Resolved - Computer Noob

[Mullaney]

Name: Kaelee Mullaney

Rank: TSgt.

Type of issue: Hardware

Brief Description of Issue: So basically I need some help and suggestions on what to get to upgrade my computer. What I need to know is what actually needs to be updated and what the options are. If possible, I would like to stay under $200 a part but if it needs to be more then ok. I dont know anything about this stuff.

Here is my computer now:

AMD Phenom II x61045T Processor 2.70 GHz

6GB of RAM

Windows 7 64-bit (and I am SO not upgrading to Windows 8... yuck)

Realtek HD Audio (is that a stock thing or a sound card?) (but it also says I have NVIDIA HD Audio - all I know is the realtek mixer is the one thats active.)

NVIDIA GeForce 310 video card

I also have two hard drives...

So yeah... is that all the information you need??

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

Current Status: Resolved

Researching

Pending Reply

Resolved

Unresolved

Main Technician:

Supporting Technician:

Edited June 9, 2014 by Heresy 1st MRB

[Gearhart 1st MRB]

Motherboard studio xps 7100

[Griswold]

Mullaney look at what you got and I see stuff way out of date. That being said I could help you with pick out parts for a completely new rig if you wanted. I'll throw in a link to a new rig that I plan on building by the end of the summer with most parts under 200 dollars a piece.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FxdCFT

I realize that this might be a little high for your taste but I would be willing to help you work a rig that would best suit you.

[J. Ascencio 1st MRB]

What kind of games are you trying to play?

Also when you play DOD what are your graphic settings at?

[Mullaney]

Mullaney look at what you got and I see stuff way out of date. That being said I could help you with pick out parts for a completely new rig if you wanted. I'll throw in a link to a new rig that I plan on building by the end of the summer with most parts under 200 dollars a piece.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FxdCFT

I realize that this might be a little high for your taste but I would be willing to help you work a rig that would best suit you.

I can probably downgrade a couple things on that list. I dont need a 3TB hard drive right now - I think 1TB would be enough for now.

Can you help me make a list like that with a few downgrades? I would only be able to get one part a month so it would take a while but I want to do it!

What kind of games are you trying to play?

Also when you play DOD what are your graphic settings at?

DOD:S? Hehe. I play all kinds of games... FPS, simulators, etc...

My graphics for DOD:S and CS:S are on high but for the newer games Ive been buying I cant run them unless they are on low and even then it doesnt always play well.

[J. Ascencio 1st MRB]

Okay could you give me the name of a game you reticently bought and we can go from there :0

[Mullaney]

Griswold found me a great option so you can close this topic... thanks guys!

[Holland 1st MRB]

Do you want to buy a computer pre-built, or do you intend to assemble it yourself?

Assuming DIY;

Motherboard: Make sure it has enough peripheral slots for the components you intend to use, as well as for any future expansions you may make. Also, the form factor is important, match with case.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16813132118 - $165 CAD

CPU: Nowadays, price and age are the most important determining factor. Depending on how well equipped you want your build to be, you can use age of the processor (time since it was released) to gauge against others.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819117302 - $203 CAD

Case: Look the availability of cooling. Fan placement. Check the material of the case (steel, plastic, etc.) Make sure the form factor matches that of the motherboard, and it offers enough drive bays for your build.

Suggestion 1 (Style preference) - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16811119213 - $170 CAD

Suggestion 2 (Style preference) - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16811133188 - $230 CAD

Suggestion 3 (Style preference) - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16811352029 - $110 CAD

Memory: GB of RAM. Don't waste your money on anything over 8GB, unless you intend to do server hosting. Don't worry too much about branding here, almost anything will do. A good pricing scheme to look out for is around $10 to $12 per gig. Also, make sure you are purchasing the right type of RAM for your motherboard (SODIMM for laptops, SDRAM for desktops. Check your motherboard for DDR2 or DDR3)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16820231666 - $85 CAD

Hard Drive: The only thing you need to concern yourself with here is storage space. The cache can be ignored completely, most hard drives are either 32 or 64 MB. Never pay extra for a larger HD cache alone. As for RPM, most hard drives you buy will either be 5400 or 7200 RPM. Each has a up and down side, though for general use (gaming), the performance difference between the two is irrelevant. As for the size itself, be every tech persons dream customer, and take the time to clean files from your hard drive once in a while, and 1 TB will do just fine.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16822148840 - $58 CAD

Power Supply: We need to come up with the power requirements of all the components together, factor in potential expansion in the future, and compare that with a potential power supply. In short, the power supply needs to be able to power all the components, nothing more. The linked power supply will power all suggested components in excess.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16817438017 - $130

GPU: Price and age. Similar to the CPU but with a twist. Take a look at the graphics memory. 2GB is a good standard, I wouldn't spend money for 4GB of graphical memory at this time. The bit rate can be ignored, it will be 128, 192, or 256, and since we aren't entering a "who has the ultimate computer components contest", we aren't particularly concerned. The real factor for speed on a GPU is the Ram Speed (GDDR5 is very good).

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16814487024 - $175 CAD

CD/DVD Drive: Nice to have in case you purchase a physical copy of a game or want to burn a disc, and you don't have to do much shopping. Options are few and requirements are even less. Pick one that will look good on the case.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16827135304 - $20 CAD

Grand total starting at $946 CAD depending on choice of suggestions. This is a solid middle-shelf build. It will run any game you throw at it (at varying qualities) today and for the next 3 years minimum.

Edit; Closing topic.

[Heresy 1st MRB]

Thank you Griswold and everyone else who posted. Since Mullaney is good with what Griswold provided I have closed the ticket.