specs are as follows :

P4 1.50 GHz
768 MB PC133 SDRAM (3 256mb)
Intel Havre D845HV motherboard (no longer manufactured or suppored by intel)
Geforce 2 MX 200 32mb AGP

Now this computer is very weird. I can play WoW with all the settings turned down as low as they can go at 640x480 res and get like 15-20 fps. But I can play Anarchy online and get like 5 fps with everything on medium. If you look at Anarchy onlines system req it's EXTREMLY low. You only need like 300 Mhz cpu and 16 mb vid card. But I have to turn all the settings down and the put the res at 640x480 to get 20 fps in Anarchy online. (and thats in a non populated area).

When I got this computer from a relative (they upgraded and gave me their old one) I thought I would pretty much be able to be able to run any game. But this isnt the case at all...So now I want to upgrade to be able to play guild wars with atleast 40 fps with medium to low settings.

Im looking into getting this video card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814139158

Will this be good enough for the framerate I'm trying to get in Guildwars?

If I could get a totally new computer I would. Maybe get one of these..
http://www.digitalstormonline.com/gaming.asp?from=652&gclid=CJS7lq_FnIkCFRMWFQodtVIx WA

But the prices are just so far from what I can afford so I'm just trying to upgrade parts on the computer I have.

*EDIT* I have also been doing research trying to see whats the fastest processor that will go on my motherboard. I'm looking for 2.0 GHz and up. But I haven't been succesfull in finding any. So if anyone knows of any let me know.

MegaMouse · Dec 18, 2006, 08:41 PM // 20:41

With a bios update your motherboard should be able to handle durn near any of the older processors from 1.5ghz to 3.6ghz if it can handle hyperthreading (it should I have used that board in the past). The 845 mobo's are not realy that old but just discontinued. You should be able to upgrade this computer a lot so just stick with it and go shopping. My suggestion is to get a cpu in the range of 2.0 -2.8 ghz due to the heat generated by the higher clocked ones, the video card upgrade should be a high priority just get one that has 128 megs of ram, and upgrade the system ram to1 gig,that should help out.

Mega Mouse

gwfan121 · Dec 18, 2006, 09:31 PM // 21:31

Wow thanks for the info. I'm kinda of a newb when it comes to computer parts and stuff though. The most I have ever done on my own was swap vid cards and put in memory. How would I go about updating the bios to support a 2.4 Ghz processor for example?

I found a 2.8 GHz processor with no hyperthreading support. If my board supports hyperthreading would that be a problem?

BFG · Dec 18, 2006, 11:39 PM // 23:39

While a lot falls to budget when upgrading, I would first suggest upgrading that motherboard. No matter what processor you upgrade with, you'll still be choked by the RAM.

Realistically, your upgrade will not be cheap in the long run. However, you can do what I call a "piece upgrade" and replace improved parts over time. Your first upgrade can be the graphics card. You will see a moderate improvement in gameplay almost immediately from that. Next, go for the CPU and buy a "retail" version so that you get the heatsink and fan with the processor. This item won't show a substantial improvement immediately, but remember that you're upgrading over time. Later, go for the motherboard and RAM. This will be a noticeable performance upgrade since you will have a MB that not only supports RAM that will match the FSB (Front Side Bus) of your CPU, but will have an 8X AGP slot to place your previously purchased video card into.

This is only my 2 cents worth and I'm just elaborating upon what was said my MegaMouse. You don't have to go big to have good performance out of your machine, unless you really want to.

gwfan121 · Dec 19, 2006, 01:54 AM // 01:54

Is there a difference between 2x/4x and 4x/8x AGP cards?

Do i have to have a 4x/8x agp slot to have a 4x/8x card? If so...how do I tell which AGP type I have?

BFG · Dec 19, 2006, 04:08 AM // 04:08

Something to explain how AGP transfer works:

Quote:

It simply reffers to the rate 3D textures and 3D vertex info can be transferred back and forth from system memory to video memory, if the memory on the card could not hold all the data.

Imagine a simple sine wave.
In the begining of AGP, information was transferred only during the rising edge of the signal. AGP 1x
Then they found they could transfer data at both the rising AND falling edges of the signal. AGP 2x
THEN they discovered they could also use the peaks and valleys to transfer data. AGP 4x
Then came DDR. DUAL DATA. Double it. AGP 8x

Basically, you should get good performance from 4X AGP card. You shouldn't have a problem with saturating the 4X bus, with your main limting factor in the transfer being the main system bus. Any latency advantage you would gain with 8X AGP is negligible when looking at the rest of the system in its current build.

erick5876 · Dec 19, 2006, 06:13 AM // 06:13

If you plan on upgrading the mobo, don't skimp and get a graphics card early. Buy the mobo that fits the graphics card you want. Why settle for AGP 8x when you can get PCI Express x16?

Just make sure that mobo also supports the processor and Ram you have in mind too.

Building a new PC can actually be very very cheap. Especially right now, with all the Christmas deals. Check sites like newegg.com or tigerdirect.com for awesome holiday deals. Also, you might check out TigerDirect's guide for some extra help.

If starting from scratch still scares you, start with a barebones kit like this one. That's $155 before rebates, and is only lacking a processor & heatsink, and ram to be a working system. You can then add any other components you wish.

MegaMouse · Dec 19, 2006, 07:32 AM // 07:32

Lots of good advice here. If you go the motherboard route first then you will have to replace the cpu and ram at the same time and even the graphics card. As eric says there are some great deals to be had out there so have fun shopping. Go for the package deals as they seem to be the ones with the most bang for the buck. Also if I am not mistaken the 845 motherboards have an 8X agp slot.

Mega Mouse

Antheus · Dec 19, 2006, 12:31 PM // 12:31

Before buying anything, make sure to check the specs of your motherboard.

http://support.intel.com/support/mot.../cs-008815.htm

Only 1.5V AGP is supported, which means most of currently available graphics cards won't work. It also only supports 4x AGP, so anything above that is wasted, and might not even work.

The highest processor speed supported is 2.6 GHz.

You current graphics card is simply below spec for anything useful. Your low FPS is caused primarily by that, not by the rest of the computer.

If you want to use anything advanced, you will need to upgrade BIOS. This is somewhat of an easy task, but requires some caution, as it can destroy your board.

Long story short, your first and foremost bottleneck is the graphics card.

Also, Anarchy Online has really crappy graphics engine, and should be used to compare anything. WoW is a better comparison. Your current system will run GW, but it'll be hardly playable.

768 Megs of RAM is enough. Not perfect, but enough. Your motherboard only supports PC133 type, so that may, or may not be compatible with new boards.

gwfan121 · Dec 19, 2006, 05:11 PM // 17:11

Thanks you guys! You all have been a great help and now I have an idea of what I want to do.

But I have one more question.

With this card here....http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814139158

Will the voltage work with my board? I don't see the voltage listed under neweggs info for this card but I know it fits with the slot on my MB. Any ideas?

combatchuck · Dec 19, 2006, 06:54 PM // 18:54

To be absolutely honest, I would stick it out with what you've got and save enough money to buy a whole new computer. Last year, I got this computer for about $900:

AMD Athlon X2 3800+
1 GB PC-3200
PNY GeForce 7900 GT
Maxtor 250 GB HDD w/16 MB cache
16x DL DVD-RW drive
Coolermaster Ammo-533

I would imagine this thing would be even cheaper by now. If you were to put up a budget and what you want to do with your computer, I would be willing to spec and price a computer for you.

$500 would get you a computer that can run Guild Wars without any problems.