Might be time for a new computer.

[Chosen]

Hey guys, I have a question about the system I am currently plyaing on. It's a DELL deminsion 4700. It runs fine and I keep it pretty clean (minimum processes running). It is getting old though. I would like to keep playing on it for AH, however I am getting some really crappy framerates at times. I've made all the in game adjustsments to help with framerates. I am hoping a new video card will help. Current specs are as follows; Pentium 4, 3Ghz, 2.5 GB ram, Raedon X1600/1650 with 512GB memory on the card.

Would this Video card help me at all? EVGA 01G-P3-N959-TR GeForce 9500 GT Video Card - 1GB DDR2, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Support. Or is it time for a new system?

Thanks for you input.
Chosen <S>

[Dichotomy]

I'm going to be upfront and tell you I have a bias against Dell computers. 

That said I think you have to ask yourself the following questions.

1. Are you going to be into online gaming for the long haul?
2. What else do you use your computer for?
3. What's your budget?

My personal opinion for what it's worth (.01 at the close of market Friday) is if the answer to q1 is 'yes' then it's much more economical in the long run to either A) build your own system or B) get TilDeath to build you one. 

A will be less expensive but there are many many people on this board that will steer you right and help you not only select components and cases but also tell you exactly what to do in words that even I can understand.  I go with B) because TD has never let anybody down, is a totally righteous guy, and builds the sweetest setups I've ever seen bar none. 

The advantage, as I see it, is as technology advances you can swap out 'off the shelf' components to keep your computer up to date instead of spending 3 to 6 hundred dollars every few years to keep up. 

That, of course, is just my view on things.  I'm sure you will get varying points of view in this thread.  Bottom line is it's up to you to decide the best course of action based on the information you receive. 

[The Fugitive]

If I read the page right your CPU is a single core and just over the minimum requirements for the game. Aces High is a pretty CPU intense game due to the positioning calculations for the aircraft. Adding a new video card will help, but not a whole lot.

If it's playable now, I'd save my pennys suffering through as is and buy a whole new box. I also would recommend talking to TilDeath. He doesn't charge ya for the call and he'll give you a strait answer and price about a new box.

Good luck

[Denholm]

If you don't want to buy a computer without assembling it, call TilDeath. You won't be sorry.

While TilDeath mentioned he's no longer posting on these forums, we can get you in contact with him

[NormH3]

Ok..heres the deal. I looked at the specs for your computer and the first thing I noticed is that it will support a P4 cpu upto 3.8 ghz. I do know for a fact though that Dell doesnt always use the same motherboard for each of the cpus it may support on any given model. In other words your motherboard may not support the faster processor. Point 2...your computer does not have a PCI express 2.0 slot. The 2.0 will work in your computer, but it will not reap the added benefits from the faster bus. Point 3...some of the newer video cards require a power supply thats a bit beefier than what is provided with OEM equipment. Point 4... Im guessing that you are running a 32bit OS. A 32bit OS can only address a maximum of 4gb of memory addresses. This includes RAM, Video cards and DMA devices (direct memory access) in your system. If you add a 1gb video card to your system, you will most likely loose the capability of addressing 512mb of your system RAM, which means your computer will suffer in other ways. Quite frankly, a 512mb video card should be plenty for AH. These are all thoughts off the top of my head. I'm sure others may have an opinion as well.

[Dragon]

Simple answer, time to think about an upgrade to a new comp.

[Chosen]

Thanks a ton for all the advice. I think I'll go with a new box. Now how do I get ahold of TillDeath for some guidance?

[The Fugitive]

Thanks a ton for all the advice. I think I'll go with a new box. Now how do I get ahold of TillDeath for some guidance?

THIS IS HIS WEB PAGE. His contact info is at the bottom.