How Far Will Graphics Card, PSU, RAM and Win 7 Pro 64 Bit Take Me?

[Chilli]

I was wondering how much each of the following planned upgrades will enhance Aces High Gaming Performance?  How Far Will Graphics Card, PSU, RAM and Win 7 Pro 64 Bit Take Me?

Actually, looking to see where my meager funds would be best spent 

Currently Operating System: Windows XP Pro SP3 System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.                System Model: Dimension 5100                BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A03 Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz (dual core) Memory: 3326MB RAM (4 sticks 1 gig each) Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 210 Display Memory: 512 MB

Proposed Upgrades Win 7 Pro 64 bit HPC PSU= Intel ATX12V 2.2  specification. True-Wattage Rated 430 watts with dual +12v rails Dual SATA Support.  110V & 220V AC input switchable. 16 gig DDR3 RAM EVGA 01G-P4-2650-KR GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready

[Chalenge]

3 monitors on 2D surround if you care to do that. That PSU is junk though.

The real question is what CPU are you planning on?

[guncrasher]

if you are reusing the cpu and mobo that video card is way too much.  if you arent upgrading the cpu and mobo the max ram is ddr2 I believe.

get win7 home premium.  saves you a few bucks.  get a better power supply.

post a picture of what the dell case looks like inside.

if it was me, I would save a bit more money.  replace cpu/mobo and possibly case depending on if dell used proprietary case.


semp

[Chilli]

That is exactly why I posted here.  I currently have 230 Watt PSU due to the constraints of the Dell Dimensions case that I am working around.  This is what was recommended by the manufacturer I guess.

So, it is not 600 watt or better, what makes it junk...... I need to know because if there are better alternatives that have the same size and dimensions to fit in the case, I haven't got a clue how to find it.

Thanks for your comments and any help is appreciated.  Further I should have stated that I don't have the space or bucks for triple screen, but I am more interested in performance issues trying to run Aces High with the upcoming graphics and possibly tinkering with the mapbuilder.

[guncrasher]

chilli when you open the case and looking at it from the front.  which side is the mobo installed on left or right?  this is important because that may limit you on what you can do.


semp

[Chilli]

chilli when you open the case and looking at it from the front.  which side is the mobo installed on left or right?  this is important because that may limit you on what you can do.


semp

Motherboard is located on the left from the front view



I will watch this thread closely and try and make recommended changes where I can and update the list for further input.

As it is, looks like the video card and PSU are sending me back to the drawing board.

[guncrasher]

ok you have a proprietary case by del.  what that means is that you will have to buy a new case when you need to upgrade.  the only thing you can reuse is possibly the cd rom.

bottom line is you cant upgrade that system.  perhaps you can reuse winxp to hold you up on the next build but that's just about it.  give me a call anyway. perhaps some other guys have some cases, mobo's, ps that they need to get get rid of and might save you money.  later on you can upgrade as your budget allows.

if you know anybody that will buy your current system that's a way to start.   I hope i am wrong but let's see what the other guys have to say.


semp

[Chalenge]

That's what I have against Dell systems is that they are not upgradeable to any worthwhile extent.

Rather than upgrade now I would adopt a wait-and-see attitude and save back all the money you can for the day when you must update. No one is likely to know what equipment changes will be required, if any, until the next update. Then you might even be able to use that system as a Linux box and secure your local network, or something else along those same lines.

[Bizman]

What Chalenge says. Save as much as you can until the next update, then build an entirely new rig. If you wish, you can start the new build around your current rig, though, starting with a bigger case, a decent PSU and a good video card. With the GTX 650 and something like a SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W and a well breathing case designed for the longest videocard available that'd be about $200. I suppose that investment would raise your current fps and eye candy rate significantly.

[Chilli]

Okay, I have the wife searching for the Sea Sonic S12II 520 Bronze PSU and as far as I could see the dimensions are compatible and it is a better bargain, unless the extra juice could harm my current motherboard.

The video card hinges upon the PSU upgrade so I am most likely going to change that also.

I picked up on the 2 x 8 GB memory from another thread, but this is where I need some confirmation from the community. Will my current system with Win 7 ever use the 16 GB to improve Aces High Performance?  Or is this gross overkill?

Sticking with the old Dell with minimum upgrades is the most cost effective way to get me back in the game NOW.  So, to further tweak my questions about upgrades, Bizman nailed the best way for me to gain any real understanding and that would be framerate versus eye candy.

So, to be clear prioritizing upgrades so far has me beginning with my PSU bottleneck (underpowered), video card (low end), and then operating system (use of resources and memory management).  What I am not clear on is where will I get the biggest return on investment  in terms of the above criteria = framerate versus eye candy?

[caldera]

Before you spend a dime, make sure to turn off all the bloatware that likely came factory-installed from Dell.  Check out blackviper.com.

Maybe you can keep your current machine, while saving for an all new one.

[Chilli]

Yep, Caldera, with TC's help and a small app that wardog hooked me up with some time ago, I have my processes down near 15.  Which really has me questioning my RAM decision, since it is currently the priciest.

I have heard that several different descriptions of how the Aces High program uses the computer.  I understand (correct me if I am wrong) the GPU takes on most of the workload for playing the actual online game.

So, here again, why am I throwing my money at RAM for my machine?  Did I miss something?

[caldera]

Yep, Caldera, with TC's help and a small app that wardog hooked me up with some time ago, I have my processes down near 15.  Which really has me questioning my RAM decision, since it is currently the priciest.

I have heard that several different descriptions of how the Aces High program uses the computer.  I understand (correct me if I am wrong) the GPU takes on most of the workload for playing the actual online game.

So, here again, why am I throwing my money at RAM for my machine?  Did I miss something?

Actually, AH is much more CPU intensive IIRC.  Last I checked DDR2 ram was expensive, though DDR3 is creeping up in price as well.  Personally, I think you should wait until the terrain update before making any moves.  It would be a shame to spend for a minimal, short-term fix when it might not even be needed.  Seems like it might be wiser to build a new computer from scratch, with the power for future overclocking or graphic card upgrades, instead of sinking more money into an obsolete box.

I just built a new system myself and will be parting out the old one.  Maybe you might be interested in either parts or the whole thing. 

Cooler Master CM Storm case
3.0ghz Intel E8400 CPU
8 gigs DDR2 RAM
Corsair 750 watt PSU
Gigabyte Motherboard
Zalman CPU cooler
MSI Cyclone 6850 GPU
Asus DVD Drive

The system is 5 years old but it has been flawless operationally.  You would need a hard drive and an OS and it would be ready to go.

[Chilli]

I stand corrected......  TC, just confirmed that as well the game is more CPU intensive and RAM does help lessen chances of use of pagefiles and stutters or such.

Looking into 750 watt Themaltake PSU, missed the window (no pun) for Win 7 download for today (will try tomorrow).

Researching motherboard to see if memory is compatible with old system.

Also, I should apologize for bad wording in my subject title.  After, some real good input (thank you all), I now see that I really didn't mean how far could updates take me, but rather "what steps should I take to upgrade my current system"

[Chalenge]

It is my belief that AH is nearly all about the CPU. The GPU is important also, but of course GPUs come and go. It was not too long ago that the Geforce 200 series was so capable, but now they are not even capable enough for PhysX on the latest GPU types. Not that PhysX is even needed for AH, but if you have a 600 series, or 700 series GPU then the 2## GPU for PhysX will only slow you down. For a CPU I think a 3.0GHz CPU is bare minimum, with 3.6GHz (or higher) being the ideal. I use a 4770K at 3.9GHz.

For memory it depends on your OS. For AH you should use Windows 7 64-bit. Do not use Windows 8. W8 has some fanbois around, but the OS is hopeless and not worthy of the upgrade price. 8GB is all the memory you need for W7 64-bit, but you can go to 16GB depending on what else you use your system for. While it is possible to go even higher, it will not be worth the price you have to pay. Regrettably, there are few motherboards that remain stable with four DIMMs in use anyway and you can really pull your hair out trying to get it right.

For the GPU I would go with the 600 series myself. You can still find the 680s around, but they will be expensive. Worse, the best units are the ones with the most VRAM onboard, which pushes the price even higher. But wait! Since we also suggested waiting you might be seeing a new GPU hit the market at any time. You might consider looking at the reviews of the 750Ti Maxwell cards. There is a Wikipedia article on the new GeForce 800 series, but I wouldn't swear to the validity of everything they have there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_800_Series

I'm waiting on Volta myself.

I would put off buying a PSU until you know what the entire system is likely to be. I could write a book on why that is.

I would also plan on buying two hard drives at the least. I run Aces High on a second drive, because when I tested it that way it runs smoother.

Choose a MB that offers SATA III 6GB, and USB 3. USB 3 is even faster than Firewire 800. Read the QVL for the MB you chose and pick out RAM that runs well without overclocking.