Resolved - Building a PC

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

Name: Tim Brown

Rank: GySgt

Type of issue: hardware mostly

Brief Description of Issue: SO, I want to upgrade my computer. I BELIEVE the main bottleneck is the integrated Intel graphics, but I'd like get the opinion of some of our hardware guys on what they think I should do. The specs to this box are as follows:

Machine name: FUNKBEAST5000 (lol I like my name, shuttup)

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1

System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.

System Model: Inspiron 580s

BIOS: Default System BIOS

Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz

Memory: 6144MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 5944MB RAM

Page File: 3230MB used, 8653MB available

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

and of course, integrated intel stuff:

Card name: Intel® HD Graphics

Manufacturer: Intel Corporation

Chip type: Intel® HD Graphics (Core i3)

DAC type: Internal

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0042&SUBSYS_04381028&REV_18

Display Memory: 1696 MB

Dedicated Memory: 64 MB

Shared Memory: 1632 MB

Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor

Monitor Model: DELL IN2020M

Monitor Id: DELF029

And finally, here's a quick report from Everest that might have info I forgot:

BIOS Unknown

Monitor DELF029: Generic PnP Monitor [NoDB]

Motherboard Unknown

PCI/AGP 14E4-1691: Broadcom NetLink ™ Gigabit Ethernet [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-0040: Intel® processor DRAM Controller - 0040 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-0042: Intel® HD Graphics [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-244E: Intel® 82801 PCI Bridge - 244E [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B08: Intel® H57 Express Chipset LPC Interface Controller - 3B08 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B20: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller - 3B20 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B30: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller - 3B30 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B34: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3B34 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B3C: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3B3C [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B42: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 - 3B42 [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B4C: Intel® 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 6 - 3B4C [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B56: High Definition Audio Controller [NoDB]

PCI/AGP 8086-3B64: Intel® Management Engine Interface [NoDB]

CPU Properties:

CPU Type 2x , 3200 MHz

Instruction Set x86, x86-64, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3

Original Clock 3200 MHz

L1 Data Cache 32 KB

L2 Cache 256 KB (On-Die, ATC, Full-Speed)

Multi CPU:

CPU #0 Intel® Core™ i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz, 3192 MHz

CPU #1 Intel® Core™ i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz, 3192 MHz

CPU #2 Intel® Core™ i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz, 3192 MHz

CPU #3 Intel® Core™ i3 CPU 550 @ 3.20GHz, 3192 MHz

CPU Utilization:

CPU #1 / Core #1 / HTT Unit #1 0 %

CPU #1 / Core #1 / HTT Unit #2 69 %

CPU #1 / Core #2 / HTT Unit #1 0 %

CPU #1 / Core #2 / HTT Unit #2 54 %

Now, I've been told in the past that I can get a high-end graphics card and put that in there and everything should be fine. HOWEVER, the case is SUPER slim and from what I researched when I got it (about 6 months ago), no good cards would even fit.

SO, is it possible for me to buy a new case and graphics card and then put it all in a new case? Is there something else I need to upgrade? Money is of no real concern with this; I need the best I can do.

The other option is just buying all new stuff and building it.

What are some suggestions from those of us with hardware knowledge? Can I get a new card and case and build it up out of what I already have? Or do I need to upgrade other things? Is there more info you might need? (this is just the dxdiag info). Help me out here brothers/sisters, I'm tired of not being able to play any other game but DOD:S. I mean, Photoshop won't even run properly on this thing.

***Medical Supply Staff ONLY Below this line***

Current Status: (Researching, Pending Reply, Resolved, Unresolved)

Main Technician:

Supporting Technician:

[Arevicci]

I recommend the Radeon 2GB 7850 or the GTX 560 ti 2GB

Here's the difference between the two

Here's a bf3 benchmark for the 560 ti

Here's a bf3 benchmark for the Radeon 7850 2gb

Edited June 21, 2013 by Arevicci 1st MRB

[Lafy BAR]

If you wanted to make it very simple, you would need to get a low profile video card, the best one available is very difficult to buy, it's an AFOX radeon hd 7850 low profile that is not marketed in north america, around $300 if you can get it, which is quite the rip off. Best thing that's easily purchased is quite a bit worse, VisionTek Radeon HD 7750 for around $150.

If you want a full size video card, than as you suggested a new case would be in order. The only other part you would have to replace is the power supply, since that power supply won't fit the screw holes on a regular width case. Since you have a microATX (4 slot) motherboard, you could get a microATX case, or you could go with a regular (7 or 8 slot) ATX case and basically any decent brand power supply. Then you have the full range of video cards to choose from. With no idea of budget I can't recommend a specific card other than to say that GTX 780 gets insane benchmark scores for $650

If you wanted to upgrade your CPU (it could use it), the best you can do with your motherboard is an i5 760, which is about a 32% increase in performance and would set you back about $200. If you get a new motherboard, then you could get an i5 4670k or something similar for $240 and it would be a 160% increase.

At that point, new case, power supply, motherboard, cpu, video card all you'd need is ram and a hard drive to call it a whole new computer and forget about taking your current one apart. You can get 16GB of ram for around $120, or 8GB for half that... an SSD is around $1/GB or you can pick up some huge-ish hard drive for $75-100 or both.

I haven't recommended a motherboard yet, again it depends on budget and what CPU you're interested in. If you have brand tastes or interests in things like overclocking or trying to get a deal then there's about a thousand different ways to spec the upgrade.

Find me on vent to discuss if you like

[T. Graves]

Personally I have a GTX 560 Ti 2gb Super Over-Clocked, and it is bomb diggity. I prefer Nvidia/PnY over any other gfx card manufacturer. That's honestly all you really need to upgrade on your PC, your CPU, and RAM is all at a good level. To answer your other question Brown, since your PC is out of the box you cannot get another case and swap it over because your mother board will most likely not fasten to any other cases. You could however get a new mother board, CPU, gfx card, and take the majority of your parts out of your current PC and turn it into a franken build. Your old mother board, and cpu will be of no use, but everything else can most likely be implemented like power supply, hard drive, etc. I'd just slap a nice gfx card in that PC you already have.

Edited June 21, 2013 by T. Graves 1st MRB

[Lafy BAR]

Personally I have a GTX 560 Ti 2gb Super Over-Clocked, and it is bomb diggity. I prefer Nvidia/PnY over any other gfx card manufacturer. That's honestly all you really need to upgrade on your PC, your CPU, and RAM is all at a good level. To answer your other question Brown, since your PC is out of the box you cannot get another case and swap it over because your mother board will most likely not fasten to any other cases. You could however get a new mother board, CPU, gfx card, and take the majority of your parts out of your current PC and turn it into a franken build. Your old mother board, and cpu will be of no use, but everything else can most likely be implemented like power supply, hard drive, etc. I'd just slap a nice gfx card in that PC you already have.

Please research before posting random statements in the medical supply. Brown's PC has a microATX motherboard not a custom dell form factor. And if you read his entire post you would have found that he has a low profile case which severely limits his "just slap a nice gfx card in that PC" options.

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

Sorry I never commented on this before, totally slipped my mind. I'll be buying some of the suggested parts and working my way up with a friend of mine who is also building a PC himself. We're going to familiarize ourselves with the stuff as we go, so I'll probably be posting again when/if I run into problems.

Thanks for the help Lafy/Graves/Arevicci you rage quitter!

Edited July 7, 2013 by T. Brown 1st MRB