View Full Version : Will this work?
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 01:42 PM
Will these specs work for PS2 or any other game?
•Intel Core i3-2100 processor - 3.10GHz, 3MB L3 Cache
•8GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable to 16GB)
•NVIDIA GeForce GT520 Graphics
With 1GB video memory, DVI, HDMI and VGA capabilities
Thanks for the help. (First post! NC for life!)
Natir
2012-04-10, 01:57 PM
Yes, that should work for PS2 and other games. Is that what your currently have or what your budget allows?
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 02:00 PM
That's what the budget allows! :lol:
Thanks alot! Now I just need to find out a headset and speakers to go with it....
The Desert Fox
2012-04-10, 02:07 PM
Don't know how set you are on that card but for 20 bucks more you can get the XFX - AMD Radeon HD 6670 2GB. Normally 120 on sale for $90, you will probably see a substantial difference. It's what I use and IMO it worked better then the 550ti I got before it. Plus you get the possibility of Eyefinity if you so wish. Then again I don't know too much about the Galaxy series cards.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 02:12 PM
Don't know how set you are on that card but for 20 bucks more you can get the XFX - AMD Radeon HD 6670 2GB. Normally 120 on sale for $90, you will probably see a substantial difference. It's what I use and IMO it worked better then the 550ti I got before it. Plus you get the possibility of Eyefinity if you so wish. Then again I don't know too much about the Galaxy series cards.
I'm a noob when it comes with comps lol. I just need something that'll run PS2, SC2 and EVE. Wish I knew more about comps before I got a Dell Inspiron 3305... (Stupid Intel (R).... Good comp, just not for my needs.)
Natir
2012-04-10, 02:22 PM
Don't know how set you are on that card but for 20 bucks more you can get the XFX - AMD Radeon HD 6670 2GB. Normally 120 on sale for $90, you will probably see a substantial difference. It's what I use and IMO it worked better then the 550ti I got before it. Plus you get the possibility of Eyefinity if you so wish. Then again I don't know too much about the Galaxy series cards.
Both that and the Nvidia card are about the same. The only real difference is the memory. If you really want to see a performance difference, you would have to go a bit higher in the series for that. 8gb memory is really all you need. The i3 should last you long enough. Just know that is more of a budget PC so you may have to set some settings down a tiny bit but it will get the job done.
Fenrys
2012-04-10, 03:19 PM
That graphics card is weak. The GT520 is slower than Intel's current integrated graphics. Intel HD3000 is about 25% faster than GT520 which is about 25% faster than Intel HD2000 which comes with the i3-2100.
If you do go with the i3-2100, your gaming performance will be about the same with a GT520 as with no graphics card at all. You are better off not buying a graphics card until you can afford a better one.
These are the budget cards I would consider:
AMD 6670 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125403) - $70
AMD 6750 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131454) - $80
NVIDIA 450 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127606) - $90
The card from NVIDIA will give you the option of using PhysX to get things like waving grass and other environmental effects, but you may need to turn down some other graphics settings to do so.
Also, do a bit of research before choosing a power supply. Get a quality one. If your power supply fails, it can destroy your motherboard and graphics card. I'd go with an Antec Neo Eco 520C (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030).
Fenrys hit the nail right on the head. GT 520 is just bad. If you are on a limited budget go for one of the cards he is recommending.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:03 PM
Hmm. Let me clarify. I forgot to mention I'm not BUILDING a computer, I'm buying one. I was loading the specs of said computer. Bassically, I wanna buy a computer that has a good card, as I don't know how to replace parts and I also don't wanna destroy the comp itself. I'm just gonna ask again, will these specs atleast be able to run SC2 and PS2? The devs mentioned somewhere that PS2 can run on 5 year old hardware. I could careless about graphics.
You're wrong there. Graphics is the heart of the system for gaming. A 5 year old computer may run PS2, but its going to look and run very badly. So I will say no it will not run PS2. That 520 is already obsolete at running games, you will be in a bad start just by buying that computer right now.
How much money are you spending on this prebuilt?
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:10 PM
You're wrong there. Graphics is the heart of the system for gaming. A 5 year old computer may run PS2, but its going to look and run very badly. So I will say no it will not run PS2. That 520 is already obsolete at running games, you will be in a bad start just by buying that computer right now.
How much money are you spending on this prebuilt?
500 to 600. I dont care about what it looks like. I just want it to run smoothly.
Not caring what it looks like now means you likely will find games unplayable in the next 2 years probably even sooner. Keep in mind new consoles will be coming out by 2013. Current gen of consoles have held PC back quite a bit with the new ones a lot of people with PCs will have to get new ones who game. Just due to the PC ports having far better quality now.
Let me see what I can find for you.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:13 PM
So what would you recommend?
(Ah, okay. I see what Fenry's saying. So, can I ask a computer technition to put the card in?)
Just curious are you really that afraid to build your own computer? I've been doing this, since I was 14. Its not hard at all. You're money goes a lot further buying and putting it together yourself. Especially your budget.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:24 PM
Yes, I am afraid. I saw my grandma take apart her comp and put it back together. I don't want to ruin something that costs alot. I wanted to get the comp I put down beacause it was the cheeper one. AND because a guy on the SC2 Fourm said that these specs are better than AMD.
CyberpowerPC Black Gamer Ultra GUA250 Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core FX-4100 Processor, 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Home Premium This is the one I found after ya said the original one wouldn't work.
Here's the original: CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXi250 Desktop PC with Intel Core i3-2100 Processor, 1TB Hard Drive.
Those are the names, not the specs.
Its really hard to break computer parts. Unless you plan on smashing them on the ground you aren't going to have issues. Have you checked any video guides on youtube? That will show you how easy it is. I highly suggest going with building your own due to how limited the budget is.
A i3 2100 is a better gaming CPU then a FX 4100 too.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:30 PM
Heh, I just remembered. I was only getting a comp for PS2. In the future, my budget will be bigger. I was choosing weak pcs basically because PS2 was the only game i would be playing. Plus a lil bit of some classics. I just need a comp that'll play PS2, THEN I'll get a better comp in the future.
Well you can start with this then just put in a better processor/video card a year or two from now. You can upgrade these after all.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:33 PM
Well you can start with this then just put in a better processor/video card a year or two from now. You can upgrade these after all.
Thanks for the help Goku! So, just to be sure, I can play PS2 with these current specs and upgrade later?
Well not exactly. I mean buying the parts for $600 then upgrading the computer. I'm doing a quick put together right now, so you can compare.
COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227)
Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 500GB HDD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181)
MSI N450GTS-MD1GD3 GeForce GTS 450 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127606)
LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106276)
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 Powersupply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026)
G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424)
BIOSTAR H61MLC LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138340)
Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986)
Total = $596.91
I doubt you are going to find a prebuilt with those specs anywhere for the money. If you were willing to spend another $50 you can get a video card that performs at least 2 times better then the one in there right now.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:47 PM
Well not exactly. I mean buying the parts for $600 then upgrading the computer. I'm doing a quick put together right now, so you can compare.
COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227)
Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 500GB HDD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181)
MSI N450GTS-MD1GD3 GeForce GTS 450 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127606)
LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106276)
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 Powersupply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026)
G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424)
BIOSTAR H61MLC LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138340)
Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986)
Total = $596.91
I doubt you are going to find a prebuilt with those specs anywhere for the money. If you were willing to spend another $50 you can get a video card that performs at least 2 times better then the one in there right now.
So then I just put it together?
And where can I find these?
(Sorry for being a noob.)
Yes you can put that together. Click the links and you can buy the parts from newegg. A comparable system from CyberpowerPC is about $700 not including potential taxes/shipping or anything else they tack on.
If you are serious about doing a build I will go through and make sure you can get the most for your money. That build was to show you what you can have and was done in about 10 minutes.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:53 PM
Dang, I was hoping I could buy from the store. I'll just wait until they show the requirements. Thanks for your help.
Where you live? If there is a Microcenter or Frys around you I bet you can get something for about the same price.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 04:59 PM
FL. I looked it up and it said something about Miami. I'm near there.
NVM. Must be Frys. You want me to do up a build off their site for $600ish? Prices should be the same. Just print it out the build and have a employee help you find everything.
Actually what store is it? I don't see a Frys in FL.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 05:06 PM
I was talking about a Micro center. I don't think there's a Frys in FL. Guess I'll see if that custom PC thing on walmart will work. Hopefully they have good builds.
(Still don't understand why the other guy said it would work...)
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 05:16 PM
I got an Idea, why don't I do what this reviewer said on the walmart thing...
Great computer with wimpy graphics card
12/08/2011
The CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXi250 is fast and powerful, and can handle a heavy workload. I can use it to simultaneously run two iterations of the graphics-intense 3D virtual world of Second Life with almost no lag! The Cyberpower is a great multi-tasker, too, and I can have several programs running at once, including resource hogs like Adobe Photoshop.
This computer arrived last week and was easy to setup out of the box. The temperature readout and the extra ventilation on the computer case are an added plus. The price is right, too!
The main reason I give this a 4 instead of a 5 is because the installed NVIDIA GeForce GT520 graphics card was a little too wimpy for my needs. I swapped it out with a Radeon HD 4670 card I got recently for my previous computer, and it works better. Plus, changing the graphics card raised the computer's Windows Experience Index base score from 4.5 to 5.9.
The computer chassis is roomy for easy upgrades, but it is also huge! At 18 inches high, it doesn't fit on the lower shelf of some computer desks (like mine!).
Although I was less than thrilled by the graphics card that came with the CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXi250, this roomy and robust computer makes upgrades easy and I highly recommend it.
I could just buy the comp, and replace the graphics card. Would that work?
Baneblade
2012-04-10, 05:27 PM
I get chills when people talk about paying too much for a prebuilt desktop.
Just order online from newegg problem solved. Avoid prebuilts.
termhn
2012-04-10, 06:06 PM
Yeah... why the hesitation with newegg?
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 06:50 PM
I'm gonna convince my mom to buy these parts. @^
This would be my first time building a PC. I'm gonna need alot of help.
I think I'll need a router, Modem, and a Monitor, which bumps the price to about 600 700ish. Oh well. It'll be a nice family project. Thanks for the help Goku and others!
Ah I see what you mean now. Let me know if you can convince her and then we can go from there.
Do you need to upgrade your current modem/router? Otherwise I wouldn't bother not worth the added cost. On top of that a $700 budget isn't going to cover all that you are looking for either, you can squeeze a monitor in at that budget though. You would need about $800 for everything.
What monitor do you use right now?
As for extra help check out the numerous amounts of video guides on youtube for building PCs. If you need help troubleshooting or anything like that I have no problem helping of course.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-10, 09:05 PM
Dang it. She doesn't want to build it. :( Whelp, I guess I'll just swap out the graphics card. Hopefully that will work. Just gotta see if it meets requirements.
Did you tell her you will get more for the money?
Vancha
2012-04-10, 09:37 PM
Hell, just explain it'll save you having to buy a better one in a year or so. If nothing else, parents tend to understand the benefit of long-term cash savings.
Ailos
2012-04-11, 05:04 PM
You gotta start out small - buy the prebuilt and swap out the card, if that's all that you can do. But... that'll end up being around $150 more than building it from the ground up.
I can understand the hesitation someone may have with building a computer from the ground up. I'd recommend trying to swap out some components on an older PC that you may not care about as much first to get accustomed to how things are positioned and put together if you're wanting a little experience first.
Fenrys
2012-04-11, 10:06 PM
I'd recommend trying to swap out some components on an older PC that you may not care about as much first to get accustomed to how things are positioned and put together if you're wanting a little experience first.
This is how I learned my way around the insides of computers. I started out just upgrading parts (video card and RAM), but eventually I had 2 broken computers in my house (through no fault of my own - it was the era of Capacitor Plague).
The broken parts were obvious - a melted coil on one video card that was totally blackened and charred, and a popped capacitor on the other motherboard that was oozing brown goop. I knew the CPU in the busted motherboard was faster, so I swapped parts between the two until I had one working computer.
The next time my motherboard blew a capacitor, I watched a few YouTube videos about soldering, and was then able to repair the board by removing the bad capacitor and replacing it with a new one.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-11, 11:05 PM
Can someone explain why the nVidia Geforce 520 is bad? What can I replace it with, if I can at all? Here's a link to the comp by the way. I looked up the card on YT and commenters were giving mostly positive feedback on it. Same for those reviews on Walmart. (One person said it was a wimpy card and he swapped it out for a Radeon.)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/CyberPower-1TB-GXi250/16672337?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyV iewedItems
termhn
2012-04-11, 11:08 PM
Can someone explain why the nVidia Geforce 520 is bad? What can I replace it with, if I can at all? Here's a link to the comp by the way. I looked up the card on YT and commenters were giving mostly positive feedback on it. Same for those reviews on Walmart. (One person said it was a wimpy card and he swapped it out for a Radeon.)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/CyberPower-1TB-GXi250/16672337?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyV iewedItems
The 520 isn't going to get you very far. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's even a significant step up from the Intel integrated graphics. If you're gonna get a card, go for at least a 6650 or the equivalent from nvidia.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-11, 11:31 PM
The 520 isn't going to get you very far. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's even a significant step up from the Intel integrated graphics. If you're gonna get a card, go for at least a 6650 or the equivalent from nvidia.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/VisionTek-900251-Radeon-HD-4670-1GB-128-bit-GDDR3-PCI-Express-2.0-Graphics-card/10975610?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyV iewedItems
Is this a good card? If not, can you point me in the direction of a good one?
termhn
2012-04-12, 12:43 AM
The one you chose is pretty dated.
Not sure if they have this at walmart, even if they do you'll have to order online so it's better to go from newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150540
That one's at about the same pricepoint as the one you linked to, and it'll get you pretty good performance in games. For another $40 you can get much better performance from the 6850 or 460.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121419
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130750
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-12, 01:00 AM
:D! Hopefully that got the graphics card issue sorted out, since that's in my price range! :D Now I just need to choose whether to get speakers or a headset with it. I've got the router sorted out.
Fenrys
2012-04-12, 04:29 AM
Before choosing a video card, you should look at some benchmarks to see how the card performs.
For a quick comparison between 2 or more video cards, I go to this site:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php
Using the linked benchmarking software and NewEgg prices:
More points = faster video card. Higher performance per dollar is better.
i3-2100 integrated graphics: 272 points
GT 520: 339 points, $45, performance per dollar = 7.53
HD 4670: 582 points, $60, performance per dollar = 9.7
HD 6670: 1199 points, $70, performance per dollar = 17.13
GTS 450: 1413 points, $90, performance per dollar = 15.17
HD 6750: 1617 points, $80, performance per dollar = 20.21
HD 6850: 2751 points, $140, performance per dollar = 19.65
The video cards that people in this thread are recommending are on a higher level than the video cards that WalMart wants to sell you, both in terms of performance and performance/price ratio. Furthermore, WalMart wants to charge you almost twice as much as what NewEgg will charge for the same part.
A 6750 from NewEgg will be about 3 times faster and $20 cheaper after shipping than a 4670 from WalMart.
Baneblade
2012-04-12, 07:43 AM
Wal-Mart is the worst place to buy any type of electronics.
Ailos
2012-04-12, 10:30 AM
The one you chose is pretty dated.
Not sure if they have this at walmart, even if they do you'll have to order online so it's better to go from newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150540
I have that card (well, the 5770, which is the same card minus Bluray support), and it is QUITE good. 18 months after purchase, and I am STILL able to run pretty much every game on max settings.
Pretty much any of the other cards recommended in this thread are a league or two above what Walmart stocks. But to explain it a little more, here's what the numbers in a card's name mean:
The first number usually refers to the architecture generation (e.g. NVidia's 400 series are the 4th generation of the modern GeForce architecture). All cards of a given generation will have generally the same microprocessor layout and design at their core. However, the numbers that follow specify how many other bells and whistles are attached. The second number(s) is(are) frequently representative of the main processor's capability - clock speed, communication pipelines, etc. The higher this number (typically), the more option boxes were ticked on the card, and the more capable it will be. The last number is representative of any addons the card may have outside the main silicon processor - such as extra memory (beyond the design specification), or maybe extra fan coolers or power optimization options (NVidia cards also tend to add letters like GTS or GTX or Ti). The price for a card is determined first by its generation (NVidia 400, 500 or 600 or AMD Radeon 5k/6k/7k), then by how capable the card is within that generation (580 GTX vs a 560 Ti or 6850 vs 6770).
The latest generation of NVidia cards that is just barely starting to hit the store shelves is the GeForce 600 series. So although a GeForce 520 is the last generation card, the 20 in 520 means that it is the most basic one (or almost basic one) in the lineup - you get the cheapest, most bandwidth-starved processor NVidia makes. It may be enough to run the games that are out today, but it will already struggle with anything that comes out tomorrow. In most situations, even Intel HD onboard graphics will be better, and if you go the SandyBridge/AMD Fusion route, you'll get even more performance for the price. Thus the advice is to take that card out and buy one of the other cards recommended in this thread.
AlienTwentyFour
2012-04-12, 09:22 PM
Okay seems simple enough. So, should I buy the Radeon or the other mentioned graphics cards?
@Ailos
So the Nvidia Geforce GT 520 should play PS2 and some other games that come out this year, but I'll need to swap it out next year?
termhn
2012-04-12, 11:30 PM
Okay seems simple enough. So, should I buy the Radeon or the other mentioned graphics cards?
@Ailos
So the Nvidia Geforce GT 520 should play PS2 and some other games that come out this year, but I'll need to swap it out next year?
Well, it'll play them, but not very well. If you have the budget, I'd upgrade now.
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